As we roll ever onwards into 2013 the Roomthirteen team aim to get you excited for the year ahead by recommending some great bands to keep an ear out for in the coming months - happy listening!
Andrew Latham
Hoodlums
Fronted by ex-Smother frontman Luke Branch (now known as Lou Vainglorious), Hoodlums play vibrant and tuneful indie pop. I wouldn't normally go for this sort of thing but in Vainglorious they have a totally killer frontman who writes top draw tunes and lyrics and makes the live experience something really special. Visit the band's website for more.
Neil Richardson
2012 was a great year for sport with Paul Weller winning the Tour de France and with the Olympics which seemed to do something very strange - bringing Britain together as a community. Well, 2013 promises to be even better all thanks to the new breed of up and coming bands but this will only work if you make the effort and check out the following:
GHXST
By far and away the most exciting new band that crossed my path in 2012. Doomgirl and Black Camaro are just simply two awesome tracks (there are plenty more). It's not just us here at R13 that are tipping GHXST for big things, pretty much everyone on both sides of the Atlantic that have seen this trio say the same - we can't all be wrong!
Blindness
UK 4-piece that are about to make that giant step up from being a big local scene band to a great national treasure. Compelling female vocals backed up by industrial strength rock music that oozes class make Blindness a must to check out.
Ume
We first saw this trio at SXSW in 2009 (and every year since) and immediately said they were worth checking out, drawing comparisons with our own The Joy Formidable. In that time they have been steadily growing in America and last year saw them dip their toes in Europe for the first time by playing Rock en Seine and by all accounts they want more, which hopefully will include the UK next time. With a new album out this year, expect to hear quite a lot about this trio in 2013.
Heather Fitsell
The Temperance Movement
Barely eighteen months old, five piece The Temperance Movement blend blues, folk and rock that harks back to latter day bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Neil Young, Little Feat or The Yardbirds, but with their own take on it. Their Pride EP has five quite different tracks on it, each unique, single worthy and fantastic in it's own right. As a live band they really bring their songs to life and are a pleasure to watch on stage. Undoubtledly a band to listen out for in 2013. Find out more here.
Mallory Knox
A band that has already received some exposure on Roomthirteen and who are receiving glowing reviews for their soon to be released debut album, are undoubtedly one of the bands set to explode this year. Already experiencing mainstreem airplay, I implore you to catch them live in a small venue whilst you can, that is how I first saw them and they instantly grabbed my attention. Their musical skill and Mikey Chapman's vocals get tighter with every single that they have released and the four tracks that hae been released off their debut album Signals are nothing but eargasms. I propose this to be the year they take off. Check them out on Facebook.
The Ocean Between Us
Post-metalcore does not appear on a Sunday morning easy listening playlist for most people, so it can be hard for bands of this genre to get noticed. There are bands that for part of it deserve more recognition than they have got and The Ocean Between Us are one of them. With their debut album Savoir Faire released at the end of March, they will hopefully start to make their mark on the music scene. Neither the music nor they lyrics may be light hearted, but the sound is heavy, it urges you to listen to the lyrics that explore some heavy issues that have been faced by vocalist Judd Wrighton. For more visit Facebook
Emma Gould
MINE
Brit four piece MINE are without doubt ones to watch out for this year, their punk-rock is melded brilliantly with densely layered post-rock style atmospherics to create an intense sound. Their tunes are technically interesting and full of feedback drenched guitar noise and vocal screams. They're great live too. Track them down on Facebook here.
Cayetana
Cayetana are a great all female trio from Philadelphia - their demo is three tracks of crunchy, scuzzy and sweetly melodic punk and you can hear it on their Bandcamp now.