While we revel in our memories of an awesome 2010, we can’t contain our excitement for 2011. These 10 bands are the ones to watch in the year to come.
10. The Temper Trap -The Temper Trap is an indie rock band which formed in 2005 in Melbourne, Australia. The band consists of Dougy Mandagi (vocals, guitar), Lorenzo Sillitto (guitar, keyboards), Jonathon Aherne (bass) and Toby Dundas (drums). The Temper Trap, led by frontman Dougy, have been writing and touring Australia, catching the ears of many. With a series of epic new tracks set for release on their much anticipated debut album, the band has conquered adventurous new territory, building on their rich foundations in a natural progression. Legendary Arctic Monkey’s and Kasabian producer Jim Abiss flew over to Melbourne to be at the helm. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.
9. The Boxer Rebellion – London-based quartet the Boxer Rebellion formed in the fall of 2000 when frontman Nathan Nicholson moved to England from Tennessee. Joined by a love of Radiohead and influences ranging from Britpop to American garage rock, the band wrote and recorded together for several years, honing their epic, melodic sound. The Boxer Rebellion are set to release their third studio album ‘The Cold Still’ Created in conjunction with legendary producer Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne) the album was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in the UK and is set to drop on February 8, 2011.
8. The Maine – Formed in Phoenix, AZ, in 2007 while most of the bandmembers were still in high school, the Maine turned their ’90s radio rock band influences into a generic but still infectious pop-punk sound. Featuring singer John O’Callaghan, guitarists Kennedy Brock and Jared Monaco, bassist Garrett Nickelsen, and drummer Pat Kirch, the Maine signed to Fearless Records and released a five-song concept EP, The Way We Talk, in 2007. After performing on the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, the band released their debut album Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, which was produced by Matt Squire. The Maine currently has a free EP out as a way of giving back to the fans. It can be found on daytrotter.com and is called Daytrotter Session-EP. Keep your eye out for more from them in the new year
http://www.wearethemaine.net
7. British Sea Power – A quartet from Brighton, England, British Sea Power are a rather conceptual indie band — compared more than once to Joy Division — featuring members named Hamilton, Noble, Yan, and Wood. With a penchant for grandiose anthems with arena-style choruses and crescendos…British Sea Power’s sound includes atmospheric and post-punk numbers along with the soaring epics. Catch their new album ‘Valhalla Dancehall’ and tour this coming year.
http://www.britishseapower.co.uk/
6. White Lies – A dark-edged trio hailing from London, White Lies take sonic cues from the likes of Joy Division, the Teardrop Explodes, and Echo & the Bunnymen. Indeed, the three musicians are so committed to the U.K.’s post-punk scene that they signed with Fiction Records, a Polydor imprint best known for its ’80s releases by the Cure and the Associates. White Lies’ debut album ‘To Lose My Life’… was released in January 2009, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart. Second album ‘Ritual’ was recorded in 2010, and is set for worldwide release in January 2011.
http://www.whitelies.com
5. PieL – PieL’s Alternative sound is ready to crack the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart. ‘Studio 54(Contagious)’ is their breakthrough hit. Lewis’s sultry vocals against Burkes’s hypnotic bass will lure the most skeptical wallflower onto the dance floor. While moody tracks such as ‘Babble On’ and ‘Come On” will mesmerize you with their soul. Lead Singer Tiki Lewis says that she’s been ‘singing since [she] was walking.” Her lyrics capture the wild, raw facts of urban life. So it’s natural that the South Side Chicago native was attracted to downtown Los Angeles to pursue a career. Bassist Jawnee Burkes is a Los Angeles native. His passion for the bass comes across in his powerful, hypnotic rhythms. He loves to perform live. More to come… Once you experience PieL, you’ll be grooving, dancing, and even catch yourself singing along right into 2011.
4. Theft – Having now done the hard work of finding his voice, Matt McCartie is taking pleasure in using it. Theft is currently playing out with a full lineup that includes Austen Hooks on drums, Daley Hake on bass and Eric Lemiere on guitar. In August 2010, the band released their song, “Never Be The Same” to coincide with the song being used as the theme for MTV’s new show, ‘If You Really Knew Me’. The band also just returned from a 6 week US tour opening for Creed. Looking forward, Theft will release a music video and another EP as well as getting back out on the road.
http://www.theftband.com
3. The Script – It’s been a rags to riches glory ride, an emotional rollercoaster, an all action, all-star blockbuster. Three young Dubliners took on the world, with music fashioned from the emotional detritus of their own hard lives raised up by a love of pop, rock, hip hop and soul. They played stadium shows with music heroes U2, Take That and Paul McCartney. Their song ‘Breakeven’ has sold over 1.7 million downloads in the US alone. But that was just the first draft. Now it’s time to write a whole new Script.Get ready for the return of The Script. There are going to be more twists in this tale before it is done.
http://www.thescriptmusic.com
2. The Daylights – The Daylights are a commanding three-piece from Los Angeles making a huge impact on the alternative rock scene nationwide as well as on the L.A. scene with their passionate lyrics, giant melodies and cinematic sound. After recently touring with Katy Perry and OneRepublic. The Daylights released their debut album in September of 2010. The boys closed the year with a bang, after their viral video ‘I Hope This Gets to You’ exploded with almost 620,000 views in less than a week. Not a bad way to end the year and begin the new.
http:// www.thedaylights.com
1. Golden State – Rivetingly charismatic, menacing, and possessed of an almost divine intensity, Golden State embraces and articulates an anthemic fervor of rock music with a power and eloquence unparalleled by any of their contemporaries.
Hailing from Los Angeles, Golden State’s fusion of U2’s classic songwriting and Radiohead’s controversial arrangements is crafted by lead vocalist/guitarist James Grundler, bassist Alex Parnell, lead guitarist Marc Boggio, and drummer Fernando Sanchez.
Rising from the ashes of the music industry, Golden State languished in relative obscurity while waiting for the rest of the music world to play catch-up, creating one of the most complex and rewarding bodies of work in modern rock & roll long before most listeners even learned of the group’s existence.
So, it’s no surprise things are heating up this year for Golden State, as they’ve been called, “U2 reborn”; garnering the respect of Bono himself, Elton John, and Stone Temple Pilot’s rocker Scott Weiland (who covered Grundler’s ‘Some Things Must Go This Way’ on his latest solo album).
The band’s frontman James Grundler has also found success strangely enough in Irish boyband Westlife. Grundler co-wrote their latest hit record ‘Safe’, alongside Grammy Producer of the Year John Shanks.
With a knack for big, melodic hooks, Golden State turns catchy numbers into sweeping, sprawling epic rockers, making them The One to watch as they plan for a full album release and tour early 2011.
Download a free MP3 of their epic rocker ‘Clocks of the World’ from their ‘Standing on the Edge of it All’ EP here: http://goldenstateband.com/
