The wave that hit the country last year that threw the spotlight on Birmingham with the emergence of bands such as PEACE, Swim Deep, JAWS and (now disbanded) The Carpels amongst others, seems like it was just the first flow of a tumbling tsunami. In the last few months a new handful of artists have slowly been working their way into local consciousness and are mow about to hit it hard.
The likes of the aforementioned Swim Deep, with their slice of summer shimmery last year with 'King City' and the psychedelic stirrings of Peace have headed a recent deluge of bands pouring out of the city, amongst whom can also be counted Troumaca and JAWS, making Brum town one of the main scouting grounds for new bands.
And here's the proof. In the first of a two part feature we take a look at those we think will be creating the most waves over the course of 2013.
COLD FIELDS
Formed in 2012, Cold Fields combine a variety of styles and influences including dubstep and electro in what they hail 'melancholic indie'. Chris Newey's distinctly Brummie vocals are akin to The Streets. Infectiously likeable.
Cold Fields are: Christopher Newey - vocals/guitar; Stuart Lidgbird - guitar/vocals; Jon Perks - bass; Nick Wynne - drums/percussion
DUMB
Edgy young (none are out of their teens yet) dudes who look set to shake the bones of Brum with their first single release 'Dive' just released. Borne out of the ashes of The Carpels, their focus is on strong rhythms and very watchable presence of their frontman.
Dumb are: Dylan Williams - vocals, Tom Minchin - guitar, Adam Pyzer - bass, Jacob 'The Lips' McQue - drums
FOES
Until recently known as The British Kicks, the quartet have now adopted a new moniker, but retain their spiky edge; with a liking for the large drum sound and big guitar riffs, influenced by QOTSA and Nirvana. Working ethos: 'Be yourself. Everybody else is taken'.
FOES are: Tom Kearns - vocals/guitar, Drew Linforth - guitar, Marcus Williams - drums, Alex Regan - bass
FRIDAY CLUB
As yet still unsigned and unmanaged, four-piece rock n roll indie outfit Friday Club are just starting to get notice on the Brum live scene. One demo 'Fall Down Kids' online has started to attract interest. Recording their debut EP with Dom Ganderton (see Superfood).
Friday Club are: Josh Smithyman - vocals/guitar, Joe Davies - guitar/vocals, Doug Wootton - bass, Myles Adams - drums
HEAVY WAVES
Lo-fi fuzz-pop trio fond of scuzzy hooks and reverb-overloaded vocals. Formed early 2012 and have supported Swim Deep and Peace.
Heavy Waves are: Luke Morgan - vocals/bass, Ed Taylor - guitar, Matt Tucker - drums.
HOOPLA BLUE
Four-piece formed last year. Parade dark, dreamy 80s-style riffs and interesting vocal range delivered by Adam Tomes. One track online 'Holy Ghost' has received favourable reviews. The band have been recording with Ed Taylor (see Heavy Waves), working on two new tracks which should be appearing in next weeks: 'Hummingbird' and 'Beyond Pine'.
Hoopla Blue are: Adam Tomes - vocals/guitar, Thomas Hewson - guitar/vocals, Dario Chin - drums, Mitchell Baines - bass
LACED
The quintet formed late last year, and inspired by the sound of Warpaint and Smashing Pumpkins, they made their live debut just a matter of weeks ago, in February. They create a dual dynamic with male and female vocals. Unveiling their first track 'Jade Vine' a week ago brought them bouquets from contemporaries Swim Deep, and an avalanche of interest.
Laced are: Andy Parkes - vocals/guitar, Gracie Vee - vocals/bass, Josh Eggerton - guitar, Reece Hayden - guitar, Jamie Moorhouse - drums
PRAYERS
A four-piece post punk outfit (profiled here recently in our 'One To Watch' section http://littleindieblogs.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/one-to-watch-prayers.html?m=0 ) of 18 year olds. Dark, dreamy sounds with a hard, somewhat twisted core and lyrically incising. One track online to date, the reverb-rich 'Bloodstains', fitting the description well.
Prayers are: Alex Aitken - vocals/guitar, George Maybury - guitar, Lewis Belcher - bass, Nathan Bunn - drums
SUPERFOOD
There is a lot - and not a lot - to be said, seen or heard about this outfit, and at the present time you are unlikely to find much about about them anywhere - and certainly no inkling of a soundbite. That, however, seems certain to change before too long. The four-piece indie/grunge/Blur-compared band - formerly known as Baby 100 then Junnk - and fronted by Birmingham kingpin Dom Ganderton - could well be major players before next year. Ganderton, still just 22 years old, has an impressive CV and is something of a legend on the Birmingham scene having worked with Swim Deep, Peace, Wide Eyed, Friday Club amongst others. Big favourite of Peace and JAWS, the former whom they will be supporting on their upcoming tour.
Superfood are: Dom Ganderton - vocals/guitar, Emily Baker - bass, Ryan Malcolm - guitar, Carl Griffin - drums
WIDE EYED
Think a synthless TOY or slightly less ear-shattering MBV. Only one demo 'Bleak' so far online, but that alone has been enough to stir interest. Made up of the remnants of bands Corelli and Shallow, judging by two recent demos we have heard from the band, we are laying money on their being show headliners before the end of the year.
Wide Eyed are: Jake Bellwood - vocals/guitar, Tommy Greaves - guitar, Max Fisher - bass, Aaron Singh - drums
Love Wide Eyed.
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