Buzzin Pop Music

The BBC sound of 2009: Little Boots

Little Boots (Image by Oliver J. Lopena: oliverlopena.com)

The list BBC’s list of bands set to make it big in 2009 was released last week. Top of the list was, as I’m sure most people know, was Little Boots. Her catchy electro-pop is set to be the predominant genre this year if we are to believe the trends already being set so far. These predictions generally see themselves through, too, though this is surely more due to them being self-fulfilling prophesies than pure clairvoyance  – Radio 1 is hardly going to now strike these acts off their supremely influential playlists.

White Lies were second, followed by Florence and the Machine, who remind me a lot of the Duke Spirit. Why this sound will be so much better in 2009 than it was a few years back I don’t know, but time will tell if the public still have a palate for this brash guitar based music done to death by the scenesters of 21st century.

La Roux is also an electro act – number 5 on the list, though with a lot more zest than Little Boots. Her pop is genuinely the exciting side of the electro-pop spectrum. It is darker and rawer than the others’ polished production and with an EP out by Kitsuné Maison at the moment, she wins quite a few of my special street credits, and my number one spot out of the five.

The real surprise was the Australian duo Empire of the Sun who came in at number 4, one half of which used to be The Sleepy Jackson. I remember reading a positive review of their album last year, but not expecting to hear much from them, especially not over other longlisted acts like VV Brown and Lady GaGa. Their album cover is hilariously naff, and they pull off their straight-faced cheesy sort of electro pretty well.

The award is almost a guarentee of success – I can almost hear Jo Whiley touting these five already. It’ll take quite a lot for the public not to take to them, though I still find it hard to see Empire of the Sun bursting through like MGMT did with their number 9 position last year, not least because they don’t really seem to be what I would call an ‘image’ band like the top three are.

Last year’s predictions dominated charts and airwaves alike – Adele and Duffy’s new-wave soul, MGMT’s electro,  and Vampire Weekend, Glasvegas and the Ting Tings really did become the sound of 2008. Other past winners have include Mika (2007), Corinne Bailey Rae (2006), The Bravery (who beat Bloc Party (!) in 2005) Keane (2004) and 50 Cent (in 2003, who surely has to be the biggest of all past winners).

The BBC are keen to promote British acts in their lists, though this means that, with only the best of the American crop making it on the lists, they are represented as what some would term ‘better’ music makers – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (2006), Vampire Weekend (2008) and Interpol (2003) are surely cooler acts than most of the top picks from Britain in recent years?