Bands to watch in 2018!

With each passing year writing lists such as this seem more and more pointless. The bands who I want to break through probably won't break through. If they do, it will be the year after. There seems little point in simply writing about the bands that are most likely to break big otherwise I'd be telling you to all listen to another Dirty Hit signed Manchester band ripping off the 80's mainstream and passing it off as somehow alternative. These are my favourite of the bands currently being praised by other critics, alongside some of my own favourites.


Seafoal
Seafoal's 'Zeraclius' EP marks Seafoal's reinvention from acoustic ballardy to dark synth-heavy electronica. With her shaven head, punk style and outspoken nature, Seafoal and her gothic pop sound seem perfect to soundtrack whatever chaos lies before us in 2018. Check out 'Chess' or Fiends' to see what I mean.
Check out - Chess

Superorganism 
If you've caught Supreorganism's Jools Holland performance you'll know why they're on this list. Superorganism are made up of 8 members from all over the globe. They sing, dance, paint themselves in glitter and make a refreshingly fun, unique take on electro-pop. Their songs seem to start, stop and glitch throughout. Of the 3 songs they've dropped so far 'Nobody cares' is the best
and despite having played so few shows and releasing so few material, their colourful pop deserves to break through in 2018.
Check out - Nobody Cares

Yaeji
The New York based South Korean DJ, singer and songwriter Yaeji, is on this list mostly because of the highlight track from her second EP 'Raingurl'. A ridiculously catchy deep house banger/female empowerment anthem, that has her understated voice over chilled house beats. The rest of her EP proves that there is more to her than dance anthems, dipping her toes into alternative RNB and remixing Drake's dance-hall hit 'Passionfruit'. Where Yaeji goes from here is anyone's guess, but it sounds like she's only getting started.
Check out - Raingurl

Shame
Shame are my kind of band. Shame sound as scruffy as they look and like all the best indie bands it's hard to imagine them ever doing anything else. Shame learned their trade in the same infamous London pub that birthed Fat White Family. Shame are the real deal, much like Cabbage they seem to be caught between political angst and simply taking the piss out of themselves. Yet the talent behind such post-punk tunes such as 'Concrete' or 'Gold Hole' is clear to see. Yet there is a softer side to Shame. Most notably on their completely insincere love letter to Theresa May, 'Visa Vulture'.
Check out - Concrete

Her's
I'm not going to pretend that Her's are in anyway original. If you've listened to Mac Demarco or Hoops, you'll know exactly what to expect. I have to give credit to Her's however because I've rarely ever seen a band having so much fun on-stage. Her's clearly love performing and entertaining their growing cult following. We will sorely need their like in 2018
Check out - Speed Racer

Hypnosister
Since parting ways with ALLUSONDRUGS Damo has toured with Louise Distras, and now started his own solo project. He was the core songwriter and guitarist for one of my favourite bands and wrote many fantastic songs for them. His two singles 'Bother' and 'Poorly boy' follow in a similarly grungy direction as his old band, and considering how incredibly underrated Allusondrugs are Hypnosister looks like it will be similarly fantastic.
Check out - Bother

Gotts Street Park
Hailing from a council estate on the outskirts of Leeds. Gotts Street Park are making a nocturnal soundtrack to urban Britain. Mixing Jazz, Soul, and hip-hop together in their own smoky lo-fi style and collaborating with other rising stars such as Grand Pax and Benny Mails. Their début mix-tape' Volume One' mixers their early singles with newer snippets and samples of what's yet to come.
Check out - Love in bad company

Trash
The excellent Leed's based DIY label are always worth keeping an eye on for their ability to shine a light on some of the UK's most under appreciated bands. Following on from their minor successes with  ALLUSONDRUGS and Narcs (still two of the most underrated bands in the country) Clue's new 'likely lads' are Trash. Making the kind of washed out 80's tinged indie pop that never really goes out of style. Trash are ending 2017 on a high with the release of their début EP and touring a support slot with JAWS. Trash's upbeat indie-pop will be the soundtrack to 2018's summer.
Check out - 81

Starcrawler
LA's Starcrawler seem determined to put the fun back into rock n' roll. Attracting plaudits from several rock stars and signing to rough trade records. They've become known for wild live shows in which singer Arrow de Wilde spits blood and seemingly has convulsions on the floor. Starcrawler sound like all the best bits of 70's glam rock and clearly want to bring back the theatrics of shock rock which have been sorely missed these past few decades.
Check out - Ants 



Sons of Raphael
Sometimes a début single tells you all you need to know about a band. Sons of Rapheal are two brothers with two guitars and a drum machine who look and sound like a 70's punk band and yet also look and sound like nothing else but themselves. The A-side 'Eating people has a video where they play to a bemused church congregation as Ronnie sings in his bizarre snarl of a voice. This is rock n' roll reinvented for a new generation.

Check out - Eating People

Hear the best bits of all these bands and more on my play-list below 
https://t.co/XsPM4CArNp

*okay Pale Waves have got some good songs, but I just want a little bit more than that from my music.