DEVolution burst onto the scene with their debut single Good Love in 2011. The duo got great coverage on radio with Radio 1 making them the Jam Hot Record of the Week very early on.
Devereux, who was a founding member of seminal garage act Artful Dodger and Tom Devos, who was signed to Size Records have formed a potent team that knows how to produce a pop hit as well as keeping their ear close to the ground for all the new sounds.
When Dave Schmitt and Kyle Even formed Breathe Carolina in 2007, they didn’t anticipate that their just for fun project would explode into an internationally sought-after band within just a couple of years.
The story of Breathe Carolina is a modern day music fairytale, about two friends who recorded tracks on Mac program GarageBand at home in Denver, CO, put them on to MySpace and rapidly gained a huge online following. Their hobby transformed into a career, and launched the duo into stardom. We got started just by hanging out, reflects Kyle. We sat in a room and threw ideas back and forth, and had to take trips to the library to talk to people online because we didn’t have internet at our house. We honestly weren’t expecting anything, we just made some songs and people started hitting us up about them.
After signing with Fearless Records in 2009, their album Hello Fascination took their music to a bigger, brighter and more blistering dimension. The album debuted at #43 on the Billboard Top 200 and #2 on the Electronic Chart, going on to sell over 60,000. The title track Hello Fascination was featured on MTVs The City and received placement on NBCs Sunday Night Football. It also became the featured track on NBCs The Jay Leno Show promos.
Alabama 3 have gained a reputation as both a brilliant live act and, on record, a band with a lot to say. Having risen to mainstream fame thanks to their track Woke Up This Morning being chosen as the theme tune to The Sopranos, the band have built up an army of loyal fans and continue to release music that demands attention and thought.
Their latest opus, Shoplifting 4 Jesus takes its cues from the London riots and samples a great deal from the bands eclectic influences, from Hawkwind to hip hops EPMD. Always having a statement to make, the Alabama 3 of 2011 are no different and challenge artists and labels to sue them for their use of music, something they claim is simply paying homage to their favourites. Watch out for plenty more to come from the band.
With a love of Thin Lizzy and New York punk rock, its clear that The Minutes are a band that are going to play loud and going to play hard. Their single Black Keys was a favourite both live and on record and the band recently concreted that fact with a support slot on the Flogging Molly UK and Europe tours.
The band, who have also supported the likes of Supergrass and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, won crowds over across their entire homeland of Ireland before doing the same in the UK and beyond. With a new album on the way and plenty of gigs to be performed, the band have plenty more rocking to do in the coming year.
Cornwalls Crowns hit the ground running with their debut single Kissing Gates winning fans over immediately with their unique brand of folk-punk, which theyve coined as fish-punk. The quartets potent sound came from merging the elements of punk bands they listen to with the traditional Cornish sounds they grew up around.
With a support slot on the King Blues UK tour already under their belts and having shared the stage with the likes of Shane McGowan, Brandon Flowers and Gallows, Crowns look set to be a much-talked about band in the coming months and years.
Mr Slow Flow released his long-awaited album Cats & Dogs on independent powerhouse Rhymesayers Entertainment, joining the ranks of Atmosphere, Brother Ali, P.O.S. and others to much acclaim. A Grammy Award winner, thanks to his co-production on Kanye Wests album, the LA native grew his reputation as both a beatmaker and rapper as part of Dilated Peoples.
Having toured non-stop since the early days, Evidence has mastered his art and proves that hes just as comfortable in front of a packed out crowd as he is behind the boards, creating tunes. With plenty more expected in the future, hes always one to keep an eye on.
Already a star in her Danish homeland, Lucy Love has made a name for herself with catchy tunes and expressive visual style, both in the stages backdrop and the outfits she wears, which she designs herself. Having played a couple of shows in London, including Yoyos and Mixmags night, shes already won fans in the UK.
With another album on its way, Lucy already has a Mixmag Ones To Watch full-page feature under her belt and with the tunes and character she has backing her up, its surely just a matter of time before the Dane gets more.
Australian duo Diafrix burst onto the UK scene with a killer performance at Glastonbury festival as well as some highly enjoyable club shows including London’s Vibe Bar in the Summer of 2011. With the release of their first UK single ‘Simple Man‘, which featured fellow Aussie Daniel Merriweather, they tapped into the perfect sound for the sunshine of this year and caught clubbers’ ears too by grabbing remixes by T. Williams and MANIK.
Next year will see an album and prove that single wasn’t just a one-off. Guaranteed to make even the most cynical person grin, Diafrix will no doubt showcase their undoubted talent in the near future and gain as big a following here as they did in their homeland.
Every Avenue has been a staple on the rock circuit since 2004, clocking up tours with All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, Never Shout Never and Mayday Parade, and was featured in Alternative Press’ Most Anticipated Albums 2011.
Giving their brand of euphoric rock a sharper, slicker edge, Every Avenue explores themes of lust, temptation and self-acceptance on 2011 album Bad Habits’ – 10 driving tracks, solidifying their place in the next breed of strong contenders in pop rock. Their third full-length sees the band lacing their infectious melodies with a glimpse of a darker side, embracing their next phase with the passion of a band truly defining their sound and making it their own. The band’s single Tell Me I’m A Wreck was in high rotation on Sirius Hits 1, and the poignant video resonated with fans worldwide, picking up airplay on MTV2 and was named Kerrang! TV’s Video Of The Week.
letlive. are a five-piece Californian act whose music blurs the boundaries of heavy rock and whose live performances have been wowing folk across the world. Third album ‘Fake History’ propelled the band to critical acclaim and their shows have earned them accolade after accolade. Frontman Jason Aalon Butler was named as the Number 1 Rockstar In The World Today by Kerrang! Magazine in 2011 and letlive. also received the publication’s #2 Album of The Year, as well as a Metal Hammer Award nomination and Rock Sound Award for Crazy live shows, all in 2011.
letlive.’s tireless work ethic, fenetic live shows and ability to craft transcendent blends of punk, rock, hardcore and even jazz and soul elements, prove that the plaudits are well-founded and that this band has the potential to go far.
