The most on-the-money music journalists and critical commentators have selected the six new music acts that they reckon will be "blowing up big" in 2012...
1.
Z\Z
Z\Z (pronounced "zed-forward-slash-zed") is the brainchild of Rupert White. White, who graduated from the University of Manchester with a BA in English, formed the solo project after meeting himself at the Shacklewell Arms pub in Dalston, East London.
Z\Z produce sparse, spooky, ethereal music which is influenced by both dubstep and, according to White: "Empty car parks at night." The results can be heard on a debut EP called 3 To The Some Things. White has a Norwegian girlfriend who works part-time in clothes shop Hub and part-time for a user-generated content website. White sports floppy hair and wears brogues with no socks. White tells us: "There is no-one making music like this at the moment."
2.
My Frenemy's Frenemy
This hipster nonet formed in Bushwick, Brooklyn, last week. Taking off her large rimmed spectacles and seductively chewing on one of the arms, trianglist Ccheryll Wwerrell explains, while winking, that My Frenemy's Frenemy's sound is a mix of "Gelato, teen movies, butterfly kisses and flea markets."
The band's first release was uploaded onto Soundcloud one minute ago, and is largely an 80s synth-folk affair, titled Run Your Lips Up And Down My (Throgs) Neck.
Expert view
Oulu Franchester-Hellcombe, blogger: "!CALOR DE HASHTAG! That's 'HASHTAG HOTNESS!' in Spanish. Los LOLS! Los doble rainbows! xo, OFH."
3.
Z\Z\Z
Z\Z\Z (pronounced "zed-forward-slash-zed-forward-slash-zed") in the brainchild of Piotr Magenta. Magenta, who graduated from the University of Nottingham with a BA in English, formed the solo project after meeting himself at the Spurstowe Arms pub in London Fields, East London.
Z\Z\Z produce sparse, spooky, ethereal music which is influenced by both dubstep and, according to Magenta: "Empty car parks at night." The results can be heard on a debut EP called 6 To The Everything.
Magenta has a Finnish girlfriend who works part-time in clothes shop Beyond Retro and part-time for an arts and listings website. Magenta sports floppy hair and wears brogues with no socks.
Magenta tells us: "There is no-one out there quite like me at the moment."
4.
Girls Need ROFLs
Emo-revivalists formed from the ashes of Girls Need Cuddles, and based in St Louis, Missouri. Their debut album - I Saw You Waiting At The Train Station (Reading The Bell Jar) But Will You Wait For Me? - references girls, girlfriends, getting dumped by the only girl you ever loved, and the smell of girls' hair. The band is composed of boys.
The debut single by Girls Need ROFLs - titled I Keep Mental Pictures Of You (On The Inside Of My Eyelids) - is out on January 2nd 2012.
Expert View
Bob Faloma, managing director of Discrepancy Records: "I signed this band the first time I saw them. I was as high as a kipper. I expect them to generate a lot of profit for my company. In industry terms they are a 'purple banana' - ie: you don't get many of them at Whole Foods."
5.
Z\Z\Z\Z
Z\Z\Z\Z (pronounced "zed-forward-slash-zed-forward-slash-zed-forward-slash-zed") is the brainchild of Albert L'Orange. L'Orange, who graduated from the University of Bristol with a BA in English, formed the solo project after meeting himself at the Haggerston pub in Haggerston, East London.
Z\Z\Z\Z produce sparse, spooky, ethereal music which is influenced by both dubstep and, according to L'Orange: "Empty car parks at night." The results can be heard on a debut EP called 8 To The Nothingness.
L'Orange has an Icelandic girlfriend who works part-time in clothes shop Pelicans And Parrots and part-time for a social networking website. L'Orange sports floppy hair and wears brogues with no socks.
L'Orange tells us: "There just aren't people pushing boundaries the way I'm pushing them at the moment."
6.
Amm'ee-li-yah W'e'sto'n
Twenty-two-year-old urban pop star-in-the-making Amm'ee-li-yah W'e'sto'n went to Leona Lewis Secondary School in Clapton, London. Over a plate of peri-peri chicken, Amm'ee-li-yah sighs: "My style is like kittens being given birth to, yeah? But grittier."
Expert view
Lara Crumble, features writer: "Golly. Amm'ee-li-yah W'e'sto'n is my red hot tip for the top! I was in the ladies loos at Soho House the other week and her PR came up to me, smashed as ever, and said: 'Lara! Put Amm'ee-li-yah W'e'sto'n in your ones to watch list. She's crap, right. But she's cool. That's what matters. She'll be huuuuge.' Can't argue with that candour!"