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#ThanksZane.

I first heard of Zane Lowe when I saw him on MTV2's Gonzo, probably around 2005/06 (look it up if you haven't already). It's been long talked about how different he was back then, compared to his radio shows. After a bit of Wikipedia stalking I found out he presented on Radio 1, and that started me on the journey that ends tonight.

I was so impressed with how instant it was. How gripping, urgent. It was a huge difference to Gonzo, and it was a huge difference to every other radio show. On any station. At first I didn't like it, it wasn't the chilled out, couch dweller that I had grown to know. But it didn't take very long for me to get on board.

After I started out listening to indie music in ~2004, Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show got me in to every other genre of music I listen to today. I got in to rap music through his show, same with every variation of dance. Although he didn't inspire me to get in to radio (that was almost by accident), he did influence every artist I played over the last seven and a half years in every station, and - quite obviously - he pretty much dictated my presenting style in my attempts to mimic him. I'm sure the same can be said for thousands of student and professional radio presenters worldwide.

Gonzo. What a show. I remember looking forward to every October to hear about that year's Gonzo tour. I spent two tours with him, 2007 (headlined by Babyshambles, with Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong and Operator Please) and 2008 (headlined by Bloc Party, with Magistrates). I wish I knew back then how things would turn out - I would give up my Uni degree to follow him in to the same line of work, and here I am six years later working in radio professionally. I've had pictures with him on both occasions, which are long since lost. Ill never forget spending my 19th birthday in Glasgow's Barfly, watching Bloc Party play pretty much the smallest venue in Glasgow, hanging out with and talking to Zane before he played a blinding DJ set (that specific set is how I got in to Jay Z).

I used to set my sky to manually record the BBC Radio 1 Sky channel, for two hours between 7-9pm just to record Zane's show (this was pre iPlayer). I would listen to them for days afterwards. I looked forward to his shows more than any other. I waited patiently for every festival announcement because he announces the line-up with more excitement more than anyone else. You can see why Glastonbury, T in the Park, Reading and Leeds always came to him.

I can't say enough good words about the man. Neither can any of my friends making the exact same post today. And I will happily follow him to his next music adventure.

Zane, know that I would not be the person I am today had it not been for your guidance. Thank you for being an inspiration. Thank you for being a pioneer. And thank you for being hands down better than everyone else in the game.

Let's do this one more time. There could be tears. Zane Lowe, i am #OnBoard.

#zane lowe #bbc radio 1 #radio 1 #radio

And the 50 Songs of the Year 2013 are...

So yesterday I announced that on Friday 10 January (tomorrow), The Music Pilot will be taking to the airwaves of Pulse 98.4 Community Radio in East Renfrewshire to broadcast my Top 25 Songs of the Year for 2013. Yesterday I published the 150 Track longlist - today, we've cut out 100 more, and left the best 50 Songs of the Year shortlist for your listening pleasure. The 50 Songs of the Year 2013 are:

Anushka – I Have Love 4 You

Arcade Fire – Reflektor

Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?

Banks – Before I Ever Met You

Blood Red Shoes – Black Distractions

Bombay Bicycle Club – Carry Me

Busta Rhymes – Thank You (Feat. Q-Tip, Kanye West & Lil Wayne)

Bwani Junction – Civil War

Campfires In Winter – White Lights

Cold War Kids – Miracle Mile

Dan Croll – Compliment Your Soul

Darwin Deez – You Can't Be My Girl

Daughter – Youth

Disclosure – White Noise (Feat. AlunaGeorge)

Dizzee Rascal – Bassline Junkie

Drake – Hold On, We're Going Home

Duke Dumont – Need U (100%) (Feat. A*M*E)

Editors – A Ton Of Love

Egyptian Hip Hop – Tobago

Ellie Goulding – Burn

Eminem – Berzerk

Fake Major – Little Researcher

Fall Out Boy – My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)

Fatboy Slim – Eat Sleep Rave Repeat (Calvin Harris Remix)

Fatherson – Mine for Me

Foals – My Number

Gary Clark Jr. – Numb

Hoodie Allen – Fame Is for Assholes (Feat. Chiddy)

James Blake – Retrograde

Kanye West – Black Skinhead

Kendrick Lamar – Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe

Kidnap Kid – So Close

A Lack of Colour – My Life & 8mm

Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)

Laura Mvula – Green Garden

Little Mix – How Ya Doin'?

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Can't Hold Us (Feat. Ray Dalton)

Miley Cyrus – We Can't Stop

The Neighbourhood – Sweater Weather

OneRepublic – Counting Stars

Peace – Wraith

Phoenix – Entertainment

Rizzle Kicks – Skip To The Good Bit

Russian Ninjas – Brush Your Tongue

Sampha – Too Much

Tinie Tempah – Trampoline (Feat. 2 Chainz)

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – So Good at Being in Trouble

The Vaccines – Melody Calling

Vampire Weekend – Diane Young

Wilkinson – Afterglow

You can check out the whole list in a handy Spotify playlist here.

Is your favourite artist still there? If so did I pick the right track? Any shockers that should have been omitted? Let me know on here or on Twitter.

Join us on Pulse 98.4 Community Radio from 8pm tomorrow for the ordered countdown - you can listen in via 98.4 FM in East Renfrewshire, and worldwide online at http://pulseonair.com.

See you tomorrow for the Top 25!

And the 2013 Song of the Year is...

So I didn't publish an end of year list of Tracks and Albums of 2012, but I'm damn sure gonna fix that right about now.

Come Friday 10 January at 8pm, I'm going be broadcasting live on Pulse 98.4 Community Radio in East Renfrewshire, where we will entertain the masses for two hours with The Music Pilot's very own Top 25 Songs of the Year 2013.

Here are the rules for criteria:

1. Each artist may appear in the list with only one track. 2. Artists who feature / remix / collaborate with another artist, or go solo from their day project, may appear a second time on top of their first track (for example, Florence and the Machine and Calvin Harris appeared in last year's list independently, on top of their later collaboration)

Some dates for the diary:

- On Friday morning, I'll reveal the (unordered) playlist of Top 25. - On Thursday, I'll publish the 50 track shortlist.

For now though, here's the Top 150 Songs of the Year 2013 Longlist:

The 1975 – Girls

50 Cent – My Life (Feat. Eminem & Adam Levine)

Alice In Chains – Stone

AlunaGeorge – Attracting Flies

Anushka – I Have Love 4 You

Arcade Fire – Reflektor

Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?

Atlas : Empire – Binary Lung

Atlas Genius – If So

Baauer – Harlem Shake

Banks – Before I Ever Met You

Ben Pearce – What I Might Do

Biffy Clyro – Sounds Like Balloons

Bloc Party – Ratchet

Blood Red Shoes – Black Distractions

Bombay Bicycle Club – Carry Me

The Boy Who Trapped The Sun – California

Breach – Jack

Bring Me The Horizon – Shadow Moses

British Sea Power – Machineries of Joy

The Broken Broadcast – Tiptoe (So Long Goodbye)

Brown Bear & The Bandits – Olive Tree

Burial – Rival Dealer

Busta Rhymes – Thank You (Feat. Q-Tip, Kanye West and Lil Wayne)

Bwani Junction – Civil War

Calvin Harris & Alesso – Under Control (Feat. Hurts)

Campfires In Winter – White Lights

Chase & Status – Lost & Not Found (Feat. Louis M^ttrs)

The Child of Lov – Fly

Chlöe Howl – Paper Heart

CHVRCHES – Gun

Cold War Kids – Miracle Mile

Coldplay – Atlas

The Cribs – Leather Jacket Love Song

Daft Punk – Get Lucky

Dan Croll – Compliment Your Soul

The Darien Venture – Ho! Criminal Face

Darwin Deez – You Can't Be My Girl

Daughter – Youth

Deap Vally – Lies

Disclosure – White Noise (Feat. AlunaGeorge)

Dizzee Rascal – Bassline Junkie

Douglas Dare – Lungful

Drake – Hold On, We're Going Home

Drenge – Backwaters

Duke Dumont – Need U (100%) (feat. A*M*E)

Editors – A Ton Of Love

Egyptian Hip Hop – Tobago

Ellie Goulding – Burn

Eminem – Berzerk

Enter Shikari – Radiate

Everything Everything – Kemosabe

Fake Major – Little Researcher

Fall Out Boy – My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)

Fatboy Slim – Eat Sleep Rave Repeat (Calvin Harris Remix)

Fatherson – Mine for Me

Findlay – Off & On

The Flaming Lips – Sun Blows Up Today

Foals – My Number

Franz Ferdinand – Right Action

Fryars – Cool Like Me

Gary Clark Jr. – Numb

George Ezra – Budapest

Haim – Falling

Homework – Cairo

Hoodie Allen – Fame Is for Assholes (feat. Chiddy)

Hot Chip – Dark and Stormy

Indiana – Bound

Jagwar Ma – Man I Need

Jake Bugg – Slumville Sunrise

James Arthur – You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You

James Blake – Retrograde

Jasmine Thompson – Ain't Nobody

Jason Derulo – The Other Side

JAY Z – Holy Grail (feat. Justin Timberlake)

Jessie J – It's My Party

Jimi Hendrix – Somewhere

Joey Bada$$ – My Yout (feat. Maverick Sabre)

Kanye West – Black Skinhead

Katy B – 5 AM

Katy Perry – Roar

Kendrick Lamar – Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe

Kid Canaveral – The Wrench

Kidnap Kid – So Close

The Killers – Shot At The Night

Killswitch Engage – In Due Time

Kings Of Leon – Supersoaker

The Knife – A Tooth For An Eye

A Lack of Colour – My Life & 8mm

Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)

Laura Mvula – Green Garden

Lily Allen – Somewhere Only We Know

Little Mix – How Ya Doin'? (Feat. Missy Elliott)

Local Natives – Heavy Feet

London Grammar – Strong

Lorde – Royals

Lovers Turn To Monsters – Skeletor

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton)

Mapei – Don't Wait

Martin Garrix – Animals

Mast. – Romance

Metronomy – I'm Aquarius

Miles Kane – Give Up

Miley Cyrus – We Can't Stop

MØ – Glass

My Bloody Valentine – New You

The Naked And Famous – Hearts Like Ours

The National – Sea of Love

Naughty Boy – La La La

The Neighbourhood – Sweater Weather

Night Beds – Even If We Try

Noah And The Whale – There Will Come A Time

One Direction – Best Song Ever

OneRepublic – Counting Stars

Palma Violets – Step Up for the Cool Cats

Paramore – Now

Peace – Wraith

Phoenix – Entertainment

Pixies – Bagboy

The Pretty Reckless – Going to Hell

Prides – Out Of The Blue

Queens Of The Stone Age – My God Is The Sun

Rizzle Kicks – Skip To The Good Bit

Rudimental – Waiting All Night (feat. Ella Eyre)

Russian Ninjas – Brush Your Tongue

Sampha – Too Much

Savages – She Will

Showtek – Booyah

Sia – Elastic Heart

Wretch 32 – Blackout

Storm Queen – Look Right Through (MK Morning Vocal Edit)

Stornoway – When You Touch Down from Outer Space

The Strokes – All the Time

Sub Focus – Turn It Around

Swim Deep – She Changes the Weather

Taylor Swift – 22

Theme Park – Tonight

Thirty Seconds To Mars – Up In The Air

Tinie Tempah – Trampoline (feat. 2 Chainz)

Two Door Cinema Club – Changing Of The Seasons

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – So Good at Being in Trouble

The Vaccines – Melody Calling

Vampire Weekend – Diane Young

Warpaint – Love Is to Die

White Lies – There Goes Our Love Again

Wilkinson – Afterglow

The Wombats – Your Body Is A Weapon

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Sacrilege

Young Fathers – Effigy

!!! – Slyd

Arcade Fire Appreciation Week - Day 2

Arcade Fire Appreciation Week was a week long posting sesh on Facebook ahead of the band’s triumphant return to Glasgow on the weekend of 16-17 November. It was my first time getting to an actual Arcade Fire gig (excluding standout performances at Reading 2010 and Hurricane 2011 in Germany) and I decided to make the most of it.

Here’s Day 2 (originally posted Monday 11 November):

"Day 2 of ARCADE FIRE APPRECIATION WEEK

After the release of Wake Up and their absolutely stunning debut album Funeral, Arcade Fire returned a couple of years later with one of the greatest indie anthems ever created. A song so fantastic it was revered by critics, clubs, and music fans alike, only to get better with every live performance. It's Lynn Shields's favourite song and in about 4 minutes, it'll be yours too."

Arcade Fire Appreciation Week - Day 1

Arcade Fire Appreciation Week was a week long posting sesh on Facebook ahead of the band's triumphant return to Glasgow on the weekend of 16-17 November. It was my first time getting to an actual Arcade Fire gig (excluding standout performances at Reading 2010 and Hurricane 2011 in Germany) and I decided to make the most of it.

Here's Day 1 (originally posted Sunday 10 November):

"Sunday 10 November 2013 officially marks ARCADE FIRE APPRECIATION WEEK. DAY ONE - The song that started it all. Thank you forever Andy Mallon for saying that this band would be "something to look out for" in our high school's music-zine-type-thing about 10 years ago (Arctic Monkeys turned out not bad either, eh!)"

#arcade fire #arcade fire appreciation week #afaw #wake up #Reading Festival #hurricane festival

S'up

Didn't blog Tumble for a long time. Started again now.

For a laugh, let's start be re-posting the 7 Days of Arcade Fire Appreciation Week. You may have caught it if you've got my personal twitter account/me on Facebook.

The "good" just isn't good enough anymore, Geoff

So I sat down tonight with the Geoff Ellis interview by Jim Gellatly - this is the guy who organises T in the Park, and is currently putting the final touches to the festival's twentieth year this year. And I just wanted the answer to one question.

"Why has there been such a substantial increase in mainstream, pop artists year - on - bloody - year, and a move away from the alternative & guitar bands that built the festival in past years??"

...And you just don't get it.

Like a politician, Geoff evades the question for the entire interview, continually stating that "the good outweighs the bad", "the Facebook shares outweigh the page complaints" and "No-one can like all 200 acts". Geoff, YOU just don't get it. These people, the "good", are NOT the people who have been loyal to the festival for the past twenty years. These are new fans, the 16-19 year old Scottish children, looking to go to their first festival, graced with the presence of waves of crowd-pleasers. (Yep. I'm actually not happy about that last one, and they're back this year as well) Geoff, you've forgotten about all the acts who made this festival. While you talk about your excitement of middle of the road fodder acts like "Labrinth, The View, The Proclaimers, Stereophonics and The Fratellis" this year, you distance yourself from some of the artists who graced the top of the bill in the past, like Rage Against The Machine. Jane's Addiction. Arcade Fire. Red Hot Chili Peppers. Green Day. And countless more. These are the bands who made this event genuinely unmissable. Geoff, listen to those complaints, and think about for a second how these people are the people who have been giving you £200 a year for the last 20. Try and give them something for their money, yes? Have a listen to the full 25 minute interview here.

#t in the park #t in the park 2013 #geoff ellis #jim gellatly #amazing radio #t20 #festivalchat

Ones To Watch 2012: Where Are They Now? The Misses

A week ago, The Music Pilot published the first part of our return to some of the artists on our "Ones to Watch" list for 2012. Part One brought you those who finished the year as a "hit" - in Part Two, let's look back at some of the ones we got completely wrong.

Note to artists: Finish your album. And don't break up. The 2 Bears Recap: If you'd heard "Bear Hug", or even seen the video, you would have known to keep your eye on two bears in 2012. The 2 Bears originally formed in 2009 but came to everyone's attention with the release of the aformentioned single; their unique brand of 2-step house music became infectiously popular very quickly. 2012 saw Joe Goddard and Raf Rundell kick the year off with the release of the Bears' first full length album, Be Strong, in January 2012 via Southern Fried Records.

"Warm and Easy" was released as a single in July and then The 2 Bears just, disappeared; Goddard went back to his day job with Hot Chip, and The 2 Bears became no more than occasional remixologists. Live performances, club nights, all had huge potential: had Goddard and Rundell kept to their original concept, we could be hearing more from what became a meaningless side project. Azealia Banks Recap: I know. I'm chalking up the dirty-mouthed owner of probably one of the biggest standout tracks of recent years as a flop in 2012. But here's why. "212" took Azealia Banks straight to superstardom in late 2011, with pressure on her shoulders to follow up that success in 2012. Azealia's first EP 1991 dropped in May leaving music bloggers worldwide begging for more, with stopgap mixtape Fantasea doing little to stem the need for Miss Banks' debut effort. Rumours had already been circling of an album as early as February, and when word broke that Banks had cancelled all five of her mid-summer UK festival dates to head in to the studio, we were licking our lips in anticipation.

But that was as far as we got. Release dates were pushed back multiple times to February 2013, with the rapper closing out the year facing strong criticism stemming from online spats with Perez Hilton, GLAAD, Munchi and Angel Haze. 2012 was a miss for Banks. She can't keep riding that one song for much longer - let's hope that her debut album finally brings the next stage of this young lady's career that we've all been waiting for. Pareto Recap: Pareto's huge standout alt-rock track "Miracle Of..." earned them a spot on the "Ones to Watch" list for 2012. They started the year fittingly - headlining the final night of King Tut's New Year's Revolution festival alongside Bear Arms, Dilectrics and Wecamefromwolves, and releasing single "These Men Can't Dance" all in the month of January.

But that would be all she wrote for Pareto, as they called it a day less than two weeks later. Such a shame for a band that had made such a brilliant wealth of riff-pop hits over the course of the past three years. Skrillex Recap: Skrillex landed on my 2012 Ones to Watch list with the release of More Monsters and Nice Sprites and lead single "Ruffneck - FULL Flex", which can comfortably call itself one of the standout tracks of the wubstep mainstream explosion. 2012 began with the pysical release of "Bangarang" in January following its digital version the month before, before working with the legendary Damian Marley on dubstep-reggae crossover track "Make It Bun Dem", released in May. In summer, Skrillex featured all across the global festival season, including the Rock Am Ring in Germany, Tomorrowlands in Belgium, and T in the Park and Golbal Gathering in the UK. All that bookended with going out and breaking up with Ellie Goulding.

So save for an EP and a few remixes (one of which ended up at #6 on Zane Lowe's Tracks of the Year blog), Skrillex was pretty quiet in 2012. Yes, this was the year he exploded to international fame, but it should have been the year we got that elusive Skrillex solo album. For that reason, chalk Skrillex's 2012 up as a miss.

These were the artists who were pegged for a big year in 2012, and it didn't quite work out; check out Part One: The Hits for the ones who made it.

The full 22 "Ones to Watch" 2012 list:

The 2 Bears - miss

Azealia Banks - miss

Bear Arms

Dry The River

Flux Pavilion

Gang Colours

Hoodie Allen - GRADE A+ (hit)

Labrinth

The LaFontaines

Lana Del Rey - GRADE B (hit)

Lianne La Havas - GRADE B (hit)

Luca

Michael Kiwanuka - GRADE C (hit)

Niki & The Dove

Pareto - miss

Skrillex - miss

Skippy Dyes

Spector - GRADE B+ (hit)

Theme Park - GRADE B- (hit)

Tribes

Vukovi - GRADE A

The Weeknd

Ones To Watch 2012: Where Are They Now? The Hits

Before The Music Pilot announces the widely-heralded "Ones to Watch" list for 2013, it's time to take a quick look back at some of the artists I pegged to have a big 2012. 22 artists earned the stamp at the beginning of the year.

Note for what's to come: for every hit, there were definitely a couple of misses.

Hoodie Allen

Recap: 2012 couldn't really have worked out much better for Mr Allen. In January 2012, I pegged Hoodie as my #1 Artist to Watch for that year, guaranteeing that his next release would take the world by storm. Little did I know that the release in question would become All American, the rapper's first mixtape of entirely original beats and one of my records of the year. All American (briefly) hit #1 on the US iTunes Albums Chart, the US iTunes Hip Hop/Rap Chart, and eventually peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200; pretty good for a kid who turned down numberous record label offers to release the tape by himself. Hoodie followed this all up with his first ever "It Sounds Better In The UK" Tour, and back-to-back sold out nights in his home town of New York in December.

Final Year Grade: A+. I didn't think that Hoodie could get much better than #5 Album of the Year AND #2 Song of the Year in 2011 yet here we are, after another huge year for Long Island's finest. Allen has already announced his next EP/Mixtape Crew Cuts for February 2013 and a tour in Spring, so it doesn't look like he'll be leaving the top any time soon.

Lana Del Rey

Recap: It's unquestionable that off the back of the strength of "Video Games" at the tail end of 2011, Lana Del Rey was going to have a decent year in 2012. 2 million album sales later, I would say she finished up pretty good. Lana released her second (and breakthrough) album Born To Die way back in January 2012, before adding writing credits on Cheryl Cole's second album A Million Lights to her repertoire and becoming the face of H&M and Jaguar S-Type. Huge UK festival performances at Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, Isle of Wight Festival and Latitude followed in the summer. Hot on the heels of Born to Die, Del Rey closed 2012 with the release of her third EP Paradise, an album in itself of a further 8 typically Lana sounds.

Final Year Grade: B. Born To Die didn't quite live up to the hype that swarmed around it, but how could it, so you can't really blame the lady. The new face of Americana had a huge 2012 with not one but two major releases, and with talks of her shifting focus to Holywood, I think Ms. Del Rey would be quite happy to walk away from music with her head held high. Oh, and the two million album sales in her pocket.

Lianne La Havas

Recap: I got hooked on Lianne La Havas pretty much from the instant I first heard the Willy Mason-featuring "No Room For Doubt" in 2011, and named her as one of my ones to watch for 2012. She kicked off 2012 with the release of her Lost And Found EP, immediately bringing the emotion and power of her voice into the musical limelight (and to anyone with a pair of ears). The release of Lost And Found sent La Havas' work straight into the stratosphere, with sold out shows across the globe. Her debut album Is Your Love Big Enough? went Top 5 in the UK and across Europe, and earned the singer-songwriter a place supporting Bombay Bicycle Club throughout March and April before her own European tour in October. IYLBE? was nominated amongst eleven other artists in the Mercury Prize honors for album of the year - which she supported with an astounding performance of "Age" on the night - and also earned herself a nom for "Best New Act" at the 2012 Q Awards. iTunes named IYLBE? as their album of the year.

Final Year Grade: B. The more and more I head back to IYLBE?, the more I notice just how fantastic an album this lady has released. For every heart-wrenching track like "Lost & Found" and "No Room For Doubt", there's funk-infused pop songs like "Forget" and "Is Your Love Big Enough?". I had the pleasure of being at Lianne's standout festival show this year at Latitude, and am still looking for the chance to check out her doing her thing at one of her own gigs. IYLBE? has just went Silver in the UK in January with sales of 60,000 and she's got another headline tour coming in March - so you can look out for more from her in 2013.

Michael Kiwanuka

Recap: Michael Kiwanuka had the fortune of winning the title of BBC Sound of 2012 for his unique brand of modern day soul music. A small tour of the UK in January - including a fairly breathtaking performance I witnessed at King Tut's - led into the release of Home Again, his debut album, before a second UK tour throughout April. Home Again went to number 4 in the UK and - much like his female counterpart Lianne La Havas - was nominated for the 2012 Mercury Prize. Kiwanuka toured the world with his guitar throughout the summer, including international festival appearances at Rock Werchter in Belgium, Les Eurockéennes in France, Austin City Limits in Texas and the Montreux Festival in Switzerland.

Final Year Grade: C.After starting off the year so promisingly, Kiwanuka has somewhat dropped off the radar a bit; a Main Stage appearance at Latitude left me disappointed (but I put that down to poor stage time and choice more than anything), and I haven't heard much from him since. But earning a place on the Mercury Prize honors and a Top 5 album firmly cemented the London artist as a certified Hit in 2012.

Spector

Recap: Spector started the year gigging in just about any way they could - their own headline club tour in February led to support dates on Florence and the Machine's arena tour through March and April, before a short run of dates in the US and mainland Europe in the run up to a mammoth assault on the worldwide festival scene through to September 2012 (Note: Reading 2012. What a show.). A second headline UK tour - the majority of which sold out completely - came in November 2012. Somewhere right in the middle of all that, Spector found the time to release their debut albumEnjoy It While It Lasts, with their brand of straight ahead guitar-pop-indie prominantly featured throughout the band's first long player.

The London five-piece finished up 2012 with a huge sold out date at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire, and an appearance at Xfm's Winter Wonderland festival in Manchester.

Final Year Grade: B+. It was a good album, backed more importantly by some really great live shows. But do these guys have any sort of longevity about them? Can they keep this up moving into a second record? It worked for The Vaccines I guess, so let's wait and see what happens next with Spector. Owing to the title of the band's debut album, I guess we should just enjoy it while we can.

Theme Park

Recap: Theme Park caught my eye with the release of their third single "Milk" gaining airplay on Huw Stephens Radio 1 show in late 2011. Marcus Haughton's pitch perfect voice combined with the band's completely unique afro-carribean groove resulted in music to watch out for in 2012. A headline tour in February followed support slots with The Maccabees and Daughter before a summer of festivaling, including a funktastic performances I managed to catch at Reading and on the Lakeside Stage at this year's Latitude. New single "Jamaica" dropped in June and was the band's standout track to date; Bloc Party's Kele Okereke would go on to hand pick the five piece to support his own band's comeback tour in October.

Winter 2012 saw the band release their first EPTwo Hoursin November before playing alongside The Courteeners, Lucy Rose, The Temper Trap and Editors at the London leg of Xfm's Winter Wonderland.

Final Year Grade: B-. At the end of the day, we're still waiting on that album. Whether it was always Theme Park's plan to keep us listeners in the dark for the majority of 2012 or not, they have no yet capitalised on success of their early singles and buzz. That being said, two singles and an EP will do for now and the band's blog shows that they're in the studio as we speak. Hurry up gentlemen!

Vukovi

Recap: 2012 just seemed to scream "effortless success" for Scotland's biggest new band. Off the back of huge EP It Looked So Good On Me...in 2011, Vukovi dropped follow up EP ...But IWon't Wear You Again in January. The EP's mighty standout lead track "Target Practice" was released in April, alongwith perhaps my favourite music video ever made. Summer saw them head to Hard Rock Calling in London, and play one of the best performances of this year's T in the Park on the T Break Stage. Constant gigging along the way led to the release of their third - and fantastic - EP Sweet Swears in October, before a huge Scottish tour in November was capped with one of my gigs of the year at King Tut's on 12/12/12. A broken bass player and vocalist didn't slow the band down for a second, with rescheduled tour dates currently taking place across Scotland.

Final Year Grade: A. We asked for more Vukovi, and we got it. Sweet Swearswas pretty much as good as any rock band can be in four songs, and perfectly signed off a year to remember for the Troon four-piece. A tour is already well underway across Scotland for January and February, including an appearance at the 2013 Kilmarnock Edition Festival with Fatherson and Glasvegas, and a headline show at The Basement in Ayr alongside fellow Scottish up-and-comers Vasa and Russian Ninjas. Heed these words - don't miss out.

Those were the artists pegged for a big year in 2012 who ended up doing just that - check out Part Two: The Misses for those who didn't have quite a good year.

The full 22 "Ones to Watch" 2012 list:

The 2 Bears

Azealia Banks

Bear Arms

Dry The River

Flux Pavilion

Gang Colours

Hoodie Allen - GRADE A+

Labrinth

The LaFontaines

Lana Del Rey - GRADE B

Lianne La Havas - GRADE B

Luca

Michael Kiwanuka - GRADE C

Niki & The Dove

Pareto

Skrillex

Skippy Dyes

Spector - GRADE B+

Theme Park - GRADE B-

Tribes

Vukovi - GRADE A

The Weeknd

#ones to watch #ones to watch 2012 #2012 #vukovi #theme park #michael kiwanuka #hoodie allen #lana del rey #lianne la havas #spector #reading #latitude

RockNess is officially confirmed; thank goodness for that

JUST IN CASE you missed it in the madness that was the festive period: one small gift came early for music fans in the north of Scotland when on Christmas Eve, AEG's RockNess Festival was finally confirmed for 2013 with dates of 7-9 June.

And a number of music critics and fans - myself included on both counts - breathed a collective sigh of relief after the festival itself had been thrown into doubt during the year, with no pre-sale tickets, announced artists or even dates appearing until the above announcement. The Inverness Courier finally got confirmation of the festival taking place in an interview with promoters in late November, citing the as-yet-unnanounced artists as the reason for the delay.

In an interesting change to the normal festival season, for the first time since 2008 (and only the second time in RockNess' history), the Scottish festival falls on a different weekend from English heavyweights Download Festival and the Isle of Wight Festival. Heavy metal stalwart Download, promoted by LiveNation, moves forward to June 14-16 for 2013, with the Isle of Wight following suit after briefly moving to Glastonbury weekend in 2012. Hopefully, this will bring a much-needed spike in attendance to the Scottish festival from those no longer having to pick one of the three; with RockNess losing out in strength of line-up, location and weather for the last two years.

RockNess' brief flirt with cancellation wouldn't have been too much of a surprise to a number of festival goers. 2012 leading in to 2013 saw far too many festivals fall to poor attendance, performers or ticket sales: the UK leg of Sonisphere took a year off for the second year running with no end in sight, festival promoters Festival Republic announced "no plans for The Big Chill to return in 2013" after 2012's cancellation, and a host of other smaller festivals all announced they would be bowing out of the 2013 season. Add to this growing list a horrifying quote from Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis, who announced during the festival's fallow year in 2012 that he "probably had another three or four years", questioning the long-term future of the music festival based on the economy and saturated festival market. Scotland itself has seen its own fair share of cancellations, with Live At Loch Lomond, Indian Summer, and Hydro Connect all bowing out to the pressure in recent years.

But is too many festivals really the problem with the summer circuit? Or is it the economy? Both arguements are frequently thrown around in any discussion regarding any of the growing list of 2012-13 cancellations, but in Scotland alone, can we really consider the market saturated? The elephant in the room here is the 85,000-strong-and-growing T in the Park, Scotland's long established and finest music festival, back for the celebration of its twentieth year with titan headliners Rihanna and The Killers. Taking aside July's annual pilgrimage to Balado, there is a sharp drop off in quality of headliners and strength of supporting artists before reaching Scotland's "other festival" RockNess, with an even sharper decline before reaching the only other remote contenders in Belladrum's Tartan Heart Festival and The Wickerman. Correct me if I'm wrong - but what else exactly does Scotland have to offer outside of these four besides one day events in Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow or Edinburgh?

And putting aside the wealth (or lack therof) of choice that we Scots have, still every summer we are faced with the same debate of "Will this year be as good as it was?". Taking aside T in the Park's baffling change in direction towards pop and mainstream chart artists - that itself is a whole other debate for another day - RockNess will forever have to compete with the strength of its own previous line-ups and living up to those expextations. Years past which have seen huge returns to the live circuit by The Prodigy, The Strokes, The Chemical Brothers and Leftfield were rapturously applauded by critics and fans alike, and saw the Loch Ness festival winning countless UK Festival Awards including Line-Up of the Year and Best Small Festival. But with that success came the poorly booked 2012 festival, with somewhat feeble headliners Deadmau5, Mumford and Sons and Biffy Clyro backed by a lacklustre and uninteresting supporting cast. Festival anthems these bands may have, but festival headliners they are not. And that's all before we even mention the on-going Daft Punk saga; a quick glance at the festival's Facebook page reveals just how much the fans crave a return of 2007's second stage headliners to the shores of Loch Ness just one more time.

Regardless of when or what the Inverness festival announces, I'm just happy that as a Scottish festival goer, RockNess has stepped back into the ring. Welcome back guys, and I'll see you at Dores in June.

UPDATE #1: Rumours have been running rife in the past three days of a possible bands or headliner announcement coming in the next two weeks. Front-running the rumours are the mighty Queens of the Stone Age, following confirmation from the band's tour manager of playing the festival this year, and David Guetta.

UPDATE #2: After talking extensively about RockNess' possible move to avoid clashing with Download and the Isle of Wight, I'm forgetting about a much more likely music event that the AEG festival will be looking to avoid - The Stone Roses' huge comeback Glasgow Green date on 15 June 2013 supported by Primal Scream, Jake Bugg and The View.

#RockNess #RockNess Festival #RockNess 2013 #Download Festival #Isle of Wight #Glastonbury #Sonisphere #Belladrum #The Wickerman #queens of the stone age #The Stone Roses

Relaunched as The Music Pilot!

..with more exciting things coming soon. Watch this space.

Bands to Watch at Reading and Leeds Festival 2012: The Top 3

3. The Vaccines Following the release of breakout anthem "Post Break-Up Sex" in 2010, British indie-rock superstars The Vaccines released their debut album 'What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?' last year. Hugely favourable reviews up and down the country threw the band in to the mainstream musical limelight, leading to a packed performance of Reading and Leeds Radio 1/NME Stage in 2011 and countless other festivals across the globe. They'd almost skipped a step; in less than a year the band when from nowhere to indie's household names. The London four piece return this year with 'Come of Age', perhaps the most apt title to describe the band's musical journey since the release of their debut. Lead single "No Hope" is the sound of Vaccines 2.0; the band have honed and crafted their performance while still remaining close to the sound we have come to love. To the casual listener, Vaccines could be considered just chart/NME fodder but there is a real wealth of anthems in there; 'What Did You Expect...' is the sound of the of our current generation of British music. The Vaccines need not worry about "becoming more of a rock band" as lead singer Justin Young has spoken about in interviews, as they have already made the album the UK fans have been longing for - a true indie-rock album of classics free from ego and free from band baggage. Festival Republic may be accused of jumping the gun by placing the band so high on the Main Stage so early in the band's career, but don't doubt their ability for a second - let's not forget, the same was said of Arctic Monkeys prior to the band's classic performance atop the Glastonbury main stage. Be there to witness the moment The Vaccines come of age. 2. Enter Shikari Just the right side of political, just the right side of hardcore, just the right side of EDM. Enter Shikari straddle so many lines in genre and in ethos that it produces a mismatch of fans from a variety of backgrounds, but that mismatch does not result in any disjoint in musical output. The St. Albans four piece always want to legitimately fight for the little guy and they've managed to pick up a wealth of classic songs in the process: "Sorry Your Not A Winner" and "Destabilize" sit as comfortably in activist propaganda as they do Propaganda club nights. Progression has been something they have managed better than everyone else; while 'Take to the Skies' was a post-hardcore slugfest of tracks designed to incite riots in venues worldwide, second album 'Common Dreads' saw the band explore their more synth-influences to produce a dance album for the punk kids. Every time they've been here, they've always made sure they were the ones that everyone goes home with fresh in their minds; 2009 the band destroyed the Main Stage following the release of 'Common Dreads' and synth-rock's finest work "Juggernauts", then a return in 2011 saw the band tease at what was to come on their third album. 2012 is finally here and with it came 'A Flash Flood Of Colour', and however impossible it may be, it legitimately tops the band's first two LPs. Nothing screams Reading and Leeds this year more than Enter Shikari, and their performance will be a musical journey through all the stages of the band's career so far. We're looking at potential future headliners here; but for now, playing alongside a wealth of British talent in The Vaccines, Florence and the Machine and Kasabian will just have to do. 1. The Maccabees NME Stage, 2009. Main Stage, 2010. Where could the Maccabees go next on their Reading and Leeds journey? Naturally, it's back to the Radio 1/NME, this time of course, to top it. Maccabees have been in this game a long time; debut album 'Colour It In' released in 2007 and was the sound of a band determined to cause a stir and make people listen. Looking back, the first was the finest work they could have produced; song after song of indie classics, talking young adolescent infatuation, and the sound of a band growing up. Next came 2009's 'Wall Of Arms'; a much more improved Maccabees this time featuring frequent vocal harmonies which were never seen on the first album. It produced a string of hit singles supported by a wealth of back album tracks: "No Kind Words" showed the band in a much darker light while "Can You Give It?" was near opposite, a classic singalong anthem which would become such classic Maccabees. Album track "Bag of Bones" was a gentle sweeping homage to loved ones past, and perhaps the band's strongest song yet. The successes of 'Wall Of Arms' led them to that unforgettable performance on the Radio 1/NME Stage in 2009, one which will go down in history as one of the best of the year. Two years passed until we got third album 'Given to the Wild', two years in which The Maccabees have came in to adulthood; "Child" was a homage to remember days younger and perhaps most importantly,"Pelican" talked of making the most of every remaining moment we have. It was Maccabees most progressive and alternative album yet; and it was Maccabees finest album to date. Many bands classed as "indie" have came and went in our time, but The Maccabees are one of those groups who have always kept on going. While Colour It In was the band's progression through their early teens, Give In To The Wild was their journey through adulthood; growing up, settling down. And no Maccabees fan would ever dislike any of their three works, as every piece of music they create is as complete and as fantastic a composition as the previous. 2012 is the Maccabees time, this is their moment to celebrate their success and celebrate their greatness; this year, they will be the best band at Reading and Leeds Festival 2012.

Bands to Watch at Reading and Leeds 2012, #4: BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB

The fact that Jack Steadman has written quite so many truly fantastic albums farms Bombay Bicycle Club a place near top of this list. Following two hugely successful EPs, both of which topping the UK Indie Chart, BBC began with their debut album I Had The Blues So I Shook Them Loose, an indie-pop showcase of harmonised guitars backed with Steadman's now trademark crooning. Plans for an acoustic EP to follow eventually became second album Flaws, an entirely acoustic journey through the bands musical progression, less than two years after their debut. Never satisfied unless writing or touring, third album A Different Kind of Fix was released in 2011, eighteen months later...Fix was the pinnacle of BBC's musical career; the acoustic beauty of Flaws was met with I Had the Blues..'s fast paced full band backing to produce BBC's finest effort yet. Having written a trio of indie-pop classics, it seems only fitting that Bombay Bicycle Club come back to Reading and Leeds for their fifth performance in six years, this time near the top of the main stage. This will be a festival moment you don't want to miss. Track to check - "Shuffle": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDuif301F-8

Bands to Watch at Reading and Leeds Festival 2012 - #5: THE HIVES

It's been a veeeery long time since The Hives came to Reading and Leeds to near top the Main Stage in 2004. And 2004 was actually a pretty good year for them; plugging the circuit with their wealth of garage rock anthems, drawing heavily from mini-greatest hits album Your New Favourite Band, the Hives became just that - and the best live rock band in the world in the process. Lead singer Howlin' Pete knows how to work a crowd better than any other vocalist, stirring up a frenzy within the first few minutes of any set. After the release of 2007's The Black And White Album, Hives took an extended break until returning in 2012 with Lex Hives (they probably suffered mass burnout if previous shows were anything to go by). Now, after a huge series of live shows over in Europe, the time has come for The Hives to take back Britain. Consolidate all the hits they've amassed in the past ten years into one massive anthem-laden set, and throw in surefire Hives future classic in recent single "Go Right Ahead" to complete an all star, ensemble cast of solid gold. The Hives always promised us that they were the best live band in the world; it seems finally, finally, we might just have another album to back this up. The Swedish rockers are a certified unmissable performance on the Radio 1/NME Stage. Track to check - " Go Right Ahead": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3oDKmYh70M

Bands to Watch at Reading and Leeds 2012 - Parts Four and Five (No’s. 15-6)

Running together Parts Four and Five for a massive batch of numbers fifteen-five. Part six will reveal the finalFIVE bands tomorrow!

15. Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All

A rap collective? Like Wu-Tang?

Odd Future (Wolf Gang/Golf Wang/whatever) are better known for spewing offensive remarks than producing hit singles thus far. Keeping in mind that it was only just over a year ago OF were removed from T in the Park mid-set, the Compton gang have finally got their shit together on second album (first proper). Whilst initially written off as all bitches and bling, it’s the group’s real subversiveness which makes such a interesting listen; Frank Ocean’s mainstream R&B tracks “Pyramids” or “Thinkin Bout You” couldn’t differ more from Tyler, the Creator’s brash, old school flow on “Yonkers”. This is the form of hip-hop in the current era; yes, they do it for attention. But attention for the sake of their music.

Odd Future, in essence, is a group of friends with a shared interest in making music; much like every other band in history. Try joining them at the Reading and Leeds Main Stage - if you ignore everything going on in front of you and just listen, you might just enjoy it.

Track to check - Tyler, the Creator - "Yonkers": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSbZidsgMfw

14. Kasabian Kasabian are without a doubt the biggest guitar band in the world today. Hype aside, the Leicester five-piece have firmly cemented their status with the release of 2011’s Velociraptor!, further adding to their ever growing list of festival anthems: “Club Foot”, “L.S.F.”, “Fire” et al, now being joined by “Switchblade Smiles” and the huge “Days Are Forgotten”. It’s been a long time since the band headlined the Carling Tent in 2004 and the Radio 1/NME Stage in 2005; seven years down the line and a host of headline performances later, Britain’s finest return to Reading and Leeds to finally top the Main Stage. Kasabian have comfortable headline billing between two musical titans in The Cure and Foo Fighters - come the end of the night, you’ll see why.

Track to check - "Days Are Forgotten": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBsQVP-Olmw

13. SBTRKT

SBTRKT is one of the few artists to be slapped with the ‘post-dubstep’ dark mark, but regardless, this London producer Aaron Jerome does anything but conform to genre typecasting. SBTRKT’s self titled debut album was a completely different approach to dance music in 2011, moving on quickly from mainstream dubstep to produce a beat heavy, dance hit laden composition. The critics like the switch up, with both the album and breakout track “Wildfire” - featuring Sweden’s Little Dragon on vocals - sitting comfortably at the top of end of year lists of album and song. But it is SBTRKT's incredibly unique live show which earns them essential viewing; electing to take an unconventional approach to performing, Jerome warped SBTRKT into a duo by enlisting the helf of frequent vocal collaborator Sampa to perform as a live drummer.

SBTRKT shouldn't work on CD or on the stage, but it does; while Aaron Jerome may have attempted to remain anonymous with the use of his moniker, you won’t forget the duo’s performance on the Radio 1/NME Stage in a hurry.

Track to check - "Wildfire": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdUINbi4wSY

12. The Joy Formidable

Screecing guitars, countless distortion pedals; it all adds up to one hell of a racket. A quite remarkable racket for a three piece from North Wales. The Joy Formidable have been on the circuit for a while now, joining only The Cribs in having played every stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. Starting with the BBC Introducing Stage, Ritzy Bryan and co. have been on a constant mission to get noticed, and it worked, when the band were granted the pleasure of opening the Main Stage at both sites in 2011.

When debut album The Big Roar was finally released in 2011, new hits “I Don’t Want to See You Like This” and “A Heavy Abacus” met Formidable classics “Cradle” and “Austere” to produce one of the finest alternative rock albums of the year. With finishing touches currently underway for the trio’s second album, prepare for another string of classic Joy Formidable hits to join the old ones when the band play the Radio 1/NME Stage at Reading and Leeds.

Track to check - "I Don't Want To See You Like This": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39afZwY6xI8

11. Azealia Banks

Who kneeeew such a nice young girl could have such a dirty mouth? If you’re not already on dirty rap diva Azealia Banks, then you must have been under a rock for the last eighteen months. Miss Banks has already treated us to a string of hits dispersed throughout the internet, and if debut mixtape Fantasea or monster dirty rap hit “212” are anything to go by, Banks’ debut album Broke With Expensive Taste will be one of the best of the year. Now that it’s been officially confirmed that she’s playing, prepare for one of the true highlights of the weekend on the Dance Stage.

Track to check - of course - "212" (Feat. Lazy Jay): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Jv9fNPjgk

10. Metronomy

Metronomy are one of the true veterans of the festival circuit, despite only six years since the release of their debut album in 2006, due to their sheer passion for live performance. Numerous line-up changes have finally resulted in the best combination of individuals to produce some damn fine electronic music. Their indie-pop-dance crossover is so incredibly catchy that the Devon four-piece are instantly attractive to any music fan, and they’ve always had the ability; it was simply last year’s The English Riviera that pushed the band into the mainstream listener’s ears (and a Mercury nod to boot). Having already graced Field Day, Latitude, RockNess and many others this year, prepare for a spectacular finale to Metronomy’s festival season when they headline the Dance Stage.

Track to check - "The Look": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFrNsSnk8GM

9. Katy B

Alright, I know what you’re thinking - Katy B simply has no place in a Ones to Watch List of bands at Reading and Leeds 2012. But Katy Brien makes the top ten for one very specific reason - her 2011 debut album, On A Mission.

Katy B did something no other female musician has managed to do in breaking every possible musical barrier that was in front of her: dubstep anthem done well, check. Independant record label success, check. Breaking out of the female singer mold, definite check. On A Mission was a garage house, R&b tinged concept album about club music and lifestyles and attraction to the opposite sex - the last time anyone tried that and got it right was Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not by the Arctic Monkeys. If Whatever.. went into the heart of teenage lifestyle in the UK, On A Mission worked to go deeper - and produced a record so hauntingly nighttime it rivalled that of The xx’s debut. And she’s lived every single bit of it; having worked with the revered Rinse FM to put out her music, Brien spent time in the true heart of garage and dubstep in the UK with some of Britain’s most valued producers. The album’s successes eventually earned Katy Brien a string of awards and nominations, and rightfully so.

Without a doubt, Katy B’s performance on the Dance Stage will be much like the musician’s debut album - an absolute stand-out underground moment.

Track to check - "On A Mission": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNhPYj-5rIY

8. Florence and the Machine

Florence has had her fair share of moments already at Reading and Leeds; celebrating her birthday at the 2009 festival, Welch introduced the world to the baroque pop anthems of her debut, Lungs. The album itself already had everything: Kiss With a Fist” demonstrated her near punk rock snarl, “Cosmic Love” presented a moment of tear wiping beauty; “Dog Days Are Over” was a certified anthem of our generation for years to come. But it was the live show itself that proved just how much Florence Welch demanded our attention. She got it, and with it a suitable reign as alt-pop queen for many years to come.

Sophomore effort Ceremonials was released in 2011, with Florence moving into territory previously thought to be impossible; if anything, her sound got even bigger. Rewarded for her successes, Florence takes to the Main Stage second top in what will be two of the final performances of her second album run. Knowing Florence’s passion for touring and live performances, it won’t be long now until she’s back and topping the bill; catch the mighty Flo now before she really hits the big leagues.

Track to check - "What The Water Gave Me": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am6rArVPip8

7. Two Door Cinema Club

It seems like only yesterday that Two Door Cinema Club’s debut album Tourist History dropped onto our laps and brought smiles to our faces. Coupled with the previous work of Bombay Bicycle Club, the Northern Irish three-piece worked on making indie pop cool again, and managed exactly that; track for track, the trio’s debut was a hit for hit masterpiece and a sure fire success in festival fields up and down the country. Now they’re back with second album Beacon, with lead single teaser “Sleep Alone” promising to be more of the same dance pop excitement of their first effort. If Two Door keep up this tried and tested formula much longer, it’s not too farfetched to suggest a headline performance some time soon. Catch them before they do so, when they top the Radio 1/NME Stage with Justice.

Track to check - "Sleep Alone": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNXybY2DtwM

6. Of Monsters and Men

Of Monsters and Men have produced one of the stand-out albums of the year - nay, decade - in debut effort My Head Is An Animal. A truly collaborative effort coupled together by six of the finest musicians and vocalists in the business today, ...Animal’s lead single “Little Talks” is an indie-folk anthem to rival that of Mumford and Sons or Arcade Fire, managing to take on the heavy mantle of comparisons to the two former artists whilst successfully crafting a truly fantastic listen. It’s not too folk to seem pretentious; not too pop to seem manufactured and transparent. Instead, this album sits perfectly in the middle of the spectrum, landing the Icelandic six-piece in the middle of our hearts in the process.

Of Monsters and Men are producing music so genuinely unique that it is incredibly exciting; with the band simply moments away from exploding on to mainstream success, catch them before they do so when they open the Radio 1/NME Stage.

Track to check - "Little Talks": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghb6eDopW8I

Bands to Watch at Reading and Leeds 2012 - Part Three (No's. 16-20)

20. Foster The People

Foster the People have came a long way since first quietly tiptoeing into our subconscious via an O2 advert at the start of the year. Fast forward to the present, and you're barely able to break a shuffle in any club, bar, indie squat or Soho-ist venue in the land without at some point coming across smooth-pop anthem "Pumped Up Kicks". So irresistible, the band caught the eye of BBC Radio 1 not long after, quickly spreading the Californian trio throughout daytime radio and into the open ears of the mainstream listeners. But one-hit wonder FTP were not, as debut album Torches proved with its string of soundtrack licenses (more than half of the album's tracks were used in video games and television).

Foster the People are the essence of what mainstream pop-twinged dance music has become in 2012 (or is it dance-twinged pop music?). You can look forward to them playing second-top on the Radio 1/NME Stage.

Track to check - because we've said enough about "Pumped Up Kicks" - "Call It What You Want": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1prhCWO_518

19. Passion Pit

Passion Pit didn't fall far from the tree which spawned previous entry Foster The People; all it took was breakthrough EP Chunk Of Change to turn heads all the way from Hype Machine to mainstream radio in the UK and the US. Pretty good for a mixtape invented as a gift for lead singer Michael Angelakos's girlfriend. Passion Pit mixed soaring vocal harmonies - going so far as to enlist a choir during recording - with dueling synths to finely craft debut album Manners, a hit laden pop-synth effort that topped end of year lists for 2009.

After some turbulent off-season activities with band members tackling various personal demons, follow up album Gossamer was teased with the release of lead single "I'll Be Alright", the stomping indietronic comeback that PP fans have waited so eagerly for. With two albums of pure wealth now under their belts, Passion Pit will make sure all their efforts are worth your attention on the Radio 1/NME Stage.

Track to check - "I'll Be Alright": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bmg3h7RSM4

18. Theme Park

Theme Park are one of the most exciting new bands in the United Kingdom. Yes, that may be the most overused statement in music press, but for once, this might be legitimate. Leading back to debut single "Milk" in late 2011, the London four-piece have coined their own niche of indie-tinted, jangle pop. A string of singles followed suit, drawing favourable reviews and comparisons to early Talking Heads. Most recent effort "Jamaica" is a swirling, 80s disco rebirth; they're almost a high school prom band, in a good way.

With an eagerly awaited debut album in the pipeline promising more of the same, Theme Park's set on the Festival Republic Stage will leave your hands clapping and toes tapping. Don't expect this buzz band to be erased from your head in a hurry.

Track to check - "Jamaica": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjoCAu8HPMw

17. The Black Keys

The Black Keys spent a long time trying to finally get everyone's attention. It took the Ohio duo almost ten years to produce commercial breakthrough album - their sixth - Brothers, released in 2010. But the Keys were smarter than to let the success go to their heads; instead of producing a lazy Only By The Night-style faux album, The Black Keys stayed with their form and created one of the garage rock revival albums of the decade in 2012's El Camino. Lead single "Lonely Boy" is a snarling, Nick Cave-esque rockstar love song, with follow up "Gold On the Ceiling" showing a band celebrating mainstream success by just having fun.

With an upcoming second-top Main Stage performance at this year's festivals, we may just witness The Black Keys officially rise to the throne of the World's Biggest Rock Band. About time too.

Track to check - "Lonely Boy": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8

16. Django Django

Edinburgh's Django Django should be quite glad with the work they've done in such a short time, having already produced one of the songs of the summer in the stompin' blues rock anthem "Default". Not content with this however, the band have elected to play every festival on the circuit this summer, ensuring their name is cemented in the minds of the punters to take home. The quartet have something not many Scottish artists manage, in making a well crafted, highly danceable art rock crossover record which is actually happy. It's not just on CD however; recent club shows have a recurring theme of raucous sweat fests. It's the band's live show where the music really comes to life: a blur of guitar and synth song to song doesn't let up for many breaks. The band's self-titled debut album is a psychadelic twinged masterpiece - don't miss their R&L debut on the Radio 1/NME Stage.

Track to check - "Default": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDjpOrlfh0Y

Thanks for reading Part Three. Part Four should be up later tonight! The list so far:

16. Django Django

17. The Black Keys

18. Theme Park

19. Passion Pit

20. Foster The People

21. Spector

22. The Cribs

23. Hadouken!

24. Twin Atlantic

25. The Gaslight Anthem

26. Bullet For My Valentine

27. S.C.U.M.

28. Santigold

29. Pure Love

30. The Futureheads

Bands to Watch at Reading and Leeds 2012 - Part Two (No's. 21-25)

25. The Gaslight Anthem

The Gaslight Anthem have the somewhat expectant labelling of being the best artist to come out of New Jersey since Bruce Springsteen.. Returning to both sites armed with fourth studio album, Handwritten, the US’s finest punk rock band have crafted their best work yet. Lead single “45” is the blistering essence of punk rock and sits firmly in the top tracks of the year so far. The album’s title track and second single isn’t to far off that mark either, with lead singer Brian Fallon confirming a return to the sound of standout breakthrough album The ‘59 Sound. These guys are pure American Americana, with tracks to rival The Boss hImself.

The Gaslight Anthem return to Reading and Leeds for their fourth time in five years, after debuting in the Lock Up Tent in 2008. These guys are certified, sure fire future headliners - take notice of them this year on the Main Stage at Reading and Leeds.

Track to check - “45”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oST77VRHXt0

24. Twin Atlantic

If you toured the festival circuits in 2011, you would have become quite accustomed to seeing Glasgow’s own Twin Atlantic somewhere on the bill. With the string of successful singles from second album Free, the boys from Twin Atlantic have finally gained the interest of the BBC Radio 1 playlist, fitting comfortably into the pop punk airplay niche alongside All Time Low and You Me At Six. Having truly plugged away since their first release in 2007, the band’s writing style and live performances have morphed to become a proper festival band: the exact reason why you shouldn’t miss them at this year’s Reading and Leeds.

Track to check - “Free”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TAJ_be8S8A

23. Hadouken!

The Hadouken! of today are not the same band who dropped into NME in 2007 wielding glowsticks and wearing neon. Following the band’s initial bleep-heavy debut Music For An Accelerated Culture - thank God they got that out of the way - Hadouken! returned a new band in 2010 with For The Masses, a more grown up second effort attempting to flex the creative muscles influenced by The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers. Yes, FTM still contained the same bastardized, social media-ridden lyrics, but it actually had some real dance music in it, managing in the process to produce something truly original. Stop-gap singles “Mecha Love” and “Oxygen” have only cemented this (r)evolution, and third album teaser “Bad Signal” is perhaps the band’s best work to date. Catch Hadouken! replacing Chiddy Bang on the Radio 1/NME Stage.

Track to check - “Bad Signal”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1-QW20ge98

22. The Cribs

The Cribs are another band who are central to the whole experience that is Reading and Leeds; 2012 marks the band’s sixth appearance since 2004. This time, Wakefield’s finest are back with new album In The Belly of the Brazen Bull, another relentlessly lo-fi garage rock album looking to bite back at whatever hand didn’t feed them. Gifted with being back on the Radio 1/NME Stage (thankfully; they seem to work best there), sitting comfortably beneath a newly reformed At The Drive-In. Be sure to witness both bands waging a transatlantic war to see who brings a bigger cult following to the tent on Saturday/Sunday night.

Track to check - “Our Bovine Public”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLKL6iUFSQQ

21. Spector

Only a few words are needed to describe the music of London five-piece Spector; simple. Catchy. Huge. After being thrust into the musical limelight at last year’s festivals, touring BBC Intoducing stages including Reading and Leeds, Spector managed to legit back it up with a string of successful singles, earning a place on the BBC Sound of 2012 poll. Much like The Vaccines, every track released becomes an instant singalong indie classic, riding a wave of expectant excitement into the release of their debut album. Enjoy It While It Lasts drops this week in the UK, make sure you visit Britain’s biggest buzz band (while it lasts) on the Radio 1/NME Stage.

Track to check - “Celestine”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk6TgpwlbiI

Thanks for reading this, as always! Part Three with the next group of artists should be up real soon. Have I made any mistakes? Comment here or http://facebook.com/FusionBest for more. The list so far is:

30. The Futureheads

29. Pure Love

28. Santigold

27. S.C.U.M.

26. Bullet For My Valentine

25. The Gaslight Anthem

24. Twin Atlantic

23. Hadouken!

22. The Cribs

21. Spector

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