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The Pipettes, The Automatic, The Sunshine Underground, The Long Blondes, Rakes - Emily's tips for 2006

Emily Tartanella 17/01/2006

Emily Tarantella's Tips for 2006.

2005 was the best year for British music in ages... From Franz's edgy art-rock to the jitter-pop of the Futureheads to the genre-mashing of M.I.A., there was something for anyone. With any luck, 2006 will be even better.

My biggest tip would have to be The Automatic (www.theautomatic.co.uk). They're a Welsh quartet that sounds remarkably polished, considering their average age of 18. The Automatic have the dark glitz of the Killers combined with genuine punk spirit, and frankly they sound great on the dancefloor. They only have one single ("Recover") out, but that's plenty.

A similar sounding band is the sublime Sunshine Underground. They follow the same blueprint (dancey, arty, energetic) but have a unique, Ramones-esque pop undertone to their style that elevates them above the imitators. You can find them here: The Sunshine Underground

The Pipettes bring ace girl-group style to their unique sound. An all-girl trio, their songs have enough 50s charm to bowl anyone over. Songs like "Judy (Wotcha Gonna Do?)" possess a mournful elegance and a defiantly retro-chic. Phil Spector would be proud. If the Long Blondes can be big, The Pipettes can be huge. Find them at The Pipettes
Then of course there's the bands who produced in 05 but haven't really got their recognition yet. We all talk about The Long Blondes, but I have a feeling this will be their year and they'll finally get signed. The Rakes, too, are a brilliant band. Last year saw the release of their superb album Capture/Release and hopefully they'll gain the acclaim they truly deserve this year.