Ready to rock in 2005: Up and coming artists to watch

Miranda Kimball A&E Editor

We could give you our Top Ten List of 2004, but then again it is almost February. Here at The Miscellany News, we have opted instead to get you to look ahead to the promise of 2005. While the coming months are going to be a bit slow since the record labels aren’t rushing to stock the shelves of your local music stores, February is now unofficially the time to get excited for all the musical gems that are yet to come.

There are a lot of new and promising faces currently rising in the music industry and it’s only a matter of time before every college student owns a copy of the following artists’ albums. The United Kingdom, like always, is ahead of the game when it comes to choosing the future rock and roll stars. Bloc Party, who is playing at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on April 7 and 8, already started to make a buzz in 2004 with the release of their self-titled EP. They’ve got the attitude of bad-ass rock stars and the talent of seasoned professionals. The first single, “Tulips,” off the first full-length album, Silent Alarm, was released this past Tuesday and the album will hit stores March 22.

Another newcomer that has already established a devoted following in the UK is New York City’s The Bravery. Like fellow New Yorkers The Strokes and Scissor Sisters, The Bravery has wooed the Brits before trying to conquer the Yanks. While The Bravery’s sound has been compared to The Strokes, The Killers, and all those other bands that are heralded as the next saviors of rock and roll, The Bravery has a distinct, fresh electro-rock sound that makes you want to have your very own Kevin Bacon Footloose moment. Touted as the next big thing, The Bravery had record labels in a bidding war. They finally signed with Island in 2004 and their Unconditional-EP is now available. If you’re not interested in who’s going to conquer the charts this year, just take note that The Bravery’s lead singer, Sam Endicott ’99, is a Vassar grad!

LCD Soundsystem, which is the brainchild of DFA Records’ co-owner James Murphy, long awaited and highly anticipated self-titled debut album hits stores Feb. 15. Murphy and LCD came out with some of the biggest dance-rock hits in recent years with “Losing My Edge” and “Yeah,” Those familiar with LCD know that Murphy pens very witty lyrics and tracks on the new album, and with titles like “Daft Punk is Playing at My House” will surely echo the addictive charm of previous singles. LCD will release the new album along with a second disc, which will include all of LCD’s previous singles on one disc. LCD, like The Bravery, is from New York City. So 2005 looks like the Big Apple will once again reign as king in the music scene court.

The list can go on and on about who’s going to be the next big thing—keep your eyes out for The Game, The Kaiser Chiefs, The Dears—but we will leave you here. There’s plenty out there for you to listen to, you just need to be patient. Soon your music collection will be overflowing with the sounds of 2005 and all it has to offer.