We pride ourselves on having a pretty firm grasp on up and coming bands in Australia. If a band did something cool in 2015, we wrote about it. The past 12 months saw a lot of great things happen in Aussie music with more artists than you could poke a stick at releasing a deluge of top notch material. There were a few that stuck out as being on the brink of some pretty big things, so we thought we’d give you a heads up and list 5 acts that you seriously need to keep an eye out in 2016. Don’t say we didn’t tell you.
With 2015 behind us we look ahead to the new year and what artists you’re going to be seeing a lot of. Here are 5 acts to watch out for in 2016.
Sampa The Great
The name really says it all. Sampa Tembo hails from Botswana, but she’s been making music out of Sydney for a while now. She dabbles in rhythmic hip-hop with a political voice and of course she’s already been snapped up by Wondercore Records. If you haven’t heard of her, The Great Mixtape is the place to start. Working closely with producer Godriguez, Tembo spits powerful and graceful verse through sparse, polyrhythmic beats and sparkling electronica. She’s been toted as something akin to the next FKA Twigs, and 2016 will no doubt see her live up to those expectations.
Koi Child
2016 is shaping up to be a massive year for Australian hip-hop with the genre exponentially diversifying from the ‘Aussie hip-hop’ drone that has become the staple of the genre in recent times. Koi Child are at the vanguard of this shift with a mystifying blend of jazzy jam band stylings with hip-hop and electronica. A far-reaching 7-piece from Perth, Koi Child caught the attention of Kevin Parker – which is really saying something about their potential – who offered to produce their debut record. Black Panda and Slow One are the only insights we’ve had into what has been going on in that studio but it’s sounding absolutely incredible so far. The record is due out sometime in early 2016 and it’s going to blow minds. Keep your eyes peeled. Actually don’t bother, you’ll probably hear about it regardless.
The Goon Sax
The Goon Sax are absolute sweethearts. Young romantics at heart, they fell into our arms just a few months back with the incredibly charming Sometimes Accidentally, a lovely, self-depreciating tale of young love. Deadpan vocals and jangly guitars have been done to death, but there is something inexplicably gorgeous and irrevocably sad about The Goon Sax. Two singles in and we are drooling for more. They’ve been scooped up by the good folk over at Chapter Music and were announced as part of illustrious Laneway Festival 2016 bill. Word has it that Louis is the son of Robert Forster of The Go-Betweens too, that’s gotta count for something.
Mangelwurzel
Melbourne is full of quirky, obscure bands, but Mangelwurzel are a cut above the rest. The six-piece put on some of the most wild, unpredictable shows of 2016, including one certain Bigsound set during which front woman Cosima Jaala (also from the band of the same name) screamed something akin to “I’ll suck Richard Kingsmill’s dick if he plays us on triple J.” They had a ripper of a year with singles My House and Fishy Fry creating quite a stir. They’ve been added to the Falls Festival bill and their debut album Gary is set to drop very, very soon. 2016 should be officially renamed ‘The Year of Mangelwurzel’.
Big White
It’s been long known that housemates who play together, stay together. Big White are a case in point. They have been charming the shit out of us ever since we first heard I Can’t Tell about this time last year. Since then they have released two more singles, climaxing with the recent charmer Dinosaur City, a song which snuck in to the top 10 of Happy’s top 100 songs of the year. All jangly, modulated New Wave guitars and bold, impassioned vocals, Big White are only getting better and better. Their debut record is set to drop in early 2016 and we’re pissing ourselves with excitement – you should be too.
