Twenty Twelve...

2012. It reads and sounds better than 2011 already, possibly because of the “twenty twelve” pronunciation sounding better than “twenty ELEVEN” as you garble it out with a mouthful of your calorie controlled new years diet (yep we all have one.) Will there be any new musical movements or styles this year? I’m sure a couple, any good albums and singles I wonder? But scratch beneath the surface and the question from the mouths of the next generation is “will there be a band of MY generation this year?” Only time will tell, if you look at the timeline of music there is always a group that captures the majorities imagination right back to The Beatles, who will it be this time? For someone of my age group the 90s started with Nirvana and Grunge before a bullet stopped that in its tracks leaving the path clear for Oasis to pick up the baton and bring Brit Pop into the forefront. After the nervous breakdowns and drug addictions settled down, the 2000’s arrived and brought with them The Strokes and The Libertines to raise the flag and bring their own demons to the party and although since then there has been many great bands and some faddy little scenes (Nu-rave anyone?) nobody has yet to grab the bull by the horns and usher in a new ideal. This is when music, fashion, art, drugs everything gets taken and shifted on its axis once more.

Will the return of The Stone Roses began a new wave of baggy bands? Don’t tell me flares are making a comeback surely? Maybe full on Acid Rock, surely a new guitar god would be a good thing? Maybe it won’t be guitars at all; maybe the whole era of the golden electric phallic Stratocaster will be put to one side while the twin turntables make a comeback into pop culture? Maybe a whole new thing altogether will appear?

A few years back during the initial rise of the Kings of Leon and their effect on both music and fashion i.e. the skinny jeans, open laced boots combo matched with checked shirts along with their guitar based music it seemed that maybe the wheel had once again come back to Grunge (complete with facial hair) and that once again the working week proles wanted to kick out the jams loud and raw once again. This wasn’t to be though as KOL although possessing some great songs in their catalogue seemed to fall at the final hurdle by aiming all their songs purposely at the stadiums they were now playing and becoming so purposely commercial that even Westminster MP’s were now playing their album on their journeys to work in the mornings. This never happened with The Clash surely? Please don’t misunderstand, there are many great bands out there making great music and performing great gigs but there is definitely a feeling that there is an empty throne at the moment for the obvious ‘biggest band’ to appear on the scene. But who is it?

It’s only the first week into January so too early to guess but something is stirring in the air, oh to be 17 again.