Ten things to look forward to in 2009…

So this is the new year and I don’t feel any different (to quote Death Cab). Still, there’s plenty to look forward to, here are some of the things I’m excited about…

 

1. Slow Club

Slow Club are finally releasing their debut album on Moshi Moshi Records some time in the spring. They’ve been stalwarts of the Sheffield music scene over the last couple of years, they also reached the dizzy heights of number 72 in the Canadian charts for one week last year! Here is their video for Me & You:

 

2. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Directed by Terry Gilliam, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was Heath Ledger’s final movie, he died part way through filming. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law stepped in to take on the role after Ledger’s death. It also stars model Lily Cole and intriguingly, Tom Waits as the devil. It sounds a little Pan’s Labyrinth – magical, surreal and fantastical with the plot centred around Dr Parnassus’ quest to save his daughter from the clutches of the devil.

 

3. Mad Men

It may be old news in the States, but we’re still patiently awaiting series 2 of Mad Men here in the UK. It will be back on BBC4 this year. The action has skipped forward a few years but expect more cinched waists, sharp suits, chain smoking and skeletons toppling out of cupboards, together with an occassional knowing nod to the modern viewer. Bizarrely, the characters have taken on a life of their own on Twitter where you can follow Betty Draper, Peggy Olson and co., though curiously, no Don Draper. Perhaps this is a sign of respect from the most avid fans – Draper is inscrutable and untouchable.

 

4. Florence and the Machine

You could be forgiven for thinking their name is in fact ‘Hotly Tipped Florence and the Machine’ right now, the hype engine is most certainly in overdrive. I blogged about Florence before after seeing her at Fuzz Club and I am greatly looking forward to her album, expected in late spring. I smell a Mercury nomination in the air - if Florence Welch wins it’ll make up for Bat For Lashes losing out to Klaxons in 2007.

 

5. Psychoville

Psychoville is a new BBC series from The League of Gentleman’s Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. It sounds a lot like The League of Gents and the beeb describes it as a “dark character comedy mystery featuring the weird and the wonderful”. I really hope it’s a decent series, I can’t wait to see it but fear that Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson were the true geniuses behind The League.

 

6. Isy Suttie

2009 will be a busy year for Isy Suttie, catch her on tour if you get the chance. She is best known for playing Dobby, ‘The One’, in Peep Show, which incidentally is returning for a new series this year – something else to look forward to. Isy Suttie is cute as a button and Chortle describes her as “wry, weird but witty addition to any comedy bill”. Complete with comedy songs! Plus she grew up in Matlock, which is sort of local.

 

7. Slumdog Millionaire

This 2009 highlight is already upon us and I implore you to go and see it. It’s Danny Boyle’s Dickensian tale of a kid from the slums winning the jackpot on the Indian version of Who wants to be a millionaire? Come to think of it, lots of Danny Boyle films revolve around life-changing sums of cash – the loot left by the dead flatmate in Shallow Grave, the money Renton swipes at the end of Trainspotting, the ransom money in A Life Less Ordinary, the stolen pounds in Millions…. I digress. Slumdog is perfect; uplifting, melancholy, bitter sweet, exuberant, lavish and joyful.

 

8. Emmy the Great

Emmy the Great’s album First Love is out in February and there is a tour to boot, I’m looking forward to seeing her in Sheffield on 19th Feb at Plug.  Whimsical folky tunes with a hint of darkness and a heap of honesty in the lyrics. Emmy’s voice is crystal clear and soars up and away. Lovely stuff. And check out the cover of Ash’s ‘Burn Baby Burn’.

 

9. Fantastic Mr Fox

Wes Anderson’s animated take on the Roald Dahl classic Fantastic Mr Fox, with voices from Anderson regulars Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman and Angelica Huston. The voices of Mr and Mrs Fox are provided by George Clooney and Cate Blanchet, while Jarvis Cocker is apparently providing songs for the soundtrack. It’s a little premature to be getting excited about this (the film isn’t out until November!), but the Dahl / Anderson / Cocker combo ought to be nothing short of brilliant.

 

10. Flight of the Conchords

Bret and Jemaine return for a second series of hopelessly naive adventures in the Big Apple accompanied by a selection of funny and rather excellent songs. The series starts in the US this week but will be shown on the BBC some time this year. Here’s a little promo for the new series: