Hello 2010!

It’s my first day back at work and, thanks to a lovely restful Christmas, I’m actually quite excited about it. My ears definitely needed a little rest, though, and one day in they’ve come under quite a bombardment already.

It’s time to delete some emails, open late Xmas cards, rip through the post with shiny new albums, and catch up on some quality broadcasting, and get ready for a week of late night music radio. Here are three new things for the year ahead.

Listen Again, BBC Radio 1. Happy Huw Year!

I’ve spent the day listening to Huw Stephens, who has already been all over the Radio 1 schedule this New Year, looking after shows for Zane and Edith, and our bearded friend has been crossing musical genres looking into a musical crystal ball for the year ahead.

He’s played musical gems from Ellie Goulding, Marina & the Diamonds, Frankie & the Heartstrings, Everything Everything, and new album track from Simian Mobile Disco ft Beth Ditto! It was also thrilling to hear new music from Yeasayer, Egyptian Hip Hop, The XX, and right now I’ve got the bass rumbling, anthemic keyboard sound of Bristol boy Joker distorting my headphones – IT’S INCREDIBLE!

This show really is a one stop shop for finding out what’s ahead in exciting music in 2010. You’ve got till Friday to catch up with it:
bbc.co.uk/radio1/huwstephens

New Album: El Goodo, Coyote

There was lots of exciting bands to dig out of the post today (note to labels, good idea to grab the DJ while they’re fresh and excited about life!), but El Goodo’s album’s fabulous Pete Fowler painted sleeve certainly grabbed my eye.

Coyote, on Dell’Orso Records, is the second album from El Goodo, the band from Resolven, south Wales. It was recorded in their own studio and mixed with Cian from Super Furry Animals, is rammed full of delightful summery ’60s guitar pop, and is out in February 2010.
myspace.com/elgoodomusic

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesmusic/2010/01/hello-2010.shtml