The UK music press has been making their annual music predictions for the next twelve months. Along with binge drinking and knife crime, these lists are a recognised national pastime, and not always a safe bet.

Last year they enjoyed pitting Adele vs Duffy, with the former tipped as the “one most likely”, but despite both doing well, the Welsh warbler ultimately stole most of the limelight.

Still, it's best not to dwell on past mistakes, so they’ve dusted themselves down and gamely had another crack at this imperfect science.

As a parent may have once advised you, a more reliable indicator might be the friends they keep, so here’s a round-up of the acts the UK tastemakers are putting their money on this year, along with a quick look at the kind of company they’re keeping on their Myspace pages.



THE SAFE BETS:

The acts that, due to a seemingly unstoppable groundswell of support from press and radio, nobody wants to bet against this year...

Florence & The Machine (pictured above) - Winner of the Brits Critics Choice Award 2009, this 22 year old South Londoner looks set to be this year’s ‘it’ girl.

Myspace friends: Lightspeed Champion, Golden Silvers, The Big Pink


Little Boots - Victoria Hesketh “is the most exciting dance-pop hope for 2009. She has re-imagined the lost art of choruses for the electro-disco generation.” – Jamie Hodgson, NME.

Check out her video page here, where she, very tastefully, lists Kylie’s “Hand on your Heart” as a favourite.

Myspace friends: Hot Chip, Alphabeat, Lightspeed Champion



THE 'GREAT WHITE INDIE HOPES':

Most eyes seem to be on this West London foursome White Lies, with the frontman who sounds like Julian Cope. According to Q Magazine’s Mic Wright, their “doomy, Joy Divisionesque rock is going to be a good thing in a year of recession. The record is a great gothic pop album.”

Now they only have to survive the hype… and, fingers crossed, avoid becoming the new Editors.

Myspace friends: No obvious sign of friends. Ooh, feel the alienation!



THE NU-SOUL TIP:

This easy-on-the-eye soul singer from the Dandenong Ranges of Melbourne has supported Kanye and Timberlake, but in the UK Daniel Merriweather is best known for his Ronson produced Smiths cover, “Stop Me”. Still, after a sun-drenched appearance at Glastonbury (as part of Ronson’s set, in which a grieving (for her nan) Lily Allen couldn’t even remember the words to her own contribution) the British press has decided they’d quite like to hear what else he has up his sleeve.

Myspace friends: Mark and Samantha Ronson, Stuart ‘Jamiroquai bassist’ Zender



THE NEW SCHOOL:

Last year it was the BRITS school (alumni include Adele, Leona Lewis, Kate Nash, Katie Melua) you should have graduated from to guarantee success. This year it would appear that attending The Elliott School may have been a good idea.

NME’s Jamie Hodgson tips the XX because, “They went to the same school as Hot Chip, Burial and Four Tet.”

 Myspace friend: Metronomy



THE NEW STREET POET:

Andy Gill of The Independent reckons Skint & Demoralised's May scheduled debut album - Love and Other Catastrophes - "promises a Streets-style blend of poetry and grooves." The young Matt Abbott must be sick of being compared to Mike Skinner but, like Highlander, there always has to be one.

Myspace friends: Morrissey






THE COMEBACK ALBUMS:

Franz Ferdinand's Tonight
 
It seems so long ago now (and so many food columns in the Guardian later), that it’s already all too easy to forget just how big they were. Has their moment come and gone already?

Myspace friends: David Shrigley, Cut Copy, CSS, The Kills, Erol Alkan


Antony & The Johnsons' The Crying Light

Antony Hegarty’s follow-up to 2004’s breakout hit I Am a Bird sees him turn his attention away from matters of gender confusion and towards his relationship with nature itself. The Crying Light is out in Australia on Jan 17th.

Myspace friends: Bjork, Joan as Police Woman


Morrissey's Years of Refusal
 
Not a comeback per se, but early word on this album suggests he’s still doing the business. And anyway, to Moz’s rabid fanbase every new album provides that special ‘comeback’ thrill.

Myspace friend: Kristeen Young



THE NEW NATIONAL TREASURES:

Last year Elbow quietly shoved their way back into the national consciousness, becoming celebrated national treasures in the process, with a shock Mercury win.
2009 could see the equally adored Doves pulling a similar trick when they return with their fourth album.

Myspace friends: Elbow



THE NEW DIZZEE / WILEY:

This being Britain, we can only champion one new black star of the underground at a time in the mainstream press. Not long ago it was Sway, now it looks to be Chipmunk’s turn in the hot seat.

Myspace friend: Dread




THE NEW DONS OF DANCE:

Manchester duo autoKratz has been likened to 90’s beat monsters Chemical Brothers and Underworld. This could be wishful thinking on the part of those who saw Daft Punk blow the guitar bands out of Hyde Park in 2007, perhaps sounding a warning to all those sound-a-like outfits in the process.

Myspace friends: Daft Punk, Fischerspooner, La Roux, Underworld






THE 'MUSO' TIP:

London duo Robbie Furze and Milo Cordel - aka The Big Pink - make heavily phased ‘space folk’. They’ve been compared to the baggy era Madchester sound and the gospel trance of Spiritualised.

Myspace friends: Klaxons, Crystal Castles




THE GLASTONBURY TIP:

Winners of last year’s emerging talent competition at Glastonbury, Golden Silvers are already favourites of the trendy East London set, thanks in part to their monthly club night there called 'Bronze'. Their debut album drops this year.

Myspace friends: Micachu, The Land Down Under, Florence & The Machine, Leadbelly




LAST YEARS TIP'S TIP:

Ed McFarlane of Friendly Fires – “I'd really like to see Runaway make it next year. It's really deep disco music, but also engaging and exciting.” (see below)

Myspace friends: DFA Records, Holy Ghost!