1 Chance The Rapper
The rapper made history this year when he released his mixtape Coloring Book and became the first artist to hit the Billboard 200 based on streams alone. Away from the stats, the record was one of the year’s best, a confluence of gospel, hip-hop and steel drums with a sprawling guestlist that boasted everyone from Lil Yachty to his cousin Nicole.
Manchester, Sat; London, Sun & Tue; Dublin, Wed & Fri; touring to 26 Nov
2 The Rhythm Method
The influence of Mike Skinner hangs heavy over some of London’s new groups, most notably Real Lies and the Rhythm Method. The latter’s recent Home Sweet Home was a lament to the capital’s evaporating nightlife, bittersweet and born out of a love of 90s piano house records.
Nottingham, Sun; Bournemouth, Thu; Birmingham, Fri; touring to 10 Dec
3 Primal Scream
This year’s Chaosmosis was not the most convincing Primal Scream album, but then the odd duff LP hasn’t held the band back in the past; their live shows are still propelled by the kind of rock’n’roll swagger lacking in so many guitar groups. Edinburgh, Mon; Motherwell, Tue; Inverness, Wed; Kilmarnock, Fri; touring to 15 Dec
4 Palace
Hailing from London, indie quartet Palace have a knack of emoting just like Jeff Buckley. New album So Long Forever also has shades of spectral post-rock, while they also boast a sensitive disposition shared by the likes of Foals and the Maccabees.
Brighton, Mon; Bristol, Tue; London, Wed; Leeds, Thu; Manchester, Fri; touring to 26 Nov
5 Melanie Martinez
Earlier this year, Melanie Martinez played a London show that involved a giant cradle, marionette dancing and a band dressed as teddy bears. But there’s more to Martinez than enforced wackiness; her hyperreal pop tackles deeply serious subjects such as body image and self-harm, too.
London, Mon; Manchester, Wed; Birmingham, Thu; Bristol, Fri; touring to 28 Nov
