3. Slaves
Judge's comments: If the Slaves make it to Glastonbury I'd recommend picking a vantage point a safe distance from the stage. I get the feeling their a band who come with a liberal amount of phlegm and a bruising mosh pit.
"White Knuckle Ride" is a visceral brute of a song from the Pistols meet the Hives rasping guitar riff to the Lydon rasp of the lead singers angry declarations to "Get me the f$%k off this rodeo". Uneasy listening.

2. Sky Valley Mistress
Judge's comments: Its a tough competition and Sky Valley Mistress made it through becuase where many acts who had ONE great song, Sky Valley Mistress had consistently top notch tunes.
Consistency isn't a sexy word to sell a band but for a new act to have 3 songs I'd gladly listen to on repeat is a fairly rare event.
Blues with the sound of the Black Belt region but born instead in Blackburn, Lancashire.
They'd fit happily in the CD racks alongside other proponents of the blues, like The Alabama Shakes, and the White Stripes.

1. The Slow Show
Judge's comments: The Slow Show have definite echoes of Nashville's LambChop both in the "sitting back and sipping whiskey on the porch" laid back sound and the rich honeyed vocals.
They seem to have soaked up the heritage of the North of England with their beautiful use of brass instruments making them standout from the alt-country crowd. It's as if the beating heart of the North East in its colliery bands were reformed just to provide the perfect backing.

1. Avec Sans
Judge's comments: Sultry and sophisticated electronic London based duo Avec Sans don't mess about. They make songs that explode with huge pop hooks and computer sonics of the highest order. They're a group with one eye on the heavens and one eye that aims even higher than that.

Judge's comments: Ain't Nobody: Although the straightest of my three choices, I chose this one simply because I thought it was the best dance track out of the selection. Sometimes simple is best, and I can imagine this hitting hard on any UK dancefloor. The Jersey house chimes and earworm vocal combine to make an irresistible package.

3. Radstewart
Judge's comments: First of all, excellent name - of all the Rad puns to pick (Rad Pitt, Simply Rad etc), Rad Stewart is up there. The song is nominally about how Eskimos have a lot of words for snow, but it's generally a mushy, lo-fi number - pretty much my sweet spot. Not falling for it would've been pretty much impossible.

2. Sandunes
Judge's comments: Running w: Claws: This track really impressed me as well. Although not all that dissimilar from many artists pushing the dubious 'future garage' sound, for a newcomer it's a very impressive piece of production. A good sense of musicality contributed a few winning melodies while the bass throbs reminded me of the work of producers like 123Mrk or Arkist.

1. Melysma
Judge's comments: Never Let Me Go: This was by the far the most accomplished and professional dance track that I heard amongst the entries. The liquid DnB beat patterns worked fluidly with the shimmering synth textures (you'd normally hear these drum patterns accompanied by darker moods), and that lovely vocal sample was the icing on the cake.

1. Sorcha Richardson
Judge's comments: I Heart NYC: I'm digging the layered vocals.

3. Todd Dorigo
Judge's comments: Bit on the side: This one's a bit of a curveball, but the song is strangely catchy...retro, very tongue in cheek (and found myself humming it hours later).

2. Mano’s Daughter
Judge's comments: “The synth-pop duo of Sarah Carter and Matthias Garrick, Mano’s Daughter, caught my attention with their dark trip-hop track ‘The Machine’. The intro and verses are nostalgic of Massive Attack and Portishead past records with a heavy chorus harmonizing echoes of ‘Can we go back?’ that compares with other popular up and coming electronic duos birthing from Brooklyn, NY. I could definitely see this band playing on main stage or supporting tours with Polica, Phantogram or MS MR. A fantastic new find with a far future ahead.”

1. We/Are/Animal
Judge's comments: Royal Wolf': Trying to describe what it is that We/Are/Animal create, is certainly a difficult process. They've managed to cherry pick all these great sounds, whilst avoiding the trap of becoming a second-rate tribute act. That doesn't happen often, and I commend them for that.

Songs For Walter
Judge's comments: Tougher Than a Soldier's Boots: Nice indie folk with a poppy vibe.

2. The Mourning Suns
Judge's comments: The Mourning Suns latest track “A Cloud” - recorded as part of EMI/The Roundhouse’s 30/30 project for 2012-13 - is a stunning foray into the realms of sprawling, folk tinged rock music. Warpaint immediately spring to mind on first listen, as does a touch of the sinisterness of Esben & The Witch. But besides the gorgeous crunch and reverberation of the guitars, there is much to be said for the patience with which TMS both choose and subsequently develop their ideas; the realisations of which are refreshingly well-constrained and ineffably powerful.

1. Packt
Judge's comments: This was the one band I actually liked from the list, although it's hard to tell much about just one song. I like the awkwardness though:

1. The Daydream Club
Judge's comments: Sometimes music doesn't need to be extravagent or exciting. Sometimes simple is best. That's exactly what makes the Daydream Club special, just guitar and vocals can be as powerful or as moving as a full orchestra - and when you have Paula Walker on vocals, you're sure to be moved.

1. The Romleys
Judge's comments: Liverpool-based band The Romleys are bearers of brisk and heavily stylistic sub three-minute blues songs, which entertain an attractive uncaring and endearing confidence. “Jailboy” is characterised by its rootsy delivery and charismatic execution - but there is a vivid imagination poured into the production too - all the songs have the kind of errant charm and ramshackle rockabilly folk feel which is inescapably bound up with live performance - something which these recordings undoubtedly capture.

1. Port Isla
Judge's comments: “With a pop-take to modern folk music, Norwich’s Port Isla stood out from the other entries instantly. The fast-folk beats and wailing raspy vocals from the lead singer show a striking resemblance to the popular Fleet Foxes and catchy vocal melodies that could knock off any other band on today’s iTunes chart. The quality of songwriting and genius blend of musicality stuns me as to why they’re not grabbed by a record label yet, and the day they put out their first LP, I’ll be in line to click the buy-button.”

3. Wild Swim
Judge's comments: You’d be forgiven for assimilating certain aspects of Wild Swim’s delicate aura for that of Wild Beasts; much of the instrumentation is characterised by similarly soft textures and neat cyclical builds, vocals persistently hint at Hayden Thorpe’s distinctive operatic flair, and seamless transitions on newest track “Echo” from its eerie and contemplative beginnings into unsettling yet controlled chaos suggest, as with Wild Beasts, that an infinitude of future idiosyncrasies are yet to show themselves.

We're No Heroes
Judge's comments: Ghost Coast'25/02/2013 It's very reminiscent of foals - with that driving beat combined with the 'mathy' guitar. Enjoyable stuff.