The Forecast 2016: Music
- Text by Joshua Gabert-Doyon
- Photography by Rough Trade East

Rough Trade Records is one of those organizations which has been able to reinvent itself over and over again throughout the years. These guys have been at the centre of independent music for 40 years. The original shop in London’s West End was set up in 1976 and would spawn it’s own label two years later (the label and the shops would split up legally, although they keep close ties). Rough Trade has been home to an array of influential British acts, to the point where it feels a bit ridiculous to turn them into a grocery list.
The massive Brick Lane shop, known as Rough Trade East, opened in 2007. They have tons of free in-store shows, books, and a dizzying number of releases. Nigel House has been selling records for more than three decades – he’s been kind enough to curate a list of 2016’s most anticipated albums.
The Music Forecast
Top picks for 2016 from behind the desk at Rough Trade
Sunflower Bean – Human Ceremony
“New York City’s Sunflower Bean release their full-length debut album, ‘Human Ceremony’ via Fat Possum Records and it’s a joyous pop nugget from start to finish. The 11 tracks are urgent, flowing and demand repeated listens. It emerges at the intersection of dreamy modern psychedelia and urgent fuzzed-out bliss. On ‘I Was Home’ and ‘Wall Watcher’ the riffs rage, whilst on ‘Creation Myth’ they sound like a sugar sweet 80’s Indie Pop band with delicate female vocals. Seriously, this is everything and more, we could have expected from the debut Sunflower Bean album. For fans of Early 90’s Creation Records, Tame Impala and Veronica Falls.”

Photo by Paul Hudson – CC BY 2.0
Unloved – Guilty of Love
“Spearheaded by David Holmes, in collaboration with film and TV composer Keefus Ciancia (True Detective), and songwriter-vocalist Jade Vincent (The Jade Vincent Experiment), Unloved are born of 60’s girl groups, influenced by the great George ‘Shadow’ Morton, Jack Nitzsche, the soundtracks of Morricone, Nino Rota and the electronic sounds of Raymond Scott.”
LUH (Lost Under Heaven)
“LUH have their debut album out in May. Rising from the ashes of the art pop conceptualists WU LYF members Ellery Roberts and Ebony Hoorn are creating another set of waves with their combination of music, art, photography, film and manifestos. They are the complete package.”
Max Jury
“A yet untitled album will be out in June. All Max Jury needs is the endorsement of someone like Adele (as she did with Tobias Jesso Jnr) and everyone will see what an exceptional songwriter he is. Following on in the classic Gram Parsons. Simon and Garfunkel, Harry Nilsson style, he will soon be selling out venues and shifting huge numbers of records.”
Angel Olsen
“Hopefully coming in the autumn, we are so excited to hear the new album from one of our shop favourites – her previous album Burn Your Fire For No Witness was one of Albums of The Year and we predict this one will take to another level. She occupies that folk / singer songwriter area in a way that no one else, except maybe Bonnie Prince Billy, can touch.”

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck

Tender, carefree portraits of young Ukrainians before the war
Diary of a Stolen Youth — On the day that a temporary ceasefire is announced, a new series from photographer Nastya Platinova looks back at Kyiv’s bubbling youth culture before Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion. It presents a visual window for young people into a possible future, as well as the past.

Analogue Appreciation: 47SOUL
Dualism — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, it’s Palestinian shamstep pioneers 47SOUL.
Written by: 47SOUL
Meet the hair-raised radicals of Berlin’s noise punk scene
Powertool — In his new zine, George Nebieridze captures moments of loud rage and quiet intimacy of the German capital’s bands, while exploring the intersections between music, community and anti-establishment politics.
Written by: Miss Rosen

Amid tensions in Eastern Europe, young Latvians are reviving their country’s folk rhythms
Spaces Between the Beats — The Baltic nation’s ancient melodies have long been a symbol of resistance, but as Russia’s war with Ukraine rages on, new generations of singers and dancers are taking them to the mainstream.
Written by: Jack Styler

Uwade: “I was determined to transcend popular opinion”
What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Nigerian-born, South Carolina-raised indie-soul singer Uwade.
Written by: Uwade

Inside the obscured, closeted habitats of Britain’s exotic pets
“I have a few animals...” — For his new series, photographer Jonty Clark went behind closed doors to meet rare animal owners, finding ethical grey areas and close bonds.
Written by: Hannah Bentley