10 for 2012: #6 – Willy Moon

In the last couple weeks, we asked you to vote for the top 10 artists you thought would be big in 2012. #6 on our list may sound like he’s come from another age but he’s doing his own thing and you readers obviously think he’s talented…
In the 1 minute, 50 seconds of ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’, Willy Moon manages to squeeze in a lifetime’s influences. There’s the obvious ones: the chugging Bo Diddley beat, the 1950s rock ‘n’ roll vocal style, the song title lifted from The Beatles. But what’s this? There’s of-the-moment mashup production, all sorts of noises banging around in the background…and have you seen those dancefloor moves? Michael Jackson isn’t dead, he’s just been reincarnated as Willy Moon’s feet.
Apparently only 21 and hailing from New Zealand, how he manages to invoke Merseybeat, UK R ‘n’ B and Delta blues in less than 2 minutes of manic pop is something rather impressive. The B side, ‘She Loves Me’, is a similarly retro-styled piece with an even more cut-up vocal, this time being backed by a Link Wray-style guitar riff. And, impressively, it’s even shorter.
There’s not much more to say about Mr. Moon, as he seems to keep rather a low profile, and has only released two tracks, being right at the beginning of his career. He does have a nice line in sharply pressed suits. But if those dance moves translate well to a stage, he’ll be an unmissable prospect live.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae5btQGXarc[/youtube]
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