With the advent of a new year, there comes the scramble that most blogs get caught up in, to make their predictions about who they think will make it big over the following twelve months. I’m not sure about you, but one look at this year’s BBC Sound of… list was enough for me to bury my head in my hands in abject despair. I’m a fan of only a few picks on that list; the rest failed to click with me at all. A much more pleasing alternative was the Blog Sound of 2012 list, eventually topped by Friends, which brought a number of bands to my attention I most likely would have been previously unaware of, and it is in a similar spirit that I’m throwing down the gauntlet and choosing, once and for all (pun definitely intended), the three bands that I’m tipping for big things this year. No take-backs, no hesitation, certainly none of the ‘oh shit, I got that wrong, didn’t I?’ remorse later in the year. I’ve been there before, but I have no regrets, and I want to be able to say the same thing about my choices come December 2012. Besides, even if I do get it wrong… it’s not the end of the world.

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Clock Opera [Facebook/Twitter/Soundcloud]

This lot have been building up a fine head of steam over the last few years. It’s been quite a while since White Noise was released back in 2009, but in that time, the London quartet, led by Guy Connelly, have gone from being hot prospects to becoming the most exciting band in the UK. Recently, the group unveiled the video for the lead single from their forthcoming debut album, which can be viewed below. Once and For All was released as a single back in 2010, but it’s been re-recorded and paired with a new, genuinely affecting clip that finds the band addressing some big issues. They seem to be most comfortable with doing that, as previous single, Lesson No. 7 (premiered the week before the UK riots), tapped into the zeitgeist with its lyrics which tackled the problem of social unrest. This may point towards their long-awaited debut Ways to Forget being a heavy proposition, but we’re certain it’ll be wrapped in the cathartic ‘chop-pop’ they’ve become known for. It arrives on April 9th, and if past indications are anything to go by, it’ll be one of the albums of the year. Make sure you don’t miss it.

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Our Lost Infantry [Facebook/Twitter/Soundcloud]

Sometimes, the best way to get noticed is to take about as many risks as you can and hope it pays off. Our Lost Infantry would know all about that, of course: their songs boast a structural complexity that can be slightly intimidating at times, but they have an ear for melody that few bands of this ilk can match. They’ve been releasing a steady stream of material since exploding onto the scene with double A-side The Arsonist /Scissorfight back in April of 2010, and the majority of the aforementioned material can be streamed at their Bandcamp, while the video for most recent single Pedestals can be seen below. The band’s musical dexterity doesn’t just mean they know how to write a well-structured song: they have a penchant for unusual time signatures as well. Think Grammatics with even more pop-sensibility and a DIY ethos – most of their material has been self-produced. They will have new stuff (whatever that might entail) out in April – my bet is an EP. Whatever it is, it should, as usual, be exciting.

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Screaming Maldini [Facebook/Twitter/Bandcamp]

Here’s another band who are intent on making complex time signatures their bitch. Their sound is expansive (there are six people involved), their choruses are massive (as evinced by pretty much every song they’ve put out so far), they are signed to the ever-reliable Alcopop! Records. They also have an album coming out; it’s not known when exactly, but my guess is sometime within the first half of 2012. I can’t wait for it, especially so because some members of the band used to be in Situationists, who split in 2009 and never got around to releasing a proper full-length (outside of Japan at least). They inhabit a different part of the prog-pop spectrum than Our Lost Infantry do, relying on colourful orchestral arrangements as the foundations of their sound. It’s something they’ve already done a lot with, and the wheels are in motion for them to make a name for themselves this year. More power to them, and their awesome dress sense, as seen in the video for Secret Sounds, which is below…