Ellie Goulding

Next month when the Music to Know Festival hits upscale East Hampton, NY, the town’s 150 furry animal shelter residents will be offered Valium and noise-cancelling earmuffs. The event, which is expected to draw 6,000 fans to the 22-acre grounds, features Ellie Goulding, the Tom Tom Club, M. Ward, Fitz and the Tantrums, and Vampire Weekend. The kennels will also pump in classical music to drown out the “rock music din,” as Reuters describes it. One would hope the animals have access to a nice, chilled Chardonnay, as well. The shelter sits 50 yards from the runway of the East Hampton Airport, so one would have to imagine that jets are more traumatic than, say, Goulding, who performed at the reception for Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Executive Director Sara Davidson said that the animals are used to the roar of jet engines, but might take issue with having to listen to rock and roll for 12 hours, two days in a row. “What we don’t know is how the animals are going to react to amplification and the low bass line,” she said. You know, because jets sound like the whispers of angels... -Court

Now that we’re all into the swing of the New Year, we can turn our attention from the past glories of 2009 to the hopefuls who are waiting in the sidelines for their chance to rise to the top of the playlists. In the UK, the influential BBC Sound Of 2010 list has just been revealed, and the topmost tip for music lovers in the forthcoming year is singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding. In trying to describe her music for the readers, the BBC suggested that “If Kate Bush, Bjork and Stevie Nicks shared a flat in trendy Shoreditch in 2010, this noise would emerge,” and the current buzz around this new artist suggests that appetite for this eclectic mix will be voracious as the year progresses. Last year’s winner, Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine, took the opportunity to pass on some advice to the new wearer of her crown. “Try not to get too freaked out” she said. “Don’t be scared by the attention, try to just have fun. Don’t swear and get so nervous that you cry afterwards like I did. It can be really scary having those cameras thrust in your face for the first time.” Ellie’s debut album Lights will be released in March, at which point we’ll be able to decide for ourselves whether she lives up to the hype.

Top editors for Ellie Goulding