It is the end of the year and as always I scramble towards the goal line with my predictions for the next big thing(s). I've completely missed my deadline (read: damn you BBC!), but then again that seems to happen every year – an unfortunate side- effect from being slow. Therefore, this time around I present more of rundown of what I think could do well next year critically, chart- wise or even both. So without further ado…
The order is arbritrary, but by all accounts it seems as if Jessie J and Clare Maguire are the ones whom the most believe in, thus they top mine as well – like a lemming one has to follow the masses.
James Blake, Jessie J, Clare Maguire, The Vaccines and Jai Paul all figure on the BBC list, for obvious reasons: They're either pretty damn good (Jai Paul, James Blake), have lots of hype (The Vaccines) or they have the hits in the wings (Jessie J, Clare Maguire).
I'm surprised, though, that the BBC- list didn't feature MNDR, Sky Ferreira and Starsmith as they're all artists showing tons of promise and have great pop sensibilities. MNDR has already had chart success featuring on Mark Ronson's latest album (the stand- out Bang Bang Bang) and has solid songs in her catalogue already like I Go Away. Then there’s Sky Ferreira, who is backed by such super producers as Bloodshy & Avant (Britney Spears' Toxic and of Miike Snow- fame) and her single Obsession could be a hit (at least that's what me thinks) - the video sure has enough weirdness to grab people's attention. Finally, Starsmith produced most of Ellie Goulding’s debut album (including her hit Starry Eyed) and has been the subject of much hype since. Really, they all seemed like shoo-ins.
Finally there's OFWGKTA and Yadi. Odd Future released some the best hip hop music, if not best music, last year, and Tyler, the Creator - head producer and leader of the gang - is expected to drop his first real album (not counting Bastard) next year. With their track- record from this year, I have high expectations from this bunch of mostly 18-19 year-olds. Yadi, on the other hand, produces great massive pop songs and is backed by Neon Gold, who have a knack and proven track- record of uncovering the stars of tomorrow (from Passion Pit to Ellie Goulding). Thus these are my picks for the sound of 2011.
And for just for the hell of it, here are the rest...
Sidebar: I’ve left out Warpaint on purpose, because – really – they have already released their debut album (featured on many Best of 2010 lists) and been on the cover of NME. For me they are a 2010 band – a great one too -, and I just don't see 2011 being much bigger for them.
I've been criticesed for having the tenacity to dare to write about music that people have already heard off. I have let my core audience down and I'm terribly sorry for this neglect. Worry not though, I present you with a choice selection of three wilfully obscure songs and one with a whiff of being on the cusp of indie- stardom (I dapple in oxymorons too). Basically, I'm saying that Twin Shadow are on the doorstep of the garden path to the house of near-obscurity to the greater public, but near to the hearts of the select indie-navel-gazing-pitchfork-reading few - I heart you Twin Shadow!
The New Division - Starfield
Starfield is an instant winner, with its sharp trickling synth and melodramatic yet distant vocals. More than anything though, it is carried by the heavy and meaty bass - a bass that will echo in your head for days. There really isn't that much else to say. Enjoy.
Chad Valley - Ensoniq Funk
Looping wood- block sounds opens Ensoniq Funk and from then on it explodes into full chill- wave goodness. It somehow manages to sound like the perfect song for a summer barbecue, but also like a warm hug of a pop song during these wintery cold months. Listening to it is like hearing a fantastic 80's pop song (full of synth horn- and string stabs) played through a broken car speaker far away. It's that magic quality of chill wave, where you instantly invoke a nostalgic sound and feeling even though you have no real previous ties to the music.
Fiction - Phyllis
Trustworthy sources tell me that Fiction have consistently been one of the best live band in London over the past year, so no faint praise there. Their music nods heavily in the direction of Talking Heads, but with a bit of the synth-y weirdness that made Late of the Pier interesting. Phyllis is a playful little tune with an afro- beat guitar, a bouncing bass- line, lots of rim taps and some of that previously mentioned synth-y weirdness. FUN!
Twin Shadow & Hooray For Earth - A Place We Like
By all means this should be a pop smash. First of all there is the bass and kick drum combo, which screams dance (dance!), on top of that there are flute-y synths, hand claps and Spanish guitar (!). Everything that should be cheesy and wrong is put together and just works. However, what really gets me is the blissfully happy chorus. If you don't smile when you hear this, then you're dead inside. Literally (figuratively).
Apply is the standout track from Glasser's debut album, Ring, and is without a doubt one of this year's best songs. It all boils down to how the tribal drum rhythm perfectly matches Cameron Mesirow's siren-meets-jungle-queen vocals. I was hooked from the very first listen.
Picture Plane - Goth Star
I've known Pictureplane for a while, but never really listened to his music. Big mistake on my part. His music is noisy and poppy in the best possible way, so no wonder HEALTH are fans (they actually covered this song the last time they played in Copenhagen). The mashing of Fleetwood Mac's Seven Wonders with the pulsing synth and hard marching drums all combines to this beast of a song. I simply can't get enough of it.
Earl Sweatshirt - Couch (feat. Tyler, The Creator)
The beat is swag and the lyrics are crass. Definitely not for the sensitive and/or political correct, these are teenagers rapping about rape, murder, drugs and everything in between. There's a really sinister (and slightly juvenile) sense of humor and a hell of lot of creativity going on with these guys. My favorite bits are when the piano sample and distorted bass kick in (first time at 0:34), the "clitoris of Kelly Clarkson's dick"- line, and the pitched- down "stab him" at 3:04. It's so wrong that it's... well, still wrong, but also kind of funny and pretty damn great.
The synth, with its distorted yet organic sound, is a real show stealer here. It's pure ear candy, and when combined with TPC's knack for making catchy-as-heck songs, you have a real winner. Never ones to do Sigúr Ros- style epics, they keep the song at the perfect pop song length of less than three minutes and, as the saying goes, the best things come in small packages.
Summer blogging hiatus / holiday ended up a bit longer than expected, but I'm back in business. To start things off here are two songs that represent everything that can be great about R'n'B. A little negative space goes a long way.
Me'Shell N'degeocello - Love You Down [via Nehru Jackets]
I have a feeling that Wavves' King of the Beach will be the soundtrack of this summer (or at least a big part of it)... Like Cool Jumper before it, new single, Post Acid, is hella good!*
With an exam coming up friday (yikes!), my playlist of late has been dominated by music with a relaxing quality to it. Two songs in particular have been on near- constant rotation over past few days, and they are Hell Is Around The Corner and Electric Relaxation. They are the sort of songs that make you sit back, relax and, for a brief moment, forget about everything else around you. Fantastic songs with great lyrics and even better production.
There is a great expressive quality to Taylor Kirk’s (Timber Timbre) voice and the way he enunciates every word carefully on Demon Host. His voice conveys a palpable sense of vulnerability with the trembles and the soft moans of oh. Throughout the song he is accompanied only by acoustic guitar and piano, which makes the song a very intimate listening experience, while also complimenting the eerie ghostly feel that permeates the song.
"Oh reverend please, can I chew your ear? I have become what I most fear and I know there is no such thing as ghosts, but I have seen the demon host"
Melancholy really suits Future Islands. The weathered and characteristic vocals of Sam Herring, oft resembled to Tom Waits, adds a lot of weight to the words. He sounds like a man who has been through the rough, and therefore, the sentiment conveyed is much stronger when he sings lyrics such as the opening line "you couldn't possibly know how much you mean to me" and the repeated "I am the tin man" on the chorus.
... I am also a sucker for the sound of steel drums.
Future Islands - Tin Man
Dance Yrself Clean surely has to be one of the best album openers of the year. Slowly grinding away for the first three minutes, with no indication of living up to the word dance in the title, it suddenly kicks you in the gut with a massive synth. It is surprising in the best possible way, and serves brilliantly to emphasise the narrative of the song. Lyrically, the song seems to deal with the experience of growing older. The feeling of somehow being past your prime and the frustration that comes along with that feeling. The lyrics are ever so well written (extract below video) and really shows what great a lyricist James Murphy is - although, we already knew that with songs like All My Friends and Someone Great.
LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
Extract from lyrics: (...) Don't you want me to wake up?
Then give me just a bit of your time.
Arguments are made for make-ups,
So give it just a little more time.
We've got to bring the resources,
I'm gonna play until the time comes,
Forget your string of divorces,
Just go and throw your little hands up.
It's late, I miss the way the night comes
My friends know how to make it feel good
The basement has a cold glow,
Though better than a bunch of others…
So go and dance yourself clean,
Go and dance yourself clean, yeah,
You're blowing marxism to pieces,
Their little arguments to pieces, (...)
There's an almost Beth Gibbons-like quality to the vocals on Warpaint's Elephant. It is like a shoegaze croon, which also fits extremely well with the hypnotically spiralling guitarplay. This all blends to great effect with the hazy psychedelia of the song, which, combined with the almost frenetic drumming, gives the song a striking immediacy and sexiness.
It has been said before, but Sleigh Bells have taken loudness to a whole new level. The mix of hardcore riffs with hiphop beats, as a concept, at first sounded like something which could be horrible, but they pull it off brilliantly. From Crown on the Ground to Rill Rill (below), Treats is going to be the loudest feel- good album of the year (or any year).
In dance music the drums are paramount as the beat is what drives the song. Too many dance artists build their songs around nothing but a repetitive bass drum, and predictably the results are horrible. Skillful programming of the beat makes a world of difference and the three songs below are great examples of just that.
Fake Blood - Fix Your Accent
Kicking off with the bongo- drum sample, which instantly makes me think of the legendary The Incredible Bongo Band, is a great way to start a fantastically fun house song. Fix Your Accent is all grooves and funk, making it a joyfully vivrant listening experience and great for the dance floor.
Another track off the Fix Your Accent EP is I Think Like It, which is definitely also worth checking out. Why? It samples '70s German all-girl disco trio Arabesque's song In the heat of a disco night. Cue awesomeness.
BURNS - So Many Nights
I was introduced to So Many Nights as bringing a new meaning to the word "funky", and it could not be any more true. There is the funky bassline, the mellow guitar sample - which just somehow works in a very uptempo song -, and then there is the drums. The percussioning is wonderfully crisp and has a great live feel to it, which just lifts the whole song.
Kenton Slash Demon - Khattabi
Kenton Slash Demon are masters of percussion and building rhythm. The bass drum is there, but instead of relying solely on it for rhythm, they have added several layers of percussion. This gives Khattabi a very organic feel, which ties in excellently with the arabian sample used.
Having made what was ostensibly last years best video in Die Slow, HEALTH have followed up with We Are Water. A video full of blood and gore, yet stunningly beautiful in the way it is shot and edited. Definitely not for the faint of heart, but definitely worth watching.
HEALTH - We Are Water
The contrast of soft-spoken vocals on top of brutal noise is so effective. Add in their knack for having actual tunes underneath all the noise, and you have the reason for why HEALTH is one of the most interesting yet oddly approachable noise bands.
And in case you have missed it (boo!)...
HEALTH - Die Slow
Are they good live?, you ask. Definitely looks like it, I say.
There is something strangely addictive about the loose almost sloppy guitarplay in Harlem's songs. It has a really happy feel to it and is perfectly suited to the nonchalant delivery of the lyrics. It sounds like they were having a lot of fun doing the song and that feeling really transcends the music. The shout-along chorus and loose-yet-tight drumming makes for great songs. Case in point; Gay Human Bones (below) and personal favorite Someday Soon.
Sidebar: Look out for a cameo from Hunx from Hunx and his Punx in the video.
Harlem - Gay Human Bones
Golden Triangle is an all- girl group, and, much in the same vein as the excellent Vivian Girls and Dum Dum Girls, they play garage rock with a punk and surf twist. The off- key harmonies and the apathy with which the lyrics are sung (lyrics about "hanging heads" no less) makes this an unlikely call to arms, but at the same time gives off a vibe of effortless cool.
2009 was a great year in music. There was new music from great new bands (The xx, Japandroids, etc.), bands we already knew and loved (Grizzly Bear, YYY's, etc.) and surprisingly great music from bands that some of us had almost written off (The Horrors, The Maccabees, etc.). People keep saying that the album format is dying or, more drastically, that the whole music business is dying, but from the evidence of the past few years it is only getting better.
1. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
In a year of many great albums, Two Dancers was the one that really stood out. Wild Beasts caught my attention with their debut album, but it was with this, their sophomore, that I became a fan. Admittedly, the band is very much an acquired taste with the extensive – but never excessive – use of Hayden Thorpe’s falsetto. However, I personally find that it adds both quirkiness and a lot expression to the music. Over the ten songs on the album you get the finest indie rock of 2009, with one of the best rhythm sections I have heard in a while. The bass is always sharp and bubbly, while the drumming is simply fantastic (case in point; This Is Our Lot). Wild Beasts may be an acquired taste, but what fantastic taste it is.
Wild Beasts - This Is Our Lot
2. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest Grizzly Bear was all over the place this year and was – along with Phoenix – the indie break-out of the year. When you have got Jay-Z and Beyoncé singing your praises, then you know you have made it (yes, you have). This acclaim could come to no more deserving band, as the music really is fantastic. Veckatimest has no weak points and to top it off contains three of the best songs released in 2009 with While You Wait For The Others, Two Weeks and Ready, Able.
Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
3 The Horrors - Primary Colours
When Sea Within A Sea was released as the first single off The Horrors' second album, Primary Colours, it was a very pleasant surprise. Gone was the horror-punk schtick of their first album and instead they treated us with some of the finest krautrock heard in years. Even better, the rest of Primary Colours did not disappoint either. The album mixes psych-rock with post-punk with brilliant results and shows a band that has matured immensely since their debut. Musically, without a doubt the best surprise of 2009. The Horrors - Who Can Say
4 Au Revoir Simone - Still Night Still Light
Personally, I have a bit of a soft spot for Au Revoir Simone (I am smitten). There is just something so great about seeing and hearing three girls, each with their own keyboard, sing about love and love lost. But it is not just that, they also write brilliant songs with great melodies and beautiful harmonies (smitten, I tell ya). Every single song on the Still Night Still Light is a great pop song from the lush synths on opener Another Likely Story to the very organic and sparse Take Me As I Am to album closer Tell Me. From beginning to end a great album (so very smitten).
Au Revoir Simone - Shadows
5 The xx – xx The xx draw on a lot of contemporary genres in their music, but somehow manage to sound like nothing else. The music is minimalistic indie rock with a definite R’n’B influence carrying through (underlined by their cover of Aaliyah’s Hot Like Fire). What makes the music so interesting, though, is the band's use of space in their songs. The songs are sparse and very restrained in their instrumentation, which allows for the music to sink in. It is this, which makes xx such a great and personal listening experience. In 2009 there were a lot of great debuts – several on this list even – but one was just a cut above the rest.
2009 was a great year in music. There was new music from great new bands (The xx, Japandroids, etc.), bands we already knew and loved (Grizzly Bear, YYY's, etc.) and surprisingly great music from bands that some of us had almost written off (The Horrors, The Maccabees, etc.). People keep saying that the album format is dying or, more drastically, that the whole music business is dying, but from the evidence of the past few years it is only getting better.
This year there is simply a Top 15 list for songs, a Top 20 for albums and a newly added Top 3 for remixes. The lists have been split into to two posts, one for songs and one for albums. The reasoning is simple and obvious. The greatest songs do not always come from the greatest albums and vice versa.
Disclaimer: A song does not have to have been released as a single to make the list. Rather, it is a list of my favourite individual songs of the year.
1. The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea
There was never any doubt in my mind when I had to choose a favourite song of the year. That this song comes courtesy of The Horrors is surprising, to say the least, considering that their debut album was decent at best. But lo and behold, the band has matured (immensely) and produced a revelation of an album in Primary Colours. Sea Within A Sea was the first single and what a single it is. The song clocks in at 7:57, but at no point do you feel like it is too long. The song sounds like a great long lost Can or NEU! (with vocals) song and is easily the best krautrock in years. What really makes this the best song of 2009, though, is how it climaxes. When they break it down at around the 3:30 mark and the synth line kicks in, you know something great is about to happen. And it only gets better from then... I don't know if it is more Geoff Barrow than The Horrors, but I know for sure that this is the best song of the year.
2. Wavves - Cool Jumper
This was a tricky one. At first listen the song struck me as being too cluttered and chaotic. Then I gave it a second listen and for some reason everything clicked and it just made sense. There is a lot going on in the song and taking it all in takes a listen or two. But this is exactly what is the strength of the song, as each listen unravels another layer of chaos and in the end you have a really f'ng great song. I am not a big fan of Wavves’ other songs (too stoned for my liking), but adding Zach Hill's ADD drumming takes the song to a whole new level. The laid back 60s surf vocals of Wavves mixed with the distorted guitar, synths and the aforementioned drumming all combines to make a wonderfully vibrant yet dark 'pop' song.
3. Vivian Girls - Lake House
This is simply C86 and surf combined to perfection. I was a fan of the Vivian Girl's self titled debut from 2008, but I always had a feeling that their songs could be a little bit more. Lake House has that little bit more – that extra magic. To me the song is one long chorus, kicking off at full speed with a change of pace midway through before powering on again after about a minute of soloing. Clocking in at 2:05, it is the perfect little 'pop' song. Just long enough for you to love it, but also short enough for you to want to hear it over and over again. The song even came out early '09, so it is a testament to it that I still love it to this day (what can I say, I move fast). It is simple stuff, but it just works so well.
4. Tiny Vipers - Dreamer
This song is all about the intensity and sincerity with which it is sung. Jesy Fontino has a great voice and puts it to such hauntingly beautiful use in Dreamer. It is the little things that make this song work and stand out. It is the care with which she pronounces each word and the way she changes pitch at the end to startling effect. You really feel her pain.
"I'm going to live, but I'm living far away/ I'm going to die. I'm dying for a way out"
I do not normally care much for singer-songwriters, but Tiny Vipers get me. It is intense and I feel it deep deep down. It touches me and I love that (I swear I'll cut back on the cheese from now on).
5. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
Grizzly Bear really had a break out year in 2009 (in indie terms) and understandably so. Veckatemist was song for song an incredible album that can compare with best of any year. In my humble opinion, the album had two stand out songs: While You Wait For The Others and Ready, Able. To be honest I had this #5 down as a tie, but forced to pick one I went for WYWFTO. The song displays what it is that makes Grizzly Bear such a great band and Veckatimest such a fantastic album. Everything, from the slow build to the immaculate harmonies in the choruses, is so perfectly crafted and wonderfully executed.
Beach Fossils - Vacation, Ellie Goulding - Under the Sheets, Siriusmo - High Together, The Thermals - When We Were Alive, Phoenix - Lizstomania, Sleigh Bells - Crown to the Ground, Staff Benda Bilili - Polio, Fever Ray - If I Had A Heart, Fuck Buttons - Olympians, The Decemberists - The Rake Song, Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game, Port O'Brien - My Will is Good, Marina and the Diamonds - Obsessions, Atlas Sound - Logos, Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension, Lars and the Hands of Light - Hey Lover (Hey Love!), Snake And Jet's Amazing Bullit Band - Smiling Makes Bitter, Oh No Ono - Hoplessly Young, Delorean - Deli, Hospitality - Betty Wang, Dead Man's Bones - Pa Pa Power
Best Remixes of 2009
The remix Top 3 was added mainly due to the brilliance of the Top 2. The remixes of You've Got The Love and In For The Kill took the respective songs and turned them on their head. Even more so, though, the remixers managed to take songs that were good, but not spectacular, and make something much better (read: great) of them, and that is something to be applauded.
1.Florence and the Machine - You've Got The Love (XX Remix)
Sorry for the long break in posting. I have been busy being important and doing what important people do. Travelling, relaxing and other hardships. But I'm back (!) and soon I'll post my long- long- list addedum to the "Sound of 2010" post and then my recap of the best releases (songs, remixes and albums) of 2009.
