Saturday 27 December 2014

25 BEST ALBUMS OF 2014



25. JULIAN CASABLANCAS + THE VOIDZ – Tyranny





"Adventurous, inventive, inexplicable, bizarre – and, to counter Scott Walker’s latest exploits in the world of musical impenetrability, actually accessible."






24. ROBERT PLANT – Lullaby And …The Ceaseless Roar




"He does upbeat folk (“Poor Howard”), he does rock with a good punch (“Turn It Up”), he does affecting romantic ballads (“A Stolen Kiss”)... This is the sound of taste and experience."






23. MANIC STREET PREACHERS – Futurology




"James Dean Bradfield can still write a tuneful anthem in his sleep. The addition of a few friends, deplorable though it is, actually works. All nice and good. Let’s face it though: Rewind The Film had better songs."






22. THE MENZINGERS – Rented World




"On The Impossible Past unfurled like a great novel, every page equally powerful and gripping. This time it feels like a short story collection with some stories outshining the slightly weaker ones."






21. THE AFGHAN WHIGS – Do To The Beast




"I don’t believe that Greg Dulli is physically capable of writing a better collection of songs. Do To The Beast is all you could ask for, now or in 1993."







20. KING DUDE – Fear




"He does acoustic, he does electric, and everything he sings has the sort of melodic menace that was only budding on King Dude’s two previous albums. Truly, the stuff here is catchy as hell where ‘hell’ is more than just a metaphor."





19. EMA – The Future’s Void




"The Future’s Void may lack a truly signature song like “California”, but if anything – it is even more consistent than Past Life Martyred Saints, her previous album. Just as raw and creative, and a little less fucked up."





18. TOM VEK – Luck




“You’re skating on thin ice with a heavy heart”. This line starts “Pushing Your Luck”, and it just might be the perfect description of this album. Luck is edgy, claustrophobic, intelligent. It has dance beats, but they will not get you on the dance floor."





17. ROBYN HITCHCOCK – The Man Upstairs






"This is a late period Hitchcock album."






16. TIMBER TIMBRE – Hot Dreams




"This album will take you places. You won’t listen to it too often, Hot Dreams does bring on a rather bleak feeling, but every time you will play it you won’t resist its unique charms."





15. DELINES – Colfax




"There’s this engrossing, atmospheric darkness swallowing the city with only a few neon signs flashing out of the night. The effect is both lush and narcotic, and you know you’re in for a great deal of style."





14. MIREL WAGNER – When The Cellar Children See The Light Of Day




“1 2 3 4, what’s underneath the floor”, it is almost too simple. These ten songs sound like nursery rhymes delivered by way of acoustic guitars, haunting vocals, dark vibes and dust. When The Cellar Children See The Light Of Day is a perfect title."




13. COMET GAIN – Paperback Ghosts




"These twelve songs are about as far away from saving the world as you can get. But please note how the last words on this album go: ‘Every little nothing is some kind of something’. If anything, Paperback Ghosts is certainly that."





12. SWANS – To Be Kind




"To Be Kind will be followed in 2015 with an H-bomb explosion of intensity and desperation and running time matching that of Erik Satie’s “Vexations”. If he doesn’t do that, we should feel robbed."






11. SUN KIL MOON – Benji




"Benji is Mark Kozelek’s fifth album in less than two years. Some feat – considering that each and every one of those mines similar depths of mumbling, world-weary greatness. If he doesn’t stop now, this might go the distance."





10. WHITE LUNG – Double Fantasy




"Their albums last from 20 to 25 minutes (which is a brilliant concept, I would certainly encourage many bands to do the same) and contain songs of such power, sheen and intensity that you will wonder what everyone else is up to."





9. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS – Brill Bruisers




"Really, there’s no way a band featuring A.C. Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar can release a less-than-great album. And that’s my only complaint: Brill Bruisers is just that, another great New Pornographers album. Wish I could say that about a few other bands."





8. MORRISSEY – World Peace Is None Of Your Business




"Let’s get it straight: World Peace Is None Of Your Business is a ridiculous title. It’s so ridiculous it verges on embarrassing. However, when Morrissey does it, it’s all right."






7. THEE SILVER MT. ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA – Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything




"But a little kid says ‘we make a lot of noise because we love each other’, and all my concerns are swept aside by the wall of sound that is both monstrous and absolutely majestic."






6. MARIANNE FAITHFULL – Give My Love To London




"Over the course of these exceptional 11 songs Marianne barely puts one foot wrong. The songs are excellent and while her voice is on a clear Dylanesque trajectory (she does sound a lot like him on the title track), the performances are stylish and affecting." 




5. GALLON DRUNK – The Soul Of The Hour




"The Soul Of The Hour won me over in its opening 10 or 15 seconds of rollicking piano notes. This album is tight, gripping, positively overwhelming."







4. LEONARD COHEN – Popular Problems




"Leonard Cohen is where you can say ‘deep’ without sounding silly or pretentious. It’s 40 minutes of therapy by way of understatement, introspection, effective arrangements and female backup vocals."






3. COLD SPECKS – Neuroplasticity




"This is sensational. “A Broken Memory” is sensational. Gutsy, charismatic, soulful music with rasping horn giving it a sizeable John Coltrane-esque edge."







2. JOHN MOORE – Floral Tributes




"So essentially Floral Tributes is a perfect companion to Lo-Fi Lullabies. Its playfulness is jazzy and obvious, but it isn’t sober and is, quite possibly, totally delusional. As for the actual songs, they are just as good as the ones that made up Lullabies."




1. JOHN MOORE – Lo-Fi Lullabies



"The songs that make up Lo-Fi Lullabies were written in dismal, crisis-fuelled mid-90s, prior to Black Box Recorder. The sound and the vibe wouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with John’s music. It’s elegant and stripped-down and it never gets monotonous because of the sheer quality of songwriting."





Thursday 25 December 2014

In The Bleak Midwinter

Some things change, some things never change. Gustav Holst's "In The Bleak Midwinter" is still the greatest Christmas carol of all time. As performed by King's College Choir, Cambridge. Merry Christmas!




Tuesday 23 December 2014

Lists! Best songs of 2014


First off, sad to hear of Joe Cocker’s death. Sleep easy.

Second. I have to make a break. I won’t be writing reviews in the near future. Instead – to get distracted, to fuck things up, to gain this site a few more cheap hits, I will be writing lists. LISTS. All kinds. Ridiculous, useless, masturbatory lists.

Starting with now.

2014. Songs.


25. STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS – “Lariat”

The feel good song of the year. The video is good, too. Malkmus hasn’t lost it.




24. MORRISSEY – “Art Hounds”

His best song this year, and it’s a goddamned bonus track. Lighten up, Morrissey!

23. KING DUDE – “Watching Over You”

If you are romantic but have a devil in you.

22. HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT – “This One’s For Now”

Sarcasm and wit. As ever.

21. BEN WATT – “Hendra”

Listened to this while walking home late at night. The vibe, the tune.

20. COMET GAIN – “Long After Tonite’s Candles Are Blown”

This year, I entered Vatican City to this song. I’m a despicable man.

19. WHITE LUNG – “Down It Goes”

Fuck yes.

18. MARIANNE FAITHFULL – “True Lies”

Smoked out, concise and powerful.

17. EMA – “When She Comes”

Still raw, but already more mature. Underrated.

16. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS – “Champions Of Red Wine”

Effortless pop genius. Neko Case on vocals.

15. THE MENZINGERS – “I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore”

As good as anything off On The Impossible Past. Enough said.

14. COLD SPECKS – “A Broken Memory”

All you need to know about artistic growth.

13. ROBYN HITCHCOCK – “San Francisco Patrol”

Just a classic ballad from Robyn Hitchcock.




12. GUIDED BY VOICES – “All American Boy”

Another gem from Tobin Sprout. He should just dump that Pollard guy.

11. THEE SILVER MT. ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA – “Fuck Off Get Free (For The Island Of Montreal)"

The wall of handsome noise hitting you full on the face and you want more.

10. DAMON ALBARN – “The Selfish Giant”

Best thing he’s done since 13. Never cared for Gorillaz.

9. TOM VEK – “You’ll Stay”

“Everything’s okay. You’ll stay”.

8. DELINES – “I Won’t Slip Up”

The sound of the warmest night when you are reasonably tired and in love.

7. GALLON DRUNK – “The Soul Of The Hour”

Ecstatic. I wish the groove would go on for another seven minutes. 

6. LEONARD COHEN – “Did I Ever Love You”

Someone told me Tom Waits could do this song so well. Yes, but…

5. MIREL WAGNER – “Oak Tree”

Simple, disarming and magical.

4. LUKE HAINES – “Alan Vega Says”

Luke did not record a great album this year. But did record a great song.

3. JOHN MOORE – “Almost Optimistic”

God help you if you can relate to John’s lyrics here. And what a melody.

2. EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN – “Lament 3. Pater Peccavi”

No comment.

1. SUN KIL MOON – “Richard Ramirez Died Today Of Natural Causes”

Mark Kozelek is on such a songwriting roll it’s scary. This song is scary.






(Real number one, though, is “Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)” by U2.)