Tracks of your Years

Ok so it’s almost the end of the year and a natural time for reflection, so I want to list some tracks that were released in 2010 that I absolutely love and for which at times this year I could simply not contemplate having a break from listening to them, if mp3′s were perishable they’d be dust right now. I wanna try to explain why I love them and to introduce them to you if you don’t know them so that hopefully you can enjoy them too.

Summer Holiday by Wild Nothing

I’ve come across Wild Nothing only very recently, I saw them listed in Rough Trade’s top 10 albums of the year and thought that on the back of that they’d be a good band to check out. I immediately loved their album Gemini but this was the track that really struck me the most from the album. I think the thing that I like about the track the most is actually how everything is made to sound, the real percussive nature of the bass that sounds like the way Brian Wilson got the bass sounding on Pet Sounds, the way the lead guitar sounds sort of keyboardy, the drums, inparticularly the presence of the ride cymbal that sounds like it’s next to you when you’re listening to it. The vocals particularly on the breakdown halfway through are so beautifully dreamy and it’s an upbeat song…perfect!

Night Air by Jamie Woon

Post dubstep is a term banded around but I’m not really sure what it means, I think this is classed as post dubstep, most importantly I think it’s a really beautifully dark track. The track itself conjures up the feeling of the night, maybe of walking home in quiet, deserted city streets at 3am, if you do that kind of thing!Ultimately, he has a great voice that whilst being soulful isn’t pushing the boundaries of taste and has a certain understatement that many bombastic UK soul singers could learn a lot from.

Stay Close by Delorean

This song gives me the kind of feeling that Urban Cookie Collective’s ‘The Key the Secret’ did when I was a teenager. It’s persistant and euphoric and makes me wanna get up and do something…usually dance! The rest of the album is also really strong and I swear it gives off some kind of happiness hormone!

Constellations by Darwin Deez

Whilst catchy might be a word my Mum would use to describe the latest James Blunt song and is not ultimately the word I’m quite reaching for here, it’s the one I’m gonna go with for now to describe the song. I was really hooked on this song for about 3 days straight and listened to it none stop, often having to get that quick listen in before going out and invariably being late cos I wanted to listen to it again. I love the guitar riff, the handclaps, his voice and the way he looks a little like Napolean Dynamite.

Boyfriend by Best Coast

Blown away by this track when I heard it and smashed by the album too. Bethany Consentino’s vocals totally hit the spot, beyond that I find it really hard to elucidate why I love this track. That’s a stupid thing to admit when writing about music but sometimes and in the words of Elvis Costello ‘Writing about music  is like dancing about architecture – it’s a really stupid thing to want to do!’

Revival by Deerhunter

I like the lilt of this song, which although being an adjective that a music critic might’ve used to describe the latest Guy Lombardo hit in the 1930′s,  sums up the feeling I get when hearing the intro and how the drums, bass and guitar interact.

Undertow by Warpaint

This track builds brilliantly and is sung beautifully, every word that comes out is so rounded and delivered perfectly. I also love the kind of echo on the vocals that sounds like the same voice but in your head…er…sort of!

Undercover Martyn by Two Door Cinema Club

I completely did these guys down when I first listened to them, which is strange cos I really liked it. I felt that they were fairly one dimensional and that like a lot of the stuff I was listening to at the time it would have a limited appeal and I’d soon get bored by it. Actually, it’s lasted the course for me and I really like the album, it’s energy, guitar hooks and the way they sort of sound a bit like a British version of Phoenix.

Northern Skies by I am Kloot

This track is typical of an album that is honest and full of more stories than are actually told. The strings augment the whole thing by giving it more depth and atmosphere….just a beautiful track.

My KZ, UR BF by Everything Everything

Despite the title containing the kind of ‘text speak’ that makes me want to forcible confiscate offending people’s mobile phones  and throw them into the nearest incinerator, it’s actually rather good. Jon Everything’s vocals are as always going to either grate you or excite you, but in the context of this type of song I think it’s definitely the latter for me. Harmonies, sounds and synths and a great singable chorus is all I have to add.

Spring, Sunny Days and Beaches

I hope that like me you’ve had your eyes awakened and are filled with a new optimism by the onset of spring and the fact that the weather is now no longing chilling the very marrow of your bones! I’ve actually almost completely forgotten how fickle I was when getting excited about snow one day, and then hating the sight of it and wanting it to go away for a long, long time the following week. Thankfully my affections towards the bands I want to mention have so far not been so changeable and I’ve been really enjoying listening to their stuff recently. In fact I’ve had a fair few of those listening to a song 25 times in a row moments, you can’t beat that feeling of being in a good song for an hour or so. Hopefully, I won’t get fed up of them as quickly as I did with the snow.

Paul Thomas Saunders

I first came across him at gig where he was supporting Blue Roses, who I mentioned in a previous post. He kind of stole the show for me with a perfect performance, songs that have a real updated folk, English beauty and a band unified in a magical way that night. The video below doesn’t quite match that evening, but if you get the opportunity check out the real thing and listen out for him.

Local Natives

I’m a sucker for bands that can really sing and these guys immediately got to me! They’re an American band who have only recently come to any kind of wider prominence having released their debut album Gorilla Manor in late 2009. What immediately strikes you is the zealous drumming and the rich blend of vocals that draws favourable comparisons with the Fleet Foxes. They certainly have much more drive and volume than them, but are in a similar ball park in the sense that they’re nice young American men who have lots of facial hair. Check out their cover of the Talking Heads song ‘Warning Sign’

Scott 4

Named after a Scott Walker album, this band from London enjoyed some relative acclaim in the mid to late 1990′s but unfortunately after a few albums split. They’re in that realm of big beats and country guitars that characterised some of Beck’s work. You might have some difficulty in getting a hold of or listening to their back catalogue but for starters check out ‘Lefturno’ below from their album ‘Works Project’, I can’t stop listening to it!

Beach House

This American duo have been firmly categorised as ‘dream pop’ which when I last looked isn’t yet a section in HMV, but has been used in relation to bands like Sigur Ros and The XX. Beach House’s style is alluringly languid, calming and not remotely bombastic. They have a fantastic singer in Victoria Legrand, who has a faint masculinity to her voice which could be likened to Nico or Cat Power. I’d recommend checking out their latest album Teen Dream.

A Sunny Day in Glasgow

I obviously didn’t plan this very well as this is ANOTHER dream pop band, but I think they’re suitably different to Beach House and warrant inclusion! Don’t let the title deceive you they’re not from Scotland but did spend some time in the UK. They definitely have even more of a layered and electronic sound than Beach House, with less emphasis on a traditional vocal running through. In fact some songs have that kind of prolonged repetitive jammy kind of feel, but don’t take my words for it check out ‘Shy’ below.

The Beach Boys – Holland

It seems to me that recently there has been an increasing number of bands that place real value on the use of group harmonies, bands like the Fleet Foxes and more recently the Local Natives all seem to have a plethora of vocal talent. The real founding fathers of bands that can really sing are without doubt The Beach Boys. For some The Beach Boys conjure up pictures of slightly preppy young white American males wearing stripy shirts and singing songs about teen love, the sun and surfing. However, there is so much more to the band described as America’s first and best rock band, who created an album that still ranks as Sir Paul McCartney’s favourite of all time. That album is Pet Sounds, which is still the most well known and best of their considerable output, but the problem with Pet Sounds is that so many people listen to that and go no further. I’d like to prove there is more out there that is worth checking out!

Holland is their 19th studio album and was recorded some 12 years after the band were formed and at a time when their popularity had waned considerably from their heyday of the 1960′s. To say that the album was created under unusual circumstances is a bit of an understatement, the band decamped to The Netherlands to record, even using a reconstructed studio shipped from the US! They felt that a change of scenery would get the creative juices flowing and drag their protaganist Brian Wilson out of his mental and creative slough of despond.

The album is a real mixture, partly down to politics which meant two songs were recorded in the States and added later on, the album also contains a slightly unusual fairytale section at the end. The stand out and most popular track is ‘Sail on Sailor’ which was not actually recorded in Holland! It’s upbeat shuffle feel and thoughtfully layered instrumentation are beautifully complimented by the usual tapestry of vocal harmonies you’d expect from The Beach Boys. I’ve heard this track on the radio relatively recently as it was commmercially successful, but for me the rest of the tracks define this album much more than this rather bolted-on single.

There is a rich seam of material running through the album from the serenely meandering ‘Steamboat’ to the slightly jerky ‘Funky Pretty’. The album also contains a trilogy of songs entitled the ‘California Saga’, a nod to home during their self imposed exile in the Low Countries. It is a beautifully segued section of the album which flows from the gentle waltz of ‘Big Sur’ through ‘The Beak of Eagles’, which is divided by sections of narrated passages over a lush theme, this all culminates in the solid ground of ‘California’, which sounds like them circa 1962. My highlight is ‘The Trader’, which has the most gorgeous vocals and dynamics, after blasting out of the blocks it winds down in a really inspired and peaceful manner.

This album may seem quirky in parts and an odd Beach Boys album to draw out, but of all the albums that came after the career defining Pet Sounds, this album has stature and is arguably their last notable work. It worth a listen just to banish this sort of association from the mind!

You don’t get anything for free….

I’ve been struck recently by the sheer quantity of music that is available for free, whether it’s through the increasingly popular Spotify or more long standing outlets like MySpace music is becoming so much easier to access without having to put your hands in your pocket. MySpace for instance seems now to be previewing more and more albums and my weeks are becoming increasingly defined by which previewed album I  consume before it disappears, Phoenix last week and Little Boots this week! When I have my ‘music listener’ hat on I find this new development fantastic and it’s partly why I’m here telling you about what I’m listening to and recommending you check it out! But, as a musician who finds it increasingly difficult to be paid a decent amount of money for playing music I can’t fully subscribe to Jonathan from Spotify’s assertion that ‘all music should be free’ (perhaps the most annoying advert on there!). Right now I’m gonna live with the paradox and keep both hats firmly on my head, ultimately I think free music can’t be maintained so I intend to take advantage for as long as I can!

I’ve been getting pretty excited about new music and new discoveries again recently and here are a few recommendations.

Speech Debelle

I  love the integrity of her music and the personal life stories Speech Debelle shares with her listeners. Her music is the antithesis of the grime of Dizzie Rascal but he’s who I immediately thought of on first listen,  I think it’s the hard knock tales, her South London attitude and the occasional injections of irreverent wit. The musical landscape is vastly different though and is characterised by a double bassy low-fi jazzy vibe augmented by some really well placed strings. If like me you enjoy 4Hero’s music then you’ll find her music along similar lines but it’s driven by a new voice which makes her music so much more than acid jazz meets rap repackaged.

Phoenix

French music = accordions?! Well thankfully not! If you like Daft Punk and Air then you’ll probably like Phoenix but I think a more compelling reason to listen to them is not so that twee French stereotypes are reconsidered but that you can appreciate some really ace pop music. They don’t take themselves too seriously and write the kind of pop music that you could imagine Brian Wilson making if he was a child of the 80′s. I haven’t been able to stop listening to them recently, which I think is because their music provides the perfect soundtrack to the beginning of the summer and the optimism that brings.

Mayer Hawthorne

Smokey Robinson for today is the only way I can describe Mayer Hawthorne’s music. He’s a fellow lover of 60′s and 70′s funk and soul and being from Detroit he’s pretty much got it sewn up! A lot of artists have tried to do 60′s and 70′s soul and funk for the modern day and have ended up with Nu-Soul, which as a tag kinda makes me cringe! I think that’s because I associate it with soul music that is produced in such a sickly way it seems devoid of any soul whatsoever! Mercifully Hawthorne’s music really stands up with what’s come before and is also relevant and interesting as new music in 2009.

Mulatu Astatke

I was simply blown away when I heard Mulatu and wish I had discovered his music earlier, words escape me to describe his breathtaking music. He’s widely known as the father of ethio jazz and  his music fuses jazz, latin and traditional Ethiopian music,  it has an inherent energy and the vibe reminds me a little of the Miles Davis albums ‘In a Silent Way’ and ‘Bitches Brew’. I think his music makes him the coolest 60-something I’ve come across!

Gomez – Bring It On

Sooo I’ve neglected this blog recently, which has partly been due to being busy and partly due to having so many different ideas and not choosing ONE!

Well, recently after a speight of listening to lots of new music I’ve retreated a little into the comfort of old favourites or picking out those cd’s that I haven’t listened to for ages!

One album that comes into that category is ‘Bring it On’ by Gomez. It was released back in 1998 and subsequently won the Mercury Music Prize that year. I have to confess that after buying and really loving their first two albums I have not really followed them since and to an extent my waning interest has been matched by that of the wider music press. In that sense they are a classic example of a band who experienced a great deal of initial publicity and success but continue to persevere to make albums and write interesting music. They probably register under the radar for a lot of people but their music and particularly this album deserves at the very least a listen. I actually think to it’s credit it doesn’t sound dated and would be just as well received in 2009 as it was in 1998.

The first thing that strikes you about this album is the voice of Ben Ottewell. He truly deserves the tag of having a ‘unique’ voice, if you’ve not heard any Gomez he sounds like a sort of slightly angrier male version of Billie Holiday, but don’t quote me on that!! His voice is featured on many but not all of the songs which are consistently well thought out and display an inventive use of fairly common instrumentation. I also love their use of effects and inparticularly the quirky sounds that pop up and remind you of Sega platform games! Despite this use of technology the overiding ambience of the record is that of a band recording in a mates garage and no doubt just having fun making good music. I personally love some of the albums being released now that haven’t been recorded in a slick, large recording studio, the recent Fleet Foxes album is an example of an album that is enhanced by being recorded in humble surroundings.

It’s quite difficult to pick out songs from this album to recommend as it is truly one which holds together well as a whole and I personally lament the new iTunes influenced generation that picks and chooses songs from albums without care for it as an entire work. As a concession I’ll merely say that my fave is probably ‘Free to Run’, as it’s not as rambunctious as the rest of the album and highlights their ability to ‘do mellow’ really well. Time to get on Spotify and check this out, would definitely advise listening from beginning to end in one sitting, it won’t be time wasted.

Girl Power

I wonder what the term ‘girl power’ makes you think of? Well for cynical old me it’s a faux feminist term used by and in marketing the Spice Girls back in the 90′s. Hardly, the modern day Emily Davison’s! Anyway, enough of that for now, this is not a socio-political blog…well not yet anyway! My reason for a slightly feminine slant on this post is due to the fact I’ve recently been listening to some women who are immensely talented, creative and are currently writing and producing some interesting and heartfelt music. I thought as a man it was only fair to have a top 5  list of women for this post, but please don’t be offended I’m only a faux chauvinist!

1) Blue Roses

She has to come first as she’s from my hometown of Bradford! Blue Roses a.k.a Laura Groves is an up and coming singer/songwriter who at the age of only 20 is frightenly gifted with a voice of such maturity that it immediately draws comparisons with Kate Bush and to an extent Joni Mitchell. Her music is distinctive and quirky and she is certainly not the type of singer/songwriter who only has an acoustic guitar for a foil. Her music uses a variety of different instruments and sometimes weird and wonderful sounds but is ultimately anchored by her glorious voice.

2) Bat for Lashes

To my shame I have only recently encountered the music of Natasha Khan, but have been immediately hooked on her music and can see why she was chosen recently to support Radiohead. She has just released her second album ‘Two Suns’ as a follow up to her first album ‘Fur and Gold’ which was very close to winning the Mercury Prize in 2006. I would describe her music as having a bohemian chic and beyond that I don’t want to say anything more as you NEED to listen!

3) Alela Diane

Her music is certainly not as dynamic as Bat for Lashes and is much more simple in it’s construction. This may seem like a back-handed compliment, but there is something incredibly beautiful about this kind of folk-rooted music which is all about an acoustic guitar and a female voice that has a melancholic charm.

Oh and you can check out her blog here

4) Bic Runga

Saying that Bic is big in New Zealand makes me think of reports of obscure british bands being ‘big in Japan’ or David Hasselhoff’s music being ‘big in Germany!’ Nevertheless she is big in New Zealand as that is where she hails from and is one of the biggest selling NZ artists of all time. She probably first came to wider attention due to her song ‘Sway’ being featured in the film American Pie and that’s how I inadvertantly first came across her. Her music is distinctively pop and has no delusions of grandeur, but her voice is unique and for that alone deserves attention.

5) Cat Power

Yet another female singer/songwriter from America whose name actually belies the languid singing style she has and the minimalist nature of her music. Her recorded music has the ambience of a back room or small mates studio and I think this compliments her material perfectly. She is definitely rooted in blues and folk music but does not strictly adhere to the cliches of both those genres. She’s kind of a sloppy, apathetic version of Lucinda Williams and certainly less polished, but that’s half the appeal to be honest.

Hot Tips

Excitingly, I recently acquired tickets to see Michael Jackson at the 02 Arena in London. The clamour for tickets to see the ‘King of Pop’ was unprecedented and as a result 10 shows quickly turned into 50 mirroring his age. His music obviously has an enduring appeal and I personally would class the albums Bad, Off The Wall and Thriller as 3 of my all time favourites. That Michael Jackson is an incredibly talented singer and writer is not up for debate but one of the major aspects of those albums I enjoy is the production. This may on the surface sound a little geeky, but actually what I mean is the whole pallette of sounds that are used, the effects, the arrangement of strings and brass and the playing of some fine musicians brought in specifically to enhance certain tracks (who can forget the inspired use of Eddie Van Halen on Beat It). It’s worth mentioning that the man behind a lot of that was the legendary Quincy Jones who I could probably write a dissertation on let alone a blog! But I thought it was important he got a mention before I move on!

With all this in mind I have been listening to an album recently that contains a similar level of thought and application when it comes to production and is certainly equally satisfying. The album in question is ‘Renaissance’ by Q-Tip which forms part of my list of recommendations today.

1) Q-Tip’s Album ‘Renaissance’

I have ‘bigged up’ the production on this album but that’s not to say it’s just an album for knob-twiddling techie geeks everywhere to get excited about! It has some great songs like ‘Gettin Up’ that literally makes you wanna do that and dance! It’s a must for hip-hop fans but is also really accessible if, like me you’re not a huge hip-hop fan or particularly knowledgeable about the genre.

2) Esperanza Spalding

If you’re tired of Dianna Krall and Norah Jones then you have to check out Esperanza Spalding, she’s a super-cool jazz singer and bassist. Her material is firmly rooted in jazz but her voice has a freshness that in my more excitable moments makes me think of a refined Beyonce singing jazz. I’m sure she’s only going to go from strength to strength and hope that she eventually gains the appreciation of a wider audience.

Check out this great live performance in front of Mr and Mrs Obama no less!

3) Sinatra at the Sands

This is a bit old school in comparison to some of the music so far mentioned in this blog as it was recorded live in 1966. Nevertheless it is a great example of Sinatra on top form singing many of the songs you associate with him, it is actually worth a listen just for the hilarious 10 minute monologue halfway through! He is backed by legendary big band leader Count Basie and his orchestra and the arrangements are by that man again Quincy Jones. If you want to listen to some superbly performed vocal jazz by a master who is backed by a hot band with slick arrangements leave the Michael Buble CD on the shelf and check this one out instead!

4) Tower of Power

This band have been on my radar for some time but it is only recently that I have begun to become familiar with them and I have to say I really wish I had listened to them earlier. If you know nothing about this band allow me to fill in a few gaps, they’re a funk band influenced by James Brown and  formed way back in the 1960′s in Oakland, California. They are the kings of groove, funky horn parts, in the pocket guitar and flat back drums! Seriously though this band deserves some exploration and I would advise some research into their back catalogue and growing number of live albums (they’re still going and touring!). I wish Jim could fix it for me to play with these guys!

Motor City Master

Being a bassist I’m quite used to a background role in bands and at gigs and if I’m honest I quite like it. This often means that you’re not the come-to guy and not as instantly recognised or appreciated as say the singer or sax player. I personally have no problem with this as long as the band appreciates what I’m doing!  The idea that your role can have an impact on the recognition you gain is perhaps best highlighted if you began to think of the names of the members of even a few of your favourite bands, the chances are that you’d be more likely to know the name of the singer than the percussionist bashing away in the background! With this in mind you’ve probably never heard of Uriel Jones and if I’m honest until today I hadn’t either.

Uriel Jones died on Tuesday 24th March aged 74. He was part of the now legendary bunch of studio musicians called The Funk Brothers who helped give birth to the Motown sound and who contributed to the hit records produced by that label. Jones can be heard drumming on many of Motown’s hit records and two of my personal favourites, Stevie Wonder’s ‘For Once In My Life’ and ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ by Marvin Gaye. It’s really quite astounding when you think of the immense talent and creativity that these musicians possessed and their contribution to soul music and actually music in general.

Extolling the virtues of soul music and Motown comes very easily to me but if you haven’t explored the music of Motown in any great depth I would heartily recommend you did. It may seem a bit naff to recommend a ‘best of’ but Motown Gold is a 3 disc set that contains loads of great tunes and I can guarantee that they’ll be plenty that you don’t know that you’ll come to love. I think this is a great way to discover a whole bunch of artists, songs and a label that actually became a genre!

First Top Five

Ok so one of my aims for this blog is to fulfil my own personal craving for lists! But I figure if Channel 4′s output over the past 10 years is anything to go by everyone loves lists, especially of music, bands and films!

I’m not gonna list my top 100 bands or albums, unless I’m feeling particularly pompous! But really just intend to have a short list of bands, artists, albums or songs that I would recommend you check out. Gonna limit the blurb here too, but may review some listed in more detail. My final caviat is that I am not gonna restrict myself purely to new music otherwise I will

A) Miss out a lot of music I love

B) Become even more pretentious and zeitgeisty! After all this isn’t The Guardian!

1) The Whitest Boy Alive

Worth checking this Berlin band out in general but I would specifically recommend latest album ‘Rules’. I find it great the way they are doing a sort of a low-fi house imitation with live instruments, great concept!

2) Little Boots

Er, she’s hot, she’s from the North like me and she writes great music. I’d recommend the Stuck On Repeat extended mix on MySpace, love the way the bass drum owns your ears!

3) Paul Simon’s Album ‘Surprise’

Released in 2006 and a recent discovery through a friend, I really think this is an exceptional album. Great lyrics, really well constructed and interesting songs and some stellar musicians featured. Oh and probably worth mentioning that it was recorded in collaboration with Brian Eno, he’s quite rightly in vogue again at the moment.

4) The Leisure Society

I’m firmly opening myself up to the charge of favouritism again as I know one of the band members. If I was feeling really lazy I’d say that they were Britain’s answer to the Fleet Foxes. They’re currently doing the rounds of worthy national radio shows and I definitely think that they deserve wider acclaim.

5) Jon Hopkins

Described as a music shapeshifter,  I first became aware of him through a support slot he had with Coldplay, I subsequently realised that this was born out of the fact that he worked as an additional producer on Viva La Vida and his track ‘Light Through The Veins’ is reworked on the album at the end. Really sonically fulfilling stuff!

Everything Everything

The first band I have to categorically recommend are a band originally hailing from Manchester called Everything Everything. It’s worth me saying that I do have some association with this band as the drummer is a very close friend of mine. However despite this link I hope you read on without thinking this is a baseless nod to a mates band!

They are simply one of my favourite bands at the moment. I guess you could draw comparisons with the Doves, The Futureheads and to an extent Radiohead. Most definitely a guitar driven band but certainly not in a one dimensional sense, they have great riffs, a sonic palette that consistently satisfies and an aggression that in my opinion you have to have if you’re this sort of band!

The first thing that struck me about them was the vocal harmonies which are a key facet of the bands identity. As a big Beach Boys fan I really love the use of vocal harmonies and bemoan bands who don’t utilise something that could really enhance their music. Whether it’s the almost accapella intro to ‘Weights’ or the more shouty (for want of a better word!) vocals in ‘Photoshop Handsome’ the backing is key to their sound.

On this note, they also have something that in my mind all the great bands have had, and that is a frontman with a truly distinctive voice. How do I describe it? Well I think I’d say ‘sublimely whiny with some occasional demented falsetto’ – that’s meant to be a compliment by the way!

I am slightly reluctant to write on as I feel music can be over analysed and really I just LIKE this music a lot!

The bands latest single is a song called ‘Photoshop Handsome’ and I have popped the video below. Incidentally I really love this video too, from the Sega Megadrive-esq platform beat em up beginning to the bloody end! Oh and also check out and befriend them on MySpace, loads of tracks up there including their previous single ‘Suffragette Suffragette’.