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Favourite Distant (Re)Discoveries 2017

Posted on January 6, 2018January 11, 2018 by Michael

5. Joey Purp Featuring Chance the Rapper – Girls (Song): The Pitchfork Music Festival clip of Joey Purp playing his “Phonebooth” track last summer had us searching for his other highlights where we discovered this one with Chance the Rapper. The Sound Opinion podcast guys have been banging on for people like me to check out Chance but we never fully have. We should definitely have done it sooner as we love this track from 2016!

4. Curve – Doppelganger (Album): Perpetually ranking as one of our top 50 albums of all time, this 1992 release got the deluxe treatment in 2017. Adding the Pubic Fruit EP collection along with a handful of bonus tracks, it was easy to see why this one had fans excited. While there was a missed opportunity by not including much in the way of a booklet and the volume right at the beginning of “Ten Little Girls” is far too low, it was nice to have Curve back in our lives.

3. Radiohead – I Promise (Single): Is this a new or old release? Finally, officially put on the deluxe edition of OK Computer, this beautiful track from the mid-90s certainly would have been a hit single if released at that time but the band didn’t think it was good enough. In reality, it may have made them even more popular… if that is at all possible.

2. Saint Etienne – Kiss And Make Up (Single): In the past year, The London band re-released virtually all of their albums in two disc sets and this Field Mice cover was from the first one, Foxbased Alpha. One of their earliest singles; it’s simple percussion, reggae lite synth line, and a breezy vocals from New Zealand singer Donna Savage make this an unstoppable living room dancefloor filler.

1. The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead 2017 Deluxe Edition (Album): Another one of our all time favourites, The Queen Is Dead also received the deluxe treatment in 2017. Deluxe sets have two purposes, present classic albums with great new sound and provide a clutch of material from the vaults to make fans want to keep purchasing the same material over and over again. While the add-ons of demo recordings and a live concert were fine, it was the brilliant new mix of the original album that made us fall in love with this album all over again.

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Favourite Songs of 2016 (#10-1)

Posted on January 15, 2017January 16, 2017 by Michael

10. Giggs (Feat. Donae’o) – Lock Doh: The last we heard of Donae’o was on the b-side of The Streets “Fit But You Know It” single. This track instantly takes us back to club nights in London from many years ago. In the last few years, we remember those nights fondly but this one actually makes us want to go back and stand in a darkened corner of a club, pound back vodka shots while shuffling to the beat and staring at our feet.

9. Angel Olsen – Intern: It’s almost a case of which song from the album to pick. While most others have gone with the great “Shut Up Kiss Me” as THE track on the album, we always gravitated towards the opening song on My Woman. Driving to work in the dark at 7AM on autumn mornings, barely awake, the lyrics “Still gotta wake up and be someone” always sounded just right.

8. case/lang/veirs – Best Kept Secret: In five years we have no idea how we will feel about most of the songs on this list. What we do know is this one will never fail to make us smile, shimmy our shoulders and sing along. “You’re the best kept secret in Silver lake…. ba da ba da ba da ba da ba”. Unabashedly, this kind of stuff is right up our alley.

7. French Montana (Feat. Kodak Black) – Lockjaw: In our house, the “got a monkey on our back” became a classic line when it was changed to “got a Michael on my back” . Much discussion has happened about what the lockjaw metaphor actually means but it doesn’t matter. Perhaps because it sounds like it could have come out in 1993, this is one of favourite rap tracks of the last few years.

6. The Strumbellas – Spirits: …But sometimes those beardy bands we mentioned at #13 put out some good songs! This is one of them. Infinitely catchy, The Strumbellas scored a big hit with “Spirits” which got us nodding in appreciation all throughout 2016.

5. Minor Victories – Folk Arp: Without fail, every time this track came on in the car we would have to look to see who it was. This beautiful song takes us back to the best of shoegaze pop from the 90s, with Rachel’s voice floating on top. Like a light summer rain that turns into a black thunder storm, the hushed whisper of the first half turns into a roar for the second.

4. Lil Yachty (Feat. Quavo, Skippa da Flippa, & Young Thug)– Minnesota: The piano hook could not be simpler, at times it doesn’t rhyme and Yachty’s voice sounds like SNL’s Brian Fellows. However, the infectiousness of “it get cold like Minnesota” never fails to make us smile while we shout “I love my Motorola!!” 5x in a row for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

3. Hamilton Leithhauser + Rostam – A 1000 Times: The first single from the I Had a Dream album was a classy rock tune with extra sandpaper thanks to Leithauser’s voice. At times sounding like a lost Mercury Rev number: there is a gentle swing of the first bridge and the soft vocals at the beginning before giving way to energy then weariness all help create an atmosphere that is easy to get lost in. A rollicking number for those of us on the wrong (good?) side of 40.

2. Laura Gibson – Damn Sure: For anyone who’s been in a failed relationship that they were so sure would work out, against all odds and probably ignoring everyone else’s question marks, this track hits like a sledgehammer. But no matter how hard the break-up is, we eventually get through it and start to visit museums again. Somehow, it always works out… if we let it.

1. Rae Sremmurd (Feat Gucci Mane) – Black Beatles: When we first heard this track in August, it instantly became a strong contender for our song of the year. Little did we know that 4 months later every 12 year old in the city would be playing it on their lousy cell phone speakers. “That girl is a real crowd pleaser” became lodged in our heads for months. Elongating words to make it fit the music is charming and the lyrics make it all the more memorable – “like clockwork, I blow it all then get some more”, “she thinks she love me I think she trolling”, “euro step around a hater like I’m Rondo”, and the one that still baffles us “so much money on the floor we buyin’ school clothes”. Even after it inspired a meme and we heard it 1500 times, “Black Beatles” never fails to shine.

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Favourite Songs of 2016 (#20-11)

Posted on January 15, 2017January 16, 2017 by Michael

20. Naps – Social Skills: Back when we were bachelors, there were weekends we wouldn’t have any meaningful contact with the outside world. Coming on like a modern day Belle and Sebastian, Naps broke up soon after this single was released. Our only quibble is that the band really should have realized that after repeating “three full days without speaking” ad nausea, the last one should have been “three full days without speaking UP”

19. Desiigner – Panda: More than any other track here, this will always remind us of the summer of 2016. Listening to it in the car on the way to soccer games, it never failed to get heads nodding. “I got broads in Atlanta” is surely an anthem that every Winnipegger knows far too well.

18. Clams Casino – All Nite: This menacing track from Clams Casino featuring Vince Staples was certainly not our most played in 2016 but it never failed to grab our attention every time it came on. The violent flow of Staples gets extra energy from the muffled cymbal in the second verse and onwards.

17. Lee Bannon – 3m12 disc 2 – side D: Given away for free on Soundcloud – this demo from Lee Bannon would not sound out of place on Moby’s great 90s album, Everything Is Wrong. The synths, the digital squiggles and echo on a few of the percussion notes evoke a feeling late night sadness.

16. Weyes Blood – Do You Need My Love?: Sounding like it came straight out of 1975, this Carpenters like track is hard not to like. It grabbed our attention right from the get go. At over six minutes this one never drags and still sounds as mysterious now as it did back in the summer. “Do you need my love? babababa” indeed.

15. Mick Jenkins – Drowning: This would not sound out of place in a 70s Blaxploitation flick, however, the subject matter is still just as relevant today as it was way back then. Comparing police brutality to drowning, this is powerful stuff. “I can’t breathe” is the haunting phrase used by Eric Garner that sticks to the listener long after the music is over.

14. lil Peep and lil tracy – White Wine: Not every song on this list is high art and this is one of them. lil Peep and lil tracy take the melancholy of Drake and mix it with the drugginess haze of Salem. Lyrics like “I’m going to get a Maserati just to take my life inside” and “when I get a castle I’ll let no one inside” make this a sad, sad bleak anthem.

13. The Lumineers – Ophelia: There’s nothing we enjoy (hate?) more than handsome young men wearing beards and looking like they are sixty…. Maybe girls in high waited shorts but we digress. We initially heard this on the great Song Exploder podcast. “Ophelia” instantly had us humming along and with a charming video, it never gets old.

12. Michael Kiwanuka – Cold Little Heart: The lead off track from Kiwanuka’s second album that clocks in at over 10 minutes long. This modern soul masterpiece takes half that amount of time before we even get to hear from the man himself. The beauty and grit go hand in hand throughout. This is truly timeless stuff.

11. Margo Price – Hands Of Time: A very late entry into the mix. We started reading about Ms Price a few months ago and then finally heard this track in December. The autobiographical track tells it like it is, warts and all. While we’re not experts and our knowledge of the genre is limited, this is the best country song we’ve heard in a while.

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Favourite Albums of 2016

Posted on January 15, 2017January 15, 2017 by Michael

5. Minor Victories – Minor Victories: With members of Slowdive, Mogwai, and Editors – this super group’s debut album got OK reviews but it was an album that we loved front to back. “Folk Arp” is the standout with cinematic “The Thief” and Mark Kozelek feature on “For You Always” being among the other highlights. An instrumental version of the album is being released this January.

4. Solange – A Seat At The Table: When it comes to R and B, we’ve always been far more into the dancefloor ready rave-ups vs the quiet storm jams. Maybe its because we’re getting older and life is slower or its because Solange’s second album is just that good that on this one, we love all of it. “Cranes in the Sky” is a lovely track and the insistent stuttering beats of “Don’t You Wait” are solid. We haven’t heard the Beyonce album yet in full (for shame) but at least one Knowles sister caught our ear in 2016 and wouldn’t let go.

3. Michael Kiwanuka – Love & Hate: The sophomore album from the London singer is a showstopper. After battling creative issues for the past few years, Kiwanuka blasts out of the doldrums with two instant classics in Cold Little Heart and A Black Man In A White World. Elsewhere – the title track and One More Night both shine. We are behind the times as Kiwanuka’s first album passed us by but we’re glad we caught up to him on this gritty soul classic.

2. Laura Gibson – Empire Builder: Reading review for Gibson’s fourth album was the first time we had actually heard of her or remember hearing of her. Glad we did – “Damn Sure” rated high on our tracks of the year while the title track is simply beautiful. A sharp, smart lyricist – Gibson is able to catch a range of human emotions. After reading about her journeys and education pursuits we think we like her even more.

1. Angel Olsen – My Woman: Our favourite album of 2016 starts off with the synth drone of “Intern”, contains the giddy rock of “Shut Up Kiss Me” and features an epic centrepiece in “Sister”. There’s a few artist that just seem like “ours” and Olsen is one of them. While her albums aren’t quite as great as the first few Liz Phair ones from the 90s, that is who she reminds us of. A talented songwriter that keeps getting better, we can’t wait to see where Angel Olsen goes next.

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Favourite Distant Discoveries 2016

Posted on January 14, 2017January 16, 2017 by Michael

4. Gwenno – Y Dydd Olaf (album): Formerly of The Pipettes, 2015 saw the re-release of Gwenno’s debut album all in her native tongue of Welsh. We’ve yet to pick up the Super Furry Animal’s Mwng so this was our first introduction to the wonders of the Welsh language (other than a night on the tiles in Cardiff all those years ago). Gwenno’s vocals sound like they could have been recorded in the 60s while the digital undertones don’t sound dissimilar to Broadcast. Lead track “Chwyldro” and the hushed vocals of “Golau Aall” are just two of the many highlights.

3. Cold War Kids – First (song): On our old radio show, Cold War Kids’ “We Used to Vacation” got played quite a bit. The rest of the album wasn’t the greatest so they fell out of favour until we heard this coming from the girlfriend’s iPhone. Having been released in 2014, “First” keeps popping up in TV shows and movies thereby being discovered by another batch of music fans every few months. We weren’t the first to say how great this song is and I’m sure we won’t be the last.

2. The Rolling Stones – She’s a Rainbow (song): Late in 2015 we bought a pile of discs from The Rolling Stones so having been dipping into them here and there since then. Not knowing many of the songs from 1967’s album Their Satanic Majesties Request, when we finally listened, we fell in love instantly with “She’s A Rainbow”. A shouty, happy delight with a piano that always seems to need winding up before it gets going, this is the Stones at their most poppy.

1. Jason Isbell – Something More Than Free (album): We’ve been reading about Isbell for a few years and after seeing his fifth studio album riding high on so many 2015 year end charts, we finally gave it a spin. Glad we did. “24 Frames” is an instant classic with “How To Forget” and “Children of Children” close behind. We didn’t do a year-end list last year but if we did one today, Jason Isbell would be very close to the top.