The songs that soundtracked my year...
So 2014 actually turned out to be a pretty decent year for music all told. Much of that for me actually revolved around older acts. Firstly, my band Black Night Crash’s return to action was a dizzying thrill, with three exhilarating shows and some new songs in the works that seem to be a step up from anything we produced first time round; safe to say I am very excited about what 2015 could bring. Then there was the long overdue news that my absolute heroes Ride (who of course inspired the BNC name) were finally reforming, coupled with the equally good news that the desperately uninspiring Beady Eye were calling it a day. I managed to get tickets for the much discussed Kate Bush show, a truly unforgettable and inspiring experience. As a live spectacle this year for me this was only matched by seeing Manic Street Preachers performing The Holy Bible in full – it could have been rather awkward and embarrassing, instead it was urgent, vital and visceral, a sonic slap round the chops that underlined what a stunning piece of music that record is.But there was also a fair chunk of decent new music released this year, and here are ten of my favourite tracks, as with last year’s list in no particular order…
The War On Drugs – Red Eyes
Another act from over the pond, but a lot more traditional in their approach. Proving that good, honest song writing still has a place, this is an epic, arms in the air or round your mates’ shoulders piece of brilliance.
Royal Blood – Little Monster
Making more noise than it should be possible for two people to make, these lads have (as the crap pundits say) smashed it in 2014. Their stuff may not be the most original or varied, but boy is it infectious. It’ll be interesting to see where they develop, but for this stomper alone they will be remembered. Hit play, then hit repeat.
Pixies – Magdalena
EP2 dropped in the first week of January, and very little throughout the year has topped this one song since. Love, love, LOVE it. Nothing else to say.
Marika Hackmann – Deep Green
I had the joy of seeing her live in front of a pitifully (though unsurprisingly – what is wrong with our city?) small crowd in York, and she opened the show with this. Album on the way in the new year; potential superstar in the making.
Cheatahs – Get Tight
While Ride are reforming to easily whip the crown away from any other pretenders, there is still decent new shoegaze being produced. At the grungier end of the spectrum are this lot, based in London. This is the stand-out song from their debut album, and there’s new stuff on the way shortly as well.
Chain & The Gang – Stuck In A Box
One of the prolific Ian Svenonius’s many projects, I love the ‘Minimum Rock and Roll’ concept: a whole album of stripped-down, simple, and quite honestly fun tunes. This is probably the most irritatingly catchy, in the best possible way. What’s your favourite flavour?
Broken Bells – After The Disco
The first album released by this genius collective is so good (I still listen to it in full several times a month years after its release), I almost didn’t want them to release another. But their second offering is just as well crafted, and none better than this, the title track. Utterly perfect pop music; they really should be the biggest selling band on the planet.
Brian Jonestown Massacre – What You Isn’t
One of the most compelling stories in modern music, there seems to be no let-up in Anton Newcombe’s relentless production of wonderful music. ‘Revelation’ I reckon has to be my album of the year, and this is THE track.
Douglas Dare – Clockwork
The term “haunting” must have been invented for Douglas Dare. This shimmering piece of genius off his debut album will have you gazing out of windows for hours, wishing it was raining if it isn’t already. Spellbinding.
So there we go, on to 2015. Happy new year everyone, and to paraphrase Pauline Calf: if you like it, listen to it; if you don’t like it, listen to it, you might like it.
