Way Out West festival takes place every August in Gothenburg, Sweden. The three day music and cinema festival has been growing steadily since its start in 2007 and it is now one of the major European summer festivals, attracting around 30.000 visitors each day to the beautiful SlottskogenPark at the heart of the city. After hours, when the outdoor stages at the park have closed, the music continues in various venues around the city, as part of the Stay Out West portion of the festival programme.
It’s also worth mentioning the emphasis that the festival places on environmental issues, its LGBTQ-certification by West Pride and the strictly vegetarian food policy which along with the decision not to serve alcohol in selected bars makes W.O.W. the most “straight edge” festival I have ever attended!
St. Vincent, live @ Way Out West 2018
In this post you can read about the performances we attended on August 9, 2018, the first day of the 12th edition of Way Out West festival and in the second part (check it out here) we will have all about days 2 and 3 of the event.
Day 1 - August 9
Thursday, the first day of the festival, was by far the busiest day for us, with the highest number of acts we wanted to check out, both in Slottskogen Park and later in Magasin 105 club as part of the Stay Out West gigs.
Grizzly Bear, live @ Way Out West 2018
Early in the afternoon on Azalea stage, one of the two main stages in Slottskogen Park, Grizzly Bear kicked off our W.O.W. 2018 experience with a great set based on last year’s fine "Painted Ruins" album, with the only "problem" being that the band had to play under a bright sunshine, with the sun in their eyes, as one of their songs goes.
Jenny Lewis, live @ Way Out West 2018
One of the good things we should mention about the festival’s organization is that the timetable of the lineup avoided clashes between acts with similar audience. One such issue however was not avoided at the start of the first day as Jenny Lewis’s set was scheduled to start only 20 minutes after Grizzly Bear.
Jenny Lewis, live @ Way Out West 2018
So, after about 40 minutes of Grizzly Bear, we made our way to the nearby Linne stage for the performance of the former Rilo Kiley’s singer. It’s been a while since we last heard something new from Jenny Lewis but there is plenty of material in her back catalogue to form a great set and we did have quite a blast in the half hour we got to attend, with "See Fernando" and Rilo Kiley 2004 favorite "Portions for Foxes" being the highlights.
Nils Frahm,, live @ Way Out West 2018
After relaxing for a while to the melodic experimental sounds of Nils Frahm at Flamingo stage (the other central stage of the festival), it was time for one of the best performances of W.O.W. 2018, St. Vincent’s weird and wonderful pop extravaganza at Azalea stage.
St. Vincent, live @ Way Out West 2018
Her hour-long set was focused on her latest album "MASSEDUCTION" kicking off with the high energy dance groove of "Sugarboy" and continuing with our Track of the Year for 2017, the great "Los Ageless".
Annie Clark’s frequent guitar changes between songs was aided by a masked man (who sported the same mask as the drummer and keyboardist of the band) in a little ritual that became part of the show and reminded us that even in her most dance-oriented tunes, her guitar playing always has an important part to play.
Next to her Toko Yasuda (formerly of Enon) was giving her own show handling synthesizers, bass and guitar according to the needs of each song.
Some of the prominent songs from previous albums that made it into the set included "Cheerleader", "Digital Witness" and "Rattlesnake", while the grand finale consisted of "Fear the Future", the fast version of "Slow Disco" and the excellent "New York", the only song where Annie let go of her guitar and moved to the front center of the stage to sing. A fantastic performance, which could have been the best of the festival had it taken place later at night and not during the afternoon with the sun still outshining the stage lights.
St. Vincent, live @ Way Out West 2018
Charlotte Gainsbourg, live @ Way Out West 2018
Next up at the Linne stage we enjoyed Charlotte Gainsbourg’s '80s influenced electropop set presenting songs from her 2017 album "Rest" ("Deadly Valentine" was certainly among the festival’s highlights), while back in the two central stages it was time for two veritable legends of rock music.
Patti Smith, live @ Way Out West 2018
First it was Patti Smith and her group who brought positive vibes at the Flamingo stage, in a set that combined a handful of her own classics ("Because the Night", "People Have the Power", "Dancing Barefoot") with a few selected covers (Midnight Oil’s "Beds Are Burning", Dylan’s "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and of course Them’s "Gloria" which she has made her own).
Iggy Pop, live @ Way Out West 2018
Minutes after Patti Smith's set was over, the electricity in the atmosphere was raised considerably by Iggy Pop who at 71 incredibly seems to not have lost any of his raw power. The godfather of punk showed the kids how it is done in a greatest hits set with all the tracks you would expect to hear ("I Wanna Be Your Dog", "The Passenger", "Lust for Life", "Search and Destroy", "No Fun") and a few that perhaps you wouldn’t (like ‘80s soundtrack song "Repo Man" or a cover of Bowie’s "The Jean Genie").
Arctic Monkeys, live @ Way Out West 2018
The first day’s proceedings at Slottskogen Park closed with the 90-minute headline performance by the Arctic Monkeys. The British band led by charismatic frontman Alex Turner (sporting a new, short-hair look) gave a solid performance with a well-balanced set that included songs from all of their albums.
Their latest effort "Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino" offered some of the more melodic moments of the night (like opener "Four Out of Five", the title track or "Star Treatment") while the set’s more energetic tunes ("Brianstorm", "The View from the Afternoon", "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor", "Teddy Picker") came from their earlier work.
The key to their captivating show was the correct balance between old and new material, combining in equal measure the youthful energy of their past with the more mature songwriting of their recent efforts.
Arctic Monkeys, live @ Way Out West 2018
As Arctic Monkeys closed the night at Slottskogen’s Flamingo stage with "R U Mine?", the Stay Out West portion of the festival had already began at various locations around Gothenburg’s center. We chose to make our way towards the Magasin 105 stage at Bananpiren (Banana pier) where, unfortunately, we only caught the last song of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s set, but we did get to enjoy the dark, primal energy of Chelsea Wolfe’s performance and the menacing, gothic drone of local hero Anna von Hausswolff.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre, live @ Way Out West 2018
Chelsea Wolfe, live @ Way Out West 2018
Anna Von Hausswolff, live @ Way Out West 2018
After 12 hours of almost non-stop live music entertainment, it was high time for the ride back to the hotel to get some much needed rest and prepare for the next two days ahead of us.
More about the festival in part 2 of our Way Out West coverage, here.
Check out below selected clips from the first day of W.O.W. 2018:
Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine? (live @ Way Out West Festival 2018)
St. Vincent - Fear the Future (live @ Way Out West Festival 2018)
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Remarkable Day (live @ Way Out West Festival 2018)
Jenny Lewis - Portions for Foxes (live @ Way Out West Festival 2018)
Grizzly Bear - Yet Again (live @ Way Out West Festival 2018)
Chelsea Wolfe - Scrape (live @ Way Out West Festival 2018)
Iggy Pop - No Fun (live @ Way Out West Festival 2018)
2018 is here already and along with our warmest wishes for the New Year, we are presenting today our 50 favorite albums of 2017 and the perfect soundtrack to start Cool Music Central's tenth year on Blogger!
It seems unbelievable that we've gotten this far, especially since our beloved rock 'n' roll seems to be losing favor these days, a fact that becomes obvious when you check out the majority of year-end lists out there. We will press on however because I do believe that things will turn around for guitar music. Even in a year where the media's attention was focused elsewhere, there were plenty of excellent rock records around and some of them you'll find in the Top 50 we are presenting today.
It is true that in 2017 we didn't have any albums that felt like game changers, so selecting the Album of the Year was trickier business than usual, as no release stood clearly above the others. In the end we were able to narrow it down to three possible candidates and the honor was finally bestowed upon LCD Soundsystem's "American Dream", a record that managed to find a place in several year-end lists and to even reach the Number One spot in a few of them.
In a year where we had a plethora of impressive comebacks and reunions, some of them even after several decades (The Jesus And Mary Chain, Slowdive, Ride, The Dream Syndicate are some of the bands that immediately come to mind), it is fitting that a returning act would end up claiming the Album of the Year honor. James Murphy has been worrying about losing his edge ever since LCD Soundsystem started, and this uneasiness has always been the source of great music for them. Their return to action after almost seven years has proven that the period spent in limbo was actually beneficiary for the band as they have managed to make a record that feels every bit as important as their first two LPs that helped to define the musical identity of the noughties. Who would have thought that getting older and (perhaps) wiser could be just as valuable a source of inspiration for excellent dance rock music as being young and out of your mind!
The other two records that effectively share the honor of being our Top Albums of the Year along with LCD Soundystem's return, were St. Vincent's "Masseduction" and Algiers' "The Underside of Power".
St. Vincent continued her impressive, ever changing and always innovative trajectory that make her one of the most inspiring music creators of this decade. The sound of "Masseduction" openly flirted with today's dance pop music, but in reality this was a chameleon's camouflage hiding its idiosyncrasies and deeply personal confessions in plain sight, somewhere in the crowded dance floor.
Algiers made one of the strongest protest records of 2017, in a year where getting political became more and more a necessity. The strong views and feelings expressed in their songs were accompanied by a potent mixture of gospel, soul, hip hop, garage and punk rock music that always felt on the brink of explosion without sacrificing any of its tunefulness. The dance-rock revolution begins here!
Here's our selection of the best albums of 2017 based, of course, on what we were able to listen to so far. We are always on the lookout for records that may have slipped under our radar and an updated, final version of this list will appear in Cool Music Database sometime in the next few months. For now though, this is our Top 50:
Top 50 Albums of 2017
1. American Dream - LCD SOUNDSYSTEM 2. Masseduction - ST. VINCENT 3. The Underside of Power - ALGIERS 4. Holiday Destination - NADINE SHAH 5. Plunge - FEVER RAY 6. Run The Jewels 3 - RUN THE JEWELS 7. Hot Thoughts - SPOON 8. Modern Kosmology - JANE WEAVER 9. Relatives in Descent - PROTOMARTYR 10. Rock n Roll Consciousness - THURSTON MOORE 11. Damage and Joy - THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN 12. Antisocialites - ALVVAYS 13. Out in the Storm - WAXAHATCHEE 14. Whiteout Conditions - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS 15. A Deeper Understanding - THE WAR ON DRUGS 16. Damn. - KENDRICK LAMAR 17. Sleep Well Beast - THE NATIONAL 18. In Spades - THE AFGHAN WHIGS 19. Gargoyle - MARK LANEGAN 20. Slowdive - SLOWDIVE 21. Death Song - THE BLACK ANGELS 22. How Did I Find Myself Here? - THE DREAM SYNDICATE 23. Hey Mr Ferryman - MARK EITZEL 24. Painted Ruins - GRIZZLY BEAR 25. Lotta Sea Lice - COURTNEY BARNETT AND KURT VILE 26. Moonshine Freeze - THIS IS THE KIT 27. Semper Femina - LAURA MARLING 28. Soft Sounds From Another Planet - JAPANESE BREAKFAST 29. Nothing Feels Natural - PRIESTS 30. Hug of Thunder - BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE 31. Cry, Cry, Cry - WOLF PARADE 32. Weather Diaries - RIDE 33. Brood X - BOSS HOG 34. Flying Microtonal Banana - KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD 35. Ty Segall - TY SEGALL 36. Cost of Living - DOWNTOWN BOYS 37. Apocalipstick - CHERRY GLAZERR 38. ken - DESTROYER 39. Exile in the Outer Ring - EMA 40. Electric Trim - LEE RANALDO 41. In Between - THE FEELIES 42. Last Place - GRANDADDY 43. Everything Now - ARCADE FIRE 44. Visions of a Life - WOLF ALICE 45. Near to the Wild Heart of Life - JAPANDROIDS 46. Life Without Sound - CLOUD NOTHINGS 47. Occult Architecture Vol. 1 - MOON DUO 48. New Facts Emerge - THE FALL 49. Silver / Lead - WIRE 50. Strange Peace - METZ
Also recommended:
TFCF - LIARS, English Tapas - SLEAFORD MODS, Every Valley - PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING, Fujiya & Miyagi - FUJIYA & MIYAGI, Offering - CULTS, Powerplant - GIRLPOOL, In Mind - REAL ESTATE, Heartworms - THE SHINS, Love in the 4th Dimension - THE BIG MOON, Future Politics - AUSTRA, The French Press - ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER, in•ter a•li•a - AT THE DRIVE-IN, Villains - QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, The Tourist - CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH, Polygondwanaland - KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD, Volcano - TEMPLES, Humanz - GORILLAZ, I See You - THE XX, Oczy Mlody - THE FLAMING LIPS, Occult Architecture Vol. 2 - MOON DUO, Losing - BULLY, The Witch - PUMAROSA, Hang - FOXYGEN, Low in High School - MORRISSEY, Okovi - ZOLA JESUS, Hiss Spun - CHELSEA WOLFE, V - THE HORRORS, Flat Worms - FLAT WORMS, Choir of the Mind - EMILY HAINES & THE SOFT SKELETON, Tourist in This Town - ALLISON CRUTCHFIELD, Everybody Works - JAY SOM, Love is Love - WOODS, Phases - ANGEL OLSEN
We're in the last week of the year which means it's time for the two lists that matter the most; our selection of the best new music released in the past 12 months, chosen among the hundreds of cds and digital files plus the few vinyl records (old habits die hard) we have added in our collection in 2017!
Let's start today with our 50 favorite tracks of the year and we'll keep, as tradition dictates, the album list for our first post of the new year. The "singles" list, as we used to call it when 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl releases still mattered as a means of getting your best songs out to the fans, is made up of stand out tracks from albums released during the year plus a few selections from stand-alone singles and EPs. As we usually do, only one track is included from each artist or band in order to be able to narrow down the selection to just 50 songs and to represent as many of our favorite releases of the year as possible.
So, let's leave the music speak for itself and without any reverse countdown nonsense (don't you always start by checking out the number one of a list before deciding if you are interested to see the rest?), here are the 50 tracks that mattered the most for Cool Music Central in 2017, starting with St. Vincent dripping poison about L.A.'s celebrity culture while mourning the loss of a lover and LCD Soundsystem waxing philosophical about mortality and living in the moment over one of the most catchy dance tunes that James Murphy and co. have ever created:
The first year-end lists of 2017 are already here, but for now we are going to turn our attention to the albums and songs that earned our appreciation in the last couple of months of the autumn and leave the task of figuring out our "Best of the Year" list for the end of December, as usual.
However I can already say with certainty that the two albums at the top of our autumn list have already booked their place in our 2017 Top 10, as both St. Vincent and Protomartyr have delivered killer albums that are not going to leave our headphones any time soon.
"Masseduction", St. Vincent’s fifth album, adapts and subverts the concept of modern pop music, as dance-floor friendly rhythms and sweet melodic interludes echo the sound of the pop charts but they are transformed through Annie Clark’s unique perspective into something beguiling and deeply personal.
Protomartyr continue to march on the post-punk path that pioneers like The Fall or Pere Ubu have laid down and they are showing no signs of slowing down as "Relatives In Descent", their fourth album, is another fine example of intense, vital rock ’n’ roll.
Other stand-out releases among the fine albums we’ve enjoyed recently include the triumphant return to action of The Dream Syndicate after 29 odd years with "How Did I Find Myself Here?" (see also our recent live review here), the resurfacing of The War On Drugs who continue to operate at the height of their powers with "A Deeper Understanding" and, last but not least, the astonishing, krautrock-influenced, psychedelic pop that Jane Weaver has concocted with "Modern Kosmology", her ninth solo work.
Here are our 16 favorite albums for October - November 2017:
Top 16 Albums
1. MASSEDUCTION - ST. VINCENT 2. Relatives In Descent - PROTOMARTYR 3. Modern Kosmology - JANE WEAVER 4. How Did I Find Myself Here? - THE DREAM SYNDICATE 5. A Deeper Understanding - THE WAR ON DRUGS 6. Cry Cry Cry - WOLF PARADE 7. ken - DESTROYER 8. Moonshine Freeze - THIS IS THE KIT 9. Weather Diaries - RIDE 10. Cost Of Living - DOWNTOWN BOYS 11. Electric Trim - LEE RANALDO 12. Offering - CULTS 13. Every Valley - PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING 14. Losing - BULLY 15. Visions Of A Life - WOLF ALICE 16. C88 - VARIOUS ARTISTS
Top 15 Tracks
1. The Architect - JANE WEAVER 2. Moonshine Freeze - THIS IS THE KIT 3. New York - ST. VINCENT 4. My Children - PROTOMARTYR 5. Cali - RIDE 6. 80 West - THE DREAM SYNDICATE 7. Up All Night - THE WAR ON DRUGS 8. Valley Boy - WOLF PARADE 9. Cover From The Sun - DESTROYER 10. I Took Your Picture - CULTS 11. Uncle Skeleton - LEE RANALDO 12. Somos Chulas (No Somos Pendejas) - DOWNTOWN BOYS 13. Feel the Same - BULLY 14. Beautifully Unconventional - WOLF ALICE 15. Progress - PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING
Round-up of the most interesting albums, singles and EPs released in September 2017:
Albums
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM - American Dream THE NATIONAL - Sleep Well Beast PROTOMARTYR - Relatives in Descent ALVVAYS - Antisocialites THE DREAM SYNDICATE - How Did I Find Myself Here LEE RANALDO - Electric Trim METZ - Strange Peace WOLF ALICE - Visions of a Life TORRES - Three Futures ZOLA JESUS - Okovi CHELSEA WOLFE - Hiss Spun EMILY HAINES & THE SOFT SKELETON - Choir of the Mind ARIEL PINK - Dedicated to Bobby Jameson HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER - Hallelujah Anyhow CHAD VANGAALEN - Light Information THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART - The Echo of Pleasure DEATH FROM ABOVE - Outrage! Is Now DEERHOOF - Mountain Moves DEER TICK - Deer Tick Vol. 1 DEER TICK - Deer Tick Vol. 2 FOO FIGHTERS - Concrete and Gold PERE UBU - 20 Years In a Montana Missle Silo THE SURFING MAGAZINES - The Surfing Magazines THE HORRORS - V MOGWAI - Every Country's Sun GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR - Luciferian Towers CHAIN AND THE GANG - Experimental Music TED LEO - The Hanged Man LUNA - A Sentimental Education Double Feature ROSTAM - Half-Light THE KILLERS - Wonderful Wonderful TRICKY - ununiform SUPERFOOD - Bambino SLOTFACE - Try Not To Freak Out RODDY WOOMBLE - The Deluder THE CLIENTELE - Music for the Age of Miracles WAND - Plum THE BRONX - V PROPHETS OF RAGE - Prophets of Rage HUNDRED WATERS - Communicating HOT WATER MUSIC - Light It Up GIRL ONE AND THE GREASE GUNS - Night Of The Living Electrical Appliances SUSANNE SUNDFOR - Music For People In Trouble ANGUS AND JULIA STONE - Snow MOUNT KIMBIE - Love What Survives DÄLEK - Endangered Philosophies THE COOL KIDS - Special Edition Grandmaster Deluxe NOSAJ THING - Parallels CUT COPY - Haiku from Zero FISCHERSPOONER - SIR ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK - The Punishment of Luxury GARY NUMAN - Savage THE WATERBOYS - Out of All This Blue
The second installment of #BestNewMusic 2016, our new section featuring some of the most exciting releases of the year, kicks off with "The Wheel", the first single off P.J Harvey's new album "The Hope Six Demolition Project" (expected April 15th) and continues with Poliça's "Wedding" from their upcoming third album "United Crushers", Black Mountain and their long overdue return with "Mothers of the Sun", the first taste off their fourth album "IV", and "A Woman's Wisdom", another fine track off Wild Nothing's third album "Life of Pause", out on February 19th. For the finale we have the brand new and utterly groovy cover of The Rolling Stones' "Emotional Rescue" by St. Vincent, taken from the soundtrack of the film "A Bigger Splash". Enjoy:
Happy New Year from Cool Music Central! 2015 is going to bring changes for this blog as we enter our eighth year on Blogger and I feel that a renewal is long overdue. More details on this subject coming soon...
For our first post of the New Year though, we are focusing on the best music that 2014 had to offer: the 30 albums we've enjoyed the most over the past 12 months, a carefully selected shortlist of excellent works chosen from a plethora of fine propositions we have had last year, most of which you can check out by going through our 2014 New Releases posts.
The top of our 2014 album list rightfully belongs to Swans and the thirteenth chapter in a truly unique body of work that started three decades ago and continues to evolve, taking rock music to uncharted territories.
"To Be Kind" explores further the vast, creative universe of noise that Michael Gira’s crew entered with "The Seer" in 2012, but this time the balance between order and chaos, rhythm and noise, light and darkness is more effective than ever, creating an astonishing sonic experience that will richly reward those who dare to follow them on their journey.
The fourth, self-titled album by St. Vincent has undoubtedly taken Annie Clark’s music to the next level. Her sound is constantly progressing, absorbing new influences which she uses to shape her own unique style. Clarks's economic guitar playing never tries to steal the show, yet never seizes to offer subtle surprises and throw curve balls that catch you off-guard. The melodies are as strong as ever throughout the record while anxious synth-funk lines keep erupting here and there, keeping you on your toes. Best album cover of the year as well!
"Manipulator", the seventh solo effort in Ty Segall’s impressively prolific career, is his best one yet. Segall really took his time in making this one (14 months for an album is an unusually long period for someone with his work ethic) and the end result is truly exceptional: 17 tracks of non-stop garage rock brilliance, not encountered since the heyday of The White Stripes a decade ago. The timeless quality of "Manipulator" already gives to this record the aura of a 21st century rock classic, the crowning achievement so far in Ty Segall’s rapidly increasing body of work.
Here’s the complete list of our Top 30 Albums of the Year:
Top 30 Albums of 2014
1. To be kind - SWANS
2. St. Vincent - ST. VINCENT
3. Manipulator - TY SEGALL
4. Nikki nack - TUNE-YARDS
5. Warpaint - WARPAINT
6. Sun structures - TEMPLES
7. They want my soul - SPOON
8. Do to the beast - THE AFGHAN WHIGS
9. Sunbathing animal - PARQUET COURTS
10. Rips - EX HEX
11. Too true - DUM DUM GIRLS
12. The best day - THURSTON MOORE
13. Benji - SUN KIL MOON
14. Commune - GOAT
15. Divide and exit - SLEAFORD MODS
16. Mess - LIARS
17. Dude incredible - SHELLAC
18. With light and with love - WOODS
19. Brill bruisers - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
20. Lazaretto - JACK WHITE
21. Are we there - SHARON VAN ETTEN
22. Lost in the dream - THE WAR ON DRUGS
23. Under color of official right - PROTOMARTYR
24. Here and nowhere else - CLOUD NOTHINGS
25. Elpintor - INTERPOL
26. Phantom radio - MARK LANEGAN BAND
27. Burn your fire for no witness - ANGEL OLSEN
28. Atlas - REAL ESTATE
29. Seeds - TV ON THE RADIO
30. Run The Jewels 2 - RUN THE JEWELS
Click here for the second part of our Albums of the Year list, from number 31 to 60.
You can also check out our Top 50 Singles of 2014here and stream all of them here.
Listen to our Albums of the Year playlist on Spotify:
The third installment of our presentation of the 40 records that impressed us the most in the first half of the year continues with the following ten fine albums by Protomartyr, Quilt, Real Estate, September Girls, Sharon Van Etten, Sleaford Mods, St. Vincent, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Sun Kil Moon and Swans. Have a listen below:
The A-Z of the first half of 2014 (pt.3):
PROTOMARTYR - Under Color Of Official Right
QUILT - Held In Splendor
REAL ESTATE - Atlas
SEPTEMBER GIRLS - Cursing The Sea
SHARON VAN ETTEN - Are We There
SLEAFORD MODS - Divide And Exit
ST. VINCENT - St. Vincent
STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS - Wig Out At Jagbags
SUN KIL MOON - Benji
SWANS - To Be Kind
Previously on The A-Z of the first half of 2014: Part 1 Part 2
Hope you all had a great time during the Easter and Record Store Day weekend. After a brief spring break, we’re back to the business of celebrating our favorite music by bringing you the lists of the albums and songs we’ve enjoyed the most during March and April 2014 in the latest installment of Listening Habits.
The top of our album list belongs to St. Vincent’s excellent self-titled LP, her fourth and best effort so far. Annie Clark continues to evolve and shape her individual sound, inventing a unique voice that transcends her influences. Her economic guitar playing never tries to steal the show, yet never seizes to offer subtle surprises and throw curve balls that catch you off-guard. The melodies are as strong as ever throughout the record while anxious synth-funk lines keep erupting here and there, keeping you on your toes. "St. Vincent" takes Annie Clark’s music to another level, one that very few will reach this year!
Of course Annie Clark was also in the news this month when she performed "Lithium" with the surviving members of Nirvana at the band’s induction ceremony to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was certainly a great idea to pay tribute to Kurt Cobain and what Nirvana stood for by having female singers to perform with them and I’m certainly jealous of the handful of people who got to see the band performing afterwards at a small club with some fine guests. Maybe they should do this again, but next time for more people, perhaps at a festival? Just a thought…
One of the bands that follow in the footsteps of Nirvana and all the other great '80s and '90s indie rockers is Cloud Nothings. Dylan Baldi’s group keeps the guitar rock fires burning with "Here and Nowhere Else", two years on after the amazing "Attack on Memory". Their furious sound doesn’t draw outside the lines of indie-rock’s past, but their passion and conviction is certainly impressive and their songs can hold their own next to those of their heroes.
The same can be said for Protomartyr who with their sophomore album "Under Color Of Official Right" do not reinvent the post-punk genre but offer plenty of evidence that this sound remains just as vital in the second decade of the 21st century as it was about 35 years ago.
Real Estate also know the value of the underground musical treasures of the '80s but keep digging deeper, going all the way back to the '60s to find melodic inspiration. "Atlas" is another sure-fire hit for those who crave gentle indie-rock with a dreamer’s heart.
The Top 5 of our Spring 2014 album collection is completed with the highly anticipated return of EMA, a.k.a Erika M. Anderson, with her second solo album "The Future's Void". Not as raw sounding as her 2011 astonishing debut "Past Life Martyred Saints", but still an intense listening experience that draws inspiration from cyber-punk. The opening "Satellites" is an overpowering digital assault to the senses, without a doubt one of the finest tracks of the year, a song that opens up intriguing possibilities that EMA needs to explore further in the future.
Here are our 20 favorite albums and tracks for March - April 2014:
Top 20 Albums
1. St. Vincent - ST. VINCENT
2. Here And Nowhere Else - CLOUD NOTHINGS
3. Under Color Of Official Right - PROTOMARTYR
4. Atlas - REAL ESTATE
5. The Future's Void - EMA
6. Burn Your Fire For No Witness - ANGEL OLSEN
7. Grassed Inn - BLANK REALM
8. Tomorrow's Hits - THE MEN
9. Motivational Jumpsuit - GUIDED BY VOICES
10. July - MARISSA NADLER
11. Big Inner: Outer Face Edition - MATTHEW E. WHITE
12. After The Disco - BROKEN BELLS
13. Old - DANNY BROWN
14. Corsicana Lemonade - WHITE DENIM
15. Drenge - DRENGE
16. Marginalia - BABY GURU
17. Once Part Of A Whole Ship - EGG HELL
18. March - FÜR IMMER
19. Zebratronic - POSTCODE
20. Punk 45. Kill The Hippies! Kill Yourself! The American Nation Destroys Its Young. Underground Punk In The United States Of America, Vol.1 1973-1980 - VARIOUS ARTISTS Top 20 Tracks
