John
Alt-J, I'm Happier When You're Gone
Nice. Soft and hypnotic, I enjoyed that very much. Love it actually.
Leestu
The Afghan Whigs, I’ll Make You See God
A bit too crowded for me. It lacks a direction, it goes a bit everywhere.
Shryke
Soft Cell & Pet Shop Boys, Purple Zone
I didn't know those were still making new music. Maybe they should have stopped sooner, it feels dated.
Six
Rosalia, HENTAI
Well I never thought I'd find a Rosalia song in your Top, Six, that's for sure. But I have to admit it was a nice listen, unexpected too. I had to check her age though, and was relieved to discover she is 30
JohnErle - Génie du parfum - Your soap-bubble comparison hit the nail on the head. This may be my favorite of yours. I've liked quite a bit, actually, which makes me sad that you'll only enjoy 0.5 of the 30 songs I list.
Leestu - Ingleesh Teacher - This is definitely your jam. It brushes against the jams that I like too.
Six - Bad Pun - Nothing there for me. At all.
Tranny - Bad Omens - That album had two songs on my year-end lists - "What do you want from me" (#67 in 2021) and "The Grey" (#96 in 2022). This whole album was a good listen. Great choice.
Shryke: Birthday Massacre
this is pretty good.. I like it...I think I say something like that about Birthday Massacre every time...I must admit there is no drive to actively seek out more but I like them when you play them
Six: Bob Vylan
I haven't gotten around to this album yet but this was great. Sounds like the gig was an experience
Tranny: Bad Omens
I'll pass on this one, doesn't do anything for me
John: I struggled a bit with Ugly Season, I guess perhaps because it wasn't designed to be a traditional album. This song was lovely and delicate and perhaps a tad too long.
Leetsu: One of many local acts I've been meaning to listen to, so thanks for posting. Wasn't bad.
Shryke: Music was too glossy but the vocals weren't bad
Tranny: Just sounded like run-of-the-mill emo to me
I was never a huge fan of Spoon, but somehow they sound less pretentious and more infectious on this scorching album opener.
LEESTU
Courting, Loaded
An exciting up and coming band that I’m hoping for good things from.
SHRYKESPEARE
Dayglow, Stops Making Sense
Oh, when it feels like falling down
Your feet on the ceiling, head on the ground
Somehow, it got turned around
That feeling you get when it stops making sense
Yet it's right
Sloan Struble aka Dayglow got on my radar in 2020, with his wispy alternative hit "Can I Call You Tonight"? In 2021, I listened to his "Harmony House" album, and it really resonated with me. Last year, he put out "People in Motion", and he knocked it out of the park. Four songs from it made my Top 100, and two made my Top 30. To think that he's only 23 and putting out quality stuff like this gives me great hope for his future.
SIX
Just Mustard, Seed
Ignore the awful band name, this act are proving themselves to be a heavyweight in the Irish scene. They’re carving their own corner by emphasising the gothic, ethereal side of their sound, with Seed having a driving rhythm to clash with Katie Bell’s pixie-ish vocal delivery.
TRANNY
Tove Lo, No One Dies From Love
Pop's most consistent and disgustingly underrated artist struck gold again with this melancholic yet deeply infectious tune about heartbreak that kicks off her 5th LP "Dirt Femme" on an exceptionally high note.
JohnErle - Génie du parfum - Your soap-bubble comparison hit the nail on the head. This may be my favorite of yours. I've liked quite a bit, actually, which makes me sad that you'll only enjoy 0.5 of the 30 songs I list.
Well, I did like the Cannons track, so at worst you'll finish 1 for 30. You should see the glass as 1/30th full.
16.
Courting – The youthful energy had some appeal, but in the end it felt like a mish-mash of influences without adding much that felt new.
Dayglow – Remember when I liked that Cannons track? Good times.
Just Mustard – A “hold the mustard” joke is pretty obvious, but that's all I've got today.
Toblerone – Yeah, that's obvious too, but it's cold AF today so I'm feeling a little sluggish. The 80s synths are nice, but the auto-tune is a bit much. It's a welcome change of pace at the end of the day's list.
John
Spoon, Held
I like the music and how this all sounds. I can't say I love it, but it's nice.
Leestu
Courting, Loaded
Not a fan of the voice of the singer, I thought immediately. But. At first I thought this wasn't really for me. But. But the more the song was advancing, the more I liked it actually. I found it really cool.
Shryke
Dayglow, Stops Making Sense
It's alright. Good parts. Some more conventional. But alright.
Six
Just Mustard, Seed
What do you mean, awful band name ? I love mustard. I like the anguish that oozes from this track. Not sure I'll want to listen to it often, or even again, but there is definitely something interesting created.
Tranny
Tove Lo, No One Dies From Love
I like pop, and I can't say I really know Tove Lo's work. Not a fan of this one.
#16
John: Strongly disagree with categorizing this as "scorching". Everything from that seemingly looped guitar riff to that sleepy vocal delivery were so plodding to me that it felt like the song ran for 15 minutes.
Leestu: Weird, noisy and generally pretty enjoyable.
Shryke: Not a fan. It has a weird identity crisis of being too sugary to be indie pop and too stagnant to be mainstream, which leaves it in this weird in between space that's just instantly forgettable.
six: While it's not something I see myself getting really into, the mix of dissonance and ethereal beauty gives them a very distinct, emotive sound that is easy to understand the appeal of.
JohnErle - Utensil - I listened to this album, and quite liked it. One made my Top 100 (watch my FB wall for that), and "My Babe" nearly did. This one was just ok for me.
Leestu - The People's Courting - Not for me.
Six - Grey Poupon - This was very good. Excellent, even. But yeah, the name sucks.
Tranny - Dance Monkey - I think I've heard this before. Didn't affect me then, didn't affect me now.
My only beef with this song is that the opening verse had a chance to rhyme boxes with clockses and wasted the opportunity.
LEESTU
Black Midi, 27 Questions
My favourite from the album…as well as the great music I love the humour they bring here, including the well named, but inaccurate song title.
SHRYKESPEARE
Asgeir, Snowblind
Clouds are crawling down the mountain
Can't see where one ends and the other begins
From afar, I see headlights
Burn through the storm and everything within
We're driving higher and higher, further up the hill in blinding snow
Higher, higher, static white noise on the radio
I don't know who or what, if anyone, is really in control
I’d never heard the term “folktronica” before looking up Icelandic singer-songwriter Asgeir, but apparently it’s a thing. It comprises various elements of folk music and electronica, usually by fusing acoustic instruments with electronic or dance rhythms. I can’t say I’ve heard much music coming out of Iceland (apart from Bjork/Sugarcubes), but I find his sound fascinating. I haven’t yet checked out his 2022 album, Time On My Hands, but if this is typical of his stuff, I look forward to hearing it.
SIX
Catcher, Comparing Saviours and Friends
Fucking hell, it feels like Iceage are still a new act, and yet they’ve been around long enough to have new bands aspiring to be them. This 5-piece from New York have a similar vibe and drunken vocal style, though incorporate a restless fiddle to imbue a different kind of energy. Their debut record is impressive and I can’t wait to see how they develop.
TRANNY
J.I.D. feat. Kenny Mason, Dance Now
While JID has made far more introspective and impactful songs than "Dance Now", he's never made anything that's even close to as fun. The Atlanta rapper lets completely loose on this triumphant track that's designed to eviscerate stereo speakers and showcase his awe-inspiring technical rapping skills via at least a half a dozen different flows over the course of 4 minutes.
Bonus note: The main producer on this is a 16-year old who used a sample from a Hasidic folk song he heard repeatedly at a Jewish summer camp in New Hampshire during the summer of 2021 and "Dance Now" got released while he was at the same camp in 2022. The amount of bragging this kid did after the song came out had to have been historic.
Aesgir – The intro was great, but then it veered into a disco/electro vibe that kinda lost me. Not bad, overall.
JID – The simple, hypnotic groove was way more appealing to me than most of your hip-hop picks, but at usual we have very different ideas about what makes an appealing vocalist.
Leetsu: Yeah, it's songs like this that make them too susceptible to being labelled a pirate's caberet.
Shryke: This was quite nice, actually. Sounds like they're trying to be Foals, but since Foals are no good at being Foals these days, I enjoyed this much more than I thought. Best track from you so far.
Tranny: Yep, that was pretty good. Nice sample (bravo, kid) and excellent flow.
I like the anguish that oozes from this track. Not sure I'll want to listen to it often, or even again, but there is definitely something interesting created.