My 2015 in Music

Happy almost 2016!

This is a shorter list than usual, because this year, for the first time in a long time, I didn’t put music first. I put books and writing and smiling and yoga first instead. Making playlists lost it’s charm. I also listened to an awful lot of podcasts: Serial, All Songs Considered, New Yorker Fiction, Nerdist…the list goes on.

Still I bought a lot of vinyl and went to a good number of gigs. This is a potted look at what will stay with me from 2015.

Record of the Year: Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell 

An unsurprising choice, I love it as much as the rest of the world.

Gig of the year: Twilight Sad at the Barrowlands 

Watching a band who have come so far do so well was quite something. I also watched two of them do an in-store in February at Vox Box music. It was quite something.

New Discovery of the Year (x2) 

Hector Bizerk

I love this band – Drums. Rap. Yes.

Frazey Ford 

What a lady.

I was also listening to lots of other new and old stuff, which I have decided to bullet point for no particular reason…

• Micah P Hinson (especially the song Patience)
• Low (Drums & Guns & Ones and Sixes)
• David Bazan
• Damien Jurado
• Nada Surf
• The Decemberists
• Sun Kill Moon
• Dark Dark Dark
• John Grant
• Courtney Barnett
• Villagers
• Joanna Gruesome

Peace and happy listening x

 

 

 

Just a Phase I’m Going Through

That phase in question is listening to, or rather binging on, the KEXP Song of the Day podcast. It’s a great way to discover new bands, plus most of the tracks I’ve heard so far are good and loud for the morning. If you haven’t already also check out the station’s live sessions, generally awesome stuff.

Discovered Rose Windows

And Bouquet

TODAY!

Throwback Tuesday: Led Zeppelin & Nirvana

Just because it’s what I felt like listening to.

Listen Up! Modest Mouse

Because it’s Monday.

Because it made me feel like singing.

Because I haven’t blogged in ages.

Because it’s easy to forget old favourites.

The Twilight Sad

It’s dark here

Beats twinkle

There’s a voice I can’t forget

And rain

I feel like I did before

Hurt. Charged with something. Willing to be known.

At the core of it is brilliance.

Thinking a band’s name is entirely perfect.

I cannot play it loud enough.

The Ballad of Lou The Welterweight

One winter morning I went round to my new friend’s flat

Four of us: ten hours of beers and records

Afternoon and already dark

I lay upside down on the couch

Asked her for the song she’d most like to share

This is it.

In life there are moments

you want to remember.

LISTEN UP! MOGWAI’s RAVE TAPES

A recent conversation:

My friend: I always thought Mogwai were a rubbish indie band.

Me: No they’re not.

My friend: I know. I’ve been listening to them. They’re really good.

Me: Yes. Yes they are. They’re new album Rave Tapes is awesome.

Both: Nod heads with quiet satisfaction.

Stream it here, as a pointer ‘Replelish’s’ spoken word sampling and eerie melody are spine-tingling.

 

 

Listen UP! Obits & Death Gaze

l found these two tracks next to each other on Soundcloud just now, by two bands I have never heard of. Listen loud and then say thank you.

Daily Dance: Wild Cub

I was too busy to post dancing music yesterday, you have no idea how sad that made me. Shake it loose to Wild Cub!

If you listen to one thing this week…make it Sucioperro

More precisely the new Sucioperro album Fused.  I’m in the middle of a hyper busy week which means I’m not going to say much at the Ayrshire trio’s latest effort, other than it’s some mightly addictive rock -yaaaaaaaaaaaaaasss! Available in independent music stores everywhere and of course to stream below.

Video for the quite brilliant ‘To Nothing’…