2015 wouldn’t be complete without an arbitrary list of the year’s best songs written as irrefutable fact rather than barely cohesive opinion.
Here’s ours. To make matters even worse not all these tunes were even released this year, some of them we just heard for the first time. And there’s 14 of them which is weird.
Seriously it’s like we’re not even trying any more…
Mike Garry & Joe Duddell: St Anthony – An Ode to Anthony H Wilson
Released in August on the 8th anniversary of Tony Wilson’s death, this 9 minute encapsulation of a culture that defined PD’s youth and the man who laid claim to it (to be honest if one man could it would be Mr Wilson) makes us weep with joy and nostalgia each & every time.
Also there’s a remix by God (AKA Andrew Weatherall).
Grasscut: Red Kite
In July we were ready to call Black Rivers’ eponymous debut album of the year. Then Grasscut’s “Everyone Was A Bird” flew in. Huge, sweeping, pastoral tunes with a touch of Kes in the evocative lyrical tributes to the British countryside. We saw Grasscut at the Union Chapel one Saturday in November (Daylight Music is an ongoing series of free gigs at the Chapel. Worth dropping in on) where they also stole gig of the year in a soaring 30 minutes.
Everything Everything: The Distant Past
Crams so much fun into 3 minutes 42 seconds it’s like Flight Of The Concords trapped in a washing machine with Hot Chip on a fast spin.
Public Service Broadcasting: Gagarin
To be honest the entire Race For Space album is nerdcore joy so it was a toughy but this one has big, tarty horns and just look at the video.
Holly Cooke: Shadow Kissing
Yes yes yes we know this is 4 years old but Holly Cook dominated our Summer more than Uptown Bleedin’ Funk so we’re sharing this.
Drenge: We Can Do What We Want:
Drenge. There’s 2 of them. Making all this noise. Like QOTSA, ACDC & The Buzzcocks had an accident in Jeff Goldblum’s teleportation machine. We defy you not to jump up & down like a loon to this.
Missy Elliot: WTF
Ooh ooh Nicki Minaj, Azalea Banks, Iggy Azalea they’re so challenging, risky & inventive. They really push the boundaries of hip hop. They’re just such powerful, independent female role models.
Shit! Missy’s back! Put your arse away and Look busy!
Gwenno: Chwyldro (Andrew Weatherall Remix)
And now, telepathically projecting in from the Welsh Dimension is Gwenno. Comparisons to SFA are inevitable but beyond the Cymru connection Gwenno shares a fantastic knack for crafting dreamy pop tunes laced with psychedelia.
We were hoping to share the Andrew Weatherall mix with you but it’s not on the Youtubes so you’ll have to imagine what it sounds like.
New Order: Plastic
Hooky, honestly, we love you but you need to stop chatting nonsense about New Order being imposters. Plastic is without doubt the best thing the band have produced since Technique and you’re not on it. Shush.
Black Rivers: The Ship
The Williams’ Brothers (formerly of Doves) collection of mini-epics retains their triumphant tune-smithery but adds a more electronic sound. The whole album is a gem but The Ship is a rolling, mechanical monster.
Wolf Alice: You’re A Germ
Everyone loves Wolf Alice don’t they? They’re like all the good bits of early 90’s guitar pop rolled into one. “You’re A Germ” finds them in Spikey Sub-Pop mode and is a perfect jumping up & down companion to Drenge.
Ibibio Sound Machine: Let’s Dance
Well ok then Ibibio Sound Machine, if you insist. Let’s Dance is so infectious it would give a 3 day old corpse the funk.
We’ve decided to call Ibibio Sound Machine Afrofuturist-electro-funk. What with all the genre inventing it’s like the NME before it turned rubbish round here in’t it?