It’s been an exceptional year in music, so I’m breaking with tradition to create a “best of” list of sorts. My 2013 list includes nine favourites, actually. Why only nine? It was nearly impossible to name a tenth and leave off everything else, so I’ll leave it there. Subjective though these lists may be, one quality of this list that can’t be refuted is the sheer variety of very good music that’s out there. Much of it comes from bands with debuts albums and those just starting out. Without much ado, let’s start with number 9 and Chicago’s own Panda Riot.
9) Panda Riot, “Northern Automatic Music”
In what we earnestly hope is not another revival of bands with iterative names (Crystal Whatever), Chicago-based Panda Riot have beamed back from the year 2037 to bridge an interesting gap between the dreamy electropop and minimalist shoegaze realms. They’ve splashed down somewhere in the middle with lilting vocals and deafeningly delightful results. Led by band mates Brian, Rebecca, Jose, Cory and a robot dog drum machine, they haven’t yet eclipsed Pussy Riot for notoriety, but let’s give them some time. Their new release “Northern Automatic Music” should quickly solidify fan interest. Crank up the volume on Amanda in the Clouds — it is simply brilliant, delivering angular chord changes from a haunting wall of fuzz effect. Their sense of the dramatic is instantly felt as guitars buzz like angry bees and the vocals loft down from heaven. Another easy pick for “bands to watch.”
http://pandariot.bandcamp.com/track/amanda-in-the-clouds
8) Midday Veil, “The Current”
There are some bands that require copious details in description and endless justifications for how they transcend a category. Then there are bands that it’s simply best to plug into them and listen. Seattle’s Midday Veil are amongst a growing revival of psychedelic and progressive rock performers who fall into the later, and “The Current” is their incredible sophomore release of 2013.
As for transcending categories, at times this five-piece band would fit in nicely with a shoegaze gig line up and few listeners would be able to identify the differences between genres — perhaps further amplifying the futility of music categories in the first place. The title track, The Current, is a perfect case in point, laying down a solid electronic krautrock vibe behind a wafting melody, crafty rhythm guitars, and lovely vocals that punch at sway whilst a wall of vintage synth lines guides the whole affair. By the time we reach the end of this song, many listeners wouldn’t be at all concerned that some crafty musicians had hijacked their shoegaze experience. And that is precisely what is so interesting about Midday Veil. No sooner is the hook set, that other tracks quickly announce we are in the midst of a very hot progrock release.
Choreia is an easy progrock favourite here, with the drums taking the lead on this tasty asymmetrical 4/4 instrumental supported with more vintage and dare we say antique synthesiser sounds, all courtesy of the fascinating analogue mastery of David Golightly. His penchant for mixing sounds of old and new is exactly what is needed in an ever-similar digital landscape. On Choreia, he builds up the song and hands it over to be destroyed by a nice bit of guitar frippery from Timm Mason.
Continuing on this synth rich experience, Remembering Child and Without and Within are a twinset of perfect metaphysical weirdness with Middle Eastern and trance flavours carrying us down a slowly moving stream of discovery. The album wraps up with another twinset on Sun Stone and Great Cold of the Night, which provide for the strongest psychedelic statement on the release, this time punctuated by the incredible vocals of Emily Pothast.
Whilst “The Current” this is an ever hypnotic, enigmatic, and excellent long listen by itself, Midday Veil is a band best experienced live. To that end, here’s an entire set from the fantastic KEXP.
7) Nordic Giants, “Build Seas, Dismantling Suns”
My early prediction is that the Brighton-based Nordic Giants will be very big in a few years, though perhaps not in the typical fashion of rock and roll fame and fortune. Rather, Nordic Giants are composing epically conceived mixtures of mythology and modern science set to heart pounding orchestral arrangement and multi-media presentations, whilst collecting some of the best vocal talent along the way. In spite of carrying the dubious label of “post rock,” the music is daringly artful, delightful atmospheric, and fully engaging for cinematic accompaniment. On stage, fans are frequently treated to exotic costumes complete with wildly plumed headgear and ornamentation befitting mythological giants.
Their latest double EP, “Build Seas, Dismantling Sun,” continues their exploration into sublime and ethereal realms as the album features soaring vocals and heaven sent sounds fit for a cathedral. Violent Lights leaps out at the gate early on Build Seas, tempered by the soothing vocals of Alex Hedley. Next, Drumfire amps up the drama with crashing drums and cymbals, atmospheric synths, and lofty bugle lines.
Neotenie easily provides the wow factor backed by otherworldly sound samples from the future scientific reel. Here the sound teeters back and forth between slow and softly swirling synths and audio samples before giving way to pulsing keyboard arpeggios mixed with smashing cymbals, pumping drums, and guitar noise. The last track of the first EP lands on softer ground with the lovely and delicate vocals of Freyja on Between Two Worlds.
Dismantle Suns opens with the soulful voice of Alyusha on Little Bird, which sounds like a deconstructed R&B composition, reassembled with atmospheric stretches of brass echoes, longing vocal refrains, and distant strings. By the time the chorus reassembles you’ll turn up the volume on this darkly haunting track. Mechanical Minds continues with audio sample and more cinematic flair before giving way to another lovely vocal track on Strangest Tides. HeyMun lends her sweet and syrupy vocal treatment to this expansive dream pop song. Finally Dark Clouds Mean War completes the EP with another cinematic display that begins slowly with piano keys tinkling and strings before the audio sample and drums cue the fireworks.
All in all, this is another huge undertaking for the duo. Expect more slow building compositions that swell and crash down with a panoramic delight, as these giants expand the boundaries of art rock to create a new sonic and cinematic landscape.
This first video will give you a glimpse into their live performance.
This second video is from the new EP.
6) The Fauns, “Lights”
A very late entry into my list made an instant impact. Fluid, luscious, and haunting, “Lights” bursts forth like a newly born star in a galactic cradle. Far from a shoegaze rehash, the Bristol-based five piece digs deeper into current forms on “Lights.” Point Zero sets the tone before Seven Hours reminds us why we love this kind of music. The pulse quickens and adrenaline increases to pulsating twin guitars, pumping bass line, and a layered synth tone that whines like jet engines on the tarmac before this song achieves suborbital flight. Ease Down is an easy favourite on the album. It drives hard, hums and buzzes in your ears while plucked lines linger like bells above the din. Like many of the albums songs, this one has a joyful ascending quality to it, pulsating and pushing you ever forward until it resolves. Alison Garner’s lovely voice floats softly above the mix throughout the album.
However you need to categorise this sound, it is simply lovely with hints of old and new influences sprinkled throughout. Close your eyes and jump back two decades on In Flames and Lights. One track, in particular, that breaks from the formula is Nothing Ever, which smashes down darkly and disharmoniously though with great appeal.
The quiet and contemplated 4am strikes a very different tone on the record that shows a depth in songwriting and simplicity of arrangement that will serve band in the future. The Fauns grab our attention with more than their big sounds and songwriting as they are another in a growing trend of bands that eschew big labels and marketing in favour of word-of-mouth fan development and record sales. Based on this new release, both the fan base and their notoriety are going to expand and quickly for this young band.
5) ALPINE, “A is for Alpine”
Fresh off their debut release of 2013 “A is for Alpine”, ALPINE slip past the easy descriptions whilst remained firmly greased in the ether. Is it pop rock? Math rock? Femme pop? Does it matter? Listening to ALPINE is the practical application of Feynman’s double slit paradox — a single band simultaneously existing and performing in multiple musical universes — and all to the delight of an appreciative and growing fan base. Supported by tight but atmospheric compositions and punchy rhythms, the lovely Lou James and Phoebe Baker are like two diving swallows, crisscrossing each other on vocals.
Opening with Lovers 1, ALPINE quickly set an atmospheric mood that sustains throughout much of the album, courtesy of Tim Royall’s clever synth and keyboard work. Pop vocals merge with a shoegaze flurry of Christian O’Brien’s guitar and a relentless rhythm punctuated by Phil Tucker’s pounding metronomic drums and crashing cymbals. Lovers 2 picks up the exact same melody but this time drives it with electronic beats with the metronomic duties now switching to plucked guitar lines. Over all of this, Lou and Phoebe provide angelic vocals.
Some of the highlights of the album include the darkly staccato pop emanation of Hands and continue through the slow burning Villages, which builds slowly through nearly three minutes before exploding into a lovely extended chorus jam driven home by Ryan Lamb’s thunderous and high energy bass lines. Phil might be the energy plant in the band, but when Ryan lets loose on a song, he absolutely sets things ablaze.
Much of this debut is a darkly emotional affair that switches back and forth between genres far too easily for such a young band. There are times when you’re hearing hints of Radiohead such as on darkly tinged All For One. Just as quickly they let the sugar flow on the shimmering dream pop of Gasoline. The diversity of this mix is beyond refreshing, and their live set is even better. For this reason ALPINE rated very high in 2013. Back in Melbourne, Australia and busy writing and recording their sophomore effort, this lovely band continues to be on my ones to watch for 2014.
4) Savages, “Silence Yourself”
So much has already been writing about the Savages eagerly awaited album, that it’s nearly pointless to rehash the album with the exception of a scant few points. That said, this band so established a presence with its live show that news burned hot trails — something incredible was happening in London. Punk is reborn, or something to that effect, which is to say that we haven’t seen a band with this kind of hot electricity pulsing on stage in some time, perhaps a very long time.
There’s a voyeuristic quality to the entire album, as “Silence Yourself” is a carefully planned and premeditated crime being played out with measured precision and flair. We witness, we listen, and maybe we dance. As for the music, it’s not the angry snarl and growl of old punk, but a measured release of energy and emotion — and somewhat of a theatrical detachment to it.
In revealing this, it is by no means a critique to the negative. On the contrary, this album pulsates with imagination, thought and emotion through huge sounds and tracks that blazes hot, inviting us to dive in. The album is organised into to nearly identical series of track on different sides of vinyl, following a fast fast slow, fast fast slow tempo. The fire is lit immediately with Shut Up and continues for four straight songs before we reach a more contemplative pause with Waiting For A Sign. To me, City’s Full is the album’s most kinetic and pleasing of the first side of the album. The mid point of the album, Dead Nature, is an eerie atmospheric instrumental from Gemma Thompson, and one that leaves us wanting more of her crafty guitar. Then the tempo is repeated again starting with She Will and ending with Marshall Dear.
Perhaps the best part of this debut is that we are treated to a highly balanced group of musicians, each playing an equal part in pulling off a masterful debut. From Ayse Hassan to Fay Milton to Gemma Thompson and Jehnny Beth, there is no role that jumps ahead of the others. There’s little question that this album’s bold first statement that will continue to make its presence felt for years to come.
3) Dutch Uncles, “Out of Touch in the Wild”
Labouring for far too long in the UK and Europe, the Dutch Uncles have become masters of complex musical compositions that defy easy description and general categorisation. “Out of Touch in the Wild” is the bands third full release, and one of their most cohesive efforts to date.
There are few bands that deliver such an intellectual offering and make it so eminently accessible. Imagine a small group of highly trained musicians assemble to capture a much larger sound. Now place that in a modern music ensemble and you essentially have chamber rock. The resulting compositions are an intriguing mix of beautifully intertwined passages that support Duncan Wallis’s lilting vocals and raise our listening to the heights of sophisticated elegance without any hint of stuffiness. Like the two prior albums, “Out of Touch in the Wild” doesn’t veer off into conceptual grounds ala art rock. Instead we are treated to a collection of songs, each delivering nothing less than contemplations of issues of sex, drugs and rock and roll — focuses on various human addictions and their direct consequences.
Sonically, the album is full of slow building and elegant prologues that offer a sense of urgency, longing, and unresolved tension. There are so many highlights to this album that it’s difficult to single them out. Flexxin is such an instant and easily accessible classic hit, but digging deeper and turn up the volume and Nomento is such a fantastic 3:45. For me the strongest parts of the album are the first four tracks with Godboy being the album’s strongest statement.
As they contemplate another album, a nagging question arises. Can they make the leap from being a well-known Marple band to being an internationally acclaimed act? Based on this quality of this excellent release, it’s certainly no stretch to think so — and they certainly deserve it.
For the full review of this album, click here.
https://www.eastportlandblog.com/2013/05/16/more-sex-drugs-rock-and-rolland-string-quartets-a-review-of-dutch-uncles-out-of-touch-in-the-wild-by-peter-dysart/
2) Public Service Broadcasting, “Inform – Education – Entertain”
Song of the Year, “Night Mail”
There have been many bands, as J. Willgoose notes, that have substituted samples for a lead vocal. But few have so successfully integrated the essence of those samples so deeply into the storytelling as have Public Service Broadcasting. Indeed, what Willgoose has achieved is nothing short of a unique new genre in music. In fact, there hasn’t been this successful a sampling merger since Bill Nelson’s “Optimism.” Short of calling their debut album “Inform – Educate – Entertain” a concept album, Willgoose and Wrigglesworth have created a new adventure in multimedia presentations by adapting old film reel footage and seamlessly knitting it into a soundscape of shimmering and colourful synth layers, tasteful drumming, punching guitars and heart pounding crescendos. This cinematic affair focuses narrowly on individual short subjects from our not so distant and somewhat overly optimistic mid-20th century with Willgoose serving as expert curator, composer, and performer behind these delightful vignettes. The total result is nothing less than a brilliant album that imparts pure listening joy and maybe even a new sense of optimism.
In addition to last year’s fantastic singles of Spitfire and Everest, this debut collection features many outstanding tracks. The frenetic Signal 30 dips into American attempts to curb reckless and drink driving. Qomolangma is an atmospheric ascent complete with reverbed bugles and buoyant strings. ROYGBIV offers a playful reminder on the birth of colour television carried by some delightful banjo picking atop layered synth passages, and Lit Up elevates the Woodrooffe Incident and the commander’s overly emotional fleet description into something a bit more enjoyable.
But one song rises well above the rest is Night Mail. It’s the pinnacle effort here. Behind a rhythmic track that mimics the sound of train travelling down and endless track, the song slowly builds layers of samples and lovely atmospheric harmonies whilst deftly weaving W.H. Auden’s poem into a moody 3:50. It crescendos in an instrumental burst that tightens the throat and moistens the eyes on each listen. Perhaps the fullest effect of songs like these should be felt like a shot of British pride and goodwill. As it stands, Night Mail ties for song of the year.
The true test of this album’s lasting value is that it can be enjoyed sans the video portion that accompanies the band’s live act. The lone disappointment is that the absolutely cracking track, New Dimensions in Sound, did not make the full album. Nevertheless, Public Service Broadcasting have produced one of the top albums of the year and we should expect nothing less than brilliance from their future work.
In 2014, Public Service Broadcasting will embark on their first tour Stateside that will include their debut at SXSW in March — something that should not be missed for any reason.
1) The Joy Formidable, “Wolf’s Law”
Song of the Year, “The Turnaround.”
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” — T. S. Eliot
This past year I reviewed “Wolf’s Law” in depth and concluded very early in listening to this effort that risk continues to be essential to a strong and thriving creative process, but it’s also central to the survival instinct. Too often artists land on something that brings them acclaim and commercial success and they never move away from it for fear of losing it. It’s their own fault they become pigeonholed and lost in the endless waves of new releases. They fail to take risks and grow beyond the present.
But not The Joy Formidable. They took considerable risks with their sophomore effort, including alienating their first set of fans to move on to other artistic realms. But the result was worth it, as this is perhaps the most diverse recording released this year. From loud and abrasive to gentle and lamenting, “Wolf’s Law” covered the most ground as it explored human relations and their connections to the world around. As I stated the first time around, “the band did its level best to send worlds on a collision course; heaven and hell smash together and burn brighter than a thousand suns. What’s left is represented on this album and it’s passage into some new territory that is nothing less imaginative and nothing less than fearless.”
The album starts out with two very powerful singles in Cholla and This Ladder is Ours before pushing to different and often highly emotional realms. Tendons rips at our concept of relationships before the manic Bats churns our guts and burns in our ears. By the time we reach Silent Treatment, the brewing theme is all too clear. Maw Maw Song was a discomforting track for some, but one that delivered its effect with great élan, as the song builds to a monstrous guitar solo. Notably disparaged by some reviewers, there were a few who took the time to dig deeper before passing judgment. To my ears, most missed the meaning. Where I failed to mention it the first time through, one of my favourite parts of this song were Matt Thomas’s rumbling toms leading into the chorus.
From this point one, the album treats us to Forest Serenade, a nod to the source of much of this album’s Portland Maine inspiration. Leopard and the Lung was likely the track deserving of far more attention. The Hurdle is an absolute gem, delivering a joyful and triumphant chorus. And then there was the album’s best track, The Turnaround, surrendering a very personal memory filled with the deepest of sorrow that leaves us drained but better for the experience. Seldom do we get to hear a track of such magnitude in conception or execution, and without a doubt, there was only one band that could have possibly recorded such a cross-generational masterpiece. The Turnaround easily shares honours for song of the year.
I continue to marvel at the creative energy of this band, their authentic vocal forward compositions, maniacal energy in performance, and their unbelievable friendly nature. Where they go next I trust will have little bearing on where they’ve been and for that reason, the spirit of T.S. Eliot is very much alive and well. They’re moving boldly into 2014.
