2016 - in brief - Annus Horribilis

“So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year over, a new one just begun”

Did no one pull John Lennon up on that lyric? Did Yoko not say “Hey, a new one hasn’t begun, you idiot, it’s still December at Christmas, what’s wrong with you. You’ve not been anywhere near as good since you stopped writing with Paul. Now get back in your cage and write better words or no Christmas pudding for you”

No probably not.

Here we are again. Nearly the end of the year and once again the saturation of the music publications Top 200/100/50/10 Albums, Tracks, People, Events, Nail Varnish Colour, Biggest Twat etc etc ad infinitum. Some are definitely worth reading (the ones where I’ve been asked my opinion mostly ha ha), some are so generic and just trot out the obvious names (here’s a hint for those of you who have somehow missed them, it’s Bowie or Beyoncé. EVERY.TIME) and maybe Bowie’s is great but, shock horror, I’m sorry, I’m just not that much of a fan at all I’m afraid.

I started this entry with the same thing I said last year and I’m going to repeat myself again. No matter how hard I try, I still don’t have a clue who half of the bands or artists are in these lists. These aren’t obscure magazines and websites either, these are you more well known sites like DIY, NME, Sterogum, Guardian and so on and so on. I swear I’ve never seen or read a single thing about these performers and yet these aren’t the readers vote a lot of the time. These are the writers and contributors.

 The other thing is that my list includes bands and artists almost completely missing from these lists, with a couple of exceptions (Radiohead). This isn’t unusual in itself, but considering a number of them are due to rave reviews and write ups by these magazines, it’s strange these don’t appear but those aforementioned do.
Anyway, it’s been a bit of an odd year, basically waiting for which great music icon, comedian, actor, writer or thinker would kick the bucket next. There have been some brilliant records, some awful records, some great tracks and some bollocks, but the stench of death and political, social, economic and human disaster has hung heavy over our heads, so much so that it’s tainted almost everything.
For what it’s worth, these records, artists and bands containing genii and lovely people, have made it all a bit more bearable.

Albums of 2016

1) Ultrasound – Real Britannia
2) Evans the Death – Vanilla
3) Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
4) Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial
5) Ryley Walker – Golden Sings that have been Sung
6) We are Scientists – Helter Seltzer
7) Unqualified Nurse  Band – The Debasement Tapes
8) Haley Bonar – Impossible Dream
9) The Anchoress – Confessions of Romance Novelist
10) Jack White – Acoustic Recordings

Songs of 2016

1) The Roundabout – Ryley Walker
2) Blue Remembered Hills – Ultrasound
3) Soul Girl – Ultrasound
4) God’s Gift – Ultrasound
5) Kon-tiki - Ultrasound
6) Burn the Witch – Radiohead
7) The Numbers - Radiohead
8) Feeling my Heart Run Slow – Paul Draper
9) Friends Make the Worst Enemies – Paul Draper
10) Don’t You Wait, It Might Never Come – Paul Draper
11) Hollow –Desperate Journalist
12) Buckle – We are Scientists
13) We Need to Have a Word – We are Scientists
14) Maybe we’ll Drown – Menace Beach
15) Leave, Leave, Leave – M O S E S
16) Give it your worst – False Advertising
17) Suitcase Jimmy – Evans the Death
18) Sweet Heart Deal – Bivouac
19) Citrus – Animal Daydream
20) Terrified – Isaac Gracie
21) Don’t Get Taken – Acid Dad
22) Vincent – Car Seat Headrest
23) Do you still love me – Ryan Adams
24) Give Blood – Menace Beach
25) I’ve been so lost for so long – American Football

(They aren’t in any particular order, they’re all brilliant. I’ve listened to a lot of songs this year and these are the best)

Best E.P’s

1) Paul Draper – EP TWO
2) Paul Draper – EP ONE
3) M O S E S – EP
4) Isaac Gracie – Songs from my bedroom
5) Acid Dad – How to plan a robbery

I’m not going any further than that. There are enough lists out there as it is.

I will just say that whilst those in the know will spot that the Ultrasound record only came out on 2nd December (vinyls pending) I was fortunate enough to interview the lovely Vanessa Wilson, bassist and vocalist extraordinaire back in September and was given a sneaky stream of the album before so I have had the pleasure of it aurally caressing my lugholes for a few months now and it is a bleedin’ masterpiece. I definitely got the impression when talking to Vanessa that this was the album that they always intended to make when recording ‘Everything Picture’ back in the late 90’s. Still a sprawling, gargantuan record but more succinct and immediate. A bite size edition, despite the 20 minute closing song ‘Blue Remembered Hills’ which is really a cyclical medley of songs, with a theme running through it’s core. It’ll be a treat if played live, hopefully if a tour is forthcoming in 2017.

To next year. With any luck, it won’t be greeted like this years string of dead. The good news already is that there are a swath of brilliant new albums scheduled for release.
Album Two for both Menace Beach (Lemon Memory) and Desperate Journalist (Grow Up) are due in the first part of the year, along with Mark Morriss coming off the back of the 20th Anniversary of “Expecting to Fly” by releasing his third solo record of his own work (2015’s The Taste of Mark Morriss being all covers), there’s the sixth album by the stunning Laura Marling (Semper Fermina), Elbow return with album seven (Little Fictions) and Ryan Adams returns post the eponymous album and his take of Taylor Swift’s “1989” with his seven hundredth record (Prisoner). Prolific.

There's also anticipated new albums from Father John Misty, Noel Gallagher, the debut solo record from Liam Gallagher, Temples, Royal Blood and many more that'll get really boring to keep listing and even more to read. Bloody lists.

For those of us who aren't necessarily full of Yuletide joy, have a restful, peaceful break and drink and eat a lot. And listen to fuck loads of music. Definitely all of the above.

As for the rest of you who aren't sick of the sight of a Santa hat, bored of Noddy Holder screaming “It's Christmas” and haven't eaten all the decent Quality Street already, MERRY CHRIMBO!!

As long as Trump doesn’t begin the apocalypse and we aren't cut adrift by the EU without a pot to piss in, 2017 is already shaping up to be ace.

2016 so far

I had to take my time and think about this. Last year I separated the year into quarters mainly because the first three months of 2015 was so good, I felt I couldn't justify only a half yearly comment on what had come so early in the year.

This year, well, without wanting to piss on any bonfires, hasn't lived up to the same dawn of hope and excitement. It helped I had two records pre-ordered from before Christmas last year, and there was nothing with a release date I was anticipating greatly this.

There has been a couple of nice records. Villagers - Where have you been all my life is a pleasant re-working of Conor O'Brien's back catalogue and Nada Surf released their 7th record You know who you are which is distinctly listenable, especially "Cold to see Clear". They just aren't brilliant.

The Anchoress, aka Catherine AD aka Catherine Anne Davies, in conjunction with God-Like Genius Paul Draper of Mansun fame, released Confessions of a Romance Novelist, which is a strong collection of songs, a great vocal performance and beautiful production which gets better with each listen. It just didn't set my pants alight. There was no tingle , no sensation of electricity up the spine.
I may be being unfair. I'm a massive Paul Draper fan girl, and I'm waiting with bated breath for the debut single, One E.P and then L.P Spooky Action. This is the support act, and that is probably doing it an injustice.

That was kind of it for albums in quarter one. What did excite was a handful of E.P's and singles. Issac Gracie is someone to keep an eye on. More soul and heart than James fucking Bay, more talent in his right bollock than Zayn Malik has in his whole body and better song writing than Chris Martin has managed since 2002. Stand alone single, Last Words is stunning and he's followed it up with an E.P, Songs from my bedroom, basically demos which demonstrate a special musician at the cusp of greatness.

There's been a lot of hype across the pond, especially in New York about Acid Dad, who brought out Let's Plan a Robbery E.P, with lead track Don't Get Taken a barnstorming opener.

Back home in London, M O S E S are rippling the surface of the water with a couple of brilliant tracks, Low and Cause you got me.

There was also the protracted release of Anna B Savage's E.P, side A are her first four tracks, appropriately named by roman numeral, I, II, III, IV and then on side B, a live recording from Café Oto.

If any of those can sneak out a long player before the year is out, it could round things off perfectly.

So far, without a shadow of a doubt, the best album I have heard this year, was released last year, and I feel ashamed and frankly ridiculous for not listening to it then. It is a masterpiece. It was the album on everyone that matters lips, and I missed it.

I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty, is a record of such humour, lyrical dexterity, brilliant melody and simplistic songs that it's almost flawless. It's the sound of someone in love who just does not give a shit who knows it, who he tells or how he says it. I'm not going to lie, I draw parallels with the relationship I have with my wife, and our life, our habits, our little strange behaviours and our neighbours.

It is my album of the beginning of 2016 and it came out months before the end of last year.

It seems April had only just started when there came a flurry of announcements. Biffy Clyro debuted Wolves of Winter from their forthcoming new record Ellipsis, Richard Ashcroft is back from hibernation with another solo album, Bears Den have appeared out of nowhere with news of a second long player and We are Scientists have created a brand new genre of music, Helter Seltzer (which is an absolute belter incidentally, but i'll tell you about that in July)..

All this does pale into insignificance a touch when it comes to the Paul Draper releases. In only a few days time I'll be holding his debut single in my grubby mits and come June we'll have an E.P to behold, followed by the album in August. Today Steve Lamacq premiered the lead track Feeling My Heart Run Slow, which was initially debuted back in 2014 at the Mansun Fan Convention, but with the benefit of a year or so of tinkering and a sheen of production technique we get this monster of a tune.

It's been a slow start to the year, it's just about to pick up and explode.