1: Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit...
Courtney Barnett swept into my life earlier this year, like a crisp no nonsense breeze direct from Melbourne Australia. Her album has been my most played, default sound of 2015. The winner of last year's HSD Top Ten Albums was Kate Tempest, a female artist with a unique sound and voice, signed to Ninja Tune, (HSD Top Ten Albums 2014.) Courtney is also a female artist with a unique sound and voice, signed to Ninja Tune. There must be something in the water at Ninja Towers!! Plenty of superlatives can be applied to Sometimes I Sit And Think... - funny and thought provoking, self-effacing yet positive, melancholic but uplifting. She also delivers a great live show, as I witnessed at Green Man Festival (HSD Green Man 2015 Review) and The Forum at the end of November, (HSD Courtney Barnett at The Forum.) As all true artists should be, she is consumed in the moment, whether writhing on the floor to pick a solo, kneeling to beat her guitar into submission, or assuming a deceptive slacker pose - her presence is always captivating. Courtney captures suburban mundanity in her songs and invests it with meaning and humour. In Depreston she sings of “a collection of those canisters for coffee, tea and flour.” In Aqua Profunda she has a brief unspoken appreciation of a fellow swimmer, “I much prefer swimming to jogging.” She also deals with environmental issues that are obviously close to her heart. Kim’s Caravan faces up to the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef, “the Great Barrier Reef, it ain’t so great anymore,” whilst Dead Fox confronts the night time delivery of supermarket lorries, carrying fruit and veg pumped full of shit - but what the eye doesn’t see, the heart can’t grieve over. The sing a long poetry of Elevator Operator and the story of Oliver Paul are a joy to behold. Courtney Barnett is not only a breath of fresh air but is a force to be reckoned with. Music and lyrics should speak to us about our lives, Courtney does this to perfection and she is the Head Space Daily Number One album of 2015...
Take a listen to the three tracks below...
2: Matthew E White - Fresh Blood...
I love the bearded wonder that is Matthew E White. His beard is not that of a hipster, it isn’t a passing fad. In fact, he was probably born with a beard, as a symbol of his lyrical wisdom to come and with music like this, he won't be a passing fad either. I was introduced to Mr. White and his Fresh Blood album in the early part the year and like all good music, it made me come back for more, in the knowledge that it would keep on getting better. All the albums in my top ten achieve that goal. Matthew E White’s music is breath taking. It gets inside your head and takes you to another place. It is lyrically meaningful, spiritually uplifting and musically sublime. Tickets have been bought for his show at The Roundhouse on January 30th. I have not tired of listening to Fresh Blood all year, which is a great sign of being something special...
Click on the link below to listen:
3: UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA – MULTI LOVE...
Unknown Mortal Orchestra has been my favourite band for the past few years and seeing them grow and develop has been a real pleasure. With Multi Love, their third and most accessible album, they stay true to their slightly distorted musical outlook and the sound truly belongs to them. Psychedelic, soulful, funk, rock and pop are all words that could be used to describe their music and every label in that description could easily be applied at different points within their albums or live sets. They have become one of the very few artists or bands that I have seen perform on three or more occasions, having seen them at the Electric Ballroom (UMO Electric Ballroom 2013) Islington Assembly Hall and their recent gig at Shepherd’s Bush Empire was my favourite live show of 2015 (UMO - Shepherd's Bush Empire.) Their live show has grown in stature and taken on a persona of its own – pushing the music way beyond the constraints of a recorded format and freeing it up in the live arena. Ruban Neilsen, the main man, has relinquished total control, allowing the other band members the freedom to express themselves and it has worked a treat. The addition of a superb keyboard player has taken the music in another direction, the drummer is sensational, and the bassist who holds it all together needs to be given his wings!! To be able to produce incredibly good music, with a unique feel, time and again is the sign of a band at the top of their game. Multi Love is another super UMO LP...
Click on the link below to listen:
4: NATALIE PRASS -
This is a simply beautiful album of pure, heartfelt gorgeousness. Hailing from Richmond Virginia Natalie is part of Matthew E White’s Spacebomb family, her album being recorded alongside White’s Fresh Blood LP. Prass is a charismatic, stylish and vibrant performer, with a timeless, crystal clear voice, full of honesty and emotion. She also wears a great pair of shades. The music wraps itself around you, from the soaring Bird Of Prey and the raw, emotive Violently – a song of simmering desire – to It Is You, feeling like it has stepped out from the soundtrack of a ‘50s musical (HSD Christmas Day Tune.) Her London gig at KOKO, scheduled for late November was called off, so I am anticipating her return. In the meantime I am clinging to the memory of her performance at The Green Man Festival and re listening to one of the best albums of 2015...
Click on the link below to listen:
5: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
It takes something special for hip hop to truly register and make a mark with me. It must be saying something positive and not be all bitch, ho, bling and misogyny. The landmarks of Jungle Brothers, Tribe, Jurassic 5, Outkast and Missy Elliott are some of the key albums in my collection. To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar is up there with them. It is not so much a series of songs as a damn funky and defiant, social and political statement, questioning the life and times of black America, whilst he also indulges in some introspective self-analysis. The music soundtracks the development of black culture, through a jazz, funk, soul, electro and naturally, hip hop score. To Pimp A Butterfly is the most meaningful hip hop album I have listened to since Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Millions...
It presents a vibrant voice, boldly speaking out and the lyrics have to be listened to. When he played Reading in the Summer, how many of the kids actually heard what Kendrick was saying? Whether it becomes a classic, only time will tell but it is a winner in my book. Have a listen and make your own judgment...
Click on the link below to listen:
1: Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit...
Courtney Barnett swept into my life earlier this year, like a crisp no nonsense breeze direct from Melbourne Australia. Her album has been my most played, default sound of 2015. The winner of last year's HSD Top Ten Albums was Kate Tempest, a female artist with a unique sound and voice, signed to Ninja Tune, (HSD Top Ten Albums 2014.) Courtney is also a female artist with a unique sound and voice, signed to Ninja Tune. There must be something in the water at Ninja Towers!! Plenty of superlatives can be applied to Sometimes I Sit And Think... - funny and thought provoking, self-effacing yet positive, melancholic but uplifting. She also delivers a great live show, as I witnessed at Green Man Festival (HSD Green Man 2015 Review) and The Forum at the end of November, (HSD Courtney Barnett at The Forum.) As all true artists should be, she is consumed in the moment, whether writhing on the floor to pick a solo, kneeling to beat her guitar into submission, or assuming a deceptive slacker pose - her presence is always captivating. Courtney captures suburban mundanity in her songs and invests it with meaning and humour. In Depreston she sings of “a collection of those canisters for coffee, tea and flour.” In Aqua Profunda she has a brief unspoken appreciation of a fellow swimmer, “I much prefer swimming to jogging.” She also deals with environmental issues that are obviously close to her heart. Kim’s Caravan faces up to the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef, “the Great Barrier Reef, it ain’t so great anymore,” whilst Dead Fox confronts the night time delivery of supermarket lorries, carrying fruit and veg pumped full of shit - but what the eye doesn’t see, the heart can’t grieve over. The sing a long poetry of Elevator Operator and the story of Oliver Paul are a joy to behold. Courtney Barnett is not only a breath of fresh air but is a force to be reckoned with. Music and lyrics should speak to us about our lives, Courtney does this to perfection and she is the Head Space Daily Number One album of 2015...
Take a listen to the three tracks below...
2: Matthew E White - Fresh Blood...
I love the bearded wonder that is Matthew E White. His beard is not that of a hipster, it isn’t a passing fad. In fact, he was probably born with a beard, as a symbol of his lyrical wisdom to come and with music like this, he won't be a passing fad either. I was introduced to Mr. White and his Fresh Blood album in the early part the year and like all good music, it made me come back for more, in the knowledge that it would keep on getting better. All the albums in my top ten achieve that goal. Matthew E White’s music is breath taking. It gets inside your head and takes you to another place. It is lyrically meaningful, spiritually uplifting and musically sublime. Tickets have been bought for his show at The Roundhouse on January 30th. I have not tired of listening to Fresh Blood all year, which is a great sign of being something special...
Click on the link below to listen:
3: UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA – MULTI LOVE...
Unknown Mortal Orchestra has been my favourite band for the past few years and seeing them grow and develop has been a real pleasure. With Multi Love, their third and most accessible album, they stay true to their slightly distorted musical outlook and the sound truly belongs to them. Psychedelic, soulful, funk, rock and pop are all words that could be used to describe their music and every label in that description could easily be applied at different points within their albums or live sets. They have become one of the very few artists or bands that I have seen perform on three or more occasions, having seen them at the Electric Ballroom (UMO Electric Ballroom 2013) Islington Assembly Hall and their recent gig at Shepherd’s Bush Empire was my favourite live show of 2015 (UMO - Shepherd's Bush Empire.) Their live show has grown in stature and taken on a persona of its own – pushing the music way beyond the constraints of a recorded format and freeing it up in the live arena. Ruban Neilsen, the main man, has relinquished total control, allowing the other band members the freedom to express themselves and it has worked a treat. The addition of a superb keyboard player has taken the music in another direction, the drummer is sensational, and the bassist who holds it all together needs to be given his wings!! To be able to produce incredibly good music, with a unique feel, time and again is the sign of a band at the top of their game. Multi Love is another super UMO LP...
Click on the link below to listen:
4: NATALIE PRASS -
This is a simply beautiful album of pure, heartfelt gorgeousness. Hailing from Richmond Virginia Natalie is part of Matthew E White’s Spacebomb family, her album being recorded alongside White’s Fresh Blood LP. Prass is a charismatic, stylish and vibrant performer, with a timeless, crystal clear voice, full of honesty and emotion. She also wears a great pair of shades. The music wraps itself around you, from the soaring Bird Of Prey and the raw, emotive Violently – a song of simmering desire – to It Is You, feeling like it has stepped out from the soundtrack of a ‘50s musical (HSD Christmas Day Tune.) Her London gig at KOKO, scheduled for late November was called off, so I am anticipating her return. In the meantime I am clinging to the memory of her performance at The Green Man Festival and re listening to one of the best albums of 2015...
Click on the link below to listen:
5: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
It takes something special for hip hop to truly register and make a mark with me. It must be saying something positive and not be all bitch, ho, bling and misogyny. The landmarks of Jungle Brothers, Tribe, Jurassic 5, Outkast and Missy Elliott are some of the key albums in my collection. To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar is up there with them. It is not so much a series of songs as a damn funky and defiant, social and political statement, questioning the life and times of black America, whilst he also indulges in some introspective self-analysis. The music soundtracks the development of black culture, through a jazz, funk, soul, electro and naturally, hip hop score. To Pimp A Butterfly is the most meaningful hip hop album I have listened to since Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Millions...
It presents a vibrant voice, boldly speaking out and the lyrics have to be listened to. When he played Reading in the Summer, how many of the kids actually heard what Kendrick was saying? Whether it becomes a classic, only time will tell but it is a winner in my book. Have a listen and make your own judgment...
Click on the link below to listen:
6: SONGHOY BLUES – MUSIC IN EXILE
Songhoy Blues first came to my attention at The Green Man Festival in August and the energy of this Malian foursome is raucous and infectious, causing smiles to spontaneously erupt on faces and for normally static feet to involuntarily dance. This is Afro rock straight from the heart and they have a back-story which more than justifies the name of their LP. They are musical nomads. My understanding of the lyrics is zero which goes to show that music is about spirit, vibe and the power to move you. The band is tight and the guitarist just blows me away. His powers are immense. With this, their first album, Songhoy Blues are no longer in exile and it will be exciting to see how they develop and where they go to next. It should be a journey well worth taking...
Click on the link below to listen:
7: FATHER JOHN MISTY – I LOVE YOU HONEYBEAR
It has taken me a while to fully appreciate this album, which is no bad thing, as you want an album to grow on you, rather than be an instant hit then fade away. FJM is the larger than life alter ego of Josh Tillman – former drummer with Fleet Foxes – and to begin with, you wonder if you are in on the joke. When a personality dominates the music, it makes it harder to initially listen to without that personality clouding your judgment. You have to learn to forget the persona and focus on the words and music, which are so good, before bringing the personality back into the mix and marrying it up with the tunes. Although it took a little time to register with me, when it eventually broke through, there was a thoroughly endearing and sincere figure waiting to wrap me up in his musical world. I Love You Honeybear is an excellent and intriguing album which takes root and only gets stronger. I can't wait to see Father John perform at The Roundhouse next May...
Click on the link below to listen:
7: FATHER JOHN MISTY – I LOVE YOU HONEYBEAR
It has taken me a while to fully appreciate this album, which is no bad thing, as you want an album to grow on you, rather than be an instant hit then fade away. FJM is the larger than life alter ego of Josh Tillman – former drummer with Fleet Foxes – and to begin with, you wonder if you are in on the joke. When a personality dominates the music, it makes it harder to initially listen to without that personality clouding your judgment. You have to learn to forget the persona and focus on the words and music, which are so good, before bringing the personality back into the mix and marrying it up with the tunes. Although it took a little time to register with me, when it eventually broke through, there was a thoroughly endearing and sincere figure waiting to wrap me up in his musical world. I Love You Honeybear is an excellent and intriguing album which takes root and only gets stronger. I can't wait to see Father John perform at The Roundhouse next May...
Click on the link below to listen:
8: GHOSTPOET - SHEDDING SKIN
I very much like listening to Ghostpoet’s voice. He has a captivating drawl, a sound that is unmistakably his. This album has greater urgency and variety than its predecessor and gets back to and beyond the level of his debut album Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam. His voice sounds vital. He has added to his sound this time round, with the guitar on Off Peak Dreamsgiving way to the pounding bass of X Marks The Spot and the additional voice of Nadine Shah bringing an extra layer of melancholy. This is a very good album and Ghostpoet is an artist I would like to see live in the future...
Click on the link below to listen:
9: YOUNG FATHERS – WHITE MEN ARE BLACK MEN TOO
This is a big step up from Young Fathers last album Dead, which won the Mercury Music Award 2014. It is far more musical and is delivered with greater confidence – as you would expect. There is a terrifically joyous, anarchic feel, as if the album is being thrown together on the fly. What really impresses me is the variety of the sound. It changes constantly, throwing up surprises and twists and turns. Where Dead could fall into the trap of being samey, with one truly stand out track, this follow up, with its unsettling tone, never lets you rest. Every tune has something going for it. This is a band and an album where the singing is not perfect, the music is not perfect (the drums often sound as if they are trying to catch up with the rest of the track) but it somehow works – perfectly. There is a message running through this album - as the title suggests – stirring up feeling of racial unity and divides in multicultural Britain and it is fitting that they will be supporting Massive Attack on their tour next year...
Click on the link below to listen:
8: GHOSTPOET - SHEDDING SKIN
I very much like listening to Ghostpoet’s voice. He has a captivating drawl, a sound that is unmistakably his. This album has greater urgency and variety than its predecessor and gets back to and beyond the level of his debut album Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam. His voice sounds vital. He has added to his sound this time round, with the guitar on Off Peak Dreamsgiving way to the pounding bass of X Marks The Spot and the additional voice of Nadine Shah bringing an extra layer of melancholy. This is a very good album and Ghostpoet is an artist I would like to see live in the future...
Click on the link below to listen:
9: YOUNG FATHERS – WHITE MEN ARE BLACK MEN TOO
This is a big step up from Young Fathers last album Dead, which won the Mercury Music Award 2014. It is far more musical and is delivered with greater confidence – as you would expect. There is a terrifically joyous, anarchic feel, as if the album is being thrown together on the fly. What really impresses me is the variety of the sound. It changes constantly, throwing up surprises and twists and turns. Where Dead could fall into the trap of being samey, with one truly stand out track, this follow up, with its unsettling tone, never lets you rest. Every tune has something going for it. This is a band and an album where the singing is not perfect, the music is not perfect (the drums often sound as if they are trying to catch up with the rest of the track) but it somehow works – perfectly. There is a message running through this album - as the title suggests – stirring up feeling of racial unity and divides in multicultural Britain and it is fitting that they will be supporting Massive Attack on their tour next year...
Click on the link below to listen:
10: MARIBOU STATE – PORTRAITS
This album is classic Ninja Tune – downbeat, occasionally uplifting, soulful electronica, with a nod to the dancefloor. You can spot it a mile off and it always hits the mark. This type of Ninja release is like a stick of rock, with all the traits mentioned above stamped right the way through to its very core. There have been several excellent releases on the Ninja label this year, from Romare’s commercial feel, to the abstract and foreboding sounds of Lapalux. Portraits is my downbeat Ninja winner in this year’s Top Ten...
Click on the link below to listen:
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