Right, it’s been a while since
I’ve done one of these and there’s quite a bit to catch up on. 2013 has been a
good year for music so far, and after reading this hopefully you’ll agree there
is some really good songs around at the moment. In fact there are a few songs I’ve
dropped from this list and will include in the next one of these I do. New
music from Ellie Goulding, Travis, Two Door Cinema Club, Paloma Faith and Franz
Ferdinand will have to wait for a few weeks to appear.
Anyway there should be enough
here to keep you going until then. From hard rock and heavy metal to indie,
singer/songwriters and pop there has been a lot of interesting releases in the
last few months. From debutants to veterans there are all sorts in here, so sit
back, have a listen and enjoy J
Andrew Stockdale- Long Way to Go: Andrew Stockdale; not a name that you may immediately familiar
with, but let me jog your memory. Remember the band Wolfmother? Remember a song
called ‘Joker and the Thief’? You know the one with that fantastic, catchy
riff? Well this is the lead guitarist and singer from said band. Wolfmother are
no more, but Andrew Stockdale has used the ideas for the defunct band’s third
album to create his debut solo record. Still taking influence from the great
rock bands of the 1970s, Stockdale gives an injection of energy into the
classic rock sound to bring it firmly into the 21st century with his
distinctive vocals laid over the top. There is a real swagger and confidence in
the music that shows Stockdale is very confident and comfortable in the music
he is making. This is modern classic rock of the highest quality.
Beware of Darkness- Howl: Beware of Darkness may sound the name of
a generic, sub-genre teen rock band, but look past the name and you realise
that could not be further from the truth. ‘Howl’ is a serious bluesy rock track
with nods towards contemporaries Black Keys and White Stripes. There is however
a youthful energy that gives the band an extra exciting edge. Given that this
is only the lead single off their debut album ‘Orthodox’, the band has already
opened the likes of Social Distortion, Stone Temple Pilots and Deftones as well
as toured with indie band The Wombats. They
are also accompanying Smashing Pumpkins on their current European tour. They
are certainly making a name for themselves, and with songs like this the sky is
the limit.
Black Sabbath- God Is Dead?: One of the big surprises of 2013
surely has to be the return of Black Sabbath and their first number one album in
nearly 43 years. The last album of theirs to achieve that feat was ‘Paranoid’,
released back in 1970. It’s good actually to see the godfather’s of heavy metal
back at the top of the charts. The success of the album surprised even the band,
with vocalist Ozzy Osbourne commenting, “I’m in shock. The success of this
album has blown me off my feet.’ Lead single ‘God Is Dead?’ is classic Sabbath
with the Brummie veterans creating a song that would fit seamlessly into any
greatest hits compilation. Even though original drummer Bill Ward is missing
from the album, the return of Ozzy on vocals and with legendary guitarist Tony
Iommi and Geezer Butler on bass, the sound that helped shape the genre of heavy
metal is still there burning strong.
Brian May and Kerry Ellis- The Kissing Me Song: It is best to make
this clarification at the beginning. Even though this features Brian May, don’t
expect it to be like Queen. That way you won’t be disappointed. You may recognise
the name Kerry Ellis as a contestant on the 2012 edition of The Voice UK,
without much success. However her work with Brian May stretches back much
further. Having seen her in another show, May encouraged Ellis to audition for ‘We
Will Rock You’ where she landed the role of Meat in 2002. The two have remained
close since, with May producing her debut solo album in 2010. They have now
released this song together along with the live album ‘Acoustic by Candlelight’.
It’s a great little song; really catchy with a fantastic video and sing along
chorus. It’s a fun song which mixes the light hearted side of Queen with the
West End theatre element of Ellis’ background as well as including a trademark
Brian May guitar solo. Give it a go; it should at least put a smile on your
face.
Caro Emerald- Liquid Lunch: The rise of Caro Emerald is quite astonishing. As debut albums go, she couldn’t
have wished for better success, with ‘Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room
Floor’ spending 30 weeks at number one in her native Holland and selling over a
million copies. This meant there was a bit of pressure with her release as she
was no longer an unknown quantity. There was nothing to worry about however as
her mix of jazz and pop proved to be very popular, with ‘The Shocking Miss
Emerald’ debuting at number one in the UK charts, becoming her first UK number
one album in the process. ‘Liquid Lunch’ is the second single from the album
and has Emerald’s unique style all over it. It may sound like it’s from the
1950s, but it also manages to sound contemporary; an impressive feat. It is
incredibly catchy and I’m looking forward to seeing her next year (having
missed out on her upcoming tour).
Crystal Fighters- You and I: Looking for a great summer tune to
enjoy at festivals this summer? Well look no further because Anglo/Spanish
outfit Crystal Fighters have this covered. They describe themselves as a dance/Folktronica
act, but this has more of an indie rock sound to it. That being said it’s more
of an indie party type song, and the Spanish influences gives it a unique and
interesting sound. Taken from their second album ‘Cave Rave’, their new
material has received very positive reviews and I can’t see any reason not to
continue that here. This is a really catchy song that will you definitely
listen to on repeat at least once.
Deep Purple- Vincent Price: Turns out Black Sabbath aren’t the only
rock legends making a return on 2013. ‘Smoke on the Water’ hit makers Deep
Purple also return with this epic. It starts with the sound of a church organ
before thundering into a crunching riff which would have stood out in the 1970s
let alone in the 21st century. If you didn’t know this was their
most recent album, then you could be fooled into thinking it was a lot older
than it actually is. With their album ‘Now What?!’ being their last release it
was a chance for the band to go out on a bang and they do exactly that.
Editors- A Ton of Love: Taken from the Editors latest album, ‘A Ton
of Love’ sees Editors return on top form. Having so far released two platinum
albums and sold several million copies worldwide this isn’t surprising. This is the first single off
the Birmingham based band’s fourth album ‘The Weight of Your Love’ and you can
really tell their influences. There are hints of both U2 and Ian Curtis thrown
in the mix but the song is so well done that you notice them but don’t really
care. It’s a catchy and contemporary take on a sound that wouldn’t have been
out of place in the 80s. It’s a real epic from a band showing how they have
grown from their beginnings with ‘Munich’.
Eliza Doolittle- Big When I Was Little: 2013 sees the return of
Eliza Doolittle, and I’m happy to report that she has returned on top form.
It’s been three years since her self- titled debut album filled with
light-hearted, feel-good, summery songs and judging by her new single it’s a
formula she is looking to continue. I for one am not complaining; I was a big
fan of her debut album and I’m glad she’s continuing to make music with her own
unique style. ‘Big When I Was Little’ is brilliantly catchy and will no doubt
be the soundtrack for quite a few people’s summer. They say that the second
album from any artist is tough, but judging by this, I don’t think Eliza has
anything to worry about.
Jake Bugg feat. Chad Smith- Broken: It appears that Jake Bugg can
do no wrong. His self-titled debut album is fantastic, he is brilliant live and
the singles he releases remind the world what a talent he is. ‘Broken’ is a
re-recording of a song that appears on the album, but this time features Chad
Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on drums and was recorded with veteran
producer Rick Rubin. The result is a beautiful acoustic number that emphasizes
Bugg’s talent as both a singer and song writer. It’s a slower song than say
‘Two Fingers’ or ‘Seen It All’, but it shows he can mix it up a bit. What cannot be denied is the brilliance of
this song. This might well be my favourite off the album.
Josh Ritter- Hopeful: Now I must admit I had never heard of Josh
Ritter until recently, but now I have, I wish I had done sooner. If you like
your singer/songwriters there’s a good chance you like this too. Hailing from
the American state of Idaho, Ritter already has a strong back catalogue of
music. If it’s all as good as this, it’s all the more surprising that he isn’t
more high profile. ‘Hopeful’ is a really catchy little song. It’s very well
written and has a great hook and beat to it. From what I gather, his latest
album ‘The Beast in its Tracks’, from which this taken, was written off the
back off some big events in his life including a divorce and parenthood. Taking
this into consideration, ‘Hopeful’ is upbeat with the lyrics brilliantly written
and delivered. Hopefully this proves to be the launch pad that propels him into
the wider public consciousness.
Madness- Misery: Question- How can you not like Madness? The Ska
legends have been around for decades now and they are still making fantastic
music. This song doesn’t prove that statement wrong. Taken from their latest
album ‘Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da’, ‘Misery’ is incredibly catchy. It had me
hooked in about 3 seconds and if it doesn’t have the same effect on you then
frankly you need your ears testing. That’s before you get to the lyrics. They
are very simple yet brilliantly effective and will soon have you singing along
(although the lyric video will help with that). Along with Suggs’ distinctive
vocals it helps create a wonderfully catchy song that will no doubt be stuck in
your head for ages after hearing it.
Passenger- Let Her Go: This is another track that may well turn out
to be one of the songs of the summer. Weirdly though, it’s already been out for
a year and racked up close to 60 million hits on YouTube. That’s because the
local (I say local because Brighton, his hometown, is just down the road from
me) singer/songwriter’s song was released over in the US in 2012 and has only
recently made its way over to Europe and the UK. Saying that it’s been a
success in pretty much every country it’s reached; either hitting top spot or
being in the top 10 of the charts. It’s not hard to see why. It had me hooked
as soon as I heard it on the radio. You’re bound to have heard it somewhere by
now. If you haven’t, well now you have.
Phillip Phillips- Home: Ok, quick question for people who know this
song already. Who, when they first heard it, was convinced it was Mumford and
Sons? Yep, me too. In fact there are times when I hear it on the radio I still
think its Mumford and Sons. It definitely isn’t though, it is very much Phillip
Phillips, the 2012 winner of American Idol. I am not a fan of TV talent shows
(as people who know will testify), but America seems to produce top notch
winners. Kelly Clarkson and Daughtry immediately spring to mind, and now this
guy. Even though this song has been around a while, it’s only just being
released here in the UK along with his debut album. If the rest is as good as
this, then it will be up there as a contender for album of the year.
Savages- City’s Full: Now this strictly might not be a new song,
but it appears on Savages debut album that was released earlier this year, so that’s
good enough reason to include it here. However Savages are a new name, and one
that you should perhaps sit up and take notice of as they are going to be
around for a while. All-girl rock bands are rare but not unheard of, and the
rawness that Savages deliver helps makes them stand out from the crowd.
Described as a post-punk, it’s easy for bands to be pigeon holed, but I find it
easier to just listen to it and make my own mind up. In a way there are similarities between
Savages and Deap Vally. All in all this is a brilliant rock song. It has a
strong bass line, fantastic riff and raw vocals which combined together make
for exciting listening. A band to watch out for.
Sick Puppies- There’s No Going Back: 2013 sees Australian three-piece
Sick Puppies return with new single ‘There’s No Going Back’. I was really
looking forward to this as I’m a huge fan of their previous album ‘Tri-Polar’.
It’s one of my favourites and, in my opinion, one of the best albums of the last
ten years. So with expectation a little raised, I eagerly awaited their new material.
It took a few listens but I’m happy to report good news. It wasn’t as heavy as
I was expecting, but it soon grew on me and the catchy chorus was soon whizzing
round my head. This softer sound did appear on Tri Polar, so hopefully they mix
it up with harder songs on the rest of the album. Overall this is a very radio
friendly song which will hopefully give them some decent exposure as they are
an underrated band.
Stone Sour- The Uncanny Valley: Corey Taylor must be one of the
busiest people in the world of rock/metal. Not only does he front alt. metal
goliaths Slipknot, he also fronts his other band Stone Sour. Personally I
prefer Stone Sour to Slipknot, and with this new song, that standing is
maintained. ‘Uncanny Valley’ is actually the second single off the second instalment
of the two part concept album ‘House of Gold & Bone’. There is also a comic
series accompanying the album. The song itself is what you come to expect from Stone
Sour. More along the lines of ‘Through Glass’ than say ‘30/30-150’ in terms of
heaviness it still features a killer guitar solo. It is also a perfect example
of Taylor’s imperious vocals. It’s the sound of a band bang in form.
The Pretty Reckless- Follow Me Down: It would have been so easy to
pass The Pretty Reckless off as a generic teen pop band considering Taylor
Momsen’s TV background. Their 2010 debut ‘Light Me Up’ however was anything
but. It was fantastic and in ‘Make Me Wanna Die’ and ‘Miss Nothing’ there were
some of my favourite rock songs of recent years. It is interesting then to hear
what’s next for the band. Well with new song ‘Follow Me Down’ we can get an
insight into what’s in store, and it looks like more of the same. The crunching
guitars are still there and the dirty lyrics match the sleazy rock ‘n’ roll
sound. There’s even a chorus which will sound great live with everyone clapping
along. Will have to make sure I bag myself a ticket when they next hit UK
shores.
The Silent Comedy- God Neon: ‘God Neon’ is the first track from The
Silent Comedy’s latest EP named ‘Friends Divide EP’. Mixing Americana, Folk and
Rock their sound is an interesting one. It’s certainly one that grabbed my
attention and I have to say I love this song. It has a great hook and big
chorus that really shows the songs quality. The sound is much bigger than indie
rock and is more along the lines of Young the Giant although the two are not
directly comparable. On first listen you think it’s a rock track, but listen a
bit harder you’ll find folk undertones intertwined into the sound. With two
albums to their name already and having recently played in the UK for the first
time, with a great reception, hopefully this will prove to be breakthrough to a
deserved wider audience.
White Lies- Getting Even: For whatever reason I have never got into
White Lies. That might change however after hearing this. After putting it on
out of curiosity more than anything else, I was pleasantly surprised by what I
heard. Even though this song isn’t a single (yet) off the album, it was
released as a free download via SoundCloud. What I like about it is the 80s
synth pop-esque sound which can be likened to Joy Division and their peers with
the vocals in particular sounding similar to Ian Curtis. It would be wrong to
call it retro, but it is a sound that wears its influences proudly on its
sleeve. I for one am certainly not complaining.
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