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My year in lists - 2013.

I know what the question on all of your lips is. Its something along the lines of "What does that bloke from Bradford have to say about his favorite music releases of 2013? I'm sure he has some pretty profound to say" Right? Well, I don't. Or at least I don't think it is my place to. I think it is best for everyone involved that I shelve my ill-informed opinions and ramblings and leave it to the professional enthusiasts of music (rather than us amateur schmucks- wait,what do you mean it is just me who is the amateur?) There is one thing I will say though; this is the first year that I've done an end-of-year list that hasn't been topped by Los Campesinos! and that tremendous feat (considering my devotion to LC! and the fact that this post is named after one of their songs) deserves recognition. So kudos Joanna Gruesome, you've made an absolutely brilliant album. So, without further ado, 2013 everyone!  12 - Mazes - Ores and Minerals. 11 - Laura Marling - Once I was an Eagle 10 - Fidlar - S/T 9 - Mikal Cronin - MCII 8 - Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse 7 - Summer Camp - S/T 6 - James Blake - Overgrown 5 - Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City. 4 - Arctic Monkeys - AM 3 - Foals - Holy Fire 2 - Los Campesinos! - No Blues. 1 - Joanna Gruesome - Weird Sister.

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Menace Beach - Fortune Teller. The fair city of Leeds could be forgiven for taking a break after the recent splurge of talent it has offered us. But now there is a new name to add this impressive roster of talent; and that name is Menace Beach. The more astute among you will probably be thinking "Just hang on a minute there Joseph, Haven't Menace Beach already released a fair amount of material?" and you would be right, the band have two EP's under there names already and they are both chock-a-blocka with endearingly tight, fuzzy, kind of blues-y tracks. But the Leeds five-piece seem to be really hitting there stride and perfecting their style on Fortune Teller, the second sneak peak the band have given us of their upcoming Lowtalker EP. It is no longer the case that the tremendous blend of male and female vocals are present but distant- their fabulous intertwining is now front and center driving the track on to a point where a flourish of guitar and beautifully full keys further enhance the track. All in all, Fortune Teller (true to its mysticism) spells out a fantastically exciting future for Menace Beach.

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The History of Apple Pie - Don't you wanna be mine? London's The History of Apple Pie have already left their mark on 2013 with the release of their fantastic debut album Out of View. Most bands would consider the release of a formidable LP,and touring extensively, a pretty fulfilling and busy year.  Not this lot. Choosing to ignore the meaning of the phrase 'rest on your laurels' the five piece will release Don't you wanna be a mine? on a limited press 7" on October the 14th. And, by the sounds of things, it is definitely going to be worth the wait. Don't you wanna be mine? smacks of a band hitting it stride, combining the London based band's ear for a pop melody with a developing interest in dark, brooding and textured noise. Journalistic hyperbole aside, it's awesome.  

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Exclamation Pony - Pseudo Individual. Exclamation Pony sounds like one of those bands names that came about from one of two ways. It either a) began life as two separate band names that were subsequently squashed together (aka Japandroids) or b) it was a name deliberately composed of two distinctly different and non-related things. Regardless of how the name Exclamation Pony about it's abstract nature does have a jarring (get it?) effect that in no way reflects the sheer beauty of Pseudo Individual.Far from being some sort of post-punk ambush on meaning, Pseudo Individual is a heart wrenchingly beautiful piece of intricate piece of pop music that seems to be slightly indebted to 60's pop. Indeed, the reverb laced backing vocals on the track's chorus invoke a certain timeless quality associated with that period in music. However Pseudo-Individual never once feels like it a shameless appropriation of a by-gone era. The self-deprecation that drips from the line "I don't have to love myself because she loves me" ensures that Exclamation Pony have penned a track with a yearning emotional core that demands your attention. I thought I better wait until the end to mention this is the side project of Ryan Jarman- better known for being one-third of The Cribs. Pseud Individual and it's joint a-side Mazes (which is also a stunner of a track) are available here at Cult Records (Casablancas anyone?) as of yesterday!

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Breeze - Dolls This is cool. A breath of fresh air if you will. Something to blow away the cobwebs, you know? Everyone tired of these rubbish puns now? Good, because I pretty much ran out as soon as I began. This song is pretty fucking awesome though. It kind of treads a line between elongated shoegaze jam and reverb drenched propulsive pop, two styles that aren't often happy bedmates, and succeeds on both levels. Enjoy! 

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Los Campesinos! - What Death Leaves Behind Los Campesinos! are, in my humble opinion, are one of the only bands whose output is constantly worthy of recognition. Over the course of three studio albums and one mini album, they've produced music and lyrics that invoke moments of emotional clout that, hitherto, no such music invoked in me. To stray into territory that may sound trite for a second; the band are presenting incredibly personal emotions that resonate on a universal level. But what of the new track? Well, on first impressions, the subject matter that dominated Hello Sadness, the aftermath of a broken relationship, seems to have split over onto the the band's forthcoming album No Blues (which you can pre order in some lovingly prepared bundles here). Such lyrical continuity is in no way a bad thing as Gareth's lyrics on the previous record were the rawest and most poignant in the band's back catalogue. But there is a sense of new hope, a renewed optimism in the tracks refrain "We will flower again". It is as if the song's protagonist is emerging with a new vigour to resurrect what was once so meaningful. Perhaps No Blues will be an album in which Los Campesinos! come out of the other side of the emotional turmoil of the previous album, battered and bruised but ultimately stronger. What Death Leaves Behind also seems to have a certain musical continuity to it, echoing the more streamlined and focused sound found on Hello Sadness.  All in all, Los Campesinos! have returned with a belter of a track that has well and truly wet my appetite for the new album. Have fun, kids! 

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Playlounge - Grandma Death. New stuff from noise duo Playlounge! In my opinion, one of Playlounge's greatest strengths is how they manage to counterbalance melody with energy, and that trait is certainly evident on Grandma Death. Feedback  ring out, dual guitar tracks franticly compliment each other, but beautiful vocals give the track a yearning core. In other words, it's business as usual because Playlounge are supplying us with awesome noise-pop songs.

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FIDLAR - Cheap Beer. "I drink cheap beer. So what? Fuck you" That's all you need to know. Seriously, that quote sums up all the angst that makes this track great.

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Joanna Gruesome - Sugarcrush. Remember I told you all to watch out for Joanna Gruesome's upcoming debut album? Well, anybody whose appetite was wetted by Secret Surprise are in luck; The Cardiff based five piece have dropped another taster of the album to come. The song itself is a glorious cacaphony of noise that fully delivers on all the promise of the song's demo version. The fuzz may have been cleared, as is to be expected, but the track still fizzes and crackles with energy- especially in the track's brand new breakdown/conclusion.Perhaps the concoction of new and old signals what we can expect from the remainder of Joanna Gruesome's Weird Sister? Who knows? I don't. All I know is that I'm very, very very excited. Oh, by the way; The album itself is available for pre order here. I suggest the pink vinyl...

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Runaround Kids. - I Can't Help Myself. Do you remember how I was taking about Shudder Pulps having possibly penned one of the best bass riffs of the year in their track Kicker? Of course you do. What do you mean you don't? Seriously, I only wrote about it yesterday. I digress. Well, Wakefield's Runaround Kids have just thrown the gauntlet down for best guitar riff. However the track itself, sporting the title I Can't Help Myself, isn't a one trick pony. Infectious, bordering on grunge, and seemingly tackling the subject of struggling to let go of a previous relationship, I Can't Help Myself bristles with emotion and energy- two staples of Runaround Kids's sound. Have a listen.

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Tyrannosaurus Dead - Bed Dread. New one from Brighton based band Tyrannosaurus Dead! Bed Dread, the A-side of the upcoming two track release, is a typically energetic, catchy and charming affair in a style of seemingly effortless garage pop - a style the band quickly seems to be perfecting. But have you SEEN the vinyl release coming out on Bleeding Gold Records? It is a thing of beauty. Lathe cut and handmade, the guys over at Bleeding Gold claim that the release is meant to be a collectors item rather than a run of mill, standard vinyl and BOY have they gone out of their way to "compensate" for such "set-backs". To my eyes, the vinyl has a feel of an old 1950's record you have found in your grandparents record collection in the loft, a vinyl that initially appears alien and strange but fascinates you because of these exact emotions. Just me, Okay. Moving on... But yeah, Tyrannosaurus Dead continue to be a really interesting, awesome band.

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Joanna Gruesome - Secret Surprise. I'm an idiot for forgetting to post this when it originally came out. So, Joanna Gruesome have released a new song and, naturally, it's a belter. Entitled Secret Surprise it is the first cut that has emerged from the band's debut album due to come out on the consistently great Slumberland records. The track itself brims with the pop sensibilities that have made Joanna Gruesome such an enthralling band in the past. However, this latest track sees a step in a different direction for the band. Garnered with a cleaner production and a higher fidelity Secret Surprise is the first track we have seen from Joanna Gruesome in which the lyrics aren't simply a muffled murmur behind the rest of the band. The lyrics were worth the wait though. The constant repetition of the phrase "I dream of pulling out your teeth" embellish the band's already punk leanings whilst providing an interesting contrast to the pop sensibilities of the music behind them. In short, Secret Surprise is a mouthwatering taster for Weird Sister, which is set to be a great album if the track is anything to go by.   

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Summer Camp - Fresh. Easily one of the funkiest tracks of the year and, just maybe, one of those songs you'll hear repeated throughout the summer. If that does happen, I so called it. If it doesn't, It should have. Fresh, in my humble opinion, sees the duo that is Summer Camp strike a happy medium between their sun-kissed debut album and their almost nocturnal Always EP. So, by that logic Fresh is indebted to the warmth of summer whilst acquiring the danceable traits of sweaty, yet euphoric,club nights. Sounds good, right? Well it is. Listen? You won't regret it, chum.

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Shudder Pulps - Kicker. So I know this may be a shock to all of your systems, but I'm not the most knowledgeable person on the topic of music recording. I'll wait a second for that collective gasp of surprise to pass. Everyone good? Okay, I'll continue. Therefore for me to even think about commenting on how a track has been recorded, there has to be something special about it. However Kicker, by London's Shudder Pulps, is one of those rare tracks that has peaked my interest. Bass in the left channel, Guitar in the right, drums and vocals in the centre, surely it's all to simple to be interesting, right? Wrong. This almost Ramone-esque set up provides each instrument the space to flourish with devastating, and deserved, clarity- a clarity is vital considering the band may just have produced one of the best bass lines of the year. Kicker itself is a sterling piece of fuzz pop. Straddling various different genres, whether that be the surf rock bass line or slacker rock vocals, the track's sparse instrumentation does nothing to simplify the fact that Kicker is a track born out the band's stance as avid listeners of music. Yet even though the track rattles along at a fair old pace, it never once deteriorates into sloppiness or self indulgence, a problem sometimes associated with garage rock bands. Throughout the track's 2:46 duration every piece of music feels vital, tight, and dead set on working in tandem to embellish the track's energy. A fantastic feat of unity in its own right. Where you can get the track? It's available for FREE over at Faux Discx's Soundcloud as a taster of the band's forthcoming Housebound EP- which is out on the 12th August. If Kicker is anything to go by it's going to be a cracker.  

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Sundara Karma - Freshbloom. It's not often that you happen across a band whose sound seemingly arrives fully realised. Nor is it very often that this sound is so clean and crisp. Sundara Karma, however, are one of these rare bands. Freshbloom, the taster single the band are offering of its debut album released in September, flirts with the idea of anthemic tendencies, basking in the glitter and sparkle of the track's early bounce. But the band are not content to let the track deteriorate into a lackadaisical repetition of one melodic idea as they embrace with the euphoria previously toyed with through a bombastic raise to the song's conclusion. All in all, Sundara Karma are a band you will be hearing a lot more of in the future.

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Doctrines - Daydream. "I guess it's not enough, to be happy, content and all of that stuff" Loud, gutteral and heartfelt, what more can you want? Daydream is the opening track of Manchester based Doctrines's recently released album ANX. The track, in it's relativley brief two minute period, blasts through issues of longing, existential angst, and regret in one of the most expressive, seemingly heartfelt vocals, I've heard in awhile. In other words; Doctrines have penned a song which seems to have some sentimental and emotional weight to it, traits that are unfortunatley all too rare these days. The aforementioned ANX is out on the wonderful Alcopop Records and you can buy it over at the band's bandcamp page RIGHT NOW. Also, apparently the band are playing in Manchester's Fuel Cafe Bar on the 28th. P.S I should thank Jack from Runaround Kids whose tweet got me round to listening to Doctrines. Cheers, mate!

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Well this is rather good. Klaus, throughout its seven minute duration, manages to find a sweet spot in which the chugging bass, rhytmic guitar and ever present drums fuse to form a irresistable groove. Yet whilst the melody it creates is heavy, it is not claustraphobic. Each instrument is distinct enough to by consider on its own merits whilst being flexable enough to contribute to Klaus's pounding rhythm. Be sure to be on the look out for more Traams as they have (according to the nice people over at The Line of Best Fit) signed a deal with the consistantly great Fat Cat Records.