Blood Red Shoes - In Time To Voices

Blood Red Shoes are surely one of the UK’s best two-piece rock bands, having already delivered two fantastic albums as well as building up a reputation as a ferocious live act. 2012 sees them return in full force with a trio of announcements – so let’s cover them in the order that they’re going to happen. Firstly, the band’s new single ‘Cold’ will be released on the 19th March – have a listen to the track on Youtube below.

The first thing you’ll notice about the song are those absolutely colossal drums, demonstrating an intent to somehow outdo themselves in terms of sheer sonic impact – add into the mix the usual razor-sharp guitar riffs and impassioned dual vocal lines, and it’s clear that this is a prime Blood Red Shoes cut. ‘Cold’ will be the first single from the duo’s third album, which is entitled In Time To Voices and will be released a week later on the 26th March. You’ll be able to pre-order the 11-track album from all the usual suspects, but it’s worth noting that Play.com have some signed copies up for grabs, and Recordstore are doing an exclusive t-shirt bundle.

And last, but certainly not least, the band will be back on the road at the end of April, embarking on a 14-date UK tour. The full list of dates is as follows:

April:
27th: Brighton, Concorde 2
28th: Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
29th: Oxford, O2 Academy

May:
1st: Bristol, Trinity
2nd: Norwich, Waterfront
3rd: London, Heaven
4th: Birminghan, HMV Library
5th: Manchester, Academy 2
7th: Liverpool, Zanzibar
8th: Newcastle, Cluny
9th: Aberdeen, Tunnels
10th: Glasgow, King Tuts
12th: Leeds, Cockpit
13th: Nottingham, Rescue Rooms

Those outside the UK, fear not – more shows in Europe (and possibly beyond) are due to be announced shortly. For now, there’s that new single to stick on repeat and the prospect of a new album to look forward to – personally, I can’t wait.

For more information on Blood Red Shoes, check out their website.

Late Night Fiction - Exits, Pursued By A Bear

I have to admit that I’m not a huge post-hardcore fan, but I was pointed in the direction of Hull four-piece Late Night Fiction and I did enjoy their more melodic take on the genre. They’ve got a new single coming out at the end of the month (30th January, to be precise), entertainingly titled ‘Exits, Pursued By A Bear’ – watch the video for the track below.

The excessive screaming that often seems to pervade post-hardcore tracks is thankfully restrained here – used in short, sharp bursts for emphasis rather than as a default vocal style. And really, that makes a lot of sense – if you’re screaming all the time, then what do you do when you really want to make a point? The melodic vocals are complimented by instrumentation is as dynamic and varied as you might hope for – the track rides on a bed of relentless, intricate drumming, with intense bursts of guitar are interspersed with math-rock riffs and moments of serene, post-rock calm.

Overall, ‘Exits, Pursued By A Bear’ marks a fine way for the band to kick off 2012, and it’ll be interesting to see what else they come up with this year. For more from Late Night Fiction, have a listen to previous single ‘Dialectics’ here, or check out their Facebook and Bandcamp pages.

‘Exits, Pursued By A Bear’ is available on Grey Man Records on the 30th January.

R&B/Rap/Hip-hop

I’m no expert on any of these genres (hence the fact I’ve crassly lumped them all together), but I think it’s fair to say that, overall, this general style of music has had the strongest showing in this year’s list. While it is quite amusing that a critical darling such as Frank Ocean (#2) is still eligible for the list, there’s little denying he deserves the nod – after all, anyone who can turn the phrase “I CAN’T FEEL MY FACE!” into a memorable R&B lyric deserves props. Elsewhere, bratty Azealia Banks (#3) is sure to turn heads with her amusingly crass style, and A$AP Rocky sounds like someone smushed together Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. In the absence of the ineligible Maverick Sabre, Dot Rotten is the UK’s sole representative here – listening to ‘Keep It On A Low’, I’m not sure if he wants to be Professor Green or an auto-tuned R&B star.

Dubstep

So long, James Blake – this year’s list is all about ‘brostep’, and in the world of deafening you with the most abrasive, hideous noises possible, Skrillex (#4) has proven himself king. As such, he tends to polarise opinion – either you think he’s the best thing since sliced wobble-bass, or you’ve probably already written a post on your favourite dubstep forum about how he and his ilk are a rancid stain on the genre. Now I’m no dubstep expert, but I tend to prefer the more subtle side of things myself. Also on the longlist is Flux Pavilion, who is possibly the UK’s answer to Skrillex. Although that does beg the question as to whether we really need an answer to Skrillex…

Singer-Songwriter/Radio Friendly*

His nomination for this year’s Critic’s Choice award at the Brits may have been a giveaway to his eventual victory in this year’s ‘Sound Of…’ poll, but Micheal Kiwanuka (#1) doesn’t feel in any way like an undeserving winner. He’s got a great voice, and there’s a timeless feel about a song like ‘Tell Me A Tale’ that makes it feel like it’s been transported directly from another era. I initially though Lianne La Havas was “this year’s Amy Winehouse” – but she’s more of a Corrine Bailey Rae I guess, so sorry about that Lianne. It’s Ren Harvieu who wins that dubious accolade, with both her soulful tones and the oh-so-tasteful backing are clearly aiming for a 60s vibe. The end result screams ‘Radio 2 playlist’ loud and clear – in that sense, at least, Harvieu feels like an almost guaranteed success. And finally, Jamie N Commons makes the shortlist thanks to being able to do a pretty good impression of Nick Cave – there’s a nagging feeling that his retro schtick is a little contrived, but it sounds authentic enough.

*I’m aware that neither of these are actually genres, but it’s a convenient way to group all these artists together. Call me lazy, I don’t mind.

Indie/Folk

Those looking for some respite from the constant proclamations of the death of guitar music weren’t going to find much to cheer them up in on this year’s shortlist. Apparently the best we can do is limp-wristed Mumford-a-likes Dry The River and the snooze-worthy indie-pop of Spector. Which makes Brookyn’s Friends the de facto saviours of indie, I guess? Well, no – while I enjoyed the funky, lo-fi sass of ‘I’m His Girl’, there are other names outside the shortlist that I’d point you to first – 2:54, FOE and Islet all spring to mind.

Pop

I was almost tempted to lump Niki & The Dove (#5) in with the ‘indie’ category, but they’re really more of an electro-pop band. Regardless of what genre they actually are, they’re the most interesting act on the longlist by far, sounding like a meeting of minds between Fever Ray and Robyn. The only other pop act on the list are Stooshe, an obviously contrived, overtly filthy trio who somehow don’t sound quite as awful on record as they do on paper – although granted, that’s still not much of an accomplishment.

Find out more about all of the artists on the BBC’s Sound Of 2012 page.

Looking back on 2011′s Brits nominations lists, my rampant cynicism and uneducated guesses proved to be largely incorrect – a welcome change from 2010, when I adopted the same policy and correctly predicted two thirds of the winners. Time for a little humble pie perhaps? A re-assessment of my opinion of the awards?

…nah, cynicism and uneducated guesses it is!

British Male Solo Artist

Ed Sheeran
James Blake
James Morrison
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Professor Green

James Blake = token ‘cool’ choice, James Morrison = token ‘oh he still exists?’ choice, Noel Gallagher = token ‘legendary’ choice, Professor Green = token ‘urban’ choice. Which leaves us with Ed Sheeran, our probable winner. Sigh.

British Female Solo Artist
Adele
Florence and the Machine
Jessie J
Kate Bush
Laura Marling

In its end of year pop roundup, Drowned In Sound awarded Adele with ‘The Adele award for being Adele’ – and to be honest, I think that would be an accurate way to re-name this year’s British Female Solo Artist award. There is the slimmest of chances that the award could go to Jessie ‘MANDEM MANDEM!’ J, but I’m almost certain that Adele’s ridiculous level of sales and global recognition make her a shoe-in here.

British Breakthrough Act
Anna Calvi
Ed Sheeran
Emeli Sandé
Jessie J
The Vaccines

This category is once again open to the vagaries of the general public, almost guaranteeing that none of the following will win: Anna Calvi (too credible/not a big enough following), The Vaccines (they’re a guitar band and guitar bands aren’t ‘popular’ any more), or Emeli Sandé (hasn’t yet had enough time to establish herself). This probably means it’s a straight fight between Jessie J and Ed Sheeran, so I’ll hazard a guess that Jessie J will take it.

British Group
Arctic Monkeys
Chase & Status
Coldplay
Elbow
Kasabian

Apparently nothing is sacred at the Brits any more, so for the first time (I think, correct me if I’m wrong), the British Group category has been thrown open to the public as well. In terms of sheer popularity, Coldplay strike me as front-runners here – but Arctic Monkeys (my vote, for what it’s worth) and Kasabian could be contenders if they can harness their own not-insignificant fanbases. I’m going to stick with Coldplay as my prediction though, and take any other result as a surprise (a somewhat unpleasant one if Chase & Status win).

British Single
Adele – ‘Someone Like You’
Ed Sheeran – ‘The A Team’
Example – ‘Changed the Way You Kiss Me’
Jessie J featuring B.o.B – ‘Price Tag’
JLS featuring Dev – ‘She Makes Me Wanna’
Military Wives/Gareth Malone – ‘Wherever You Are’
Olly Murs featuring Rizzle Kicks – ‘Heart Skips a Beat’
One Direction – ‘What Makes You Beautiful’
Pixie Lott – ‘All About Tonight’
The Wanted – ‘Glad You Came’

While there are still three X-Factor related artists in this list, it’s worth noting that Little Mix aren’t one of them – but the Military Wives choir that usurped their Christmas number one throne does make an appearance. This category is always a bit of a crapshoot, with many groups of hysterical fangirls block-voting to outdo each other – God knows who the eventual winner will be, but given that Adele is also in this category, let’s go for her.

Mastercard British Album of the Year
Adele – 21
Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
Ed Sheeran – +
Florence and The Machine – Ceremonials
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

Much like last year, the Brits ‘Album of the Year’ shortlist does its fair share of Mercury Prize aping – but at least the two albums they’ve taken from that shortlist were actually released in the right year (2011) this time round, so congratulations on that, Brits judges. To be honest, the other three records on this list are just blandly pleasant/mildly offensive window-dressing (delete as appropriate) – it’s all about Adele vs. PJ Harvey. Will its seemingly universal critical acclaim and Mercury Prize-winning status allow Let England Shake to triumph over the gargantuan sales and not-quite-so-universal critical acclaim of 21? My gut instinct says that the answer is no – but come on Mastercard, you’ve got appearances to keep up. You don’t want Barclaycard to look better than you, do you? DO YOU?

P.S. I’m well aware that you can have a Barclaycard that is also a Mastercard, shush.

International Male Solo Artist
Aloe Blacc
Bon Iver
Bruno Mars
David Guetta
Ryan Adams

If the results of last year’s Brits taught me anything, it’s that the judges aren’t entirely against backing a credible/critically acclaimed artist (hello, Arcade Fire and Laura Marling!). Of all the artists in the International categories, Bon Iver strikes me as the most likely recipient of this particular brand of generosity (particularly with his multiple Grammy nods this year). Consider this my small display of faith in the judges – that and an admission that I don’t actually have a clue who’s going to win this one.

International Female Solo Artist
Beyoncé
Björk
Feist
Lady Gaga
Rihanna

Right, back to your regularly scheduled cynicism. Let’s see… Björk and Feist are too alternative/cool to win, and Rihanna won last year. That leaves Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, which is tough to call – but I reckon that Gaga has probably made more of an impact this year despite Beyoncé’s Glastonbury headline slot.

International Group
Fleet Foxes
Foo Fighters
Jay-Z & Kanye West
Lady Antebellum
Maroon 5

Lady Antebellum’s nomination seems like an incredibly belated nod to their success at 2010′s Grammy awards, so they probably won’t win. I have this nagging feeling that Maroon 5 are going to take this one – it’s probably them or Jay-Z & Kanye West, who count as a group now thanks to Watch The Throne, I guess.

International Breakthrough Act
Aloe Blacc
Bon Iver
Foster The People
Lana Del Rey
Nicki Minaj

The judges giveth, and the judges taketh away – this category is no longer public-voted as it has been in the past two years, although there’s no-one in this shortlist who would be anywhere near as hideous a winner as Justin Beiber was in 2011. Anyway, this looks like a straight fight between the chin-stroking critical acclaim of Bon Iver and the NEXT HYPE! of Lana Del Rey. There’s always the chance that Aloe Blacc could sneak in with a ‘hey, I had one really popular single!’ win (a la Cee-Lo Green last year). My hunch, however, is that Lana Del Ray will take it.

To find out more about the awards and to vote in the relevant categories, visit the Brits website.

The Buccaneers

Having been amongst York’s finest proponents of bluesy garage-rock since 2006, The Buccaneers celebrated a pair of firsts last weekend with a packed out show at York’s City Screen Basement (I would have loved to have been there, but alas, duty called). The trio is made up of Andre de Gaye (guitar/vocals), Johnny Gatenby (Drums/Vocals) and Leo Wild (Bass), and the night saw the premiere of their first ever music video, for their new single ‘Don’t Breakdown’ – the clip was directed by Matt Lee, and you can watch it below.

The track’s laid back swing rhythms and lashings of Hammond organ give it an instant 70s feel, while B-side ‘Shake It Or Leave It’ packs a Rolling Stones-esque vibe, with fuzzed up guitars and a vocal reminiscent of Kings Of Leon (before they went a bit shit). And in keeping with the retro feel, you can get the two-track single as a 7″, another first for the band – so if you prefer your tracks on vinyl, head over to The Buccaneers’ bandcamp page and pick up a copy.

The Buccaneers have been a consistently impressive presence on York’s music scene over the past few years, steadily building up support along the way. With the year having only just begun, we can surely expect more to come from the band in 2012 – keep your ears open and your eyes peeled.

Find The Buccaneers on Facebook here.

Best Attempt To Revitalise A Genre: Bulletstorm

I’ve never been particularly big on military style shooters, so Bulletstorm was appealing to me on a couple of levels. Firstly, it tossed all pretence of realism out of the window; and secondly, it featured an arsenal of weapons more varied and interesting than the bog standard ‘an assault rifle/a slightly different assault rifle/an SMG/etc etc’. But the game’s real innovation was the skillshot system – rewarding players with points for executing skilful kills, which they can then use to buy more guns and ammo to repeat the cycle with. This changes the nature of the game from a simple struggle for survival into an arcade-style playground, where the goal is to reap the biggest points reward from any given encounter – and to keep things fresh, the game encourages you to experiment with new weapons by offering a sizeable bonus for discovering a new skillshot. You’ll have more fun if you choose to experiment more often, although admittedly by the end of the game it’s easy to fall into using the same few weapons and combos, particularly on harder difficulties where dispatching enemies quickly becomes more important. Bulletstorm probably raised more eyebrows for its crass exterior than its interesting gameplay, which is a shame – there’s a lot of potential here, and anyone who’s becoming a little weary of the current shooter landscape should probably stop and check it out.

Go big or go home.

Most Underwhelming Conclusion: Gears Of War 3

SPOILER ALERT! I’ve had fun with Gears Of War 3 in both single and multiplayer mode, but considering this is the big finale for the trilogy, I felt it left a lot of questions unanswered. What’s even more frustrating is that Epic dangle these unanswered questions in front of your face – particularly in the final chapter, where there are several exchanges that involve Adam Fenix trying to explain things to his son, Marcus (the game’s protagonist). Marcus, of course, cuts his father short, telling him that they can talk about it later. Without wanting to entirely spoil what happens at the end of the game, let’s just say that they don’t. Of course, I guess this has kinda been done deliberately to keep the possibility of a prequel open – but it still feels kinda lame. It’s not the only problem I had with the game’s story either – too much of the mid-section feels like nothing has actually been achieved by the protagonists, and even the big ‘noble sacrifice’ moment feels a bit pointless and somehow avoidable. I suppose that serves me right for actually giving half a damn about the story in a series like Gears Of War though…

This might be the last we'll see of Marcus, but I think the franchise will return...

Funniest Game: Portal 2

While Portal 2 should be praised for taking a cerebral approach in a first-person game rather than simply requiring you to shoot a bunch of guys, it also deserves praise for being genuinely hilarious. Stephen Merchant’s performance as the blundering robot Wheatley is a perfect counterpart to the return of the maniacal, homicidal GLaDOS, and they’re not the only entertaining characters you’ll come across along the way. The puzzles can occasionally be baffling but generally feel rewarding once you figure out the necessary twist – there were only a couple of moments which basically amounted to “find the only (concealed) surface where you can place a portal” that frustrated me enough to resort to a guide (thanks, internet). Portal 2 may be a more compact experience than sprawling open world games or the limitless battles of an online shooter, but it’s one that’s absolutely worth playing – even more so if you’ve got a friend to share the fun with, thanks to the new co-op mode.

This is Wheatley. He'll crack you up.

Most Overwhelming Game: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The overall philosophy of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim seems to be to let the player do as they please. Sure, there’s a main quest which has something to do with dragons and the end of the world or some such – I can’t tell you much more about it because I keep getting distracted by an ever-increasing number of side quests and other miscellaneous crap. The huge number of places to visit and people to talk to mean that you’ll rarely go for long without being offered a new objective – even the sheer size of the world itself is overwhelming, often prompting a reaction of “I have to go all the way over THERE?” upon being given a new quest. However, what at first seems like a chore can turn into an adventure in itself – stumbling across undiscovered places, fighting off bandits and the local wildlife, and inevitably getting attacked by a dragon just when you thought you’d got to your destination in one piece. Thankfully Skyrim’s fast travel system means you won’t have to spend all your time on cross-country trekking, which is just as well really – the game’s near-bottomless amount of content is going to keep me busy enough…

Oh no, not another bloody dragon.

The ‘Best Dust Off The Wii Again’ Award – The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Sadly, the an old adage is once again ringing true – the best games on a Nintendo console are usually the first party ones, and this year’s biggest reason to wipe the dust of your increasingly neglected Wii was The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Still, it seems like there’s no better way for a console to bow out than with a new Zelda game that’s just in time for the 25th anniversary of the series, and it’s probably one of the best we’ve seen. By crossing the stylised visuals of The Wind Waker with the more mature take we saw in Twilight Princess, Nintendo have nailed a colourful and expressive aesthetic that really brings the world to life. The game also fully realises the dream of motion-controlled swordplay that was only hinted at in Twilight Princess, thanks to Wii MotionPlus allowing your movements to match those of Link. Despite feeling more confined than previous Zelda games, it’s no less engaging – the relationship between Link and Zelda in the early part of the game is completely endearing, and you’ll always want to press on and discover what new challenges lie ahead. Oh, and it’s the first fully orchestrated game in the series, right down to the classic ‘item get’ and ‘puzzle solved’ jingles. At the end of the day, it’s a new Zelda game – if you hate the series, move along, but for everyone else, a fantastic adventure awaits you.

You'll actually have to think about where you're swinging your sword now.

Best (Indie) Game: Bastion

To be honest, it almost feels unnecessary to talk about Bastion as an ‘indie game’. Sure, it may be the work of a small studio (Supergiant Games), but it absolutely doesn’t feel like it – as an all-round package, this game stands toe-to-toe with the biggest-budget releases of the year. A wonderful, hand-painted aesthetic, a gorgeous acoustic soundtrack, and a surprisingly deep and varied selection of weapons make this game both a joy to behold and a lot of fun to play. But the icing on the game’s aesthetic cake is it’s narrative device – a husky-voiced narrator follows along with the action in real time, telling the game’s story as it happens. By rights, it should get old, but somehow it works perfectly as a compelling hook to keep you engaged. Bastion is one of those games that has ‘must-play’ oozing from every facet of its being – so just go do it.

Bastion - Not just a pretty face.

The ‘I Don’t Really Know What Award To Give This Game’ Award: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

Now, I’m a big fan of the Assassin’s Creed series, so I’m not exactly going to complain too much about getting more stealthy-climby-stabby goodness on a yearly basis. I enjoyed my time with the single player story of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, but looking back, the promised additions ended up being kinda variable in their actual impact. The bomb-crafting was played up as a big thing, and while there are various combinations for you to try out, I mostly just ended up experimenting with them before going back to using the three bombs I found most useful. Similarly, the much-touted new hookblade offered a couple of handy new moves, but mostly amounted to an automatic ‘climb faster’ button (not an unwelcome addition, I’ll admit). I didn’t mind the new Den Defence mini-game – a tower defence style affair where you place assassins and fortifications to stop waves of attacking templars – but thinking about it now, it seems kinda stupid. Why are they sending all their guys down this one narrow street? Surely they could attack from multiple angles? Sure, like many other things in the Assassin’s Creed universe, it’s a gameplay contrivance – but in this case, it feels both kinda dumb from a logical perspective, and a missed opportunity from a game design perspective. On the plus side, it feels like Ubisoft have finally nailed the ‘Assassin’s Tomb’ style sections that I found a bit iffy in the previous two games – one sequence I found genuinely thrilling has you chasing a group of templars down an underground river as they try desperately to pick you off. Overall, the single player mode may provide you with some story-based ‘Revelations’, but don’t expect a true revolution when it comes to the gameplay itself.

Another epic adventure awaits Ezio.

The multiplayer is also back, and apart from the fact that the detection meter now goes in reverse (meaning you need to stalk your target for a while to get the highest scoring kills), it’s mostly a case of fixing what wasn’t broken. Which is fine really – while it’s not as revolutionary as when it first appeared last year in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, there are still very few multiplayer experiences like it. There are some new abilities and gametypes to keep things interesting, the seemingly obligatory inclusion of a Call Of Duty style system for unlockables and ‘prestige’ levels, and even a bit of background on Abstergo and the Templars thrown in to keep things interesting. It’s still probably my favourite multiplayer game, and I’m still going to play the hell out of it. Despite all my little gripes with it, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is still one of the games I’ve enjoyed the most this year – but it doesn’t feel like it’s done quite enough to warrant any praise as great as ‘game of the year’. So these rambling paragraphs will have to do, I guess.

10. Battles – Gloss Drop

Battles - Gloss Drop

Despite the loss of Tyondai Braxton, the remaining three members of Battles soldiered on regardless, and Gloss Drop is the result. While perhaps not quite reaching the heights of debut full-length Mirrored, the new record feels undoubtedly more fun – and no more so than on the grin-inducing organised chaos of ‘Ice Cream’, which features the brilliantly nonsensical vocals of Matias Aguayo. Elsewhere, Gary Numan features on the blisteringly relentless ‘My Machines’, ‘Inchworm’ bounces playfully along, and album opener ‘Africastle’ sees the band sounding as tight as ever – just a few reasons why Gloss Drop is absolutely a triumph agains adversity.

9. Braids – Native Speaker

Braids - Native Speaker

On Native Speaker, Braids have provided one of the finest pairs of opening tracks you’ll hear all year. ‘Lemonade’ sees vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston cooing seductively over bubbling, sparkling backdrop, before ‘Plath Heart’ sees the band kick into mesmerising, oddball indie-pop mode in earnest. The rest of the album is pretty good too – the blissed out ambience of ‘Glass Deers’ and the clastrophobic menace of ‘Lammicken’ being particular highlights.

8. The Duke Spirit – Bruiser

The Duke Spirit - Bruiser

The Duke Spirit are perhaps one of the UK’s most undeservedly underrated bands, and listening to Bruiser will certainly do nothing to harm that reputation. The album makes its way from full-throttle bluesy rock numbers such as ‘Surrender’ and ‘Everybody’s Under Your Spell’ to more thoughtful, heartfelt tracks like ‘Villian’ and ‘Homecoming’, via the sultry stomp of ‘Procession’ and the dark, convulsing bassline of ‘Bodies’. The fact that all this comes together as a remarkably cohesive whole makes Bruiser one of the most consistently strong records I’ve heard all year.

7. Vessels – Helioscope

Vessels - Helioscope

The second full-length record from Leeds post-rock titans Vessels, Helioscope once again demonstrates the breadth and depth of their musical ambition, from the incessant, ever-shifting dynamics of opener ‘Monoform’ to the euphoric crescendo of ‘All Our Ends’. Of particular note is the beautifully understated ‘Meatman, Piano Tuner, Prostitute’, which features a gorgeous vocal turn from Stuart Warwick – but the album is a breathtaking ride from start to finish.

6. Los Campesinos! – Hello Sadness

Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness

The most recent set from Los Campesinos! sees them adopt a more mature sound at points. Sure, Hello Sadness still features bursts of youthful exuberance (‘By Your Hand’, ‘Songs About Your Girlfriend’) and Gareth’s lyricism is as devastating as ever, particularly on the chorus of the title track. But songs like ‘The Black Bird, The Dark Slope’ and the heartwrenching ‘To Tundra’ feel like the sound of a band pushing harder than ever to surpass themselves – and succeeding.

5. Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See

Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See

There is a school of thought that suggests that Arctic Monkeys have become progressively worse with each passing record. Anyone who thinks this, however, is utterly mistaken – Suck It And See is the sound of a band both very much comfortable in its own skin and sounding as effortlessly confident as ever. From gorgeous indie-pop (‘She’s Thunderstorms’) to wilfully ridiculous rock stompers (‘Brick By Brick’), they barely put a foot wrong here. Alex Turner is also on fine lyrical form, demonstrating his tender side with tracks like ‘Piledriver Waltz’ and ‘Love Is A Lazerquest’, as well as his trademark wit on ‘Reckless Serenade’ and ‘Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair’. Doubters gonna doubt, but Suck It And See is a fine addition to the Arctic Monkeys canon regardless of what they think.

4. The Horrors – Skying

The Horrors - Skying

While not the quantum leap forward that 2009′s Primary Colours represented, Skying saw The Horrors consolidate their sonic progression with another fine collection of songs – as well as finally earning a deserved chart breakthrough, (on their own terms, no less). From the driving, hook-laiden likes of ‘I Can See Through You’ and ‘Still Life’ to sprawling, brilliant epics ‘Moving Further Away’ and ‘Oceans Burning’, Skying moulds The Horrors’ myriad influences into a sound that is very much their own.

3. Wild Beasts – Smother

Wild Beasts - Smother

The baffling omission of Smother from the Mercury Prize shortlist turned out to be but a minor blip in the continued ascent of Wild Beasts. The band adopted a more pared down, less-is-more aesthetic than on previous records, which has been exquisitely combined with their thought-provoking, intimate lyricism to produce one of the year’s most stunningly beautiful records.

2. Zola Jesus – Conatus

Zola Jesus - Conatus

It’s impossible to talk about Zola Jesus without mentioning *that* voice, and for good reason – her operatic tones are some of the most powerful and distinctive you’ll hear today. But equally striking are the varied electronic soundscapes that she wraps around that arresting voice, and her third album Conatus proved to be no exception. Be it the spacious, ominous sounds of ‘Avalanche’, the glitchy industrial whirring of ‘Vessel’, the hypnotic likes of ‘Hikikomori’ and ‘Ixode’, or the fragile melancholy of ‘Skin’, it’s a consistently captivating record that deserves recognition as one of the year’s best.

1 (The Head). PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Objectively speaking, Let England Shake is one of the year’s most outstanding artistic achievements, and I’d personally rank it as the best thing PJ Harvey has ever put her name to. To take on the subject of war without resorting to “WAR IZ BAD” tubthumping is commendable in itself – Harvey takes the far more restrained approach of narrating the horrors of war as seen through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. In doing so, however, she paints a more damning portrait of war than any protest song could ever hope to – and that’s the true genius of Let England Shake. I’ll stop there – it’s not as if I haven’t gushed about this album enough already.

1 (The Heart). Johnny Foreigner – Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything

Johnny Foreigner - Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything

For me, no band is better at making music that feels absolutely vital to my life than Johnny Foreigner, and with Johnny Foreigner Vs Everything, they’ve done it absolutely on their own terms. While there’s still plenty of the rapid-fire anthems they’re most well known for (‘What Drummers Get’, ‘You Vs Everything’), it’s the slower songs that really make this album for me – tracks like ’200x’ and ‘Johnny Foreigner Vs You’ fit the band like a glove by allowing Alexei’s lyrical prowess to shine through. Deeply personal and yet instantly relatable, I can almost guarantee you’ll take far more than a handful of lines from these songs to heart – this is an emotional heavyweight of an album, but one you won’t mind being knocked off your feet by time and time again.

You can find a Spotify playlist containing all these albums right here.

Miaow Miaow

It’s fair to say there aren’t enough perverse electro-pop bands in York – but luckily, we have Miaow Miaow to fill that particular gap in the market. Listening to their music, it’s quite clear they’ve got their sights set on other gaps to fill… I can’t believe I just wrote that. Anyway, the band was formed by the twisted minds of Aled Haywood and Pete Wise, who are aided and abetted in their affairs by Mikey Donnelly.

A recent recording session in Norwich resulted in a new Miaow Miaow track being unleashed onto the world – it’s called ‘Tiger Suit’, and you can hear it over on the band’s Myspace. It’s possibly about going out and having a good time whilst wearing one of those animal-print onesies (or maybe just a bit of good old-fashioned leopard print). “Oooh, don the pelt of a life more colourful” they coo, over spiky guitars and a regimented drumbeat – the falsetto chant of “animal, vegetable, or mineral?” in the song’s mid-section is also a goofy highlight. Of course, there’s more where that came from.’Ladventurin” sounds like Franz Ferdinand and Crystal Castles going on a particularly lary month-long bender, while ‘My Brains, Your Brawn’ mixes Foals-esque guitars with wonky Metronomy-style synths, and the lyrics will certainly raise a chuckle or two (my personal favourite being “My love for you’s largely asthetic/I like you best when you’re asleep”).

To celebrate the recording of ‘Tiger Suit’, the band will be hosting a gig at The Duchess in York on the 28th December. Support comes from Puppets, Twin Pines and Thomas Robinson, and the DJs from We Don’t Sleep At Night will be spinning some records after the show. Find out more details about the event here. Looking into 2012, they’ve got a gig lined up at 93 Feet East in London on the 31st January, which you can find out more about here. Also in the pipeline is a recording session with former Neon Plastix member Patrick Goss, which should yield some interesting results – hopefully it’ll be another opportunity for the band to hone their quirky, smirk-inducing style.

Find Miaow Miaow on Facebook here.

What The Cat Dragged In

It’s always nice to see a band with an idiosyncratic style, and York-based five-piece What The Cat Dragged In certainly fit that bill – so much so, that their self-classification under the made-up musical genre of ‘Catdraggage’ seems pretty well justified. They also have a tendency to do pretty much everything themselves, which has resulted in two self-released records emerging this year – first, a three-track EP verbosely entitled The Abstract Nouns In My Concrete Metaphor, and more recently a two-track single, 17 & How Not To. Both of these are available on the WTCDI Bandcamp page, or have a listen to them below. There’s a variety of styles and sounds on display here, from twinkling slow-burner ‘Dérive’ to the scattershot post-punk of ‘How Not To’. The tense dramatics of ’17′ make it a personal favourite of mine, and the vocal interplay on ‘Jealousy’ is particularly wonderful.

The band’s DIY ethos doesn’t stop there, however. They also enjoy hosting gigs in unusual venues, and their latest and most ambitious project is the aptly titled A Gig In A Church. which will be hosted at St. Paul’s Church on Holgate Road in York on Tuesday 20th December. They’ve also got T.E. Morris (of Her Name Is Calla fame) playing main support, and ridiculously talented York youngsters Sombre will be opening the show. (As an aside, this gig will be Sombre’s final ever show – yet another good reason to get yourself down there.) Given the scale of the project, they’ve set up a page on indiegogo where you can contribute to the running of the show in exchange for various goodies – have a look here for more details. All in all, it looks to be a fine way to round off the year for What The Cat Dragged In – here’s hoping that 2012 sees them continue to succeed in doing things on their own terms.

Find What The Cat Dragged In on Facebook here.

Main photo courtesy of Adam Robinson (@Adam_Zed on Twitter).

Birdy - Birdy

If you thought that my scathing treatise on Cher Lloyd earlier this year was a tad harsh, you might want to look away now. I genuinely feel a little bad for having written what you’re about to read – for it seems cruel to shoot down the dreams of a fairly talented 15 year-old girl as she takes her first big steps into the unforgiving music industry, but I feel that something needs to be said. Essentially, my problem isn’t with Birdy herself, but what she represents – music reprocessed and repackaged into its blandest and most easily-palatable form. It’s all so calculatedly inoffensive that it comes full circle and irks my by its mere existence.

I’ll admit that I’m obviously not the target audience for Birdy’s music – she’s clearly being aimed at people who don’t know or care that 10 of the 11 tracks on her self-titled debut are covers. But for anyone who’s familiar with the original versions of these songs, the most obvious flaw with Birdy’s covers is that most of the time they simply seem watered down in comparison. Take her version of The Naked & Famous track ‘Young Blood’, which cribs the synths from the original but buries them deeper in the mix, sucking the track dry of any sense of exuberance. Her version of The Postal Service’s ‘The District Sleeps Alone Tonight’ suffers from similar problems – someone has evidently taken all of about 5 minutes to create a poor pastiche of Dntel’s beats in Garageband, while the skittering electronica that made the original so interesting is absent entirely. And if you’re looking for evidence that copious overdubs are no substitute for a well-delivered vocal harmony, then look no further than her take on ‘White Winter Hymnal’, which takes the pastoral beauty of Fleet Foxes and makes it sound like little more than a midly pleasant vocal exercise.

The other major flaw is that Birdy simply cannot inhabit these songs in the same way that their original composers did. Take the album-closer, a cover of The National’s ‘Terrible Love’ – a song written by a man in his late 30s, lest we forget. While not as ill-fitting as other National songs might have been (‘Afraid Of Everyone’ or ‘Sorrow’, to name but two potential candidates), there’s still a certain disconnect between the lyrics and the girl who’s singing them - “And I can’t fall asleep without a little help” just doesn’t seem as plausible coming from the mouth of a 15-year old girl. It doesn’t help that the original’s visceral crescendo is replaced by a hackneyed string section and the least imaginative drumbeat possible.

It’s a problem that plagues the entire record – try as she may it imbue these songs with emotion, the words that come out feel either insincere or just plain meaningless. The semi-nonsensical lyrics of Thomas Mars were never going to be a great candidate for Birdy’s attempts at sincerity, and her take on Phoenix’s ’1901′ feels a little forced because of it. Her most famous cover, that of Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’ also suffers, simply because you just can’t quite imagine Birdy having experienced the same heartbreak that runs through the song’s lyrics – and while she gives it her all, in places it almost feels like she’s over-emoting to compensate.

Admittedly, there are places when her stripped back versions come closer to working than others. Her cover of The XX’s ‘Shelter’ is mercilessly stripped of its late-night ambience, but if you push Birdy’s age to the back of your mind then it almost, almost sounds believable – certainly, it would be churlish to deny that it’s a strong vocal performance regardless of that. Similarly, her take on Cherry Ghost’s ‘People Help The People’ is perhaps a little over-sincere, but still works better in a thematic sense than a lot of these songs.

The other problem with Birdy is that it essentially tells us next to nothing about Birdy herself, other than that she’s got a decent singing voice and can play the piano. Expecting a 15-year old to be a brilliant songwriter is arguably unfair – but it’s equally unfair to Birdy herself that she’s hardly been allowed to express her own voice on this record. She’s essentially just a vehicle for other people’s songs – none of which are at particularly unpalatable in their original forms, rendering her versions pretty but pointless.  The whole exercise is akin to taking some nice wallpaper and then painting it beige.

Perhaps, in cynical marketing terms, this is Birdy’s foot in the door – a record that bends over backwards to be accessible in order to warm up a potential audience for a future album of self-penned material – certainly, you get the impression that someone at her record label believes she could occupy the same sort of space as the currently omnipresent Adele. The one window into what might lie ahead for her is ‘Without A Word’, the sole original composition on the record – it’s not desperately exciting, but it does feel surprisingly mature, and it’s an indication of a potential future for Birdy that doesn’t involve being a musical wholesaler of bland indie and folk covers. I almost hope she does get the chance to make a record on her own terms (and maybe prove cynical hacks like me wrong in the process) – but it feels like there’s every chance that she may be forgotten about before she’s even old enough to legally drown her sorrows. I suppose that sales of Birdy will ultimately decide her fate – and that, in itself, is the tragedy of young Jasmine Van den Bogaerde. For the British public are fickle beasts, so even if she does get the chance to make a second record, there’s no guarantee it’ll be a success. Just ask Duffy.