The blueprint for ‘Inform, Educate, Entertain’ was deceptively simple - splicing soundbites from old public information films with modern day indie electro to produce something innovative and widely accessible. In a way it sounded too perfect, the sort of idea an over-achieving A-level music student would come out with on their way to another glowing report, an intelligently balanced formula that ran the risk of sounding too clinical and polished. Upon reflection PBA’s approach was actually more incisive that it initially appeared, taking modern indie’s TV-friendly tendencies and subverting them by drawing its material from the world of broadcasting itself and perhaps ironically setting themselves up as the last band you’d pick to soundtrack the next Panorama special. These guys come across like the younger, hungrier cousins of Boards of Canada in the harsh light of the modern age - ‘Inform….’ harnesses its subject matter in much the same way as the legendary Scottish duo but pitches its case for business in bolder and more convincing terms. One to watch, that much is certain.
19. Melt Banana – Fetch
The world didn’t necessarily need another dose of frenetic Japcore butchery from these demented noiseniks but it was certainly a better place once ‘Fetch’ had made a gaping crater in 2013’s musical landscape. Exploding like a plague of brightly-coloured gremlins amped up on LSD and Smarties, Melt Banana’s latest sounded like Napalm Death on Helium careering around a china shop in an out of control monster truck – there’s no muscle-flexing bluster here, just a freeform violation of the senses that will leave your head spinning round like a wood vane in a thunderstorm. They will surely spontaneously combust at some point but until then we should treasure them and their gloriously perplexing catalogue of aural atrocities .
Techno had a pretty good year in 2013 with sizzling platters from Seams, The Range and Factory Floor to titillate the senses and Blondes were frontrunners in that particular pack, their debut emerging to heightened expectations after a raft of cracking standalones earlier in the year. ‘Swisher’ initially came across as somewhat of a disappointment, lacking the full frontal appeal of any of the duo’s singles but ultimately chartering depths inaccessible to short form releases over a series of ponderous electro soundbites. In keeping with current trends the material swirls and cascades as opposed to sticking rigidly to the hook/comedown formula and the nine tracks on show here chronicle a fascinating voyage across a sea of crackling static, bleeps and loops resonating out from what sound like hollow TV sets as the tracks ebb and flow over lifespans around the seven minute mark. Techno’s quest to save itself from self-referential navel-gazing goes on and Blondes are clearly on the right side and come strapped with an arsenal of subtle yet disarmingly effective weaponry.
17. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats – Mind Control
Swathed in reverb and caked in garage scuzz, ‘Mind Control’ was an irresistible splurge of electric energy and lurching riff propulsion. Uncle Acid and co pack a sound heavy enough to appeal to the most ardent Sabbath acolyte but are sprightly enough to entice indie listeners partial to a bit of infectious retro rock – ‘Mind Control’ is triple distilled in smoky occult ambience and acid-fried 70s rock but boasts a generous supply of riff-heavy hooks to wean its way onto any playlist alongside peers from across the musical spectrum. Stomping along in the vein of Acid Mothers Temple, Ghost and the myriad Ty Segall projects currently underway, ‘Mind Control’ was the year’s most irresistible fuzz bomb.
16. Filthy Boy – Smile That Won’t Go Down
Pleasures of the flesh were very much centre stage on Filthy Boy’s lascivious debut which provided a catchy soundtrack to the discerning pervert’s trundles around sexually frustrated suburbia. They broach the topic with the eloquence and grace of Neil Hannon and Nick Cave but aren’t afraid to delve into graphic detail on occasion, ploughing depths that would make R Kelly blush as they fondle their way through eleven cuts of witty indie pop. This stuff is smooth enough that they could play it over the radio in Tescos without anyone batting an eyelid until they started listening to the lyrics – these boys could probably have gone the Mumford/Bublé route if they liked but their talents are put to much better use on this sordidly splendid debut.
15. Mazzy Star – Seasons Of Your Day
Amidst the avalanche of comeback records this year Mazzy Star’s first release for 17 years kinda got lost in the rubble but they were never a band hellbent on maximum publicity and ‘Seasons’ was probably better suited to surfacing gradually from amidst the murkier waters of indie’s hinterland. Hope Sandoval still sounds like no other vocalist alive right now and their knack for fragile melancholy and velvet-cloaked beauty has only become stronger with the passing of time – this is up there with ‘She Hangs Brightly’ and might even be the best thing they’ve ever done. Nick Cave and David Bowie seem to be sweeping up the plaudits for graceful returns to form but for my money neither of them measure up to the nocturnal elegance of Mazzy’s new masterpiece – if you’re looking for a soundtrack to the winter then this is where you wanna start.
14. Free Time – s/t
Mellow doesn’t have to mean twee - you can soften the edges of indie rock nicely without descending into full on chunky sweater Talulah Gosh territory, it just takes a little delicacy and texture. Free Time warm it up the same way Teenage Fanclub did later on in their career, strictly Sunday afternoon in tempo but shot through with enough charm and gentle energy to save this from complacency. They pick up on the milder side of 80s Scottish indie in the same vein as fellow revivalists Milk Teddy (whose ‘Zingers’ LP is also well worth a go and would have made this list had it not slipped out in late 2012) and handle their charge with the velvet touch of seasoned veterans, slipping gracefully into each gem of laid-back abandon like they’re easing themselves into a warm bed. You didn’t have to rage hard this year to score points and these dudes may have landed the year’s most casual masterpiece with this corking debut.
13. The Men – New Moon
Last year’s winners didn’t rest on their laurels and knocked out another stonking record in early 2013, ‘New Moon’ allowing more equal footing to the band’s diverse range of musical personalities as their softer elements came to the fore on golden country gems like ‘I Saw Her Face’ and ‘The Seeds’. However they still found time to kick a few doors off their hinges with some of the most satisfying garage rock in the business and their live show back in March saw them push their ragtag bluster to the limits of endurance for another unforgettable performance. As if that weren’t enough already the acoustic ‘Campfire Songs’ EP from later in the year only strengthened their status as the most fascinating band of the moment.
12. Carcass – Surgical Steel
One of the few metal bands to quit while they were ahead first time round, Carcass burst back into life with ‘Surgical Steel’ like they’d never been away. Their savage hybrid of Death Metal and melodic Thrash has been widely aped but never equalled since the release of ‘Heartwork’ 20 years ago but their new platter of splatter sounds every bit as nasty as they did back in the day and comes packed with barbed wire gems guaranteed to put a slobbering grin on the face of every metalhead out there. Any doubts over whether they’d be able to deliver a return to form stonker in the wake of their reformation for live dates should be silenced by this brutal resurgence which was streets ahead of much of the year’s metal output.
11. Floorplan – Paradise
Hipster studio boffins like Hot Chip and Friendly Fires can spend as long as they like trying to cook up the perfect House record, they’ll still never get anywhere close to the original sound of late 80s Chicago – if you want a modern day update on the genre’s uplifting shimmer then you’re better off getting it from someone who was around when it all originally kicked off. Robert Hood returned to the fore in 2013 with a killer soundtrack of warm blooded clubland joy that brought back the original spirit of Ten City, Joe Smooth et al without slipping into corny nostalgia or crass commercialism. ‘Paradise’ comes packed to the rafters with deep clubland throb, pulsating rhythms and oodles and oodles of pure love.
No comments:
Post a Comment