Saturday 7 January 2017

Best Of 2016 - SFW

A Year we'll never forget



Kevin Morby - Beautiful Strangers


Like the great protest songs of Dylan, Young, Lennon and Guthrie, Kevin Morby gave us a protest song for 2016.  With all proceeds going to 'Everytown for Gun Safety' it covers gun violence, Freddie Gray and the shootings in Paris & Orlando.

I first heard this back in October and I still adore it now. In a year that has seen many of our heroes die (form the world of song and screen), it's pretty damn perfect “If I die too young,” he sings, “Or if the gunmen come, I’m full of love.”  Can we say anymore?

Radiohead - Spectre

Star Wars - Episode V "The Empire Strikes Back" Homage (Title Sequence) from KROFL on Vimeo.

This is so bloody gorgeous. Two of my favourite things merged into one (Star Wars & Radiohead) and for the life of me I have no idea why it wasn't used over Sam Smiths "Writing on the Wall".  This was originally recorded for Spectre but "..it didn't work out".

OK, I hear what you are saying. "Wasn't this out last year?" Well it was previewed at the end of 2015 but was only available in 2016. So there.

Cass McCombs - Opposite House


This features on Cass McCombs wonderful latest album "Mangy Love". It is a collaboration with Angel Olson that is built around a hypnotic guitar riff and smooth string arrangement that has a soft rock atmosphere that masks the surrealist lyrics.  Awesome.

Ben Watt - Gradually


Ben Watt, i.e. “the bloke out of Everything But the Girl” released this stonking track to accompany his album, Fever Dream. The album features Suede’s Bernard Butler and some guest vocals from Marissa Nadler and Hiss Golden Messenger’s M.C. Taylor.

The song is about “...what can happen to a long ongoing relationship over time; the gradual shifting sands; how love mutates, changes speed; how interior worlds can be obstructive,”  It also features what I would call a "Classic rock guitar" solo with what sounds like an E-Bow playing throughout the song.  Give it a few spins.

Willie J Healey - Pipedreams


Willie J Healey is probably my new artist of the year.  The Michael Rappaport lookalike just oozes 'low-fi' cool (if that is such a thing?) and probably any of his releases could have made my top-5. If you like the melodic fuzz of Weezer then you should like Willie! 

The video features 60 year old skateboarder Neal Unger who first appeared on YouTube as a Skateboarding tramp, Unger proves that you can never be too old to pick up a new hobby. "You are never too old to Skate!"


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Best Of 2016 - SFW
4/ 5
Oleh

5 comments

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sfw
7 January 2017 at 19:24

But what about the songs?

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18 January 2017 at 20:53

Nice to see Ryley Walker and Ben Watt in your run-down. Did you hear The Skiffle Players LP, featuring Cass McCombs, Dave Scher and Aaron Sperske of Beachwood Sparks and Neal Casal? 'Omie Wise' should've been in my Top 20 tunes of 2016 - if I hadn't forgotten about it until this moment!

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sfw
18 January 2017 at 21:09

Thanks Mr Swede. I haven't heard it The Skiffle Players, but I will asap. I've been listening to Julia Jacklin a bit today - thanks for the heads up!

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18 January 2017 at 21:13

She's great isn't she? You'll find the Skiffle Players album here. https://theskiffleplayers.bandcamp.com/

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