The Amazing Life of Ant DIt does exactly what it says on the tin2021-10-06T12:22:31+00:00All Rights Reserved blogSpiritblogSpirithttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/Ant Dhttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/about.htmlTop 25 tracks of 2020tag:theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com,2020-12-23:31658362020-12-23T13:54:28+00:002020-12-23T13:54:00+00:00 Well this has been a pretty uneventful year.. No, no that is not true. In a...
<p>Well this has been a pretty uneventful year.. No, no that is not true. In a lot of ways I have been very lucky, myself and my family have remained healthy, I have been able to work throughout, the birth of my second child went as well as it could have and to round it off I've even had the vaccine but still a bit of a crap one. Musically it has been pretty interesting, I was doing well until March listening to a lot of new music, then I mostly was listening to <em>REM - Its the end of the world as we know it </em>and drowning my sorrows in beer. No matter though I have managed to pull together a list with the same rules as ever, 25 songs released as single or on an album this year and no two songs from the same artist;</p><p> </p><p>25. BABYMETAL - BxMxC</p><p>24. Panic Shack - Jiu Jits You</p><p>23. MF Tomlinson - Strange Time</p><p>22. Do Nothing - Lebron James</p><p>21. Bright Eyes - Mariana Trench</p><p>20. Declan McKenna - Beautiful Faces</p><p>19. Waxahatchee - Can't Do Much</p><p>18. Little Man Tate - Boy in the Anorak</p><p>17. Powfu - death bed (coffee for your head)(ft. Beebadobee)</p><p>16. boy pablo - hey girl</p><p>15. The Strokes - Bad Decisions</p><p>14. Megan Thee Stallion - Savage Remix (Ft. Beyonce)</p><p>13. Slaves - One More Day Won't Hurt (Ft. Bob Vylan)</p><p>12. SHY FX - Roll The Dice (Ft. Stamina MC and Lily Allen)</p><p>11. JME - Pricks</p><p>10. Grouplove - Wildflowers</p><p>9. Trampolene - Uncle Brian's Abatoir (Ft. Peter Doherty)</p><p>8. The Reytons - Headache</p><p>7. Everything Everything - In Birdsong</p><p>6. Mura Masa - Deal Wiv It (Ft. Slowthai)</p><p>5. Laura Marling - For You</p><p>4. Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong</p><p>3. Billy Nomates - Hippy Elite</p><p>2. Sports Team - Here's The Thing</p><p>1. Gorillaz - Momentary Bliss (Ft. Slaves and Slowthai)</p><p> </p><p>So a couple of things to address, yes Slaves and Slowthai appear twice each but I have taken the decision to go with the named artist meaning I go with it as they are featured artists not the main artist (plus its my list). The next thing is the sheer amount of collaborations in this list on a year when we weren't allowed to meet up is very ironic. I think this list is probably one of the more eclectic I've ever had, of course plenty of indie but within there you have some elements of jazz, grime, hip hop, heavy metal and whatever you would classify the SHY FX song as?! </p><p>But anyway good one for Gorillaz, Momentary Bliss was out very early in the year and I have loved it throughout and am nowhere near sick of it. If you want to listen to the playlist you can find it <a href="spotify:playlist:3qdcpyPnoa0a5mEbNyfsl9" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>here. </em></span></a></p><p>Best Albums list to come and maybe even a Beers of the Year list, we will see. Much Love</p><p>END</p>
Ant Dhttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/about.htmlSongs of the Decade 2010-2019tag:theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com,2020-01-29:31463952020-01-29T17:52:06+00:002020-01-29T17:18:00+00:00 I said I would do it and I have done so, this was far more complicated than...
<p>I said I would do it and I have done so, this was far more complicated than I had hoped for and in truth I am not really that happy with this list as a finite best of the decade, more so this is 50 songs that I really like from the past 10 years. I did originally plan to go to 100 but by the time you get that far you start thinking do I really like this more than that and it loses its fun.</p><p>50. Bombino - Amidinine </p><p>49. Akala - Yours and My Children</p><p>48. Johnny Flynn - Raising the Daed</p><p>47. Bipolar Sunshine - Rivers</p><p>46. FFS - Johnny Delusional</p><p>45. Perfume Genius - Mr Peterson</p><p>44. Azealia Banks - 212</p><p>43. Alice Merton - No Roots</p><p>42. Nova Twins - Bassline Bitch</p><p>41. Xylaroo - Sunshine</p><p>40. We Are Scientists - Buckle</p><p>39. Sunless '97 - Whenever I can</p><p>38. RATBOY - Move</p><p>37. Peace - California Daze</p><p>36. M.I.A. - Come Walk With Me</p><p>35. Oberhofer - Away Frm U</p><p>34. Stormzy - Big for your boots</p><p>33. Jamie T - Zombie</p><p>32. Vampire Weekend - Unbelievers</p><p>31. Lost Under Heaven - I&I</p><p>30. AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove</p><p>29. Blaenavon - Orthadox Man</p><p>28. Citadels - The Chemical Song</p><p>27. GIRLI - Friday Night Big Screen</p><p>26. Art Brut - Hospital!</p><p>25. David Bowie - Where Are We Now?</p><p>24. Bloc Party - The Love Within</p><p>23. Declan McKenna - Why Do Yo Feel So Down?</p><p>22. Everything Everything - Regret</p><p>21. Blossoms - Charlemagne</p><p>20. The Big Moon - Formidable</p><p>19. Peter Doherty - Flags of the Old Regime</p><p>18. Kele - Everything You Wanted</p><p>17. Tinashe - Zambezi</p><p>16. Skinny Lister - Plough & Orion</p><p>15. Bellowhead - New York Girls</p><p>14. King Charles - Love Lust</p><p>13. The Skints - Rat-A-Tat-Tat</p><p>12. Frank Turner - Get Better</p><p>11. Jerry Williams - Grab Life</p><p>10. Cocknbullkid - Cocknbullkid</p><p>9. Many Thiings - Dear One</p><p>8. Two Door Cinema Club - Come Back Home</p><p>7. Palma Violets - Best of Friends</p><p>6. Crystal Castles - Not In Love (ft. Robert Smith)</p><p>5. Drenge - Bloodsports</p><p>4. Childcare - Kimberley</p><p>3. Grouplove - Colours</p><p>2. The Libertines - Heart of the Matter</p><p>1. Egyptian Hip Hop - Rad Pitt</p><p> </p><p>There we have, 10 years in just short of 3 hours, I feel there is probably a bit of a nostalgia bias towards the songs from the beginning of the decade and give it another few years this list might be a bit different. If you want to have a listen you can <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2tZLWg9MX1FgdTukxQxKO4?si=PP0igMjRTky2YUtYVFzZ9A">here</a>, minus track 4 which is not on Spotify.</p><p>END</p>
Ant Dhttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/about.htmlBest Albums 2019tag:theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com,2020-01-28:31463762020-01-29T13:26:48+00:002020-01-28T21:55:00+00:00 Look it's still January so this post is only a little bit late. I enjoyed...
<p>Look it's still January so this post is only a little bit late. I enjoyed listening to albums in 2019, there was quite a lot that I liked which makes this list easier to do. There are some on here that aren't surprising at all if you know me, there are some which maybe are; cryptic eh? Lets get into it.</p><p><img id="media-1083018" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/4109429271.2.jpg" alt="skints swimming lessons.jpg" />10. The Skints - Swimming Lessons</p><p>Let us start with one of the less surprising entrants, Swimming lessons is the fourth album from London based reggae-ska-rap band The Skints. I've been sold on the Skints since I was introduced to them by my friend shortly after the release of their first album and although they have never made huge waves in popular music they have slowly built a good following over the past 10 or so years culminating in a headline show at Brixton Electric this past year which I had the pleasure of attending. For me the band will always be better live than on CD which is why they are as low as they are but tracks such as Armageddon and Restless are a highlight (despite the awful rap on the latter).</p><p><img id="media-1083019" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/00/1289363020.jpg" alt="childcare - wabisabi.jpg" />9. Childcare - Wabi-Sabi</p><p>Apparently Wabi-Sabi is a Japanese term meaning to accept imperfection, strange choice of album title but I agree with it. Wabi-Sabi is the debut album from Childcare, a band I've been following the progress of since 2015 and the first time I heard the single Kimberley, that song genuinely has a shout at being in my top 10 songs of all time. Kimberley is not on this album and thus I have to accept the imperfection. The album is good, I enjoy tracks Man Down and Getting Over You especially and had I not had such a high expectation this might place higher but without Kimberley how can I? Childcare I fear suffer from the perennial sickness of Indie bands, ditching their more popular older material to seem avant-garde, I doubt they will ever record a second album.</p><p><img id="media-1083020" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/00/01/4200332872.jpg" alt="luh - love hates what youve become.jpg" />8. Lost Under Heaven - Love Hates What You Become</p><p>Love Hates What You Become is the 2nd album from Lost Under Heaven, a male/female two-piece consisting of former Wu Lyf man Ellery James Roberts. Mr. Roberts is another great example of an Indie darling who takes himself far too seriously but I can't help it, I like the music those guys make. Roberts has an unmistakable raspy voice which can be heard on the soundtrack to 13 reasons why, although that is from the bands previous album. From this offering my favourites are Come and For the Wild. </p><p><img id="media-1083021" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/1804285430.jpg" alt="kele 2042.jpg" />7. Kele - 2042</p><p>Everyone knows Kele Okereke as the front man of Bloc Party but in recent years he has thrown out a plethora of solo material. 2042 was actually the 2nd album released by Okereke in 2019 after "leave to remain" which was the soundtrack to his play of the same name - I have been reliably informed that despite the name it has very little to do with Brexit and more to do with being a gay man in London. I was dissapointed by Leave to Remain as an album so when I heard the first release of 2042 I was really excited, Jungle Bunny is a really catchy song about a serious subject much more akin to his 2017 album Fatherland which was one of my favourites that year. 2042 has some great tracks in Jungle Bunny, St. Kaepernick wept and Guava Rubicon but the album as a whole has a few misses and goes on a bit at 16 tracks which is why it only makes number 7.</p><p><img id="media-1083027" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/00/01/4145454694.png" alt="vampire weekend father of the bride.png" />6. Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride</p><p>This is the fourth album from New York 4-piece Vampire Weekend and the first for 6 years. Singles from Father of the Bride started leaking out in twos at the start of the year starting with Harmony hall and 2021 with the former being my favourite from the entire album, these provided a taster of what was to come and the album as a whole did not disappoint. I do think that similarly to 2042, the album suffers from being longer than it needs to be at 18 songs but this I fear may be a trend of the post physical world, people don't seem to listen to albums in the same way as they used to. But yes this album was actually probably better than I was expecting, I'm not sure why that is maybe as they don't seem as miserable as most of the artists in this list and as a result they have crept up to the higher end of this list.</p><p><img id="media-1083028" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/00/01/597962556.jpg" alt="bocc.jpg" />5. Better Oblivion Community Centre - Better Oblivion Community Centre</p><p>The first of three eponymous albums on this list (you won't be surprised when you see the 2nd one), Better Oblivion Community Centre is a project from Connor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers and this is their first album together. Connor Oberst is someone who I have been listening to many years from his work in Bright Eyes and am always eager to hear his new music but Phoebe Bridgers was not a name I had come across before although I see she too is quite the name in the US Indie scene making Better Oblivion a bit of a super group. Didn't know what I was in for is the first track and my favourite from the album it combines the gentle lyrical stylings you would expect from Oberst with some lovely harmonies and a very relaxing backing track. This album unlike the previous two is an album that I will happily listen to from beginning to end over and over, it seems to have a natural flow</p><p><img id="media-1083030" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/02/621288402.jpg" alt="pD & PM.jpg" />4. Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres - Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres</p><p>Its the one you were all expecting and I did not dissapoint, 2019 saw a new album from a member of the Libertines so of course it has made it into my list. The Puta Madres are a ragamuffin crew of misfits including Jack Jones of the band Trampolene who Peter has been a long term admirer of. This album from Doherty was the first in many years that actually gained some quite positive critical review which surprised me as on first listen it didn't really grab me at all but you know I persevered and the more I listened the more I liked. I wouldn't say that this is amongst my favourites of the main man's work, that will always be saved for The Libertines, but I wouldn't necessarily put it as his best solo work either. Some songs I don't think work that well such as the mish mash cover of the Velvet Underground and Oasis that is Someone Else to be but other songs such as Shoreleave and Punk Buck Bonafide do show his writing talents. I watched a few interviews around the time of the albums release and if I had to guess I would say Pete is back on the hard stuff which is a shame for him but if the critical reviews are anything to go by the press prefer him on it.</p><p><img id="media-1083031" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/2930631287.jpg" alt="AJ Tracey.jpg" />3. AJ Tracey - AJ Tracey</p><p>A grime album, at last something that does not fall under the indie genre, what can I say I have a type. AJ Tracey's album though is good enough to break me out of my usual comfort zone, and it is the first time since Kano's 2016 Album Made in the Manor that a grime album has made the list. AJ, born Che Wolton Grant, is a 25 year old Grime artist from Ladbroke Grove, London and the song named after his home town is what really sold this album to me from listen one with its catchy beat and flow. Although Ladbroke Grove is for me a stand out, every time I listened to the album another song popped out at me whether it be Psych Out! in which he explains how great he is or Horror show which now has a place in my Halloween playlist. Tracey in the same vain as a lot of young grime artists have a lot of songs which are fairly self indulgent and doesn't always have a lot of depth but the flow is good and its an album that just keeps drawing me back in.</p><p><img id="media-1083032" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/01/1880835635.jpg" alt="blaenavon - everything that makes you happy.jpg" />2. Blaenavon - Everything That Makes You Happy</p><p>Another artist on the list that released 2 albums in 2019, the 2nd Demoitis was released about two days before the new year and so never had a shot but Everything Makes You Happy was released in October and was an ever present in my rotation for the rest of the year. The 3-piece Hampshire band, named after a small Welsh town for reasons unknown have climbed a place after their debut album, That's your Lot made 3rd place on my 2017 album list. To be fair Everything That Makes You Happy could easily have been number 1 on this year's list but was just pipped to the post as you will see shortly. This album like all my favourites is one that you can listen to the whole way through without getting bored and with stand out tracks such as The Song's Never Gonna Be The Same and my personal favourite Never Stop Stirring it has songs on from beginning to end that I really enjoyed and will be listening to for years to come.</p><p><img id="media-1083033" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/01/2032622071.jpg" alt="girli - odd one out.jpg" />1. Girli - Odd One Out</p><p>If you had told me at the start of the year that a pink haired, bi-sexual, gender fluid, feminist rapper come singer would be at number one on my album list I would have probably said.. yeah, fair enough it is 2019 after all. Girli is an artist I have been listening out for for a number of years after I heard her single Girl I met on the Internet in 2016. I always assumed that she would be one of these artists who releases the odd single year on year but never really gets as far as an album and I will admit I was wrong although at just 9 tracks and 24 minutes long it is a bit short for my tastes but it only leaves me wanting more. At the start of the year Deal with It was the track that immediately got my attention but after a number of listens, Friday Night Big Screen a song in which Girli compares her life to those of movie characters quickly became my song of the year and I spent many a traffic jam singing along to the wondrous if slightly camp lyrics. Some of the songs may be a bit on the nose with their 2019ness but on the whole they are fun, upbeat and uplifting.</p><p>Blimey, there we have it another year, another list. If I do say so myself this list is far better than last years as normal there were some surprises that made it in and some albums that I expected to be great that didn't quite live up to expectations such as the albums by Drenge and Skinny Lister which although weren't bad, they just weren't quite good enough. Honourable mentions also go out to Marina (formerly Marina and the Diamonda) and Cassia who were just edged out of the list. As alluded to in my singles countdown I have started narrowing down my songs and albums of the decade so I will probably write that sometime within the next 10 years. Until then adieu</p><p>END </p>
Ant Dhttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/about.htmlTop 25 tracks of 2019tag:theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com,2019-12-16:31450562019-12-16T22:07:30+00:002019-12-16T22:07:00+00:00 Bloody Hell, its the end of the decade, we've got another 5 years of the...
<p>Bloody Hell, its the end of the decade, we've got another 5 years of the Tories and we'll be out of Europe by January but hey at least we've got music to keep us sane. You know what as well, this year I actually feel that I have improved a bit with listening although still not at my heyday but then I'm not a lazy student any more. Bloody Hell 10 years since I was a student!!! Anyway music, 25 songs, 1 song per artist and all released as a single or album track in 2019.</p><p>25. Gently Tender - Intros and Outrage</p><p>24. RAT BOY - Don't Hesitate </p><p>23. Childcare - Sugarcane</p><p>22. Cassia - Small Spaces</p><p>21. Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings - Leviathan </p><p>20. The Skints - Restless (ft. Protoje)</p><p>19. Marina - To Be Human</p><p>18. The Raconteurs - Now That You're Gone</p><p>17. Pixies - Catfish Kate</p><p>16. Lost Under Heaven - Come</p><p>15. The Divine Comedy - Norman & Norma</p><p>14. Foals - In Degrees</p><p>13. Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Mettaevolution</p><p>12. Billie Eilish - Bad Guy</p><p>11. Jerry Williams - David at the Bar</p><p>10. Vant - Thank Lucifer</p><p>9. Kele - Jungle Bunny</p><p>8. Better Oblivion Community Centre - Didn't know what I was in for</p><p>7. Harmony Hall - Vampire Weekend</p><p>6. Shoreleave - Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres</p><p>5. Blaenavon - Never Stop Stirring</p><p>4. The Futureheads - Good Night Out</p><p>3. Declan McKenna - British Bombs</p><p>2. AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove</p><p>1. GIRLI - Friday Night Big Screen</p><p> </p><p>Didn't clock until writing but there are very few "new" artists in there compared to normal but I know what I like I suppose, or maybe I'm just getting old and this modern music stuff just sounds like noise. I've even got two instrumental songs in there, don't think I've ever had one in my top 25 before but you know, it just sounds good. If you want to listen to it, you can, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5SdAyR6U7InSOgzqGB00cP?si=k0gYgrUSTfOHa14Zhen9MA">HERE</a>. Otherwise keep a look out for my albums of the year AND, drumroll please...... my songs and albums OF THE DECADE. Dun dun dun</p><p>END</p><p> </p>
Ant Dhttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/about.htmlBest Albums 2018tag:theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com,2019-02-14:31298892019-04-24T22:44:11+00:002019-04-24T22:44:11+00:00 Hey Whats up? Looking for the Best albums of 2018 you say? Well, I can't...
<p>Hey Whats up? Looking for the Best albums of 2018 you say? Well, I can't promise that I'm afraid, I did not listen to a particularly huge pool of the music released in 2018 but I can offer you the best of what little I have listened to. 2019 is looking better though, I am really pushing myself to make time to listen to new music, a resolution if you will. But anyway, enough of the ramble and into my favourite albums of the few that I did listen to in 2018:</p><p><img id="media-1065686" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/01/2320575883.jpg" alt="10. wave pictures look inside your heart.jpg" />10. The Wave Pictures - Look Inside Your Heart</p><p>So the Wave Pictures have been around for a long time and the Leicestershire 3-piece have released too many albums to count. For me the band always encounter the same problem that their songs are individually very good but when you put them together it begins to sound a bit samey and this album.. is no different. There are though a good number of songs from this album that I do really recommend giving a listen to including Roosevelt Sykes and my personal favourite Sugar. Lyrically fun and easy to listen to.</p><p> </p><p><img id="media-1065687" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/01/2350088450.jpg" alt="09. JP - postcrads.jpg" />9. Julia Pietrucha - Postcards From The Seaside</p><p>So I had just come back from a boozy stag do in Poland with the name Julia Pietrucha saved on my phone with no recollection of what it was. I was worried. One google search later I found Polish singer/songwriter Julia Pietrucha and vague memories came back of a recommendation made by our tour guide one evening. A good recommendation it was too, JP is a piano led singer not too dissimilar in styling to Regina Spektor. Postcards from the Sea is her 2nd studio album and is a mix of songs in both English and her native Polish, some of my favourites including Sailor and Under Da Sea.</p><p> </p><p><img id="media-1065688" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/00/2997020228.jpg" alt="08. patv - street safari.jpg" />8. Public Access T.V. - Street Safari</p><p>This album was one of the first that I really listened to in early 2018, the band has been around for a number of years and I had enjoyed their previous releases. Street Safari though saw them take a slight detour from their traditional indie rock sound to a funkier feel. I heard first single Lost in the Game on John Kennedy's radio X exposure show and really enjoyed it. Street Safari is the New York bands 2nd album and although not a classic it is a good listen.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-1065689" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/01/2186482811.jpg" alt="07. tg lighting matches.jpg" />7. Tom Grennan - Lighting Matches</p><p>Tom Grennan has been floating around for a few years, I first heard of him when I saw him warming up for the Libertines at Brixton Academy. Back then I thought he sounded a bit like a cheap Kid Harpoon rip off, now in 2019 he is ten times more well known than Kid Harpoon ever was and to be fair to him his songs have now got a very different and more unique feel even if he still does share a very similar voice. Sober is by some way my favourite song from his debut album Lighting Matches but I do quite like Barbed Wire and a number of the others too. I saw Mr Grennan perform live again at Community Festival and he was one of the days highlights for sure.</p><p> </p><p><img id="media-1065690" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/409297964.jpg" alt="06. goat girl.jpg" />6. Goat Girl - Goat Girl</p><p>Goat Girl are an all female four-piece from London who apparently put on a very good live show. The band were one of the most hyped new bands on the Indie scene in about 2016 but I never really understood what the appeal was but then I had never and still haven't seen them live. Their sound is quite droney both in music and in the vocals and I think that what I didn't get in 2016 was that possibly the production on early tracks such as Country Sleeze wasn't as good. By the release of their eponymous debut the sound quality was much improved and the album as a whole is a much more enjoyable listen with stand out tracks The Man and Cracker Drool.</p><p> </p><p><img id="media-1065691" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/01/2349561486.jpg" alt="05. raz.jpg" />5. Razor Light - Olympus Sleeping</p><p>Olympus Sleeping is the first album from Razorlight in 10 years since the release of the much maligned 2008 album Slipway Fires. Front man Johnny Borrell has had a few projects in the meantime that have never really taken off. The opening to the album is a spoken introduction from 2000s Indie stalwart Adam Green asking for "A Razorlight album that doesn't completely suck" this self deprecation is something that has possibly come with age to Borrell who was a notorious pain in the arse in his heyday. But Green has got what he asked for in Olympus Sleeping, this album is a real throwback to mid 2000s indie music which of course is my favourite time so it wasn't too much of a surprise that I really enjoyed this album. Top tracks include Carry Yourself, Sorry? and Got to let the good times back into your life. </p><p><img id="media-1065692" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/01/3269862692.jpg" alt="04. am - tranq.jpg" />4. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino</p><p>You couldn't move very far without hearing an Arctic Monkeys song in early 2018, TBH&C was without doubt the most talked about release in 2018. The album is a concept based around a fictional hotel on Mars but still manages to hold onto a lot of Alex Turner's lyrical charm. Its hard to believe but its been 13 years since Arctic Monkeys first release and this is now their 6th full length album, personally I am always going to prefer the early stuff more but I still had a good number of listens to this one. My favourite songs Four out of Five and the title track, Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino.</p><p> </p><p><img id="media-1065693" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/3060444703.jpg" alt="03. FT - be more kind.jpg" />3. Frank Turner - Be More Kind</p><p>This album was a very hard one for me to rank in this years ratings, I love Frank Turner and have seen him live many times and for me some of the songs on this album are the best he has ever done. Be More Kind and 1933 are both brilliant in different ways, the first a call for love, the latter a bit of political satire. If the whole album was at the quality of those tracks this album would almost certainly have been number 1 on this list. Unfortunately not all tracks on this album were made equal and tracks like Make America Great Again and Going Nowhere are some of my least favourite he has ever done. MAGA is just very lazy writing in my opinion, its catchy and has a good message but it has no real depth and Going nowhere has the lyric "I'm in there like swimwear, I'm going nowhere" nothing more needs to be said. Not including greatest hits and compilations this is Turner's 6th album and it is one that I have such mixed feelings about but because I really do like some of the tracks this position felt right.</p><p><img id="media-1065694" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/426043752.jpg" alt="02. jack white.jpg" />2. Jack White - Boarding House Reach</p><p>Jack White is someone who never ceases to amaze me, he clearly is completely mad and a complete genius and has shown this as a member of the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, his solo stuff and in owning a record label; this latest release of his encapsulates this madness and sounds like nothing he has ever done before. Boarding House Reach is White's 3rd solo album and is released under his own Third Man Records. I will admit some of the songs on this album took me a few listens to really appreciate such as Everything you ever learned with its repetitive tannoy like sound to start but when you get into the meat of the song (strange choice of phrase for a vegetarian) it is great and that is not nearly my favourite track on the album. My top tracks would be Respect Commander, Corporation and the real stand out track Connected by Love which sounds almost anthemic with its Gospel Choir in the chorus. A really great album that might take a couple of listens to really get into it but it is worth the push.</p><p><img id="media-1065695" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/4176911531.jpg" alt="01. Art-Brut-Wham-Bang-Pow-Lets-Rock-Out.jpg" />1. Art Brut - Wham! Bang! Pow! Lets Rock Out</p><p>In truth this was by far and a way the easiest decision on this list, I absolutely loved the silly rock'n'roll stylings of Eddie Argos and the Art Brut Gang. Wham! Bang! Pow! Lets Rock Out is the bands 5th album and their first for 7 years as they took a hiatus in between presumably to take a break from their rock'n'roll lifestyle which is regularly touched upon throughout the album. Art Brut are band that definitely do not take themselves too seriously and at least sound like they are having a lot of fun doing it. I listened to this album so much I could quote individual lyrics from every song but I won't bore you and instead will gloss over a couple; in tracks Hospital! and I Hope You're very happy together the band take the sombre subjects of Addiction and Heart Break and deal with them with humour and fun, and possibly my favourite lyric on the whole album (although not from my favourite song) comes in Awkward breakfast where Eddie states "Last night you were being rude with me, now we're eating bowls of muesli". If you are looking for a beautiful singing voice with brilliantly played instruments and deep and thought provoking lyrics you are very much in the wrong place but if you just want to have fun and <em>Rock Out</em> then this really is an amazing album to do it to.</p><p> </p><p>So there we have the end to the 2018 journey (although I finally got round to finishing the writing of it in April 2019). It was a mixed ride. I really do think that I didn't have the best sample size but I am happy with my picks nevertheless. Honourable mentions go to The Voidz (which is Julian Casblancas from The Strokes fame) and the Von Bondies who just missed out on the top 10. As far as the Wooden Spoon its a hard one, nothing was truly awful in comparison to what I was expecting although both Shame and Blossoms failed to excite me as much I was hoping. Anyway that's it, see you in the future.</p><p>END.</p>
Ant Dhttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/about.htmlTop 25 Tracks of 2018tag:theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com,2018-12-18:31275892018-12-18T21:43:24+00:002018-12-18T21:43:24+00:00 Ahh 2018 is drawing to a close and what has it left as its legacy? Brexit...
<p>Ahh 2018 is drawing to a close and what has it left as its legacy? Brexit confusion, England in a World cup semi final and some decent music of which 25 songs I will list for you here today. My music consumption wains year on year due to other commitments, I went to but one live music event this year, usually a cornerstone for my lists. This year my new music has mainly come from John Kennedy on radio X and Spotify's algorithm of what I might like which although has many haters is pretty good at doing its job. Anyway enough of the babble, 25 songs, maximum one per artist and released either as a single or album track in 2018;</p><p>25. Arctic Monkeys - Four out of Five</p><p>24. George Ezra - Shotgun</p><p>23. The 1975 - Give Yourself a Try</p><p>22. Crewel Intentions - Youth In Overload</p><p>21. Franz Ferdinand - Always Ascending</p><p>20. Childish Gambino - This is America</p><p>19. Gently Tender - 2 Chords Good</p><p>18. Alfie Jackson - If I Could Be An Astronaut</p><p>17. Public Access T.V. - Lost in the Game</p><p>16. LUMP - Curse of the Contemporary</p><p>15. Julia Pietrucha - Unda Da Sea</p><p>14. Blossoms - I Can't Stand It</p><p>13. Jack White - Connected By Love</p><p>12. Childcare - Man Down (King Kong Shake)</p><p>11. The Wave Pictures - Sugar</p><p>10. Graham Coxon - Walking All Day</p><p>9. Lauren Hibberd - Call Shotgun</p><p>8. Frank Turner - Be More Kind</p><p>7. The Coral - Eyes Like Pearls</p><p>6. Tom Grennan - Sober</p><p>5. Alice Merton - No Roots</p><p>4. Razorlight - Carry Yourself</p><p>3. Vistas - Tigerblood</p><p>2. Art Brut - Hospital!</p><p>1. Jerry Williams - Grab Life</p><p> </p><p>So there we have it one song from each half of the now defunct Palma Violets, two songs with shotgun in the title and a song on top of the tree by an artist I had never heard of before. The list is very light on rap this year which is a shame, not sure whether that is more due to the quality of music not being as high or just my exposure to the right stuff hasn't been there. Maybe the algorithm isn't so perfect after all. Anyway I will try and rectify this for 2019, if you want to listen to this years <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/antd88/playlist/2tq4GbSEAKotYjZwGQePDe?si=e7ckqOqJS6eGrxbjD5cguw">HERE</a>. </p><p> </p><p>END!</p><p> </p><p> </p>
Ant Dhttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/about.htmlBest Albums 2017tag:theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com,2018-01-06:31007672018-01-06T20:18:51+00:002018-01-06T20:16:00+00:00 Even finding time to write this is difficult now so I will get to the points...
<p>Even finding time to write this is difficult now so I will get to the points quickly, enjoy my top 10 albums 2017</p><p> </p><p><img id="media-981707" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/00/601405314.jpg" alt="LOW_IN_HIGH_SCHOOL_900X900.jpg" />10. Morrissey - Low in High School<br />A late entry to the list, this album from the former Smiths front man is truly miserable and pessimistic but strangely enjoyable. I first heard lead single "Spent the day in bed" on the radio on my way to work and it really resonated but that was an easy win but some others from the album are a lot harder hitting and won't be to everyone's taste but definitely worth a listen.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-981708" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/02/3332025740.jpg" alt="wonderful wonderful.jpg" />9. The Killers - Wonderful Wonderful</p><p>It has been a long time since The Killers have made an album that has come anywhere close to making it onto my best of lists. It is not that they have been bad, just not exciting. This year when I heard 'I'm a Man' it got me into the band again. Others on the album that I enjoyed were 'Rut' and single 'Run for Cover'</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-981711" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/00/1385612873.jpg" alt="wheels to idyll.jpg" /> 8. John Hassall & The April Rainers - Wheels to Idyll</p><p>John Hassall's first album with his new band The April Rainers is a long way from his work with The Libertines but not a million miles away from his previous band Yeti. Wheels to Idyll is a compilation of chilled out, 60's influenced ditties that are easy to listen to, my favourite of which is 'Persephone' but other good tracks include 'Intercity 125' and 'My New 2nd Hand Shoes'.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-981712" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/00/00/4034257591.jpg" alt="75278-almost-home.jpg" /> 7. Keston Cobblers Club - Almost Home</p><p>A band that I have been following for a couple of years since I first saw them as a warm up to Bellowhead. Since then they have released a couple of albums and this, their 3rd full album is the most professional sounding yet full of upbeat folk music that gives you a warm feeling inside. Title track 'Almost Home' is probably my favourite but 'Concord' and 'Bicycles' come close.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-981713" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/2308613624.jpg" alt="black kids rookie.jpg" /> 6. Black Kids - Rookie</p><p>The VERY long awaited second album from the California band. Black Kids debut came out in 2008 and was one of if not my favourite album of that year and so when I heard 9 years later that there would be a follow up I was very excited only to be greeted with opening single 'Obligatory Drugs' which is easily the worst song on the album but I persevered and really enjoyed most of the other tracks especially 'IFFY' and 'If My Heart is Broken'. The only other negative being the awful album artwork.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-981717" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/01/1511739389.jpg" alt="Gang_Signs_&_Prayer_cover.jpg" />5. Stormzy - Gang Signs and Prayer</p><p>Stormzy was one of the most exciting prospects in British music emerging last year and he took 2017 by storm, releasing his debut album in January. From then he has gone from strength to strength, collaborating with some of the biggest names in pop. For me I would have preferred him to go down a less commercial route as I have seen this before with British Grime acts and it tends to produce sub par music but we shall see. As far as this album though it is a mixture of your typical fast paced British rap and some slower more prayerful numbers. 'Big for your Boots' though for me stands up as the best by some way.</p><p> </p><p><img id="media-981719" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/4011303201.jpg" alt="Kele Okereke - Fatherland art.jpg" /> 4. Kele Okereke - Fatherland</p><p>The third solo album by the Bloc Party front man but the first using his full name, this is clearly to distinguish this from his previous 2 which were much dancier. Fatherland is completely different, a much more mature sound which incorporates a bit of folk and jazz and gave me something that I really wasn't expecting but loved. 'Capers' was my favourite track but the whole album was very strong and far better than anything he has released recently either solo or as part of the band.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-981720" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/00/00/798337226.jpg" alt="Blaenavon-Thats-Your-Lot.jpg" />3. Blaenavon - That's Your lot</p><p>My favourite album this year was really hard to choose between the top 3 but I had to make a choice and unfortunately Blaenavon come in at 3. This is the debut from the Hampshire 3 piece who unfortunately I didn't get a chance to go to see despite them playing my beloved New Slang but this year as mentioned a few times has been a bit different, I have seen only one band live all year. I was listening to this album though non stop at the start of the year and with songs such as 'Orthodox Man' and 'Prague '99' I am sure I will be listening for years to come.</p><p> </p><p><img id="media-981727" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/00/01/2889062696.jpg" alt="Love_in_the_4th_Dimension_TBM_LOW_Res.jpg" /> 2. The Big Moon - Love in the 4th Dimension</p><p>Again this year it really was close, any album that I listened to as much as this one by all female, London 4 piece The Big Moon, would normally be my top album but I am sure they will get over it. The Big Moon have been around for a few years but 2017 saw their debut full length release and it is a banger from start to finish, they remind me a lot of the Long Blondes from the mid-naughties, angular guitars accompanying vocals full of attitude. As it was my track of the year it unsurprising to say that 'Formidable' is my favourite track but they are all good, other favourites include 'Sucker' and 'Pull the other one'.</p><p> </p><p><img id="media-981728" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/00/02/3299597953.jpg" alt="declan mckenna what do you think about the car.jpg" /> 1. Declan McKenna - What Do You Think About The Car?</p><p>So onto the number one album, I was convinced that this spot would be taken by one of Blenaevon or The Big Moon until late summer when my Spotify recommendations put me onto Declan McKenna who had never been on my radar previously and I couldn't stop listening. My favourite track on the album kept changing initially 'The Kids Don't Wanna Come Home' then changing to 'Humongous' before eventually settling on 'Why Do You Feel So Down?' but in reality it could have been just about any track from the album and that is why despite the strength of the other two that Declan McKenna had to be my number one, his songs are angsty indie pop, what is not to like </p><p> </p><p>So there it is for another year, special mentions go out to The Arcade Fire and Superfood who nearly made it onto the list but were pipped at the post and the wooden spoon goes out to RAT BOY whose album wasn't bad but I think I was just looking forward to it too much and then when it came out it didn't quite live up to the expectations I had for it. </p><p>Until next year</p><p>END</p><p> </p>
Ant Dhttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/about.htmlTop 25 Tracks of 2017tag:theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com,2017-12-29:31005492017-12-29T23:09:26+00:002017-12-29T23:08:00+00:00 Helloooo Internet, it is that time of year. This year has been crazy with...
<p>Helloooo Internet, it is that time of year. This year has been crazy with you know fatherhood so I haven't written any blogs since last years best ofs. Its been an alright year in terms of music but to be fair I think I didn't have as much time to peruse as I usually would. For me it has been a year more for new artists than returning ones but anyway enough of the waffle and onto the list - same rules, 1 song per artist and released as a single or album track in 2017;</p><p>25. Nova Twins - Thelma and Louise</p><p>24. Arcade Fire - Everything Now</p><p>23. FREAK - No Money</p><p>22. Azealia Banks - Queen of Clubs</p><p>21. Bipolar Sunshine - Are You Happy</p><p>20. Grouplove - Adios Amigo</p><p>19. Dave - Question Time</p><p>18. Jon Boden - Bee Sting</p><p>17. RAT BOY - Revolution</p><p>16. Kendrick Lamar - Humble.</p><p>15. Morrissey - Spent the day in Bed</p><p>14. Superfood - Unstoppable</p><p>13. John Hassall & The April Rainers - Persephone</p><p>12. Black Kids - If My Heart is Broken</p><p>11. Childcare - Kiss?</p><p>10. Skipinnish - Ocean of the Free</p><p>9. Johnny Flynn - Raising the Dead</p><p>8. Everything Everything - Can't Do</p><p>7. Kele Okereke - Capers</p><p>6. Keston Cobblers Club - Almost Home</p><p>5. Blaenavon - Orthodox Man</p><p>4. Declan McKenna - Why do you Feel so Down?</p><p>3. The Killers - The Man</p><p>2. Stormzy - Big For Your Boots</p><p>1. The Big Moon - Formidable</p><p> </p><p>So slightly controversially ( to no one but me) the top track was released as a single in 2016 but it was on the album in 2017 and that is when I got into it and here it is, top of the tree. As I said a good year for new artists, 7 of the top 10 have never made any of my lists before and soon enough you may see a similar trend in the album stakes. Until then you can listen to the playlist <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/antd88/playlist/2KTSuOezS1kUX8elCPQYAT">HERE</a>.</p><p> </p><p>END!</p>
Ant Dhttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/about.htmlBest Albums 2016tag:theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com,2016-12-31:30855142017-01-01T13:39:30+00:002016-12-31T21:01:00+00:00 After the Libertines release last year, 2016 had a lot to match up to...
<p>After the Libertines release last year, 2016 had a lot to match up to musically for me and on the whole.. it didn't but hey there were still plenty of good albums out there. So lets just get straight into it;</p><p><img id="media-948376" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/00/58908744.jpg" alt="trib.jpg" />10. The Tribe - Tribal Wave</p><p>A Reggae-Rap fusion group from Swindon, who I saw at a SoFar sessions concert earlier in the year. If you haven't heard of SoFar sounds, look it up, the chances are they do something near you, wherever you are living right now. The Tribe were the headliners and they impressed me with their good humour, sometimes (but not always) deep lyrics and smooth rap skills. A good, fun album to start the list, my favourite tracks include Jump Up and Footprints.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-948377" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/00/00/3771557647.jpg" alt="09.jpg" />9. Spring King - Tell Me if you like to</p><p>Spring King are one of those bands who had been on my radar for a year or so and this album was one I was looking forward to greatly and the singles I really enjoy. Their first single 'City' I enjoyed from first listen and it didn't take much longer for follow ups 'Rectifier' and 'The Summer', the only problem is the limited variation on the album. It is quite samey but still enjoyable and thus goes in at number 9.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-948378" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/00/3719122623.jpg" alt="08.jpg" />8. Jamie T - Trick</p><p>Only 2 years since his last album, Jamie T is back with something which retains the darkness of 2014's carry on the Grudge but contains a lot more of the rap associated with his earlier two releases. In theory that sounds like the perfect mix and possibly it could be but for some reason this album did not fully grab me in the way I have been in the past. Each single came along and passed and I liked them; Tinfoil Boy, Power Over Men and TescoLand but it just wasn't quite enough for me to be any higher on the list.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-948379" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/02/1610471790.jpg" alt="07.jpg" />7. Grouplove - Big Mess</p><p>Grouplove are a band who I have been listening to for over 5 years now and Big Mess is their third album. Similar to the previous albums on this light though I wasn't sure at first; Welcome to Your World, the first single was a lovely tale of the couple who lead the band's first child and that resonated but as for the rest of the album, I didn't get into it until later in the year when I listened back. Then the track Good Morning stood out which is lively and exiting and in the end I couldn't stop listening. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-948380" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/02/1654517982.jpg" alt="06.jpg" />6. The Divine Comedy - Foreverland</p><p>The Divine Comedy have been around for more than two decades with famous hits such as National Express and the theme tune from Fr. Ted, Songs of Love. Foreverland was the groups first album since 2010s Bang Goes the Knighthood and like that it is full of wonderfully quirky little ditties. The one that I liked immediately was Funny Peculiar which is a very cute love song about the imperfections of the one you love being the very reason you love them but other songs such as Catherine the Great and My Happy Place are well worth a listen on two. </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-948381" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/00/01/624790030.jpg" alt="05.jpg" />5. Lost Under Heaven - Spiritual Songs for Lovers to Sing</p><p>Lost Under Heaven (LUH) is the new project of former Wu Lyf front man Ellery Roberts who is unmistakable by his unique, raspy voice. LUH like Wu Lyf are a little preachy in places with its political messages and in others a little emo but its got a good sound. I saw them early in the year in a very empty venue which was a shame for them but fun for me as I had plenty of room to dance. My stand outs were the lead single I&I as well as Lament which was a reworking of Robert's solo release fro ma few years ago.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img id="media-948382" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/02/408789950.jpg" alt="04.jpg" />4. Peter Doherty - Hamburg Demonstrations</p><p>I couldn't realistically go another year without something by one of The Libertines being on my album list (Heads up it looks like there will be at least one more next year). Monsieur Doherty put out a single The Whole World is our Playground out for Record Store Day and soon after confirmed he would be releasing the full solo album. A number of the singles that followed I Don't Love Anyone and Kolly Kibber were amongst my favourite songs of the year which is unsurprising coming from my favourite songwriter but even with this and a number of other good songs, for me it wasn't a top quality album as it felt a little unfinished with 2 versions of the same song, a couple of reworks of old tracks and one song even professing to contain "Demo Vocals". Still very enjoyable though and worth a listen.</p><p><img id="media-948383" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/01/2860351406.jpg" alt="03.jpg" />3. Xylaroo - Sweet Tooth</p><p>This was one of the big unknowns of the year for me an acoustic duo consisting of two sisters. I first heard of them through a recommendation on either Spotify or Last.fm I can't remember which and I thought they sounded like something my sister would like but after a few listens I got really into them myself. To my joy and surprise they were one of the last bands announced to play the Beautiful Days festival which I was at and I got to see them perform live in a very small tent with a delicious frozen cocktail. In a slightly drunken haze I went up to them after he show and I THINK I told them that they were great but I can't be sure. My favourites from the album include Sunshine and Narwhal but they are all quaint and lovely with an undercurrent of something a little darker in places. Definitely a group I will be on the look out for over the next few years.</p><p><img id="media-948384" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/02/00/2535282206.jpg" alt="02.jpg" />2. Kano - Made in the Manor</p><p>The Grime master has been around for over a decade, I remember watching him, although briefly in my University days shortly after his 2nd album had come out. Made in the Manor is Kano's 6th and a marvellous return to form after his previous two had been fairly dire. Grime has come back in a big way this year with Skepta winning the Mercury Music Prize and Made in the Manor also nominated. It also saw the returns to form of people like Wiley and P Money and the introduction of new talent such as Nova Twins who would be on this list no doubt if they had released a full album this year. Kano tells a story throughout Made in the Manor and although not necessarily original in subject matter it is told well and kept me listening throughout the year. It ranges wildly from party tunes such as New Banger and Flow of The Year to sombre numbers such as little sis and my favourite A Roadman's Hymn. </p><p><img id="media-948385" style="float: left; margin: 0.2em 1.4em 0.7em 0;" title="" src="http://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/media/01/02/3502058702.jpg" alt="01.jpg" />1. Blossoms - Blossoms</p><p>And finally to my number one album of the year. I first heard of Blossoms when I saw that they were supporting the Libertines on their arena tour at the end of last year and I started to listen to some of their early stuff including Charlemagne. I was immediately seduced by the indie dance music that they produced and when Getaway was released early in 2016 I was really excited for the release of the album. I saw them live the same week as the release of the album and the live show was good if not outstanding but I went back after and the album has not been out of my playlists much since. My favourite tracks have changed several times from the aforementioned singles to my most recent favourites; Blown Rose and Smashed Pianos. This band started the year as unknowns but ends it as one of the biggest rising stars with a number 1 album in the charts along with the more important top spot on my end of year list. </p><p> </p><p>As I say this wasn't my favourite year in music (or world) history but there were still some good finds, there were also good releases from MIA and The Pixies that didn't quite make this list. And obviously a shout out to David Bowie's Blackstar which although wasn't entirely to my tastes musically has to go down as one of the finest works of art of this year being such a perfect and fitting way for him to leave the world. As for the wooden spoon, well that came early in the year, I was not impressed by the Mystery Jets album as it ditched their usual Indie Pop for something they admitted was more influenced by Pink Floyd. </p><p>Buy yeah, that's 2016 done with and next year will be a very different one, maybe after March I won't be able to listen to as much music or maybe I will as of yet I don't know but its going to be fun finding out. Until next year..</p><p> </p><p>END</p><p> </p>
Ant Dhttp://theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com/about.htmlTop 25 Tracks of 2016tag:theamazinglifeofantd.blogspirit.com,2016-12-29:30854332016-12-29T22:14:31+00:002016-12-29T22:14:31+00:00 End of year lists time has come around again, hurrah! 2016 has been one of...
<p>End of year lists time has come around again, hurrah! 2016 has been one of the weirder and less wonderful years in recent years with celebrity deaths and crazy politics abound. The year was less than stellar for music too but nevertheless I have got 25 tracks which for me have stood out as the top. Same rules apply as always, only songs released as a single or as part of an album in 2016 are allowed and only one song per artist.. and with that I give you 2016;</p><p>25. Public Access TV - End of an Era</p><p>24. Arthur Sharpe - My Only Worry</p><p>23. Akala - Giants</p><p>22. The Strokes - Oblivius</p><p>21. Jamie T - Drone Strike</p><p>20. Zayn - Pillowtalk</p><p>19. The King Blues - Off With Their Head</p><p>18. Protoje - Who Knows</p><p>17. Childcare - Film Club</p><p>16. Shame - The Lick</p><p>15. Tibet - In My Head</p><p>14. Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Dark Necessities</p><p>13. The Tribe - Jump Up</p><p>12. Pixies - Tenement Song</p><p>11. Rat Boy - MOVE</p><p>10. Grouplove - Good Morning</p><p>9. Rationale - Something For Nothing</p><p>8. Xylaroo - Sunshine</p><p>7. Kano - A Roadman's Hymn</p><p>6. Nova Twins - Bassline Bitch</p><p>5. The Divine Comedy - Funny Peculiar</p><p>4. We Are Scientists - Buckle</p><p>3. Peter Doherty - I Don't Love Anyone (But Your're Not Just Anyone)</p><p>2. LUH - I & I</p><p>1. Blossoms - Charlemagne</p><p> </p><p>Maybe I was a bit unfair before, there are some truly cracking tunes in there with Blossoms being the pick of the bunch. A list combining mainly of British Indie which my lists always will be but also a good amount of British rap and grime music which it has been a really good year for but more on that in the album list.</p><p> </p><p>If you are interested <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/antd88/playlist/4kaAElcblPOQxDt1bjIARF">HERE</a> is the spotify playlist, and until next year</p><p>END</p>