Are We About to Experience a Punk Revival?

In a time where the music charts are dominated by radio friendly over produced junk it seems about time for the spirit of punk to once again rise up and force it's way into the mainstream. More and more bands are appearing and rebelling against the generic noise that is modern pop music.

It feels like the scene has been secretly growing for years, evolving without anyone noticing all across the country. Even a band like Slaves, who despite having an edge slightly too smooth to channel the true spirit of punk, are still pushing out angry and rebellious music to a mass audience.

Savages

We've seen bands such as Fat White Family, Eagulls, Savages, Drenge and Girl Band build up a fan base that would have never been possible 5 years ago. These bands have provided a refreshing alternative to the Mumford and Sons hangover that is current mainstream indie. There's only so much Bastille and The 1975 a person can take before the 'anarchy in the UK' attitude takes hold and we begin to long for the next Sid Vicious to appear and give the people a voice.

HMLTD

This year has seen yet more exciting new bands arrive within the scene, Goat Girl, HMLTD and Cabbage take centre stage and bring more frustration to a scene already brimming with anger. The working class is once again not represented by their government. The UK is ruled by oppressive Tory leadership, with a prime minister who deserves an Oscar for her perfect portrayal of Margaret Thatcher. Alternative music is reflecting that anger, as more and more bands with the true punk rock attitude appear and continue to gain popularity, it's hard not to feel like we're on the verge of something big.


I don't for a second believe any of these bands are ever going to have a number 1 single but I do believe they have enough momentum to cause a stir, to shake up society and give people an outlet to express their anger. Regardless of what happens it seems that alternative music once again has gained an edge, we once again live in a country that has a truly uncorrupt punk scene and perhaps it's best it stays under the mainstream's radar as to not to become another capitalist venture. All we can do however, is wait and see what happens but for the first time in a long time, alternative music is exciting again, it feels original and personal and really thats what music should be about.

The 30 Best Tracks of 2016

2016 hasn't been the best year for music, we've lost Bowie, Prince and recently Leonard Cohen to name just a few. Despite this, 2016 has seen the release of some amazing music. Here's my list of the top 30 songs of the year:


30) Die Antwoord - Banana Brain 

 From the album 'Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid'. Die Antwoord recently announced they were breaking up but this song shows they're going out with a bang.

29) The XX - On Hold

The first song The XX have released since 2012, this new release show the band going in a very different direction.

28) Loyle Carner - Stars & Shards

Loyle Carner has been called the next big thing and after a couple of successful releases in 2015 and this single from earlier on in the year, he just might be.

27) Honeyblood - Babes Never Die

Despite a line up change Honeyblood are back with a great new album With this song being the albums definite highlight.















26) Childish Gambino - Redbone

Childish Gambino's new album 'Awaken, My Love' dropped earlier this month with this piece of funk inspire hip hop track being the best on the album.
















25) Sleaford Mods - TCR

The title track from their 2016 EP, Sleaford Mod's continue to do what they do best, which is shout a lot.
















24) Bill Ryder Jones - Tell Me You Don't Love Me Watching

Coming from one of the best albums of the year, Bill Ryder Jones delivers one of the years most beautiful songs with Tell Me You Don't Love Me Watching.

23) Slaves - Consume Or Be Consumed

Featuring Mike D of the Beastie Boys, this song shows Slaves are still their angry selves.

22) Radiohead - Burn The Witch

Radiohead's 'A Moon Shaped Pool' dropped this year and was a refreshing change from their disappointing last few albums.

21) The Growlers - City Club

This funky track from their album 'City Club' is a refreshing change from their earlier material.

20) Mystery Jets - Bubblegum

The indie pop masters are back with new album 'Curve of The Earth' in which they prove they've still got it.

19) Yeasayer - Silly Me

The third and best song from Yeasayers new album 'Amen & Goodbye'.

18) The Avalanches - Frankie Sinatra 

The band's first release in 15 years, this exciting single certainly lives up to their debut album.

17) PUP - If This Tour Doesn't Kill You I Will

Canadian 4 piece PUP's second album 'The Dream is Over' shows the band at their finest. This track shows an honest insight to the strains that are put on inter band relationships.

16) Whitney - No Woman

The standout track from Whitney's debut album 'Light UponThe Lake'.

15) Hinds - Chilli Town 

Hinds' album 'Leave Me Alone' was released earlier this year and Chilli Town is 3:11 of jangling guitars and poppy vocal lines.

14) Kendrick Lamar - Untitled 02 06.23.2014.

Kendrick's 'Untitled Unmastered' was one of the best releases of the year, this song however was clearly the best track on the album.

13) Allusondrugs - Good People

This catchy track sounds almost like a poppy Marilyn Manson. Allusondrugs are definitley going to be a force to be reckoned with.

12) Cabbage - Dinner Lady 

Tipped to be the next big thing, Cabbage's insane live shows and a collection of brilliant singles show they're ready to blow up at any minute.

11) Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker

Released just before his unfortunate death, Leonard Cohen leaves us all with a brilliant collection of new songs and this track is the best of them all.

10) SWMRS - Miley

This poppy track about Miley Cyrus from SWMRS' debut album 'Drive North' is the most catchy song you'll hear this year.

9) King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - Robot Stop

A band that seem to change genre and release a new album every month, this song from their album 'Nonagon Infinity' shows how talented this band truly are.

8) Temples - Certainty 

This new release from Temples shows a slight change in style and if this song is a sign of their new direction then we could be about to get some great new music.

7) Skepta - Man

Skepta seems to be the leading force in this years grime revival but with his brilliant album Konnichiwa its not hard to see why. This song features a sample from a Queens of The Stone Age track too.

6) PUP - DVP

The only band to feature on my list twice this fast and fierce track from the band might be their best yet.

5) Parquet Courts - Human Performance 

Parquet Courts' fifth album is definitley their best yet and the title track is a perfect example of how great a band they are.

4) Kanye West - Ultralight Beam

The first track on Kanye's controversial The Life Of Pablo, this song shows Kanye at his most creative.

3) Fat White Family - Breaking Into Aldi

This single shows Fat White Family at their rawest. The band have recently gone on a sort of hiatus but have assured fans they'll be recording their third album very soon.

2) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Rings Of Saturn

Nick Cave's first release since the recent death of his son, it's his most personal album to date with Rings of Saturn standing out as the most honest song on the album.

1) Savages - Adore

My song of the year, this incredible track from Savages which comes from their second album 'Adore Life'.

You can listen to all the songs above in my Spotify playlist.
Top 30 tracks Spotify playlist.

What are Sleaford Mod's all about?

Sleaford Mod's seem to be everywhere over the last year, with their name seeming to appear on every festival line up in the country over Summer and an ever growing vocal fan base, they're here whether you like it or not.

When I first heard of them I have to admit I wasn't impressed, I wrote them off almost immediately as a couple of middle aged, Oasis fans who appear to be undergoing some harrowing mid life crisis and attempting to be down with the kids. After that I pretty much ignored their existance and had no intention of ever trying to listen to them again.

Jobseekers

It wasn't until I by chance caught them performing their track 'Jobseeker' on Jools Holland, a song which I now think is brilliant, that I began to change my opinion. Their live performance was so strange, like nothing I'd ever seen before, I felt like I started to understand what they were trying to do although I wasn't sure if they were achieving it.

In June this year I attended Field Day festival in London and got the chance to see the band live. It was at this point my opinion on the band completely changed, the live energy they had was incredible, the whole atmosphere of the tent was amazing and the lyrics I once saw as lazy and out of touch seemed to become clever, funny, witty and relevant. They owned their set and I was left feeling in awe. I think at this point I began to see the band as something more, they no longer were 2 men who looked like they would be best at home at a Stone Roses concert. Instead they became a piece of art, a satirical social commentary on the working class lifestyle. The elements of post punk and spoken word complementing each other perfectly to form this exhibit of raw wit.

It doesn't stop there either, the band are continuining to release great material, take their latest release TCR for example. This release is 5 songs of poetic pure energy throughout, and with songs entitled things like 'Britian Thirst' it almost becomes impossible to resist they charm they have.

Of course I could be completely wrong and maybe they are just a couple of mod's who just really enjoy shouting but regardless of this I can safely say that I'm converted and a definite fan. So if you like me have wrote of Sleaford Mod's, I urge you to give them another listen and try to look at them in a different light, they might surprise you.

Check this out - Jobseeker live on Jools Holland

Can We Still Call Arctic Monkeys Credible?

Credibility is a phrase that gets passed around a lot when it comes to music, with everyone having their own definition of what truly makes a band credible. For arguments sake, lets say that when Arctic Monkeys started out they were a credible band. They put in a lot of work, gave out free demo tapes at early gigs and to this day are still signed to Domino, an independent label. They do however seem to have completely become the personification of what they stood against when they were just those 4 guys from Sheffield.

Pictured in 2007

Take for example the song 'Fake Tales of San Francisco', from the bands debut album, Alex Turner snarled 'You're not from New York City, you're from Rotherham'. A song that attempts to call out fakers and 'weekend rockstars', people pretending to be something they're not. It would at the time seem crazy to think that in only a few years time Alex Turner would be stood at the Brit Awards talking gibberish whilst adopting a phoney American accent that seems to be half an Elvis impression and half God knows what. Modern day Arctic Monkeys look very different to their 2006 selves, Alex Turner's go to look now seems to be a leather jacket, slick backed hair and sunglasses. It doesn't stop with the bands image, AM is a complete departure from their classic British sound and in my opinion their worst album to date. Some of the songs on AM are nothing short of terrible, 'Mad Sounds' and 'I Want It All' stand out as the albums biggest fillers.

I do in a way however respect them for the change in musical direction, it's how they not only survived but went on to become one of the biggest bands in the world and in my opinion without this move they'd be in the same boat as other Sheffield based bands of the same genre like Milburn and Reverend and the Makers. On top of this in general the music isn't bad, my favourite Arctic's albums are Suck it and See and Humbug, even AM has some pretty good tracks. I'm not debating that, it's just not the same band.

Pictured in 2014

I get that a band has to evolve to stay relevant but don't sell all your morals away as you do. They're a band I grew up with and possibly the band of my generation, they mean a lot to me in many ways. They're also the band who got into trouble for tax evasion. The band that once felt raw and original now sounds fake, Americanised and generic. I'm never going to say they don't produce great music at times, because they do but AM felt lazy, like they don't care anymore. They've lost the charm they once had and have replaced it with ego the size of Texas. On top of all of this, they seem to have developed a reputation with fans and the media that they can do no wrong, like they could release a full album just containing 40 minutes of fart sounds and people would call it groundbreaking. Maybe the persona is Rock n Roll, but to me it's selling out. You can pretend to be what you're not but you'll never be from LA and you'll always be from Sheffield. Yeah, they're a great band but are they still credible? Not in my opinion.

Why is nobody bothered that One Direction rip off so many other songs?

Is this it? Have we finally reached that stage where pop music has gotten that unimaginative that we steal all our ideas from pre existing songs? I know it's 2016 and One Direction are currently on a hiatus but regardless of that it's hard to argue that they weren't one of the biggest pop acts of the last 5 or so years, selling countless albums and getting number 1 singles all over the world. My issue doesn't fall on 1D themselves, in my opinion they're just another product of the X Factor generation, the poster boys for the ugly face of Simon Cowell's unimaginative grip on modern pop music and to be honest I don't even dislike their music. I just find it so incredibly patronising to their fans that every song they release sounds almost identical to a song released by a different artist.

Rewind back to September 2011 and 1D drop their first post X Factor single, 'What Makes You Beautiful', it storms the charts and everybody loves it. The only thing is that it happens to share an incredible likeness to the song 'Summer Nights' from the Grease soundtrack. So you think, okay fine, I get it, it's a marketing technique from the label. People are instantly going to warm quicker to a song that already sounds familiar that something they hear for the first time and yeah, its a little annoying but you've just got to forgive those 5 little scamps. Until another single from the same album is released, 'One Thing', you're left thinking this sounds familiar and after 5 minutes of wondering you realise that it again sounds almost identical to another song, in this case it's 'I Want It That Way' by The Backstreet Boys.

This is for me where things begin to get offensive. It's almost like the record label think we're all stupid, maybe we are because people seem to buy the songs. And it doesn't stop there with 1D, from my sparse knowledge of the bands back catalogue, these are all the songs I have noticed rip off another song:

'What Makes You Beautiful' - 'Summer Nights' The Grease Soundtrack
'One Thing' - 'I Want It That Way' The Backstreet Boys
'Live While We're Young' - 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' The Clash
'I Want' - 'Happy Together' The Turtles
'Stole My Heart' - 'Dynamite' Taio Cruz
'Best Song Ever' - 'Baba O'Riley' The Who
'Midnight Memories' - 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' Def Leppard
'Does He Know' - 'Jessie's Girl' Rick Springfield
'Rock Me' - 'We Will Rock You' Queen
'Little Things' - 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' Green Day

'Hey Dave, got any songs we can steal?'

   

I can only imagine how many more there are that I've never heard. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect every pop band to be releasing great works of art and ground breaking songs and I don't for a second think that One Directions next album will be forever known as the modern day 'Abbey Road', despite the many similarities between 1D and The Beatles. All I want is a little bit of effort, it's not too much to ask, I understand it's all about money and what sells but at least don't sit there at Syco HQ thinking about the next 1D album and after 4 hours of no idea's settle on 'how about a song that sounds a bit like Let It Be?' Then pat yourself on the back knowing you've just took another massive radio friendly dump into the ears of the general public. Please, just try a bit harder, you'll thank yourself later.