My Favourite Albums Of 2015

I think this year has been one where I have struggled to find much inspiration in music. I don't know if it's my age finally catching up on me or a lack of music out there to excite me, but I suspect it's the former. I hope it doesn't last but in any case it was pretty easy this time for me to whittle down my favourite albums of the year to just 11. I'm crossing my fingers that 2016 reignites some kind of fire in my music-loving soul but in the meantime here are the few that meant the most to me over the past year.

My Favourite Movies Of 2015

1. Brooklyn
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
4. Whiplash
5. It Follows
6. Inherent Vice
7. Girlhood
8. Far From The Madding Crowd
9. Clouds Of Sil Maria
10. The Skeleton Twins

Merry Christmas!

Best Gigs Of 2015

This definitely wasn't a prime year in gigs for me but it was nice to finally see a few reunited acts live for the first time, most notably The Replacements and Sleater-Kinney, and of course the incomparable Christine McVie back singing with the Mac. You would think that the Fleetwood Mac shows would be my absolute favourites (they were certainly the gigs that cost the most, probably as much as the rest combined) but seeing and hearing McVie singing Everywhere and You Make Loving Fun, although undoubtedly thrilling, was slightly overshadowed by finally seeing The Replacements and the pure ramshackle, joy of their show. Other than my usual fare of alternative and classic rock, I also got to experience some heartwarming pure country shows (Sturgill Simpson and Kacey Musgraves) and even a pop concert, albeit a rather unusual one (the fantastic Marina & The Diamonds). I can't imagine I'll go to many more pop gigs in the future but I do hope next year has some more country in store for me.

Marina & The Diamonds at the London Palladium

Marina & The Diamonds
Clock Opera
London Palladium, 6 December 2015

This has to be the most "pop" show I've ever been to but after thinking about it, in some ways it wasn't million miles from the theatrical St. Vincent show I attended last year. Of course, Annie Clark didn't have gay guys voguing at the front or half the audience appearring to be young teenage girls dressed as their idol and accompanied by parents. I was definitely out of place! I do love Marina and she is a fantastic pop artist but it took me a while to get my head around it all as it is so unlike my usual fare.

Neko Case at the Union Chapel

Neko Case
Basia Bulat
Union Chapel, 1 December 2015

It's been just over a year since Neko last played the Union Chapel but there is something quite nice about seeing her here, even if she keeps saying the place is haunted "by something evil". She actually played the even smaller Lexington the night before but the Union Chapel with it's natural glow, gorgeous echo and holy atmosphere, seems to suit her more, plus, since I'm getting old, it is so nice to sit at a gig these days and I manage to secure my favourite spot at the front despite being a little late.

Kacey Musgraves at the Royal Albert Hall

Kacey Musgraves
Sugar & The Hi Lows
Royal Albert Hall, 18 November 2015

"This is the fanciest place I've ever been to," Kacey Musgraves tells the crowd tonight, "how did they let me in?" Funnily enough, although she's the first country artist to sell out the Royal Albert Hall in 12 years, she and her band, resplendent in their matching light-up suits, seem a natural fit to the grand surroundings. It's easy to compare Musgraves to Taylor Swift but whereas Swift was obviously reared on Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Reba McEntire, Kacey was obviously listening to Bobbie Gentry, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, mixing their small-town country wisdom and Vegas glamour with a more modern slant. Musgraves afterall name-checks Gram Parsons and duets with Willie Nelson on her latest record and, despite wearing a Katy Perry-esque sparkly leotard with her cowgirl hat and boots, I just can't imagine her deserting her country-roots for pop stardom the way Swift has.

Alela Diane & Ryan Francesconi at Bush Hall

Alela Diane & Ryan Francesconi
Vikesh Kapoor
Bush Hall, 11 November 2015

There’s not much doubt that Vikesh Kapoor is a huge Bob Dylan fan. When he walks onstage he is dressed in an outfit that could have been hanging in the legend’s wardrobe back in 1965: short brown suede jacket, drainpipe jeans and pointy Beatle boots, and on top of that there’s the curly hair standing tall on top of his head and the way he carries his acoustic guitar up high. From behind he might well be mistaken for youthful Dylan. Musically, it’s not quite as obvious, although he’s an acoustic storyteller, he reminds me more of the mournful sounds of A.A. Bondy or even Ryan Adams at his most sparse.

Ex Hex at Scala

Ex Hex

Jacuzzi Boys

The Wharves

Scala, 2 November 2015

On the stairs of the venue before the show I saw Mary Timony, alone and heading for the doors. I wanted to shout out "Mary, I love you!" or just get her autograph, but sadly I timidly shuffled past, head down thinking "Don't bother her!" and "Never meet your heroes!" In some ways Timony looked like just another woman at the show but she also radiated a certain unattainable cool and maybe it's for the best that I didn't break that spell. Certainly, on stage she's a guitar goddess, effortless and fun, a total rock star, in fact, let's face it, Mary Timony couldn't be cooler.

Sexwitch at XOYO

Sexwitch 
Baba Naga

XOYO, 29 September 2015

When Natasha Khan, the enchantress behind Bat For Lashes, revealed she would be playing a tiny gig in support of her surprise side project with indie band Toy and producer Dan Carey, of course I didn't even need to hear the music to know I wanted to go. It was a rare opportunity to see Khan perform in a small venue and besides the project - psychedelic covers of obscure traditional folk songs from around the world - sounded more than intriguing. It was enough anyway to entice me to brave the terrible Old Street nightclub that is XOYO and join other Khan obsessives to see the debut gig of Sexwitch (which I must say is such an awful name, such a shame it wasn't Red Witch as many fans speculated it might be).

Sufjan Stevens at the Royal Festival Hall

Sufjan Stevens

Madisen Ward And The Mama Bear

Royal Festival Hall, 2 September 2015

Seeing Sufjan Stevens live has to be one of the most sublime and exhilarating experiences I've ever had. I've seen him once before of course, on his Age Of Adz tour, which was something of a spectacular music extravaganza, that left you full of the joy of life. His new album, Carrie & Lowell, though is all about death, in particular the death of his mother and the complicated relationship he had with her. The album, not surprisingly, is quiet and powerful and more reminiscent of his earlier acoustic album, Seven Swans (which just happens to be my favourite Sufjan album) so I anticipated a more low-key acoustic show but what I got was so much more.

Sturgill Simpson at Islington Assembly Hall

Sturgill Simpson

Joe Pug

Islington Assembly Hall, 20 August 2015

At one point during his opening set tonight, singer-songwriter Joe Pug tells us that he wrote his next song in his angsty early 20s when he says most guys are at the most brooding. The following song though, a sad acoustic number, doesn't sound hugely different to the rest of his set. Pug is clearly a talented, amicable guy who appears to be as much influenced by Bob Dylan as Hank Williams and with his sweet and funny banter in between songs its hard not to like him. He certainly goes down a treat with the country-loving crowd in the Islington Assembly Hall tonight, a fact that rather endearingly even seems to surprise him, as he tries out a few quieter numbers due to how little chatter during his set there was, which is high praise indeed with picky London crowds these days.

New Joanna Newsom

After five long years since Have One On Me was released, Joanna Newsom is back and even more magical and perfect than ever in this new video for Sapokanikan directed by none other than Paul Thomas Anderson. I can't wait for her new album, Divers, out on 23 October, it sounds like it will be wonderful if this track is anything to go by.

More reviews...

Here are some more album reviews written by yours truly...

Album reviews...

Since I'm not going to any gigs this month here's a couple of album reviews I've written for Rebeat Magazine in recent months...

Fleetwood Mac at O2 Arena

Fleetwood Mac

O2 Arena, 27 June 2015

It's such a different experience being down at the front at an arena show, it's almost like seeing an entirely different concert. A month ago I saw the Mac's return with Christine McVie back in the band at an excellent vantage point in the side seats. In a lot of ways I feel I saw more of the show that time as I could see the whole band at all times and watch the cool films that were playing behind them and really just concentrate on the music. That said, it is undeniably thrilling to be up close to your heroes and see all the action close enough to be able to reach out and touch them or hear things they are saying away from the microphones.

Natalie Prass at Islington Assembly Hall

Natalie Prass
Chanele McGuinness
Islington Assembly Hall, 24 June 2015

One of the best albums of the year so far has to be Natalie Prass's self-titled debut, which is a glorious mixure of classic blue-eyed soul and 70s West Coast singer-songwriter fare. But other than Prass's sweet and delicate voice, the lady herself, who apparently hails from Virginia but is now based in Nashville, was something of a mystery to me. But crazily enough I had actually seen her live before, just didn't know it. It turns out that Prass was the keyboardist in Jenny Lewis' band and played this very same venue last year and she shakes her head as she tells us this, as if she can't quite believe it herself.

Waxahatchee at the Electric Ballroom

Waxahatchee
Girlpool
Pinkwash
Electric Ballroom, 10 June 2015

A few years ago I was bemoaning how few new female rock bands there appeared to be. After the riot grrrl revolution of the 1990s it felt like there should be so many more. Turns out they were all hiding away praticising or releasing cool little indie records. This year I've been lucky enough to see quite a few of them, most clearly influenced from that golden era in the 90s (and a even a couple actually from that time) and tonight was yet another kick-ass line-up full of talented women, it was inspiring to see.

The Replacements at the Roundhouse

The Replacements
You Am I
Jesse Malin
Roundhouse, 2 June 2015

Paul Westerberg is a considerate chap. He keeps asking if we need to catch the train or the bus home. "I know about things like that now," he says. I'm pretty sure though that everyone in the crowd is thinking, "No, no play more! Play more!" That's because seeing The Replacements play their first London show in 24 years is pretty much the perfect rock n' roll show.

Fleetwood Mac at O2 Arena

Fleetwood Mac

O2 Arena, 28 May 2015

Well, this was a long time coming: I finally saw the classic Rumours line-up of the Mac in concert. Aside from Christine McVie’s brief appearance with the band a couple of years back at the O2 (which I wrote about here), in all my years of being a fan it was the one thing that sadly eluded me. Although Buckingham Nicks have always been my favourites, it was Christine who drew me to the band in the first place when I first saw the video for Everywhere many years ago, so the promise of seeing her and hearing her play some of her many hits with the Mac this time was my main reason for paying a ridiculous amount (seriously, I don’t think I would do it for anyone but them) to see the band again for the eighth time.

Babes In Toyland at Shepherd's Bush Empire

Babes In Toyland
Pins
Skating Polly
Shepherd's Bush Empire, 26 May 2015

Well, this was quite the girl powered night.Obviously the big pull of this gig was the promise to see the reunited Babes In Toyland but the two other bands on the bill were absolutely perfectly chosen, not because they were all-female bands but because they definitely embodied the same spirit and attitude that Babes In Toyland always had back in the 1990s.

Laura Marling at Queen Elizabeth Hall

Laura Marling
Gill Landry
Goodbye Chanel
Queen Elizabeth Hall, 29 April 2015

Near the end of the show tonight Laura Marling begins to play Warrior, the opening track on her new album Short Movie, and just completely forgets the words. She laughingly stops the band to compose herself, telling us "it's a lot of words to remember!" before flawlessly restarting where she left off. Not surprisingly it gets one of the biggest applauses of the night and, after such a serious, emotional and banter-free night, it provides a nice moment of levity.

Mounties at XOYO

Mounties

XOYO, 15 April 2015

First off, XOYO is a new club to me. Just a stone's throw from Old Street roundabout (bizarrely it's actually opposite a boy's secondary school), it reminded me of the old grotty venues that smelled of horrible incense I remember going to see bands in back in the 1990s.

Sleater-Kinney at the Roundhouse

Sleater-Kinney

Pins

Roundhouse, 23 March 2015

"We're very happy to be playing for you and very happy to be a band again," Corin Tucker tells us during the show tonight and if Sleater-Kinney's passionate performance is anything to go by, then it's clear they really mean it.

Ex Hex at Oslo Hackney

Ex Hex
Princess
Oslo Hackney, 10 February 2015

A few years ago I saw Wild Flag, Mary Timony and Carrie Brownstein's all-too brief collaboration, live and felt myself reverting to a teenage girl, it was so great to see women rocking out, looking and sounding so cool. Although the band only lasted for one album I think it was something of a revelation for Timony, who finally, after years of making weird, angular and interesting alternative rock in bands such as Autoclave, Helium and solo - with medieval sounds, prog rock and folk as much an influence as punk - found the fun in making short, poppy punk tunes. Ex Hex is even the name of one of her solo albums but this time round she has her own all-girl band to share the experience (namely bassist Betsy Wright and drummer Laura Harris). It seems she didn't want the Wild Flag experience to end and so created her own equally brilliant band, making the best album of 2014 with Rips.

The Afghan Whigs at Koko

The Afghan Whigs
Koko, 4 February 2015

I think one of the reasons I love going to see Greg Dulli so much, no matter which band he's playing with (and there has been a few), is just to witness his little dance moves as he groves along to each song. This is a man not immune to a hip wiggle, a shoulder shake, even a Beyonce-esque wagging finger (accompanied of course with a attitude-filled pout). I can't deny it's amusing and makes me break out in a big grin but it's also kind of what makes Dulli so cool, in the same way that when Jagger struts around the stage, it's funny but awesome too.

Elvis at The O2 exhibition

This weekend I went to see the new Elvis exhibition at the O2, apparently the biggest display of Elvis memorabilia ever put together in Europe with over 300 artefacts from the Presley archvie, some never seen outside of Graceland before.

Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Ex Hex

The new Ex Hex video for Don't Wanna Lose, which pays tribute to the awesome 1982 film Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, is one of the greatest things I've ever seen.

The Juliana Hatfield Three reunited

It's old news now that last year The Juliana Hatfield Three reunited and have been working on their first new album since the early 90s called Whatever, My Love (out in February). Like Juliana's last three albums, it was crowdsourced through the PledgeMusic and as usual I contributed and have been following all the updates as it promisingly progressed through recording to completion. But on Sunday the band, also made up of Todd Phillips and Dean Fisher, played their first gig in 20 years at the Hot Stove/Cool Music benefit in Boston and, thanks to some lovely YouTube clips recorded by fans, it's good to hear they sound exactly the same as I remembered them all these years on. Time to break out my old JH3 gig t-shirt! Really looking forward to the new album and hopefully some UK tour dates would be nice too.

On The Road With Janis Joplin

I wrote a review of John Byrne Cook's excellent book about his time as road manager for Janis Joplin for REBEAT Magazine. You can read it there or below.

At the beginning of John Byrne Cook’s On The Road With Janis Joplin, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it appears to be more about Cooke’s memories of the ‘60s scene rather than Joplin herself, who’s barely mentioned for the first 50 pages. But, told more like a diary than a biography, Cooke craftily sets the scene and slowly introduces his leading lady, allowing the reader to gradually get to know Joplin as he does.