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Post by greendemon on Dec 10, 2022 1:01:19 GMT 1
Playing catch-up! 8. OakmanAnother new discovery for me this year, this French trio from Lyon have been making music together since 2016 but as far as I can tell are yet to record their first full album. They deal in the kind of sparkly, 80s-infused, synth-laden, dreamy pop-rock (think early CHVRCHES on a sugar rush) that is a pretty reliable way to end up in my record collection, and on the strength of their third EP, SCP, which came out in September, any debut album from them is high on my most-anticipated list. Highlights: The songs on the EP are all killers but my favourite is probably 'All The Way Up', which was a #12 hit for me in my August-September chart. They have a couple more songs to come in my final chart of the year too.
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Post by greendemon on Dec 13, 2022 1:18:27 GMT 1
I promised you one artist who didn't release music this year, and so we come to... 9. Amyl and the SniffersThis Melbourne-based pub rock quartet formed in 2016 and are one of the most widely-acclaimed rock bands to emerge in recent years. Fronted by the force of nature that is Amy Taylor, Amyl and the Sniffers' brand of pub rock recalls old-school punk and garage rock while still managing to sound fresh, and has won them plaudits and fans the world over. Their second album, Comfort to Me, came out last year but I've included them in 2022 as I only got around to the LP this year and it has been one of my highlights. (They have also had an incredible year with sell-out tours, playing Glastonbury and providing support for the Hella Mega Tour - not bad for an Aussie band on their second album!) Highlights: The singles are all great and I have a soft spot for 'Knifey' with its all-too-relatable theme, but my favourite has to be 'Hertz' which was one of my Rock Idol entries - it is just so good!
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Post by greendemon on Dec 13, 2022 1:55:36 GMT 1
Trying to catch up...! 10. BrutusI'm just going to say it: Brutus might be my new favourite band. Formed in Leuven, Belgium, this post-hardcore trio have been together since around 2014 but somehow had escaped my notice until this year. I'm not sure where I've been the past few years but their music combines the ethereality of post-rock with the heaviness of hardcore and metal, and Stefanie's haunting, ferocious vocals, and it's pretty much everything I love in one package. Their third album, Unison Life, came out in October and is going to finish very high indeed on my year-end ranking. Having gone through their back catalogue, Nest is at least as good and all in all, one of the artists I'm most excited about having discovered in 2022. Highlights: There isn't a bad song on Unison Life, IMO, though the singles are all worth highlighting. 'Dust' was the first I heard but 'Liar' was the one that sold me on the album. A #2 hit for me in my Aug-Sep chart. On the album, 'Chainlife' and epic closer 'Desert Rain' are probably my favourites.
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
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Post by TheThorne on Dec 13, 2022 8:12:21 GMT 1
I still haven’t checked them out somehow I missed them but I don’t always listen to heavier music even though a lot of the time I like it.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 13, 2022 11:30:02 GMT 1
Love Oakman, they have 5 songs in my top 400 of 2022
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Post by greendemon on Dec 13, 2022 16:54:55 GMT 1
I still haven’t checked them out somehow I missed them but I don’t always listen to heavier music even though a lot of the time I like it. They remind me of Biffy's more post-hardcore material in parts, lots of fun dynamic changes!
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Post by greendemon on Dec 17, 2022 2:01:26 GMT 1
11. Nilüfer YanyaIn a year which saw multiple breakout or new-to-me female solo artists produce excellent albums (not all of them have even made this list!), Nilüfer Yanya has probably been my favourite discovery in this category. A Londoner of Turkish, Irish and Barbadian heritage, she released her first EP back in 2016 and her debut album was three years old before I randomly discovered her new single, 'Anotherlife', on YouTube. It was one of the first love-at-first-listen, cannot-stop-playing tracks for me in 2022. I eagerly sought out Painless on the day it came out and was pleasantly surprised to find it was much more alt-rock and challenging than I had expected - 'Anotherlife' is not really representative at all! After a few listens it really grew on me, and I keep coming back to it months later; it has a depth to it that rewards multiple plays. Highlights: I have to highlight 'Anotherlife' just because it's probably going to turn out to be one of my favourite singles of the whole year - but 'Midnight Sun' is giving it some competition! It's quite reminiscent of Radiohead which is no bad thing in my book.
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Post by Shireblogger on Dec 17, 2022 8:37:25 GMT 1
Saw Nilufer Yaya live in October, supporting Roxy Music. Like Painless, it was a bit patchy for my taste. Some of her songs were top drawer - original, melodic and lively. And some sounded like they should have been discarded at the demo stage.
I'm optimistic that time, and constructive criticism by people close to her that she trusts, will help her refine her craft, at which point she could produce a Mercury Prize nominated album.
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Post by greendemon on Dec 18, 2022 12:44:22 GMT 1
12. MommaAnother act who only came to my attention on their third album! Momma are a rock band from LA - technically there are three of them, although a lot of band photos are just of Allegra and Etta so you could be forgiven for thinking they technically didn't have a drummer (maybe the last one quit the band...) Their debut album was 2018's Interloper, though I only discovered them in 2022 when someone - I believe it was TheThorne which checks out as he's just put them very high in his albums list! - shared a couple of the singles from upcoming new record, Household Name, in the Indie/Rock Forum. I was instantly taken with their 90s-influenced, Pavement and Smashing Pumpkins-esque sound and the album did not disappoint and was one of my most-played of the summer, rivalled only by another album which may be mentioned shortly in this thread. Without a doubt, one of the best new discoveries of the year for me. Highlights: Household Name spawned several great singles - 'Rockstar', 'Speeding 72', 'Motorbike', 'Lucky' all appeared in my chart this year - but it is also one of the few albums from this year where I have found the deep cuts to be just as good as the singles. Particular highlights are 'Spider', 'No Stage' and 'Brave' which is quite shoegazey. I will be boring, however, and highlight 'Motorbike' which was my favourite of the singles, reaching #1 in my third chart.
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Post by greendemon on Dec 18, 2022 13:37:50 GMT 1
You know how a few days ago, I said that Brutus were probably my new favourite band? Weeeell... 13. Blood CommandOK, I think musically I like Brutus more, but I can't not acknowledge just how big of an impact Blood Command have had on my listening habits this year. This self-styled 'death pop' punk five-piece from Bergen, Norway have been around for over 10 years, and I think I was tangentially aware of them but had never really checked them out. The brainchild of songwriter, guitarist and producer Ingve Andersen, Blood Command's music combines hardcore punk and traces of metal with disco and pop melodies, and lyrics heavily influenced by Andersen's interest in doomsday cults, in particular the infamous Heaven's Gate cult. The best comparison I've been able to come up with for them is 'like a female-fronted Offspring if they liked disco and death cults' The band has endured multiple line-up changes but has always been female-fronted - their current singer, Nikki Brumen, is their third; she was recruited in 2021, but unable to join the band physically until this year due to the small complication of her being in Australia during lockdown. Their fourth album, Praise Armageddonism, was released in July this year, and is Brumen's first with the band though it had already been written before she joined. My interest in Blood Command started back in March when the video for new single, 'I Just Want That Movie Ending', appeared on my YouTube. An 80s-influenced rock banger with a cracking guitar solo, it took a few listens to get under my skin but by the time it had, I had checked out the other singles, older albums and had fully fallen off the obsession cliff. I'll save more detailed comments on the album for my year-end chart but let's just say that if you were to bump into me at any point in the second half of 2022 while I had my headphones on, there was a good chance I was listening to Praise Armageddonism. Seeing them live in September was a wild experience I won't soon forget (not least because it wrecked my ears for a good few weeks!) and has firmly cemented their place as one of my favourite artists. I'm really excited to see what they do next with Nikki's influence! Highlights: While being unmistakeably punk, Praise Armageddonism takes in so many different genres over the course of its 10 tracks that you really have to listen to the whole thing to get the full effect. 'I Just Want That Movie Ending' is undeniably my favourite, but as I already used it in Rock Idol, I'll go with 'A Villain's Monologue'. This had to be recorded while Nikki was still based in Melbourne but her vocals on this are just savage. For something poppier, check out 'Saturday City' and 'The End Is Her', both of which are gorgeous.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Dec 18, 2022 14:21:49 GMT 1
im just gonna leave this her for want of a better place to post it
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Post by greendemon on Dec 18, 2022 14:30:39 GMT 1
Good shout, Jinjer aren't on this list but I do enjoy them. Perhaps this should be retitled the growly women in music thread although the next few won't be quite so growly...
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,551
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Post by TheThorne on Dec 18, 2022 14:38:22 GMT 1
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Post by greendemon on Dec 18, 2022 14:41:07 GMT 1
Ooh yes 'Afraid of Water' is a banger, they played it at the gig. Off the 'Return of the Arsonist' EP which was the last thing they did with the last vocalist but it's by far the best song on it.
Cult Drugs, their third LP, is a bit more like that sound.
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Post by greendemon on Dec 18, 2022 16:00:08 GMT 1
14. The Linda LindasOne of the most exciting (but somehow still underhyped, at least in the UK) debut rock albums of the year came from this Los Angeles four-piece punk group. Formed in 2018 in order to play a local music festival, The Linda Lindas are sisters Lucia (15) and Mila de la Garza (12), their cousin Eloise Wong (14) and their family friend Bela Salazar (18), and are managed and coached by Eloise's father, Martin. They gained a lot of attention last year after their song 'Racist, Sexist Boy' - a punky rant written by a then just 10-year-old Mila in response to a boy at her school saying he'd been told to stay away from Chinese people (a demographic which includes 3 of the 4 members) because of the pandemic - blew up online. It's easy to see why - the amount of talent these girls have is just mindblowing! Their album, Growing Up, came out in April and is full of catchy, listenable, poppy punk with enough of a riot-grrl-influenced edge to keep things interesting. Really looking forward to seeing where they go from here. Highlights: There are lots of standout moments to choose from - 'Racist, Sexist Boy' was the one that got them noticed but as much as I enjoy the sentiment, it might be my least favourite of the singles. All of the girls sing at various points - Eloise's vocals are great and very 'punk' as can be heard on 'Fine' or 'Why' - but my favourite is probably the title track (plus the video has cats, so you can't go wrong there.)
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Post by greendemon on Dec 18, 2022 17:36:45 GMT 1
While we're doing LA bands... 15. The InterruptersI'd be the first to admit that I'm not exactly a ska-punk aficionado - the combination of ska beats with punk has never been my favourite musical fusion - but if any band are likely to change that, it might be this Los Angeles four-piece. The band is comprised of frontwoman Aimee Allen and brothers Kevin, Justin and Jesse Bivona, all of whom had considerable experience in the punk and alt-rock scenes before forming The Interrupters in 2012, collaborating with some pretty big names (most notably Kevin was once a touring keyboard player for The Transplants). Again, not a band whose wider discography I knew much about, I stumbled upon the video for 'In The Mirror' and whether it was the self-awareness of the lyrics, Aimee's husky vocals or just the fact that it's an impossibly catchy, brilliantly-crafted song, something really clicked. Their fourth album, In The Wild, is a great summery record and has encouraged me to rethink my aversion to this subgenre. Highlights: The singles on In The Wild are the strongest moments for me, particularly 'Jailbird' and 'Raised By Wolves', but the one I keep coming back to is 'In The Mirror' and I still reckon it's the best.
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,551
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Post by TheThorne on Dec 18, 2022 17:45:04 GMT 1
Yes a band I have loved more and more throughout the year . In the mirror just missed my top 200 tracks. Jailbird is still to come
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Post by greendemon on Dec 19, 2022 17:36:14 GMT 1
16. Soccer MommySophia Allison, better known as Soccer Mommy, is a singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. Specialising in tuneful, guitar-driven indie pop-rock, she has been making music since at least 2015, which is all the more impressive when you consider she is still only 25 years old! She first came to my attention a few years ago with her single 'Your Dog' which I really enjoyed, and while I haven't been keeping up with her religiously since then, I was excited to see she had new material this year. Heralded by a couple of great singles, her third album Sometimes, Forever released in June and is a surprisingly diverse collection of songs, taking into account some more experimental influences while retaining enough of the hooks to make for a compelling and re-listenable record. Highlights: This album is probably going to be best remembered for lead single 'Shotgun' but I have to highlight 'Bones' which is a beautiful, heartfelt indie ballad that has had a lot of plays for me this year.
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Post by greendemon on Dec 20, 2022 17:36:51 GMT 1
17. SonjaHow do you respond to being unceremoniously fired from your band for coming out as trans? You get together with your new band and put out one of the best rock albums of the year, that's how. Sonja (not to be confused with Sonia) is a Philadelphia-based heavy metal project begun in 2014 by Melissa Moore (then guitarist for black metal band, Absu), drummer Grzesiek Czapla and bassist Ben Brand, all established musicians across various extreme metal subgenres who were looking to return to the genre's roots. The project lay dormant until 2018 when Moore came out as transgender, only to be told by an Absu bandmate that she had effectively 'fired herself' by doing so. Moore's anger at the transphobia of men she'd played with for years inspired her to kick Sonja into life, and after a delay of two years due to the pandemic, their debut LP Loud Arriver finally released in September this year. Knowing nothing of all of this, I stumbled upon Sonja in October and was instantly taken with their brand of hook-laden old-school heavy metal with gothic rock leanings and just great guitar playing. I'm a huge fan of the album - one of my biggest pleasant surprises of 2022. Highlights: I feel like I say this a lot, but there is genuinely not a poor song on Loud Arriver - it's just banger after banger. I've highlighted lead single 'Nylon Nights' as it was the one that hooked me (it came out a few months ago and is probably going to appear in my final chart of the year), but really, if you like the sound of this one, you should give the whole album a spin.
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Post by greendemon on Dec 24, 2022 12:19:11 GMT 1
Another great record pulled from adversity... 18. MUNAAnother artist well-known to many on Haven, MUNA are a Los Angeles indie-pop trio who have been making music together since 2013. Their first major release was the Loudspeaker EP in 2016, followed by their debut full-length album, About U, in 2017. I think I've been aware of them since around that time - the anthemic 'Loudspeaker' was used for a contest here and I pretty much fell in love with it right off the bat, though outside of the singles I never gave the album that many plays because Katie Gavin's voice is a taste I haven't entirely acquired. Both of their first two records ( Saves the World came out in 2019) were very well-received so it came as a surprise to hear that they'd been dropped by their label, RCA, during the pandemic. Luckily, the singer and producer, Phoebe Bridgers, came to their rescue and they released their self-titled third album on her Saddest Factory label earlier this year, heralded by some brilliant singles including the wonderful 'Silk Chiffon' which features Bridgers. Perhaps surprisingly, I struggled with MUNA at first - again, I loved all the singles, but taken as a whole it was a bit much. Of all the albums they've released so far, it is by far the most out-and-out pop, but I don't think this was what put me off - there's plenty of variety, from the country balladeering of 'Kind of Girl' to the synth-driven, R&B-esque leanings of 'Runner's High', and lots of influences to get your teeth into as a music fan. It wasn't entirely the album's fault - it did come out at the same time as Blood Command's Praise Armageddonism which went on to be my most-played record of the year, and I think I was just more in the mood for that album's aggressive punky sound than R&B-influenced synth-pop with plenty more autotune than I normally like in my music (though it does help with the voice thing!). That said, I'm pleased to report that I've had plenty of time to revisit the album and it has only grown in my estimation, and I'm inclined to agree with the majority opinion that this is their best yet. Highlights: I could pick any of the singles - I love them all, even 'What I Want' which took a moment to land with me, but I have to go for 'Anything But Me', partly because I love the video, mostly because it's a fantastic song but also partly because 'You're gonna say that I'm on a high horse / I think that my horse is regular-sized' is such a great lyric
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