My Favourite Music Of 2021

My Favourite Albums Of 2021 - Top 40

1) Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine - A Beginner's Mind

2) Ed Dowie - The Obvious I

3) Teenage Fanclub - Endless Arcade (album review) (interview)

4) Low - Hey What

5) Oddfellow's Casino - The Cult Of Water (album review)

6) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END! (album review)

7) Mabe Fratti - Será Que Ahora Podremos Entendernos

8) L'Rain - Fatigue

9) Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark (album review) (interview)

10) Yasmin Williams - Urban Driftwood

11) Hélène Vogelsinger - Reminiscence

12) Mogwai - As The Love Continues (album review)

13) Aimee Mann - Queens Of The Summer Hotel (album review) (interview)

14) Grandbrothers - All The Unknown (album review)

15) Mira Calix - Absent Origin

16) Spellling - The Turning Wheel (album review)

17) Loscil - Clara

18) Origamibiro - Miscellany

19) Tindersticks - Distractions (album review) (interview)

20) La Luz - La Luz (interview)

21) Arushi Jain - Under The Lilac Sky

22) The Notwist - Vertigo Days

23) CARM - CARM

24) Bell Orchestre - House Music

25) Gruff Rhys - Seeking New Gods

26) James Yorkston - The Wide, Wide River

27) Field Music - Flat White Moon

28) Lost Horizons - In Quiet Moments (interview)

29) Will Stratton - The Changing Wilderness

30) Saint Etienne - I've Been Trying To Tell You

31) Ka - A Martyr's Reward

32) Field Works - Cedars

33) New Mexican Stargazers - Highway Dreamscape

34) Clark - Playground In A Lake (album review)

35) The Reds, Pinks & Purples - Uncommon Weather

36) Kasai Allstars - Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound

37) Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage

38) Resina - Speechless

39) Lambchop - Showtunes (album review) (interview)

40) Marisa Anderson & William Tyler - Lost Futures

Other albums I have enjoyed this year 

Lonelady - Former Things

Hannah Peel - Fir Wave

Murcof - The Alias Sessions (album review) (interview)

Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview On Phenomenal Nature

Houeida Hedfi - Fleuves de l'Âme (album review)

Alexis Taylor - Silence

Laura Mvula - Pink Noise

Flock Of Dimes - Head Of Roses (album review) (interview)

Haiku Salut - The Hill, The Light, The Ghost

Photay - On Hold

Baliyama Project - Wo Solo

Sharp Veins - Lips Of The Same Colour

Roddy Woomble - Lo! Soul (interview)

Teis Ortved - Parks At Night

Hilang Child - Every Mover (album review) (interview)

Marina Allen - Candlepower

Colleen - The Tunnel And The Clearing (album review)

Cobalt Chapel - Orange Synthetic

Fryars - God Melodies

The Goon Sax - Mirror II

William Doyle - Great Spans Of Muddy Time

Dekalb Works - Duologue

The Coral - Coral Island

Damien Jurado - The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania 

Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee

LUMP - Animal

BLK JKS - Abantu / Before Humans

Green House - Music For Living Spaces

FYI Chris - Earth Scum

Hiatus Kaiyote - Mood Valiant

Wau Wau Collectif - Yaral Sa Doom

Loraine James - Reflection

Leo Chadburn - Slower/Talker

Villagers - Fever Dreams

Grouper - Shade

Quantic - Almas Conectadas

MONO - Pilgrimmage Of The Soul

A Winged Victory For The Sullen - Invisible Cities (album review)

Les Filles De Illighadad - At Pioneer Works

Sons Of Kemet - Black To The Future

Ishmael Ensemble - Visions Of Light

Yes/And - Yes/And

Damon Albarn - The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows (live review)

Singing Dust - Singing Dust

Moor Mother - Black Encyclopaedia Of The Air

Caoilfhionn Rose - Truly

Mouse On Mars - AAI

Natural Information Society - Descension (Out of Our Constrictions)

Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime

Claire Rousay - A Softer Focus

Time Binding Ensemble - Nothing New Under The Sun

Arooj Aftab - Vulture Prince

Georgia Anne Muldrow - VWETO III

Sufjan Stevens - Convocations

Clinic - Fantasy Island

Nathan Salsburg - Psalms

Irreversible Entanglements - Open The Gates

The House In The Woods - The Spectral Corridor

Black Marble - Fast Idol

Jeff Parker - Forfolks

Pye Corner Audio - Entangled Routes

Jessica Moss - Phosphenes

The Weather Station - Ignorance

David Boulter - Lover's Walk

Seaworthy - Snowmelt

Alasdair Roberts - The Old Fabled River

Cleo Sol - Mother

Klein - Harmattan

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raise The Roof

Elbow - Flying Dream 1

Divide & Dissolve - Gas Lit

Robin Richards - The Earth Asleep

Marissa Nadler - The Path Of The Clouds

Bess Atwell - Already, Always

Vanishing Twin - Ookii Gekkou

Maximo Park - Nature Always Wins (live review)

Eluvium - Virga II

Jane Weaver - Flock

Floating Points / Pharoah Sanders / LSO - Promises

Blank Gloss - Melt

Mt Went - Lit Way Down

Dean McPhee - Witch's Ladder

Lisa Gerrard & Jules Maxwell - Burn

Tala Vala - Modern Hysteric

Arlo Parks - Collapsed In Sunbeams

Smerz - Believer (album review)

Midori Hirano - Soniscope

Ryley Walker - Course In Fable

Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy - Blind Date Party

Ballaké Sissoko - Djourou (album review)

John Carroll Kirby - Septet

Kings Of Convenience - Peace Or Love

The Sad Song Co. - Saudade

Matt Sweeney & Bonnie Prince Billy - Superwolves

Loney Dear - A Lantern And A Bell

Electric Jalaba - El Hal / The Feeling

Abul Mogard - In Immobile Air

Plankton Wat - Future Times

Sarah Neufeld - Detritus

Self Esteem - Prioritise Pleasure

Neil Young - Barn

Greg Foat - Gone To The Cats

Gazelle Twin & NYX - Deep England

My Favourite EPs of 2021

Lucy Gooch - Rain's Break (interview)

Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble - NOW (interview)

Lunch Money Life - Tarmac The Lake

Shirley Collins - Crowlink

Minotaur Shock - Qi

Gabriels - Love And Hate In A Different Time

Sofia Kourtesis - Fresia Magdalena

Peter Alexander Jobson - The Piano Tuner

Phono Ghosts - Anti Comet Tails

Samantha Crain - I Guess We Live Here Now

RKB Vitesse - Pledge Psychodrama

Orange Crate Art - Curve Lines, Loops & Dashes

2021 Playlist

My Favourite 100 Albums Of 2018

This year I have decided to rank my albums slightly differently to previous years. I have listed my top 25 in order followed by 75 other albums I have enjoyed (ordered alphabetically by artist).

It will come as no surprise to those that know me that Low are at number one with Double Negative. It's a brilliant album that consolidates their position as my favourite band (although the stunningly beautiful Solan Goose by Erland Cooper pushed it pretty hard towards the end of the year). The top of my list is dominated by artists I've loved for several years (I guess that's what happens as you get older) but also features some new exciting discoveries like Virginia Wing, The Goon Sax, Adrianne Lenker and Gazelle Twin.

It has been another brilliant year for music. I've also had my most productive year for music writing, reviewing 15 albums, 26 gigs and 2 festivals for musicOMH (links are below next to the artists where appropriate).

I've also created a Spotify playlist of my favourite tracks. It has given me so much pleasure this year.

Albums 1-25 (in order)

1) Low - Double Negative - album review
2) Erland Cooper - Solan Goose
3) Virginia Wing - Ecstatic Arrow - live review
4) Field Music - Open Here - live review
5) Laura Veirs - The Lookout
6) Wye Oak - The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs - album review
7) Julia Holter - Aviary - live review
8) Damien Jurado - The Horizon Just Laughed - live review
9) Beach House - 7
10) Kathryn Joseph - From When I Wake The Want Is - live review 1 & live review 2
11) Alela Diane - Cusp - album review
12) Yo La Tengo - There's A Riot Going On - album review
13) The Goon Sax - We're Not Talking
14) Adrianne Lenker - abysskiss
15) Gazelle Twin - Pastoral
16) Half Man Half Biscuit - No-One Cares About Your Creative Hub So Get Your Fuckin' Hair Cut
17) La Luz - Floating Features - live review
18) Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic - album review
19) IDLES - Joy As An Act Of Resistance
20) Calexico - The Thread That Keeps Us - live review
21) Baloji - 137 Avenue Kaniama - album review
22) Eleanor Friedberger - Rebound
23) Stuart Staples - Arrhythmia
24) Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert - Here Lies The Body - album review
25) Max Cooper - One Hundred Billion Sparks

Albums 26-100 (alphabetically ordered by artist)

A Hawk And A Hacksaw - Forest Bathing
Alasdair Roberts - What News
Ana Silvera - Oracles
Ben Chatwin - Drone Signals
Christina Vantzou - No. 4
Daniel Blumberg - Minus - album review
David Crosby - Here If You Listen
Django Django - Marble Skies - live review
Domet Gnahore - Miziki - some brief words about her WOMAD appearance
Dylan Carlson - Conquistador
Efrim Manuel Menuck - Pissing Stars - album review
Federico Albanese - By The Deep Sea - live review
First Aid Kit - Ruins - live review
Frankie Cosmos - Vessel
Go-Kart Mozart - Mozart's Mini Mart
Goldmund - Occasus
Grouper - Grid Of Points - album review
Haiku Salut - There Is No Elsewhere
Hampshire & Foat - Nightshade
Helios - Veriditas
Ian William Craig - Thesholder
Israel Nash - Lifted
Ital Tek - Bodied
Jon Hassell - Listening To Pictures
Josephine Foster - Faithful Fairy Harmony
Juanita Stein - Until The Lights Fade
Kadhja Bonet - Childqueen
Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo
Kronos Quartet & Laurie Anderson - Landfall - album review & live review
Laura Gibson - Goners
Leon Vynehall - Nothing Is Still
LUMP - LUMP
Maarja Nuut - Muunduja
Maribou State - Kingdoms In Colour
Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood - With Animals - live review
Mark Peters - Innerland
Mary Lattimore - Hundreds Of Days
Michael Price - Tender Symmetry
Mogwai - KIN - live review
Mountain Man - Magic Ship
Mouse On Mars - Dimensional People
Murcof - Lost In Time
Natalie Prass - The Future And The Past
Neko Case - Hell-On - live review
Nils Frahm - All Melody - album review & live review
Olden Yolk - Olden Yolk
Oliver Coates - Shelley's On Zenn-La - album review
Paul Frick - Second Yard Botanicals
Paul Steel - Carousel Kites
Phil France - Circle
Philip Shepperd - Fall From Earth
Phosphorescent - C'est La Vie
Pram - Across The Meridian
Resina - Traces
Rival Consoles - Persona
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs
Sarah Davachi - Gave In Rest
Serpentwithfeet - Soil
Shida Shahabi - Homes
Skee Mask - Compro
Sobrenadar - Y
Sons Of Kemet - Your Queen Is A Reptile - some words about their Field Day show
Steve Hauschildt - Dissolvi
Susanna - Go Dig My Grave - album review
Susheela Raman - Ghost Gamelan
Terry - I'm Terry
The Beths - Future Me Hates Me
The Go! Team - SEMICIRCLE - album review
The Saxophones - Songs Of The Saxophones
Tim Hecker - Konoyo - live review
Tirzah - Devotion
Turin Brakes - Invisible Storm - live review
Ty - A Work Of Heart
Varg - Crush
Wild Nothing - Indigo

My Favourite Albums Of 2017

Another year, another 100 albums. Some familiar names, some new discoveries. So much brilliant music.

I can’t remember another year when my favourite kept changing so much (at one stage or another each album in the top ten below all held number one spot I think).

Here goes...

1) Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up (live review)

2) Elbow - Little Fictions

3) Oddfellow's Casino - Oh, Sealand

4) Grandbrothers - Open (album review)

5) HAIM - Something To Tell You

6) Hannah Peel - Mary Casio: Journey To Cassiopeia

7) The Charlatans - Different Days (live review)

8) Slowdive - Slowdive (live review)

9) Amadou & Mariam - La Confusion

10) Dutch Uncles - Big Balloon

11) Ariel Pink - Dedicated To Bobby Jameson

12) James Holden - The Animal Spirits

13) Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - The Kid

14) Max Richter - Three Worlds: Music From Woolf Works

15) Penguin Cafe - The Imperfect Sea (live review)

16) Forest Swords - Compassion

17) Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins

18) Courtney Marie Andrews - Honest Life

19) Balmorhea - Clear Language

20) Grandaddy - Last Place

21) Ed Dowie - The Uncle Sold

22) Les Amazones d'Afrique - Republique Amazone

23) Bing & Ruth - No Home Of The Mind (live review)

24) The Weather Station - The Weather Station

25) Oumou Sangaré - Mogoya

26) Ifriqiyya Electrique - Rûwâhîne

27) BNQT - Volume 1.

28) Nubya Garcia - Nubya's 5ive

29) Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Luciferian Towers

30) Gareth Sager - 88 Tuned Dreams

31) This Is The Kit - Moonshine Freeze

32) Girl Ray - Earl Grey (live review)

33) Colleen - A flame my love, a frequency

34) Fizzarum - Frisson

35) From The Mouth Of The Sun - Hymn Binding

36) I, Ludicrous - Songs From The Sides Of Lorries

37) The Bug v Earth - Concrete Desert

38) Eluvium - Shuffle Drones

39) Björk - Utopia

40) Alessandro Cortini - AVANTI

41) Justin Walter - Unseen Forces

42) Martin Glass - The Pacific Visions Of Martin Glass

43) Ryuichi Sakamoto - async

44) The Necks - Unfold

45) Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Adiós Señor Pussycat

46) Mogwai - Every Country's Sun

47) Yasmine Hamdan - Al Jamilat

48) William Basinski - A Shadow In Time

49) Martyn Heyne - Electric Intervals

50) Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner & James McAlister - Planetarium

51) Euros Childs - House Arrest

52) The Shins - Heartworms

53) David Crosby - Sky Trails

54) Fiium Shaarrk - We Are Astonishingly Lifelike

55) Poppy Ackroyd - Sketches

56) State Broadcasters - A Different Past

57) Ride - Weather Diaries (live review)

58) High Plains - Cinderland

59) Visible Cloaks - Reassemblage

60) Seamus Fogarty - The Curious Hand

61) Iron & Wine - Beast Epic (album review)

62) Julie Byrne - Not Even Happiness

63) Natasha Barrett - Puzzle Wood

64) Moon Diagrams - Lifetime Of Love

65) Richard Dawson - Peasant

66) Prins Thomas - Prins Thomas 5

67) Högni - Two Trains (album review)

68) Human Pyramids - Home

69) Jessica Moss - Pools Of Light

70) Gwyneth Glyn - Tro

71) GAS - Narkopop

72) Esmerine - Mechanics of Dominion

73) Ex Eye - Ex Eye

74) Giulio Aldinucci - Borders And Ruins

75) Jane Weaver - Modern Kosmology

76) Hidden Orchestra - Dawn Chorus

77) Gaussian Curve - The Distance

78) Msafiri Zawose - Uhamiaji

79) Lung Dart - Some Other Hunger

80) Bola - D.E.G

81) Masaki Uchida - Xenolinguistics

82) Kronos Quartet & Trio Da Kali - Ladilikan

83) Loney Dear - Loney Dear

84) Ellen Arkbro - For Organ And Brass

85) Nadia Reid - Preservation

86) Goldfrapp - Silver Eye

87) Laura Marling - Semper Femina

88) Saltland - A Common Truth

89) Mark McGuire - Ideas Of Begnnings

90) Clocolan - Nothing Left To Abandon

91) Hammock - Mysterium

92) Blanck Mass - World Eater

93) Snow Palms - Origin And Echo

94) Dustin Wong - Are Euphoria

95) Children Of Alice - Children Of Alice

96) Maya Youssef - Syrian Dreams

97) Ben Gibbard - Bandwagonesque

98) Flying Saucer Attack – In Search Of Spaces

99) Andrea Belfi - Ore

100) Sampha - Process

My Favourite 100 Albums Of 2016

Another year, another 100 albums.

2016 may have been a depressing and exasperating year in some ways but it was another excellent year for music. As always, I’ve enjoyed exploring my way through the new releases, making new discoveries and re-establishing old acquaintances before seeing how they ultimately settle into a list of favourites (although there’s probably more in the way of familiar names in the below list, certainly towards the upper end). I’m certainly more than happy to be defined by the below 100 albums. As other people have said when publishing their end of year lists the top 20 is pretty accurately ordered, after that it becomes a little more arbitrary and changeable.

Will by Julianna Barwick narrowly edged out False Readings On By Eluvium to claim my top spot. Both ‘broke free’ from other albums by October and it was just a case of seeing which album would remain in front. Both artists have featured in my previous end of year lists and these albums saw them operating at an extremely high level, both arguably approaching the peak of their powers. The Julianna Barwick album is a stunningly beautiful and concise piece of work while (under his Eluvium alias) Matthew Cooper excels himself once more with his ecstatically charged ambient music. At times it seems like his music has a direct connection to the heavens, full of emotional direct hits and able to achieve a transcendence rarely found elsewhere. To me, both albums represent a voyage through the human psyche, body and soul. They both have depth and longevity in abundance (two qualities I always look for in albums). In some ways it seems unfair to have to place one above the other (sorry Matthew).

Elsewhere, Noura Mint Seymali consolidated her position as one of the most exciting artists around and we saw the welcome return of my beloved Teenage Fanclub. At the start of the year if someone had told me that one of my favourite albums of the year would feature guest vocals from Craig David it’s fair to say that it would have been met with a degree of scepticism but that’s what actually happened with the excellent 99.9% by Kaytranada clocking in at number eight (it is sort of like a distant cousin to Ego Death, last year’s similarly impressive album by The Internet). The Cocteau Twins sound more influential with each passing year and I loved how C Duncan incorporated some of the sounds and textures found on albums like Victorialand on his second album The Midnight Sun. Meanwhile albums by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Badbadnotgood, Eighth Blackbird, Agnes Obel, Peter Broderick and Plaid (amongst others) also made lasting impressions. I could go on making similar testimonies about all of these albums to be honest.

Given the context/circumstances behind their creation and release it may seem surprising that albums like You Want It Darker (Leonard Cohen), Skeleton Tree (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) and Blackstar (David Bowie) occupy the relatively lowly positions they do but I probably didn’t listen to them enough to allow them to take higher spots.

I didn’t review as many albums this year (a pitiful, shamefully paltry seven in total) and didn’t do much better on gigs either (ten, if you include the always life-affirmingly brilliant WOMAD festival). I definitely need to try harder on the reviewing front in 2017. As always, radio proved the best way for me to discover new music and I’m grateful to Late Junction, Gilles Peterson, Gideon Coe, Marc Riley and others for bringing many of these artists to my attention.

Here is my top 100 in full:

100) Las Kellies - Friends And Lovers
99) Illum Sphere - Glass
98) Sara Neufeld - The Ridge
97) Various Artists - Space Echo (The Mystery Behind The Cosmic Sound Of Cabo Verde Finally Revealed)
96) Cavern Of Anti-Matter - void beats/invocation trex
95) Margaret Glaspy - Emotions And Math
94) Aisha Orazbayeva - Telemann Fantasias
93) Mary Lattimore – At The Dam
92) Yorkston/Thorne/Khan - Everything Sacred (Old Queen's Head live review)
91) Afro-Haitian Experimental Orchestra - Afro-Haitian Experimental Orchestra
90) The Besnard Lakes - A Coliseum Complex Museum
89) Various Artists - Soul Sok Sega (Sounds From Mauritius 1973-1979)
88) Leverton Fox - Velcro Bird
87) Solar Bears - Advancement
86) M. Ward - More Rain
85) Belbury Poly - New Ways Out
84) Jessy Lanza - Oh No (album review)
83) Damien Jurado - Visions Of Us On The Land
82) 75 Dollar Bill – Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock
81) Karl Blau - Introducing Karl Blau
80) King Creosote - Astronaut Meets Appleman
79) Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop - Love Letter For Fire
78) Kel Assouf - Tikounen
77) Rokia Traoré - Né So
76) Aziza Brahim - Abbar El Hamada
75) Morgan Delt - Phase Zero
74) Eleanor Friedberger - New View
73) Tycho - Epoch
72) Keaton Henson - Kindly Now
71) Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
70) Claire M Singer - Solas
69) Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
68) Imarhan - Imarhan
67) Konono No. 1 Meets Batida - Konono No. 1 Meets Batida
66) Explosions In The Sky - The Wilderness
65) Donny McCaslin - Beyond Now
64) Guy Andrews - Our Spaces
63) Sarathy Korwar - Day To Day
62) Loscil - Monument Builders
61) Lisa Hannigan - At Swim
60) Jason Sharp - A Boat Upon Its Blood
59) Arborist - Dark Stream
58) Xylouris White - Black Peak
57) Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus
56) Immix Ensemble - Transition
55) Azymuth - Fênix
54) The Comet Is Coming - Channel The Spirits
53) Ryley Walker - Golden Sings That Have Been Sung
52) Turin Brakes - Lost Property
51) Family Atlantica - Cosmic Unity
50) PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project
49) Mica Levi/Oliver Coates - Remain Calm
48) Klara Lewis - Too
47) Meta Meta - MM3
46) Baaba Maal - The Traveller
45) Bonnie Prince Billy/Bitchin' Bajas - Epic Jammers And Fortunate Little Ditties
44) Mogwai - Atomic
43) Lambchop - FLOTUS
42) Ian William Craig - Centres
41) M Craft - Blood Moon
40) Szun Waves - At Sacred Walls
39) Various Artists - Orbital Planes & Passenger Trains, Vol. 1
38) North Sea Radio Orchestra - Dronne
37) Be - One
36) Steve Mason - Meet The Humans
35) Federico Albanese (album review)
34) Botany - Deepak Verbera
33) Patten - Ψ
32) Brian Eno - The Ship (album review)
31) Shirley Collins - Lodestar
30) Amiina - Fantômas
29) Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
28) David Bowie - Blackstar
27) Oliver Coates - Upstepping
26) William Tyler - Modern Country
25) Tortoise - The Catastrophist
24) Tindersticks - The Waiting Room
23) The High Llamas - Here Come The Rattling Trees (album review)
22) Ben Lukas Boysen - Spells
21) Jóhann Jóhannsson - Orphée
20) ISAN - Glass Bird Movement
19) Mono - Requiem For Hell
18) Petrels - Jörð
17) Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - EARS
16) Badbadnotgood - IV
15) Peter Broderick - Partners
14) Agnes Obel - Citizen Of Glass
13) Plaid - The Digging Remedy
12) Anoushka Shankar - Land Of Gold
11) Brigid Mae Power - Brigid Mae Power
10) Eighth Blackbird - Hand Eye
9) Whitney - Light Upon The Lake
8) Kaytranada - 99.9%
7) Douglas Dare - Aforger (album review)
6) Regina Spektor - Remember Us To Life (Royal Festival Hall live review)
5) Teenage Fanclub - Here
4) C Duncan - The Midnight Sun
3) Noura Mint Seymali - Arbina (album review and interview)
2) Eluvium - False Readings On
1) Julianna Barwick - Will (Pickle Factory live review)

My Favourite 100 Albums Of 2015

I always seem to begin these end of year album lists by remarking on how good a year it was for music. In this respect 2015 was no different to previous years, proving that if you have the time and desire to seek out and listen to music there’s an absolute abundance of stuff to discover. It was also no different to previous years in that the pace and volume of releases made keeping up a challenge. There were lots of albums ‘on my radar’ that probably would have featured here that I simply just didn’t get round to listening to due to lack of time/lack of cash to buy etc.

There are lots of familiar names on this list that have regularly appeared in my end of year round ups since I started them back in 2009. It also features many of my favourite bands. It also features lots of new artists/bands that I discovered for the first time in 2015. In the end, my favourite band of all time narrowly eclipsed arguably my favourite band of the 90s to claim top spot. Ones And Sixes by Low proved they are one of the most consistent and enduring bands of the last two decades. It saw them refocus on their core strengths whilst introducing newer elements and had everything you’d want from a Low album. It may seem like a predictable choice (especially given posts like this) but it’s actually the first Low album to top my list (other albums have been edged out into second and third place in 2013 and 2011 retrospectively). In a way it’s a shame that Modern Nature by The Charlatans didn't get past it to claim number one position – it’s a fantastic album that also re-establishes a classic, immediately identifiable sound. Given their recent history its positive, euphoric, feel-good nature is even more remarkable and it would have been a justified number one.

Elsewhere, the two bands that I’d rank as my second and third favourite bands of all time (Yo La Tengo and Mercury Rev) returned with solid offerings and other recent favourites like Beach House, Jaga Jazzist and Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat also released excellent albums. Albums by bands/artists I’ve admired for a long time like Sleater-Kinney, Sufjan Stevens and Calexico also all stood out.

There were also two excellent releases by two of the key players in contemporary, experimental classical music – Bang On A Can All Stars and Eighth Blackbird - and the adjacent genre of neo/modern classical continued to be productive with notable releases by the likes of Rachel Grimes, Lubomyr Melnyk, Michael Price, Iskra String Quartet and Nils Frahm. 

In terms of global music I really enjoyed the albums by Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal, Trio Chemirani, Bixiga 70, Mbongwana Star and Shye Ben Tzur/Jonny Greenwood & Rajasthan Express. Two big musical names from India – Anoushka Shankar and Jyotsna Srikanth - also impressed once again. And then there were those excellent albums that either came out of nowhere or were pleasing difficult to easily categorise – Ian William Craig, Matana Roberts, The Internet, Finland, Kathryn Joseph, Felicia Atkinson and Petrels just to name a few.

Anyway, here’s the list including links to reviews I wrote for musicOMH.

100) Biosphere/Deathprod - Stator

99) Nadine Shah – Fast Food - album review

98) Helen – The Original Faces

97) Jib Kidder – Teaspoon To The Ocean - live review

96) Terakaft - Alone (Ténéré)

95) Luke Abbott – Music For A Flat Landscape

94) Arca - Mutant

93) Mount Eerie - Sauna

92) Romare - Projections

91) Tyondai Braxton – HIVE1

90) Linden – Rest And Be Thankful

89) Jyotsna Srikanth – Bangalore Dreams

88) Bixiga 70 – III

87) Sexwitch - Sexwitch

86) Polar Bear – Same As You

85) Philip Jeck - Cardinal

84) Jeremy Young & Aaron Martin – Pulse Passes From Hand To Hand

83) Eivind Aarset – I.E.

82) Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band – Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band

81) Yo La Tengo – Stuff Like That There

80) Colin Stetson/Sarah Neufeld – Never Were The Way She Was

79) Thundercat – The Beyond/Where The Giants Roam

78) Portico – Living Fields

77) Ibeyi - Ibeyi - album review

76) Various Artists – A Guide To The Birdsong Of South America

75) Kathryn Williams - Hypoxia

74) Anoushka Shankar - Home

73) Felicia Atkinson – A Readymade Ceremony

72) Goldmund - Sometimes

71) Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba – Ba Power - album review

70) L A N D - Anoxia

69) Erland Dahlen – Blossom Bells

68) Steve Hauschildt – Where All Is Fled

67) Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress

66) Jan St Werner - Miscontinuum

65) Panda Bear – Panda Bear Meets Grim Reaper - live review

64) Pure Bathing Culture – Pray For Rain - album review

63) Haiku Salut – Etch And Etch Deep

62) Mercury Rev – The Light In You

61) Secret Pyramid – The Silent March

60) Cass – Magical Magical

59) Cinerama - Valentina

58) Nils Frahm - Solo - blog post & Prom 27 review

57) Huntsville - Pond

56) Bruce Brubaker – Glass Piano

55) Flying Saucer Attack – Instrumentals 2015

54) Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear

53) David John Sheppard – Vertical Land

52) Olan Mill - Hiraeth

51) Iskra String Quartet - Iskra

50) Jerusalem In My Heart – If He Dies, If, If, If, If, If, If

49) Blanck Mass – Dumb Flesh

48) Eric Chenaux - Skullsplitter

47) Ryley Walker – Primrose Green

46) Björk - Vulnicura

45) Michael Price - Entanglement - album review

44) Esmerine – Lost Voices - album review

43) Dan Deacon – Gliss Riffer

42) John Carpenter – Lost Themes

41) Tame Impala - Currents

40) Ian William Craig – Cradle For The Wanting

39) Lau – The Bell That Never Rang

38) Inventions – Maze Of Woods

37) Julia Holter – Have You In My Wilderness

36) Eighth Blackbird - Filament

35) John Grant – Grey Tickles Black Pressure

34) Rival Consoles - Howl - album review

33) Trio Chemirani - Dawar

32) Ballake Sissoko & Vincet Segal – Musique de Nuit

31) Christina Vantzou – No. 3

30) Floating Points - Elaenia

29) Eska - Eska

28) Colleen – Captain Of None

27) Calexico – Edge Of The Sun

26) John Metcalfe – The Appearance Of Colour - album review

25) Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell

24) Petrels – Flailing Tomb

23) Holly Herndon - Platform

22) Matana Roberts – Coin Coin Chapter Three

21) Kamasi Washington – The Epic

20) Helios - Yume

19) Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & Rajasthan Express - Junun

18) Julia Kent – Asperities

17) Lubomyr Melnyk – Rivers And Streams - album review

16) Mbongwana Star – From Kinshasa

15) Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat – The Most Important Place In The World - album review

14) Mark McGuire – Beyond Belief

13) Finland – Rainy Omen

12) Sleater-Kinney – No Cities To Love

11) Rachel Grimes – The Clearing

10)The Go! Team – The Scene Between - live review

9) The Internet – Ego Death

8) Kathryn Joseph – Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I’ve Spilled

7) Vetiver – Complete Strangers - album review

6) Joanna Newsom - Divers - live review

5) Jaga Jazzist – Starfire

4) Bang On A Can Allstars – Field Recordings

3) Beach House – Depression Cherry

2) The Charlatans – Modern Nature - live review

1) Low – Ones And Sixes - interview with Alan Sparhawk

Bach To Baby

I'm sure I've said before on this blog that one of the things I like best about living in London is being able to take my children to so many concerts and musical events designed especially with them in mind. Most recently, I took my 5 year old son to the Barbican to see the New York Philharmonic and Giants Are Small play Petrushka by Igor Stravinsky in a quite brilliantly theatrical concert (witness his excitement in the below pre-concert photograph). Over the last few years I've also taken him to see a Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, various concerts across the Southbank Centre, several Daylight Music shows at Union Chapel, child-friendly concerts at Kings Place and two outdoor music festivals (End Of The Road 2012 and WOMAD 2013).

Clearly, my 8 month old daughter has a little bit of catching up to do with her brother on this front. We took her to her first concert in February - one of the 'For Crying Out Loud' shows for babies at Wigmore Hall and earlier today we took her to her second concert - one of the excellent Bach To Baby shows at St. John of Jerusalem church in Hackney.

Bach To Baby promises "outstanding musicians, exhilarating performances and inspiring locations across London and the South East" and on the basis of today's show all pledges were comfortably met. It is the idea of pianist (and mum) Miaomiao Yu who wanted to be able to expose her own children to the type of concert she would enjoy. I totally understand this - if I'm honest the main reason I've taken Dhruv and Fiza to all of the wonderful places mentioned above is that I love experiencing concerts in these venues myself and get a special, additional thrill from experiencing them with my children - seriously, I remember practically being in tears when I took Dhruv to Union Chapel for the first time back in 2011. And also when we first went to the Royal Albert Hall for the CBeebies Prom last year. And also when we went to the Purcell Room in the Southbank Centre for a children's Impropera show. I could go on...

I read a story in the press recently where musician Nicola Benedetti argued young children should be exposed to classical music whether they like it or not. I can understand the point she was trying to convey but I'm not sure I agree with how she worded aspects of her argument. Doing it in a positive, relaxed, non-confrontational way is quite important I think (as is being able to accept any initial disinterest). James Rhodes covers this quite well in this piece and makes some other good points (especially on debunking the lazy assumption that listening to classical music automatically makes a person/child 'more intelligent'). 

I would definitely agree however that showing children that music can be a source of huge enjoyment from an early age is a good thing. What I've enjoyed doing with my son is playing him different pieces/genres of music and letting him work out for himself if he likes it/what he thinks of it/how he would describe it (and then seeing what he asks to listen to going forward). I think the different sensory/shared/social experiences of a live music performance must contain some positives at a very basic level for babies/children (gaining a greater awareness of sounds and instruments, getting more experience of concentrating on something not necessarily visual and simply spending time in a different environment away from the familiar distractions of home for example). 

Anyway, back to Bach To Baby - today's concert featured Miaomiao on piano and Katie Stillman on violin playing an all Mozart programme. It may have understandably featured Mozart's junior crowd-pleaser of 12 variations on "Ah vous dirai-je Mamam" (more commonly known as 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star') but there was no sense of dumbing down - the music ran for over an hour, included context and background on each piece in a way both adults and children could appreciate and featured a full Violin Concerto (Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219).

To begin with Fiza sat with her mum on the carpet in between the rows of pews at the front of St John Of Jerusalem and clapped her approval throughout the early stages, clearly interested by what was happening in front of her (and by the other babies surrounding her). Later, I held her and she showed her appreciation of Mozart's Violin Sonata No. 17 in C major, K 296 by dropping pieces of wet, half-eaten raspberry rice cakes down my shirt and wiping her sticky fingers over my face. Lovely.

The excitement all got a bit too much for her towards the end and she fell asleep for the last 15 minutes (missing sadly the final stages where the children are encouraged to gather around the piano to hear their favourite nursery rhymes).

I think it's clear that the quality of the overall Bach To Baby experience was reflected in its popularity - I think today's concert was attended by over 40 Mums (and a couple of Dads). The venue was beautiful also - a spacious, well maintained Victorian church. There are currently Bach To Baby concerts programmed up to July - if you have small children I'd recommend trying to get to one. I'm already trying to single out some dates in June...

More details can be found here and photographs from today's concert are available to view here.

Gigs Of 2014

2014 was one of the best years for gigs that I can remember. 

Here is a list of the 35 shows I went to...

Raajmahal @ Cafe OTO, London - 5th January

Withered Hand @ The Lexington, London - 10th January

Mogwai @ Royal Festival Hall, London - 24th January

Rafael Anton Irisarri @ Cafe OTO - 27th January (review)

Bill Callahan @ Royal Festival Hall, London - 8th February

Penguin Cafe @ Union Chapel, London - 15th February (review)

Anaïs Mitchell @ Little Theatre, Gateshead - 21st February (review)

Loscil @ Mining Institute, Newcastle - 22nd February

Midlake @ Shepherd's Bush Empire, London - 26th February (review)

Jóhann Jóhannsson: The Miners Hymns @ Barbican, London - 9th March (review)

The Necks @ Bishopsgate Institute, London - 21st March

Laetitia Sadier @ Water Rats, London - 24th April

The High Llamas @ The Islington, London - 25th April

Devendra Banhart & Rokia Traoré @ Barbican, London - 2nd May (review)

Natalie Merchant @ Milton Court, London - 11th May (review)

Neutral Milk Hotel @ Roundhouse, London - 21st May

Anoushka Shankar @ Royal Festival Hall, London - 23rd May (review)

Emmylou Harris playing Wrecking Ball @ Barbican, London - 26th May (review)

Dawn Landes @ The Lexington, London - 30th May

Caitlin Rose @ Union Chapel, London - 11th July

Kelis @ Somerset House, London - 14th July (review)

Jon Auer @ The Islington, London - 14th August

Prom 50: Dvořák, Beethoven & Janáček - Czech Philharmonic/Jiří Bělohlávek  @ Royal Albert Hall, London - 24th August

Michael Price @ English Speaking Union, London - 11th September

Sahara Soul (Aziza Brahim, Noura Mint Seymali, Tartit, Nabil Baly Othmani) @ Barbican, London - 27th September (review)

King Creosote @ Milton Court, London - 27th September (review)

Vashti Bunyan @ St Pancras Old Church, London - 9th October

Haiku Salut @ St John on Bethnal Green - 11th October

Withered Hand, Darren Hayman & The Understudies @ Scala, London - 14th October

A Winged Victory For The Sullen @ Milton Court, London - 20th October

Karen Gwyer, Wanda Group, Basic House, HOLOVR @ Star And Shadow Cinema, Newcastle - 29th October

Royal Ballet (Ceremony Of Innocence/Age Of Anxiety/Aeternum) @ Royal Opera House, London - 8th November

Goldfrapp playing Tales Of Us @ Royal Albert Hall, London - 18th November (review)

The Jesus And Mary Chain playing Psychocandy @ Troxy, London - 24th November

The Manic Street Preachers playing The Holy Bible @ Roundhouse, London - 15th December

Top 100 Albums Of 2014

In previous years (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 specifically) I’ve compiled a list of my favourite 10 / 50 / 100 albums of the year accompanied by some words about what I liked about each. I didn’t have the time to do that this year sadly (hello 5 year old son, hello 4 month old daughter). In some ways it’s a shame as there have been many excellent, interesting records released that deserve lots of words of praise written about them. This year I’ve just included links to the album, live reviews or interviews that I wrote for musicOMH. I’m sure there are many others that would have made the list had I got round to listening to them properly.

The list is similar to previous years in being a mix of familiar names and new discoveries. The album at the top was undoubtedly the one that had the greatest emotional impact on me, which fundamentally is the thing I’m looking for most in music I guess. Until early November I wasn’t sure on what album would claim the top spot (in this respect it was probably the most finely balanced year since I’ve started writing these lists) but eventually it firmly established itself at the top. This piece explains and puts the album into context very well.

Technically I think the Malayeen and Dalglish albums may have came out in December 2013 but I’m including them here anyway.

In the end I could have comfortably listed over 150 albums...

Anyway, here’s the list:

100) Cooly G – Wait ‘Til Night (Hyperdub)
99) Aisha Orazbayeva – The Hand Gallery (Prah Recordings) - album review
98) Fatima Al Qadiri – Asiatisch (Hyperdub) - album review
97) Marissa Nadler - July (Bella Union)
96) Alsarah & The Nubatones - Silt (Wonderwheel)
95) Tara Jane O'Neil – Where Shine New Lights (Kranky)
94) Deerhoof - La Isla Bonita (Upset The Rhythm)
93) Christina Vantzou – No. 2 (Kranky)
92) Lawrence English – Wilderness Of Mirrors (Room40) -album review
91) Mogwai – Rave Tapes (Rock Action)
90) Chris Herbert - Constants (Room40)
89) DakhaBrakha – Na Mezhi (DakhaBrakha)
88) Toumani & Sidiki Diabate – Toumani & Sidike (World Circuit)
87) Fennesz - Becs (Editions Mego)
86) Tape - Casino (Hapna)
85) Deaf Center - Recount (Sonic Pieces)
84) Kasai Allstars – Beware The Fetish (Crammed Discs)
83) Djessou Mory Kante – River Strings Maninka Guitar (Sterns)
82) Hieroglyphic Being & The Configurative Or Modular Me Trio – Cosmic Seer Of Visions (Planet Mu)
81) Withered Hand – New Gods (Fortuna Pop)
80) Kasse Mady Diabate - Kirike (No Format)
79) Oren Ambarchi - Quixotism (Editions Mego)
78) Thug Entrancer – Death After Life (Software Recording Co.)
77) Lucinda Williams – Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone (Highway 20 Records)
76) Olan Mill & Keung Mandelbrot - Seismology (Hibernate)
75) Hakon Stene - Lush Laments For Lazy Mammal (Hubro)
74) Snarky Puppy – We Like It Here (Ropeadope)
73) Hallock Hill – Kosloff Mansion (Hundred Acre Recordings)
72) Vashti Bunyan - Heartleap (Fatcat)
71) Bixiga 70 - Ocupai (Mais Um Discos)
70) Sophia Loizou - Chrysalis (Astro:Dynamics)
69) Dan Michaelson & The Coastguards - Distance (The State51 Conspiracy)
68) Dalglish - Niaiw Ot Vile (PAN)
67) Sam Amidon – Lily-O (Nonesuch)
66) Second Storey – Double Divide (Houndstooth)
65) HOLOVR – Holo Earth (Opal Tapes)
64) Douglas Dare – Whelm (Erased Tapes) - album review
63) Tindersticks - Ypres (Lucky Dog)
62) Remember Remember – Forgetting The Present (Rock Action) - album review
61) Half Man Half Biscuit – Urge For Offal (Probe Plus)
60) Land Observations – The Grand Tour (Mute) - album review
59) Klara Lewis - Ett (Editions Mego)
58) Guy Schalom – Baladi Blues Reloaded (Ethnomusic Records)
57) Neneh Cherry - Blank Project (Smalltown Supersound)
56) Glottalstop - Woodsmoke (Tartaruga)
55) Ikebe Shakedown – Stone By Stone (Ubiquity)
54) Ibibio Sound Machine – Ibibio Sound Machine (Soundway)
53) Porya Hatami - Land (Inner Ocean Records)
52) Polar Bear – In Each And Every One (The Leaf Label) - album review
51) Quantic - Magnetica (Tru Thoughts)
50) Hauschka – Abandoned City (City Slang) - album review
49) Dawn Landes - Bluebird (Western Vinyl)
48) Alvvays - Alvvays (Transgressive Records)
47) William Ryan Fritch – Leave Me Like You Found Me (Lost Tribe Sound)
46) I Break Horses - Chiaroscuro (Bella Union)
45) Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra – Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything (Constellation) - album review
44) Fatima – Yellow Memories (Eglo Records)
43) Ariel Pink – Pom Pom (4AD)
42) Xylouris White - Goats (Other Music)
41) Loscil – Sea Island (Kranky)
40) Lee Gamble - Koch (PAN)
39) Imed Alibi - Safar (IRL)
38) Jacaszek - Catalogue Des Arbres (Touch)
37) Poppy Ackroyd - Feathers (Denovali)
36) Alexis Taylor – Await Barbarians (Domino)
35) Fofoulah – Fofoulah (Glitterbeat)
34) Jozef Van Wissum – It’s Time For You To Return (Crammed Discs)
33) Metá Metá – Metal Metal (Mais Um Discos)
32) Ashlar – St James’ Gardens (Hibernate)
31) Richard Dawson – Nothing Important (Weird World)
30) Petrels - Mima (Denovali)
29) Lone - Reality Testing (R&S Records)
28) Hiss Tracts - Shortwave Nights (Constellation)
27) Origamibiro – Odham’s Standard (Denovali)
26) Clark - Clark (Warp)
25) Kiasmos – Kiasmos (Erased Tapes) album review
24) Mica Levi - Under The Skin OST (Warners)
23) Marconi Union - Weightless - Ambient Transmission Vol. 2 (Just Music)
22) Aziza Brahim – Soutak (Glitterbeat) album review & interview & Sahara Soul at the Barbican review
21) Wye Oak – Shriek (City Slang) album review
20) Flying Lotus - You're Dead (Warp)
19) Vessel – Punish, Honey (Tri-Angle)
18) Nadim Mishlawi – Dreams Of The Primitives (Annihaya)
17) Plaid - Reachy Prints (warp)
16) Malayeen - Malayeen (Annihaya)
15) Pyramids Of Space – Pyramids Of Space (Mordant Music)
14) Kim Hiorthøy - Dogs (Smalltown Supersound)
13) Penguin Cafe - The Red Book (Penguin Cafe) review of Penguin Cafe at Union Chapel & interview with Arthur Jeffes
12) Noura Mint Seymali – Tzenni (Glitterbeat) - review of the Sahara Soul show at the Barbican
11) Grouper – Ruins (Kranky)
10) Franz Kirmann - Meridians (Denovali)
9) Kronos Quartet – A Thousand Thoughts (Nonesuch)         
8) Keaton Henson – Romantic Works (Oak Ten Records)
7) A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Atomos (Erased Tapes) - album review
6) Orlando Julius with The Heliocentrics - Jaiyede Afro (Strut)
5) Circle Of Sound - Anti Hero (Baithak Records) - album review
4) King Creosote - From Scotland With Love (Domino) - review of King Creosote at Milton Court
3) Inventions – Inventions (Temporary Residence) - album review
2) Kelis – Food (Ninja Tune) - review of Kelis at Somerset House
1) Elbow - The Take Off And Landing Of Everything (Fiction)