Amazed that people like this shit! And recommend it to others, no less. Like, people who actually write about music in magazines, not just 14-year old girls who follow whatever's the latest trend on tick tock. Seriously, what's to like? OK, the singer is kind of cute but her "rebel girl" antics are just pathetic, and the music could have been written by an A.I. Thankfully, Fontaines D.C. are on number 2; a bunch of talented young men with a rebel attitude that's only partially rock star posing. Romance is their 4th album (I haven't got it yet, but I have the previous 3, all pretty good). They performed almost all of it when I saw them live lately; lead single "Starbuster" almost brought the house down during the encore.
On No.3, The Cure's long-awaited return Songs of a Lost World. That's more like it! I'm about to receive this as a Christmas present, and haven't listened to it yet. For the purposes of this presentation I checked lead single "Alone" on youtube: total antithesis to the previously mentioned, upbeat, tracks: a return to the elegiac tone of 80's albums like Pornography and Disintegration that may well spawn yet another generation of emo kids.
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As for the rest of the list, well of course there's a lot of commercial stuff I'm not particularly fond of: pop, hip hop, modern R&B etc. The inclusion of the latest Nick Cave album Wild God isn't so much an indication of its worth (it's an above average Nick Cave LP, so of course it's great) as much as of an indication of the artist's growing acceptance by the mainstream: it took them 40 years, but the world is finally catching up. Another pleasant surprise is the inclusion of Jessica Pratt's Here in the Pitch; another artist in this Top 20 that I got to see recently- low key, but absolutely deserves all the plaudits
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AGGREGATE LIST (ALL GENRES, ALL PUBLICATIONS) TOP 20: 1 Charli xcx - BRAT 2 Fontaines D.C. - Romance 3 The Cure - Songs of a Lost World 4 MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks 5 Beyoncé - COWBOY CARTER 6 Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood 7 Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee 8 Billie Eilish - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT 9 Kendrick Lamar - GNX 10 Tyler, The Creator - CHROMAKOPIA 11 Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch 12 I Got Heaven - Mannequin Pussy 13 Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet 14 Mk.gee - Two Star & The Dream Police 15 Kim Gordon - The Collective 16 Clairo - Charm 17 Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future 18 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God 19 English Teacher - This Could Be Texas 20 Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
MOJO's No.1 is the new Jack White, No Name. This album appeared out of nowhere when customers at White's Third Man record stores were given a mystery LP as a present, which of course turned out to be his latest album. Generally hailed as a return to The White Stripes' garage rock, I've only heard the two tracks included in the two magazines' Best Of 2024 sampler CDs.
MOJO MAGAZINE: 1. Jack White - No Name 2. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God 3. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown 4. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Woodland 5. Bill Ryder-Jones - Iechyd Da 6. Kim Deal - Nobody Loves You More 7. Fontaines D.C. - Romance 8. The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know 9. Jane Weaver - Love In Constant Spectacle 10. Kim Gordon - The Collective 11. John Grant - The Art of the Lie 12. Shabaka - Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace 13. The Smile - Wall of Eyes 14. Cassandra Jenkins - My Light, My Destroyer 15. English Teacher - This Could Be Texas 16. Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Loophole 17. Paul Weller - 66 18. David Gilmour - Luck and Strange 19. Peter Perrett - The Cleansing 20. Lady Blackbird - Slang Spirituals 21. Gruff Rhys - Sadness Sets Me Free 22. Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice 23. Richard Thompson - Ship To Shore 24. Mercury Rev - Born Horses 25. St. Vincent - All Born Screaming 26. Dirty Three - Love Changes Everything 27. The The - Ensoulment 28. John Cale - POPtical Illusion 29. Charles Lloyd - The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow 30. Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood 31. The Cure - Songs of a Lost World 32. Pet Shop Boys - Nonetheless 33. Ezra Collective - Dance, No one's Watching 34. Amyl and The Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness 35. Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future 36. Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch 37. Common & Pete Rock - The Auditorium Vol. 1 38. Leyla McCalla - Sun Without the Heat 39. Arooj Aftab - Night Reign 40. Brittany Howard - What Now 41. Laura Marling - Patterns in Repeat 42. Michael Kiwanuka - Small Changes 43. The Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards 44. Kamasi Washington - Fearless Movement 45. Nubya Garcia - ODYSSEY 46. The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy 47. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Glasgow Eyes 48. Nick Lowe - Indoor Safari 49. Joan As Police Woman - Lemons, Limes And Orchids 50. Lee "Scratch" Perry & Youth - Spaceship to Mars 51. IDLES - TANGK 52. Richard Hawley - In This City They Call You Love 53. Public Service Broadcasting - The Last Flight 54. MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks 55. The Bug - Machine 56. Nadine Shah - Filthy Underneath 57. Johnny Blue Skies - Passage du Desir 58. Naima Bock - Below a Massive Dark Land 59. Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling & Andreas Werliin - Ghosted II 60. The Hard Quartet - The Hard Quartet 61. Oisin Leech - Cold Sea 62. Hermanos Gutiérrez - Sonido Cósmico 63. Floating Points - Cascade 64. Hamish Hawk - A Firmer Hand 65. Cassie Kinoshi's Seed - Gratitude 66. Khruangbin - A LA SALA 67. Ghost Dubs - Damaged 68. Julia Holter - Something in the Room She Moves 69. The Harlem Gospel Travelers - Rhapsody 70. Kelly Finnigan - A Lover Was Born 71. The Bevis Frond - Focus on Nature 72. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Flight b741 73. Tindersticks - Soft Tissue 74. Pom Poko - Champion 75. Field Music - Limits of Language.
Quite low at the list, but still a kind of vindication after decades of cultdom, Nick Saloman a.k.a. The Bevis Frond. Not just a psychedelic legend, but a vastly underrated songwriter as well.
Uncut features Nick Cave on the top spot, and real-life couple Gillian Welch & David Rawlings on No.2. Somewhat expected, seeing as Uncut has a soft spot for Americana music. This is the couple's first album under both names, usually they release albums under either one or the other. Both magazines rate highly the return of the two Kims: Years after leaving The Pixies an Sonic Youth respectively, Kim Deal and Kim Gordon prove they have always been an artistic force to be reckoned. Former Portishead Beth Gibbons features at No.3.
UNCUT MAGAZINE:1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God, 2. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Woodland, 3. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown, 4. Arooj Aftab - Night Reign, 5. Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch, 6. Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future, 7. The Smile - Wall of Eyes, 8. MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks, 9. Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee, 10. Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood, 11. Cassandra Jenkins - My Light, My Destroyer, 12. Julia Holter - Something in the Room She Moves, 13. Fontaines D.C. - Romance, 14. Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice, 15. Jack White - No Name, 16. Bill Ryder-Jones - Iechyd Da, 17. Johnny Blue Skies - Passage du Desir, 18. Shabaka - Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace, 19. Peter Perrett - The Cleansing, 20. Hurray for the Riff Raff - The Past Is Still Alive, 21. John Cale - Poptical Illusion, 22. Alan Sparhawk - White Roses, My God, 23. High Llamas - Hey Panda, 24. Phosphorescent - Revelator, 25. Nala Sinephro - Endlessness, 26. Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band - Loophole, 27. English Teacher - This Could Be Texas, 28. Jake Xerxes Fussell - When I'm Called, 29. Oisin Leech - Cold Sea, 30. Kim Gordon - The Collective, 31. Mabe Fratti - Sentir Que No Sabes, 32. Mabe FrattiBeak> - >>>>, 33. Willie Nelson - The Border, 34. Rosali - Bite Down, 35. Brittany Howard - What Now, 36. Myriam Gendron - Mayday, 37. Shellac - To All Trains, 38. Dirty Three - Love Changes Everything, 39. Brown Horse - Reservoir, 40. Grandaddy - Blu Wav, 41. Paul Weller - 66, 42. Kim Deal - Nobody Loves You More, 43. Richard Thompson - Ship to Shore, 44. Christopher Owens - I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair, 45. Laura Marling - Patterns in Repeat, 46. Charles Lloyd - The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow, 47. Sarah Davachi - The Head As Form’d In The Crier’s Choir, 48. David Gilmour - Luck and Strange, 49. Still House Plants - If I Don't Make It, I Love U, 50. Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin - Ghosted II, 51. Chuck Johnson - Sun Glories, 52. Basic - This Is Basic, 53. Bonny Light Horseman - Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free, 54. Kaia Kater - Strange Medicine, 55. Nilüfer Yanya - My Method Actor, 56. Fievel Is Glauque - Rong Weicknes, 57. Jlin - Akoma, 58. Linda Thompson - Proxy Music, 59. Charli XCX - Brat, 60. Nadine Shah - Filthy Underneath, 61. Idles - Tangk, 62. Kamasi Washington - Fearless Movement, 63. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Glasgow Eyes, 64. Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft, 65. Tindersticks - Soft Tissue, 66. Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us, 67. John Canning Yates - The Quiet Portraits, 68. Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department, 69. The Cure - Songs of a Lost World, 70. Arab Strap - I'm Totally Fine with It Don't Give a Fuck Anymore, 71. Beachwood Sparks - Across The River Of Stars, 72. Laurie Anderson - Amelia, 73. Nick Lowe - Indoor Safari, 74. Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore - TexiCali, 75. Pye Corner Audio - The Endless Echo, 76. Personal Trainer - Still Willing, 77. Kali Uchis - Orquídeas, 78. Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers - Central Park's Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Garden, 79. Yasmin Williams - Acadia, 80. Leyla McCalla - Sun Without the Heat.
Rather low at No.63, we find the return of Jesus and Mary Chain with Glasgow Eyes. Just like with The Cure (here at No.69), they sound as good as they did in their heyday 4 decades ago!
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Classic Rock's choices are usually wildly different from the others; this time, not so much: The Black Crowes' Happiness Bastards (No.1) and David Gilmour's Luck and Strange (No.3) have received unanimous praise. Recent reviews focus on Gilmour embracing a simpler, less proggy, production approach. To me, it'll always come down to the voice and guitar of Pink Floyd: I'm happy that Gilmour and Roger Waters still make great music, 40 years after the bitter divorce. Just don't ask me to choose between Mommy and Daddy.
CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE 1. The Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards, 2. Judas Priest - Invincible Shield, 3. David Gilmour - Luck and Strange, 4. Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project, 5. Black Country Communion - V, 6. Pearl Jam - Dark Matter, 7. Ian Hunter - Defiance Part 2: Fiction, 8. The Black Keys - Ohio Players, 9. Deep Purple - =1, 10. Gary Clark Jr. - JPEG RAW, 11. The Cure - Songs of a Lost World, 12. Myles Kennedy - The Art Of Letting Go, 13. Jack White - No Name, 14. FM – Old Habits Die Hard, 15. Massive Wagons - Earth to Grace, 16. The Quireboys - Wardour Street, 17. Blackberry Smoke - Be Right Here, 18. Orange Goblin - Science, Not Fiction, 19. Von Hertzen Brothers - In Murmuration, 20. Bad Nerves - STILL NERVOUS, 21. Big Big Train - The Likes of Us, 22. Sebastian Bach - Child Within the Man, 23. The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know, 24. IDLES - TANGK, 25. Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - TRUE, 26. Magnum - Here Comes the Rain, 27. Moggs Motel - Moggs Motel, 28. The Hot Damn! – Dancing On The Milky Way, 29. Slash - Orgy of the Damned, 30. Royal Republic - LoveCop, 31. Terrorvision - We Are Not Robots, 32. Green Day - Saviors, 33. Fantastic Negrito - Son Of A Broken Man, 34. Hawkwind - Stories From Time and Space, 35. Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts - Rogue To Redemption, 36. Blues Pills - Birthday, 37. Gun - HOMBRES, 38. The Virginmarys - The House Beyond The Fires, 39. MC5 - Heavy Lifting, 40. Opeth - The Last Will and Testament, 41. Joanne Shaw Taylor - Heavy Soul, 42. Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown - Electrified, 43. His Lordship - His Lordship, 44. Saxon - Hell, Fire And Damnation, 45. Peter Perrett - The Cleansing, 46. Nightwish - Yesterwynde, 47. The Cold Stares - The Southern, 48. Sweet - Full Circle, 49. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God, 50. Bon Jovi - Forever.
Other artists that managed to draw praise from all three magazines include veterans Jack White, Nick Cave, and The Cure, as well as younger bands like The Lemon Twigs and Idles. The most surprising name included in all three lists is that of Peter Perrett formerly of The Only Ones. Where has he been since he wrote "Another Girl, Another Planet" 45 years ago? Further, I'm not surprised that the other magazines ignored albums lauded by CR by bands like Judas Priest and Deep Purple. I am nevertheless very surprised that no-one else acknowledged the release of new albums by Pearl Jam and Green Day. Have they already become the kind of nostalgia act that fills stadiums while their new release goes unnoticed? Let's hope that the new Trump presidency will inspire another masterpiece, the way George W Bush did with American Idiot. Besides, Trump did inspire Green Day's new single "The American Dream Is Killing Me" with its allegoric "zombie apocalypse" video:
