Top Moon Tunes 2018 Volume 10
And so, a little over a month from Vol 9, here is Volume 10 and last of the monthlyish Top Moon Tunes of 2018.
It is mostly the usual mix of rock 'n' roll with a bit of folk, but also some Ambient Art Pop, some quirky Scandi Pop and then it climaxes with a tip top slice of Hip Hop.
As usual, there is a bit of guff on each artist beneath the embedded Playmoss playlist below and it is also on Spotify
1. Black Belt Eagle Scout - Soft Stud
Black Belt Eagle Scout is the incarnation of Katherine Paul who was raised in the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in northeast Washington state, Trumplyland, but is now Portland based. This cracking track was a track of the week on God Is In The TV and the cracking opener from a debut mini LP which has been described as "a robust soundtrack to queer heartbreak".
2. Farao - Lula Loves You
Farao is the incarnation of Karin Jahnsen from Norway - a part of Europe that is not in the EU or the Customs Union but is in Mrs Thatcher's very own Single Market. This is a track from her second album, both of which have been reviewed by God Is In The TV and they sum up the new album very well as a "spellbinding and unique blend of different eras of music: vintage Soviet Union synthesizers, mystical zither, dreamy chimes and 1990’s R&B inspired vocals intertwine."
3. The Good, The Bad and the Queen - The Truce of Twilight
This third contribution from Mr Albarn to Moon Top Tunes 2018 - he is the most multiple of multiple of Moon offenders in his many incarnations. This is his second LP from his other supergroup and 12 years since their debut. It is inspired by travelling around Brexshitty Engerland and is therefore appropriately doomladen, but also a lovely sounding lament. With this track Mr Albarn finally manages to match The Specials at their best, helped of course by the talents of Mr Allen, Mr Simonon and Mr Tong.
4. Papercuts - Walk Backwards
Another discovery thanks to God Is In The TV, who had also only recently come across them despite the release of six albums. Papercuts is not really band, but more the musical project of California singer-songwriter and producer Jason Robert Quever. The sound on this latest LP is very much classic indie in the style of Jesus and Mary Chain, but with added Beach Boy harmony and some top organ - which is well illustrated by this track.
5. Anna St Louis - Understand
This is from the debut full LP from this Kansas City raised, but now LA based singer-songwriter, although she also self-released an 8 track mini album last year. The LP is co-produced by Kevin Morby, a previous Moon offender, and his influence is most pronounced on this track. He has also described the album as "a record of longing - of a soul reaching for more".
6. Garcia Peoples - Hangin' On
This is another example of some top notch rock 'n' roll being brought to my attention by Folk Radio UK (FRUK) when their epic single Suite: Cashing Out / Sigh of Relief / The Midnight Dancer / All the Time / Distant Lands was a track of the day back in July. It took me a while to get round to the LP, but FRUKS description of their King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard like epic is also appropriate for the LP: "cosmic psych glory. Likened by WFMU’s Jeff Conklin to The Dead’s tightest, most simple studio work, the Allmans’ most radio-friendly moments and the Band’s early 70s output....What’s not to like?" Suite is the centrepiece but this track is another, more playlist friendly, highlight.
7. Odetta Hartman - Widow's Peak
This is an example of some top future folk not featured on FRUK.. Ms Hartman is from New York but she has managed to make a second LP which is a glorious, poptastic and futuristic mix of folk, bluegrass, and Americana with experimental/warped psychedelia.
8. The Wave Pictures - Shelly
From the Moon album of the month from these very productive multiple Moon offenders. It is their second album of the year, but the first one was a bit of an experiment in writing and producing an album in a day but, for this LP they spent a full two day on the recording. They describe its sound brilliantly on their website "enjoy some deep down rockin' and rollin' with a love song intended for the young Elvis Presley to cover in an alternate universe, a love song in the laid back style of early 70s Grateful Dead, a beatnik prose poem, Exile on Main Street era Rolling Stones with Tom Verlaine on Lead Vocals, Highway 61 Revisited era Bob Dylan with Nigel Blackwell from Half Man Half Biscuit on lead vocals, and Astral Weeks era Van Morrision as re-recorded by Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers. We have something for everyone on this album!"
9. Marianne Faithfull - They Come at Night (Alternative Version)
Ms Faithfull is an artist I have long admired but this is the first LP of hers I have got into. It is mostly impressive stuff with some top collaborations with Nick Cave and Ed Hardcourt, but this track, with multiple Moon offender Mark Lanegan, is a powerful highlight, especially this tighter alternative version. She wrote the lyric on the night of the Bataclan attack in Paris and she equates Daesh to Fascists as they are simply Fascists who are Muslim, who are no more Islamic than the so-called Tommy Robinson etc is Christian.
10. boygenius - Ketchum, ID
This is from a six track ep from a brilliantly named new supergroup made up of 3 of Trumpylands finest new singer-songwriter guitarists. Two of them, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers, are previous Moon offenders and the third, Julien Baker has been highly recommended, but her LP did not quite manage to float my boat. However, all six tracks on the EP are boat floaters, although the tracks Ms Dacus takes the lead on are my favourite, with Ms Bridgers a close second and this track is one of hers and is featured as it is the only one streamable via Bandcamp. It is the most folky track, but also highlights how well their voices combine. Excellent stuff - I very much hope there is more to come.
11. Malcom Middleton - Love is a Momentary Lapse of Self Loathing
This is the song title of the year from "Bananas" the new album from the other half of Arab Strap. After another interesting, but mostly instrumental Human Don't Be Angry album and the more electronic Summer of 13, this LP is a bit more rock 'n' roll and as a fans writes on his the Bananas Bandcamp page: "Good to have Malcolm back; I was starting to feel okay about myself but he's brought me back to Earth with this new album."
12. Steven James Adams and The French Drops - Desire Lines
This album came out a few months ago, but the Spotify "algorithm" did not put it in my buried new release feed as I was following Steven James Adams and not Steven James Adams and the French Drops. Mr Adams is the former Broken Family Band lead singer, from Cambridgeshire in Brexshit Blighty and a cracking track from his 2016 solo LP featured on A Best of 2016 on the Moon. This latest album with The French Drops is more rock 'n' roll with what I think is a bit of Brexshit inspired political anger. This track is one of the more laid back ones, but is a brilliant highlight.
13. The Trials of Cato - These Are The Things
This is from a young folk trio who hail from Wales and Gods Very Own County, but probably not form the most left behind parts as they do look a bit worryingly Mumford and Son like. However, they actually formed in Beirut whilst working as English teachers and as a very enamoured FRUK has stated:
Their time in Lebanon has muddied their North Wales and Yorkshire roots to add a distinctly Arabic twinge, like a Baharat spiced Welsh Oggie, or a Yorkshire Parkin with added cardamom. It’s a delicious, heady mix"
They also have the rare distinction of a full on folk act getting rave reviews in God Is In The TV as well as FRUK. The only downside is that there are only a handful of actual new songs, but like this track they are very strong and they also get brilliantly political, along with a great version of Tom Paine's Bones, which fans of the Young'uns or Grace Petrie should recognise. And though I only generally agree with an instrumental at the beginning or end of an album the ones on this LP are infectious.
14. Julia Holter - I Shall Love 2
Ms Holter is from Los Angeles and has been releasing albums since 2011 to great acclaim. I had tried to get into her last two LPs but my boat had just not managed to float. However, when this track came out, as a pre-release for her new LP, it was a instant boat floater. It is a bit of an epic, that takes a while to get going, but it has a great tune and a big chorus and builds to a brilliant climax. The rest of the album is more like her previous work, but it is always interesting and/or wonderfully weird and there are more few tunes that or more easily recognisable as actual songs.
15. Homeboy Sandman & Edan - #NeverUseTheInternetAgain
A slice of tip top Hip Hop from New York, brought to my attention by the AV Club who were excited
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