Top Moon Tunes 2019 Volume 10



Just less than a month on from Volume 9 here is Volume 10 and last of the monthlyish Top Moon Tunes.

Like Volume 9, it is  also one of the most rock n roll, but does have some spooky experimental folk, a bit of Americana and some sophisticated Top Pop.  And (not quite yet ) Brexshit Blighty makes a comeback with 9 of the 15 tracks.

As ever, it is on Spotify and  there is a bit of guff on each artist beneath the embedded playlist.



1.Provincials - March Into the Ocean

The Provincials are from Hampshire, England, Brexshit Blighty and have been described by Folk Radio UK (FRUK) as contemporary-retro dark-folk.  This is the opening track from their second LP and it is a brilliantly diverse set of tracks from spooky folk to straight up rawk.

2.Big Joanie - Fall Asleep

Big Joanie have only recently been brought to my attention via a gig review in God Is In The TV (GIITTV) They are from London and GIITTV tell us that they are a "self-defined Black Feminist Sistah Punk trio are strident campaigners for the empowerment of black people from both within and beyond the LBGQT+ community". This track is just one of many top tracks from a debut of punky rock n roll.

3.Graham Coxon - Threw it all Away

Mr Coxon has ended the last 2 decades very strongly, with the brilliant mostly acoustic The Spinning Top in 2009 and now with two excellent soundtrack albums in 2018 and 2019 for the brilliant Channel 4 series The End of thr F***ing World. It took me a while to cotton on that he was involved in the first series and I started watching the second and presumed he was no longer involved. But then my Spotify new release feed alerted me the new soundtrack and it turned out I did not recognise it was him because he is either singing in the style of Jonny Cash or it sounds like some old dust bowl tune of the kind use for Oh Brother Where Art Tho? My initial reaction to volume 2 was that that is was not quite as good as volume 1, but then I realised the order that worked so well on the show was not great for an album. A quick re-sort and taking out two of the less interesting instrumentals creates an excellent listen of what is still 18 tracks. It still only clocks in at just 41 minutes and his track is 100 seconds of Americana Top Pop perfection. The Moon Mix is the Moon album of last month.

4.Mikal Cronin - I've Got a Reason

Mr Cronin is a multiple Moon offender with his previous solo material, but also as one of the main collaborators of Ty Segall.  This is his fourth an most ambitious LP and does more than match Mr Segall's latest effort. This track brilliantly channels The Beatles Dear Prudence but then burst into something rather reminiscent of I've Lost The Reason from Giant Steps by the legendary Boo Radleys. What's not to like?

5.Comet Gain - Mid 8T's

I came across this band, along with the news of the release of the new Pernice Brothers LP via a Vikings Choice post on the NPR music. Both were unexpected as the Viking tends to focus on death metal or drone music. And it turned out that Comet Gain are a London band that has been going for decades, but had completely passed me by. This track is one of the Top Pop moments of the year and from their a cracking 8th LP.

6.Lucy Dacus - Forever Half Mast

Ms Dacus is now a multi Moon offender, on her own and as part of the super group boy genius. She has just released a 7 track Ep of the single tracks she has been releasing throughout the year. It is 3 original songs, including this track which is one of her most Top Pop moments  to date and then 4 covers, including a version of Dancing in the Dark by The Boss that manages to rescue it from that excruciating 80's video..

7.Hurtling - Summer

Jen Macro, the singer and guitarist of Hurtling  is also the long-time live guitarist/keyboardist in My Bloody Valentine‘s live line up. This is her debut LP with Hurtling, and thankfully it is quite different from her day as though it has brilliant guitar sounds, it also has very discernible tunes and excellent and clear vocals. This epic track is one a few highlights and one of the grungier ones in a diverse set of rock n roll.

8.Gabi Garbutt- The Fool

Ms Garbut first appeared on the Moon on Top Moon Tunes 2018 volume 5  with one of the Top Pop moments of that year with Lady Matador and she was first brought to my attention by GIITTV back in 2017. Now she has finally released her debut LP, with only a limited number of songs pre-released. It is a fine LP, with this opening track almost matching the Top Popness of Lady Matador.

9.Cigarettes After Sex - Heavenly

A previous Moon offender who featured on A Best of 2017 with a track from their debut LP. The new LP very much carries on from the debut. This track is very well named it terms of describing it's sound and for the whole LP.

10.FKA Twigs - Fallen Angel

Another previous Moon offender who appeared on A Best of 2014 and 15 and is one of the most interesting new artists of the teenies. It has taken a while for her second LP to appear but it has been worth the wait as she has expanded her stylistic range impressively. This track stands out as one of the brasher moments, much of the rest of the LP is more subtle but also gorgeous.

11.Catherine Rudie - Harbour of Grudges

Another discovery thanks to FRUK that is Folk music, but in a very modern and fresh way. She is London based, but from Sutherland on the North Coast of Scotland. This mostly just vocal track is a highlight of the year and the rest of album is more folktronica but very good indeed.

12.Mark Lanegan - Letter Never Sent

Mr Lanegan is a multi Moon offender gong back to the beginning of The Moon. On this LP he returns to the more straight up rock n roll from this  noughties output, but also has some of the electronica sounds of his more recent material, but is also generally a bit looser and less brooding. Plus the letter was sent, he just refused to sign it, as he is a nasty piece of work.

13.The Just Joans - The One I  Loath the Least.

After releasing The Moon's best UK album of 2017, the Just Joans are back with a pre-release from a new LP that is one for the Top Pop moments of the year, which should  also be the theme tune for #GE2019. It also has the Moon line of the year: "And count the days that drift away like endless black balloons".

14.Slaughter Beach, Dog - Heart Attack

This band was brought to my attention back in May by the AV Club, but has taken me a while to check it out. This track is one of the more Top Pop later moments, but it is a consistently great LP. Slaughter Beach, Dog began as a lo-fi side project for Modern Baseball’s Jake Ewald, but they are now a full-band affair and this track is from their third LP.  Modern Baseball were very much a rock band that were even a bit Emo-ish, but Slaughter Beach, Dog  moves much more into Folky Americana that is rather reminiscent of Wilco.

15.Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

This is the last and longest track from Mr Cave's recent surprise release and the first LP he has written since the tragic loss of his son. It does not quite match Skeleton Tree, his last LP , but it is hauntingly beautiful and his singing is more varied and emotive and these aspects are well illustrated by this track.

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