Download the latest The Shock of The New podcast now, a look back at the best tracks from 2010 - mixed by Kapitolina.
01 Serena Maneesh - Ayisha Abyss
Norweigen psych-gazers Serena Maneesh opened the year with their follow up release to their 2006's self titled record, and while the record didn't quite reach the heights of their mind-blowing debut, the record contains a few gems. SM2: Abyss In B Minor continues with the same furious psychedelic ideas - you can draw lines between the great songs from the last record and this one easily - but nothing really new. 'I Just Wanna See You Face' is pure psych-pop, while this track 'Ayisha Abyss' is a moody psychotic opener to the record, lots of samples and layers with a brutal industrial ending - a throwback to the Australian Tour they did with Nine Inch Nails in 2007.
02 The Soft Moon - Parallels
I dont know much about The Soft Moon, only that they're awesome and it's one dude from Brooklyn; Luis Vasquez. He released quite a few ep releases this year through Captured Tracks - and most are pretty good. This track - 'Parallels' is intense; fast drumming, cold droney synths and guitars and creepy horror vocals.
03 Trans Am - Black Matter
Washington DC's Trans Am are the best band in the world - no question about it for me - they excite me like no other band. This record is up there with their best; and 'Black Matter' galvanises the classic science fiction sound of Trans Am; complex drum patterns, vocoders and powerful sinister synthesisers with using the deepest bass notes known to the human ear and atmospheric synth pads that make the spine tingle. Thank fuck this album didn't make the soundtrack to James Cameron's piece-of-shit Avatar movie - while I wouldn't want to deny the band of some much deserved cash - Trans Am are too good for that movie.
04 Ana Nicole - I Don't Believe In My Love Calculator
Ok, so - this is my new band - but it's my party and I'll masturbate if I want to. Ana Nicole are a three piece from Melbourne - piling layers of noise rock, doom metal, techno and German new wave upon each other to create repetivive textures that build and explode. This track is heavy on the synths and has a real krautrock feel to it.
05 Factory Floor - Lying
Thanks a shitload to Phlex Martian for putting me onto these dudes. Factory Floor are a London trio putting minimal techno and noise guiatrs together to create long live druming and electronic jams. 'Lying' is outstanding; heavy reverbed and disinterested vocals, atop a killer EBM bass synth and explodes into an onslaught of guitars with some really awesome drumming. the band deserve all the attention they get from the All Tomorrows Parties posse - totally wanna see these dudes in Australia in 2011.
06 PVT - Crimson Swan
PVT's record 'Church With No Magic' is a mixed bag. I really hate the lead single 'Windows', along a few other songs on the record. But when they arent reminding me a bit of Battles (who I reckon totally suck - with their re-pitched sampled vocal shit) I absolutely love the other half of the record, including this song; 'Crimson Swan'. Kinda starts off a bit patchy, but then PVT get (dare I use the expression) hauntingly beautuful wavey sounds out of old synths on this track with some inspiring vocal.
07 Salem - Trapdoor
These dudes from Michigan totally crack me up - they take that Telepathe darkwave hip hop sound a little further into the druged out darkness though. It's infectious rapping, complete with car crash samples - and I just keep imagining Jay (of Jay & Silent Bob fame) rapping with the pitch turned down low to sound like Issaac Hayes. Who said sincerity was the new irony? - these guys have more to squeeze out of it.
08 Crystal Castles - Empathy
I must admit - one of the biggest fuck ups of mine at a festival was going to bed too trashed to stay awake at a Meredith Festival back in '06 and hearing everybody else talk about how amazng this band was that night. DOH!! (I'll never 'save my energy' for a Midnight Juggernauts and Cut Copy ever again). Anyway, 'Empathy' reminds of french vocal pads from 80s Art Of Noise records - and big gated Shep Pettibone snares - cannot go wrong with those elements in a track.
09 Black Cab - Sexy Polizei
Melbourne's Black Cab released this a a follow-up to their 2009 gem Cold War Berlin inspired 'Call Signs'. They continue on with the fascist-sheik concept for a poppy little italo-shoegaze number about a consumate autobahn cop who always catching up with Dussoldorf's dangerous drivers. Black Cab's ability to tell stories and nail locations in their songs is uncanny; as is their blend of electronics and guitars - not surprising as they feature ex-members of Underground Lovers and Zen Paradox and features Monique Brumby on guest vocals.
10 School of Seven Bells - Bye, Bye, Bye
13 Tamaryn - Love Fade
14 Cosmetics - The Cries
18 Minks - Drunk Punks
Another band from the Captured tracks label - if the album cover doesn't get you into the cute goth punk undertones, then surely the A side 'Funeral Song' of this 7" will. 'Drunk Punks' is the b-side - it's beautiful gloomy pop music. I'm hanging for a new album in January 2011 to find out a bit more on these dudes, The Hype Machine featured another track of theirs this month, as they say in the classics - one to watch - eh?
19 Wild Nothing - Promise
'Promise' is a very cruisey track indeed - classic dream pop melodies and textures from Wild Nothing's debut record 'Cloudbusting'. Again, a one man band; Jack Tatum. Again; a Captured Tracks gem - a label that has released a heap of quality and inspiring music.
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Ok, so - this is my new band - but it's my party and I'll masturbate if I want to. Ana Nicole are a three piece from Melbourne - piling layers of noise rock, doom metal, techno and German new wave upon each other to create repetivive textures that build and explode. This track is heavy on the synths and has a real krautrock feel to it.
05 Factory Floor - Lying
Thanks a shitload to Phlex Martian for putting me onto these dudes. Factory Floor are a London trio putting minimal techno and noise guiatrs together to create long live druming and electronic jams. 'Lying' is outstanding; heavy reverbed and disinterested vocals, atop a killer EBM bass synth and explodes into an onslaught of guitars with some really awesome drumming. the band deserve all the attention they get from the All Tomorrows Parties posse - totally wanna see these dudes in Australia in 2011.
06 PVT - Crimson Swan
PVT's record 'Church With No Magic' is a mixed bag. I really hate the lead single 'Windows', along a few other songs on the record. But when they arent reminding me a bit of Battles (who I reckon totally suck - with their re-pitched sampled vocal shit) I absolutely love the other half of the record, including this song; 'Crimson Swan'. Kinda starts off a bit patchy, but then PVT get (dare I use the expression) hauntingly beautuful wavey sounds out of old synths on this track with some inspiring vocal.
07 Salem - Trapdoor
These dudes from Michigan totally crack me up - they take that Telepathe darkwave hip hop sound a little further into the druged out darkness though. It's infectious rapping, complete with car crash samples - and I just keep imagining Jay (of Jay & Silent Bob fame) rapping with the pitch turned down low to sound like Issaac Hayes. Who said sincerity was the new irony? - these guys have more to squeeze out of it.
08 Crystal Castles - Empathy
I must admit - one of the biggest fuck ups of mine at a festival was going to bed too trashed to stay awake at a Meredith Festival back in '06 and hearing everybody else talk about how amazng this band was that night. DOH!! (I'll never 'save my energy' for a Midnight Juggernauts and Cut Copy ever again). Anyway, 'Empathy' reminds of french vocal pads from 80s Art Of Noise records - and big gated Shep Pettibone snares - cannot go wrong with those elements in a track.
09 Black Cab - Sexy Polizei
Melbourne's Black Cab released this a a follow-up to their 2009 gem Cold War Berlin inspired 'Call Signs'. They continue on with the fascist-sheik concept for a poppy little italo-shoegaze number about a consumate autobahn cop who always catching up with Dussoldorf's dangerous drivers. Black Cab's ability to tell stories and nail locations in their songs is uncanny; as is their blend of electronics and guitars - not surprising as they feature ex-members of Underground Lovers and Zen Paradox and features Monique Brumby on guest vocals.
10 School of Seven Bells - Bye, Bye, Bye
'Bye, Bye' Bye' is great radio-dream-pop. It's taken from their second album 'Disconnect From Desire', which get's a bit too fancy on the vocals at times, but they use drum machines really well. So7Bs toured this album for Livid festival prior to its release - and I missed it. Decided to not catch the gig after memories of their last tour in 2008 - when I learnt the lesson as a punter that all that wall of sound stuff is a snore-fest without a drum kit. For all I know they toured with a drummer and it was awesome - like the record.
11 A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Drink Drank Drunk
11 A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Drink Drank Drunk
After an epic debut record that got too long to sit through, I was cautious about another SDIG single - but this is pretty good. 'Drink Drank Drunk' has a lot going on - this band don't do it any other way - and they nail this track.
12 Zola Jesus - Sea Talk
12 Zola Jesus - Sea Talk
Chanteuse of darkness; Zola Jesus debut year included two Eps this year- 'Stridulum' featuring the beautiful track 'Night' and 'Valusia' which features this track, 'Sea Talk'. 2010 blossomed into support shows for Fever Ray in North America and Europe; even Triple R Breakfasters a giving her a thrashing. It's great music for funerals.
13 Tamaryn - Love Fade
Just caught wind of Tamaryn late this year, a San Fransisco duo who released their debut 'Waves' album this year, which features this song 'Love Fades'; it's a cruisey and gloomy guitar tremolo track - highlight of the album.
14 Cosmetics - The Cries
More from Brooklyn's Captured Tracks - "The Cries" is simple eerie italo-pop from Vancouver duo Cosmetics. This is the B Side to their single 'Sleepwalking' - It's cold dance on ketamine.
15 Soft Metals - The Cold World Melts
Soft Metals are a duo from Portland who are keeping the flavour of dutch electro alive in the USA. 'The Cold World Melts" is a pretty banging vocal italo track. Keep on dancin' - someone's gotta do it for the kids.
16 How To Destroy Angels - Fur Lined
How To Destroy Angels is music from Trent Reznor and vocals from his wife Mariqueen Maandig. Stumbled across this track on their 'A Drowning' EP - which also features the single 'Spaces In Between' (which has an awesome video). It's good to hear Trent moving away from boring NIN and not singing - getting back to what he does best and making sounds (his soundtrack for The Social Network is pretty good to). Mind you - this has Trent's fingerprints all over it - even Maandig's vocal melodies could be easily replaced with Reznor's grated whine. But thankfully this track picks up on some early Curve sounds - thanks to a mixdown from none other than the brilliant Alan Moulder.
17 Frank (Just Frank) - Beneathe
When I first heard RRRs Steve Wide play this track from Frank (Just Frank) on his Far & Wide show I freaked out - I wanted to move to Paris and play electronic drums for these guys. This band reinvogorates the sound of a few 80s albums I have longed to hear reinterpreted; early The Cure and Cocteau Twins, even bit's Martha & The Muffins 'Echo Beach' thrown in and some of Peter Hook's more distorted bass sounds on 'Low-Life'. It also reminded me of Melbourne band Ikon's early stuff. F(JF) were former doom/black metal exponents prior to this incarnation who replaced the guitars with more synths and drum machines - kept one guitar and the mood though. The record is brilliant, it's immediately unashamedly derivative - but so fucking what - it's a compliment - they nail it and brand it with their own uniquely beautuful French twiste.
15 Soft Metals - The Cold World Melts
Soft Metals are a duo from Portland who are keeping the flavour of dutch electro alive in the USA. 'The Cold World Melts" is a pretty banging vocal italo track. Keep on dancin' - someone's gotta do it for the kids.
16 How To Destroy Angels - Fur Lined
How To Destroy Angels is music from Trent Reznor and vocals from his wife Mariqueen Maandig. Stumbled across this track on their 'A Drowning' EP - which also features the single 'Spaces In Between' (which has an awesome video). It's good to hear Trent moving away from boring NIN and not singing - getting back to what he does best and making sounds (his soundtrack for The Social Network is pretty good to). Mind you - this has Trent's fingerprints all over it - even Maandig's vocal melodies could be easily replaced with Reznor's grated whine. But thankfully this track picks up on some early Curve sounds - thanks to a mixdown from none other than the brilliant Alan Moulder.
17 Frank (Just Frank) - Beneathe
When I first heard RRRs Steve Wide play this track from Frank (Just Frank) on his Far & Wide show I freaked out - I wanted to move to Paris and play electronic drums for these guys. This band reinvogorates the sound of a few 80s albums I have longed to hear reinterpreted; early The Cure and Cocteau Twins, even bit's Martha & The Muffins 'Echo Beach' thrown in and some of Peter Hook's more distorted bass sounds on 'Low-Life'. It also reminded me of Melbourne band Ikon's early stuff. F(JF) were former doom/black metal exponents prior to this incarnation who replaced the guitars with more synths and drum machines - kept one guitar and the mood though. The record is brilliant, it's immediately unashamedly derivative - but so fucking what - it's a compliment - they nail it and brand it with their own uniquely beautuful French twiste.
18 Minks - Drunk Punks
Another band from the Captured tracks label - if the album cover doesn't get you into the cute goth punk undertones, then surely the A side 'Funeral Song' of this 7" will. 'Drunk Punks' is the b-side - it's beautiful gloomy pop music. I'm hanging for a new album in January 2011 to find out a bit more on these dudes, The Hype Machine featured another track of theirs this month, as they say in the classics - one to watch - eh?
19 Wild Nothing - Promise
'Promise' is a very cruisey track indeed - classic dream pop melodies and textures from Wild Nothing's debut record 'Cloudbusting'. Again, a one man band; Jack Tatum. Again; a Captured Tracks gem - a label that has released a heap of quality and inspiring music.
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