Hello, hello, hope you had a good weekend, welcome to the TWO HUNDREDTH TRACKS OF THE WEEK. We thought we’d ask our writers to give us their tracks of the year so far. We know it’s nearly three quarters done but as this is about submissions from our team of writers we thought we’d give it up to them to say why these songs are their favourites so far this year.
YNYS – Newid
There’s a new gunslinger in town, with the survival of independent spaces on his mind. ‘Newis’ from YNYS aka Dylan Hughes – formerly of Racehorses and Radio Luxembourg – is concerned with the destruction by developers of precious cultural resources built by creative communities, a familiar issue in cities across the UK. It’s a song to get lost in – seeped in a synth-sense of mystery, with cinematic drama and ghostly harmonies, saxophone and spaghetti Western guitar constructing a dreamlike soundscape with dark unstettling undertones. (Cath Holland)
Kid Kapichi ft Bob Vylan – New England
No track sums up 2022 better than ‘New England‘ by Kid Kapichi, a savage satire about British culture and how the people are constantly fooled into voting in an uncaring Tory government. Featuring a bruising guitar line, and a devastating verse from Bob Vylan, this song put one of Britain’s most talented bands firmly on the map. (Simon Moyse)
Body Type – Sex & Rage
The first single in three years from Australian four piece Body Type arrived in February, and it was awesome! ‘Sex & Rage’ skitters on a bed of serrated edged riffing, kick-ass, quick-fire drum fills and the nagging brilliant vocal dexterity of Sophie McComish that consumes the doggerel of desire, angst, and euphoria in a hook-laden plea for exuberance and actual excitement in the face of boredom and stunted digital consumption. Body Type have the kind of artful melodic hooks of the Breeders, but all processed in a withering knowing delivery faintly redolent of early Courtney Barnett. But really they’re just Body Type and they’re bloody great. (Bill Cummings)
Been Stellar – Kids 1995
The sign of a great song is that it still gives you goosebumps long after its initial release. And so it is with one of the bands who will be surely a breakthrough act in 2023. New York’s Been Stellar played a set to a full tent at The Great Escape in Brighton – the largest crowd they had ever played to. Their single ‘Kids 1995‘ immediately grabs with the opening line “I watched the movie “Kids” and then had a dream about you and me“. Their soundscape is extraordinary powered by guitars which strike to the very heart. The future is looking very bright for this band. (Julia Mason)
Yard Act – 100% Endurance
Yard Act live gigs are legendary for their wit, wisdom, mosh pits and banter, but the real pathos and beauty of ‘100% Endurance’ became clear in its existential fragility when we were caught in a basement on the seafront with Yard Act in the middle of Storm Eunice. We had all foolishly risked our lives to see the band and suddenly the words “Not one of them had any clue what they’re doing here either” made sense. “Grab anybody that needs to hear it” James sang, “scream in their face/ death is coming for us but not today … all that you ever needed to exist has always been within you/ Gimme some of that good stuff, that human spirit.” It’s all we need to hear in these crazy times- a soaring, 21st Century theme tune; an unflinching spark of light in the darkness. (Carmel Walsh)
Lambchop – Police Dog Blues
Lambchop is a Band. Kurt Wagner is Lambchop. And Lambchop’s ‘Police Dog Blues’ is my track of the year. Inspired by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Wagner’s home city of Minneapolis, here he takes the American blues and ragtime singer Blind Blake’s 1929 song of the same name and relocates it in a maelstrom of contemporary civil unrest. It is an incredibly powerful tune for our troubled times. (Simon Godley)
The Lounge Society – No Driver
Hebden Bridge’s The Lounge Society released their debut album Tired of Liberty on Speedy Wunderground, produced by Dan Carey. Single ‘No Driver‘ is a thrilling rollercoaster of a song. They have a sonic style all of their own and are unafraid to include unpredictable segments within their songs. With ‘No Driver‘ the pace is furious. Previous singles have had an outward focus, on the state of the nation or even closer to home with commentary on society. However there is a shift inward here with a reflection on the human condition: “The Black Dog lures you. / The Black Dog knows you.” It’s feels important to be aware of our minds possible spinning out of control, in order to begin to take back the controls. (Julia Mason)
English Teacher – A55
It was an early contender for track of the year, and whilst there have been some incredible singles this year, I keep coming back to this song. The build and build and then the swell of strings after the kick is infectious and it keeps building still with heavy guitar and bass, it encapsulates everything that is brilliant about this band. This is seriously good live too, with a string duo on stage it was huge. Taken from English Teacher‘s debut EP Polyawkward which is one of the best EPs of the year in a very competitive category. (Jim Auton)
Junk Drawer – Tears in Costa
An early release coming out in January, Belfast’s Junk Drawer released this impeccable single that was later to grace their The Dust Has Come To Stay E.P. With an irresistible riff that weaves it’s ways into your consciousness with effortless aplomb, ‘Tears in Costa’ is a playful song that brings to mind the nerdy cool of early Vampire Weekend. The band have taken the second half of the year to write their second album – following 2020’s Ready For The House – which is set to be a interesting proposition if ‘Tears in Costa’ is anything to go by. It goes down particularly well with a Flat White. (Stephen Birch)
Kathryn Joseph – what is keeping you alive makes me want to kill them for
Kathryn Joseph released her third studio album for you who are the wronged, in the spring. A devastating study in pain and rich empathy that gives voice to the voiceless, the victim, the abused; it’s unbearably personal yet intensely universal. We have all suffered through life, we all carry trauma with us, some more than others.
The haunting lead single ‘what is keeping you alive makes me want to kill them for’ is a startling song: quivering with Joseph’s quiet rage, above sparse brittle keyboard motifs.
An absolutely spellbinding suite of sound that conjures up the likes of Cat Power and Portishead, hypnotic piano motifs, and subtle percussion house Joseph’s vocal, a voice that bristles with pain and compassion for others, a voice for those who are silenced and those who have been abused. Simply superlative. (Bill Cummings)
The Bug Club – Intellectuals
Our esteemed editor-in-chief will no doubt say I am cheating, and he would have a point, as this is less of a single song and more a medley of about five that lasts 10 minutes. But it’s absolutely incredible, every section slash song is a ridiculously joyous, brilliantly chaotic unashamed rock romp and has guitar solos that border on the parody but it is so infectious and it makes you air drum and scream “pick you like a flower in the rain” like a nutcase in the shower. I would personally be happy to watch them play this song slash medley just on repeat as I jump around and collapse in a heap in front of them. Masterpiece. (Jim Auton)
Good Looks – Almost Automatic
The year started well when recent Keeled Scales’ recruit, Good Looks started to drip feed us songs from their then forthcoming album, Bummer Year. The first track the Texan band shared with us was ‘Almost Automatic’ and, put quite simply, it was, and still is, absolutely superb. Here Good Looks produced an emotionally eloquent epic that just soars from the get-go before eventually disappearing into a vortex of sound care of a preposterously insane guitar solo that conjures up fond memories of former Big Star man Chris Bell’s delicious break in the middle of ‘I Am The Cosmos.’ (Simon Godley)
