the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 24

Hands down winner of single of the year, 'Let it happen' opens Tame Impala's third album and for this reason alone I think you need to celebrate Christmas with a copy of the album 'Currents' in your household.

The only problem with opening the album with one heck of a tune like that is it leaves the listener wondering where you're going to go next. On first listen, the rest of the album may not grab you as instantly as Let it happen does, but trust me when I say it's worth sticking with. Other stand out tracks include Eventually - a hopeful ode to overcoming the break up of a relationship and the delicious sound of 'Cause I'm a Man'.

Over the past few years, Australian artists have been coming up with some massive musical highlights. If the ashes in cricket were played on a turntable, us brits would be wondering what we'd need to do to win back that little urn, So, while you're making your last minute Christmas preparations, let's raise a glass to the excellence of Kevin Parker's creation Tame Impala and make it the soundtrack to your festive season.

 

As I round off the #indieadvent24 featuring some of my favourite songs of 2015, I think it's apt that on this the 24th day of the advent of indie music, my gift to you is my single of the year, Tame Impala - Let it happen

 

BONUS CHRISTMAS TRACK

 

 

Like all good advent calendars, the 24th door always offered something a bit more than the usual daily chocolate, or in this case, a cracking slice of indie music.

 

I'd like to thank all of you who have followed this advent reflection of the year in music, especially @musicnostalgic and @theedgeofthesea who have helped spread the word and offered helpful support and advice along the way.

 

I'd like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and leave you all with my favourite Christmas song - the phenomenally talented Sufjan Stevens with his melancholic masterpiece - Sister Winter

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 23

As we get closer to the end of the indieadvent24# I'm aware today's choice could be met with a fair amount of surprise and dismay from some of the indie crowd. However, I'm sticking to my guns and coming out in support of arguably the most surprising album of cover versions we've seen in a long time.

Earlier this year, the excellent Ryan Adams bizarrely took the decision to cover Taylor Swift's 1989 album. Instead of the radio 1 live lounge-esque car crash many might have expected, Adams took each song and reinvented them in a way your ears will actually appreciate.

I was lucky enough to witness Ryan Adams perform live at the Sage, Gateshead about 10 years ago and I learnt that night he isn't one to play by the rules. He didn't have a set-list, just a book of 120+ songs that he chose to pick from at a whim. He annoyed punters by voting for a smoking break mid-set and generally crawled around the piano, smashed off his face. Despite that, it remains one of my favourite gigs as I witnessed a modern day musician not afraid to do things his way and when he sang, his voice was outstanding live.

Adams brings a touch of Jose Gonzalez Heartbeats to his version of Swift's Blank Space, and he slows the tempo down on Shake It Off in a way that Johnny Cash's great American albums would be proud of. But it's on the less famous Swift single Style, that he adds his trademark sound, many fans of the classic Gold album will undoubtedly appreciate. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but get past your Taylor Swift prejudices and open your ears to another great Ryan Adams creation - you might just enjoy it.

At this late hour on the 23rd day of the advent of indie music, my gift to you all is the enlightening sound of Style by Ryan Adams. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 22

At the start of this indie marathon all the kids are trending as #indieadvent24 (honest) I said these tracks were in no particular order. Proof of that was the very early inclusion of the excellent Jasper by Hooton Tennis Club but now we're into the final three days I can safely say today's track by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard would always be near the top of any favourites list.

You can now listen to the full album Paper Mache Dream Balloon. It was the second album to be released by the band this year. While some may see this as a sign that they're willing to throw out any old rubbish - think again. Fans of this blog and regular listeners to Rick Witter's #discodown will have already heard the lead track Paper Mache Dream Balloon. As the weather stays nice and warm this December it remains the perfect soundtrack to a sunny walk in the park.

The standout track from the album is today's pick of the day. It's a song that demands repeat listens and has a flute solo that will stick in your head for the rest of the day. So, my gift to you on this 22nd day of the advent of indie music is the spellbinding Trap Door by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 21

'If it ain't broke don't fix it' seemed to be the game plan for CHVRCHES' second album Every Open Eye. Their debut album remains one of my favourite albums of the last few years and while their latest release doesn't possess the full impact of its predecessor, it certainly deserves a mention in any positive look back on the music of 2015.

Mainstream radio stations were quick to play Leave A Trace back in the summer and it feels like the band are getting some of the recognition they deserve. They even have the Royal Albert Hall in London on their schedule for the end of March - no mean feat for a band still relatively in its early years.

I'm a sucker for a good female vocal and Lauren Mayberry has one of those voices I could sit and listen to for hours. Throw in a decent electronic sound and it's no surprise I'm hooked. If you have the time give Never Ending Circles a quick spin. Otherwise enjoy a few minutes in the company of one of the best things to come out of Glasgow in years. On this the 21st and shortest day of the advent of indie music, here's the delightful sound of CHVRCHES - Empty Threat. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 20

One of New York City's best kept secrets, Public Access TV joined the 2015 party late this year with a cracking double A side single (apparently you can still do this in the digital world) In Love And Alone and Patti Peru.

In a similar way to how The Strokes set the music world alight in 2001, we can have a lot to look forward to in 2016 when Public Access TV finally release their highly anticipated album. It would be lazy to suggest the two bands sound the same while they hail from the same place, but on the basis of the tracks here it would be equally remiss of me not to acknowledge that there is a heavy influence to their sound from some of NYC's finest. I'll leave it to you to make your own judgement.

On In Love And Alone, we find the band offering up a future indie disco floor filler. It's not too late to add it to your final Christmas party playlist of the year. On this the 20th day of the advent of indie music, here's the next big sound from the big apple, Public Access TV - In Love And Alone. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 19

Every week in 2015 seemed to be the 20th anniversary of various cracking albums. It brought to light just how good a year in music 1995 was. Arguably the biggest music story of 1995 was of course the chart battle between Blur and Oasis in August. I pinned my colours to the Oasis mast back then, although deep down the 16 year old me knew that The Great Escape had some impressive songs on it.

20 years on and NME seem to be happy to openly debate the possibility of an Oasis reunion at any given opportunity or to fill a slow news day. What should draw bigger headlines is the fact Damon and co continue to pop their heads into the indie music scene every few years and drop a killer album into the mix without much fanfare.

Appearing from thin air earlier this year, The Magic Whip featured so many delightful pop moments it would be ridiculous to link to them all. Go Out and Lonesome Street would be a good place to start if you haven't already heard the full long player.

The outstanding highlight of the album and one of the singles of the year is an audio and visual delight. So, on the 19th day of this advent of indie music, my gift to you is the ridiculously happy sound of Blur - Ong Ong. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 18

A proper belta of a track to celebrate the biggest Friday night of the year and today's #indieadvent24. The Prodigy have gone from strength to strength on their most recent releases and 'The Day Is My Enemy' picked up the baton where 'Invaders Must Die' left off in 2009. I'd argue they're creating some of the best music of their long career right now, without getting the true acclaim they arguably deserve.

Fans of The Prodigy in the 90s will find lots to enjoy on the album with lead single Nasty sounding like the mashed up love child of 'The Fat of The Land' singles Firestarter, Breathe and Smack My Bitch Up.

The Prodigy have always divided opinion amongst my mates. I have to admit I don't think everything they touch turns to gold, but on The Day Is My Enemy they've proven once again that they're still as important and relevant to the music scene today as they were amidst the world of 90s Britpop.

So, on this the 18th day of the advent of indie music, my gift to you is a cracking tune to sort out your Friday night, here's The Prodigy - The Day Is My Enemy. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 17

Great music gets better with age, or is that wine? When the 2015 vintage is served in a few years time, The Libertines third record Anthem For Doomed Youth will most likely feel like more a full-bodied effort than when it first landed at the end of the Summer.

The reason I say this is that in just a few months I've returned to their latest record and it sounds a lot stronger than I initially remember. One of the reasons for this is that they set such a high standard in the early noughties and now over ten years on perhaps it was too much to expect Carl, Pete and co to pick up exactly where they left off.

They've grown up and songs like Anthem For Doomed Youth reflect a more mature and wise sound. That's not to say the cheeky scamps aren't up to their usual tricks. Anyone who heard Gunga Din will already recognise a stadium anthem in waiting and not just for the pleasure of those doomed youth either.

Time will tell if we're lucky enough to see a fourth album from The Libertines, for now we should all be thankful that they finally sorted their bizarre relationships out enough to find time to play some cracking songs in a recording studio. My pick of the album and my gift to you on this the 17th day of the advent of indie music is the sound of Carl and Pete doing what they do best, having fun on record. Here's Heart Of The Matter by The Libertines. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 16

A four-and-a-bit minute masterpiece from the North West of England marks the 16th day of the #indieadvent24. Bill Ryder Jones dropped this little cracker of a tune back in the summer and it's stayed on my most played list for the rest of this year.

Fans of The Coral will approve of his solo work and should take the time to listen to the album West Kirby County Primary. Two To Birkenhead deserves a larger audience and is the album's highlight track. If you like what you hear then you can expect more of the same sound on Catharine and Huskisson and Wild Roses.

Never has a song made me want to go to Birkenhead before. And I'd argue this will never happen again in the history of music. So, while I dream of getting on an Arriva bus in Merseyside and singing to the driver I'd like two singles to Birkenhead please (who says I don't dream big?) I'll leave you all with my gift to you on this the 16th day of the advent of indie music. Here's the whirringly addictive Bill Ryder Jones and Two To Birkenhead. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 15

A year in music without Conor Oberst is an empty one. Luckily for us 2015 welcomed the great American songwriter back with a new release. Fans of his distinctive brand of folk may be surprised to find him rocking out with a heavier sound as part of his band Desaparecidos.

While more suited to Reading & Leeds than Latitude, you can still recognise Oberst's trademark melodies and thought provoking lyrics making their mark under the punky post-hardcore sound usually found on the likes of Kerrang.

If you stripped away the heavy guitars and electronics, there's an excellent Bright Eyes album waiting to be found. But for those who love their music a little bit heavier and louder, the album 'Payola' offers something more intelligent than your usual band - see Anonymous and Slacktivist if you don't have time to play the full album.

While it may not be my favourite ever Conor Oberst project, it's an enjoyable record with enough highlights to keep you entertained. So, while we wait in hope for a future Bright Eyes album, my favourite song from the album and gift to you on the 15th day of this advent of indie music is Desaparecidos - The Left Is Right. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 14

If you haven't discovered the addictively haunting and soulful sound of Algiers yet, today's the day to right that wrong.

'And When You Fall' is one of those songs that sneaks up on you half-way through your first listen, twists itself around your brain and defies you not to reach for the repeat button. You can try to resist but that would be as futile as trying to escape death in Final Destination 7 - Rhythm is gonna get you (probably starring an ageing Gloria Estefan). I digress...

I first shared my love for Algiers back in June. Their sound is a strange one of gospel over guitars that tell stories filled with politically and religiously-charged lyrics. At times you need to remind yourself that this is only a three-piece band. On these cold December evenings, the dark sounds of Algiers will warm your soul. Try them on for size, starting with today's track and continuing with another favourite tune from this blog, Black Eunuch.

So, on this the 14th day of this advent of indie music, my gift to you all is the sublime sound of Algiers - And When You Fall. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 13

If last Sunday's selection on the #indieadvent24 was the perfect soundtrack to a relaxing Sunday morning, this Sunday's song choice comes from the opposite end of the musical spectrum.

Foals returned to the foald (sorry) this summer with their fourth album and while the full length album showed a safer and less experimental band at work, it would be wrong to ignore one of the musical highlights of the summer months.

The single What Went Down knocked down everything else in its tracks when it flew the indie flag on mainstream radio, and demonstrated a harder sound to previous singles. It also still maintains that classic Foals knack of building up to a crescendo of noise that forces you to get up and dance, which can make you look a bit of an idiot when you're waiting in the car at traffic lights.

While the new album didn't offer anything as spellbinding as Spanish Sahara or Blue Blood, songs like Mountain At My Gates still proved that Foals remain an important force in the indie music world today.

So, on this the 13th day of this advent of indie music, my gift to you is the storming What Went Down by Foals. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth listening to - Day 12

One of the strangest endings to a music video accompanies one of my musical highlights of the year in Car Seat Headrest's Something Soon.

Car Seat Headrest began in 2010 in Will Toledo's hometown of Leesburg, Virginia. Needing a place of solitude (and soundproofing) where he could record vocals undisturbed, a 17-year-old Toledo set up shop in the family car, hence the name.

Teens of Style arrived at the end of October and is the first Car Seat Headrest album recorded with a full band. Toledo has taken material from the first three years of the band's existence and reworked it for our musical pleasure.

The influences of American greats such as Nirvana and the Beach Boys can be heard throughout the album. Opener Sunburned Shirts sets the high standard that is maintained across the 11 songs on offer here. I could list other favourites but those of you reading this with time on your hands this weekend should reward yourselves by tracking down and listening to the full long player in all its deserved glory.

I'm kicking off your Saturday with an absolute corker of a track. On the 12th day of this advent of indie music, my gift to you all is the phenomenal sound of Car Seat Headrest - Something Soon. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 11

Storytelling in music is alive and well thanks to New York comic book writer/ artist and musician Jeffrey Lewis. While the majority of the music world run out of words to rhyme with love (dove and shove - I'm out!), it's warming to know the art of writing intelligent and witty lyrics still has its place in our record collections.

A late contender for one of the best albums this year, Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts - Manhattan, arrived this autumn with eleven songs that will have you listening intently at the stories being told while also having you dancing and smiling in equal measure.

If you have more time on your hands this Friday night, try listening to Have a Baby and Sad Screaming Old Man as a sample of what else the album has in store. There's also still time to catch the band on their current UK tour before Christmas.

Today's song is my personal highlight from the album and offers an often hilarious insight into the truth behind making your way in the music world as a band trying to secure support tours. I hazard a guess many musicians will find something to smile and wince at. So, on this 11th day of the advent of indie music, my gift to you all is the delightful Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts - Support Tours. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 9

While travelling down the East Coast Main Line this morning en route to the big smoke of London I was able to indulge in some more of my favourite songs from 2015.

When The Maccabees released their fourth album this summer I picked it out as an album worth borrowing off your mates. A few months on and this record has continued to delight and surprise in equal measures. From the moment I first heard the lead single Marks To Prove It, this was the sound of a band back on top of their game.

If Colour Me In was the sound of an eternal indie disco you never want to leave, four albums later they've created their debut's older, wiser but no less spunky sibling. Songs like Silence demonstrate how far this band have come, with a simply sublime song of hope that seems a million miles away from the wave machine of Latchmere. Both great songs but both very different.

Those more attentive among you will have noticed that for today's song in the ninth day of this advent of indie music I've selected the album version of Spit It Out. You can listen to it in all it's full length glory here. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 8

The best things come to those who wait. It's getting late in the day but there's still time to celebrate this 8th day of advent with a cracking song from the album Carrie and Lowell by the excellent and criminally underappreciated Sufjan Stevens.

For the uninitiated, Sufjan Stevens is one of the most original artists alive today. From releasing folk songs that will make your heart soar one minute, then providing an alternative soundtrack to the usual Christmas dirge the next, through to scoring a ballet and even a rodeo documentary, Sufjan Stevens has most bases covered.

Carrie and Lowell saw a return to his folk roots but more than that, it is his most personal work to date, reflecting on the relationship with his mother following her death. The songs explore some deeply personal themes and is forever thought provoking throughout. No shade in the shadow of the cross is a highlight of the album with it's horrific closing lyric leaving the listener shocked by a painful truth being laid bare amidst the stunning beautiful sound. 

It's an album I regularly revisit and I never tire of the simple melodies. If you're yet to discover Sufjan Stevens, I recommend spending the next week of your life streaming his back catalogue. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 

At this late hour on the 8th day of this advent of indie music, my gift to you all is the stunning Sufjan Stevens' Death With Dignity. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 7

Stop me if this sounds familiar. If you were tuned into Rick Witter's #discodown on @minsterfm last night this post will come as no surprise to you. I know not all of you do (that's not to say I understand why you don't) and regardless this song today takes it rightful place in my #indieadvent24

When Everything Everything first appeared on the music scene a few years back, I have to say they failed to make an impression on me and despite a number of friends telling me how they good they were, I couldn't get into their music.

My initial preconceived ideas were blown out of the water this year when I first heard the excellent single 'Distant Past', followed this summer by one of my contenders for single of the year 'Regret'.  Their album 'Get to heaven' features some great indie pop music and on the rare occasion they slow things down like on songs such as on 'No reptiles' they come up with some cracking lyrics including my strangest and most favourite line of the year “Baby, it’s alright to feel like a fat child in a pushchair old enough to run, old enough to fire a gun”.

In 2016 they'll further cement their indie middleweight credentials when they support Foals on a large arena tour in February.

If you were in hiding this summer than you won't have heard it but for my seventh post in this advent of indie music, my gift to you all is one of my favourite songs of the year, the ridiculously catchy 'Regret' by Everything Everything. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 6

Today's track has been selected with the weekend-rattled indie kid in mind. I remember many Sunday mornings listening to the once mighty xfm and they had an incredible knack of selecting the right songs to wake my heavy head from the excesses of a Friday and Saturday night.

The sound of Courtney Barnett's Depreston will ease you into your Sunday morning with her tale of depressing suburban life in one of Melbourne's outer city areas. This song also contains some rather dodgy lyrics, but isn't that what makes songs and storytelling more interesting?

If you're feeling more alive today and in need of a more lively soundtrack, you should explore one of the albums of the year, 'Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit' featuring the brilliant singles Pedestrian At Best and Dead Fox.

So, for my sixth post in this advent of indie music, my gift to you all is Courtney Barnett - Depreston. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 5

I was brought up on a diet of electro pop music in the mid-80s. A reality I recently reflected on while listening to Claire Hickson's Saturday morning show on @meridianfm when I admitted that Nik Kershaw's Wouldn't It Be Good was the first record I fell in love with. In my defence I thought that was a pretty good song for a 5 year old to be listening to. On reflection, I think there isn't much distance between a good pop song and a cracking indie track.

A case in point is Paul Smith and the Intimations' album Contradictions. It's filled with so many pop nuggets that if it had been released in 1984, it would probably have been the soundtrack to the airwaves of radio 1 and Paul would have been a regular on Top of the Pops.

It's an album that may have passed under your radar. Now is the time to right that wrong. If you have the time today then try listening to I should never know and Coney Island (4th of July)

If you don't have the time then stick with my pick of the day. As it's Saturday, my gift to you on my fifth post in this advent of indie music is Paul Smith and the Intimations - People on Sunday. As it's the weekend, as a special treat you can also watch Paul singing it in German live in Hamburg. Glücklich Hören!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 4

As it's the start of the weekend, I'm going to be extra canny and share one of the greatest sounds of this year from Hooton Tennis Club. Today's post also highlights the fact that these songs appear in no particular order.

Regular readers of this blog will already know about my love for this band and this song in particular. Put simply, Jasper is uplifting, it's guaranteed to make you smile and it deserves to be heard by everyone.

If you don't have the album Highest Point in Cliff Town already on your Christmas list, you must have been naughty this year.

So in my fourth post in this advent of indie music, my gift to you all is Hooton Tennis Club - Jasper. Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 3

Today's post celebrates the wonder of the classic album track. You know the one that will most likely never get radio airplay but when you hear it, it stops you in your tracks and makes you want to find a home for everyone to be able to hear it. Wolf Alice's Silk epitomises that track for me and I hope you feel a similar sense of excitement when you listen to it.

It's been quite a year for Wolf Alice, starting with recognition on the Sound of 2015 longlist and ending with a well-deserved nomination for the Mercury Music Prize. In between, they wowed new fans on stage at Glastonbury in preparation for their debut album release, My Love is Cool.

If you the time, I'd recommend you take time out to listen to the whole album. It has lots of familiar sounding influences and will undoubtedly find its way into your music collection.

If you don't have the time then all that's left to say is, in my third post in this advent of indie music, my gift to you all is Wolf Alice - Silk Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 2

I was a bit unlucky this morning. I managed to hear the musical abomination of Kylie and James Corden murdering the song 'Only You'. It made me realise how lucky we are to have some cracking music in the world, even if it is hidden away from the mainstream.

Today's selection for my #indieadvent24 is a hidden gem from this autumn. Myths 001 is an EP from Connan Mockasin and Devonté Hynes, written and recorded in Marfa, TX as part of the 2015 Marfa Myths festival. The three songs are truly collaborative – each fingerprinted with their distinctive, idiosyncratic take on pop. Stylistically, things move from breathy post-punk (La Fat Fur), to underwater funk (Feelin’ Lovely), to sparse, heartbreak balladry (Big Distant Crush).

So in my second post in this advent of indie music, my gift to you all is Devonté Hynes and Connan Mockasin - La Fat Fur Happy listening!

the only indie advent calendar worth opening - Day 1

It's that time of year when people start to reflect on the last twelve months in music. Take a quick look on twitter and it seems as though everyone is sharing their thoughts on the best songs and albums of the year.

Never one to miss out on a opportunity to share news of cracking indie music, I'm going to spend the next 24 days sharing some of my favourite songs and artists from the last 12 months.

I'm kicking things off with my favourite new artist of the year - Hippo Campus. They're an american band hailing from Minnesota. The foursome are made up of Jake Luppen (vocals/guitar), Nathan Stocker (guitar), Zach Sutton (bass), and Whistler Allen (drums).

When I first heard the Bashful Creatures EP in a summer of great music, they stood out from the crowd. Readers of this blog will have heard the excellent Suicide Saturday from the very same EP. As if that wasn't good enough, they returned in the autumn with the South EP featuring more simple yet powerful indie pop songs.

So, for my first post in this advent of indie music my gift to you all is Hippo Campus - Bashful Creatures. Happy listening!