BBC - BBC Music Blog

Vote for the greatest song in 6 Music's history

2013-01-07T16:30:10Z

From guest writer Gary Bales, editor of BBC Radio 6 Music

Hello there.

Since the launch of 6 Music on March 11th, 2002, our brilliant presenters have played nigh on a million records into your ears (seriously....based on an average of 240 tracks a day we are nearly at a million... maybe even over. Amazing, eh?), and many of those tracks were new at the time. So as we say farewell to 6 Music's 10-year anniversary celebrations, we here at the station thought it was high time we looked back at all the brilliant new music we have played on air during our eventful life so far.

One day in the office, in the autumn of last year, a few of us were talking about our favourite records released during the 10 years we've been on air. As with any musical conversation in 6 Music towers, a polite debate swiftly turned into a passionate argument and lo, the idea of 6 Music's Greatest Hits was born.

Starting today, 6 Music is officially asking, "What is the greatest song released during our lifetime?" Between the 6 Music presenters and staff in the office, after spending the last three months or so sifting through the thousands of songs released in the last 10 years, we somehow came up with a shortlist of 100 tracks we think truly are 6 Music's Greatest Hits, all of which were released between March 2002 and the end of 2012.

And in the spirit of transparency, I'm not going to lie - the whole process was a nightmare. A fun nightmare, but a nightmare all the same. I had a full-on terror dream one night where I was attacked by flying Regina Spektor records.

Trying to be unbiased when faced with songs you personally treasure is agonising. There are a ton of tunes I would have loved to have included in this list but couldn't, and the same goes for all of us here. We didn't have any particular criteria when shortlisting aside from gut feeling and the comfortable knowledge that the list would never truly be finished - if we were asked to do it all again today no doubt at least ten of the songs on the list would change - but it is what it is, and in actual fact I think it looks and sounds pretty strong.

If an alien came down, ended up having a tour of 6 Music and via a clever translation machine asked us, "Inferior Earthlings... What is this thing called alternative music and what is the most excellent example of it from the last ten solar cycles", we would happily give them this list.

I digress - this is where you come in, dear listener, to the world's finest alternative music station. We want you to vote for the track you believe to be the pinnacle of musical achievement during our lifetime from our list of 100.

Now many of you upon viewing will no doubt be throwing rotten fruit at your computer screens because nothing from the new Godspeed You! Black Emperor album made it onto the list. Totally fair enough. But maybe, just maybe, your favourite song IS on there, looking at you with puppy dog eyes, wistfully pleading for your vote...

Go to the voting page now to see the list of 100 tracks in full and cast your vote, and click on the links to Spotify, Deezer and YouTube where you can listen to special playlists featuring every track included in the list.

Tell us what you think on our Facebook page or use the Twitter hashtag #6MusicGreatest. We genuinely can't wait to find out what you think about the list, good or bad.

Voting closes Friday 25 January, and be sure to keep Friday 1 February free as we'll be counting down the 100 songs in the order you voted for them across the day, starting in Shaun Keaveny's Breakfast show at 7am GMT, and concluding with Steve Lamacq from 4-7pm GMT.

6 Music Albums of the Year 2012

2012-12-28T08:15:48Z

2012 seemed to be a fractured year for albums, there were no overriding genres or styles that dominated the end of year lists. Likewise few of the big established bands came up with career-defining records. However this did give new styles and artists a chance to flourish and grow through the cracks into popular taste. And when we compiled the 6 Music Top 15 Albums Of The Year List (Top 10s are so passé and a Top 5 just doesn’t cut it) it became very obvious how diverse people's tastes had been this year.

The presenters and staff put forward their top five albums, the list was compiled, an album was revealed on air each weekday for three weeks, and we chatted to a load of the musicians about how their songs came about.

First up the surprises – no Paul Weller and no Richard Hawley. Maybe we’re just over familiar with the names, but both made strong records that didn’t make the 15. Most surprisingly for me, was Joe Goddard’s band The 2 Bears getting to number 14 while his day job Hot Chip didn’t make the cut. Also odd was Tame Impala’s Lonerism just scraping into the list at 15. For such a critically heralded piece of work, I expected a higher placing.

Toy did well, hitting number 10, beating off competition from big hitters Jack White and Lana Del Rey and It was good to see so many new artists in the Top 10 – and so many debuts – whether this means we value the freshness of ‘The New’ when it comes to these lists, but Jessie Ware, Poliça, Frank Ocean, Django Django all got listed for their first musical outings. All great albums, with oddly very little in common.

In the end our winner was Alt-J (who also won a Mercury Prize let’s not forget) with an album that managed to be both original and smart, as well as being easily enjoyable and accessible – for me their single Tessellate alone was enough to warrant their inclusion on any end of year list.

It’ll be interesting to see how so many of these artists can follow up the acclaim of their debuts (The xx managed a placing of 11 for their *ahem* sophomore effort). There’s a lot of coverage of a lot of bands out there, and the concept of slowly developing over several years before being seized upon is long dead. But conversely artists are being forced to look further afield for influences and break more rules in order to get noticed - and it fair to say that the potential shown in the 6 Music Top 15 could result in an increasingly multi-faceted and interesting 2013.

Here’s the complete Top 15:

15. Tame Impala - Lonerism
14. The 2 Bears - Be Strong
13. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
12. Jack White - Blunderbuss
11. The xx - Coexist
10. TOY - TOY
9. Jessie Ware - Devotion
8. Grimes - Visions
7. Beach House - Bloom
6. Poliça - Give You The Ghost
5. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
4. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
3. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
2. Django Django - Django Django
1. Alt J - An Awesome Wave

Six of the Best: EPs of 2012

2012-12-19T17:51:27Z

Positioned between the quick-fix single and the longer-commitment album, the extended play release is often a perfect chance to check out an artist's work in depth, but without taking too much time out of your day. And, every so often, a standout EP makes it to BBC Music's album reviews pages. Here are six of the best to have been covered in 2012...

- - -

Kwes - Meantime
(Warp Records; released 30 April)

"Londoner Kwes is embarking on what can be a hazardous path for any behind-the-scenes sort: out from the studio and into the spotlight as a solo artist. But if these four tracks are an indication of what is to come, his output could well eclipse many a critically adored LP that he's had the pleasure to be associated with. If the name never registered before, note it now: Kwes has the necessary nous to bless the commercial territories of planet pop with great things indeed."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Bashful (external link)

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Lapalux - When You're Gone
(Brainfeeder; released 27 February)

"Pulled along by a solemn undercurrent of swampy beats, When You're Gone is uplifted by a quasi-chaotic mix of comfortingly familiar field recordings and their polemic sparkle of synthetic bleeps. Centrifugal track Gutter Glitter does this expertly, and it's a tone which is achieved throughout, shaping this EP into the most-tender of 21st century lullabies. This is an awesome release."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: no official videos available

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Outfit - Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again
(Double Denim; released 14 May)

"'I wanna be everything, all the time / But I just can't decide.' These opening lines on Wirral-born quintet Outfit's debut EP set the scene for what follows; and the listener isn't left in any doubt as to the their muddled creative mindset come this four-tracker's close. But rather than exchange identity for a chameleonic charm offensive, Outfit press their own stamp into every one of these cuts. Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again is a tremendous introduction."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Everything All the Time (external link)

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Halls - Fragile
(The Sounds of Sweet Nothing; released 21 January)

"Delivering precisely what it says on the sleeve, the second extended-play set from young London producer Samuel Howard is four tracks of exquisite delicacy, the kind of electro-organic sketches that the slightest bass drop would smash into digital splinters. Something this slight of form but rich in potential could well fall short of full-length brilliance - but, right here and right now, Halls is mesmerising stuff in small doses."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: I Am Not Who You Want (external link)

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WHY? - Sod in the Seed
(City Slang; released 13 August)

"WHY? frontman Yoni Wolf hasn't totally lightened up here, but this EP does have something of the triumphant about it; 2009's Eskimo Snow felt a little worn out in places, but here the band revels in sunny, addictive instrumentation. Wolf's rhymes are fabulously wordy, elaborate things that he hits with conviction and purpose... It whets the appetite for a new album in a sparkling, confident fashion."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Sod in the Seed (external link; contains strong language)

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Dels - Black Salad
(Big Dada; released 26 November)

"At all times, Dels is a compelling master of ceremonies. The way he's both laidback and urgent, simultaneously, has been commented on in the past; but this masterfully managed balance is forever at the fulcrum of his delivery. He's not the most technically gifted rapper out there, but his imagery is specked with genius. His second LP is due in early 2013. If it's of a comparable quality to these EP cuts, fans old and new are in for a treat."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: You Live in My Head (external link)

Six of the Best: Mixtapes of 2012

2012-12-12T13:46:53Z

Look at the BBC Music Top 25 Albums of 2012 and the BBC Sound of 2013 longlist, and it's clear that the hip hop mixtape community is producing artists and albums - as these collections are, often, every bit as much long-players proper as commercially released sets - with real mainstream reach.

Across the two lists, a number of artists with mixtape backgrounds are evident: Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, Death Grips, Miguel, Angel Haze. And this year, several high-profile artists from Rick Ross to Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent to Gucci Mane, have delivered new material via the free-to-download mixtape. There's never been a better time to brose the digital shelves of this well-stocked source of new beats and rhymes.

And these six selections make for fine starting points when checking out the best that 2012's mixtape scene had to offer...

(Note that video links may contain language and imagery which may offend)

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Joey Bada$$ - 1999

This teenage rapper from Brooklyn sounded wise beyond his years on this acclaimed collection, which set his tight rhymes - and those of the Pro Era collective - against a series of arrangements drawing inspiration from the 90s. It's perhaps most reminiscent of the 90s work of Nas; and Joey's certainly making the right moves in order to follow the Queens rapper's ascent to stardom. Although it's a free release, 1999 tickled the fancy of MTV, who put the video for Hardknock into rotation. Revivalism it might be, but few mixtapes of 2012 were as consistently engaging as this one.

In the press: "Joey Bada$$ is doing his best to further the period's legacy of boom-bap production... The young man clearly has an old soul." (Pitchfork; review)

On YouTube: Hardknock (external link)

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Action Bronson / The Alchemist - Rare Chandeliers

A collaboration between NYC-born American-Albanian rapper Action Bronson (aka Arian Asllani) and Beverley Hills-based producer The Alchemist (Alan Maman), Rare Chandeliers is one of the most seriously focused, but seriously laidback, mixtapes of 2012. Bronson, formerly a chef and forever likely to be compared to Ghostface Killah in his delivery, doesn't stick to tried-and-tested rap tropes for his rhymes. And this is evident across these 13 tracks, which fly by in under 40 minutes (a lesson in economy that many other rappers could learn from). Frequently amusing, but never at the expense of a catchy couplet, Bronson's a big character destined for bigger things, and he's rarely sounded as potent as he does against The Alchemist's woozy productions.

In the press: "...the most immediately entertaining rap album that's dropped all year. And it's completely free, because it's 2012 and the rap industry is insane." (PopMatters; review)

On YouTube: The Symbol (external link)

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Supreme Cuts and Haleek Maul - Chrome Lips

This collaboration between Chicago production duo Supreme Cuts - Mike Perry and Austin Keultjes - and teenage Barbados rapper Haleek Maul is one of the most individual-sounding sets of 2012. Chrome Lips is a listen that unsettles as it creeps under the skin and seeps into the blood; it's like the best Odd Future record Odd Future never had the horror-movie mindset to produce. The seeds of this relationship were sown in 2011, when the pair received an email from a young MC with freestyles to spare. Supreme Cuts had intended to work with an array of rappers; but Chrome Lips would eventually mostly feature the tongue-twisting syllables of Maul, seemingly a safe bet for an eventual mainstream breakthrough. His own seven-tracker of 2012, Oxyconteen, is worth downloading too.

In the press: "...a 17-track exploration of the loneliest frontiers of hip hop, both in Supreme Cuts' atmospheric beats and Haleek Maul's teenage intensity." (FACT; link)

On YouTube: The Dummy (external link)

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Angel Haze - Reservation

She's on the BBC Sound of 2013 for a reason - Michigan-born and NYC-based MC Angel Haze is a head-turning gust of gloriously fresh air about to take her inspired rhymes into the mainstream. Now signed to Island, she's come a long way in a short space of time - and for many, it was with Reservation that she first made a considerable impression. She followed up its standout cuts, like New York and Werkin' Girls, with a second mixtape of 2012, Classick. Its lead track, Cleaning Out My Closet, was a striking account of the sexual abuse she suffered growing up. Clearly unafraid to open up, Haze - real name Raykeea Wilson - is a talent with breathtaking potential.

In the press: "Unshakeable boastfulness may be a rapper's stock in trade, but the conviction with which the 21-year-old MC spits is borderline vitriolic, and she convinces." (The Quietus; interview)

On YouTube: Werkin' Girls (external link; contains strobe lighting effects)

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Childish Gambino - Royalty

When Donald Glover decided to focus fully on a rap career after breaking through as a comedic actor in Community (he also wrote for 30 Rock), sceptics immediately sharpened their poison pens. But Glover's first commercially released album as Childish Gambino, 2011's Camp, wasn't half bad; and Royalty, a guests-heavy 18-tracker distributed for free in July 2012, offers further evidence that he's a rising rapper still to hit his sweetest spot, but not falling far short of it. With Bun B, Beck, Danny Brown and RZA amongst the contributors, Royalty consistently impresses with its cast; and when the different voices click, as on American Royalty and the Britney-sampling Toxic, there's magic in the air.

In the press: "Gambino's skills and prominence continue to develop, and he's becoming a tried and true success story. (These) 18 tracks are a mighty declaration of newfound confidence." (Consequence of Sound; review)

On YouTube: R.I.P. (audio only; external link)

- - -

Mick Boogie / Beastie Boys - Grand Royal

Ohio DJ Mick Boogie's Beastie Boys mix was made to mark the New Yorkers' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012. But it gained inevitable poignancy when the Beasties' Adam Yauch passed away the next month. This great loss to music was felt way beyond rap circles, and for many Boogie's assembling of Beasties rarities, live tracks, outtakes, B sides and remixes became a fitting tribute to the late MC(A). Says Boogie, on his website (external link): "It's funny how many people think this mix was made because he passed... but sometimes the irony of life is very special. Enjoy this man's music. Support his charities. Tell a friend or family member you love them. And be grateful for the blessings and health that you have in your everyday lives."

In the press: "...80 minutes of classic cuts, rarities, remixes, live versions, and more. Basically what I'm saying is that this is the best and you need to download it now. I mean, why wouldn't you? It's FREE." (Potholes in my Blog; review)

On YouTube: Sure Shot (Nardone/Large Professor Remixes) (audio only; external link)

BBC Music's Top 25 Albums of 2012

2012-12-06T13:22:24Z

Welcome to the top 25 albums of 2012, as voted for by a wide selection of BBC Music critics, DJs, and presenters from Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 1Xtra, 6 Music, BBC Scotland and BBC Ulster.

How was this list compiled?
Each voter was asked to submit their own top five albums of 2012. These could include DJ mix CDs, downloadable/free mixtapes and, of course, brand-new releases; but could not include reissues and deluxe/expanded editions of older albums. Each position in these top fives was worth a points score: first place was awarded 10 points; second, six; third, four; fourth, two; and fifth, one. Once all the votes were in, scores for every album were added together to create an overall top 25.

When votes were tied, the x/10 score awarded to the albums in question by Metacritic (BBC Music page) was used to rank them. When these scores were the same, the tone of each review was assessed by BBC album reviews editor Mike Diver and rankings were established according to how positive the corresponding review was.

Who voted?
The complete list of voters is as follows: Jude Rogers, Marcus J Moore, Luke Turner, Rory Gibb, Mike Davies, Fraser McAlpine, Martin Aston, John Eyles, Natalie Shaw, Alex Deller, David Katz, Wyndham Wallace, David Quantick, Huw Stephens, Kevin Le Gendre, Garry Mulholland, Camilla Pia, Jude Clarke, Semtex, Tom Hocknell, Al Fox, CJ Beatz, Robin Denselow, Mark Radcliffe, Stevie Chick, Daniel Ross, Ian Roullier, Tom Robinson, Vic Galloway, Ricky Ross, Daryl Easlea, Hari Ashurst, Zane Lowe, Chris Hawkins, Paul Clarke, Edith Bowman, Rob da Bank, Gideon Coe, Mike Diver, Kate Hutchinson, Mike Haydock, Paul Whitelaw, Sean Adams, Angus Taylor, Paul Lester, Chris Parkin, Lloyd Bradley, Chris Roberts, Ian Wade, Jen Long, Charlie Sloth, Martin Longley, James Skinner, Daniel Spicer, Ally McCrae, Adam Kennedy, Skream, Raziq Rauf, Jez Nelson, Daniel P Carter, Ben Hewitt, Nick Levine, Alex Denney, Ian Winwood, Mischa Pearlman, Colin Irwin, Darren Loucaides, Jaime Gill, Jamie Cullum, Ele Beattie, Melissa Bradshaw, Louis Pattison, Gilles Peterson, John Doran, Stuart Bailie, Joseph JP Patterson, Bob Harris, Ralph McLean, Annie Mac, MistaJam, Robbo Ranx, Steve Lamacq, Mike Harding, Marc Riley, Tim Westwood, Alyn Shipton, Chris Power, Ninian Dunnett, Jo Whiley, Jeanette Leech & Matthew Bennett.

DJs are linked to their relevant shows. Links to all critics can be found here. Jo Whiley and Mike Harding submitted unranked top fives, so each album was awarded four points.

Righto, that top 25 then...

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25
Grizzly Bear - Shields
(Warp; released 17 September)

Writes reviewer Wyndham Wallace: "Shields pushes and prods at musical boundaries in a similar way to Talk Talk's 1986 masterpiece, The Colour of Spring. It's an aesthetic rather than musical comparison, but - with songs shifting with casual precision, arrangements that are fluid and brave, and an honest, organic production - there's a sense throughout that Grizzly Bear are on the cusp of a genuine breakthrough. Where they go next may prove even more intriguing."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Yet Again (external link)

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24
Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
(RCA; released 12 November)

Writes reviewer Hari Ashurst: "Kaleidoscope Dream continues Miguel's improvement, highlighting an artist in a real purple patch of songwriting. His biggest American hit to date, Adorn, opens, popping with electric melodies and charm. It's one of the most gorgeous pop songs so far this decade, deceptively simple and alluringly confident. Enjoy Kaleidoscope Dream for the rarity that it is: an unerringly consistent, very good pop record."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Adorn (external link)

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23
First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
(Wichita; released 23 January)

Writes reviewer Natalie Shaw: "Those already familiar with First Aid Kit may be shocked by the portent in the title of their second album, The Lion's Roar. For a duo so built on understatement, it's a statement of its own volition - words which suggest something bigger, bolder, and stronger. And sat neatly between Laura Marling's trauma and Joni Mitchell's spot-lit thoughts, this album lines them up as the band most likely to cross over into the big time."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Emmylou (external link)

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22
Emeli Sandé - Our Version of Events
(Virgin; released 13 February)

Writes reviewer Lou Thomas: "Sandé's solo debut single Heaven was arguably the finest British pop song released in 2011. And Our Version of Events is a charming and occasionally moving record full of care and polish, effort and grace. It will be interesting to see whether she embraces a bolder sound, develops her own big ideas or, perhaps, delivers a captivating combination of the two for album two."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: My Kind of Love (external link)

- - -

21
Tame Impala - Lonerism
(Modular; released 8 October)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Like their brilliant 2010 debut album Innerspeaker, Lonerism is self-produced and mixed by Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev producer David Fridmann. Yet for all the Oz roots and American connection, the album's soul is so very British. Set the controls for the heart of the sun, matey, we're going on a magical mystery tour. And if Tame Impala only turn out to be the Animal Collective of space rock, that's still a great place to arrive."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Elephant (external link)

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20
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
(Bella Union; released 30 April)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Fear Fun is its own, inspired brew of, indeed, both fear and fun. It's located in a Bermuda Triangle of haunted ballads and wired rockers between Alex Chilton, Neil Young's After the Gold Rush and Fleet Foxes' lonesome-pine beauty, before Tillman stirs in his own twisted DNA, confessing in I'm Writing a Novel, 'I ran down the road, pants down to my knees, screaming.' Whoever Father John Misty is, he's a hell of a find."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Nancy From Now On (external link; contains scenes of a sexual nature)

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19
Bill Fay - Life Is People
(Dead Oceans; released 20 August)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Arriving 41 years after Fay's last original studio album, Life Is People represents the return of a prodigal son you never knew existed. Its religious symbolism is inspired by Fay's own relationship with faith, the result a stunning, profound, moving and soulful record. It's a miracle that Fay, after so many years, is again making music; another miracle is how brilliant Life Is People is."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Be at Peace With Yourself (external link)

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18
Chromatics - Kill for Love
(Italians Do It Better; released 4 June)

Writes reviewer Alex Denney: "Kill for Love is little short of breathtaking. With its lonesome, Auto-Tuned vocals poured longingly over a slow disco beat, These Streets Will Never Look the Same sounds like Gaspar Noé's ghostly skycam that stalks the city rooftops in Enter the Void. A subtle transfiguration of Neil Young's Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) continues their run as a fine covers band. One of the finest records to surface this year."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Lady (external link)

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17
Django Django - Django Django
(Because Music; released 30 January)

Writes reviewer Mike Diver: "Begone, indie-is-dead doom-mongers! As Django Django prove on this thrilling debut long-play platter, there's life in the old dogged-by-disdain genre yet. Clever but never at the expense of a catchy hook, this is 'indie' par excellence: guitars that ring through the mix like a clarion call from the inspired to take up arms against the legions of lad-rockers; buzzing synths that swirl around like a cloud of friendly wasps; lyrics delivered in mantras..."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Default (external link)

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16
Liars - WIXIW
(Mute; released 4 June)

Writes reviewer John Doran: "WIXIW works best when it has its eyes set on the dancefloor or the radio. Brats is a driving electro number that burrows into your head after just one listen, while A Ring on Every Finger is a slower yet no less insistent bleep'n'bass number. WIXIW is an unqualified success and, now that LCD are no longer with us, its makers are truly are in a field of their own."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Brats (external link)

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15
Swans - The Seer
(Young God Records; released 28 August)

Writes reviewer Chris Power: "The Seer is a masterpiece to be considered alongside Swans' best albums. An often violent experience, its lethal weaponry is intricately patterned. It's this contrast, ultimately, that makes them so potent. The Seer might not be the album you spend most time with this year - it's too emotionally demanding for heavy rotation - but it's one you'll be listening to for years to come."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: The Seer (live concert DVD trailer) (external link)

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14
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
(Island; released 2 April)

Writes reviewer Al Fox: "Few artists in Minaj's position would dare to take risks as bold as this, and yet, it doesn't feel as though she even sees it as risky - she's breezily doing her thing. Whatever the supposed role of Nicki Minaj within the hip hop hierarchy, whatever box she's pushed into, she'll have a hard time fitting in. Because, above all else, PF: RR cements her as a truly unique entity."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Pound the Alarm (external link; contains language which may offend)

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13
Baroness - Yellow & Green
(Relapse; released 16 July)

Writes reviewer Raziq Rauf: "The quality of songwriting and amount of raw passion on show throughout is striking. A shift to what could be perceived as a more commercial sound is a difficult one to achieve; but call a band led by a man as staunch in his artistic rites as frontman John Baizley sell-outs at your peril. This nearly flawless collection is simply the next step in the Baroness saga, and it's a beautiful one."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Take My Bones Away (external link)

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12
Carter Tutti Void - Transverse
(Mute; released 26 March)

Writes reviewer Luke Turner: "These four tracks feel entirely alive, a spontaneous weld of anxious beats, the odd squirl of guitar and distortion, corrupted vocals and deep, chasmic bass. The motif that recurs throughout is that of pace, propulsive forward movement, the creative interplay between the three artists almost tangible in the listener's ears. It captures a wonderful sonic conversation between like-minded souls."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: V2 (edit) (external link)

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11
Mala - Mala in Cuba
(Brownswood; released 10 September)

Writes reviewer Paul Clarke: "Heavy as the rhythms are, Mala's deftness of touch means the Cuban contributions are never entirely overwhelmed, and when he pulls more elements into the mix the results are often stunning. You can sense the melancholy longing at the core of both much traditional Cuban music and early dubstep. It reverberates through Mala in Cuba as powerfully as the bass."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Cuba Electronic (external link; contains strobe effects)

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10
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
(Rough Trade; released 9 April)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Lyrics are route-one effective throughout, as you'd expect from an album called Boys & Girls, but Alabama Shakes are not one-dimensional. Rather, they're a tightly coiled slice of primal southern soul, the sort usually stamped 'Memphis, Tennessee', but the band's hometown of Athens, Alabama - reached via the legendary town of Muscle Shoals - is spitting distance so far as this music is concerned."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Hold On (external link)

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9
Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
(Infectious; released 28 May)

Writes reviewer Jen Long: "It's hard to place Alt-J. Originally from Leeds, they spend their time in a Cambridgeshire basement making their own brand of uniquely dubbed "folk-step". However, the noises that An Awesome Wave emits far escape the dull, dark depths such a creative location suggests. Instead, it's a stunning and encompassing affair of both innovative and electrifying musicianship and exemplary song writing."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Tessellate (external link)

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8
David Byrne and St Vincent - Love This Giant
(4AD; released 10 September)

Writes reviewer Jude Clarke: "Despite having no obvious overarching theme or plot-line, this album nevertheless feels like an integrated conceptual piece. Creating alluring word-images, like The Forest Awakes' perpetual motion, circle-of-life pictures or I Am an Ape's mysterious "statue of the man who won the war", the feeling is generally playful yet profound. Byrne and Clark have managed to not only meet but exceed expectations, and have created one of the year's smartest albums in doing so."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Who (external link)

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7
Busy Signal - Reggae Music Again
(VP Records; released 23 April)

Writes reviewer Lloyd Bradley: "With Reggae Music Again Busy Signal builds on all the clever musicality of 2010's D.O.B. to produce an album that, appropriately for the 50th anniversary of Jamaica's independence, immerses itself in reggae music heritage. This is far more than what it seems to be billed as, namely 'Busy Signal changes style'. It's an important evolution of dancehall, connecting it to the timeline of Jamaican music, then pushing forwards into the 21st century."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Come Over (Missing You) (external link)

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6
Death Grips - The Money Store
(Epic; released 23 April)

Writes reviewer Paul Lester: "On The Money Store, Death Grips achieve the density and intensity of several Bomb Squads, Public Enemy's famous production wing. This may be their first recording since signing to Sony, but it hardly betrays signs of softening before their new paymasters. If anything, what they lose in sonic impact you gain in range: they seem to invent new rhythms and textures on each track. Bring the noise? It's already here."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Get Got (external link; contains language which may offend)

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5
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Trouble
(Polydor; released 11 June)

Writes reviewer Ele Beattie: "A long time in the making, Trouble was brewed slowly due to a fixation with crafting an electronic album that would stand the test of time. Being born to a choir master and raised on his big brother's jungle and DnB, TEED's well-honed approach to rhythms - plus an unexpected twist of including his own fragile, imperfect vocals - has already separated him from the throng. Add to that his costumes and desire to stir the muddy waters of electronic music and he's not just a 21st century entertainer, but also a bit of a radical."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Your Love (external link)

- - -

4
Jessie Ware - Devotion
(Island; released 20 August)

Writes reviewer Mike Diver: "Whilst she passed by several tipsters at the turn of the year, Clapham-raised Jessie Ware has been steadily growing into south London's own Sade-in-waiting ever since her 2010 emergence. And her early successes have been built upon brilliantly: Devotion is the sort of sophisticated, soulful pop record that comes along all too rarely, a collection that never hides the heart on its sleeve. There's nothing 'next' about Ware: she's here, now, and superb."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: 110% (external link)

- - -

3
Dexys - One Day I'm Going to Soar
(BMG; released 4 June)

Writes reviewer Chris Roberts: "Kevin Rowland sought a level of purity and intensity in his earlier music that, while a triumph to those who embraced it, scared the herd mentality of the music press. He lost his path and confidence for a while. Now, more relaxed, showing the sense of humour that was always there but was oft-misunderstood, he's created an album that's equal parts confessional soul and theatrical music hall, and wholly sincere and spectacular. Dexys are back with wisdom and wings. Some of us never doubted."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Incapable of Love (external link)

- - -

2
Frank Ocean - Channel ORANGE
(Mercury; released 23 July)

Writes reviewer Marcus J Moore: "Given its hype, some may be expecting the second coming of Thriller. Instead, channel ORANGE is a meditative voyage through Ocean's innermost thoughts, no matter how intangible the topics. In the end it's a direct reflection of its maker. There are moments of assured clarity, juxtaposed with flashes of childlike shyness. What remains is a solid collection of pop-soul renderings through which Ocean tries to find himself. We get to watch his maturation, growing pains and all."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Pyramids (external link; contains scenes of nudity, strobe effects, and language which may offend)

- - -

1
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city
(Polydor; released 23 October)

Writes reviewer Marcus J Moore: "Lamar is a proud California native, but this major label debut harbours more Southern ethos than West Coast gloss. As it plays, it's clear that Lamar wants to fill the pondering void once occupied by OutKast rapper André 3000, whose philosophical rhymes made him one of hip hop's most admired MCs. This voluminous album is driven by wandering rumination and layered compositions, resembling OutKast's landmark Aquemini album. Come good kid's conclusion, Lamar's transformation is apparent: he's still growing up and ready to take his place among the hip hop elite."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Swimming Pools (Drank) (external link)

- - -

So that's the BBC Music top 25 albums of 2012 - what have been your favourites of the year?

The Best Albums of November 2012

2012-12-01T11:59:22Z

The Best Albums of November 2012

Straight to business... Below you'll find details on 10 standout releases of November 2012. Do click through to the relevant review pages to read more about these great records; and keep them peeled for our very special Top 25 Albums of 2012, which will pop into place on these here Music Blog pages in early December.

- - -

Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream

(RCA; released 12 November)
Recommended by: CJ Beatz

This second long-player is actually Miguel's fourth release of 2012, tying together the loose ends of a trilogy of EPs titled Art Dealer Chic Volumes 1-3. Those tracks were rough and sometimes pretty off-the-cuff; but they still ranked as an exciting step up from his 2010 debut. And it's tough to find much at fault with Kaleidoscope Dream. Enjoy it for the rarity that it is: an unerringly consistent, very good pop record."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Adorn (external link)

- - -

Deftones - Koi No Yokan

(Reprise; released 12 November)
Recommended by: Rock Show with Daniel P Carter

"Koi No Yokan, Deftones' seventh album, stands monolithic as a testament to the power and tenacity of human spirit - the hope, love, pain and wonder of life. As such, it transcends the boundaries and expectations of its genre - even those previously set by the very band that made it. Love at first sight has never sounded so good."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Tempest (external link)

- - -

Kidkanevil and Daisuke Tanabe - Kidsuke

(Project: Mooncircle; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Tom Ravenscroft, Rob da Bank

"The duo of Kidkanevil & Daisuke Tanabe is half-Japanese - no prizes for guessing which half; Kidkanevil's real name is Gerard Roberts - and their first collaborative album is held together with complex stitching, but endearingly simple motifs shine through. It feels like a lost late-90s IDM gem, but that's no bad thing. Equally, it high-fives certain runners in Flying Lotus' Californian Brainfeeder crew, who many would say are as 'now' as it gets."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: SGstep (audio only) (external link)

- - -

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (III)

(Fiction Records; released 12 November)
Recommended by: 6 Music Album of the Day

"It's not meant for the riot-bating boltholes or ravey discos of yore; (III)'s rightful home is a colossal stadium in space, starships trading laser-blows overhead, as rogue stars collide in the far distance. Meanwhile, a clock above the stage countdowns from 39 minutes to zero, at which point one of two things will happen: Glass will finally break free of the machines that enslave her; or this, the ultimate cosmic venue, will self-destruct."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Plague (external link)

- - -

Hello Skinny - Hello Skinny

(Slowfoot; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Gilles Peterson

"Tom Skinner, whose relatively slight build tallies with the title of this work, is no lightweight on the London jazz scene. His voluminous CV, spanning a good 15 years, features stints in the bands of Denys Baptiste, Cleveland Watkiss and Alexander Hawkins among others. Clocking in at 36 minutes, this long-awaited solo debut is an impressive exercise in the integration of an expectedly wide range of aesthetics, revealing first and foremost a thoughtful composer with a skilled producer's ear."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: N/A

- - -

Soundgarden - King Animal

(Mercury; released 12 November)
Recommended by: 6 Music Album of the Day

"Soundgarden have always possessed a real ability to combine darkness with immense grooves, as heard clearly on the sinuous Taree; and it's this that lifted them above their more thrashy, punk rock bar band peers. The 13 sturdy tracks of King Animal carry this compositional attitude into the 21st century. The overall theme is that of dark Americana, with Poe-recalling imagery and a sense of the political in Non-State Actor and the negative pop chorus of Bones of Birds."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Been Away Too Long (external link)

- - -

The Bryan Ferry Orchestra - The Jazz Age

(BMG; released 26 November)
Recommended by: Jamie Cullum

"The Jazz Age is an instrumental set in which numbers spanning from Roxy Music's Virginia Plain to Reason or Rhyme from Bryan Ferry's most recent solo album Olympia are radically reimagined. These hits and cult items are fashioned as they might have been in the Paris of the Roaring Twenties, or the Gatsby ballrooms of F. Scott Fitzgerald (a poster-boy of doomed romanticism to whom Ferry has never struggled to relate)."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: The Jazz Age (external link)

- - -

Food - Mercurial Balm

(ECM; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Jazz on 3, Late Junction

"Wistful drones are used liberally and the fine mesh of Thomas Strønen's brushes and marimba-like pitches on Astral recalls nothing other than the hiss and buzz of a balafon. All these carefully wrought tingles of sound, constantly placed in a wide dynamic range, have a hint of the music of mid-80s Jon Hassell, an artist whose influence on Mac-age jazz is not minor."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: N/A

- - -

Vinyl Williams - Lemniscate

(No Pain In Pop; released 12 November)
Recommended by: Huw Stephens

The grandson of famed cinematic composer John Williams, Vinyl is not averse to setting lofty goals for himself. And this debut album certainly goes a long way towards capturing the 'other worlds' he strives to generate, pulsing, surging and meandering along its own path as it pleases. Lemniscate will soothe and transfix, ebbing and surging its way into your consciousness with style and grace to spare."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Higher Worlds (external link)

- - -

Lindstrøm - Smalhans

(Smalltown Supersound; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Rob da Bank

"Smalhans finds Lindstrøm returning to more familiar, more concise territory, its six tracks totalling only 34 minutes. Full of his trademark crunchy, richly textured synths - the ones that earned him a reputation for 'cosmic' or 'space disco' thanks to their kinship with the likes of Giorgio Moroder - it was mixed by fellow traveller and compatriot 'Todd' Terje Olsen, who allows these multi-layered instrumentals to pulse and surge with an unflagging but never exhausting energy."

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Rà-àkõ-st (external link)

Later... leaves the building

2012-11-30T10:55:37Z

Exec producer Mark Cooper pays tribute to BBC Television Centre, as Later… moves out

Tonight, 30 November 2012, BBC2 transmits the last Later with Jools Holland from BBC Television Centre with a cast including star siren Lana Del Rey, exciting new talents like The Weeknd, Tom Odell, Tift Merrit and Palma Violets and legends like Soul II Soul and Nona Hendryx. Of course the actual filming and the transmitting of Later Live took place this Tuesday as cast, crew and a lively audience marked the end of Later…’s twenty happy years here in Shepherds Bush with as much great music as possible.

After 20 years, 41 series and more than 275 shows - not to mention 80-plus live editions since we went live on Tuesday, April 1, 2009 - Later… is comfortably the longest-running large studio show still in production at BBC TV Centre. Well it was until Tuesday!

It made for an emotional show for us and for the artists, who I think could tell what the occasion meant to the production team. The Weeknd, Tom Odell and Palma Violets had never appeared on television before and we tried to make them feel as welcome as all the acts who’ve passed through our scene dock doors...

Read the full article now at broadcastnow.co.uk

Ghosts of past and future - The week in BBC Music

2012-11-28T10:25:26Z

This week

The Palma Violets

Tuesday night was the last episode of Later... Live with Jools Holland to be filmed in the BBC's venerable Television Centre, due to be vacated at some unspecified point early in the new year. There was emotion in the air as Jools took the audience through their paces; before broadcast he asked them to applaud loud and long for "the fabric of the building".

But if the musicians were feeling weepy about the place they didn't show it. The Palma Violets ripped through a stonking couple of numbers, Soul II Soul gave the crowd what they wanted with an exuberant performance of Back to Life, the irrepressible Nona Hendryx took everyone to the river, and while The Weeknd went deep into their dysphoric come-down trip-hop sound, the results were electric. And Lana Del Rey was there, too, with a more relaxed and accomplished performance than the first time she came to Television Centre.

As usual, an extended version of the show will air Friday night.

You've only got a couple of days left to check out The Rolling Stones at the BBC, with gems from the vast archive of their BBC performances over the years. Of special note is a 1966 performance of "19th Nervous Breakdown" on Top of the Pops, thought lost forever but recently unearthed as part of a 60s-era documentary about women with depression.

Finally, it's Toddla T in LA, as the Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJ roots through the lush foliage of Los Angeles' music scene, talking to Tyler the Creator, The Gaslamp Killer, Childish Gambino and more.

Coming up

Louis Jordan

Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens? Saturday Night Fish Fry? He's maybe the most iconic musician you've never heard of - Louis Jordan, who blended party jazz and rock 'n' roll to create what might be the most effortlessly fun music ever made. In Choo Choo Ch'Boogie, Clarke Peters kicks off a four-part documentary on the man whose music is the basis for the West End smash, Five Guys Named Moe. It airs Thursday at 9:30pm (GMT) on Radio 2.

On Friday 30 Nov at 8:30pm (GMT), BBC Four's ridiculously comprehensive survey of the 70s continues with Disco: Ain't No Stoppin Us Now, with irresistible performances from all the likely suspects.

A bit later on BBC Four, it's a 1980 concert film of The Beach Boys Live at Knebworth, featuring all six canonical Boys - Mike, Carl, Dennis, Alan, Bruce and Brian - rocking a capacity crowd.

Out this week

We also review records fresh out of the oven this week, from the likes of ABBA, Dutch Schultz, Girls Aloud, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten New York Quartet, Jeff Wayne, Old Crow Medicine Show, Olly Murs, Rage Against the Machine, The Bryan Ferry Orchestra, The Lovely Eggs and Hemlock Recordings.

Vinyl memories - The week in BBC Music

2012-11-20T10:56:10Z

Catch up

The Sound It Out record shop

You've got a bit less than a week left to watch Sound It Out, a strangely moving documentary on BBC Four about vinyl record shops in the UK and the kind of person to whom they're important. It's less a retelling of the Nick Hornby-esque list-making nerd mentality and more a study in subcultures and unexpected fraternity; don't sleep on this one.

1Xtra Live happened last week in Brixton, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, and we've got clips and gorgeous photos from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, Rudimental, Disclosure, Miguel, Rita Ora, Wiley and many, many more. If you'd like a little taster of what it was like, you could do worse than watch this brilliant 4-minute recap.

Also last week, BBC Radio turned 90. At exactly 17:33 on 14 November, every BBC Radio station in the UK transmitted the same signal at the same time, a broadcasting first. To mark the occasion, Damon Albarn recorded a special - and, to some, fairly baffling - piece of sound art. You can hear it at the "Radio Reunited" website.

And finally, Pop Chart Britannia: 60 Years of the Top 10 celebrates six decades of climbers, fallers and sure shots, and looks at the often desperate shenanigans required to push a song into public consciousness.

Coming up

What music used to look like

Tuesday 20 Nov at 10pm (GMT), Sinéad O'Connor, Tame Impala and more play the latest installment of Later... Live, Jools Holland's indefatiguable live music jamboree on BBC Two.

On Friday 23 Nov at 9pm (GMT), BBC Four premieres The Joy of the Single, an unashamed wallow in the glory years of the 7-inch vinyl single and the particular relationship to music it fostered. We suspect in this case Nick Hornby will feel right at home.

Out this week

We’ve got reviews of brand-new records out this week from Amy Winehouse, Björk, Chad Valley, Example, Led Zeppelin, Little Mix, Nostalgia 77 and the Monster and Pinback.

Stars and charts - The week in BBC Music

2012-11-13T00:08:00Z

Catch up

Kendrick Lamar at 1Xtra Live

This week 1Xtra Live takes to the stage in four cities across the UK. Kendrick Lamar, Trey Songz, Angel, WizKid, and Tulisa played in Brixton on Monday, and Tuesday Rita Ora, Misha B, Wiley, DJ Fresh and Daley lit up Manchester. It doesn't stop there - there are huge shows planned in Liverpool and Birmingham as well. You can follow along and watch full sets on the 1Xtra Live site.

Radio 4's doing a brilliant series right now called Mastertapes, which somewhat follows the format of Inside the Actor's Studio, the American interview show. Musicians like Billy Bragg and Suzanne Vega talk to John Wilson about the record that made them famous. This is "the A side". In a follow-up programme, "the B side", audience members get to pose questions to the musicians, with some surprising and enlightening results. And the artists in question play one of their well-loved songs; you can't really ask DeNiro to "do" Travis Bickle, but musicians don't have a problem performing classics on cue - it's what they do. Anyway, this thing could run and run.

Last week Geoffrey Smith's Jazz on Radio 3 did an Art Tatum tribute show which has sadly expired from iPlayer, but to replace it there's a tribute to Sonny Rollins. So it's hard to complain, really.

There was also an astonishing performance from Lang Lang at the Roundhouse in Camden on BBC Four - dry ice everywhere, crazy lightshow; not exactly the normal Liszt recital. It, too, is gone from iPlayer, but if piano is your thing, there's no need to go unsated. In 2006, Richard Goode performed Mozart's thrilling Piano Concerto No. 23 at the Proms and it's available to watch in all its splendour for the next three days.

Coming up

Sharp dressing for the Official Chart

There's a big doc coming up to celebrate six decades of the charts - Pop Charts Britannia: 60 Years of the Top 10 which takes in the entire swathe from 1952 to the present day. It's got contributions from stalwarts like David Jacobs and Pete Paphides and peeks behind the curtain to explore the sometimes desperate music biz hustle required to power a song into the weekly chart's upper reaches. It's on this Friday at 9:25pm (GMT) on BBC Four. Here's a teaser as Paphides talks about drawing his very own chart magazine as a child.

This Friday night at 1am (GMT) on BBC Two - OK, OK, it's technically Saturday - you can catch Backstage, an unexpurgated account of Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life Tour back in the rise-to-power days of 1999. (Yes, they all look very young.) These were rappers at the very top of their game when hip hop truly took over pop music, and it's fascinating to see them right in the middle of it, not quite knowing if they were kings of the world yet or not.

Out this week

We review brand-new albums by Crystal Castles, El Perro del Mar, Hello Skinny, Hot 8 Brass Band, Saint Etienne, Soundgarden and The Rolling Stones.

Pop & plaudits - The week in BBC Music

2012-11-05T11:43:10Z

What you haven't missed yet

The CMA Awards

Bob Harris was at the Country Music Association Awards last week and he caught up with Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood and more Nashville royalty backstage, which you can hear along with highlights of the main awards of the evening. Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Eric Church were among the big winners of the night, while Taylor Swift, perhaps the night's biggest star, went home empty-handed.

In the first MOBOs after Jessie J controversially took home four awards, Emeli Sandé reinforced her post-Olympics chart dominance with gongs for Best Album, Best Female and Best R&B/Soul, and Plan B also did well, winning Best Male and Best Hip Hop/Grime. There were live performances from JLS, Stooshe, Labrinth, Dionne Warwick and many, many more. You can watch the whole thing on BBC Three.

In our album review editor Mike Diver's own personal awards for the month of October, a handful of records received his full-throated recommendation. Read the reviews, check out the YouTube links, and see if you agree.

And finally, alt-J took home the Mercury Prize this year, a victory that some critics are calling the rise of "boffin rock". This blog has yet to be convinced that female-led dance-pop is going to take a back seat to immaculately arranged, scholarly, post-everything indie any time soon, but the virtually unanimous critical approbation for alt-J's An Awesome Wave must mean something's in the air.

Coming Up

Sandie Shaw

The unstoppable Later Live... with Jools Holland rumbles on with another blockbuster lineup including the likes of Soundgarden, Two Door Cinema Club, Trey Songz and more. It'll be live on Tuesday night, 6 Nov at 10pm (GMT) on BBC Two.

Queens of British Pop tracks Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw, Marianne Faithfull, Kate Bush and more with a tremendous range of interviews from their contemporaries and more recent performers they've influenced. Part 1 is on Friday, 9 Sept at 9pm (GMT) on BBC Four.

Out This Week

We've got reviews of brand-new records by Crowns, Emeralds, Jan Garbarek, Egberto Gismonti and Charlie Haden, Kidkanevil & Daisuke Tanabe, Manic Street Preachers, Meek Mill, Melody's Echo Chamber, P.O.S., Robbie Williams, Rolo Tomassi, Stars, Stubborn Heart, Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou and various Scottish rock bands.

The Best Albums of October 2012

2012-10-31T13:00:47Z

Straight to business – below are 10 really rather excellent new albums that were released in October 2012. They are by no means the only really rather excellent albums released in said period; merely, they are a representation of the quality the month had to offer. Check in with all of BBC Music’s album reviews by clicking to our week-ordered review pages.

- - -

Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d. city
(Polydor; released 22 October)
Recommended by: Gilles Peterson, Zane Lowe, Semtex

“Lamar is a proud California native, but this major label debut harbours more Southern ethos than West Coast gloss. As it plays, it’s clear that Lamar wants to fill the pondering void once occupied by OutKast rapper André 3000, whose philosophical rhymes made him one of hip hop’s most admired MCs. He’s still growing up, but he’s ready to take his place among the hip hop elite.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Swimming Pools (Drank) (external link)

- - -

Egyptian Hip Hop – GOOD DON’T SLEEP
(R&S; released 22 October)
Recommended by: Zane Lowe, Marc Riley

“After an extended break, Egyptian Hip Hop have now reassembled for a first album, and it’s every bit as accomplished, smart and unusual as those following their progress could have hoped for. Boasting a slick wash of production, yet still retaining an oddball feel; sounding young and fresh yet acknowledging an obvious debt to its predecessors: this debut is a clever, fascinating and intricate triumph.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: SYH (external link)

- - -

Halls – Ark
(No Pain In Pop; released 22 October)
Recommended by: Huw Stephens

“The debut album from south-Londoner Sam Howard, Ark features compositions which flex and pulse, that explode from stillness into glorious cacophony. These songs are marked by movement, where other purveyors of down-tempo, electro-coloured kind-of-nu-classical creations idly meander in circles for a 45-minute run-time. And it’s White Chalk, this set’s first single, which lifts the whole to unexpected heights.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: White Chalk (external link)

- - -

Bellowhead – Broadside
(Navigator; released 15 October)
Recommended by: Mike Harding

“It's all there in that name. Those three syllables suggest a hollering madman, and a ferocity that will – for the newcomer – seem far removed from folk music. But Bellowhead are one of the genre's 21st century success stories. We're more in the realm of The Pogues and Dexys, hanging out with a thinking-and-doing party band, who twist traditional tunes through rabble-rousing arrangements.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: 10,000 Miles (external link)

- - -

Metz – Metz
(Sub Pop; released 15 October)
Recommended by: Huw Stephens

“Blood simple and bloody minded, Metz’s half-hour self-titled debut is a welcome lurch straight for the jugular. The Canadians recall the cast of characters who graced the sub-legendary Amphetamine Reptile label, or Nottingham’s grotesquely unfashionable 90s riff-monsters Fudge Tunnel. Yet such is the urgency of aggro-blasts like Knife in the Water and Negative Space, that Metz is no retro throwback, no museum piece.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Wet Blanket (external link; contains strobe effects)

- - -

Jeff Lynne – Long Wave
(Frontiers Records; released 8 October)
Recommended by: Radio 2 Album of the Week, Alex Lester, Janice Long

“A subjective labour of love akin to Bowie’s Pin-Ups or Ferry’s These Foolish Things, which also carries elements of stripped-down self-exposure, Long Wave is infused with warm melancholy. If it never crackles with startling candour, you sense that’s because Lynne wants to pay simple homage to the tunes that formed him, rather than whip out his youthful diaries.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Have Mercy (external link)

- - -

Josephine – Portrait
(Ark Recordings; released 8 October)
Recommended by: Nemone, Alex Lester, Janice Long

“Often, the term ‘timeless’ only really functions in hindsight. But occasionally, something comes to the fore that transcends any concept of now, then, or otherwise. One such example is the debut album for 29-year-old Manchester native Josephine. She manages the rare feat of creating something both novel and nostalgic, yet with an identity entirely its own.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: What a Day (external link)

- - -

Tall Ships – Everything Touching
(Big Scary Monsters; released 8 October)
Recommended by: Huw Stephens

“Brighton-via-Cornwall troupe Tall Ships boast math-rock melodies seemingly hatched in shady laboratories and arrangements so complex that scientists could spend days puzzling over them. Yet the dizzying craftsmanship evident on this debut LP is never an obstacle. When an album like Everything Touching comes along, it’s enough to just take a step back and marvel at the brainpower.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: T=0 (external link)

- - -

Tame Impala – Lonerism
(Modular Recordings; released October 8)
Recommended by: Marc Riley, 6 Music Album of the Day, Nemone

“For all the Oz roots and American connection, this second album’s soul is so very British. Set the controls for the heart of the sun, matey, we’re going on a magical mystery tour. Tame Impala’s penchant for feeding everything through pedal-tastic reverb-flanging-Echoplexed-backwards-fuzzboz FX makes a shoegaze band resemble an acoustic folk duo by comparison.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Elephant (external link)

- - -

Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes
(Warp; released 1 October)
Recommended by: Gilles Peterson, Benji B, 6 Music Album of the Day

“While FlyLo’s previous work is bright and bouncy, this set is ambient and nocturnal. It’s a wistful journey through a mystical dream world that only he could construct. It’s an otherworldly excursion through our deepest states of unconsciousness. For a person so sonically inclusive, Until the Quiet Comes further catapults its maker into the cosmos and away from all things terrestrial. He’s the king of his domain, and there is no runner-up.”

Read the full BBC review
On YouTube: Until the Quiet Comes (A Short Film) (external link; contains scenes which some may find upsetting)

Rock and more - The week in BBC Music

2012-10-26T11:19:56Z

What you (haven't) missed (yet)

Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem

All week long it's been Radio 1 Rocks (it's hard to put that in the past tense, by the way), with live sessions from You Me at Six, Lower Than Atlantis, Biffy Clyro, The Gaslight Anthem and many more. There's an entire website all about it, with all the live sessions and interviews.

The Radio 1 documentary team and Daniel P. Carter talked to six of the UK's clutch of new rock bands about what it was like to start out, in a special hour-long doc called Rock: In The Beginning. You'll hear from Twin Atlantic, Bullet for My Valentine and more.

As The Asian Network gets ready to celebrate its 10th birthday next month, DJ Limelight and Kan D Man wrapped up their longstanding Mic Check show, with Rude Kid, Faze Miyaki and others in the studio. Stay tuned for what they get up to next...

Coming up

Manic Street Preachers

Opening for Led Zeppelin, touring with The Beatles, jamming with Eric Clapton? Why, it's Chas 'n' Dave, the mischievous Zeligs of rock. BBC Four's Chas & Dave: Last Orders chronicles the unsung history of these music hall maniacs, with interviews and long-forgotten footage from the byways of rock 'n' roll. It's on at 9pm (BST) tonight, Friday 26 Oct on BBC Four.

Radio 4's Swansong takes a look at the Manic Street Preachers' Holy Bible, the last Manics album to spring from the vision of Richey James Edwards, who disappeared five months after its release and was never seen again. It'll be on at the somewhat unlikely hour of 11:30am (BST), Tuesday 30 Oct on Radio 4.

If you've never heard this 14-minute programme about keys in music, you really should. Called Key Matters, each show looks at a different musical key and what it's signified historically to composers, performers and audiences. Tomorrow, Saturday 27 Oct it's on at 3:45pm (BST) and the subject is the apparently "austere" key of B-flat minor.

Out soon

We've got reviews of imminently dropping albums from 1982 + BJ Cole, Cody ChestnuTT, David Sanborn, Mick Hucknall, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Pangaea, Soothsayers, Stumbleine and The Velvet Underground.

Psych, folk & pianos - This week in BBC Music

2012-10-18T15:17:42Z

This week

AlunaGeorge in the Live Lounge

AlunaGeorge were in the Live Lounge for Trevor Nelson doing Your Drums, Your Love and a killer cover of Montell Jordan's This is How We Do it. Yes, you just read that right!

If you click through, you'll see that clip is part of BBC Music's Showcase, which lets you surf around genres and collections of the best music from around the BBC. You can spend a lot of time this way, we've found.

Kate Rusby sang live at the BBC Radio Theatre in London, doing songs from her new album, 20, which features classic songs from her 20-year folk career re-recorded with some of her favourite collaborators. So really this concert was something of a greatest hits performance, beguilingly spruced up with the likes of Nic Jones, Eddi Reader and Sarah Jarosz.

On Christmas Eve, 1955, The Weavers put on a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City that has gone down as one of the seminal moments in the re-awakening of the American folk music movement. Songs you know, like Goodnight, Irene, might have been lost to the mists of time if not for this single night of music, coming after years in the wilderness for The Weavers, who had been blacklisted by anti-Communist ideologues. Here, Pete Seeger and the surviving Weavers talk about putting on that show, and what it meant.

One of the cool things about iPlayer is that you can watch shows that were never broadcast to your TV to begin with. Sure, this BBC One documentary on Welsh composer Karl Jenkins has a natural appeal in Cymru, but Jenkins' music is played all over the British Isles and this documentary is a fascinating portrait of the man.

Coming up

Django Django

As the US Presidential race heads into the final stretch, many eyes will be on Wisconsin, one of the few "swing states" that could decide the election. Tim Rice's American Pie listens, rather than looks, at this little-known part of America on Sunday 21 Oct at 7pm (BST), part of Rice's titanic tour of the curiosities and classics of the American songbook, state by state, on Radio 2.

Starting Monday at 9am, Radio 1 Rocks all week long! There'll be Live Lounge appearances from Biffy Clyro, You Me at Six, Bullet for My Valentine and The Gaslight Anthem, and all sorts of exclusive stuff in the evenings with Zane Lowe and Daniel P. Carter.

If you've never listened to Radio 3's Piano Keys, it's a bit like the Gardener's Question Time of music programming. Listeners phone in with their questions about the piano, and a handful of genial experts attempt to answer them. This Monday 22 Oct it's on at 8:10pm (BST), presented by Sarah Walker.

Fresh off a tour of North America, psych rockers Django Django are live in session for 6 Music's Marc Riley on Tuesday 23 Oct at 7pm (BST), back in their London stomping grounds for a minute before heading off on a trip across Europe.

Out next week

We have reviews of records coming out by A Plastic Rose, Andy Burrows, Egyptian Hip Hop, Halls, Karriem Riggins, Lukid, Main Attrakionz, Martha Tilston, Paul Banks, Peter Broderick, Peter Gabriel, Stone Sour and We Are the Physics.

Apps and raps - This week in BBC Music

2012-10-12T10:08:03Z

This week

Guru

The big music news at the BBC this week was the unveiling of iPlayer Radio and its partner in crime, the iPlayer Radio smartphone app. It's currently available for the iPhone and described in some detail on the BBC Internet Blog. Android users sadly need to wait a little while longer for their version, but if you visit any BBC radio station in your smartphone's web browser you'll get a lot of the same stuff.

1Xtra just aired an hour-long documentary on Guru, the guy who teamed up with DJ Premier in perhaps the definitive old-school East Coast hip hop duo, Gang Starr, and who then went on to make the head-nodding smooth funk of Jazzmatazz, and whose final days were unfortunately complicated by controversy and misunderstanding. This is Part 1 of a series on "Gone Too Soon", a 1Xtra documentary strand on musicians whose lives were cut short; the next one is about ODB.

I bet you forgot about Late Junction. Well, Tuesdays' show was really good. Trust me, there is no way you'll have heard most of these acts, I don't care how many RSS feeds you follow. Verity Sharp presents Ska Cubano, master oudist Titi Robin, Xavier Rudd, Seaming To, Sundog and more.

You've got a day left to watch the special two-parter about the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour. Will you watch the documentary first, and then the restored movie? That's how it was presented on BBC Two, but with iPlayer you can swap it around. We'd suggest getting a full blast of the movie first, and then seeing it talked about afterwards. But to each his own.

Coming up

André Previn

Awalé will be live in session for World on 3 tonight 12 Oct at 11:00pm BST, doing their ensemble afrobeats thing. You'll also hear jams from Buenos Aires, Senegal, Bermuda, Mexico and more, presented by Lopa Kothari.

Right after that at 11:50pm BST you can catch the extended telecast of Later... with Jools Holland, this time with Jessie Ware, John Cale, Sharon Van Etten, The Vaccines and Beth Hart.

Sunday 14 Oct at midnight BST you've got Don Letts' show on 6 Music, where he'll be playing the likes of King Yoof, Slim Harpo, Neneh Cherry, Bobby Darin and Lucy Rose.

Earlier that evening, at 8pm BST on Radio 2, you can hear Part 1 of a four-parter about the life and music of André Previn, presented by Charles Hazlewood and written by Russell Davies, with contributions from the likes of Tom Stoppard.

And finally, the next wave of guest DJs have started on 1Xtra's 10pm-2am specialist shows – they include South Africa’s Petite Noir on Destination Africa with DJ Edu, Dismantle on Cameo, the mighty Gappy Ranks on Dancehall with Robbo Ranx and Lady Leshurr and Paigey Cakey with Semtex.

Out next week

We've got reviews of brand-new records out next week by Bat for Lashes, Bellowhead, Jake Bugg, Jason Lytle, Kylie Auldist, Leona Lewis, Martha Wainwright, Metz and Ultraísta.