Just listened to this for the first time in about 2 years and was instantly reminded of how incredible it is. A staple for a period when I had a wealth of questions that were a struggle to answer, and their complexity was maddening, this was so refreshing, it was like standing at the foot of a cascading waterfall.
Now, even when everything is pitch perfect, it sounds even better and more majestic.
Don’t lose your mind too much at 3.40.
I can’t wait for new material.
In a parallel universe, this is the best band in ‘the world’.
Or maybe, this universe.
Welcome to the Internet event of the year. Glad you could make it. Its a pretty big deal when you upstage Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Joey Barton’s Twitter, but hey, I’m pretty chilled out about the whole thing.
Let me preface this by saying numerous times over the course of the year, I felt 2011 seemed to be a very poor year for music on the whole. It was more about the news stories to be honest, wasn’t it? Music’s day in the Sun had belonged in 2010, it was time to melt into the shadows for this year. However, you’ld be surprised. When coming up with this particular list, it grew and grew and ended up becoming a labour of love to refine down to the final choices. The consolation prize of ‘honourable mentions’ showcase the depth of quality that was out there, so 2011, you weren’t so bad. Deceptive, one might say. Perhaps you’ll agree with the following assessment. Perhaps you’ll think it’s a load of old rubbish and ‘this fella doesn’t know what he’s on about’. (Possible, but not really) Either way, there is some great material here from the past year waiting to be discovered, so feel free to dive in if you haven’t already. Enjoy!
10. – The Weeknd – House of Balloons
After the likes of Drake and Frank Ocean, The Weeknd,(aka Abel Tesfaye) continued this very new tradition of releasing ‘Mixtapes’, which lets be straight, are plain albums. Either way, The Weeknd took the whole idea to a new level with the brilliance of House of Balloons. I was hellbent on believing I wouldn’t like it, and its only very recently that I bent my ear around it enough to see the full scope of Tesfaye’s ridiculous talent. I’ve never seen something with a basis in R ‘n’ B and Soul turn out quite like this. Clearly one who looks outside the box in terms of influences, the production is a series of intelligent reworks and mashed up samples of the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cocteau Twins and Beach House. Not a bad foundation to lay your concept on. Speaking of which, the concept is based on a series of nights, centred around the hedonism and characters within… underpinned by a powerful sense love that he tries to connect it all to. Rather than embracing the normal bitches n hoe’s template we’re jaded of, The Weeknd took to playing the enigmatic fly on the wall. Clever, eloquent and observant, he uses his full vocal range to convey his full range of emotions, whether it’s his remarkable Michael Jackson esque falsetto to illustrate a bruised love, or a captivating dulcet whispering into your ear, almost warning you as he goes. To the backdrop of such erudite production, the whole experience is a wonderfully riveting long player experience. ‘Move bitch, get out of the way’ it certainly ain’t.
9 - Bon Iver – Bon Iver
When Bon Iver was first released, the acclaim was pretty much universal, and adulation was instant. I didn’t see it at first, as I was probably hoping for the more folk centric side of his first release. How lazy of me. Luckily, Justin Vernon isn’t that lazy as an artist, and this album came as a complete surprise to everyone. That people instantly embraced this ‘new direction’ so passionately speaks volumes about his ability to produce something that is just so clearly good, no matter what. Ditching the acoustic guitar that confines one to folk, any instrument and production technique was seemingly adopted to expand the palate to atmospheric jazz and electronica, in order to create something unmistakably ambient and dreamlike. Indeed, journey, ambience and dreaminess seem to be core areas upon which the album revolves around. The moment I realised I thought it was amazing was listening to it in solitude, and all of a sudden realising I was completely entranced, spaced out and in a dreamlike state. That’s the power of Bon Iver, without noticing it at all, it will have the power to transport you to that place against your will. ‘Beth/Rest’ showed the genius of it all. Whoever thought the Melrose Place soundtrack could be made so utterly emotional
8 – Tune Yards - WHOKILL
For inventiveness, creativity and sheer power and eccentricity of voice, Tune Yards is guaranteed an entry. Its also convenient that the album happens to catchy as fook. What originally came about as an experimental side project, Tune Yards (aka Merrill Garbus) has now catapulted herself into critical acclaim territory with an outrageously whacky approach to composition. Banging a floor tom, a snare, maximising the effects of a loop pedal, and a ukelele never sounded so good. Probably because its never really been before. Everything here is driven by a raucous energy and a robust voice that bellows Garbus’s eccentric, rowdy and humourous opinions. WHOKILL is witty, brash, and brimming with a healthy vibrancy. All while being utterly, utterly original. Hats off.
7 - PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Its’ hard to give the Mercury Music Prize much respect. Especially when they dish it out to Klaxons (biggest joke of a band of all time), and need I say, Roni Size and M People getting the nod over Ok Computer and Parklife respectively. However, maybe this year it’s not too hard to argue. PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake was probably a deserved winner. An incredibly thoughtful and evocative concept album, Let England Shake showcases Polly Jean using War and Conflict as a basis to explore her affiliation to her homeland. Lyrically, its ridiculously rich and poetic, and her more mature, softer and atmospheric approach to the music compliments the patriotic sentiments perfectly. Eerie and sombre in parts, the war horns in ‘The Glorious Land’ sum up the entire feel of the record. Its almost as if she was soundtracking the dust settling on Waterloo. Amazingly executed, and consistently haunting. And a worthy winner, I might add. She has come a long way since the raw and aggressive Rid Of Me, achieving a polar type of brilliance here.
6 – The Field – Looping State Of Mind
I’d pretty much forgotten all about The Field after his brilliant ‘From Here We Go Sublime’, one of the undoubted highlights of 2007. What a pleasant surprise when he reappeared out of nowhere, maintaining and building on his niche and signature sound. The title seemed like a tongue in cheek bit of self deprecation at that very niche, whereas in fact, it’s probably a bold statement of confidence in a craft he can firmly call his own. The Field does looping, very, very well. He creates something brief that sounds magical, and rolls with it relentlessly. Sounds simple on paper, doesn’t it? Whereas to create the music that is consistently spread over ‘Looping State of Mind’, he has seemingly managed to inject raw bassy power, deft shoegazy ambience and relentless technoey drive. Punchy and almost club friendly, the emotion that lurks within maintains that this album is customised for immersed headphone listening. The only thing is, try and get past the first two tracks. Mesmerising.
5 – Toro Y Moi – Underneath The Pine
Chillwave is the spawn of Pitchfork, and a movement that is growing with its repertoire of artists. Washed Out proved to be another good example of an album that was warmly received this year, and dragging the genre further and further under the spotlight of popular culture, and seemingly being embraced by every hipster from Hackney to Williamsbiurg. The thing about chillwave however, is that at every turn, it could implode in itself by becoming boring and bland electronic fuzz. Toro Y Moi’s first album was credited with being a pioneer of the genre, but with his second, ‘Underneath The Pine’, he set himself apart with more of a dreamy pop album, bursting at the seams with hooks and melodies, giving it more feel good energy. There’s more instruments, clear chord arrangements and dancefloor sensibility. It is truly effortless to enjoy ‘Underneath the Pine’ A diverse record, it still has a wonderful consistency that lies in how beautifully upbeat it is. Press play from start to finish and feel the flow of the endorphins seep down.
4 – Real Estate – Days
Another band who returned stronger and polished on their second album, ‘Days’ is Real Estate ‘s proud showpiece of having inoffensive, jangly guitar music into a sleek charming pop vehicle. Unashamedly delicate, some of Days strongest moments are impossibly warming. There isn’t much urgency to Real Estate, they revel in being harmless, and may well have to up the ante in future records. But for now, ‘Days’ seems to have struck a perfect balance of engaging pleasancy. An album laced with gorgeous, complex harmonies, beautifully picked guitar notes, and in parts, some inventive song structures. ‘All the same’ is them at their best, a song that you never want to end, when they finally do gradually coast to draw to a close, they at least let you down gradually. A nice touch for an impossibly nice band and an impossibly nice album.
3 – White Denim – D
White Denim are amazing. Simple as. Why? I don’t know where to start really, but D is certainly a better place to find out. A relentless rollercoaster of an album from the word go, and doesn’t slow down or let go. Its an exhilaratingly entertaining trip. I’m going out on a limb and saying that the reason for this is probably that White Denim are the best example of controlled virtuosity I’ve ever had the pleasure come across. And D really, really rocks out. Like Television, Lynyrd Skynrd and Pink Floyd on a speed binge, and finding themselves playing in a jazz bar, it is rapidly dynamic and sheer instrumental brilliance. It would be madness if wasn’t so remarkably taut, cleverly structured and glued together with wonderfully complimentary vocals. And the Drums. THE DRUMS. Jesus H Christ, the crazed brilliance of the drums. D is one of those albums that when you finally have an opportunity to step back from the sheer enjoyment of it all, you ask yourself, how the hell did these freaks write and compose this? Scary thing is, its arguably not as good as their previous effort.
2 – M83 - Hurry Up, We’re dreaming
Double albums… Ridiculous, overly ambitious, totally bloated? They can be. Occasionally though, they can be pulled off. Anthony Gonzalez’s attempt to emulate Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness seems like he might just have done that. Whatever about it being a double album, as a whole catalogue of music it is stunning across the board, whilst retaining a healthy diversity and consistency. Apart from the grandiose ambition, Gonzalez also wanted to make undeniably soundtrack music for imaginary films, and that’s the feel of the record in a nutshell. There’s something amazingly 80’s and soundtracky about the whole thing, almost as though you’re watching a John Hughes film, witnessing a Duran Duran stadium sell out, or the premise and concept of Donnie Darko is being ripped up and explored all over again. Midnight City is the standout, unquestionably epic, rippling with power, there’s an overwhelming urge to fist pump the air a la Judd Nelson in the Breakfast Club. Not to mention a Saxophone solo that would put Raphael Ravenscroft of ‘Baker Street’ fame to shame. There’s plenty of anthems, piano ballads, tender moments and quirky joys all packed in here, fit to grace any soundtrack, and any radio station. Aim very much achieved.
1. Metronomy – The English Riviera
As with last year, and so it should be, the album of the year is the one that I listened to most, and straight through. Showcasing endless endurance and consistency across each track is the ultimate aim, and in 2011, Metronomy achieved that in abundance. The English Riviera has everything. It’s an intelligent and forward thinking pop record, laced with accessible electronica, funky basslines, boy girl harmonies, razor sharp and impossibly catchy guitar riffs and the perfect balance between singles and album tracks that are loaded with rich substance. Resuscitating electro was always going to be hard, but Metronomy have resurrected much of its finer aspects. The English Riviera is a highly enjoyable record from start to finish. And one you will struggle viciously to get the songs out of your head. Says it all really. The undoubted album of the year for me, not to mention the slick artwork to match. Take a bow Torquay.
Honourable mentions go to Little Dragon – Ritual Union for doing electro pop proud, John Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves, for marrying Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffitti and Animal Collective into a polished and delightfully eccentric record, Atlas Sound – Parallax for providing another sterling example of Bradford Cox’s relentless growth as a composer, and Bill Callahan – Apocalypse for having the years most inventive take on the singer songwriter/folk bracket.
Top 5 Songs:
1. M83 – Midnight City
2. Radiohead – Separator
3. The Weeknd – House of Balloons – Glass Table
4. Real Estate – All The Same
5. Metronomy – Love Underlined
Disappointments:
Not that they were crushingly poor, but there was one or two notable damp squibs in 2011. Radiohead’s King Of Limbs was a fine effort, just not by their exalted standards. It did contain some classically special moments, and ‘Separator’ for example, still showed them at their best, with an uncanny ability to pang your chest. On the whole, It was good, just not that good. Full sentiments were expressed here:
http://eclecticpicnic.tumblr.com/post/4312699173/the-king-of-limbs-some-objectivity-please
CANT’S Dream Come True was shaping up to be the musical event of the year, with Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor’s debut solo effort (with a helping hand from Twin Shadow) being driven with a frenzy of anticipation upon release. It all looked so promising, upon first listen, until the blunt realisation that the first half of the release was front loaded with stompers, before embarrassingly running out of steam quite quickly. Despite the hype, CANT largely flattered to deceive. Although ‘The Edge’ was up there amongst the tracks of the year.
Tip for 2012:
John Talabot slowly grew in stature in 2011 with a litany of stellar remixes, epic DJ sets, and his label ‘Hivern’ putting both he, and Spanish dance very much on the international map. Anything he touched seemed to be met with critical adulation, and with such steady growth, you might say 2011 was his year. Perhaps. I’ll put my neck on the line and say, with his forthcoming debut album due out in January, Talabot is going to achieve even greater acclaim in 2012, and will explode due to the fact he is about to release the years first truly stellar album. Its going to be off the charts, I can GUARANTEE that now. Something to look forward to, muy bueno.
Just in the mood for the posting of an underrated classic track that may have passed you by, but is clearly another bit of self indulgence on my part considering there was a recent enough Smiths related post. You guessed it, Morrissey is involved to some extent. I got hooked on this track a couple of weeks ago and am still blasting it out on a daily basis. I’m in no way to say I’m ashamed to either, despite the fact that the album its on, 1995’s Southpaw Grammar, was strangely panned by so many critics. ‘Dagenham Dave’ was the lead off single from that album, and is a brilliant, rollicking and snide slice of pop rock that is ludicrously catchy in its simplicity.
Indeed, is that why it was so panned? Probably the most simplistic example of Moz’s lyrics, and perhaps deemed ‘lazy’ compared to his other efforts, some may think slagging off working class pie/lager consumers such as the likes of Dagenham Dave, is too easy. But thats just it. Its classic, shrewd observational wit, and it does the trick. Especially when you’ve got it hooked around a chorus like that, and a beefy duelled guitar attack that drives the whole thing. Not to mention the swirling strings of the middle eight. Nothing like a nice cynical reference or two from Moz to arouse a wry chuckle, and you can’t help it still all applies to our Dave’s, Karen’s and Sharon’s. Or Ted Terry’s dealing Coke in Barking boozers… You see? 15 years later and he’s still not far wide of the mark…
Its funny, its catchy, and its punchy. Above all, including its slight glance towards ‘social commentary’, its just a great single, undoubtedly one of his underrated best. The critics obviously weren’t aware he could do stripped down simplicity, but he could do it just as well as all his other work. God knows as a piece of cultural output, its got to be better than ‘Made In Dagenham’ anyway…
Apologies for the lack of posts recently (that is, if you’ve ever actually viewed here…), I’ve been in the midst of a hectic and utterly unsettled and chaotic period. But who cares. What we need to care about is how good Twin Shadow is.
The project of George Lewis Jr, a New Yorker who has emerged from under the wing and tutelage of Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, Twin Shadow’s ‘Forget’ is probably the most polished release of the year so far, in no thanks to Lewis’s array of musical vision, ambition and desire and Taylor’s masterful production and ability to create the exact soundscapes he envisages. The official release date for the record was today, as far as I’m aware (I’m pretty sure thats an American only date too) but I’ve been digesting it for the last few weeks and can’t stop listening to it straight through. ‘Forget’ is a model of consistency from start to finish, and where its difficult to both pinpoint and neglect particular moments. It also may be slightly premature to predict but given that its one of the first releases from Taylor’s ‘Terrible’ label, we could see the Grizzly Bear bassist begin to become an even more influential figure in terms of industry, and emerge as a core pivot of some of the most important new music to come out of New York from here on in.
This is all beating around the bush though, as the backbone of this record is Lewis’s writing and delivery. He doesn’t hold back lyrically, at all, which gives his vocals an earnest and powerful feel. A self confessed bedroom producer and workaholic, its easy to see that he poured his soul into the emotive substance of the record, and thankfully his voice has both the range, melodic sensibility and variety to pull this off. The peculiar combination that drives all of this originality and sets ‘Forget’ apart though, is the prodigious way Lewis moulds his emotional outlook with a shamelessly synth and bass heavy backdrop. You probably won’t hear a better collection of basslines on one album this year(particularly because Andy Rourke and John Taylor aren’t too active thes days) and the the synths would be perfectly at home in some of the finest hi end pop of the eighties. Lewis Jr is essentially a fiend for some of the finest the eighties had to offer, and knew exactly what ingredients he was pouring into his melting pot when conjuring this record up.
Obviously it needed a piece de resistance to make it jump out of the ordinary and fulfil the raw potential of Lewis’s strategically emotive eighties vision. Enter Taylor, the backbone and architect of the Grizzly Bear sound, and probably one of the most revered figures in Indie circles today. God knows what shrines they have to him in the Pitchfork offices. A production whiz already, Lewis and Taylor were a match made in heaven in terms of outlook, and indeed having discovered him, Taylor proved to be the backbone of the encouragement needed for Lewis to realise his ambition for ‘Forget’. He proved to be the perfect master, as their similar appreciation for Yacht Rock and glossy eighties touches provide the polish and sheen for this record throughout. Indeed, Taylor proved to be the impetus between a collaboration between Grizzly Bear and Michael McDonald last year, and the tidy guitar licks and solos, lush synths and undulating vocals pay homage to what was once a whole genre of guilty pleasure, but is now wholly appreciated for its pop brilliance. While we’ve always referred back to the eighties as first ‘port’ of call to savour this type of pop, I reckon Twin Shadow’s is one of the first examples of a record that boasts that masterful pop template, but with a wholly unique addition of complexity and depth, thus making it a pretty gripping listen from start to finish. ‘Tyrant Destroyed’ is a pretty emotive opener, laying down a marker of intent, and you certainly know all about how good this production is as soon as that bass drum kicks in… ‘Yellow Balloon’ is an unbelievably layered synth track, and could easily claim a place on Erlend Oye’s DJ Kicks, or something of that ilk of club mix. ‘Slow’, the track featured in the video (and the first single) is unashamedly filled with attitude and one of the most marauding basslines on the album. The chorus is an absolute stomper, and you can either pump your fist through your denim jacket, or form a montage in a darker version of ‘The Breakfast Club’, take your pick.
Despite this variety, the record is effortlessly seamless as a long player, which is a huge credit to the simbiotic efforts of Lewis and Taylor. Expect Twin Shadow to feature in many an end of year poll, or just explode in terms of name checking/referencing coolness. So get stuck in now just so you can say you were into Twin Shadow before the ‘dickheads’. Or that one day you can say you ‘preferred the earlier stuff’ with some feeling…
I’m going to be a bit self indulgent, and raid the archives for one of my all time favourite songs here. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the first time you may have come across it. ‘Unsatisfied’ by The Replacements is one I revisit on a consistent basis, and every couple of months I give it a good thorough rinsing, just to savour what should essentially be Paul Westerberg’s epitaph, and one of the finest songwriter’s of the eighties finest moments. Of course, its not a smash hit, or stadium rock pleaser. Instead, its a tour de force catchy single, but packed full of depth, emotion and powerful rawness.
Westerberg and The Replacements(like compatriots Husker Du) will be forever associated as a band who didn’t get the credit they deserved, and with a relentless self destructive streak that constantly undermined the success they really should have earned. However, for this reason, ‘Unsatisfied’ is a markedly appropriate anthem for a band and singer who are associated with unfulfilled potential, tragedy and regret. All of this gives ‘Unsatisfied’ an even more affective sheen when listened to, as the song encapsulates so much about said unfulfillment, being down on your luck and a multitude of defeated emotions. Indeed, the song is driven by Westerberg’s bruised, painful vocal, with his frustration becoming more aching, affective and exposed with the unleashing of an increasingly uncontrolled passion towards the end. With the beginning of the song a memorable, melodic, gripping and almost elegiac guitar intro,(many people’s favourite part!) its pretty appropriate that the listener gets sucked in, and indeed strapped in from there on in for Westerberg’s frustrated and painful musings. And this is exactly it. ‘Unsatisfied’ deserves your undivided attention, for it is a serious individual listening experience, and a private one you can immerse yourself in. Its quite cathartic in a sense, as it speaks the volumes of whatever experiences might not have worked out for you.
Its not ‘depressing’, despite the adjectives I alluded to earlier, but instead its merely more emotive and powerful, and provides that certain something you need to latch onto when the occasion calls for it. God knows its been a personal anthem, and surely it has served a similar purpose for so many others. I was pleasantly surprised to see it pop out of nowhere in the highly enjoyable ‘Adventureland’ recently, where it was the highlight of an excellent soundtrack. I had to allow a smile for the fact that The Replacements were getting some long overdue recognition, and that so much more people were going to strike a connection with this song. I am sure all of us will readily identify with it at some point or another, as James Brennan does in Adventureland. Luckily for him, things worked out well. For others who identify with ‘Unsatisfied’, maybe not so. Either way, its a richly layered aural experience that should definitely resonate. So get those headphones, block the rest out and get personal…
‘And it goes so slowly on
Everything I’ve ever wanted
Tell me what’s wrong
Look me in the eye
And tell me that I’m satisfied
Were you satisfied?
Look me in the eye
Then, tell me I’m satisfied
And now are you satisfied?
Everything goes
Well, anything goes all of the time
Everything you dream of
Is right in front of you
And everything is a lie’
Justice wish they could sound like this. But they don’t. And don’t quite cut it. And just aren’t as good. I bring you Onra. Mechanical. From the very slick album ‘Long Distance’.
The Duckworth Lewis Method - Mr. Blue Sky
Even if I said, ‘Ever heard of Pugwash?’, you’re unlikely to return with an affirmative either. I’d like to think that with the success of The Duckworth Lewis Method, this would change. However, I’m still pretty sure most of you will be blissfully unaware. Walsh is indeed one half of The Duckworth Lewis Method (alongside The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon), and any acclamation or publicity the duo received for last year’s brilliant self titled cricket concept album would be long overdue praise for Walsh, who fronts Pugwash as the day job, and is in his own right a bit of a pop maestro, albeit completely unsung. He is no R-Patz, and is therefore not exactly a marketer’s dream, but this is certainly no justifiable reason for the jolly Dubliner to have been ignored by the mainstream for so long, especially considering how adept his approach to pure and classic pop is.
A purist and firm believer in what constitutes proper pop music, Walsh takes all his cues from the finest classic sources, echoing the likes of the Kinks, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Electric Light Orchestra, and perhaps his biggest influence, new wave popsters XTC. Coming from this stable, Walsh is also armed with a firm but gentle voice of great range, and an ability to write hooks and melodies that truly sound out, and is a master of the catchy chorus and resonating lyric. A productively spent youth turning his garden shed into a studio also means that he leaves no stone unturned when it becomes to production techniques and values. Expect every release Walsh puts his hand to to have a massive array of instrumentation and depth in production. The Duckworth Lewis Method album is a good example, or just simply the fact he somehow pooled the resources together and managed to record a string section in Abbey Road for Pugwash album Jollity.
Whilst the success of the DLM is long overdue, this should really provide a surge of motivation for fans to go back and explore the Pugwash back catalogue, which consists of four studio albums dating back to 1999’s Almond Tea, which I think is the best, and an absolute underrated pop gem. In an era where pop music is dare I say it, demoralising, and is defined by that generic and uniform backing track Lady GaGa seems to use all the time, I think it would help any true music lover to return to the roots, and discover what the essence of a true upbeat pop record is all about. Thomas Walsh embodies this approach to both songwriting and pop music, so if you still haven’t heard of him, now is a good time to discover both him, and real pop music.
The video included above may be from Podge and Rodge, but is a great cover version by Walsh and Hannon of ELO’s classic, Mr Blue Sky, and sums up the duo’s musicianship and dab pop hand. Its just a great performance. For those wishing to discover Pugwash, the following is a link to 1999’s Almond Tea, the first and probably best example of their work. For Spotify users, a best of from the last decade, entitled ‘Giddy’, is available.
Giles Smith is always more referenced as the dude who ‘organises’ the Secret Sundaze parties, rather than being recognised as a DJ in his own right. Fact is, he’s a pretty bloody fantastic DJ, and has selected probably my favourite CD Mix ever (The Secret Sundaze Mix Volume 1) He’s also supplied probably the best set I’ve personally enjoyed out this year, whilst supporting Todd Terje at Secret Sundaze atop the Centre Point. In fact, thats him in the ‘On Air’ photo I took below. So obviously I’m a big fan, and he would easily rank as one of my favourite House DJ’s going. I’m a man of simple pleasure, but if you’re competent mixer, and you have as good a taste in top quality house as Smith does, then I’m hardly going to nitpick. Given he’s only starting to become more active in producing now, and never really plays the likes of Fabric, Smith’s name is never mentioned in the same breath as other prominent House DJ’s and Producers. If you’ve never heard any of his mix CD’s, or have always been too casually (and in East London) fashionably late to catch him at a SS gig, here’s a chance to sample some expertly selected house with this sterling mix. Just click on the title to check out and download a recent set he did for audioFAMILIES. In classic Smith style its a mellow and very deep starter, but you’ll realise why I big him up when you hear the Moodymann drop, and where he takes the set from there. Its sumptuous stuff, with some exquisite records garnished throughout. Enjoy. It could even make you think you’re in Cork in 1997, like…
Pint of Beamish there bud…
