Saturday 11 June 2016

BEST AND WORST NEW TRACKS OF THE WEEK 11/06/2016: DJ Khaled, DJ Shadow, Nails and more...


A lot of marmite choices this week. You’ll love them, or hate them. It’s been a curious week…


THE BEST:


'Behemooth' - Moulettes


Tired of the same old-fashioned four-piece rock formula? Try this bonkers band on for size. That’s a bassoon and an electric cello, in case you were wondering what those freaky alien instruments were. Comparisons have been made to nerdy 70s prog-legends Gentle Giant, which I hear, although I’d argue these Brighton-based mutants are a league above on the crazy table. In other words, they’re everything I look for in my music.

'CRYBABY' - ABRA



‘I am not Poseidon/ but I ride him through the rip tide’. I don’t know what the heck that means, but I’m loving it. The self-proclaimed DΔRKWΔVE DUCHΞSS delivers this quirky but tasty slice of pop cheese, her echoey vocals dancing over the old-skool beat. Most importantly, there's some 808 cowbell in there. Enough said.

'For Free' - DJ Khaled ft. Drake & Nineteen85



When was the last time Drake saw sunlight? He’s been putting out hits so often lately, I’m surprised he finds time to leave the recording studio. Still, I shouldn’t be putting him down, considering he’s just blessed us with this new summery jam. The smooth head-bobbing beat comes courtesy of Toronto producer, Nineteen85. As for DJ Khaled’s contribution – as always a mystery, although he seems to have main credit for the song as usual. He takes the time to shout ‘we the best!!!’ at the beginning. I guess that’ll have to do…

'Bergschrund' - DJ Shadow & Nils Frahm



A producer actually worthy of his DJ title – Californian electronic artist DJ Shadow teams up with Berlin-based beatsmith Nils Frahm to deliver this glitchy instrumental banger. A ‘bergschrund’ is a cleft found on a glacier or mountain according to my internet research (never know, may come in handy in a pub quiz) and certainly sums up the jagged, icy atmosphere of the track.

'Life Is A Death Sentence' - Nails


What a beautifully romantic song title in time for summer, plus such a pleasant little breakdown there at the 50 second mark. Yes, US grindcore act Nails are back, and they’re sounding heavier than ever, impossibly heavy, so heavy they’re likely to develop their own orbit soon. Non-metal fans may liken this to nails down a blackboard. Metal fans will liken it to nailing a porn star. At least you could never criticise them for being too subtle.

THE WORST:

'Britain’s Coming Home (Brexit Song)' - Mandy Boylett


Regardless of which way you choose to swing your vote in the EU Referendum, I think we can all agree this is trash of the highest order. Team Brexit need to put some serious work in if they stand any chance of matching the likes of Gruff Rhys’s ‘I loveEU’.