Welcome back to the Nowhere Bros podcast! In this episode we are joined by music enthusiast, mixtape fiend, and all round GC Finn McGowan to survey the state of music distribution in 2016. Topics of conversation include exclusive releases, the battle between streaming platforms, the rise of the mixtape and much more.
Note: All our podcasts are now on Mixcloud.com. You can catch up on episodes you have missed, as well as catch future podcasts from us here at Nowhere Bros on our Mixcloud page at www.mixcloud.com/NowhereBros
2016 continues to produce amazing music. I’ve been
thinking whether in fact 2016 is the best year for music in over twenty years. I
did some research to see how consistent other years have been, and in my
opinion this year has been the best year for music since 1994. The last three
months of releases have been no different from the previous six months in terms
of quality, with new albums from the Avalanches, Blood Orange, BadBadNotGood
and of course Frank Ocean. Considering this, picking my top twenty tracks from
this period was again very difficult, and again many tracks missed out by a
whisker.
Before Wildflower dropped, it had
been sixteen years since the Avalanches last album. So, as with any long gap
between records, I was excited, but at the same time nervous to hear their new
offering. Thankfully the album pops, and the first full-length track on the
album sets the tone for the rest of the record, with big horns and a cameo from
hip hop duo Camp Lo. They began with a bang in 2000, and came back with a bang
in 2016.
Brown Girl – Aaradhna
New Zealand soulstress Aardhna came
back in 2016 after a four-year break to release her most commercially successful
album to date “Brown Girl”. And although, to me, the album seems a bit
disjointed, the title track is stunning and contains a great soulful vocal from
one of this country’s modern-day great singers.
Bus In These Streets – Thundercat
Thundercat teased a potential new
album with the Beach Boys-sounding psych-pop track “Bus In These Streets”.
Produced by Flying Lotus, it sounds very different from his other work, but in
a good way, and one can only hope that his inevitable second record drops soon.
Come Near Me (feat. Ghostpoet) – Massive Attack
2016 has been a very busy year for
Massive Attack. They released an EP in 2010, have toured, while 3D has been
linked to the identity of infamous graffiti artist Banksy. They haven’t
released a full-length album since 2010, but with the release of this gloomy
down-tempo track “Come Near Me” and the reputation these guys have for
surprising their fans, a new record might not be far away from Bristol’s
finest.
Digging For Windows – Zach de la Rocha
Talk of Rage Against the Machine’s
former front-man releasing solo material has been around for years. He has the
name recognition, he has the talent, so when was the music coming? Well, while
his other Rage band-mates tour as part of Prophets of Rage, Zach released the
first single off his now officially announced solo record that will drop next
year. Produced by Run the Jewels El-P, I would describe “Digging For Windows”
as techno-rap, and, on first listen, I instantly liked what I heard. Roll on
2017 I say.
E.V.P. – Blood Orange
Dev Hynes aka Blood Orange has
released one of the best R&B records of 2016 in “Freetown Sound”. And one
of the standout tracks from the album was “E.V.P.”, which to my ears has quite
an 80s Sade/George Michel feel to it. It’s glorious beat, catchy chorus, and
Debbie Harry’s guest vocal appearance makes this essential listening.
Harambe – Young Thug
Young Thug is one of the busiest and
arguably most progressive artists around at the moment, having released three
mixtapes this year alone. This track, named after the famous gorilla Harambe is
from his latest release “Jeffery”. The track is an out and out banger and
reinforced to this non-trap fan that this very popular genre can in fact
produce good tunes.
In Your Eyes
(feat. Charlotte Day Wilson) – BADBADNOTGOOD
Jazz is making a comeback to the
mainstream and I am loving it. Most of this is down to the great label
Brainfeeder, but also acts like BadBadNotGood who released their stunningly
good record “IV” in July. This track “In Your Eyes” featuring vocals by
Charlotte Day Wilson is a beautiful example of contemporary jazz, and highlights
to me why this genre, often maligned by mainstream ears, is in a strong place
right now.
JoHn Muir -
Schoolboy Q
Hip hop has had a very strong year
in 2016 and Schoolboy Q’s album “Blank Face LP” is one of the reasons why. In
an album that is filled to the brim with great production and fantastic lyrics,
the track “JoHn Muir” is one of the standouts, with its infectious beats and an
aggressive vocal proving that Q is one of the best rappers in the game at the
moment.
Lose (feat. Cassie) –
Travis Scott
(excuse the shitty video - blame Apple Music for having exclusives)
Travis Scott is another one of the up
and coming artists in the very competitive hip hop game. He’s just dropped a
very solid album via Apple Music “Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight”, an album
that contains plenty of groovy bangers like this one. It is testament to his
popularity globally that his upcoming show here in Auckland sold out in quick
time.
Lying Has To
Stop – Soft Hair
Alternative darling Connan Mockasin has teamed up with
LA artist Sam Dust for a new collaborative project Soft Hair. They have an
album coming out in October, and released a teaser of what to expect with this
falsetto-laden pop goody “Lying Has To Stop”.
Moonbeam – LEISURE
If you follow this blog you will
know I have been banging on about LEISURE since they dropped their first track
“Got It Bad” last year. Since then they have continued the pattern of releasing
one off singles every few months. Well, that is about to end with the
announcement their self-titled debut album will finally drop in October. This
spacey new track “Moonbeam” is the first single, and if it is anything to go
by, the album should be a good listen.
The most anticipated album in years
dropped last month. Yes, after delays, rumors, unexplained video streams, and a
video album release, Frank Ocean finally gave us his second album “Blonde”. It
took a few listens to really appreciate its beauty, but if you give it some
time it really is a beautiful record with gorgeous tracks like this one “Pink +
White”.
Reality
Check (feat. Eryn Allen Kane & Akenya) – Noname
Noname is a hip hop artist out of
Chicago who has already gained a strong reputation by featuring on two Chance
the Rapper mixtapes. She has also just released her very own mixtape “Telefone”,
which was a more than solid debut featuring great R&B tracks like this one.
When I tell people there are shades of Lauryn Hill on this record I mean it,
and I feel there is plenty more to come from this talented artist.
“Self Control” was one of the
highlights off “Blonde”, featuring a beautiful vocal by Frank and some really
nice delicate acoustic guitar playing. It also contains one of the lines of the
year in the form of “I’ll be the boyfriend in your wet dreams tonight”. The
first time I listened to this song was one of those rare moments where a song
completely captures your attention and takes you away with it. In that four minute
period, nothing else mattered.
Shadow Man
(feat. Saba, Smino & Phoelix) –
Noname
Another excellent track of Noname’s
debut “Telefone”. This one has more of a gospel feel to it and also features
fellow Chance the Rapper collaborators in the form of Saba, Smino and Phoelix.
What is it with Chance discovering new hip hop and R&B talent?
Snoopies (feat.
David Byrne) – De La Soul
Seminal hip hop group De La Soul
have returned after twelve years with the crowdfunded album “and the Anonymous
Nobody...”. Considering how much effort it took for these guys to release
another record, this comeback is very solid, with some excellent tracks and a
nice flow across the record. “Snoopies” is one of those excellent tracks and
features one of the kings of pop David Byrne doing his best David Bowie
impersonation.
Sweet Dissatisfaction
– Lawrence Arabia
Lawrence Arabia is one of New
Zealand’s best songwriters of the last decade, and if anyone can write a pop
melody it is him. Because of this, I expected him to deliver on his latest
album “Absolute Truth”. Tracks like “Sweet Dissatisfaction” hark back to 60s
baroque pop with horns, lush melodies, and at times quite beautiful harmonies.
If you get a chance, go see Lawrence at the WonderGarden new years eve festival
in Auckland, it should be a beauty.
The Halfwit In Me – Ryley Walker
Following on from his acclaimed 2015
album “Primrose Green”, American singer-songwriter Ryley Walker is back with
another record. Walker is unique in that he is an American playing Nick
Drake-inspired English folk music, something which to my
eyes never really took off in the US. However, what he does, he does well, and
this track from “Golden Sings That Have Been Sung” could have you thinking he
is actually English after all.
We Don’t
Give A – NAO
Probably my find of the year. NAO is a British singer who is making big waves at the moment with her unique brand of contemporary R&B. Her debut record “For All We Know” is a stunningly good first up effort with great production and very cleverly crafted R&B tunes. One of these is the club banger “We Don’t Give A”, a track that hooked me on first listen with its massive bass-heavy beats and catchy as hell chorus. The album was so good, it immediately went into my top ten releases of 2016.
After weeks of rumor, speculation, release dates and
non-release dates we finally have the new Frank Ocean record. It is called “Blonde”
and it comes off the back of his visual release “Endless”. So as I sat down to
take a listen, I decided to take notes as I went, jotting down things that
immediately came to me as I listened.
Here is the un-edited version of my first time
listening experience to “Blonde”
“Nikes”
The first single off the album. Video dropped
yesterday and is amazing. Really cool warped vocals.
“Ivy”
Nice soulful track. Classic Frank Ocean.
“Pink + White”
Soulful R&B with a nice beat.
“Be Yourself”
Spoken word track addressing socio-economic issues.
Really cool public service piece.
“Solo”
Again very soulful with the addition of some beautiful
organ.
“Skyline To”
Very melancholy and slow. What sounds like a Rhodes
Piano is a nice addition.
“Self Control”
Really cool bluesy guitar throughout. Soulful vocals
make this one of the album’s highlights.
“Good Guy”
Another short track with more Rhodes Piano.
“Nights”
Contemporary R&B with a solid beat. Changes tempo
halfway through with an interesting guitar segue.
“Solo (Reprise)”
Andre3000 spitting mad bars. Fuck yes!!!
“Pretty Sweet”
Choir-like vocals, storming electric start. Changes
tempo again halfway through.
“Facebook Story”
Another spoken word track. This time it sounds like a
French guy talking about Facebook.
“Close to You”
A Carpenters cover? Again, very short with auto-tuned
vocals.
“White Ferrari”
Absolutely gorgeous double tracked vocals. Very melancholy
with a delicate acoustic guitar.
“Seigfried”
Atmospheric soul track. The first track where I lost
interest. A bit boring.
“Godspeed”
Some nice organ appears again. Very soulful/gospel
vocals. Is that Beyonce at the end?
“Futura Free”
Starts off with someone rapping, I think it is Frank.
Slow start, but then the beat kicks in around 3mins. Silence around 5min before
what appears to be a hidden track made up of audio of someone asking personal
questions to other people.
If 2016 is remembered for anything, aside of course
from the great music released, it will be the year that music distribution and
consumption changed forever. Streaming has pretty much overtaken CD’s and digital
downloads in terms of how we consume our music and also how artists release
their music. More and more artists are turning to streaming platforms to
release their music, including many with exclusive releases on particular
platforms. I am thinking Beyonce and Kanye on Tidal, and when, and if it is
released Frank Ocean’s latest album “Boys Don’t Cry”. With this, many are also
bypassing the physical release including Kanye who thinks the album is dead,
and Chance the Rapper, the mixtape master whose latest release “Coloring Book”
is only available online. The rise of streaming also comes with the news that
Apple supposedly will phase out their digital download iTunes store in a few
years choosing instead to invest all their effort into ensuring the success of
Apple Music and Beats 1 Radio.
The smaller artists are also staying online when it
comes to releasing their work. Bandcamp and SoundCloud every year seem to
become bigger and bigger with artists releasing more of their work through
these sites and regularly to. Take Auckland’s Grow Room, a music collective
based on Karangahape Road. They have a Bandcamp page where they drop their
official releases, while the artists involved also have their own individual
SoundCloud pages where they drop beats and unreleased tracks every week it
seems. This avalanche of new music makes it very hard to keep up at times with
their being too much music and not enough time to digest it all. You get round
to familiarizing yourself with an artist’s latest E.P. or mixtape and then they
drop something else.
So what does this mean? Well, the idea of music
ownership is slowly disappearing. Yes CD’s and digital downloads are not done
yet, people still want to own their music, while the vinyl revival won’t die
any time soon. But with the prominence of subscription-based streaming platforms
and artists taking control over how and when they release their music, it won’t
be too long before the idea of owning “most” of your music will become a
foreign concept for most. With streaming you are paying a company which allows
you access to their collection, while previously when you bought a CD or paid
for a download you then had ownership of that product. As someone who grew up
during both the CD boom and the high-water mark of the digital download, as
well as a person who has embraced streaming, I am still coming to terms with
this idea as music ownership is still a concept that means something to me. I
don’t think I will be able to let go of my CD’s, of my downloads, of my iTunes
collection as I have spent ten years building my collection and curating it
within the knowledge that something like a music stream was never going to
become as big as it has done. I love streaming, Spotify has changed the way I
consume music, but I am not 100% supportive of the idea that I have to use an
online platform to listen to my music, and that the music I am listening does
not come in a physical form whether mp3, tape, record or CD.
With changes in the way we consume music, we are also seeing
artists become more inventive when it comes to how they release music. Now I am
not saying inventive releases have never happened before, but it seems to
becoming the norm for artists to keep audiences guessing when it comes to
release dates, and indeed how their music drops. This year alone, Beyonce
dropped her release “Lemonade” out of the blue with an accompanying film,
Radiohead teased fans with snippets from their music video for “Burn The Witch”
before dropping the song and then the album, while David Bowie released his
record “Blackstar” several days before he tragically passed away. Then, there
was Kanye. There was an expected release date for “The Life Of Pablo” under a
different name, then the name changed again, then the album was pushed back,
then it was released exclusively on Tidal and then he continued to update it
even after it was released. Has thing ever happened before? An artist making
changes to their music even after the release of the record. And if you thought
Kanye playing with people was big, what about Frank Ocean. His second studio
release is one of the most anticipated in recent years, but after two rumored
release dates which had the effect of whipping social media into frenzies we
are still waiting. Ocean updated his website with a mysterious library card
showing possible release dates, while just last week a stream appeared that
suggested the album was near and would be exclusive to Apple Music. After
questions around the survival of the album, 2016 has seen the album release as
an event return, something that had not really been the case since the 1990s.
With interest high and hype through the roof for albums such as “A Moon Shaped
Pool”, “The Life of Pablo”, and “Boys Don’t Cry”, one thing is for certain,
people might not be buying albums as much as they used to, but the interest is
still there for the long player. Testament to this is how album releases or indeed
non-releases have been received in 2016 so far. .
In concluding this piece, we are living in changing,
but interesting times when it comes to music consumption and distribution. No
one quite knows what is going to happen next, or indeed which direction the
industry is going in. But, one thing is sure, things are moving quickly and everyone
is watching each other carefully. With this the case, as a keen observer of the industry it keeps me
hooked on the goings on knowing that we really are living in a revolutionary
time for music.
We are halfway through 2016 and what a year it has been for music. This pretty much continues on from the marker laid down by 2015, which to my ears was the best year for music in a long time. So many good albums have come out so far, and with the anticipation for more great albums to come, 2016 is lining up to match 2015 for music quality. With this in mind, here are my personal top twelve records of 2016 so far.
1. David Bowie - Blackstar
2. Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered
3. Average Rap Band - El Sol (NZ)
4. Anderson Paak - Malibu
5. The Growroom - Exhibition III (NZ)
6. Kaytranada - 99.9%
7. SWIDT - SWIDT vs Everybody (NZ)
8. Miles Davis & Robert Glasper - Everything's Beautiful
9. Terrace Martin - Velvet Portrait
10. Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come to Expect
We are halfway through the year and what a year it has been so far for music. The amount of new music that has come out in the last three months has made picking my top twenty tracks for the period April to June a tough ask. It was really a case of what to leave out rather than what to include, something that can be put down to the quality of tracks dropping. We really are living in a bit of a golden age for music at the moment and this list I feel is reflective of that.
Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You? (remix) - Funkadelic featuring Ice Cube and Kendrick Lamar
George
Clinton is a living legend who often does not get the respect he deserves,
especially from the industry itself. This track is a remix from the last
Funkadelic album released in 2014 and it is a straight out banger. Featuring
guest spots by Kendrick Lamar and Ice Cube, if this track is anything to go by,
then there are still new tricks in the old atomic dog yet.
Another Century - Lawrence Arabia
The
second track we have heard off his impending forth album “Absolute Truth”. This
one has a strong George Harrison feel to it in the form of a great melody and
some wonderful backing vocal harmonies. Hopefully the album continues in this
vain.
Beautiful Thing - The Stone Roses
It
is fair to say the Manchester legends first comeback single “All For One”
received a mixed response. However, the band are definitely into the swing of
things now with their second new release “Beautiful Thing”. This is classic
sounding Roses with a very funky rhythm and some great guitar licks from John
Squire. The rumored new Roses album is now looking more and more appetizing.
Burn the Witch - Radiohead
After
releasing several mysterious video clips, Radiohead finally released their
first new track in years, and what a track it was. With its stirring strings,
explosive climatic ending and a wonderful accompanying video, “Burn the Witch”
was a great comeback, and a clear signal that Radiohead are not done yet.
Decks Dark - Radiohead
Radiohead
have come back strongly with “A Moon Shaped Pool” after the relatively disappointing
“The King of Limbs”. “Decks Dark” is quite OK Computer sounding with Thom’s
melancholy vocals, some haunting backing vocals, and the tracks spacey guitar
giving the song quite a dreamy quality.
Frankie Sinatra - The Avalanches featuring Danny Brown and MF Doom
Sixteen
long years have passed and we finally have new Avalanches music. “Frankie
Sinatra” is the first single off the Australian groups upcoming album
“Wildflower” and boy what a quirky number it is. I have no clue what the song
is about, but I do know it is catchy as hell and great to sing along to.
Freedom - Beyonce featuring Kendrick Lamar
There
is no doubt Beyonce is the queen of music, and her new album “Lemonade” is a
social statement as much as a musical one. “Freedom” in my opinion is one of
the best tracks she has ever written and the inclusion of Kendrick Lamar was an
absolute masterstroke. The energy the two display here would be hard to match
by most artists, and at the end you are left with no doubt that what she is singing
about is done with the utmost conviction.
Glowed Up - Kaytranada featuring Anderson Paak
Kaytranada
is one of the most talented up and coming producers around at the moment and
his debut album 99.9% is a beauty. It features a wide range of styles and some
great guest spots. One of these is Anderson Paak whose contribution to the track
“Glowed Up” is one of the highlights of the record.
Got It Good - Kaytranada featuring Craig David
It
was so hard to choose tracks for this list given the amount of awesome new
music around. In the case of the Kaytranada record I had to pick two tracks
because of the quality on display. This one featured Craig David (remember him)
who puts in a great vocal performance on this smooth R&B track.
Know Us - INF
From
the Onehunga hip hop collective SWIDT and off their fantastic debt album “SWIDT
vs Everybody”, INF puts in a real chilled performance on this track “Know Us”.
It has a smooth R&B vibe to it and is quite different from the rest of the
album, which is high energy in your face hip hop.
Maiysha (So Long) - Miles Davis & Robert Glasper featuring Erykah Badu
I
don’t know how Robert Glasper does it. He is a great arranger and
re-interpreter of other artists, and that is what he does on his Miles Davis
tribute album “Everything’s Beautiful”. This bossa nova version of “Maiysha”
featuring Erykah Badu is absolutely gorgeous and is the centrepiece of what is
an outstanding record.
No Problem - Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz
Although
I think the new Chance the Rapper mixtape has been over-hyped and is not as
good as what a lot of the music press are saying, I do think it has some good
tracks on it. One of these is the banger “No Problem” featuring Lil Wayne and 2
Chainz. This track has some great gospel backing vocals, while the two featured
artists spit some mean lines. Definitely one of the anthems of the year so far.
Radio Silence - James Blake
James
Blake returned after three years with his melancholy electro-soul, dropping a
record out of the blue last month. The opening track “Radio Silence” is a
rather haunting, but beautiful melodramatic number featuring some delicate
piano playing and a gorgeous vocal performance from the man himself.
Right on brotha - Miles Davis & Robert Glasper featuring Stevie Wonder
The
closing track on “Everything’s Beautiful”, “Right On brotha” is a dance funk
track with plenty of groove. The track is an instrumental and features Stevie
Wonder on harmonica and some really nice trumpet flourishes from Davis himself.
Glasper has certainly hit the musical jackpot with this album, in what is
turning out to be a great year for jazz fusion.
Sleepy City - Badcrop produced by WhyFi
The
Grow Room collective has taken the Auckland music scene by storm this year, and
their Exhibition III mixtape is one of the best releases of 2016 so far. This
track by Badcrop is a real smooth beats driven piece perfect for zoning out to.
With the collective having to move from St Kevin’s Arcade, hopefully they can
find a new place soon in order to continue to make beautiful music like this.
Take It From Me - Bailey Wiley
Bailey
Wiley is going places. The soul singer has just released her second EP “Still
On My Mind” and is beginning to get wider attention. The EP itself is full of
great soul and R&B gems like “Take It From Me” which combines some well
produced beats with Bailey’s amazingly soulful vocals.
Yes - Yoko-Zuna featuring HEAVY and Larz Randa
Yoko-Zuna
are establishing themselves as one of the best live acts in the country. Their
jam based concerts are quite simply amazing, which makes it more intriguing as
to what they can do on record. This track is off their latest EP “Luminols” and
features guest appearances by hip hop acts HEAVY and Larz Randa. The raps are
dope, the instrumentation is dope and Yoko-Zuna prove here that they can
transition quite easily between the stage and the studio.
Yesterday - Yumi Zouma
Yumi
Zouma are fast becoming one of New Zealand’s premier indie pop darlings, and
their latest record “Yoncalla” is testament to that. Songs like “Yesterday”
glisten through the speakers at you with their sweet, sweet harmonies and
glowing melodies very easy to like. This particular track also has a strong Fleetwood
Mac vibe to it so bonus points for that.
Jalen
Ngonda is the only artist on this list that hasn’t actually officially released
anything. However, I was so impressed when I stumbled across this live in
studio track on Soundcloud that it had to be here. This guy has plenty of soul,
think Sam Cooke 21st century style. And, although the soul-revival market is
crowded, I firmly believe we will be hearing a lot more about this Maryland
native very soon.
312 - SWIDT
SWIDT
burst onto the music scene this year with their anthem “No More Parties in
Stoneyhunga”, and their debt album “SWIDT vs Everybody”. The group rap about
their backyard and growing up in Onehunga as seen on tracks like this one. The
group in combination with the talented producer SmokeyGotBeatz have a formula
that will surely see them continue to blow up in this country and elsewhere in
no time.
