Not necessarily released in 2016, these are the best new tunes and discoveries that have come my way this year.
Michael Kiwanuka – Cold Little Heart
The Pink Floyd-ian intro is a lovely thing indeed.
The Dismasters – Small Time Hustler
Great baseline, appropriately leading into…
The Stone Roses – Beautiful Thing
The comeback single All For One might not have been what the World was waiting for, but this slice of shuffling Balearic funk was more like it.
Charles Bradley – Ain’t It a Sin
Mark Pritchard – Beautiful People (feat. Thom Yorke)
David Bowie – In the Heat of the Morning
His death cast a huge shadow over this year and, like many, I’ve listened to a lot of Bowie this year, particularly Blackstar… which I really love. And our five year old joyfully singing along in the car to The Laughing Gnome is an abiding memory of our Summer holiday. But this slice of 60s pre-stardom Bowie is my treat.
Donna Summer – Spring Affair
Hüsker Dü – Sorry Somehow
Morgan – Miss Parker
A rediscovery half-remembered from the 90s. Some of the vocals were taped in a school lesson apparently. “We’re gonna get done any minute”.
Graham Nash – Better Days
The Comet Is Coming – Star Exploding in Slow Motion
Gloriously spaced out psychedelic jazz.
Japan – Quiet Life
Tim Rose – I Got A Loneliness
Damien Jurado – QACHINA
Harry Nilsson – Jump into the Fire
The drum solo is off the hook!
New Order – Tutti Frutti
Approached the new album with caution, but it turned out to be a massive return to form.
White Denim – Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah)
Aphex Twin – CIRKLON3 [ Колхозная mix ]
PJ Harvey – The Wheel
Massive Attack – The Spoils (feat. Hope Sandoval)
Strings, vocals and beats. Might seem simple, but nobody does it better than Massive Attack.
Disclosure & Al Green – Feel Like I Do
After The Laughing Gnome, the other sound of our Summer.
Bohannon – Let’s Start The Dance
Always love a bit of disco, but had never even heard of Hamilton Bohannon until hearing this track on BBC 6 Music. British TV Licence fee is worth every penny.
Here’s our Spotify playlist containing all tracks except The Dismasters and Tim Rose:
