Songs of the year, number 5: Noga Erez | Quiet - From the Film 'Heart of Stone’ | Official Video | Ne...

Written and recorded as part of the soundtrack to the Netflix spy thriller Heart of Stone, 'Quiet' sees Erez enter soundtrack territory, an area that her particular style of edgy electro pop doesn't seem an obvious fit for. The result is as unexpected as it is atmospheric: Think Wild West cowboy swagger meets James Bond atmospherics meets Erez's unique brand of assertive electro. It's as catchy as it is dramatic, as unyielding as it is atmospheric, as much of a headrush as it is a slice of glorious pop. 

Song of the year, number 11: Noga Erez - End of the Road (Official Video)

Noga Erez is at her best when she's skewering internet fashions and social media mores. Here she takes on the whole scope of fame with her typically keen eye and sharp tongue and channels the visual message through a video that suggests a never ending fashion show as a kind of survivalist audition video for life. It's a brutal world out there. 

Thank God It's Bandcamp Friday!

The pandemic has laid bare the extent to which artists have become dependent on touring and merchandise deals for income. It's also assisted in highlighting the pitiful royalties artists receive from streaming. It was perhaps with this in mind that the "online record store and community" Bandcamp, which provides streaming, downloading and physical sales services direct from artists to fans, decided to launch Bandcamp Friday in March 2020.

As they say on their website, every sale on Bandcamp generates "an average of 82% of the money" for the artist in question. Which compares very favourably to streaming services, and to the average royalty payment received via record companies for physical sales of music. With Bandcamp Fridays, the idea was to have one day of the month where Bandcamp would waive their "revenue share" of sales on the site, meaning "an average of 93% of the money" would go to artists on sales made on Bandcamp Friday.

Originally only intended as a short term aid to help musicians during the pandemic, Bandcamp extended the scheme a number of times during 2020 and, in August, announced that they would be continuing Bandcamp Fridays until the end of 2021.

Today is Bandcamp Friday, and it's very reassuring for me to know that by buying downloads on Bandcamp today I will be directly contributing in a meaningful way to the incomes of artists. What's also nice is that the availability on Bandcamp of tracks I wish to buy has increased over the past year, meaning I can buy a wider range of music from a greater number of artists than I could in 2020.

For those of you in the UK, it's worth bearing in mind that Bandcamp Friday runs from midnight to midnight, Pacific Time, and that the UK is 7 hours ahead of the US (I've allowed for the clocks going back at the end of October in this calculation) but, even if you do miscalculate by a couple of hours, the artists you buy from will still see a good return on the sale.

Today I intend to purchase downloads by Lydmor (two tracks in her case), Jacknife Lee, Blue Hawaii, Jess Williamson, Cults, Molchat Doma, Noga Erez and Lucky Iris. 

Photo by FPVmat A on Unsplash

Noga Erez - Cipi (Official Video)

The latest single from Erez's muscular electro pop album with edges, KIDS, 'Cipi' feels slightly subdued when set against high octane tracks such as 'End of the road', 'VIEWS' or 'Story', but it's a subtle and effective ear worm that stays with you. Well worth a listen. 

Noga Erez - End of the Road (Official Video)

Slayer of internet and social media mores, Noga Erez has just released her second album KIDS. 'End of the Road' was the third track she released and, like last years 'VIEWS', it's a strutty slice of spitfire lyrics, beats and attitude. 

Songs of the year, number 7: Noga Erez - VIEWS - live at inDnegev festival

The first of a trio of singles released by Erez in 2020, 'VIEWS' shows that she has lost none of her instincts when it comes to skewering internet trends and social media mores. Delivered in her characteristic rapid fire style, the glitchy electro beats perfectly set off her scathing critique of influencer culture. The promo video for the track depicted Erez and her various rivals climbing a seemingly endless Escher style staircase, pushing past each other and stepping over the fallen bodies of their rivals. It's worth watching for the ending, just as this live clip is worth watching to see her bossing it on stage. 

Noga Erez - VIEWS - live at inDnegev festival

Noga Erez is shown here performing impeccable recent single 'Views' live at inDnegev festival, which I think happened just about pre lockdown. Since then, Noga has done a #StayHome and Chill #WithMe acoustic live lockdown gig, and a recording exists over on YouTube.

Fantasy Festival number 4: The Lineup

Celeste: BBC Music's Sound of 2020 artist is going from strength to strength at the moment. In any other year, she would have been one to watch at every festival on the Introducing stage this summer but, for now, we'll have to be content with watching her from home instead.

Sarah Roston: Brazilian singer Sarah Roston is a flexible talent, as at home with samba and jazz as with reggaetron, as evidenced by her single 'Eu Incomodo (I Bother)' earlier this year. You can find out more about Sarah here.

Jade Bird: Alumni of the BBC Introducing scheme, singer/songwriter Jade Bird is a woman who knows her Stevie from her Janis. She released her debut self titled album last year. You can find out more here.

Girl Pool: Did you know that if you google the words 'Girl Pool' the first result you get will be a pink paddling pool with a mermaid's tail attached to it? The mind boggles. Girl Pool, the band comprised of Harmony Tividad and Avery Tucker, started out making semi acoustic slightly twee awkward indie pop, though their recent output suggests a grittier direction. Find out more over on their website.

Noga Erez: Were Noga not from Tel Aviv, she would be a huge popstar by now. Or maybe not. The arch tone of her lyrics (often searing critiques of social media, technology, misogyny and machismo) and unforgiving nature of her beats might make that impossible but, then, people didn't expect Billie Eilish to become a popstar either so you never know. You can find out more about Noga over on her website.

Ibibio Sound Machine: Futuristic afro funk party music at it's finest. Ibibio Sound Machine always deliver. You can find out more over on their website.

Dua Lipa: Global popstar Dua Lipa is due a festival headliner slot. She's climbed the circuit from small venues upwards from 2016 onwards and 2021 (coronavirus permitting) will see her play her first stadium tour. She has arrived and new album Future Nostalgia has sealed her reputation as a slick pop professional. You can read a recent interview with her here.

Noga Erez - VIEWS (feat. Reo Cragun & ROUSSO)

Since she arrived on the scene back in 2017, Noga Erez has combined cutting edge innovative beats with sharp social commentary, particularly as regards technology. 'VIEWS' takes a hefty swipe at influencer culture, and the video underlines the overall message: Noga and her fellow 'influencers' are depicted shoving past each other, pushing each other out of the way as they climb a never ending Escher style staircase representing the echelons and layers of fame. Watch it until the end. It'll give you a lot to think about.

End of year list with a difference

I thought I'd try taking a departure from the usual end of year lists format this year, having not done one since 2014 because:

A.) Florence + The Machine would have won everything in 2015, and that would have made for a pretty repetitive blog post

B.) 2016 was such a weird year it required a different approach.

So, 2017... 

I remember writing in my diary at the end of 2015 'Well, thank God that's over' or words to that effect, little knowing the horrors 2016 would bring, and indeed, 2017...

One last thing:

Because I didn't do a list in 2016, the rule I'm working to is: If it was released in 2017, or if it was released in 2016 but I didn't hear it until 2017 then it's OK to include it. 

Favourite article of the year to write (By me): Women and music festivals, again (The F-Word)

Perhaps this is a little misleading... It wasn't so much a case of 'enjoying' it as being gripped by a hurricane that wouldn't let me go until I'd finished it, 48 hours later. And it led to a whole series of posts on here as well, plus 7 fantasy festival bills I'd like to see.

Expect to read more on this issue, and related issues, in 2018.

Favourite article of the year (Not by me): What I learned from a year of dumpster diving in Australia (Medium)

You will be staggered by this... really staggered, and possibly inspired as well.

Favourite tattoo of the year: This one from The Studio in Manchester

Such a collision of difference reference points, and no one else will have one like it. Genius.

Favourite disclaimer of the year: Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, Duke of York Theatre, London

Favourite foul mouthed ear worm of the year:

A tie between St Vincent's 'New York' and Peking Duk/Icona Pop's 'Let You Down', both of which feature copious and enthusiastic use of the f word.


Favourite anti-Donald Trump song of the year:

Grace Mitchell 'Kids (Ain't Alright)' did it for me in the end, conveying as it does a real sense of bewilderment and 'What the fuck just happened?!'. That said, favourable mention (obviously) goes to Arcade Fire and Mavis Staples for 'I Give You Power', which they had the foresight to release on inauguration day.


Favourite double edged single of the year:

Natasha Kmeto, 'Pour Down/Free For Tonight'

Side A: Full on rainbow coloured lust on the dance floor

Side B: An equally killer dance anthem but with the underlying razorblade in the floss that it was a song pointing to the fragility of LGBTQI spaces

Favourite breaking artist of the year:

Overcoats.

The New York duo more than punched above their weight this year, with an impeccable debut album and strong singles. Their tours in the US are now headliner tours and are getting longer and longer. Let's hope we see them in the UK soon.

Most fully realised psychogeographic album of the year:

EMA, Exile in the outer ring

A dystopian postcard from the US mid west. 

Most eerily prescient album of the year:

This is a tie between Kate Tempest's Let Them Eat Chaos and Father John Misty's Pure Comedy. The former hinted, in various ways, at a number of societal factors that were all about to converge in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster, whereas the latter clearly signposted the warning signs of a US that had just elected Trump president.


Favourite video of the year:

Georgia, 'Feel It'

Favourite 'Where the hell did that come from?!?' album of the year:

Kelly Lee Owens, Kelly Lee Owens, as signposted by Piccadilly Records.


Favourite gig of the year:

A tie between Gothic Tropic at The Castle Hotel as part of the Manchester leg of Dot To Dot, 26th May 2017 and Honeyblood at Gorilla, 21st December 2017 (review currently in progress, stymied by Christmas...)

Band to watch in 2018:

Pearl City

They provided strong support to Honeyblood at Gorilla on 21st December and are a Manchester duo who used to be known as Bernard & Edith and now appear to have renamed themselves after a mancunian Chinese restaurant. They sound a bit like Kate Bush fronting a dark wave band... Am expecting good things. 'Flames' is out now.

Albums of the year:

15) Wolf Alice, Visions Of A Life
14) Jesca Hoop, Memories Are Now
13) Bully, Losing
12) Rews, Pyro
11) Pink Milk, Purple
10) Zola Jesus, Okovi
9) Kelly Lee Owens, Kelly Lee Owens
8) Noga Erez, Off The Radar
7) Honeyblood, Babes Never Die
6) Wild Ones, Mirror Touch
5) Helen McCookerybook, The Sea
4) Gothic Tropic, Fast or Feast
3) St Vincent, MASSEDUCTION
2) Overcoats, Young
1) XX, I See You 

Songs of the year:

I have made a Spotify playlist of these songs, but Helen McCookerybook's most recent album is not available on Spotify so I have included a link to the song on YouTube instead.

20) Grace Mitchell, 'French Becky'
19) Halsey and Lauren Jauregui, 'Strangers'
18) London Grammar, 'Truth Is A Beautiful Thing'
17) Rews, 'Miss you in the dark'
16) Daughter, 'Burn It Down'
15) Beth Ditto, 'Savoir Faire'
14) Wolf Alice, 'Beautifully Unconventional'
13) Bipolar Sunshine, 'The Scientist'
12) Noga Erez, 'Noisy'
11) Georgia, 'Feel It'
10) Honeyblood, 'Sea Hearts'
9) Lorde, 'Liability'
8) Wild Ones, 'Parathesia'
7) Helen McCookerybook, 'Big Brother'
6) XX, 'Replica'
5) Overcoats, 'Nighttime Hunger'
4) Gothic Tropic, 'Stronger'
3) Natasha Kmeto, 'Pour Down'
2) St Vincent, 'Los Ageless'
1) Miya Folick, 'God Is A Woman'

Noga Erez - BALKADA (Official Video)

The woman of the moment is back!

This is Noga's new single, and she's currently touring the UK, stopping off at the following venues.

October 21st: Bristol Simple Things Festival
October 22nd: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Think Tank Underground
October 23rd: Glasgow The Hug And Pint
October 24th: Leeds Headrow House
October 25th: Brighton The Joker
October 26th: London Corsica Studios
October 27th: Cambridge The Blue Moon
October 29th: Bedford Esquires

I do recommend you check her out.

For European readers, Noga hits France on October 30th and will be playing Lille, Bordeaux, Paris before continuing across Europe to Martigny, Brussels, Utrecht, Berlin, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Erlangen, Munich, Zurich, Dudingden, Vienna and Rome between October 30th and December 9th. Look out for her.

Noga Erez - Noisy

Dammit, this girl is just so new that there really is very little live stuff out there online, hence including the latest video for the new single 'Noisy' instead. I have found a live session from the ARTE concert in France earlier this year though.

You can read my review of Noga's album over on The F-Word

Fantasy Festival #7: The Fiercely Futuristic Festival - Lineup

Noga Erez: Noga Erez is a 27 year old new artist from Tel Aviv. She makes sometimes playful, sometimes dark, always danceable to electro pop in the inventive and glitchy vein. Erez has been compared to both MIA and FKA Twigs and her debut album, Off The Radar, is out now. She will be touring the UK in October and will also be playing the Pitchfork Avant Garde Festival in Paris at the end of October.  

Natasha Kmeto: Natasha Kmeto is a producer and vocalist who composes electronic music in Portland, Oregan. Often epic in her emotional scope, she creates shimmering dance music and pared down brooding electro soul. She will be appearing at Le Guess Who? in Utrecht in November. 

Honeyblood: Honeyblood are a guitar rock duo from Glasgow who create frantically catchy songs that seem destined to be teenage anthems. They released their second album, Babes Never Die, back in May, but are not currently touring.

Courtney Barnett: Courtney Barnett is a singer/songwriter from Melbourne. Her 2015 album Sometimes I sit and think, and sometimes I just sit, included the indie fave 'No one really cares if you don't go to the party', and continued to excite critics and music lovers already inspired by the laid back quirky guitar rock of the single 'History Eraser'. She will be touring the US in the autumn. 

Zola Jesus: Zola Jesus is the stage name of Nika Roza Danilova, an industrial/electronic artist from Madison, Wisconsin. Trained as an opera singer, she was inspired to create her own music by artists such as Throbbing Gristle, Dead Kennedys and Diamonda Galas. She has released five albums, and her sixth album, Okovi, will be released in September. She is currently touring the US and Canada, but will be touring Europe, including the UK, in October and November.

Sleater-Kinney: Corin Tucker. Carrie Brownstein. Janet Weiss. Sleater-Kinney formed in the mid 1990s in Olympia, Washington, became the standard bearers for the later waves of Riot Grrrl, and then went on to became a very good, very credible rock band. After eleven years of writing, recording and touring, they went on a ten year hiatus before returning with the critically acclaimed and fan adored No Cities To Love album in 2015. Their live album, Live in Paris was released in January. They will be playing the Music Tastes Good Festival in Long Beach, California, in September. 

Grimes: Grimes is a Canadian producer, composer, singer and engineer of astonishing and ethereal electronic music. She grew up in Vancouver and her second album, Visions (2012), and third album, Art Angels (2015), were both critically acclaimed. She is not currently touring.

Beth Ditto: Arkansas singer Beth Ditto, formerly of electro punk band Gossip, is now a solo act. Her bluesy, punk rock Etta James voice has been heard recently on the anthemic and brooding southern rock blues single 'Fire', and her debut solo album, Fake Sugar, is out now. She is touring Europe, including the UK, throughout September and October. 

Noga Erez - Off The Radar (Official Video)

The girl done good again...

Noga Erez - Off The Radar (Single Stream)

This is the title track from Erez's debut album, and it's a very timely, not to mention highly infectious,  take on social media anxiety. The album, which is out on June 2nd, certainly promises to be a mighty beast.

She is playing a couple of UK dates in May in London at Village Underground (4th May, supporting Sylvan Esso) and in Brighton at The Great Escape, 19th May. Then she's back in London in August for Visions Festival (5th August). The evidence of this, and the three previous singles, suggest she is well worth checking out.

Noga Erez - Toy

Like Overcoats, this girl is going to be big this year, and has a great album on the way in a few months time. Can't wait.

Noga Erez - Pity (Official Video)

Noga Erez - Dance While You Shoot (Official Video)

This is the debut from a new young Tel Aviv artist, who has not long signed to City Slang. The dystopian video was filmed in Kiev.

According to the press release:

"She describes the hypnotically percussive “Dance While You Shoot”, as being about the globally–relevant realisation that 'you can’t live without the government that ensures your basic needs, but at the same time takes your money, keeps you in the dark about the real, important matters that affect your life directly, while drowning you in manipulative media, ignorance and bureaucracy.'"

It's a bit of a grower I think, but I'm getting a lot from it, in much the same way that I got a lot from Georgia's 'Move Systems' last year I think.

More to come from this lady in 2017 I believe.