Liverpool bands offer their highs on 2016
From established greats to the future of Merseyside music, an array of Liverpool’s best and brightest bands pick out their personal peaks of the year, and give us their tips for what lies ahead.
It’s fair to say in 2016 the world feels very much divided. As divided and turbulent as it has felt in recent memory, and there are no signs that this is going to stop any time soon. 2017 unfortunately looks as if it’ll be more of the same. It’s hard to turn on the news, open a newspaper or log on to social media with being left feeling dejected, angry or helpless. It’s been a year where voices of hate and prejudice have spoken louder than any other. A year where society has taken a big step backwards, and with the far right rising, the voice of the left has been drowned out by its own embarrassing infighting and oneupmanship. Let’s not beat around the bush, it’s really been quite shit.
Yet aside from politics, 2016 was a year which began with heartbreak. With the unfathomable tragedy in which Warrington’s Viola Beach and their manager Craig Tarry sadly lost their lives in a car accident in Sweden. Five young talented lads with their world at their feet and a massively bright future ahead of them, taken away far too soon.
It was a tragedy which shook the music world, not just on Merseyside, and had a huge impact on all of the fans, bloggers, DJs and tour mates who had ever had the pleasure of hearing their infectiously catchy music or saw one of their energetic live performances.
But the music world reacted in a way that only a true, caring community could. The music world rallied together in support with an outpouring of love for Viola Beach‘s music, resulting an waves of brilliant tributes to the Boys That Sing; music festivals in their name, recordings of their live performances being played to huge crowds at festivals, Coldplay covering their track Boys That Sing in their Glastonbury headline set, and their post-humus debut album reaching number one in the UK album chart.
All this will never compensate for the tragic loss of Viola Beach, but it’s an example of just how strong a community the music world can be, and how powerful music can be in times of need.
This sense of community is strongly apparent in this year’s end of year picks by Merseyside’s musicians and bands, with many choosing tracks and albums by their Liverpool counterparts as their highlights of the year. There are notable mentions to She Drew The Gun who have enjoyed a huge 12 months with the release of their debut album gaining them national acclaim, while others such as Lapsley, The Sundowners and Hooton Tennis Club have enjoyed worldwide tours, big festival slots and support from big industry names.
Sure, it’s been a years of huge ups and downs, yet creativity and talent has shone through, and there’s been a lot to celebrate. And while the rest of the world may seem to be spiralling out of control, the collective strength and ambition of the music world will see it continue to be a beacon of light in otherwise dark times.
The Coral
The Coral‘s James Skelly
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
She Drew The Gun – Memories of the Future
Kool Kieth – Feature Magnetic
Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered
The Lemon Twigs – Do Hollywood
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Kaeb/Beak – When We Fall
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Jesus Alone
She Drew the Gun – Poem
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Blossoms – Albert Hall, Manchester
She Drew the Gun – Leaf, Liverpool
The Zutons – Mountford Hall, Liverpool
Cabbage – Kasbah, Coventry
The Sundowners – O2 Academy, Manchester
Event of 2016
Skeleton Coast
Music Tip for 2017
Cabbage
The Magnetic North
The Magnetic North‘s Hannah Peel and Erland Cooper
“We haven’t listened to or seen that much apart from putting on our own huge shows like RIBA and my (Hannah’s) album launch … Simon (Tong)( Magnetic North) said “I haven’t listened to anything new except your record”… not sure what that says about us all really! But here is something from both me (Hannah) and Erland as we are both involved in each album.”
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith & Suzanne Ciani – Sunergy
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
Julianna Barwick – Will
Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker
Ólafur Arnalds – Island Songs
Event of 2016
“We went to see our friends Wrangler perform their new collaboration album with John Grant at the Barbican for Rough Trade’s 40th Anniversary – that was pretty special knowing them personally and how many nerves were involved!”
Hooton Tennis Club
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Big Thief – Masterpiece
David Bowie – Blackstar
Heron Oblivion – Heron Oblivion
The Lemon Twigs – Do Hollywood
Parquet Courts – Human Performance
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Julia Jacklin – Pool Party
POND – 30000 Megatons
Parquet Courts – Human Performance
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Cavern Of Anti-Matter at Liverpool Festival of Psychedelia, Liverpool
Thee Oh Sees at Hotel Vegas, SXSW
Waxahatchee at Central Presbyterian Church, SXSW
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at The Ritz, Manchester.
Kendrick Lamar at Benicassim, Spain
Event of 2016
“Having the honour of being the first band to record an album at Edwyn Collins’ new studio up in Helmsdale, Scotland.”
Tip for 2017
“Get your nuclear bunker built…
“Hope for a better year!
“Keep an eye on The Orielles and ZUZU”
Clean Cut Kid
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Bon Iver – 22, A Million
Margaret Glaspy – Emotions And Math
Spring King – Tell Me If You Like To
Frightened Rabbit – Painting Of A Panic Attack
David Bowie – Blackstar
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Get Inuit – Teriyaki
Frightened Rabbit – I Wish I Was Sober
Bon Iver – 715 – CREEKS
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Margaret Glaspy at Moth Club, Hackney
Band Of Horses at Glastonbury
ZZ Top at Glastonbury
Everything Everything at SXSW, Austin TX
The Big Moon at Komedia, Brighton
Event of 2016
SXSW
Music Tip for 2017
Get Inuit
Mugstar at The Albert Hall, Manchester
Mugstar‘s Jason Stoll
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Brainbombs – Souvenirs
Rattle – Rattle
GNOD – Mirror
The Blind Shake – Celebrate Your Worth
Xlyrious White – Black Peak
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Brainbombs – A Darker Shade of Pain
Rattle – True Picture
Thee Oh Sees – the Axis
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Xlyrious White at Supersonic Festival, Birmingham. “Jim White is a mind blowing drummer.”
The Blind Shake – Shacklewell Arms, London
Big Naturals at Liverpool Psych Fest (Getintothis Psych Fest review)
Part Chimp, Raw Power, London
Camera in Berlin with Anton Newcombe on keyboards.
Event of 2016
“My daughter Edie.”
Music Tip for 2017
“Lake of Snakes. Dark brooding murder ballads from Manchester.”
Lumen
L U M E N‘s Liam Brown
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Bon Iver – 22, A Million
The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It
Chairlift – Moth
Bibio – A Mineral Love
David Bowie – Blackstar
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
The Avalanches – If I Was a Folkstar
Kanye West – I Love Kanye
Kate Tempest – Lionmouth Door Knocker
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Clean Cut Kid at the Arts Club, Liverpool (Getintothis review)
Lilium at Maguires Pizza Bar, Liverpool
Fusion Festival, Liverpool
VEYU I/O at Leaf, Liverpool
Glass Butter Beach, Abersoch
Event of 2016
The GIT Award at Constellations, Liverpool
Music Tip for 2017
“Making music is like making love, so get freaky with your sounds xo”
Queen Zee
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Frank Ocean – Blonde
“I think the huge crush I have on Frank makes his music sound better, album wise Channel Orange is still better, but we got a new Frank Ocean album this year so it’s Top 5 by default of him just being a genius. A fucking beautiful genius.”
G.L.O.S.S. – Trans Day of Revenge
“Technically an EP, but G.L.O.S.S. don’t play by any rules. It’s hugely empowering, inspirational, culturally relevant. It’s a shame they split up this year, personally they’ve been the most important punk band (or band in general) of the decade.”
Cakes Da Killa – Hedonism
“This is how you make a hip-hop album, and the Peaches collab is what no one expected but everyone wanted.”
Against Me! – Shape Shift Me
“I’m constantly impressed by their movement from being a folk punk band (cringe), to straight up major label punk, to going on their own label wise and becoming THE band to push punk musically and culturally. They could have so easily “done a Green Day” but didn’t. This is an album for people who love love ballads but have never had one written for them.”
Petrol Girls – Talk of Violence
“A feminist hardcore band from the UK going across Europe supporting Dead Kennedys? Yeah that happened. It’s encouraging that one of the UK’s rapidly rising bands is so politically volatile, take note boys!”
“Honorable mentions… I never got to mention Venom Prison, Pup, Bad Breeding, Cowtown or Big Joanie!”
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Joey Fourr – Uhmericka
“I’ve had this on repeat since it’s release, maybe something good did come out of the American political climate this year.”
Skinny Girl Diet – Eyes that Paralyse
“Who said grunge was dead?”
Shit Present – Evil Way
“If you feel sad because 2016 has been fucking horrible, stick this banger on.”
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Dawn Rayd at Drop the Dumbulls, Liverpool
“The most underrated band in Liverpool, in the best venue. You can learn some serious lessons on how to be a band from these three incredible humans.”
Pink Punk Party at Drop the Dumbulls, Liverpool
“Obviously bias because this was our first show, but to see the feminist and LGBTQ+ scene front and centre AND IT BE SO BUSY! was massively encouraging, Pink Kink are the big pink adrenaline injection we all needed!”
Cabbage at The Ruby Lounge, Manchester
“We’re sat backstage a gimp covered in ‘shit’ walks in and passes out on our couch, takes five, then jumps bolt upright and runs back to the stage. That pretty much sums up the night, Cabbage are FORMIDABLE live.”
Sly and the Family Drone at A Carefully Planned Festival, Manchester
“I had to step outside because it got so loud, while I was outside venue staff were looking nervously at the windows that where shaking so violently the paint was flaking off the frames.”
Toilette at Next to Nowhere, Liverpool
“Who said basement punk shows don’t happen anymore? A Mexican post-hardcore band playing to 100 scousers going nuts? Yes that happened in 2016, not 1976.”
Event of 2016
Dumbulls Fest at Drop the Dumbulls, Liverpool
“Unless you were there you wouldn’t believe the horrors I’ve seen. A liverbird was murdered and buried in a hole, I saw a man dressed as a house fight Santa, and I’m sure some bands played as well a few of which were….on the roof.”
Music Tip for 2017
“Nova Twins are going to be HUGE. The merge of punk and grime was waiting to happen, they both come from the same place of socially. But where punk has watered down to sell records *cough* Green Day *cough* Grime didn’t. On top of that we’ve played with tons of great bands, Jesus and his Judgemental Father, No Ditching, Babe Punch and all the others we can’t fit in…. Oh and Queen Zee and the Sasstones, obviously.”
Wild Fruit Art Collective
Wild Fruit Art Collective
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Fat White Family – Songs for our Mothers
The Wytches – All Your Happy Life
David Bowie – Blackstar
Marching Church – Telling it Like it is
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Sneaky Nixons – Sex
She Drew The Gun – Poem
Meatraffle – The Wickerman
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
SPQR at EBGBs, Liverpool
LCD Soundsystem at Glastonbury Festival
Savages at the Albert Hall, Manchester
Wild Fruit Art Collective at West Street Live
Meatraffle, Madonnatron and Pit Ponies at the Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
Event of 2016
“The Presidential Election and Brexit”
Music Tip for 2017
“Try playing some wrong notes with conviction.”
Lying Bastards
Lying Bastards’ Henry Pulp
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker (Getintothis’ Leonard Cohen tribute)
Goat – Requiem
Bon Iver – 22, A Million
Anohni – Hopelessness
Carseat Headrest – Teens Of Denial
Top 3 Tracks of 2016
White Denim – Holda You (I’m Psycho)
Gallant – Weight in Gold
XamVolo – Down
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
XamVolo at Liverpool Music Week
Strange Collective Record Launch Party at the Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool
The Parrots at The Magnet, Liverpool
Cabbage at Soup Kitchen, Manchester
Mungo’s Hifi at Boomtown Festival
Event of 2016
Liverpool Disco Festival
Music Tip for 2017
LYING BASTRDS
Lo Five
Lo Five’s Neil Grant
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Plaid – The Digging Remedy
Phono Ghosts – Solar Dream Reel
Stephen Steinbrink – Anagrams
Horizon Fire – Earthlight
Levitate – Lone
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
John Carpenter at the Olympia, Liverpool (Getintothis review)
Forest Swords at the Blackie, Liverpool
VHS Head at Drop the Dumbbells, Liverpool
Bill Ryder-Jones at the Arts Club, Liverpool
Howie Payne at Leaf, Liverpool
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Ex-Terrestrial – Blue Smoke
Horizon Fire – Skeleton Park
Plaid – Clock
Event of 2016
“Trying to focus on the positives so it’s a toss up between Bob Ross coming on Netflix or that UKIP MEP being punched in the face.”
Music Tip for 2017
Pink Kink/Psycho Comedy/Trudy and the Romance
Oya Paya
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Anderson .Paak – Malibu
Palace – So Long Forever
The Avalanches – Wildflower
Kaytranada – 99.9%
BadBadNotGood – IV
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Vulfpeck – Back Pocket
Anderson .Paak – Come Down
Oya Paya – Just a Little Man (#spice)
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Brian Wilson at the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool (Getintothis review)
Young Fathers at Sound City
Father John Misty at UOL Guildhall
Philharmonic Orchestra at LIMF
Loyle Carner at 24 Kitchen Street, Liverpool
Natalie McCool
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Laura Mvula – The Dreaming Room
NAO – For All We Know
Daughter – Not To Disappear
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool(Getintothis review)
Lapsley – Long Way Home (Getintothis review)
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Ariana Grande ft Nicki Minaj – Side To Side
Tove Lo & Flume – Say It
Petrichor – Silent Cities
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Laura Mvula at Latitude, Suffolk
Jesca Hoop & Sam Beam at RNCM, Manchester
Jun Miyaki at ActCity, Japan
Elle Exxe at Sound City, Liverpool (Getintothis Sound City review)
KatumbaDrummers at the Voodoo Ball, Liverpool
Event of 2016
Hamamatsu World Music Festival
Music Tip for 2017
Her’s
The Sundowners
The Sundowners‘ Alfie Skelly
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Gloria – In Excelsis Stereo
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
The Lemon Twigs – Do Hollywood
Melanie De Biaso – Blackened Cities
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
She Drew the Gun – Poem
Blossoms – Honey Sweet
Unloved – Guilty of Love
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Goat, Jane Weaver, Josephine Orhn and the Liberation at the Albert Hall, Manchester
The Coral at Sound City
The Lemon Twigs at District, Liverpool
Bill Ryder-Jones, By the Sea at Floral Pavilion, New Brighton
The Mysterines, Birkenhead
Event of 2016
Festival No 6 and Skeleton Coast Festival
Music Tip for 2017
Marvin Powell, Cabbage, The Mysterines, Cut Glass Kings, Peach Fuzz
RongoRongo
RongoRongo‘s Mick Chrysalid
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Andy Shauf – The Party
Cass McCombs – Mangy Love
Anohni – Hopelessness
Marissa Nadler – Strangers
David Bowie – Blackstar
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Ex-Easter Island Head at Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
Protomartyr at the Magnet, Liverpool
Anna Meredith at Central Library, Liverpool
John Carpenter at Olympia, Liverpool
Fucked Up at EBGBs, Liverpool
Event of 2016
FestEVOL
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
A Tribe Called Quest – We the People
Dawn – Renegades
David Bowie – Lazarus
Music Tip for 2017
AGP
Rongorongo
RongoRongo‘s Jonny Davis Le Brun
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
The Radio Dept. – Running Out of Love
Huerco S – For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
The Avalanches – Wildflower
Chris Cohen – As If Apart
Daniel Lanois – Goodbye to Language
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Radiohead – Present Tense
Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker
David Bowie – Lazarus
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
Mike Cooper at The Bluecoat, Liverpool
Protomartyr at The Magnet, Liverpool (Getintothis review)
Bohren & Der Club of Gore at Islington Mill, Salford
Eccentronic Research Council at Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield
Stars of the Lid at Central Methodist Church, Manchester
Event of 2016
Liverpool Psych Fest
Music Tip for 2017
Bonnacons of Doom
Mary Miller
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
Frank Ocean – Blonde
BadBadNotGood – BadBadNotGood IV
Beyonce – Lemonade
KAYTRANADA – 99.9%
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Abra – Vegas
Tame Impala – The Less I Know the Better
Kanye West – Real Friends
Music Tip for 2017
Trudy and the Romance
AGP
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial
Angel Olsen – My Woman
Morgan Delt – Phase Zero
Minor Victories – Minor Victories
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
Radiohead – Present Tense
Ryan Adams – Do You Still Love Me?
Childish Gambino – Me And Your Mama
Top 5 Gigs of 2016:
The Moonlandingz at Liverpool Psych Fest
Morgan Delt in Manchester
Minor Victories at The Magnet, Liverpool
Barberos at Liverpool Music Week
Strange Collective at the Invisible Wind Factory
*bonus pick* Hooton Tennis Club at Invisible Wind Factory
Event of 2016
Music Tip for 2017
Lilium
Lilium’s Graeme Haywood
Top 5 Albums of 2016:
If These Trees Could Talk – The Bones Of A Dying World
Biffy Clyro – Ellipsis
James Blake – The Colour In Anything
Jeff Buckley – You And I
Black Peaks – Statues
Top 3 Tracks of 2016:
The American Dollar – 4 BC
James Blake – Radio Silence
We Were Glue – My Girl
