The weight of 2019 is bearing down on us. As the final stop in a 10 year waiting period – which started waaay back when the staff punctuated their 2000-2009 list with a Jane Doe victory – there’s an awful lot to think about this year. A lot of 2019 will be spent reflecting, looking back on the last 3,650 days of music and beginning the impossible task of identifying what stood out as the very best. Frankly, it’s a fool’s errand to even try. That of course, is where I come in. Even though I will continue to evaluate my top 100 albums separately – and eventually submit that list when it comes time to vote – this particular blog series will aim to spotlight my favorite songs. That’s right, a whole decade of sowingcore at your fingertips. I’m excited too. For this series, I will incrementally add what I deem to be classic/essential songs to my spotify playlist [below] until there’s a list of only my very favorite songs from 2010-2019. Please note that these installments are not ranked, but rather a compilation.
This first entry might come as a slight surprise. Many associate “The Battle of Hampton Roads” with the very best that Titus Andronicus’ 2010 landmark record The Monitor has to offer, but I’ve always been partial to “A More Perfect Union.” There’s a tremendous sense of political urgency that emanates from it, even though it’s not…
ITEM, a Cleveland-based indie rock group, came into my life as a surprise discovery by a friend. I was immediately entranced by the sleepy absurdity of Sad Light, which ends up juxtaposing heavily with its most poignant moments — tales of environmental destruction and emotional dysfunction meeting with non-sequiturs and childlike playfulness. I spoke to Dylan Glover, the band’s vocalist and synth player, about the themes and basis of Sad Light, his take on composition, and the importance of humour in ITEM’s music.
This transcript has been condensed and edited.
It seems like there is a lot of absurdity, humour, and medical references in the lyrics. How did you come to settle on these particular themes for Sad Light?
I’m wondering how to even begin answering that, because one thing begets another thing begets another thing. How it began — I’m trying to think what the first song I wrote was on the record. Lyrically, I want to say it was “Horse Pill”, which is inherently medical — it is related to pharmaceutical drugs and my problem with them — so that opened the floodgates for the rest of the album to have a medicinal, medical theme; there’s a lot of mention of medical environments, hospitals. It was because that laid the groundwork for all of those themes that it just kept expanding on those basic ideas. And absurdist humour is just me coming out in full form — I feel like if I didn’t respect…
Frances Quinlan is a rare breed. Few vocalists can turn a melody in as many directions, alternating between raspy falsetto and out-of-breath shouts in a way that sounds both melodically pleasing and emotionally poignant. But we already knew that about Quinlan, thanks to 2012’s Get Disowned and 2015’s even bigger Painted Shut; this year’s masterpiece only augments her growing legend. Bark Your Head Off, Dog remains loyal to Frances’ most endearing quirks, yet expands Hop Along’s elastic bounds with more complex and refined instrumentation, elaborate texturing, and its cleanest, most inviting production to date. It’s basically – gasp! – a pop album.
Genre categorization is of little consequence with an artist like Hop Along, though, because Quinlan & co. have established themselves as one of those outfits that are always on their way to another sound. Sure, Dog reduces the volume a tad, but it retains a certain jaggedness; this acrobatic ability to bounce between musical ideas with fleeting commitment while remaining totally unified as an album. The deft balance between eclectically adrift sound-searching and tight, focused execution of every point along that path is an artform in and of itself. Quinlan weaves between raw, piano-underscored belters such as “Not Abel” and acoustically-driven, self-harmonizing classic rockers like “Look of Love”. Every song possesses its own tiny reserve of magic…
There are seemingly as many highlights on Queen of Time as there are years Amorphis have been active, but these iconic Finns should be cheered for augmenting their folk and progressive leanings while adhering to their trademark blueprint. Founding bassist Olli-Pekka Laine has rejoined the band (it hasn’t been since 1994’s Tales from the Thousand Lakes where the four founding members played together!), which is as welcome a sight as noting that producer and so-called ‘brother in spirit’ Jens Bogren and longtime collaborator Pekka Kainulainen have returned to the fold as well.
Bogren’s steady hand cannot be understated on Queen of Time, as the record’s choral and orchestral infusions are far more pronounced this time around — especially in “Heart of the Giant” and “Grain of Sand” — which would run the risk of overpowering Santeri Kallio’s perpetually-memorable keyboards if not for Bogren’s watchful eye. Queen of Time‘s production is masterful and most certainly not ‘brickwalled to death’ (an affliction that is unfortunately becoming ubiquitous in the genre of late). The resplendent “Amongst Stars” (featuring the delightful Anneke van Giersbergen, whose soaring vocals are a gorgeous complement to Tomi Joutsen’s) is the true headliner and should have closed the album, although the Ensiferum-like “Message in the Amber”, assurgent “Wrong Direction”, bonus cut “Brother and Sister”, and astonishing opener “The Bee” definitively showcase…
It’s probably been since 2006’s The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me since I’ve heard a band this accurately summarize a total loss of hope and innocence. The overarching theme damns both politics and society, deeming both “fucked” as guitar chords slash away at listeners’ optimism for the better part of forty-five minutes. Tim Kasher laments the abuse of power and financial wealth (“The one percent live in high rises, they block out the sun”), a self-prioritizing civilization (“Society has got a heinous case of crabs, everybody’s got an itch to scratch”), and endless blame (“Rampant politicizing, this constant finger wagging”) – occasionally wrapping it all up into plainly stated disgust, as he does on “Ghost Writer” when he resigns his outlook to a bleak “This world has never felt less inviting to me.” The culmination of this miserable album is a seven minute all-damning epic, in which Kasher lists a series of things that used to give him hope, then swats down each one with a reason why it is corrupted. Vitriola is a shattering and sadly all-too-truthful narrative. –Sowing
Here’s a list of major new releases for the month of December (2018). Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. As the year draws to a close the number of noteworthy releases tends to shrink, but do not despair – we have a number of exciting features on the way! This will include, but is not limited to: Staff Top 50 Albums of 2018, Users Top 50 Albums of 2018, and individual staff year-end lists. And of course, we will return stronger than ever with our weekly release calendar in January 2019. From the staff here at Sputnikmusic, we wish all of you a wonderful and safe holiday season!
– List of Releases: December 7, 2018 –
AFI: The Missing Man
Genre: Alt-Rock/Punk
Label: Rise
Brett Young: Ticket To L.A.
Genre: Pop Country
Label: BMX
Canon: Home
Genre: Rap
Label: Reflection Music Group / EMPIRE
Coldplay: Live In Buenos Aires / Live In São Paulo
Genre: Pop/Rock
Label: Parlophone UK
Gotthard: Defrosted 2
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Nuclear Blast
Hammock: Universalis
Genre: Ambient/Post-Rock
Label: Hammock Music
Jason Becker: Triumphant Hearts
Genre: Heavy Metal/Classical
Label: Music Theories
Welcome back to the greatest show on the internet!
The SMA’s have returned!
Duh – Sowing’s Music Awards? It’s cute that you pretended to forget – it’s only the biggest name in sputnik user profile, end-of-year, blog-based award shows. It’s kind of a big deal.
So anyway, after a one year absence, the SMA’s are back in full force to rock your world. Forget the Grammy’s – they’re a joke. Teen Choice Awards? God help us. This is where you want to look for the best music of 2018: A place where only exceptional music earns the spotlight, and only the very best wins (Well, unless it’s one of the worst of the year categories – a brand new feature! But I won’t give anything else away.)
There’s a plethora of fun categories this year, but no award is more coveted than the seriously cool shit AOTY trophy [pictured below]. Low Roar, Sufjan Stevens, and Yellowcard (lol) have all come away with it before, and last year it would have been Manchester Orchestra. In the meanwhile, we’ve seen distinguished nominees such as Radiohead, The Antlers, and Fleet Foxes walk away empty-handed. It just goes to show that I don’t give a shit, and this is my show.
I’m still accepting offers to host the show. Judio (remember him? wasn’t he a contributor or something?) still has permanent dibs, but seeing as…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 30, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 30, 2018 –
The 1975: A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
Genre: Indie-Pop/Alt-Rock
Label: Polydor
Alessia Cara: The Pains of Growing
Genre: Pop/R&B
Label: Equal Vision Records
Bryan Ferry: Bitter-Sweet
Genre: Pop
Label: BMG
Clean Bandit: What Is Love?
Genre: Pop/Electronic
Label: Atlantic
Daniel Romano: Finally Free
Genre: Folk/Country
Label: New West
Jeff Tweedy: WARM
Genre: Folk/Americana/Indie-Rock
Label: dBpm
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 23, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 23, 2018 –
Art Brut: Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out!
Genre: Indie-Rock/Pop
Label: Alcopop!
Bauhaus: The Bela Session
Genre: Post-Punk/Gothic
Label: Leaving
Cattle Decapitation: Medium Rarities
Genre: Grind/Death Metal
Label: Metal Blade
Dan Reed Network: Origins
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Zero One
Ed Harcourt: Beyond The End
Genre: Indie-Rock
Label: Point of Departure
In The Woods…: Cease The Day
Genre: Black/Progressive Metal
Label: Debemur Morti Productions
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 16, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 16, 2018 –
Anderson .Paak: Oxnard
Genre: R&B/Soul/Hip-Hop
Label: Aftermath
Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness: Upside Down Flowers
Genre: Pop/Rock
Label: Fantasy
Azusa: Heavy Yoke
Genre: Progressive/Thrash Metal
Label: Solid State
Eiko Ishibashi: The Dream My Bones Dream
Genre: Pop
Label: Drag City
Esben And The Witch: Nowhere
Genre: Post-Rock/Shoegaze
Label: Season of Mist
The Good, The Bad & The Queen: Merrie Land
Genre: Indie Pop/Alternative Rock
Label: Studio 13
John Mellencamp: Other People’s Stuff
Genre: Folk/Americana
Label: Republic
Little Mix: LM5
Genre: Pop
Label: Columbia
Mariah Carey: Caution
Genre: Pop/R&B
Label: Epic
Mark Knopfler: Down The Road Wherever
Genre: Blues/Folk/Country
Label: Blue Note
Memphis May Fire: Broken
Genre: Metalcore/Post-Hardcore
Label: Rise
Michael Bublé: Love
Genre: Jazz/Pop
Label: Reprise
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 9, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 9, 2018 –
All That Remains: Victim Of The New Disease
Genre: Metalcore
Label: Razor & Tie
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 2, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: November 2, 2018 –
Alias & Doseone: Less is Orchestra
Genre: Hip-Hop/Electronic
Label: Anticon.
All Get Out: No Bouquet
Genre: Indie-Rock/Alt/Emo
Label: Equal Vision Records
Arsis: Visitant
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Audiotopsy: The Real Now
Genre: Hard Rock/Nu-Metal/Progressive
Label: MRI
Beacon: Gravity Pairs
Genre: Indie-Pop/Electronic
Label: Ghostly International
Bill Ryder-Jones: Yawn
Genre: Folk/Indie
Label: Domino Recording Co.
Dan Mangan: More Or Less
Genre: Folk/Indie-Rock
Label: Arts & Crafts Productions Inc.
Dead Can Dance: Dionysus
Genre: Gothic/Folk/Post-Punk
Label: [PIAS]
Devil Master: Manifestations
Genre: Black Metal/Punk
Label: Relapse
Marianne Faithfull: Negative Capability
Genre: Pop/Folk
Label: BMG Rights Management France
Moonface: This One’s For The Dancer & This One’s For The Dancer’s Bouquet
Genre: Indie-Pop/Rock
Label: Jagjaguwar
Mother Feather: Constellation Baby
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Metal Blade
The Ocean: Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
Genre: Post Metal/Progressive/Sludge
Label: Metal Blade
The Prodigy: No Tourists
Genre: Electronic/Techno
Label: BMG Rights Management (UK)
Sun Kil Moon: This Is My Dinner
Genre: Folk/Indie-Rock
Label: Caldo Verde
Sylvaine: Atoms Aligned, Coming Undone
Genre: Shoegaze/Post Metal/Black Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Tenacious D: Post-Apocalypto
Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Label: Columbia
Witherfall: A Prelude To Sorrow
Genre: Power/Heavy/Progressive Metal
Label: Century Media
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 26th, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the artwork (if we remember…) so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Featured Release
Julia Holter: Aviary
Genre: Ambient/Pop/Experimental
Label: Domino Recording Co.
Julia Holter has emerged over the past decade – and especially in the last five years – as one of the premier experimental artists in pop. 2013’s Loud City Song and 2015’s Have You In My Wilderness were both different strands of beautiful, offering breathtaking melodies atop mesmerizing soundscapes. Aviary figures to keep the trend going, as we witness Holter in her prime and at the top of her collective game. Dip your feet into “I Shall Love 2”, the album’s lead single, below:
– List of Releases: October 26th, 2018 –
Bloodbath: The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Peaceville
Boy George And Culture Club: Life
Genre: Pop/New Wave
Label: BMG
Daughters: You Won’t Get What You Want
Genre: Noise Rock/Grind/Post-Hardcore
Label: Ipecac
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 19th, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the artwork (if we remember…) so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Featured Release
Greta Van Fleet: Anthem Of The Peaceful Army
Genre: Rock/Blues
Label: Republic
The other day I played a Greta Van Fleet song for my wife, who barely listens to music that was made before the 2000’s. “Is this Led Zeppelin?”, she innocently inquired. I corrected her – “No.” “Oh”, she said, “They sound just like them except not as good.” “Yes, yes they do”, I replied. We rode the rest of the way to the grocery in awkward silence.
– List of Releases: October 19th, 2018 –
Ace Frehley: Spaceman
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Entertainment One
Amaranthe: Helix
Genre: Power Metal/Melodic Death Metal
Label: Universal Music Oy
Cloud Nothings: Last Building Burning
Genre: Indie-Rock/Lo-Fi/Punk
Label: Carpark
Disturbed: Evolution
Genre: Nu-Metal/Hard Rock
Label: Reprise
Elle King: Shake The Spirit
Genre: Pop/Blues/Country
Label: RCA
Is there an artist from the 2000’s who is bigger than Kanye West? If not, he’s at least somewhere in the top 5…and regardless of whether or not you love him or hate him – whether you find his antics annoying or endearing – the man can sure as hell write music. Kanye’s rise to stardom coincided with the growth of internet culture, and as such, his footprint is all over Sputnik. Our staff grew up listening to his music, so we’ve decided to take his his entire body of work into consideration for the construction of a Top 10 Songs list. There are sure to be predictable entries as well as some surprises. Check out our carefully curated list, and be sure to comment with your own!
(10) Father Stretch My Hands
from the album The Life of Pablo
Both parts of “Father Stretch My Hands” are a ridiculous fucking mess. I mean they’re like a quickfire montage of unfinished songs dating anywhere from 808s through to Yeezus, featuring not one but two of West’s greatest choruses that could easily grace chart-topping stadium hits, but in very Life of Pablo fashion instead wrap around the famous bleached asshole, a…
![Live In Buenos Aires [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51wAcQGL3OL._SS500.jpg)
![Heart to Mouth [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41G6XqwL8SL._SS500.jpg)
![A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31Ncg-T41kL._SS500.jpg)
![What Is Love? (Deluxe) [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xjKVPpeNL._SS500.jpg)
![Afterlife [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61gw8ttMCZL._SS500.jpg)
![Phoenix (Deluxe) [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41B0YjHO7ZL._SS500.jpg)
![Oxnard [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/411UtUzAyQL._SS500.jpg)
![Upside Down Flowers [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nIwoME85L._SS500.jpg)
![Caution [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516CY8wlZAL._SS500.jpg)
![Victim of the New Disease [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51trytpqtJL._SS500.jpg)
![A Patient Man [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51U74oZvEaL._SS500.jpg)
![Constellation Baby [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/618Kx5CLXWL._SS500.jpg)
![Post-Apocalypto [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61XdqLc%2B66L._SS500.jpg)
![Helix [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61iekfQ4djL._SS500.jpg)
![Us [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41X0Ra0UHYL._SS500.jpg)
