If there was one trend in the world of music in 2016 it was that the smaller independent bands and artists have produced the best music of the year and that popular, in terms of sales, does not mean best. Indeed, much of the charts last year had been it could be argued, instantly forgettable. Can you name the first number one of 2016? No? Doubt if you are the only one struggling to name Justin Beiber’s Love Yourself. Moreover, in the year that saw Bob Dylan win a Nobel Prize for his “poetry” the art of the protest song in music also returned. So much so that two of the most critically acclaimed records of 2016 were records by She Drew The Gun and Tanya Tagaq that had an element of protest at their very core.
Following the huge critical success of She Drew The Gun’s debut LP ‘Memories Of The. Spearheaded by politicised and provocative new single ‘Pit Pony’ is one of those records.
The debut draws lyrical inspiration from Louisa Roach’s (aka She Drew The Gun) own real life experiences. Whilst the chugged guitars and a laid back percussive tempo glide effortlessly through a chorus of glacial blues, tinged understated and soulful sublime offerings. Self-scrutiny and drunken reflection, are just a few threads in the rich tapestry and myriad of intertwining themes found within She Drew The Gun’s music. That isn’t afraid to explore or veer outside the norm with a Sci-Fi protest song and dreamy love song straight out of a Kurt Vonnegut novel amongst the gems on the album.
With previous acclaim for collaborating with Bjork and winning the Polaris Prize in 2014, Tanya Tagaq’s album Retribution is a cohesive, whole statement. The record is Tanya’s portrait of a violent world in crisis, hovering on the brink of destruction. It’s a complex, exhilarating, howling protest that links lack of respect for women’s rights to lack of respect for the planet, to lack of respect for Indigenous rights. It’s an album about celebrating the great strength of women, it’s about rejecting the toxic, militaristic outlook that’s taken over the world since the rise of Western industrial capitalism, and is rapidly destroying human life support systems through climate change and pollution. In a startling lyric from the title track, she observes, “Money has spent us.”
DIY music, or indie or un-signed call it what you will, thrilled millions during last year. People going to gigs of those bands attached to these labels has increased to an all-time high. Leeds is a terrific example as the independent venues such as The Brudenell have collected accolades on a regular basis.
2016 was also the 40th anniversary of punk. However, despite the best of efforts of the new punk of Taccocat and Diet Cig amongst others this may have passed you by. Although bands such as The Stranglers and The Damned, whose longevity is very un-punk like, still sell out large auditoriums once again the energy and passion was produced by the new bands that have been influenced by punk. Muncie Girls’ are probably the best example. Debut album ‘From Caplan To Belsize’ was released earlier last year to critical acclaim and the band had quite a 2016, playing to significant crowds at the likes of Glastonbury, Download Festival, Reading and Leeds, SWN, Groezrock and The Great Escape. They were nominated for a Kerrang! Award for Best British Newcomer, shortlisted for the Drowned In Sound Neptune Music Prize and have had their music played on the likes of BBC Radio 1, as well as appearing on German TV show Circus Halli Galli alongside Robbie Williams. Publications across the board have been glowing in their praise of the record and The A.V. Club recently named ‘From Caplan To Belsize’ in their Best Music of 2016 So Far, declaring “’Respect’ has one of the year’s best choruses”.
However, 2016 will also be remembered as a where we lost many a musical icon: Artists that transcended genres but whose music brought people together. The year started and ended tragically with the loss of David Bowie in January and George Michael in December. In between we lost Glen Frey, Prince, Pete Burns, Craig Gill, Greg Lake, Sharon Jones and Rick Parfitt from Status Quo. Sadness but tinged with thankfulness for providing the musical backdrop for our lives.
If there was one trend in the world of music in 2016 it was that the smaller independent bands and artists have produced the best music of the year and that popular, in terms of sales, does not mean best. Indeed, much of the charts last year had been it could be argued, instantly forgettable. Can you name the first number one of 2016? No? Doubt if you are the only one struggling to name Justin Beiber’s Love Yourself. Moreover, in the year that saw Bob Dylan win a Nobel Prize for his “poetry” the art of the protest song in music also returned. So much so that two of the most critically acclaimed records of 2016 were records by She Drew The Gun and Tanya Tagaq that had an element of protest at their very core.
Following the huge critical success of She Drew The Gun’s debut LP ‘Memories Of The. Spearheaded by politicised and provocative new single ‘Pit Pony’ is one of those records.
The debut draws lyrical inspiration from Louisa Roach’s (aka She Drew The Gun) own real life experiences. Whilst the chugged guitars and a laid back percussive tempo glide effortlessly through a chorus of glacial blues, tinged understated and soulful sublime offerings. Self-scrutiny and drunken reflection, are just a few threads in the rich tapestry and myriad of intertwining themes found within She Drew The Gun’s music. That isn’t afraid to explore or veer outside the norm with a Sci-Fi protest song and dreamy love song straight out of a Kurt Vonnegut novel amongst the gems on the album.
With previous acclaim for collaborating with Bjork and winning the Polaris Prize in 2014, Tanya Tagaq’s album Retribution is a cohesive, whole statement. The record is Tanya’s portrait of a violent world in crisis, hovering on the brink of destruction. It’s a complex, exhilarating, howling protest that links lack of respect for women’s rights to lack of respect for the planet, to lack of respect for Indigenous rights. It’s an album about celebrating the great strength of women, it’s about rejecting the toxic, militaristic outlook that’s taken over the world since the rise of Western industrial capitalism, and is rapidly destroying human life support systems through climate change and pollution. In a startling lyric from the title track, she observes, “Money has spent us.”
DIY music, or indie or un-signed call it what you will, thrilled millions during last year. People going to gigs of those bands attached to these labels has increased to an all-time high. Leeds is a terrific example as the independent venues such as The Brudenell have collected accolades on a regular basis.
2016 was also the 40th anniversary of punk. However, despite the best of efforts of the new punk of Taccocat and Diet Cig amongst others this may have passed you by. Although bands such as The Stranglers and The Damned, whose longevity is very un-punk like, still sell out large auditoriums once again the energy and passion was produced by the new bands that have been influenced by punk. Muncie Girls’ are probably the best example. Debut album ‘From Caplan To Belsize’ was released earlier last year to critical acclaim and the band had quite a 2016, playing to significant crowds at the likes of Glastonbury, Download Festival, Reading and Leeds, SWN, Groezrock and The Great Escape. They were nominated for a Kerrang! Award for Best British Newcomer, shortlisted for the Drowned In Sound Neptune Music Prize and have had their music played on the likes of BBC Radio 1, as well as appearing on German TV show Circus Halli Galli alongside Robbie Williams. Publications across the board have been glowing in their praise of the record and The A.V. Club recently named ‘From Caplan To Belsize’ in their Best Music of 2016 So Far, declaring “’Respect’ has one of the year’s best choruses”.
However, 2016 will also be remembered as a where we lost many a musical icon: Artists that transcended genres but whose music brought people together. The year started and ended tragically with the loss of David Bowie in January and George Michael in December. In between we lost Glen Frey, Prince, Pete Burns, Craig Gill, Greg Lake, Sharon Jones and Rick Parfitt from Status Quo. Sadness but tinged with thankfulness for providing the musical backdrop for our lives.
