SW picks 2015's best releases
While many artists and record labels focus on releasing singles rather than full albums these days, there are still plenty of great albums being released in every genre. Throughout 2015 there were a lot of innovating and exciting albums released locally and internationally. While physical copies of some of these albums might be hard to come by in Thailand, they can all be found easily online.
For the first Sound Check column of 2016, the Student Weekly team got together and selected our personal picks for the best albums of 2015.
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Freedom Tower — No Wave Dance Party 2015
Mom & Pop
Since the early '90s, American rock trio Jon Spencer Blues Explosion have been blowing away audiences with their amazing live shows and releasing a steady run of great albums that combine raw garage rock, rockabilly, funk and soul in a unique, exciting and experimental way.
Released earlier this year, Freedom Tower is the trio's latest offering and it's one of their strongest albums yet. Most of the songs are about or dedicated to New York City, where the band has always been based. The album manages to capture the frenetic energy of the city and well as absorb local musical influences such as old school hip-hop and New York noise rock.
The opening track, "Funeral," blasts out of the speakers with a funky, dirty rock 'n' roll groove, and the upbeat party vibe doesn't let up for the rest of the album, even when the groove slows down to a more laid-back pace for songs like "Down and Out."
Album singles "Do the Get Down" and "Betty vs. the NYPD" are definite highlights, but there's not a bad track on the whole album. If you like one track, you'll like them all.
Freedom Tower is highly recommended for people who like non-mainstream rock with a great, funky party vibe. — BE
Ugly Mountain
Ugly Mountain
Independent release
Chiang Mai has been producing some amazing bands in recent times, and one of the most unusual is the rock trio Ugly Mountain. Led by renowned singer-songwriter and guitarist Gene Mahasmut Bunyaraksh (formerly of Saliva Bastards), the trio also features Cat Panupong Chareanret on electric violin and Bam Tasasin Indhaphan on drums.
The band's self-titled debut album features six songs that combine bluesy song structures with a psychedelic atmosphere and some nice, grungy guitar playing. Despite the deliberately lo-fi sound of the production, the songs are all catchy and performed in a way that creates a captivating atmosphere.
Ugly Mountain are a unique band in the local music scene, and their debut release is bound to make fans excited about more music to come from the maverick trio. — BE
Wilco
Star Wars
Anti
American band Wilco have been famous in the indie rock music world for about two decades. Over the years Wilco's music has encompassed country, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, soul and more.
Recently, Wilco surprised their fans by releasing their ninth album, Star Wars, as a free download from their website. But the music on the new album has surprised fans even more. Even by Wilco’s adventurous standards, Star Wars is a very unusual album from the band, but the experimentation works.
Opening instrumental “EKG” is a loud guitar noise jam that almost sounds like early Sonic Youth. While the band’s signature power-pop sound is still evident on songs like “Random Name Generator” and “Where Do I Begin,” singer Jeff Tweedy and lead guitarist Nels Cline have expanded their sound to include grungy, fuzzy experiments on tracks like "You Satellite" and "Pickled Ginger."
Wilco end the album with the Beatles-influenced ballad “Magnetized,” which is the album's sweetest track.
At 34 minutes in length, Star Wars is a fairly short album, but it's one that Wilco's fans and listeners who like experimental rock will want to listen to again and again. — TB
Big Bang
MADE
BEC-Tero Music
The MADE series consists of four EPs, individually called M, A, D and E. The M EP was released in May, while the others came out in order in the months that followed. Each release features two tracks, and all eight tracks successfully topped the pop charts.
As K-pop sensations, the five members of Big Bang are well-known for their abilities in singing, producing and performing their music without lip-syncing. Their individual talents and charm blend perfectly on MADE.
On these releases, the leader G-Dragon, rapper T.O.P and singer Taeyang made the music themsleves. G-Dragon wrote lyrics and melodies for several tracks, including the massive hits "Loser," "Bang Bang Bang" and "Bae Bae (Baby Baby)."
All eight songs are well produced with inventive music, intriguing lyrics and various types of singing from the powerful Seungri to the soulful Taeyang.
Even if you're not a K-pop fan but you like pop music in general you can easily enjoy MADE. The tracks "Loser" and "We Like 2 Party" are particularly catchy and entertaining. For a slower track, check out the beautiful and soothing "Let's Not Fall in Love." For K-pop fans, this is definitely a release that you shouldn't miss. — SC
Solitude Is Bliss
Her Social Anxiety
Minimal Records
Solitude Is Bliss is another interesting band to come out of the creative city of Chiang Mai. Following on from their 2014 EP Montage, the debut album by this young five-piece group is a confident trip through genres of indie rock, psychedelia and pop. The band are accomplished players, most evidently in their live shows where their complex arrangements gain extra power.
Singles like “Rich Man’s War, Poor Man’s Blood” show the band’s skill at crafting intricate and interesting songs, with funky riffs crashing over jazzy keyboards. Thanaphol Chumkhammool’s lyrics switch between English and Thai and cover topics beyond the typical relationship troubles, and his melodies are both experimental and catchy. The Chiang Mai label Minimal Records has given the band the freedom to do whatever they want — from odd instrumentals and a genre-mashing 11-minute medley to more traditional pop songs — resulting in a refreshing and surprising album. — GB
Vocabulary
- frenetic (adj): involving a lot of energy and activity in a way that is not organised
renowned (adj): famous and respected
bluesy (adj): having the slow strong rhythms and sad mood of blues music
captivating (adj): taking all your attention
maverick (adj): a person who does not behave or think like everybody else, but who has independent, unusual opinions
adventurous (adj): willing to take risks and try new ideas
instrumental (n): a piece of music with no singing
lip-sync (v): to move your mouth, without speaking or singing, so that its movements match the sound on a recorded song
accomplished (adj): having a lot of skill
intricate (adj): having a lot of different parts and small details that fit together
