Hayden Thorpe - "Parallel Kingdom"

Hayden Thorpe, former frontman of British art-pop chameleons Wild Beasts, has just released his second album Moondust For My Diamond, the follow-up to his wonderful debut solo album, the critically acclaimed Diviner.  Second single "Parallel Kingdom" is a sensual, pulsating track with muted drum programming, twinkling synths, atmospheric guitar, and, of course, Thorpe's angelic vocals.

Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) & Hayden Thorpe (ex-Wild Beasts) - "Unknown Song"

Joe Goddard and Hayden Thorpe team up for this joyful club-ready track about how even in lockdown we can find connection through music.

Jam of the Day: One True Pairing - "Only God Can Judge Me"

Tom Fleming, formerly of Wild Beasts, releases his first solo album under the moniker One True Pairing. His stunning baritone is the highlight of this synth heavy track.

Jam of the Day: Hayden Thorpe - "Human Knot"

Hayden Thorpe, the former lead singer for art-pop band Wild Beasts, has released his first solo album, the gorgeous piano-led Diviner. One of my favorite tracks is the starkly beautiful "Human Knot," which focuses on Thorpe's haunting voice.

Jam of the Day: Low Island - "Too Young"

Oxford quartet Low Island release this atmospheric track that echoes the best work of bands like Wild Beasts.

Jam of the Day: Wild Beasts - "Punk Drunk and Trembling"

Wild Beasts, one of my favorite bands ever, have announced that they are splitting. They are about to release their final EP, Punch Drunk and Trembling, which is culled from tracks left over from their last record Boy King. This is the title track and is another beautiful, elegant song. It saddens me that they are breaking up, but they leave a wonderful body of work that I will always listen to.

Jam of the Day: Zola Blood - "The Only Thing"

I'm eagerly anticipating Zola Blood's debut full length, Infinite Games, which drops tomorrow. If you are a fan of elegant, art-pop such as Wild Beasts, Clock Opera, and Metronomy, you will definite find much to love. "The Only Thing" is a sweeping, synth-drenched track that gradually builds to a satisfying emotional conclusion.

Jam of the Day: Little Cub - "Hypnotize"

Pssst! I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Little Cub's debut album Still Life is one of the best records of the year. It was near impossible to put just one of their tracks down here, so you will likely see a few more over the coming months. "Hypnotize" is a good entry point on the record, throwing down a fierce groove as synthesizers swirl around. The best description of the band's is that they sound like the intersection where Blur, Pulp, Wild Beasts, and Pet Shop Boys all meet. Please check them out.

2016 Favorite Albums (Numbers 20-11)

Almost to the top, here are the records that just narrowly missed my top ten:

20.

Cubicolor - Brain Sugar

Gorgeous downtempo electronica that was always a great rainy day record.

19.

Local Natives - Sunlit Youth

Though they leaned more heavily towards electronics on Sunlit Youth, Local Natives never sacrificed melody or song craft. The songs here search for meaning in that hyper twilight hour between your 20s and 40s where you feel like you should be heading in the right direction, but are always doubting yourself.

18.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree

Although the majority of Skeleton Tree was recorded prior to the accidental death of Cave's 15 year old son, the specter of his death hangs over this album. It's a haunting work, that is almost painfully insular; but it is a stunning reflection on life, loss, and seeking redemption.

17.

Gojira - Magma

Born out of grief for the passing of the Duplantier brothers' mother (Joe is Gojira's singer/guitarist and Mario is the drummer), Magma is Gojira's tightest and most commercially viable record and yet its most somber and melancholy. While there are still raging songs here, the majority of the record finds the band exploring texture and drama.

16.

Wild Beasts - Boy King

After their last impeccable record Present Tense, I was curious where Wild Beasts would take their sound next. They seemed to be wavering closer towards Talk Talk territory, becoming more and more ambient. With Boy King, they reveal that they had no intentions of fading into the background. Over 10 tracks, Wild Beasts amp up the synths and sleaze, and create a swaggering behemoth of an album.

15.

A Tribe Called Quest - We Got it From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service

Laid back but overflowing with ideas and killer beats, this comeback record from A Tribe Called Quest couldn't have come at a better moment.

14.

Banks and Steelz - Anything but Words

On paper, a collaboration between Paul Banks of Interpol and RZA of Wu-Tang Clan sounds like a disaster. In actuality, it was one of my biggest surprises this year. I still find myself going back to record and finding something new. A very melancholy tone hovers over the project, with tracks like "I Can Hardly Feel," "One By One," and "Gonna Make It" provided a triple punch of foreboding atmosphere.

13.

Ariana Grande - Dangerous Woman

Ariana's amazing vocal range is highlighted on this stunningly diverse set of pop songs.

12.

Tinashe - Nightride

Sleek and futuristic, Nightride is Tinashe's place holder while waiting for her major label album to come out, and seriously, it is some of the best R&B I have heard in awhile. If this is just a placeholder, I can only imagine how brilliant the next album will be.

11.

Tegan and Sara - Love You to Death

While some could accuse Love You to Death as merely being Heartthrob 2.0, they would sorely be mistaken. Adding more depth and texture to their sound, Tegan and Sara have fashioned the best pop record of the year. Watch out Taylor Swift, these women are nipping at your heels.

2016 Favorite Songs (Numbers 40-31)

Continuing the countdown to my favorite song of the year:

40. Gojira - "Low Lands"



This slow burner from Gojira shows them in full mastery of their craft.

39. Nerve Leak - "DR34M5"



Atmospheric track that lingers long in the brain.

38. Tegan and Sara - "U-Turn"



There were almost too many songs I would have put on here from their album Love You to Death, but this one always got a smile on my face and my booty shaking.

37. EZA - "Eyes for You"



The ache in her voice gets me every time.

36. Usher - "Make U A Believer"



I love all the different textures and layers going on in this track.

35. Boxed In - "Up to You/Down to Me"



There is just something warm and inviting about a Boxed In track, and this one is no exception.

34. Psychic Twin - "Chase You"



I am always fascinated by contrasts. Psychic Twin's evocative and aching vocals mixed with the churn and grind of electronics is particularly striking.

33. Wild Beasts - "Alpha Female"



Wild Beasts amp up the synths and sleaze in this banger.

32. Blood Orange ft. Empress Of - "Best to You"



Their voices complement each other perfectly. I would love for them to do more work together.

31. How to Dress Well - "Lost Youth/Lost You"



I just love the lyrics to this song: "I say I think I know what love is now/I think I kinda figured it out/But then the second that I open my mouth/Gonna change my heart again."

Jam of the Day: Kuedo ft. Hayden Thorpe of Wild Beasts: "In Your Sleep"

Stunning track from Kuedo featuring the sublime vocals of Hayden Thorpe of Wild Beasts.

Jam of the Day: Wild Beasts - "Alpha Female"

Sleazy and muscular track from Wild Beasts' debaucherous new record Boy King.

Jam of the Day: Wild Beasts - "Celestial Creatures"

Slow building track from Wild Beasts off their upcoming record Boy King.

Jam of the Day: Wild Beasts - "Get My Bang"

Taking a sharp left turn from their more interior musings on their last record Present Tense, Wild Beasts return to a more carnal, funkier sound. The first taste from their new record Boy King is the sleek and sexual track "Get My Bang."

Jam of the Day: Wild Beasts - "Woebegone Wanderers II"

An unreleased track from Wild Beasts that was recorded during the Present Tense sessions and is a continuation of "Woebegone Wanderers" off their debut record Limbo, Panto.

Videos of the Week

First week of the new year, let's see what videos are starting the year off right:



Buzzed about video from Sia featuring Shia LaBeouf and “Chandelier” star Maddie Ziegler in an interpretative cage dance off. It's definitely a video that will get people talking.



George Clanton, a.k.a. Mirror Kisses, takes random clips from the 1995 Angelina Jolie movie Hackers and puts in animations and video of himself throughout. The song itself seems to fit right in with the visuals.



Fun performance clip from Brooklyn band LVL UP.



If you are looking for a video with a drug-dealing ape, go no further than this collaboration between AlunaGeorge and DJ Snake.



Amazing clip of Wild Beasts performing their song "Wanderlust" on a 7,800 pipe organ.



Gorgeous animated clip from Panda Bear.

Jam of the Day: Wild Beasts - "Blood Knowledge"

This unreleased track from Wild Beasts is a stunning slow burner featuring gorgeous intertwined vocals from Hayden Thorpe and Tom Fleming.

My Favorite 25 Albums of 2014: 10-6

And we've reached my top ten records of the year. Here's 10-6, with my top 5 records coming up tomorrow:

10.

Hercules and Love Affair - The Feast of the Broken Heart

What do you do when you release a near-perfect debut album? With Hercules and Love Affair you release Blue Songs and attempt to marry your House music explorations with arty flights of fancy that tend to sink the ship rather than propel it forward. After this slight misstep, Andy Butler and company almost go back to square one, stripping things back to their essence, and joining these tracks with vocalists who neither overshadow the songs or get crushed under their waves. The Feast of the Broken Heart is a massive return to form, and with deep-voiced singer John Grant, they have almost found someone to transcend their work with Antony Hegarty, which is no mean feat in and of itself.

9.

Arca - Xen

Venezuelan producer Arca, born Alejandro Ghersi, has made a name for himself doing high profile work with artists like Kanye West, FKA twigs, and soon to be Bjork. After a couple of shape-shifting, genre bending EPs, Ghersi finally releases his debut, the quite frankly jaw-dropping stunner Xen. While it is not an easy listen, Ghersi is never more than fully in control of the fractured beats, pitch shifted samples, and go-for-broke synthetic overload. There are times when the proceedings feel like they are pushing back at you, demanding that you succumb to their tyranny, however, these tactics merely serve to bring you closer in to their avant-garde womb. Throughout the blazing display of technical virtuosity, there are always touchstones to bring you back to earth, as on the liquid bath of "Thievery," the staccato mind fuck of the title track, or the haunting strings of "Wound." And like a ray of light sneaking its way through the depths of dark waters, a track as simple and devastating as "Held Apart," reminds you that there is always a soul and heart behind the machines.

8.

FKA twigs - LP1

FKA twigs teased her otherworldly sound in a series of EPs, coming across as the love-child of Aaliyah and Bjork. Her voice, dance moves, and image all fall distinctly into R&B, however, it is all enveloped in music that is forward thinking, sometimes aggressively obtuse, but always the perfect vessel for her breathless cries. Whether it is the harder edged dissection of image in "Video Girl," or the dizzying skycraping on "Two Weeks," twigs is always in command of her voice, not letting it get lost in the almost tsunami like crash of instrumentation. And when the music is but a whisper, she truly shines, as on the standout track "Pendulum," where her fragility is open, raw, and heartfelt.

7.

Wild Beasts - Present Tense

Wild Beasts have made the decision to follow bands like Talk Talk and Slowdive down their own rabbit hole, staking their claim on their own musical territory, without fear or regret. The songs on Present Tense float in and out of each other, anchored by the phalanx of synthesizers and the dual vocals of Hayden Thorpe's malleable falsetto and Tom Fleming's evocative baritone. Where in the past, the band chose to highlight one or the other on tracks, here, the band wisely chooses to incorporate the yin and yang of their complementary approaches to great effect on most tracks. Present Tense finds Wild Beasts at the height of their game, with the songs all working beautifully as individual gems, but working together to form a gorgeous piece of interconnected art. Staking their own claim on their sound and moving it in directions once thought impossible, Wild Beasts further move into their own territory, almost peerless.

6.

Warpaint - Warpaint

Warpaint's debut record The Fool was on many best of lists for 2010, and rightfully so, it's driving combination of icy, post-guitars, languid vocals, and the propulsion of a secret weapon, its formidable rhythm section, made for an intoxicating listen. It's been almost 4 years since that release, and after a lengthy tour schedule along with working on these tracks during sound checks, Warpaint have returned with their sophomore record. There is no seismic shift in sound on this record, the rhythm section is still potent and the driving force behind the tracks, vocals are hazy and dream like, and the guitars still drip like icicles, however, this go-around there is far more atmosphere present, lots of foreboding electronics and hints of drum programming. Produced by Flood (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins) and mixed by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead), Warpaint is more polished and slick, but the better production helps define their sound better rather than overcompensating. They leave the rhythm section front and center, while the dual guitars flicker in and out of the mix as punctuation. It's funny that a band with two guitarists puts out music with seemingly so little guitar. Warpaint is a record that takes time to insinuate itself in your head. I will admit that on first listens I was underwhelmed, as the record doesn't have the same intense energy as its predecessor. While The Fool was an African rhino charging its way through the brush, Warpaint is the coiled snake in the grass, full of menace, ready to snap at any moment and strike.

Favorite Songs of 2014: Numbers 25-1

25.  Aphex Twin - "Minipops 67 (Source Field Mix)"

Not so much a return to form as a reminder that Aphex Twin was so far ahead of anyone else in the electronic music field that it took this long for people to catch up. And still, he pushes the envelope even farther.



24.  Warpaint - "Teese"

The one word that constantly came to mind when listening to Warpaint's sophomore record was liquid. Every song sounded like it moved underneath layers of calm waters. "Teese" is the aural equivalent of immersing oneself in a warm bath under the stars, with only the sounds of your heart and breath to keep you comfortable.



23.  Neneh Cherry - "Blank Project"

Roaring back after an absence of 18 years, Neneh Cherry came back as if no time had passed. "Blank Project" is one of the many standouts on the album of the same name, with the music growing from a steady buzz and pulse into something nearing anarchy, with Ms. Cherry standing in front of the chaos, always and sublimely in control.



22.  Dawn Golden - "All I Want (Nudist Remix)"

I usually don't pick remixes of songs on best of lists, preferring to choose the original version of a track to something that is essentially someone else's vision. With Dawn Golden, their single "All I Want" is a perfectly enjoyable Coldplay-esque track that I can see being used in 10,000 movie trailers and key movie moments. It just ever really jumps ahead into a "must hear" track for me. Nudist's remix, however, takes the song and gently tweaks it, making it more lonely and more longing, and has made it that "must hear" song for me. He really makes you hear the desperate longing that is missing from the original by merely warping the vocals, adding verse repetition, and the heart wrenching piano, creating a haunting classic.



21.  Capital Cities - "One Minute More"

This festival ready sing-a-long is one of those songs that makes you want to dance and not think about a damn thing.



20.  We Were Evergreen - "Daughters"

Melancholy electro-pop from the French trio We Were Evergreen. I love the wistful interplay between the dual vocalists.



19.  Hercules and Love Affair ft. John Grant - "Liberty"

I always like Hercules and Love Affair more when they are slamming you hard on the dance floor. With the urgent vocals of singer John Grant, "Liberty" leaves you gasping for breath.



18.  Róisín Murphy - "Ancora Tu"

From her EP of Ital-disco tracks Mi Senti, Róisín Murphy's track "Ancora Tu" is a gorgeous, minimalist song that focuses on her amazingly emotive voice. While I have no idea what she is singing about, you get every emotional cue from her impeccable delivery.



17.  Lykke Li - "Gunshot"

Lykke Li's "Gunshot" begins with Li's delicate voice and muted backing before erupting into a stunning anthem. I could have put almost any track from her impeccable album I Never Learn on this list, but I kept coming back to this one, its haunting melody a siren's call.



16.  Interpol - "All The Rage Back Home"

El Pintor had almost too many singles to consider in making my list, however, I have always had a soft spot for the opening track whose humble beginnings masks a prototypical Interpol barn burner.



15.  Klo. - "False Calls"

Where pop, R&B, electronica, and hip-hop all collide in this modern world, Aussie duo Klo. mesmerize with this dreamy track.



14.  Sia - "Eye of the Needle"

One of the simpler tracks on her record 1000 Forms of Fear, Sia's "Eye of the Needle" is breathtaking in how she maintains such control over her voice, but that she lets flaws come through at the end. The beauty to me is always in the flaws.



13.  Blonde Redhead - "Penultimo"

Quirky art-pop from Blonde Redhead. I love how the awkward male and female vocals twist and turn around each other in slow dance, their perceptions of place changed by time and distance. An evocative tale of how music was once so dangerous and threatening and now has become something pale and timid.



12.  Tinashe - "The Leap"

Although I easily could have picked a number of tracks from her stunning debut Aquarius, I chose her track from the Mockingjay soundtrack. I love her expressive voice matched against the moody, textural background of the music.



11.  Cathedrals - "Unbound"

Achingly beautiful track from San Francisco duo Cathedrals which mixes delicate guitar work, impassioned vocals, and a buzzy electronic undercurrent.



10.  Lorde - "Yellow Flicker Beat"

Lorde's talent keeps growing with this track that is all about mood, and the build and release.



9.  Oyinda - "Rush of You"

London-based, Nigerian-born singer Oyinda singer's "Rush of You" is a fairly minimal alt-R&B track that hits all the right marks for me. Her subtle voice is the key to this track, as it equates love to a drug addiction, with the withdrawals giving her false hope that her lover will come back. The end of the track is simply the voices in her head clipped and chopped into another instrument as the feelings wash over her.



8.  Manatee Commune ft. Marina Price - "White Smoke"

Gorgeous chillwave from Seattle bedroom producer Grant Eadie, a.k.a. Manatee Commune, featuring luminous vocals from Marina Price. The track is deceptively simple, yet the layers and layers of sound he builds are intoxicating and transcendent.



7.  Kindness - "This Is Not About Us"

There is a ramshackle charm to this track that is infectious. I love how each element is so distinctive, as if created in a vacuum separate from the others, then by some found method are aligned to each other in harmony.



6.  FKA twigs - "Pendulum"

"Pendulum" is the haunting centerpiece to FKA twigs' astonishingly assured debut record LP1. How she can use her soft voice to create a hold over you without the music overtaking her is astounding. And who hasn't been in the situation where you love your partner more than they love you, and you feel helpless watching them slip away. She nails it with the lyrics "So lonely trying to be yours/When you're looking for so much more."



5.  Arca - "Held Apart"

Venezuelan producer Alejandro Ghersi, better known as Arca, is best known for his technical virtuosity, and his ability to twist machine sounds into completely new directions. His work with Kanye West, FKA twigs, and on his early EPs is staggeringly complex and ahead of its time. When selecting a track from his masterful debut Xen, I could have chosen a number of tracks that highlighted this side of this work. But Arca is more than everything but the kitchen sink showing off, there is talent, drive, and purpose with what he does. And never more does he shine brighter than on the heartbreaking treated piano track "Held Apart." This my friends, is looking into the eyes of god.



4.  Wild Beasts - "A Dog's Life"

As they move towards being almost the electronic version of later period Talk Talk, Wild Beasts allow their innate understanding of mood, texture, and emotion to dictate where their songs head. This gut-wrenching tale of a dog's death is the perfect example from their brilliant record Present Tense, reaching an apex of almost unbearable sadness that floods one with memory and regret.



3.  Spoon - "Do You"

I have never included an album or song from Spoon in any of my lists before. I am sure I never truly gave them the attention they deserve, and for that I apologize. Their hooky as hell single "Do You" just kept gnawing at me like a hunger all summer, never shaking it from my head. It is just one of those perfect pop songs.



2.  Damon Albarn - "Everyday Robots"

"Everyday Robots" is the lonely and haunting title track from Damon Albarn's first solo record. Albarn's voice is front and center over the lurching rhythm, African samples, strings, and plaintive piano, lamenting a world where personal interaction has been reduced to the sidelines.



1.  Totemo - "Host"

I can't really provide a concrete reason for why this song has intrigued me so. It has basically been on repeat ad nauseum for months. The song is so textural, you can get lost for days in its many layers, finding new sounds and feelings with each listen. Thematically, "Host" is definitely up for multiple interpretations, for me though, it feels like a spirit taking possession of a person, feeling them fighting against them. The music plays along like a horror film, with eerie creeks and noises echoing all around, adding to a sense of haunted loss.

Videos of the Week

It's Friday, and here are the videos that saddled up for the week:



Lorde works her witchy hands dance magic in this clip for her song on the Hunger Games soundtrack.



Simple, yet effective black and white clip for up and coming London singer Billie Black.



Gorgeously shot clip for Hundred Waters.



Metronomy get back to nature in this interesting clip.



Wild Beasts are exposed to different elements and these are their real reactions in this quasi-science experiment cum music video.