On Christmas Eve, Future Islands released a cover of a modern Christmas classic, Wham!‘s Last Christmas. This is one of those songs that have been covered by everybody, so let’s see how Future Islands stack up.
Last Christmas was originally released in 1985, written by pop idol George Michael. Interestingly, it should be noted that it’s not actually a Christmas song per se. Rather, it tells the story of someone who has moved on after getting their heart broken – after Christmas. Although it never reached number one on the charts, it’s gone on to achieve massive international popularity; according to Digital Spy, it was Spotify’s most streamed song in the UK on Christmas Day in 2013.
Future Islands’ version has a smooth retro sound with beautiful harmonies. The synth pop track provides the same emotions that the painful story portrays with a slow melody. Basically, it’s easy listening at its best.
They recently recorded their own Christmas song Snails Christmas (I Want A New Shell), which was originally released in 2013. Their debut album Songs From The Shoebox is still in the works, hopefully on the way soon.
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 track=344213925 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]
Although Christmas is well and truly over (even though the leftovers probably aren’t) as we prepare to embark on the new year, you should still check it out if you haven’t already.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf03W5l3eMM]
For more, check out our live review and interview with guitarist William Cashion.
Falling straight after a mammoth weekend physically as well as emotionally and spiritually with the state of the world at the moment, you could have forgiven the Monday night crowd at The Triffid, tucked away in an old aircraft hangar in the urban suburb of Newstead in Brisbane, for being a little lacklustre tonight for Baltimore sensations Future Islands. And yet the anticipation and excitement for a band who have had only a handful of visits to Australia despite their near decade long existence is palpable.
Veteran Aussie hip hop crew Curse Ov Dialect are the lone opening act, though they provide the entertainment value of at least three or four. I… I really have no fucking idea what I watched that night and I think that’s the exact idea. Of the three MCs gracing the stage, one is dressed in a green onesie and Public Enemy t-shirt replete with a Santa hat and full blueface, looking as though Papa Smurf spent a rough day on the couch, a guy in a feathery all black costume and mask (and a white skirt as well) which I think is supposed to make him an owl though I’m not quite sure and the last guy in a costume which looks, for all intents and purposes, that it’s been constructed of garbage bags and duct tape.
They walk onstage and several members of the audience mutter an audible ‘what in the fuck?’, but then the vintage hip hop beats and DJ scratches kick in and everyone proceeds to enjoy the holy shit out of an utterly wild show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A-8DgWQlV4
The collective do not stop dancing for even a second, which the crowd absolutely loves. There’s a mystery guest who comes out in a face-covering tear drop mask and a polyester tracksuit straight out of a 90s lost property bin to spit a guest verse at one point. I don’t want to start any wild conspiracy theories but I’d fathom a guess that a certain headlining frontman (who dabbles in a spot of hip hop here and there on the side) is underneath the mask, though if the crowd share in my guess they aren’t really letting on at all. Perhaps they’re still too stunned by the theatrics of it all. The owl drops a rapturously received a capella verse that I’m sure he’s mastered the art of breathing through his ears for, his flow is that rapid and relentless throughout with some touches of an Aussie-accented Slim Shady to my ears. They finish their set in various states of undress and one punter screams ‘You guys are fucking sick!’ over the cheers as they take their leave.
They certainly were.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1HN5NTCHHw
It’s a short wait in between but the place swiftly turns into a part sauna part sardine tin in the meantime. The lights dim and the crowd roars and Future Islands take the stage in Brisbane for the first time since Laneway last year and since their only other headline tour of Australia back in 2012.
Frontman extraordinaire Sam Herring greets everyone briefly before saying he’s going to shut up now and make some fucking music, launching into Back In The Tall Grass and performing his customary mix of vocal gymnastics and the wonderfully spasmodic and uninhibited dance moves he’s so famous for.
There isn’t much off of their 2014 breakthrough LP Singles that the band don’t touch tonight. They play a heartwrenching rendition of A Dream Of You And Me early as well as soul-stirring and wholly uplifting run throughs of both the grooving Doves and a slow-burning Sun In The Morning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MrrVb_pf3w
They don’t shy away from older material either. The crowd is treated to the galloping synths of Balance, an absolutely frenetic Long Flight that builds to a crescendo that doesn’t so much roar as it does shake the foundations of the old aircraft hangar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3AmnRPImfk
There’s a midpoint showcase of their earlier 2015 singles The Chase and a beautifully lilting Haunted By You that delivers with full force on the goosebumps. Sam’s voice is everywhere at once: beautiful, frightening, guttural, raw, melancholic and always full of emotion. He delivers each song like it’s honest gospel from the heavens, gesticulating wildly with every forceful lyric and making sure everyone in attendance not only feels but believes his every word.
His onstage dancing, full of body rolls, side-to-side slithers, darting to and fro across the stage and using every inch of it along the way elicits cheers and whistles in every single song as people around me and myself included wonder how he can possibly keep up these energy levels in such a sweatbox.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv5Qc164MTk
And though this is unquestionably Sam’s show, Future Islands sound belongs largely to the rest of the band and they deserve full credit for it: the warped and dance-y synths of Gerrit Welmers providing the canvas for Sam to unleash his inimitable vocals over, the razor sharp navigating bass guitar of William Cashion holding the wheel, the crashing drums of Michael Lowry, a fairly recent addition to the Future Islands live experience, the newfound and wholly organic backbone of it all.
All of a sudden that warm and familiar synth melody pierces through the din, coupled with its counterpart chugging bass line, and the instantaneous rumble of the crowd marks that Seasons (Waiting On You) is due. A song that stirs up so many different emotions amongst the crowd, its unprecedented performance on Letterman the jaw-dropping introduction to Future Islands for so many.
Sam speaks over the top, dedicating the song to everyone in the crowd who has someone they’re waiting on. He says it’s ok to let go before letting go himself and giving absolutely everything to their biggest hit; crab walking all over the stage, beating his chest and pointing to individual audience members, holding the crowd on a string and bringing them up and down like a yo-yo at exactly the right moments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK4lD3Uf8_o
The whole song is over way too soon but the subsequent emotions running high through the room aren’t going anywhere. Hearing this song again live cut me to the bone and from some of the tears and the jaws on the floor around me, I know I’m not the only one finding extra meaning in its performance tonight.
People would be forgiven for thinking the show is almost over at this point. It’s nowhere near it. They follow Seasons up immediately with a vintage Tin Man, another song with a monstrous whirlwind crescendo and those in the crowd familiar with some of their pre-Singles work screaming ‘I am the Tin Man’ right along with Sam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GhtZt2HYkM
Spirit, possibly their second biggest hit from Singles, is absolutely mammoth in delivery as well, with Sam pogoing onstage to the pounding chorus and death growling at frequencies a lot of seasoned metal frontmen would find no walk in the park. They tell us they have just one song left (surrre) and that they haven’t closed on it before, which is when they take their first exit to the howling winds of Fall From Grace, indulging the crowd’s request for one more song and bounding back onstage shortly after.
They then dish out extra songs like candy, running through no less than five encores and the beginning of each one precipitated by Sam saying ‘we’re gonna do one more song’. You trickster you. It’s largely the real old stuff, highlights including a rolicking Beach Foam off of their debut album Wave Like Home and a curtain closing Little Dreamer that stuns the crowd still.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu5yrvSOQUI
As even a casual fan would be able to guess, it’s less a Future Islands show than it is an experience. Those who were catching them live for the very first time last night understand this now. Speaking to a very excited lady in her fifties outside she tells of the goosebumps and the emotions she felt watching the band and all of the energy Sam put into his performance. When we interviewed bassist William back before Future Islands made the trek out, he told us that the energy of the audience gave them energy onstage, a kind of feedback loop, and this was so apparent watching from the middle of such a raucously appreciative crowd.
I got separated from some of my friends earlier in the show and was told later by them that two people got engaged right in front of them in the middle of the show. I’ve no way of confirming this beyond their Sailor Jerry-infused word, but wow. The crowd at one point parted like the Red Sea to allow a young lady in a wheelchair the opportunity to reach the front of the stage for the last song, which Sam sung an entire verse to her in another beautiful moment.
These moments and shows like these leave you with a lasting feeling; the feeling that you’ve been a part of something special on another level. If you were there last night or you’ve been there before, you’ll understand completely. If you still haven’t, you’re missing out on one of the best live acts of this generation.
2015 has been quite the comeback year for folk four-piece Mumford & Sons. Last week they toured Australia, showing off their latest album Wilder Mind. Stops in Brisbane and Melbourne had their own special guests, and they were all brought together (and then some) in Sydney, with mini-festival Gentlemen of the Road. Meg Mac, The Jungle Giants, The Vaccines, Jake Bugg, Future Islands and of course, Mumford & Sons and more gave it their all. Here’s what we saw on the day:
The Jungle Giants
Jake Bugg
Ahead of their first headline tour of Australia since 2012 and their first appearance here since blowing away Laneway earlier this year and Splendour In The Grass the year before that, Baltimore, MD trio Future Islands are one of the most visceral, heart-rendingly emotional and above all else entertaining acts both live and on record. Seriously, you haven’t experienced anything like a live Future Islands show, believe me.
We had the absolute privilege of getting to have a pre-tour chat with bassist, guitarist and the man who really anchors the sound of Future Islands, William Cashion.
How’s it going William, where in the world do we find you at the moment?
I’m good, I’m good. I’m just in Baltimore right now. It’s a rainy evening here.
Typical Baltimore weather?
Yeah, but it’s starting to feel like Fall here which is nice.
I can imagine. Just wanted to say thank you for everything you guys have done musically. Like a lot of other fans it was Singles that first put me on to you, but being able to backtrack through your entire discography there are so many songs and moments on your albums that have helped me through some really tough times, so thank you!
Oh nice, thanks.
To that end, I guess the whole appeal of Future Islands is in the really raw emotion and feeling of it all. Given that you play your songs over and over again, do you find they still conjure up the same feelings as they did when you first played them or have these changed at all?
Yeah I think it’s important and you have to remind yourself that there are a lot of people there in the audience for whom it might be their first time hearing a particular song so you have to try and remember and to play it as though it’s the first time you’ve ever played it live. To remember it’s that same spirit from when it was first written. I know that Sam (Herring, vocals) writes a lot of our songs and so he’ll definitely tap into the feelings that he had when he first wrote a certain lyric at a certain point.
Seeing the crowd react and respond and, you know, smile or cry or laugh along with our songs is always exciting and I feel like the energy from them gives us energy and so it’s kind of a feedback loop. It’s a relationship that goes back and forth with our audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GhtZt2HYkM
Definitely. With your frontman Sam tapping into those feelings it really translates into his voice and he’s well known not just for his dance moves but also for being able to change the pitch, the tone, the volume and just about anything else with his voice on a dime. Do you and Gerrit (Welmers, synthesisers) find it’s particularly hard work trying to keep up with him and be cohesive playing live?
I guess with the bass guitar and also with the live drums, we’ll do things that will kind of accentuate the way that Sam is singing or what he’s singing about just in different effects or how hard we’re playing. Maybe Mike will play a drum fill of some kind. We’ll just try and do little flourishes that will kind of add to what Sam is doing.
Me, Sam and Gerrit have been writing songs together for about 13 years now and we’ve been performing them live for just about as long so we just kind of have a chemistry when we perform live that we’ve been working on and just the way that we approach it and the way that we perform it has mostly stayed the same over that time but I think we’ve gotten a lot better about it.
There’s also knowing when Sam’s going to fling the mic cable over and when I need to turn my back to him so that it doesn’t hit my bass or to lift my leg up so that he doesn’t knock the pedals over.
It’s just about an occupational hazard working with him, I’m sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuK6vS-TH1E
Just touching on the length of time you’ve been working on this, we see a lot of bands who find their rise to stardom kind of an incremental progress with a record and a tour and another record and it’s a slow build. You have other bands who release one record or song and blow up from the word go. It was interesting with Future Islands because you guys plugged away for so many years and then all of a sudden just exploded almost overnight. How did that feel for you? Did you approach it as a new start?
It does kind of feel like a new beginning in a way. I guess mostly because for the longest time it was just the three of us doing everything ourselves, we were managing and booking ourselves and then back in I think the end of 2010 we finally got a booking agent and then 2013 we brought on management, so our team that we work with has just grown a lot bigger. The size of the shows and the kind of shows we’ve then been able to play has just grown.
Like you said, we had been growing for a long time but it was like this slow, almost organic growth. And then once we got on 4AD which was kind of a dream label for us, we all grew up listening to 4AD bands and just the way that they were able to get our music out there. They were the ones who orchestrated getting us on national television like Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel and also Jools Holland in the UK. It’s just been crazy and it’s exciting for us that so many people are able to then find more of our music through starting with stuff like Singles and through Seasons. I think that a whole lot more people are starting to dive back through our music and check out some of the other stuff we’ve done over the years which is really nice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK4lD3Uf8_o
It’s really amazing going back through and finding all these gems from your past. Even not just with Future Islands stuff but with your various side projects that you have. I know Sam has a budding rap career and you and if I’m not mistaken I read online that you and he are in a reggae band called Snails?
Yeah I feel like I jokingly refer to it as a reggae band, I wish it was a reggae band. I tell people that we sound like a 1980s band trying to sound like a 1950s band. We have some songs that kind of have an oldies feel you know doo wop and stuff. We have a saxophone and keyboards and it’s kind of more of a classic rock and roll kind of vibe I think. At times we’re kind of Kraut rock.
We’re actually working on finishing up the Snails album, I just worked on it today with the producer and we’re hoping to finish up the full length for Snails and have it out soon.
Very nice. Do you find yourselves taking stuff from Future Islands and adding it to these side projects and vice-versa? Or is there complete separation?
I mean there’s definitely things that I’ve done in Future Islands that definitely inform decisions that I make musically in Peals and Snails the two side projects I’m in. As far as ideas I have I probably wouldn’t take anything from Future Islands to another band, that kind of thing doesn’t happen. Is that what you meant?
Kind of, I guess more so just little influences in each of those bands sort of creeping and overlapping their way across them?
I definitely have a similar approach to the bass when I play in Snails as I do when I play in Future Islands, yeah.
Looking forward to hearing it. So you’re coming out to Australia in the next few weeks. The last time you were here was for Laneway earlier this year and then at Splendour the year before which was an absolute highlight for me. A lot of your fans here have really only experienced you guys in a massive festival environment, so what can we expect when the venues shrink and it then becomes your own show that we’re watching?
I guess the main thing is that we’ll be playing longer sets and that’s really exciting for us, because when we go outside of a festival and get to play our own headline shows we get to play a big set that’s usually about an hour and fifteen or an hour and twenty minutes. We get to dig and dig and pull out some songs that we haven’t played for a while which we enjoy.
At festivals we tend to try to keep it upbeat and if we do play any slow songs we try to keep it to one but with a live show when it’s our own headline show we have a little bit more of an ebb and flow to how we put the songs together in the set. We’ll slow it down and we’ll keep it slow for a minute and then we’ll bring it back up. We try to go back and forth with the dynamics of the vibe of the show I guess.
It’s not only your own headline tour that you’re coming in for but you’re also splitting time at the Gentleman Of The Road shows in Sydney and Melbourne with people like Mumford And Sons, The Vaccines, Jake Bugg and a few others playing. Have you had the chance to meet anyone on the bill yet or will it be a whole lot of new introductions?
We got to meet some of the Mumford And Sons guys this past summer when we played a bunch of festivals with them. Everyone we met from them was super sweet, either a part of the crew or dudes from the band, they were all great. Their live show is amazing, we got to check them out when we played with them in Spain and it was just surreal like the sea of people and everyone knowing the words and yeah, I’m really excited to see it in Australia.
You guys have been really quite kind to your fans down here in Australia and you’ve never really left us hanging for too long between shows. Is there anything in particular you like about coming Down Under?
I think you guys just have a vibe. I feel like Australians are just really chill and awesome people. We’ve always had a great time down there and I think it’s because you guys have this killer beach culture down there, I love the beach. The first time I ever tried surfing was in Byron Bay when we were there for Splendour. It was the first time I’ve tried.
Also you guys are lucky because it’s so easy there to find organic, fresh juices and smoothies and you guys are pretty vegetarian-friendly. Most of the places I’ve been in Australia I can find healthy options whereas a lot of other countries I’ve been to it’s harder. It may not seem like a big thing but to me that’s always stood out. I try and drink as much green juice as I can when I’m on the road.
Good tip for keeping you going on the road. We haven’t really had any new material from you guys since The Chase and Haunted By You earlier in the year. Just wanted to know if that was a taste of the follow-up you guys might be working on to Singles or was that just a one off?
Yeah so we had February off this year and we just took that time to write a couple of new songs. So we came out with The Chase and with Haunted By You. We have a couple of other ideas from those sessions that at this point are just kind of laying there untouched but we’re definitely going to revisit some of the songs that we started working on during those sessions.
Kind of just a one off though, we wrote them in February, recorded them in March and then in late April we released them. That was the quickest we’ve ever done a standalone single. We try to always release at least a song or a group of songs on a 7 inch if we can in between albums to keep it moving and keep it interesting and it’s kind of fun. As a music fan I always enjoy those kind of oddball songs that fit in between the cracks. This one was the most exciting for sure though. We recorded it in that short space and then we debuted it playing the second time on Letterman when we did the live debut of that song and then that same night at midnight was when it came out, so it was definitely the most exciting rollout for a new single that we’ve ever done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu2dPYPDkJI
Can’t wait for the next one. Just to wrap it up, what can we expect from Future Islands in the next 12 months?
We’re definitely going to be redirecting all of our focus on writing and recording right after we finish up this tour of Australia and I guess that’ll probably take up most of the next 12 months, but hopefully we’ll have something for you guys by the end of those 12 months.
I’ll hold you to that. William thank you so much for the chat here today, we’re looking forward to seeing you and the rest of Future Islands coming out to Australia real soon!
Cool, thanks so much. We’ll see you soon!
Future Islands are touring Australia and playing these dates!
Thu, Nov 12th: Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne (Gentleman Of The Road with Mumford And Sons and The Vaccines)
Fri, Nov 13th: The Gov, Adelaide
Sat, Nov 14th: The Domain, Sydney (Gentleman Of The Road with The Jungle Giants, Meg Mac, Jake Bugg, The Vaccines and Mumford And Sons)
Mon, Nov 16th: The Triffid, Brisbane
When it was announced Future Islands would be supporting Mumford and Sons in Sydney and Melbourne on their upcoming tour, the rest of the country was left reeling. “What about us Future Islands? Why must you starve us of your smooth indie rock and maniacal dance moves?” We yelled from the rooftops of Brisbane to the far corners of WA. After a stellar performance at Laneway Festival this year, those who witnessed the show were left wanting more, and those who missed it were left with a serious case of regret. Check out what all the hype is about with the below video from The Letterman Show earlier this year:
Now, for some lucky punters, the band have added two additional headlining dates to their tour in Brisbane and Adelaide. The trio hailing from Baltimore shot to fame in 2014 with killer single Seasons (Waiting on You), which many hailed as the best song of the year, and followed up with the densely rich synth pop album Singles. But, this is not the band’s first time at the rodeo. It is their fourth studio album, and they will bring a strong back catalogue to draw from when they return to our shores for the second time this year.
Pre-sale for tickets commences at 9AM on Tuesday 15 September. Sign up to the Secret Sounds mailing list for access. General public ticket sales start at 9AM Wed 16 September.
Full list of Aus dates below:
Thursday 12th November Sidney Myer Music Bowl Melbourne VIC (SOLD OUT)
With special guests Future Islands and The Vaccines
Special All Day Event Presented by Gentlemen Of The Road
Saturday 14th November The Domain Sydney NSW
With special guests Jake Bugg (Acoustic), Future Islands, The Vaccines, The Jungle Giants, Meg Mac, Art of Sleeping
Friday 13th November The Gov Adelaide SA
Monday 16th November The Triffid Brisbane QLD
Sam Herring of Future Islands has teamed up with legendary producer Madlib to deliver a spitfire of a new project. Working under the moniker Trouble Knows Me, the two will release a 12-inch LP on September 1 via Madlib Invasion.
This is far from Herring’s first foray into rap. When he’s not performing with the much-loved indie festival faves, he actually raps under the moniker Hemlock Ernst – and judging by the skills displayed in this video, he’s pretty damn good at it. Madlib is also one of the most prolific producer/collaborators around, having worked under a whole myriad pseudonyms with the biggest and brightest in hip hop and hip hop production, including MF DOOM, J Dilla, Talib Kweli and Freddie Gibbs.
Side A will contain three rap tracks + three instrumentals, while Side B will exclusively feature the rap track instrumentals. The beautiful cover art was designed by Gustavo Eandi and Jeff Jank and printed by Hit & Run. Interestingly, the cover itself is designed to be a unique piece of art, with about 15-20 hand-printed variations of the original. Records are stamp-numbered on the back cover.
The track list for the album is available below, as well as one song from the upcoming LP, which is also the project’s namesake as well Trouble Knows Me. It’s a sensuous and soulful track marked by Herring’s unmistakable guttural vocal ability, as well as showcasing his excellent rapping abilities, while sampling portions of Sunny & the Sunliners Should I Take You Home.
Side A:
- Intro (Sensuous Cause)
- Streetsweeper
- Trouble Knows Me
- Interlude (Vision Incomplete)
- Celebrity Vision
- Outro (Drums & Loops)
Side B:
Instrumentals of side A.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/215050083″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
You can pre-order the track at Rappcats, although stocks are limited due to the highly personalised quality of each record.
While the rest of the music world kicked it into gear at Bonnaroo last weekend, Future Islands played a set at a private gig in Burlington, Vermont. The gig was (and yeah we find it a little bit strange too) organised by online car dealership Dealer.com. The dealership clearly has good taste – or at least a fantastic contact network, because the gig was crashed by none other than Arcade Fire’s Win Butler. The Canadian indie frontman and extraordinaire walked onstage to join Future Islands in a beautiful rendition of their hit single Seasons (Waiting on You).
Butler’s contribution is decidedly Arcade Fire-esque, with trademark wailing vocals and soft ad libs. It’s definitely different to those of Future Islands’ lead singer Samuel Herring, and it provided a lovely 30-second reprieve. As you can see in the fan-captured video below, Butler just casually strolls off stage after his appearance. It’s no wonder he’s so casual, having made headlines with a similar cameo appearance in 2014, performing the same song with Future Islands in his home town of Montreal.
Future Islands is set to play a number of shows in Europe throughout the coming months. Let’s hope that more collaborations between the two artists is on the way!
Future Islands and their 2014 breakthrough album Singles was pretty much crack to me all of last year. Since a life-affirming set at Splendour In The Grass, I’ve been pretty much here tearing my hair out and screaming at inanimate objects, absolutely fiending for any fix I can get.
Record Store Day provided that sweet, synthy release, with the Baltimore trio putting out their newest recording, The Chase.
Recorded straight to vinyl in just a single take at Abbey Road Studios, there is but one solitary vinyl copy placed in a random record store in the UK for some lucky bastard to find, which is pretty bloody cool.
The song itself is what you can usually expect from Future Islands, a clever synth hook and a driving bassline and backbeat with vocalist and dancer extraordinaire Samuel T. Herring’s inimitable voice pulling all the strings, his vocal range on display as he sings about the confusion between feelings of real love or a simple love of ‘the chase’.
I guess what I really love about this band is their ability to touch upon so many themes and emotions that resonate incredibly strongly with me. I can attach a lot of their songs to a personal experience or situation and The Chaseis another of those songs.
More Future Islands please, immediately.
Since its inception in 1974, Triple J’s crown jewel has easily been the annual Hottest 100 Countdown. The largest music poll in the world, establishing what was truly the best song of the year. That’s not to say the poll is always accurate, with some victors wining in questionable circumstances, however as 2014 draws to a close, its now time to count your votes, and establish who will take out this years crown. In light of this, Howls & Echoes has listed its top picks for the 2014 Countdown. (In no particular order)
Peking Duk: High feat. Nicole Millar
Possibly the only good thing to come out of Canberra since Kevin Rudd’s ‘Sorry’ speech, Peking Duk have had an incredible year. The release of High saw the duo solidify their standings in the shit-fight that is the Australian dance scene. This release resulted in incredible performances at both Splendour in The Grass and Groovin The Moo, and most recently saw the two tear Sterosonic’s main stage a new one. Considering how far these boys have come, and the incredible rotation High has had across the airwaves, we will be very surprised if this doesn’t make top 5, let alone grab pole position.
Chet Faker: Talk Is Cheap
That said, it’s not like there isn’t any strong competition. Chet Faker’s ‘Built on Glass’ saw the Melbournite go from a well kept secret, to Australia’s favourite son. Talk Is Cheap has amassed an impressive 7 million views on YouTube and his debut album reaching Gold status, accompanied with a number one spot. It’s going to be an incredibly close race, however our boy Chet is in with a seriously good shot.
Future Islands: Waiting On You
The fact that Future Islands have been kicking around since 2006 will never cease to surprise us, however its extremely fortunate that their single Waiting On You broke them into the global music scene this year. After their incredible performance at Splendour In The Grass, it would come as no surprise if the American Outfit claimed the number one spot. Accompanied by their incredible performance on Letterman, 2014 has definitely been the year of Future Islands.
The War On Drugs: Red Eyes
Similar to Future Islands, The War On Drugs’ past two albums were not only extremely underrated, but one of the best-kept secrets we had. However in the immortal words of Nelly Furtado, ‘All Good Things (Must Come To An End)’. The War On Drugs’ Red Eyes divided listeners, either deeming it incredible, or incredibly boring. At Howl & Echoes however, we back the Philadelphian outfit and know that the group will feature heavily in this years countdown.
Sam Smith: Stay With Me
Rolling Stone slotted UK tear-jerker, Sam Smith, into their top 15 tracks of 2014 with his heartfelt ballad Stay With Me. Having wowed crowds at Splendour In The Grass, and his debut album, Stay With Me is definitely a change of pace form the upbeat nature of the countdown, but rest assured that it will be in there.
Flight Facilities: Two Bodies feat. Emma Louise
We had Chet Faker, we had The Smith Street Band, however its so profoundly obvious that Flight Facilities album ‘Down To Earth’ was the single most anticipated Australian album of the year. The duo have been kicking around for years, however in 2014 the finally release their hugely awaited debut album. From this album stemmed Two Bodies, featuring Emma Louise. Spearheading the electronic vibe which has taken over Australia, ‘Two Bodies’ has been received with nothing but love.
DMAs: Delete
Before they had released a song, performed a gig, or given the public anything to show – Australia was already talking about Sydney’s DMAs. With several tours and soon to be two groundbreaking EPs under their belt, its no surprise. The unique formula of an Australian spin on that Brit-Pop sound we’d all forgotten has resulted in them being loved the world over. Having just finishing up supporting The Courteeners in the UK to rave reviews, their ballad Delete is a definite feature on this years Hottest 100
DZ Deathrays: Gina Works at Hearts
Having recently taken out the ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Album, the DZ lads are hardly slowing down. The release of Gina Works at Hearts saw a cross-over between their signature hard hitting riffs and a accessible lyrics, accumulating in some serious loving for the song. Here’s hoping that this cross over, which did them justice at the ARIAs, rewards them even further with a top 10 spot come January 26th.
ILLY: Tightrope
ILLY has been kicking around for years, however the release of Tightrope from his album Cinematic, hit a sweet spot with both Triple J and voters alike scoring Platinum status. Having headlined this years One Night Stand, it really has been a jam-packed year for the Victorian rapper, and he is in serious contention to cap it off with taking that number one spot.
Jungle: Busy Earning
The boys from Jungle came out of nowhere, and their self titled debut release took the world by storm. The British outfit have spent the entire year touring, capitalising on what is one of the better albums of this year. Their feel-good downbeat vibes will be making an appearance in this years countdown, the question is where?
Wild Card: Taylor Swift – Blank Space
I honestly don’t care what you say, Taylor Swift’s 1989 was one of the best albums of the year. Yeah it’s pop, but it was genuinely one of the most honest albums we’ve seen in a long time. Unfortunately I doubt that Blank Space will be considered for a nomination, but it should be. Taylor is love, Taylor is life.
A few amazing remixes have come out this week. Here’s my favourites.
1. Future Islands, I’ve Been Waiting On You (Badbadnotgood Remix)
The Canadian hip-hop-jazz trio have remixed the instant classic into a soulful, down-tempo jazz crooner. It’s absolutely stunning. They’re the only group who could make such a great song even better! Listen/watch here, and get excited to see these guys live at Falls Festival:
2. Gorillaz, Feel Good Inc. (James Blake Remix)
Yep, it’s a James Blake remix – but not what you might think. A wompy, beat-mashing remix that flips the original on its head, spins it around until it falls over – in slow motion. This is the latest remix by Blake, under his moniker Harmonimix. He’s also remixed Kendrick, OutKast and Destiny’s Child under the name.
3. Daughter, Winter (Warpaint Remix)
Washed over, subtle, beat-based ambience. This is a gorgeous remix from the LA quartet, who have teamed up with the UK modern folk heroes, turning the beautiful original into something intriguing, heartily electronic, and strangely warm.
4. Snoh Aalegra, Bad Things ft. Killer Mike (Killer Mike Remix)
Snoh is a relatively new artist, Swedish-born, LA-based. The original of this track is soulful and so gorgeous, and features a guest verse from Common. This time around, Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike has given it a spin, and the results are magnificent. Enjoy!