After catching his set at Parklife Festival last year my admiration for him has definitely grown, and since his last album it's clear that his artistry has grown too. One of the best performers I've seen in recent years and one of the most talented musicians. In at number 5 is Anderson .Paak with Oxnard.

There are so many special moments on this album and I find a new one almost every time I listen. The heavy hitters on this record for me are "Who R U?", "6 Summers", "Trippy (feat. J. Cole)" and "Cheers (feat. Q-Tip)". Over all of these though, "Tints (feat. Kendrick Lamar)" has got to be one of my favourite singles this year. The flow is incredible, the beat is so effortlessly funky, Kendrick's feature holds the song together perfectly and it harks back to an old school vibe with a more modern take.

A friend messaged me recently asking if I liked Anderson .Paak. Without even thinking I said "Yes, why?" but then he asked "As a woman, how do you feel about his content?", which made me think a little bit more. It's gotten easier to overlook questionable lyrics when they're laying between the notes of mind-blowing instrumentals, and that thought made me listen through his material to be sure. Despite his overuse of the word 'b*tch' and cheeky-verging-on-troubling quips, his goofy and endearing nature allowed me to make light of it rather than brand him as rude or reckless. Anderson's talent is undeniable and with Oxnard it's clear that he's going from strength to strength, I just wonder if he'll mature with his music.

Anderson's distinct charmingly raspy voice is noticeable anywhere and is a welcome familiarity on an album filled with so many different vibes. His major label debut has a myriad of influences flecked throughout but a little bit less of a cohesive "sound" as there was with Malibu. Although funk and jazz run heavily from beginning to end, the different hip hop influences add a very unique flavour to Anderson's repertoire. He's done a good job of expanding his view on the LA funk scene - I'm hoping he continues to expand and master his influences on his next few projects, because he most definitely has the talent to.

Have a look at what boxed its way into the number 5 spot last year here.

Finally, after 30 days (thanks to anyone who stuck through this with me), we're here at the end of the year and the end of my list.

Taking this year's number one spot... Thundercat presents Drunk. Okay this album is big time. When I first saw how long the track list was I was little wary to be honest but I don't feel like the album ever dragged on, each piece just added to the whole concept seamlessly. The flow was so great in fact I couldn't really imagine it being played in any other order live - it's a whole performance piece in itself.

In terms of the music itself, it's all well and good having great production on an album (which Drunk has much of), but the live instrumentation on this album is what made it stand out so much for me on this year's list. Of course Thundercat's signature bass hugs the ears throughout, but things like the subtle trumpets here and there, the mindboggling chrod progressions, and of course the silky jazz drums are the much needed touches that set each track on a higher level than Thundercat's peers in the genre. Then of course there are the features.

Most know who Kendrick, Wiz and Pharrell are and what they can each add to a track, but I'd not heard anything from Michael McDonald or Kenny Loggins before, and their work on "Show You The Way" was more than enough to make me search for their names again in future. That song actually has one of the most memorable hooks/choruses on the whole record.

My favourite tracks at the moment are "Captain Stupido", "A Fan's Mail (Tron Song Suite II)", "Friend Zone", and "Them Changes". These are the kind of songs that I listen to and wish that I'd written first. It's so hard to produce really unique and fresh music these days with a new album dropping daily, and so with tracks like these coming out in 2017; whilst I'm jealous that I didn't think of it first, it gives me a strong hope for music moving forward. I think that I've definitely found myself a classic here with Thundercat's Drunk.

Have a look at what I had to say about last year's list topper here.

Into the top three and into the last few days of 2017 - the homestretch. Bringing us into these next few days is the album that's moved around the most on this list - in fact just yesterday it was in a different position - DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar. After listening to this record backwards (we'll get into that later) and forwards again I have no doubts that this is at the very least the position it should sit in.

Kendrick has featured on every one of my top albums of the year lists since 2015 - and often multiple times, be it with his own solo album or as a feature artist on one of my favourite records. Everything that Kendrick touches just turns to gold and DAMN. is no different. This album managed to take a lot of the vibes and beats I loved about good kid, m.A.A.d city and the conscious verses and relevant topics in To Kill A Butterfly and put them together in this stellar album package. On top of this, one of the best things about it is that you can listen to it backwards (collector's edition) or forwards and it still sounds phenomenal. Some even say it sounds better backwards.

My go to tracks on this album are "DNA", "ELEMENT", "PRIDE", and "HUMBLE". These are some of favourite songs of the year to be honest. I can't even tell you how many times I listened to "HUMBLE" the day that it came out. That beat is something else and of course, this song has one of the best music videos of the year for it. This video and to be very honest, this album just reinforced what an innovator Kendrick is. Not necessarily one step ahead of the game but always thinking outside of the box.


Have a look at the album that brought us into my top three last year here.

Still have no idea where all of the crazy hype for this album came from, it was mindboggling! However, not completely unjustified clearly as we're in at number 19 with SZA and her solo debut Ctrl.

I first heard about SZA a few years through soundcloud, when she put out her EP - Z - and I liked it so much I even wrote about it here. Since then her name's always stayed in the back of my mind but I wasn't really anticipating anything as the years went on. When she dropped her single "Drew Barrymore" (still one of my favourites from the record) last year that brought her right back to the forefront of my mind and all of a sudden I was excited again. Just as suddenly, almost overnight, she was one of the most well known, and anticipated artists of the year. SZA fans came out of the wood-work and they sure made a lot of noise.

My favourites on the album right now are "Drew Barrymore", "Doves In The Wind (feat. Kendrick Lamar)", "The Weekend" and "Go Gina". Each of the tracks on this album has helped shape a lot of the more recent pop music that we've listened to and been exposed to this year. It's not often that a debut album puts so much influence on any one genre in such a short time, but SZA did exactly that. One of the main things that was clear from track one, and something I particularly love about this record is SZA's candour. She holds little back from her romantic tales and the emotions that accompany them, and this probably plays a large part in how this album caught the attention of so many ears and hearts this year.

There is definitely room for expansion on a lot of the songs with this one, despite the fantastic production, some tracks lack a je ne sais quoi. However, this is a minor criticism given just how much potential is shown in these few tracks. It can only be onwards and upwards from here for SZA.

Music over the past couple of months has been insane - everybody's releasing new albums, singles, videos. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was this spoilt for choice! Exams start on Monday, Spring is on its way out, so here are a couple of playlists with a few of the songs that I've been listening to in the lead up.

I know the past couple of playlists that I've posted have been mostly based around hip-hop/rnb/pop music, but most of the music I've been playing so far this year is rock/alternative/post-hardcore so to appease all genres and stay true to my music taste I've made two playlists with both, because why not.

 SPRING PICKINS (rock)

Okay! I'll start with apologies for the delay in posting - university coursework is extremely time-consuming. First post of 2017 and it's a post about the last gig I went to in 2016. Only fitting I guess, and what better way to end the year than watching my number five album of the year pick throw down in a most spectacular fashion?!

First up on stage was a rapper named Mouthe. I'd never heard of him before, and nobody else knew anything about him so did a little bit of research. I must admit I was pretty underwhelmed when I saw that he only had about 500 likes but I thought if anything could make somebody a fan it would be seeing a live show. I was wrong in this instance. When he came on stage, after about 30 seconds of performance I could sense the side-eyes in the room. I could barely hear the backing track over his optimus prime-sounding vocal effects. I couldn't even concentrate on his lyrics after his ridiculous song introductions. There were a few whispers between songs like "do you even know this guy?". To say that I was disappointed is an understatement. Although afterwards, my friend sent me one of his songs "Hallelujah" and it actually didn't sound too bad. Maybe he's just more of a studio artist.

But now for the main event - Quincy in the flesh. To be honest, even before he came on stage, the crowd was just bubbling with excitement. It seemed like they just knew the lyrics to every good hip hop song that played. At times the crowd was even rapping along as if somebody was actually performing. So when those lights dimmed and ScHoolboy stepped out, you can only imagine how the crowd galvanized. Within minutes I had already lost the people I came with and was fighting for breath, swaying through the weeds of people, mouthing a few lyrics whenever I got the chance to come up for air. It. Was. Manic... and I loved every second of it! The energy was incredible, and of course the set list didn't fail to impress. Q played hits from his last three albums and even jams from his label-mates Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul. The crowd was spoilt! I also feel that it's important for me to note that, ScHoolboy played in London the night before and just before playing "THat Part" to us, he declared that the Birmingham crowd was even crazier. Being the last show of the tour as well, whilst we screeched the lyrics to "THat Part", everybody knew that they'd witnessed something special. It had been the longest while since I'd left a gig that sweaty, breathless, yet energised, and I can only say - what a way to end an amazing year of music?!

Overall Rating - 8.5/10


DISCLAIMER: As the crowd was so mad, I only managed to get a few non-blurry, mediocre pictures...

My true love (Beyoncé) gave to me... Lemonade - and it was good! Oh my goodness! The only album on my list that has only changed positions once. Up until yesterday this album was cemented in my number one spot, but I listened to this and my current number one back-to-back yesterday and I had to switch it up. I'll explain why more clearly tomorrow but for now let me tell you why I loved this album so much in the first place.

This is 100% without a doubt my favourite thing that Beyoncé's put out since I Am... Sasha Fierce. Every album that she has released since then has only ever been able to make it onto my "Honorable Mentions" list and some (sorry 4) wouldn't even make it onto that. When this came out, I watched the movie at least once every single day for an entire week. As suddenly as this album came into my life; it took over my life just as quickly.

I've been saying for the longest time, "what ever happened to music videos being such a big deal that people would go to watch them in the cinema?" (s/o Michael Jackson). Well, if I had one criticism for this album, it'd be the fact that she didn't release it in movie theatres first. I would've happily paid money to see this. It's not the first visual album Beyoncé's done and it's not even the first that she's dropped out of the blue, but there's something distinctly different about this album. At first I thought might be it's because she's being so raw and honest but I don't really know if that's true. Beyoncé in recent times hasn't really held anything back from her music; she's pretty much allowed herself to be herself throughout. I guess she is talking about more personal life topics and such, but the beauty of doing it through song is that music is so up for interpretation that we still don't even really know whether she's being candid or writing fiction. To this day, none of us really know if Jay-Z cheated, and hopefully no-one really cares any more, because all that speculating overshadowed the music at first.

In regards to the music, my current favourites are "Don't Hurt Yourself (feat. Jack White)", "Freedom (feat. Kendrick Lamar)" and "All Night". That changes every time I listen and for the longest time "Formation" was my one and only, but I might have slightly overdone it with that one. As always, Beyoncé's voice continues to effortlessly soar and tower above all tracks whilst seamlessly accompanying the instrumentals. Also, of course I couldn't go the whole review without noting that Beyoncé has attempted several genres on this record from rock to country, and successfully might I add. No easy task but she somehow found a way to slay them all. I guess that's why they call her Queen B.

Now, if you've not listened to this album in full yet, please watch it in it's visual form first.

We have A Tribe Called Quest with We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service - the tribe's sixth and final album. What a blessing. I never thought this day would come, and I definitely wasn't expecting anything new to come about after we lost Phife earlier this year but here we are.

It's so beautiful to hear Phife's voice on something new even after he's passed - he left us with a hell of an album, and more than that, a legacy of game-changing hip-hop. I've often said that ATCQ are my favourite hip-hop collective - without them, the genre would've meant something completely different to me today. Having them back with that classic Tribe flow, accompanied by some of the today's current greats, it's exactly the way I'd have expected them return and it maybe even turned out better than I'd hoped.

Immediate stand outs from me were of course "Dis Generation", "We The People..." and "Conrad Tokyo (feat. Kendrick Lamar)". I've got to say that these three tracks might just have to be in the top ten instrumentals of the year for me (if I were making that list). These tracks go off! The first time to listened to "We The People..." I actually had to take it back to the beginning after 30 seconds. It ws too much - Q-Tip has most certainly not lost his touch with his bars or his beats.

Aside from this album, all I've had to listen to from Tribe was released either before I was actually born or before I could even remember anything - I've been listening to them for over 20 years and even now their new material stands out to me just as much as their old. Talk about ahead of their time! I can only hope that this record is something that, like me, future generations will be listening to as if it only just came out. Visionaries; every one of them, and they've left us with a beautiful piece of work. Really and truly, thank you 4 your service A Tribe Called Quest.

After listening back through my list of the top 10 albums of 2015 on Christmas Eve, I honestly just thought "There's no way that these are the best things to have come out in 2015!" So I went back and did my research - listened to heaps more records that I hadn't already heard this year (lots of new discoveries coming your way), went to see a few bands live that released records this year, and re-listened to the list I had settled on before. FINALLY - I think I have my final 10...


10. Hiatus Kaiyote - Choose Your Weapon
I didn't actually expect this album to make the top 10. When I first heard about Hiatus Kaiyote, everyone was raving about them. At least 10 people told me that I should check them out. So when I actually got round to listening to them I was expecting a lot more than what they gave. It wasn't until I saw them live late last year and properly listened to the album that I realised what people had been saying all along. Super funky record and super talented band. Give them a gander.
 
9. Foals - What Went Down 
I've gone back and forth about putting this album on the list. Especially after my review of it here, but the more I think about it, the more I realise that it is a good album, I just wanted more. Again, after seeing it played live late last year, I can see how strong each of the songs are. Although this didn't make it as high up my list as Holy Fire did when it dropped in 2013, Foals continue to produce material that draws me in.

8. Lianne La Havas - Blood
It took me a lot longer than I'd expected to fully get into this album. Lianne's debut will always be one of my all time favourite albums and so I've been anticipating this follow up for the longest time! So when I first listened to the album, I had a few clear standouts ("Midnight" is still my favourite on the album), but nothing really stuck to me the way that I was expecting. It wasn't until maybe the fourth listen that the penny dropped and I realised just how much of a musical masterpiece this album is. I still prefer numero uno but my oh my, Lianne is one hundred percent somebody not to overlook.

7. Disclosure - Caracal
It's normally hard to top a debut of Disclosure's calibre but their sophomore album, Caracal might just have done it. It's pretty hit-laden and featuring the likes of Gregory Porter, Nao, Lion Babe, Kwabs and more, it was practically fool proof from the get-go. We already know that a team up with Sam Smith is a tried and tested winning combo and they've got him on the record again on quite a different type of song, but generating just as big of a reaction. Big album, both live and on record.

6. Neck Deep - Life's Not Out To Get You 
Speaking of second albums topping debuts, Neck Deep have easily cleared the bar that their first album set. Not just song quality-wise but production, lyrics and instruments (just to name a few things) have really knocked it out of the park on this one. If you'd have spoken to me at the beginning of 2015 I would've said without hesitation that I was looking forward to The Story So Far's new record more than Neck Deep's... well, one has made the list and the other hasn't. I enjoyed every song on this album and I can happily say I'm looking forward to album number three.
 
5. Ghostpoet - Shedding Skin 
I actually almost forgot that this came out this year. Since it was released, I've listened to it so much that it feels almost like a classic. Ghostpoet has really mastered being able to connect with the listener through his music on the most ordinary things that you could imagine. Like I said in my track-by-track here, this record just feels like a continuation of everything that he's already put out and as simple as it is, it adds such an essential layer to his body of work. Quality album.

4. Florence + The Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
If you read my review of this record earlier this year here, I'm sure you had no doubt that this would make it onto my list somewhere. I definitely didn't expect it to fall out of the top three ranking. However, after seeing them perform live here in Australia, although musically spectacular, I realised that it just doesn't resonate with me as much as their first two records. Still a very enjoyable record with multiple shining moments, but it just got pipped at the post.

3. The Internet - Ego Death 
I wasn't really expecting this album to get so high up the list. I listened through The Internet's Purple Naked Ladies in 2011 and to be honest, I wasn't the slightest bit impressed. So when my friend asked me to have a listen to their single "Girl (feat. KAYTRANADA)" earlier this year, I wasn't expecting much at all - they completely blew me away! Although the average song on this record is about 5 mins long, they were all ingrained in my head after first listen. I can't even count the amount of times that I woke up with one of their songs stuck in my head. Huge transformation, and 100% for the better.

2. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly 
Now, this record would've been my number one choice had it not been so tough to listen to, beginning to end. After maybe the second listen, I don't think I've listened to it all the way through since. Each track is fantastically crafted, lyrically genius, and I'd listen to them individually, but my oh my is it hard to listen to in one go. It's definitely a concentration piece. I feel like every time I come back to it, I learn something new. Kendrick is a phenomenal story teller, and although considerably different from Good Kid... it tells a completely different chapter in Kendrick's life. Full of big tracks, both provocative and commercial - well deserving of the number 2 spot.

1. Bring Me The Horizon - That's The Spirit
Well, well, well... when I first heard this record, there is no way that you could've got me to believe that it would make it's way to the top of my albums of the year list. I shamefully admit that I was among the skeptics after first listen - not sure whether I was impressed or not. I still think that Sempiternal is a better record in comparison but there isn't one track on this album that I would skip listening through it. Beginning to end, back to front, this is a diverse, layered and just lyrically brilliant album. Oli has truly honed in his talent for song-writing and both live and in studio BMTH excel. They may have taken a risk with this album and no doubt lost some fans in the process but they've smashed it again and I expect nothing less than upwards from here on out.

FINALLY, a list that I am 100% content with. 2015 was a humongous year for music and somehow I think 2016 might just be bigger. Here are some shout outs for honourable mention...

• Tame Impala - Currents
• Drake - If You're Reading This, It's Too Late
• Everything Everything - Get To Heaven
• Justin Bieber - Purpose
• Young Fathers - White Men Are Black Men Too 
• The Maccabees - Marks To Prove It 
• Don Broco - Automatic 
• The Story So Far - The Story So Far 
• Jamie xx - In Colour
  
• mewithoutYou - Pale Horses
• Thee Oh Sees - Mutilator Defeated At Last

Okay, I actually wasn't going to write about this new video because in the past I have either disliked or been indifferent to all the music that Taylor Swift puts out. I don't really like any of her material but I can't "hate" so to speak because she does what she sets out to do - make catchy radio jams. However, when I saw how many awesome cameos this video had in it I thought I had better check it out...

TAYLOR SWIFT - BAD BLOOD (FEAT. KENDRICK LAMAR)

I'm back! I had to take a little break from writing but as we all know, the music world never sleeps so in the next few days I'll try and catch up on a few things that I've missed, write some gig reviews, new discoveries, and more! For now I'll just tell you about some of the amazing tracks that have graced the airwaves these past few weeks...

MURA MASA - FIREFLY (FEAT. NAO)
I am loving this track right now! Absolutely great spring/summer time jam. Ever since discovering Nao's unique voice when she supported Little Dragon on their Nabuma Rubberband Tour last year here, I've been waiting for cool collaborations like this to come about. Enjoy...

KENDRICK LAMAR - KING KUNTA
I can't believe I'm only just talking about this. I listened to the album the day that it dropped and I should have been the first to say - INSTANT CLASSIC!! Even though I'm sure that I'm a bit behind on claiming that now, I can still say that if you somehow haven't heard this track yet, get involved! The funk shall be within you...
VIC MENSA - U MAD (FEAT. KANYE WEST)
Speaking of another thing that's been on my mind this month - all of this Kanye headlining Glastonbury drama that's occurred has just made me sad and angry, people need to show appreciation where it's due regardless of personal feelings towards Kanye. He deserves the slot more than most. Mini rant aside, check out the new collab with Vic Mensa...
TAME IMPALA - 'CAUSE I'M A MAN
This album is already causing a stir and it's going to be a brilliant late summer wind down album. Always the perfect thing to chill out to and this track is no different. I was really feeling some Prince vibes from this song actually - funky stuff...
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - SHIP TO WRECK
I AM SO SO SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS ALBUM I CANNOT CONTAIN MYSELF. Florence has never disappointed me and so I don't expect this streak to end on album number 3, everything's already sounding great. Here's the opening track of the new record...
JANELLE MONAE - YOGA (FEAT. JIDENNA)
I definitely did not expect this when I heard that Janelle was releasing a new single. Upon first listen I did say "this is more of a Beyonce single" but I just keep going back to it! This song is uber catchy and the video is of course stunning. Great move from Janelle hear and lovely to see Jidenna involved.


DIAMOND YOUTH - THOUGHT I HAD IT RIGHT
So Diamond Youth have released the first few singles from their upcoming debut album and I am pleasantly surprised. Not that I didn't think that they would be good, quite the contrary - I expected them to be awesome, I just didn't think that they would sound the way that they do. Enjoy...


RADKEY - PARADE IT
Another debut album that I'm stoked to listen to right here! This is going to be a huge step for the boys and it's brilliant to think of how much more time they are going to be spending on UK soil. Simple songs but quality all the same.


THE MACCABEES - MARKS TO PROVE IT
New albums approaching left, right and centre! Maccabees have been popping up everywhere with live shows, festival announcements and now new singles. I absolutely love this track - this record should be big. And in terms of live performance, this should be a banger.


MEWITHOUTYOU - RED COW
I'm especially elated about this new record. I had new idea that there would even be one and then all of a sudden I see this single announcement. mewithoutYou are masters at releasing big builders and this song is no different. A gentle start but a huge energy just comes along during the middle. BIG song.




THE STORY SO FAR - HEAVY GLOOM

It happened again. So much has happened in the music world these past few days that I've had to split it into TWO POSTS. Well, I'm not complaining - more music for your ears. Here are the first bits of news...

RIHANNA NEW SINGLE "AS REAL AS YOU AND ME"
Rihanna has recently been talking about the release of her new album and how it will be "worth the wait" but she couldn't let us wait without giving us something to whet our appetites. This single won't actually be on her album but it appears on the soundtrack for new movie Home. Great ballad. Have a listen here.


BLUR NEW MUSIC VIDEO "THERE ARE TOO MANY OF US"
A second single from Blur's upcoming album The Magic Whip and now we can get more of a taste of what the overall album might sound like. However, this is quite a bit different from the first single that they put out here so I couldn't make any accurate predictions at this time. Currently, I'm not enjoying this single as much as their last but it's definitely not a bad song. Check it out here.


MALLORY KNOX NEW MUSIC VIDEO "GETAWAY"
I really, really liked this sophomore album from Mallory Knox and each of the singles that they've chosen to date from it have been great. However, I honestly thought that this would have been a single sooner - huge belter. Watch the cool new video here.


TAME IMPALA NEW SINGLE "LET IT HAPPEN"
I've loved each of Tame Impala's records before this upcoming one, but when I heard that this latest album would be a little bit more "rock-influenced", I was actually more interested. As such, I had no idea what to expect from the first single here. Still the classic psychedelic Tame but I see what they meant - this is a bit of a new leaf.


CURB NEW SINGLE "OUTSIDE"
Since seeing Curb at last year's One Beat Weekender here I didn't actually expect to hear much more from them any time soon if I'm honest but I'm glad that I did - this single here is great. I feel like they've had better songs but this is still a cool summer tune and it would be awesome live.


RAE SREMMURD NEW MUSIC VIDEO "THROW SUM MO"
I've been listening to this single since before the album - Sremm Life - even came out in February so I wasn't too fussed about having Rae Sremmurd put out a video for it or anything but just checked it out because I like the song so much. The video is cool, but I don't think that I'll make much of an effort to watch it again though. Have a watch here.


DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE NEW MUSIC VIDEO "LITTLE WANDERER" 
I'm excited to listen to this full record when it drops on the 31st of March. This music video is surprisingly pretty basic and uninteresting for DCFC in my opinion but the song is brilliant! Definitely a track I'll be listening to long after I've overplayed the record. However, again, I doubt I'd make an effort to re-watch the video here.


LIGHT YOU UP NEW MUSIC VIDEO "ALL WE'VE EVER KNOWN"
Another new album that boasts great instrumentals and vocals, if you haven't already - give Light You Up a listen. This is the lead single from it, so it's been out for quite a while but this music video actually made me like it a little bit more. So simple, but entertaining. Check it out here.


EGO ELLA MAY NEW SINGLE "HOW FAR"
Even though Ego Ella May has reassured us that she's working on putting out something big, there's only so many tantalising single releases that a fan can endure! I hope that this is the last before she releases her masterpiece. Have a listen to the tune here.


WHILE SHE SLEEPS NEW MUSIC VIDEO "OUR LEGACY"
The full album is actually streaming now over at wssofficial.com but this is the latest single from WSS's incredible (8/10) album. I whole-heartedly suggest checking out both. The lads are sounding better than ever! This is right now one of my favourite albums out this year. Check out the music video here.


ALBUMS ALBUMS ALBUMS
Speaking of albums, a lot of awesome records have dropped in the past few days. Of course the first mention has to go to Kendrick's masterpiece - To Pimp A Butterfly - pure gold. As well as that, Tinashe has also released a new mixtape Amethyst. Finally, Earl Sweatshirt, Tonight Alive and Bloc Party have all announced new albums on the horizon. Stoked.


FOREVER CULT NEW SINGLE "WINTER'S GLOW"
Clue Records keep spoiling us. Between Allusondrugs, NARCS and of course Forever Cult I'm smiling at least once a week at something awesome they've done. Now this song here has me smiling again AND it'll be available for free download on the 30th of March... like I said - spoilt.


MUSE NEW SINGLE "PSYCHO"
In time for their killer tour that they're embarking on with Marmozets in tow, comes this gem of a Muse single. Definitely a band that I would love to see before I kick the bucket and with singles like this on their back I can vouch that when I do see them, it'll definitely be one to remember.

I don't think I've ever done so many "Music News" posts in the space of two months before, this year is insanely music busy.Check out some things you might have missed these past few days...

BILLY TALENT NEW MUSIC VIDEO "KINGDOM OF ZOD"
Well I knew that Billy Talent were releasing a new album called Hits but I stupidly just assumed it would be a compilation album of their greatest hits. I was wrong. This track is a banger! I am buzzing to hear the other new track "Chasing The Sun" on this album. Have a listen to "Kingdom Of Zod" here.


ALT-J NEW MUSIC VIDEO "LEFT HAND FREE"
Honestly, I was disappointed with Alt-J's sophomore album and thought it was a little bit boring but this was one of my favourites in the end. As always, Alt-J have a cool video to match the single that you just know you'll be seeing and hearing for a while to come. Have a watch here.


ROYAL BLOOD COVER PHARRELL'S "HAPPY"
When I saw this pop up on my Facebook news feed I was a bit shocked if I'm honest. This is probably the last song I would've imagined them covering but in keeping with Royal Blood style, they smash it. They really make the song sound like they wrote it - here.


SAM SMITH NEW SINGLE "LIKE I CAN"
After his ridiculously huge debut record In The Lonely Hour Sam is still going. Another fabulously sung single by himself here and all these tour dates he's been doing - the world won't be forgetting about Sam Smith any time soon.


AZEALIA BANKS NEW SINGLE "CHASING TIME"
Speaking of debut records, Azealia Banks has just announced the release of hers - Broke With Expensive Taste and here is an upcoming single from it. It's safe to say that I've missed having Azealia's music in my life. This sounds very UK, but it's definitely a radio hit.


FOO FIGHTERS STREAM ENTIRE SONIC HIGHWAYS ALBUM
The build up to Foo Fighters' eighth album Sonic Highways has been thoroughly entertaining to say the least but the time is finally here! Stream the full album here. I had a listen to it earlier and already love "Outside" and "In The Clear". Great album in my opinion.


NICKI MINAJ LYRIC VIDEO "ONLY"
I've been hearing a lot about this single recently and finally decided to check it out and see what all the commotion was about. Still don't understand all of the chatter but I like the single anyway. Packed with bass and rhymes. Listen to Nicki Minaj's single featuring Drake, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown here.


BAD SIGN NEW LYRIC VIDEO "FATHER"
After seeing them support Arcane Roots last week (review to come soon), I've been keeping an eye out for news about Bad Sign's debut EP and anything to do with more shows. Earlier this week, they released this sweet new single here.


LITTLE DRAGON NEW MUSIC VIDEO "UNDERBART"
A band that I've actually had an eye for ages now, always giving me something new and interesting to enjoy. I really liked this album - Nabuma Rubberband - and Little Dragon released all of the singles that I wanted them to, this being one of them. Have a listen here.


KENDRICK LAMAR NEW MUSIC VIDEO "i"
Apparently a lot of people aren't pleased with this new video/single but I can't see why. Kendrick will always be a great rapper in my opinion. This song still shows that and as far as the video goes, I'd say it's pretty damn cool. Check it out here.


JAWS NEW MUSIC VIDEO "SWIM"
Brummy boys JAWS have released the music video to their latest single "Swim" for the debut record Be Slowly. The lads are a huge sensation here in Birmingham and it's definitely understandable. This is a cool song and the video is okay too! See for yourself here.


TRAMPOLENE NEW SINGLE "NEWCASTLE BROWN LOVE SONG"
I haven't heard much from these boys in terms of digital music since their single "You Do Nothing For Me" and so it's good to hear something new from them amidst their few London gig appearances. Especially when they're giving you their music for free here. Still waiting for a debut record though.

September is always a tough month to follow on from for album releases as you can see here, but it seems that October has definitely started off with a bang...

 
 
CARIBOU - OUR LOVE
I am SO excited to get my hands on this album. Ever since hearing the singles "Can't Do Without You" and "Our Love", I've just been waiting for the chance to hear it as a whole and it actually comes out today (the 6th of October)!! The vibes that I'm getting from it, I honestly think that this album could be better than Swim.






JOHNNY MARR - PLAYLAND
It's always nice when a rock legend graces us with a new album, and so soon after his debut The Messenger. I really liked the debut record and being Johnny Marr I find it highly unlikely that he'll disappoint with this follow up. Get your hands on it on the 6th of October.







ICEAGE - PLOWING INTO THE FIELD OF LOVE
There seem to be a lot of sophomore albums out today now that I think about it. Iceage's debut - You're Nothing was a pretty great piece of post punk music. Although I knew it'd I suppose "been done before", it felt quite fresh and new to me. Interested to see what this new album sounds like today.






WEEZER - EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT IN THE END
Weezer are back with what looks like it's going to be an awesome new record. I've been anticipating this album for quite a while now so I'm just ready to finally listen to it. I haven't listened to any singles from it yet so when I eventually get my hands on it today everything will be a surprise - most likely a pleasant one.







FLYING LOTUS - YOU'RE DEAD!
The name Flying Lotus has been floating around the interwebs for quite sometime now and it wasn't until a recent post from Janelle Monae about "Never Catch Me (feat. Kendrick Lamar)", that I was able to put a sound to the name. Safe to say, I'm impressed. This will be a good listen on the 6th of October.






TINASHE - AQUARIUS
Prepare to hear at least two of these songs played in every club night you go to. Tinashe's recent hit "2 On (feat. Schoolboy Q)" was huge! As well as hearing it played at clubs, on the radio, etc... I did my fair share of listening to it too. I reckon that there will be a few more catchy songs on this new album with features from Dev Hynes and A$AP Rocky, I look forward to hearing it on the 7th of October.