31 Dec 2015

Top five musical treats from 2015

From RNZ Music, 5:50 pm on 31 December 2015

Music 101 contributors and friends list their top five musical treats from 2015:

Emma Smith – Presenter/Co-Producer Music 101

Emma Smith

Top five moody road trip soundtracks

U.S Girls – Half Free

Micachu and the Shapes – Good Sad Happy Bad

Opposite Sex – Hamlet

Chastity Belt – Time to Go Home

Kane Strang – Blue Cheese

Melody Thomas – Presenter/Co-Producer Summer Music 101

Melody Thomas – Presenter/Co-Producer Summer Music 101

Top five summer jams for my imaginary boat party DJ set 

Leisure – ‘Got it Bad’

Grimes – ‘California’ 

Tame Impala – ‘Let it Happen’

Justin Bieber – ‘Sorry’

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – ‘Can’t Keep Checking My Phone’

Nick Bollinger – The Sampler

Nick Bollinger of The Sampler

Top five albums I’ll still be listening to a year from now

 Tiny Ruins and Hamish Kilgour – Hurtling Through

Joanna Newsom – Divers

Bob Dylan – The Cutting Edge 1965-66: Bootleg Series No. 12

Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express – Junun

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly

Jesse Mulligan – 1–4pm

Jesse Mulligan

Top five NZ Live sessions

Miho’s Jazz Orchestra

Hopetoun Brown

Motu: Oileáin

Kevin Field

Holly Arrowsmith

Zac Arnold – Music Features Producer Music 101

Zac Arnold, Music Features Producer Music 101

Top five ‘I seen it with my own eyes!’ live performances

Connan Mockasin Sundae Session

The Courtney’s NZ Tour

Badd Energy at NZ Psych Fest

The Rocket Jocks at Norty Or Nice

Instant Fantasy at the Audio Foundation

Sam Wicks – Senior RNZ Music Producer

Sam Wicks – Senior RNZ Music Producer

Top five future-shocked Future Hendrix cuts

‘F**k Up Some Commas’ (DS2)

‘Diamonds Dancing feat. Drake’ (What a Time to Be Alive)

‘March Madness’ (56 Nights)

Oooooh feat. Young Scooter (Beast Mode)

Peacoat (Beast Mode)

Hussein Moses – Content Producer, The Wireless

Hussein Moses – Content Producer, The Wireless

Top five haaaaan’s

French Montana feat. Chinx and N.O.R.E – ‘Off the Rip’

Ty Dolla $ign feat. French Montana and A$AP Ferg – ‘Blasé (Remix)’

Post Malone feat. French Montana and Rae Sremmurd – ‘White Iverson (Remix)’

Puff Daddy feat. French Montana – ‘Money Ain’t A Problem’

French Montana feat. Chris Brown and Migos – ‘Moses’

Kirsten Johnstone – Music Features Producer Music 101

Kirsten Johnstone – Music Features Producer Music 101

Top five songs to mollify mothers (and sometimes the kids too)  

Sufjan Stevens – Carrie and Lowell 

UMO – Multi-Love 

Joanna Newsom – Divers

Marlon Williams – Marlon Williams 

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn – Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

Yadana Saw – Music Features Producer Music 101

Yadana Saw, Music Features Producer Music 101

Top five (imaginary) Back to Mine cuts

Petite Noir feat. Baloji – ‘La Vie Est Belle/Life is Beautiful’

EWH feat. Deva Mahal – ‘March’

Erykah Badu – ‘Hotline Bling’

The Internet – ‘Special Affair’

Ta-ku feat. Jordan Rakei – ‘Sunrise/Beautiful’

John Pilley – RNZ National Music Production Manager

John Pilley, RNZ National Music Production Manager

Top five album keepers

Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear

Ryley Walker – Primrose Green

St Germain – St Germain

Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin – Lost Time

Israel Nash – Israel Nash’s Silver Season

Trevor Reekie – Hidden Treasures

Trevor Reekie, Producer/presenter of Hidden Treasures, Access All Areas

Releases that rattled my cage

Fave track: New Order – ‘Plastic’ 

Fave album:  Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba – Ba Power

Fave book: How Bizarre: Pauly Fuemana and the song that stormed the world

Fave comeback: David Bowie – ‘Blackstar’

Fave re-release: Darcy Clay – Jesus I was Evil

Kate Mead RNZ Concert Production Manager, Sound Lounge

Kate Mead RNZ Concert Production Manager, Sound Lounge

Top five sounds from the lounge

Nils Frahm (maybe a disciple of Conlon Nancarrow)

Jack Body, immortalised in ‘The Street Where I Live’

The cinematic rise of Tane Upjohn Beatson

Norman Meehan, Bill Manhire and Hannah Griffin – Rehearsing the Choir’

Benjamin Clementine

Jeremy Tait – Music Producer, Saturday Night; Music Library Assistant

Jeremy Tait, Music Producer, Saturday Night; Music Library Assistant

RIP Sean Price (the Brownsville bar-barian)

Forever P (BP Tribute)

Haraam

Onion Head featt. Tek

The Genesis of the Omega

Unorthodox P (Freestyle)

Duncan Greive – Editor, The Spinoff

Duncan Grieve, The Spinoff

Top five mainstream country songs I listened to a lot in 2015, most of which came out in 2014

Sam Hunt – ‘Breakup in a Small Town’

Florida Georgia Line – ‘Dirt’

Carrie Underwood – ‘What I Never Knew I Always Wanted’

Jason Aldean – ‘Burnin’ It Dow’

Cole Swindell – ‘Ain’t Worth the Whiskey’

Mava Moayyed – Journalist, The Wireless

Mava Moayyed, journalist for The Wireless

Top 5 Korean bangers

MFBTY – 부끄부끄 (Buckubucku)

Diplo x CL x RiFF RAFF x OG Maco - Doctor Pepper 

4MINUTE – 미쳐(Crazy)

Big Bang – BAE BAE

Jay Park - 몸매 (MOMMAE) Video NSFW

Jeremy Ansell – RNZ Auckland Operations Team Leader

Top five vinyl rekkid purchases

Jeremy Ansell, RNZ Auckland Operations Team Leader

SJD – Saint John Divine

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Naturally

Public Service Broadcasting – Inform-Educate-Entertain

Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear

Tony Stamp – Broadcaster/RNZ Studio Operator

Tony Stamp – Broadcaster/RNZ Studio Operator

Top five club to the couch cuts

Lower Dens – Escape from Evil

Young Fathers – White Men Are Black Men Too

Knxwledge – Hud Dreams

Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell

Colleen – Captain of None

Jim Pinckney – DJ, The Sampler reviewer

Jim Pinckney, DJ/ The Sampler reviewer

Top five far-flung outernational favourites

Los Gaiteros De San Jacinto – Dub De Gaita Volumes II & III

Mbongwana Star – From Kinshasa

Various Artists – Future Nuggets 2: Sounds of the Unheard from Romania Volume 2

Al Lover – Zodiac Versions

Various – Green Door All Stars

Kiran Dass – Music Journalist

Kiran Dass, Music Journalist

Top five favourite subterranean releases

Pumice – Puddles

Ork Records – New York, New York 

The Stones – Three Blind Mice

The Coolies – Kaka

Viet Cong – Viet Cong

Martyn Pepperell – Freelance Writer, Broadcaster, DJ

Martyn Pepperell, Music Writer, Broadcaster, DJ

Top five cassette tape releases

Ata Kak – Obaa Sima

Various Artists – Godmode Presents: You've Been Sweating Wrong Your Whole Life

Luxury Elite – World Class

Supreme Talent Show – Danbe

Various Artists – Pekak! Indonesian Noise 1995​-​2015: 20 Years of Experimental Music from Indonesia

Samuel Scott – The Phoenix Foundation, Summer Music 101

Samuel Scott, The Phoenix Foundation, Summer Music 101

Finest better-than-terrible good songs

D’Angelo – ‘Back To the Future (Part 1)’

Drake – ‘Hotline Bling’

Yo La Tengo – ‘Friday I’m In Love’  

Van Morrison – ‘Beside You’ (alternate take from the Astral Weeks deluxe reissue)

Randa – ‘Ranger’

Ellen Falconer – RNZ Digital Features Producer

Ellen Falconer, RNZ Digital Features Producer

Top five singles released by artists managed by Scooter Braun

Jack U feat. Justin Bieber – ‘Where Are U Now

Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘Run Away With Me

CL – ‘Hello Bitches

Justin Bieber – ‘Sorry

Ariana Grande – ‘Focus

Gemma Syme – Content Manager, RDU Christchurch

Gemma Syme, Content Manager, RDU Christchurch

Top 5 most played releases by NZ female musicians

Chelsea Jade – ‘Low Brow’

indi. – ‘There Are Two’

Womb – Womb EP

October – ‘Voids’

Birdation – ‘Hen’s Teeth’

Rachel Morton – Ex-RDU Christchurch, Public Programmes Manager at Canterbury Museum

Rachel Morton, ex-RDU Christchurch, Public Programmes Manager at Canterbury Museum

Top five albums from 2015 to listen to when in transit

Kurt Vile – B’Lieve I’m Going Down 

Cheatahs – Mythologies

Eb & Sparrow – Sun/Son

Girlpool – Before the World Was Big

Groeni – Hinde

Dylan C – Base FM Programme Director

Dylan C, Base FM Programme Director

Top five local EPs that deserve more recognition

Spycc – Wuavé Season

Eno x Dirty – Easter Eggs & Good Sportsmanship

Jono Das – Illustrations

Electric Wire Hustle – Aeons

Tyra Hammond – Tyra Hammond

 

Simon Wallace – Music Director, Radio One 91fm, Dunedin

Simon Wallace, Music Director, Radio One 91fm, Dunedin

Top five short and sweet and on repeat

DVA Damas – ‘Wet Vision’  

Womb – Womb EP 

Tropic Of Cancer – Stop Suffering

Kairi – Mr Moon and I  

Kelela – Hallucinogen EP

Miles Buckingham – Radio Active Music Director

Five from Africa

Miles Buckingham, Radio Active Music Director

Thione Seck and Son Ensemble – ‘Bamba’

Prince Nico M'barga feat. Louisana Tilda – ‘Stay For Ever’

Gasmilla – ‘Boosha’

Aby Ngana Diop – ‘Dieuleul-Dieuleul’

Louis Wasson – ‘Give Us Heavy Sound’

David Stevens – Station Manager, Radio Control 99.4FM Palmerston North

Five tracks that made me...

Want to move: Nxworries (Knxwledge and Anderson Paak) – ‘Suede’

David Stevens, Station Manager, Radio Control 99.4FM Palmerston North

Want to start an emo band: Diet Cig – ‘Harvard’

Made me proud to be from Palmerston North: Given Names – ‘Oats’

Smile a lot: Lianne La Havas – ‘What You Don't Do’

Shed a tear: Sufjan Stevens – ‘No Shade In The Shadow of the Cross’

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