Just some of the albums that we’re really excited to hear…
2014 saw some absolutely brilliant albums released and JOE was fortunate enough to hear a fair few of them performed live.
We’re never happy to just reflect on past releases which is why we’re looking ahead to some artists that will be in the studio this year and hopefully will have albums out in the next 12 months.
Keep an eye out also, for some homegrown Irish acts that we tip to have a huge 2015.
1) Frank Ocean
The singer’s 2012 debut Channel Orange was an absolutely breathtaking record that managed to channel soul, hip-hop and the singer’s own unique mix of jazz-funk.
Lyrically, Ocean has the maturity of an artist well beyond his years as he isn’t afraid to bear his soul and romantic demons for the world to see. If the follow up is even half as good as his debut then music lovers are in for a real treat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM6haybgBrc
2) Radiohead
The Thom Yorke-led band are back in the studio recording their next album but they’re non-committal regarding a release date as of yet. This is Radiohead after all.
To be honest, we would be happy to wait an eternity for a new album because their last two efforts, King of Limbs and In Rainbows, are absolutely exquisite records. What Yorke has been teasing so far seems to suggest that the band might be heading in the direction of electronica, sequencers and synth. Bring it on.
Oxford’s finest never stay still.
3) SOAK
JOE has been championing the Derry singer-songwriter for quite some time now and it seems that 2015 will be the year that the world finally embraces the wonderfully gifted Bridie Monds-Watson.
SOAK was nominated for the prestigious BBC Sound of 2015 and we have a feeling that her debut album has the potential to become an instant Irish classic.
4) Queens Of The Stone Age
Josh Homme and co are a dying breed of musicians; a rock ‘n’ roll band that can electrify, exhilarate and shake 80,000 people to their very core.
QOTSA are rightfully heralded as one of the greatest live bands that are currently playing and their last album, Like Clockwork, saw Homme’s skills as a lyricist really come to the fore as he looked inwards at some really dark and depressing moments from his own life and channel them into another cracking album.
Oh yeah, they also know how to get your adrenalin pumping faster than what you might experience by drinking 1,000 cans of Red Bull before jumping out of a plane.
5) Kendrick Lamar
His first two albums have shown all the signs of an artist that seems to be getting better and better, especially Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, which was incredibly diverse, restrained yet individual.
The Compton rapper has already lived up to the hype and now he has the chance to bring west coast hip-hop to the world and make it his own. Dr. Dre and Pharrell are giving him a guiding voice so we expect this album to be huge.
6) Giorgio Moroder
Its been three decades since the Italian producer released a new record although his work with Daft Punk was probably the best thing on their most recent album.
Kylie Minogue, Charli XCX, Britney Spears and Sia are just some of the artists that have agreed to lend their voice to his album and we’ve been waiting to be dazzled by Moroder ever since he had to cancel his appearance at Electric Picnic a few years ago.
7) Tame Impala
Proof of Tame Impala’s talent is in the psychedelic band’s last two albums, Lonerism and Innerpseaker, because they’re two of the most mind-bending and engaging records that we’ve heard in a long time.
Your melon will most definitely be twisted after listening to them.
8) Jape
Some of the songs from Richie Egan’s fifth album sounded absolutely incredible when we heard them at the Body & Soul festival, while his last effort, Ocean of Frequency, was a great album that won Irish record of the year.
The newly-released effort, This Chemical Sea, has been produced by David Wrench, who worked on FKA Twigs, Jungle and Glass Animals’ recent efforts so we’ve got high hopes for this one.
9) The Libertines
Or can Carl Barat and Pete Doherty actually make an album without killing each other? Their debut release, Up The Bracket, remains an indie classic while their follow up, The Libertines, was the exact opposite, the soundtrack of a band falling apart with a very gifted singer/songwriter descending into a drug-fueled hell.
The band’s recent reunion gigs have received a mixed response but they seem like they’re all on good terms again and if they can replicate this sort of chemistry then The Libertines’ new album could be very special.
10) Kanye West
There are two Kanye Wests. The pretentious, egotistical and narcissistic maniac that most people rightfully love to hate is the most prominent one, however, when judged on his musical merits alone, the rapper is peerless.
West hasn’t taken a step wrong in his recording career so far as his introverted, reflective and somber albums like 8o8s and Heartbreaks or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy stand up brilliantly against the more crowd pleasing college ‘trilogy’ or his one man assault on the senses, Yeezus.
The producers on this album alone – Rick Rubin and Q-Tip – almost guarantee a cracking return.
11) Villagers
Very few Irish artists have had as impressive and critically/commercially-loved run of form quite like the Conor O’Brien-led Villagers.
The Choice Music Prize-winning Awayland was an absolutely sublime record that demonstrated the singer’s fantastic ear for melody and musical arrangements while also demonstrating O’Brien’s talent for descriptive and evocative lyrics.
Occupy My Mind was one of 2014’s best tracks and if it’s an indication of where Villagers are headed on their next album then we’re very lucky.
12) Grimes
If ever there’s an artist that refuses to compromise her artistic vision or bend to studio demands then it’s Canada’s wonderfully gifted producer, artist, songwriter, director and singer Claire Elise Boucher, aka Grimes.
After grabbing the attention of the underground scene and studio bosses, Grimes exploded into the limelight with her eclectic and genre-bending album Visions. The singer returned to the studio to begin work on the follow-up but scrapped the early demo tapes after she wasn’t happy with the material and the shape that the record was taking.
This track was one of the best tunes from last year and we can’t wait to see what she has in store.
13) Run The Jewels
Simply put, Killer Mike and EI-P have enough talent, energy and infectious energy to conquer the world.
RTJ were the best gig that this JOE saw throughout 2014. Their two LP albums are absolutely stunning pieces of work that incorporate the best elements of hip-hop history from decades gone by, while also adding their own volatile, incendiary and often hilarious lyrics.
They could rap the phone book and still make it sound enthralling, threatening and dangerous. This JOE can’t recommend them highly enough and they’ve just announced that they’re heading back to the studio.
14) Savages
The British post-punk band’s Mercury-nominated debut album Silence Yourself is an absolute gem that somehow managed to go under the radar but it will be interesting to see if they can follow it up.
Their live shows are infectious, edgy and full of energy and Savages deserve to be heard by a bigger crowd. Their follow-up album might just give them the platform that they need.
15) Gavin James
Slightly ambitious thinking here perhaps, but the Dubliner has just recently signed to Capitol Records in the US and his incredible soulful voice could see a Sam Smith-like meteoric rise.
It might be hard to finalise his debut release in just 12 months but most of the groundwork should be done in 2015 and we’re eagerly awaiting his first release.
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