Saturday 31 March 2018

March 2018 Recap


It's the end of another month, and so it's time once again to look back at Wet Thud's favourite new albums, songs, and videos that dropped over the past thirty-one days. So, without further ado, here are the five albums, seventeen songs, and twelve videos that stuck to our ribs during March 2018. Enjoy.

#ALBUMS
AMEN DUNES / THE BREEDERS / DAVID BYRNE / KACEY MUSGRAVES / YO LA TENGO

#SONGS
1010 BENJA SL / AMBER MARK / BEACH HOUSE / BOY PABLO / CARDI B / CHVRCHES / COURTNEY BARNETT / DIPLO X LIL YACHTY X SANTIGOLD / DJ KOZE X RÓISÍN MURPHY / LEON BRIDGES / PARQUET COURTS / SADE / SERPENTWITHFEET / VINCE STAPLES / VIRGINIA WING / WAX IDOLS / YEARS & YEARS

#VIDEOS
ARCADE FIRE / BECK / CLAIRO / CUPCAKKE / MARILYN MANSON / MIGOS X DRAKE / RAE SREMMURD X JUICY J / SSION / SZA / A TRIBE CALLED QUEST / THE WEEKND



#ALBUMS

#AlbumOfTheMonth:
Amen Dunes "Freedom" (Sacred Bones)
Standouts: "Miki Dora", "Blue Rose", "Believe"


The Breeders "All Nerve" (4AD)
Standouts: "Wait In The Car", "All Nerve", "Nervous Mary"


David Byrne "American Utopia" (Todomundo/Nonesuch)
Standouts: "This Is That", "Everybody's Coming To My House"


Kacey Musgraves "Golden Hour" (MCA Nashville)
Standouts: "Space Cowboy", "Butterflies", "High Horse"


Yo La Tengo "There's A Riot Going On" (Matador)
Standouts: "For You Too", "You Are Here", "Shades Of Blue", "She May, She Might", "Out Of The Pool"



#SONGS

1010 Benja SL "Wind Up Space" (Young Turks)


Amber Mark "Love Me Right" (Jasmine/PMR)


Beach House "Dive" (Sub Pop)


Boy Pablo "Losing You" (777/U OK?)


Cardi B "Be Careful" (Atlantic)


Chvrches "Never Say Die" (Glassnote)


Courtney Barnett "Need A Little Time" (Milk!)


Diplo X Lil Yachty X Santigold "Worry No More" (Mad Decent)


DJ Koze X Róisín Murphy "Illumination" (Pampa)


Leon Bridges "Bet Ain't Worth The Hand" (LisaSawyer63/Columbia)


Parquet Courts "Wide Awake" (Rough Trade)


Sade "Flower Of The Universe" (Sony UK)


serpentwithfeet "bless ur heart" (Secretly Canadian/Tri Angle)


Vince Staples "Get The Fuck Off My Dick" (Def Jam)


Virginia Wing "The Second Shift" (Fire)


Wax Idols "Scream" (Etruscan Gold)


Years & Years "Sanctify" (Polydor)



#VIDEOS

Arcade Fire "Money + Love" (Arcade Fire/Sony)


Beck "Colors" (Fonograf/Capitol)
Click here to view.

Clairo "Flamin' Hot Cheetos" (Clairo/FADER)


CupcakKe "Crayons" (CupcakKe)


Marilyn Manson "Tattooed In Reverse" (Marilyn Manson/Loma Vista)


Migos X Drake "Walk It Talk It" (Quality Control/Motown/Capitol)


Rae Sremmurd X Juicy J "Powerglide" (Eardruma/Interscope)


SSION "At Least The Sky In Blue" (DERO Arcade)


SZA "Broken Clocks" (Top Dawg Entertainment)


A Tribe Called Quest "The Space Program" (Epic)
Click here to view.

The Weeknd "Call Out My Name" (XO/Republic)
Click here to view.

The Weeknd "Try Me" (XO/Republic)
Click here to view.



Sunday 25 March 2018

Artist Top 40: Pet Shop Boys


Next up in our series of Top 40 lists dedicated to Wet Thud's favourite musical pioneers, it's a look back through the work of pop superstars, the Pet Shop Boys. First pairing in 1981, Neil Tennant (the one who sings) and Chris Lowe (the one behind the keyboards) quickly established themselves as purveyors of a unique brand of sophisticated Europop that helped to define the sound of the latter half of that decade. Having now delivered an impressive string of more than forty UK Top 30 singles in the years since, the Pet Shop Boys have amassed the sort of repertoire that fills two-hour-plus setlists handsomely, with leftover hits to spare. Whether it be through these increasingly theatrical performances, their striking promotional clips, or their artful record sleeves, Tennant and Lowe have presented an imaginative creative vision that happily runs the gamut from the beautifully simple ("Rent", "Home And Dry") to the spectacularly elaborate ("Somewhere", "Go West", or any of their cover versions, really).
And so, apropos of no particular occasion, other than the talented twosome being midway through an extensive reissue campaign of their discography*, Wet Thud offers this highly scientific survey of our favourite forty selections from the PSB catalogue. Find a Spotify playlist of the entire Top 40 following number one below.

*Remastered and expanded versions of the studio albums between 1999's Nightlife and 2012's Elysium dropped during the second half of 2017, while redux releases of 1986's Please, 1987's Actually, and 1988's Introspective just hit shops and streaming sites earlier this month, hopefully paving the way for highly anticipated physical reissues of the long out-of-print classics Behaviour (1990)Very (1993), and Bilingual (1996) to come sooner than later.

040. "One more chance" (originally released as a standalone single, 1984; re-recorded for Actually, 1987)


039. "Liberation" (single from Very, 1993)


038. "I'm with stupid" (single from Fundamental, 2006)


037. "Love etc." (single from Yes, 2009)


036. "Somewhere" (standalone single, 1997)


035. "DJ culture" (single from Discography, 1991)


034. "Miracles" (single from PopArt, 2003)


033. "Before" (single from Bilingual, 1996)


032. "Dreaming of the Queen" (album cut from Very, 1993)


031. "To face the truth" (album cut from Behaviour, 1990)


030. "The pop kids" (single from Super, 2016)


029. "How can you expect to be taken seriously?" (single from Very, 1993)


028. "Here" (album cut from Release, 2002)


027. "It's alright" (single from Introspective, 1988)


026. "Where the streets have no name (I can't take my eyes off you)" (standalone single, 1991)


025. "Love comes quickly" (single from Please, 1986)


024. "Single - Bilingual" (single from Bilingual, 1996)


023. "Was it worth it?" (single from Discography, 1991)


022. "Paninaro" (Italy-only single from Disco, 1986)


021. "New York City boy" (single from Nightlife, 1999)


020. "Opportunities (Let's make lots of money)" (single remix from Please, 1986)


019. "Home and dry" (single from Release, 2002)


018. "The end of the world" (album cut from Behaviour, 1990)


017. "Jealousy" (single from Behaviour, 1990)


016. "Rent" (single from Actually, 1987)


015. "Go West" (single from Very, 1993)


014. "Leaving" (single from Elysium, 2012)


013. "It's a sin" (single from Actually, 1987)


012. "Suburbia" (single from Please, 1986)


011. "Left to my own devices" (single from Introspective, 1988)


010. "Se a vida é (That's the way life is)" (single from Bilingual, 1996)


009. "Can you forgive her?" (single from Very, 1993)


008. "I get along" (single from Release, 2002)


007. "So hard" (single from Behaviour, 1990)


006. "Heart" (single remix from Actually, 1988)


005. "What have I done to deserve this?" (single with Dusty Springfield from Actually, 1987)


004. "West End girls" (single from Please, 1985)


003. "Domino dancing" (single from Introspective, 1988)


002. "Always on my mind" (originally released as a standalone single, 1987; remixed for Introspective, 1988)


001. "Being boring" (single from Behaviour, 1990)








***** text-only version of the list *****

###. "Song title" (format from Album Title, release date)

040. "One more chance" (originally released as a standalone single, 1984; re-recorded for Actually, 1987)
039. "Liberation" (single from Very, 1993)
038. "I'm with stupid" (single from Fundamental, 2006)
037. "Love etc." (single from Yes, 2009)
036. "Somewhere" (standalone single, 1997)
035. "DJ culture" (single from Discography, 1991)
034. "Miracles" (single from PopArt, 2003)
033. "Before" (single from Bilingual, 1996)
032. "Dreaming of the Queen" (album cut from Very, 1993)
031. "To face the truth" (album cut from Behaviour, 1990)
030. "The pop kids" (single from Super, 2016)
029. "How can you expect to be taken seriously?" (single from Very, 1993)
028. "Here" (album cut from Release, 2002)
027. "It's alright" (single from Introspective, 1988)
026. "Where the streets have no name (I can't take my eyes off you)" (standalone single, 1991)
025. "Love comes quickly" (single from Please, 1986)
024. "Single - Bilingual" (single from Bilingual, 1996)
023. "Was it worth it?" (single from Discography, 1991)
022. "Paninaro" (Italy-only single from Disco, 1986)
021. "New York City boy" (single from Nightlife, 1999)
020. "Opportunities (Let's make lots of money)" (single remix from Please, 1986)
019. "Home and dry" (single from Release, 2002)
018. "The end of the world" (album cut from Behaviour, 1990)
017. "Jealousy" (single from Behaviour, 1990)
016. "Rent" (single from Actually, 1987)
015. "Go West" (single from Very, 1993)
014. "Leaving" (single from Elysium, 2012)
013. "It's a sin" (single from Actually, 1987)
012. "Suburbia" (single from Please, 1986)
011. "Left to my own devices" (single from Introspective, 1988)
010. "Se a vida é (That's the way life is)" (single from Bilingual, 1996)
009. "Can you forgive her?" (single from Very, 1993)
008. "I get along" (single from Release, 2002)
007. "So hard" (single from Behaviour, 1990)
006. "Heart" (single remix from Actually, 1988)
005. "What have I done to deserve this?" (single with Dusty Springfield from Actually, 1987)
004. "West End girls" (single from Please, 1985)
003. "Domino dancing" (single from Introspective, 1988)
002. "Always on my mind" (originally released as a standalone single, 1987; remixed for Introspective, 1988)
001. "Being boring" (single from Behaviour, 1990)