#Rock Band Biopic

[princess-lvcifer]

[fearlessechoes]

I saw a post recently about badly described movies, and got a great idea! What if someone does this for classic rock movies?

So, everyone, try to describe your favorite classic rock movie badly!

This includes documentaries, any (inaccurate) biopics, movies adapted from a band’s work (e.g. Tommy, Quadrophenia or The Wall), concert movies (e.g. Woodstock, Pink Floyd Live in Pompeii etc.), and also movies starring/created by classic rock artists (e.g. A Hard Day’s Night)

Example: 4 British men save the world by having a psychedelic journey and realize that love is all you need

Do your worst!

[angelbambisworld]

How do you about the KISS biopic coming soon

I'm excited for it, of course!🤩

[blueeyeddarkknight]

Happy 32 anniversary to the doors 1991 movie! The movie that introduced me to the band.. One of Val's greatest roles and one of most brilliant rock biopic mind blowing performances ever! 🦎👑🔥🖤

[fernandomagicalonsomanydances]

I need a Bruce Springsteen biopic just so Lee Pace can play him

[ava0brx]

[kashilascorner]

Me finding out about Leto (2018) knowing two Zoopark songs and 3 Kino songs: this is my jam

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

The Doors - Light My Fire 1967

"Light My Fire" is a song by the American rockband the Doors. Although it was principally written by the band's guitarist, Robby Krieger, songwriting was credited to the entire band. Recognized as one of the earliest examples of psychedelic rock, it was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Due to its erotic lyrics and innovative structure, the track has come to be regarded as synonymous with the '60s psychedelic and sexual revolutions.

The song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 following the success of José Feliciano's cover version (which charted at number three), peaking at number 87. The song also spent one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after its recording. "Light My Fire" achieved modest success in Australia, where it peaked at number 22 on the ARIA chart. The single originally reached number 49 in the UK in 1967, but experienced belated success in that country in 1991, when a reissue peaked at number seven. This reissue was more successful in Ireland, peaking atop the IRMA chart for two weeks. The reissue occurred due to revived interest in the band following Oliver Stone's biopic film The Doors.

"Light My Fire" has been widely considered as the Doors' signature song, and a quintessential work of the psychedelic rock genre. In 2004 and 2010, the song was ranked at number 35 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was included in RIAA's Songs of the Century list, at number 52. In 1998, the track was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame under the category Rock (single).

"Light My Fire" received a total of 75,3% yes votes!

[storiesforallfandoms]

history repeats itself ~ gwilym lee

word count: 2836

request?: yes!

“hey, i saw you wrote for Ben Hardy so I was wondering if you would write for Gwilym Lee? If not ignore this lol. I was thinking something like he meets the reader on set and they immediately hit it off, and the resemblance of her to Brian May’s wife is uncanny (let’s pretend he’s had just the one) and it’s kinda like a history repeats itself thing? idk if that made since. maybe Brian and Roger noticing and just being so amazed seeing that happening in front of them? thank you, and obviously since i have no explanation skills take complete control!”

description: when she gets cast to play the wife of a rock legend, everyone realizes how similar she and her on screen husband look to the originals

pairing: gwilym lee x female!reader

warnings: swearing, rpf

masterlist (one, two, three)

It was such a small role, one that didn’t even have any lines. But to me, it was huge. It was a small role in a massive blockbuster movie: the Freddie Mercury biopic. It would be the biggest job of my career. Up until that point, I had only been an extra in a few sitcoms. Having a small, silent role as Brian May’s wife in a Freddie Mercury biopic may seem like a small step up from what I’m used to, but the scale of the movie made it a massive deal for me.

I wasn’t sure if I’d get the role. There were hundreds of other actresses just like me - desperate for even the smallest roles in such a big film - were lined up to meet the director and casting director. It was such a small chance of getting it I thought. Until I walked into the room and both of their eyes widened when they landed on me.

“Holy shit,” the casting director breathed. “She looks just like her.”

I was cast on the spot. I nearly sobbed in happiness. I managed to keep the tears in until I got to my car and could call my parents to give them the news.

A few months later, I was preparing for my day on set. It was a party scene that was taking place at Freddie’s mansion at the height of their career. The other band members - Brian, Roger, and John - were there with their wives/girlfriends. The scene mostly required us to sit by our assigned on-screen husbands while they conversed. It was an easy day, and it was only going to take one day of filming, but I was still nervous. I had already met up with the director and some of the cast involved in the scene, but today I was going to be meeting the main four actors and two members of Queen.

I was just finished with wardrobe and was on my way to hair and makeup when I came across one of the main actors, Gwilym. I had been told about him after being cast, since he was the one playing Brian May, but I hadn’t met him yet. I suddenly felt nervous as I approached the hair and makeup trailer, where Gwilym was stood outside the door also waiting. He looked up as he heard me approach and smiled.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” I said back. “I’m (Y/N).”

“Gwilym. Nice to meet you.” He reached out and shook my hand. I hoped he couldn’t feel how my hands were shaking. “You’re playing Brian’s wife, right? Well, my wife I guess.”

I chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, that’s me. I’m getting all dolled up for my one day on set to film my one, dialogue-less scene.”

“Hey, there’s no such thing as small parts remember.”

I made a face at him. “You sound like my old theater teachers.”

Gwilym cringed. “That’s the last thing I’d ever want.”

I laughed. The door to the hair and makeup trailer opened and two other extras came out. The stylist greeted us and told us to come in. I sat in one chair while Gwilym sat in the one next to me. I watched the stylist grab a long, brunette wig and place it next to Gwilym.

“I’m gonna have to do Gwilym’s wig firs since that’ll take the longest,” she told me. “So, sit tight, and try not to mess up your wardrobe too much.”

I nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

I watched the process of applying Gwilym’s wig. It really did take a long time. First, a bald cap had to be applied to Gwilym’s head. Then, the wig was placed on his head in a few different ways to figure out the best placement. Once that was figured out, the wig had to be pinned down in a way that made it look natural on his head, and not like a wig.

“So,” Gwilym said, trying his best not to move his head. “Since we’re going to be here a while, and since we’re playing a married couple, I suppose we should get to know one another.”

“Sure,” I said with a laugh. “What do you want to know?”

“Is this your first movie?”

“It is. Until now I was just an extra in a few sitcoms. I had one line once, that’s the extent of my career.”

“Well, extras are important. Without them, a scene would look so stupid if it was just the main characters.”

I shrugged. “I know that, and I know every actor has to start somewhere, but I’ve been doing this for roughly five years. Performing Arts schools are expensive and I sometimes worry I made a mistake persuing acting.”

I saw Gwilym’s eyes quickly look over at me before looking back at the mirror in front of him. “It’s never a mistake to chase your dreams. It just takes time. You have to play the small parts in order to get experience for the big ones.”

“You’re right. It’s just taking so long. But I’m here now, so that’s a step up.” I shook my head. “Anyways, away from my career insecurities. Tell me a bit about you.”

We talked throughout his wig applying process. We exchanged embarrassing childhood stories, talked about how we got into acting, general details about one another. I had forgotten about the fact that I was waiting to have my own hair and makeup done by the time Gwilym stood from his chair.

He looked at himself in the mirror before turning to me. “How do I look?”

I tilted my head as I looked up at him. “Scarily like Brian May.”

He chuckled. “That’s good, then. They won’t fire me anytime soon. I’ll see you on set?”

I nodded and watched him go. I felt a little disappointed by the fact that he was leaving. I had really enjoyed talking to him. The next time I’d see him would be on set for the scene, where we wouldn’t be able to talk, and then once that ended I’d never see him again.

The stylist started going my hair and makeup. She showed me a picture of Brian and his wife in the early 80s, which was when the scene was set, as the inspiration for my look in the scene. It was subtle, but it was clearly 80s. It didn’t take as long as Gwilym’s had, and soon enough, I was on my way again.

I stepped out of the trailer just as Gwilym was walking up again. He was now in his costume, looking so much like a young Brian May that it was scary.

“Right on time,” he said. “I was coming back to walk you to set.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” I said, but I was touched by the offer.

“I didn’t have to, but I wanted to, so I am.” He offered an arm to me, like a gentleman. I took it and we started walking to set. “Besides, it’s a big scene with a lot of people. It might be nerve wracking to walk on set by yourself with all those people.”

“It is. Especially with meeting the rest of the main cast at the same time.”

“Oh, they’re all a bunch of wankers, you don’t have to worry about meeting them.”

I giggled. “You can’t say that about Brian May and Roger Taylor, though. And they’re going to be on set, too.”

“No, you’re right. But they are very kind. You don’t have to worry about meeting them. I’m sure everyone will like you. Even if they didn’t, who cares? You won’t have to see them again after today.”

He had a point, but it was still sad to hear out loud. I had been preparing for this day for so long, excited for my first big project. And now, within a matter of hours, it would all be over. I’d be sent back home, waiting for the next role to come up, hoping that maybe this movie could help with that role being a bigger one than just an extra. Back to my normal, boring life.

Saying goodbye to Gwilym.

I had managed to shock myself with that thought. I had only known Gwilym for maybe an hour and a half, but the thought of only having this day with him brought on a bit of sadness. He was so kind, and he seemed so genuine. I had never been on a set where the main actors even acknowledged that the extras existed, let alone be nice enough to walk one to set after talking to her for some time.

Not to mention he was extremely handsome. Especially when he smiled, like he was smiling at me now.

God, don’t develop a crush on the guy you’ll never see again after today.

My heart rate jumped the second we walked on to set. Gwilym wasn’t lying when he said there was going to be a lot of people in the scene. The mansion set was packed with people, so full that there was just barely enough room to move around. I was hoping this was the only amount of extras that were set to be in the scene, or else I think my nerves would go into over drive.

The director spotted Gwilym and I almost immediately and led us over to where we were set to be for the scene. Rami, Joseph, and Ben were already sat around having a laugh as we walked up. They happily greeted Gwilym, and he then introduced me to the lot of them. They were very nice and welcomed me in almost immediately, but it was still pretty surreal to be there with them. Especially Joseph, who I had seen in Jurassic Park when I was just a kid. I almost felt out of place there, but I could tell I wasn’t alone. I introduced myself to the other girls who were playing Ben and Joseph’s on screen love interests, who also looked just as out of place as I felt.

We were all sat around together when the buzz in the room suddenly turned into a hush. It wasn’t hard to know what had just happened: they had arrived.

Brian May and Roger Taylor themselves.

Rock and roll royalty.

I looked over and my heart leapt into my throat at the sight of them. It was hard to believe that they were actually real. I had been listening to Queen’s music all my life, but it wasn’t until this moment that I truly realized that these legends were actual real people.

Actual real people who were walking towards us.

I jumped when I felt a hand on my arm. I looked over to see that it was Gwilym’s hand. When I looked at him, he smiled. I couldn’t help but smile back, the nervousness in my stomach being replaced with butterflies. His hand moved down my arm and squeezed my own. I squeezed his hand back.

“My God.”

I looked up to see Brian and Roger stood over us. I tried to put on my best smile, hoping it wasn’t as obvious as I felt it was that I was shaking. Brian was looking between Gwilym and I, a look in his eye that I couldn’t quite place. Reminiscent, maybe?

“They did a spot on job casting for this movie,” Brian commented. “It feels like I’m looking into a mirror with you two.”

“If there mirror were about 50 years younger,” Roger teased.

“You speak from experience, don’t you old man?” Brian retorted. I couldn’t help but chuckle at their banter. Years of friendship and knowing one another, and they were still cracking jokes and poking fun. I hoped to be like them with my friends when I got older. “What’s your name, love?”

It took me a moment to realize he was talking to me. I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. In fact, there was nothing going on in my head at all. It was like I had completely forgotten every little thing I had ever learned in my life. How does one continue to function after Brian May calls them “love”?

“This is (Y/N),” Gwilym said, saving me from my colossal choke.

“Yes,” I finally managed. “Sorry, my name is (Y/N). I’m a little nervous.”

“Nothing to be nervous about, darling,” Brian said. “You already have the look of my wife down. And it seems you and young Gwilym here have already gotten quite acquainted.”

I didn’t realize that Gwilym and I were still holding hands. I expected him to let go at that moment, as if he were just realizing as well, but he didn’t. Instead, he kept hold of my hand, giving it another reassuring squeeze. I wondered if the blush on my face was noticeable under the makeup.

The director called for places, so Brian and Roger took their places off set. I let out a sigh of relief after they were gone and moved into place with Gwilym.

“See?” he whispered to me as we were passed glasses of fake champagne. “They’re not that bad.”

“Their presence alone is a little terrifying,” I whispered back.

“But you got through it. Seems Brian’s taken a liking to you. Although, that’s not surprisingly considering how lovely you are.”

I was convinced this was all some sort of very long, very detailed dream. I was going to wake up at any given moment.

The scene went by very smoothly. It wasn’t hard to just look between the boys as they spoke, smiling when I was supposed to smile, offering a sour look when Rami arrived, acting as a rather rude Freddie. It felt like Gwilym was moving closer to me with each take that we did. First we started off sitting in separate chairs, until the director asked if we would switch and sit in the couch that Joseph and his lady friend had been sat in. Gwilym had moved towards me at the start of that take, and by the final take of the day our bodies were touching and his arm was around me. I was glad I didn’t have any lines, or else I would’ve likely forgotten every single one of them.

When the director called cut and said it was a wrap on the scene, I tried not to let my sadness show. The extras started to file out of the room, going to get read for a different scene that they were filling for. Not me, though. I was going to wardrobe to get my outfit taken back, and then I was going home. If I was lucky, I would be invited to the premiere, otherwise I would never see any of these people again.

I wouldn’t see Gwilym again.

Ben, Joseph, and Rami were kind enough to give me a hug and tell me they were happy to have met me. I told them likewise and started my way back to the wardrobe trailer.

“(Y/N)! Wait!”

I turned to see Gwilym rushing up towards me.

“Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for your next scene?” I asked him.

“Yes, but I wanted to talk to you before you left,” he said. “Look, I know this is a bit presumptive to ask because we only really spoke to one another for that time in hair and makeup, and I have no idea if you’re even single so maybe I’m about to make an ass out of myself, but I wanted to ask you if you’d like to go out this evening once I’ve finished on set.”

Everything in my brain? Gone.

Every last bit of it.

Gone.

I couldn’t believe this was happening. It had to be a dream, right? There was no way it was real. I would’ve pinched myself if it wouldn’t have made me look like a total idiot in front of Gwilym.

“Yes,” I said. “ I mean, yeah, sure, I - I would love that.”

His face lit up. “Yeah? Okay. Here, let me give you my number.”

We both realized we didn’t have our phones, so we had to do it the old fashioned way - Gwilym found a pen and paper, and wrote down his number for me. I took the paper and shoved it into my pocket.

“I’ll text you once I’m no longer part of the 80s,” I said, gesturing towards my outfit.

He chuckled. “And I’ll do the same.”

We both stood, just looking at each other for a moment. It wasn’t until Gwilym was called back to set that we finally, reluctantly, broke away to go out separate ways. I put my hand in my pocket and closed it around the piece of paper containing Gwilym’s number. I smiled to myself, having to restrain myself from skipping happily towards wardrobe.

I guess history really does repeat itself, I thought with a laugh.

[newmusickarl]

Top 50 Albums of 2024: #10-1

10. Prelude To Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party

The singles in the build-up to the release of The Last Dinner Party’s debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, made it obviously clear that the art-rock group were well worthy of all the attention they were receiving. Baroque pop bangers packed with jaw-dropping vocals, scintillating guitar riffs, poetic lyrics rooted in feminism and, of course, their own captivating energy. So, I naturally went into this album back in February expecting greatness - and that is exactly what I found.

From the moment the grand orchestration of the opening title track greets your ears, you are pulled into The Last Dinner Party’s stylish, richly-textured world. Burn Alive cranks things up several gears, with singles Caesar on a TV Screen and On Your Side also carrying the momentum.

But as the album title would suggest, the first half is merely the build towards the triumphant grand crescendo at the end. From the dramatic transition from Gjuha into Sinner, the towering guitars of Portrait of a Dead Girl and then the fist-in-the-air elation of the anthemic Nothing Matters, it pushes the album into masterclass territory. Closing track Mirror then brings everything full circle, pulling together all the elements that have made the previous 11 tracks so utterly engaging and life-affirming.

This debut from The Last Dinner Party really felt like a moment for British rock music, and it’s a shame to have seen the band spend much of 2024 battling with harsh online criticism. Like it or not, The Last Dinner Party are the future – and with Prelude To Ecstasy, they’ve made one hell of a statement as to why they are the chosen ones.

Best tracks: Portrait of A Dead Girl, Nothing Matters, My Lady of Mercy

Listen here

9. Mountainhead by Everything Everything

Back in 2022, Mancunian indie outfit Everything Everything finished as my runner-up Album of the Year, with Raw Data Feel narrowly losing out to joint winners Kendrick Lamar and Little Simz. While at first their seventh studio album Mountainhead felt like a slight step down from Raw Data Feel, simply due to how much I still love that record, I can safely say now that I adore Mountainhead just as much as its predecessor.

For me, it’s the perfect companion piece to Raw Data Feel. Where that album was this tapestry of ideas and sketches focussed on our digital world, they’ve followed it up with this abstract concept record that looks at humanity’s relationship with nature - and each other - through the lens of this dystopian, mountain-based world. Conceptually and thematically it’s the perfect follow-up to Raw Data Feel, while sonically not straying too far from the addictive hooks and vibrant sounds that made that album such an absolute joy.

The record also boasts some of their very best singles, such as the artsy shimmer of Enter The Mirror and the endlessly infectious grooves of Cold Reactor. There’s plenty of high points elsewhere too though, with the duo of Buddy, Come Over and R U Happy impressing early on, before the string-tinged TV Dog and glistening guitars of City Song dazzle in the back half.

Arguably their most cohesive, ambitious and fully realised project to date, Mountainhead was a record I just couldn’t stop revisiting in 2024 – ending the year as my most played album of the last twelve months by some distance.

Best tracks: Enter The Mirror, Cold Reactor, Buddy Come Over

Listen here

8. Fine Art by Kneecap

There were a handful of artists that truly owned 2024 and provocative Irish rappers Kneecap were most certainly one of them. Not just one of the biggest breakthrough acts of 2024, but also the best debut and best hip-hop record of the year. On top of that, they even had one of the best films of the year for their self-titled music biopic, in which the trio played themselves – a film that is already in contention for the Oscars next year!

Going back to Fine Art though, it’s a high energy debut that is brash, controversial, filled with infectious beats, sharp lyricism, and just a whirlwind of edgy fun from start to finish. Presenting a concept that sets the album in a busy Belfast pub, each track plays out like another chapter in the evening’s events, with comical interludes guiding the listener through the story along the way. It makes for an experience as joyously chaotic as a trip to your own local boozer, with the trio frequently jumping between English and Gaelic with their vocals. Never straying too far from their heritage, there’s also hints of Irish trad on occasion within the array of hip-hop beats and synth-driven bangers they create.

Instrumental opener 3Cag is an immediate highlight, the electro-string composition easing the listener into the calm before the storm. Title track Fine Art then sees the group fire back at some of their critics, turning controversial commentary into this thumping garage number. I bhFiacha Linne then samples 808 State’s Cubik to great effect. I’m Flush is then the most ferociously fun track on the record, with Grian Chatten collaboration Better Way To Live, the pulsating Love Making and the tension-fuelled Harrow Road all standing out too.

Whilst the controversial statements and aggressive nature of the songs won’t be to everyone’s taste, anyone searching for Ireland’s answer to artists like The Streets, Stormzy or Bob Vylan – you’ve well and truly found it. A highly addictive and landmark first outing, it’s an album that has deservedly taken them from complete unknowns to festival headliners in the space of a year.

Best tracks: I’m Flush, 3Cag, Better Way To Live

Listen here

7. Midas by Wunderhorse

Another band that has truly owned 2024, rock outfit Wunderhorse showed their superstar potential back on their excellent 2022 debut Cub - an album that only just sneaked into my Top 50 for that year. However, Midas saw them transcend to another level altogether, putting them firmly on the brink of being one of the most adored new bands in the country.

While Midas for the most part just builds on everything that was great about Cub, the biggest difference this time around is that Wunderhorse no longer sound like Jacob Slater’s solo project – this is the sound of a united quartet ready to take the world by storm. By no means a perfect record, part of the appeal of Midas is just how rough and raw it is around the edges, bringing a timeless power to these songs that only true rockstars can conjure. As a result, listening to this record awakens a nostalgic and quite emotional connection for me that’s hard to put into words.

The other big strength of this record though is the songs themselves. Boasting five singles and filled wall-to-wall with anthems, it’s easily one of the best pure rock records I’ve heard in years. From the instant singalong choruses of 90s-tinged cuts like Emily and Silver, to Jacob’s soul-stirring vocal performances on Superman and Arizona, it’s an album that gets your blood pumping and your spine tingling. And while many will point to the memorable riffs of July and the title track as the album’s high points, for me it is the blissed-out beauty of epic closing track, Aeroplane, where this album truly soars.

Released in a month where everyone was losing their minds over the Oasis reunion, Wunderhorse proved that, while nostalgic acts will continue to sell and take the bulk of the attention, there is still plenty of fascinating work happening in today’s rock scene too. With big headline dates and festivals already confirmed for 2025, I also think we’re still yet to see the full extent of where Midas will take Wunderhorse’s exploding popularity.

Best tracks: Silver, Aeroplane, Emily

Listen here

6. In Waves by Jamie xx

An electronic record that is as hypnotic and intoxicating as the album art would suggest. While Jamie’s first solo effort In Colour finished a few places higher almost a decade ago, making it into my Top 5 Albums of 2015, In Waves surpasses its predecessor in every single way.

This is an album so expertly crafted, you can not only take most of the tracks here and enjoy them in euphoric isolation, but brought together they also mould and transcend into a glorious overall listening experience. Here, The XX producer has woven a magical sonic tapestry, with spellbinding features and flourishes that play out like a hit-filled DJ mix.

In terms of high points too - where to begin?! There’s the breathtaking Treat Each Other Right, with its incredible synth beat and brilliantly chosen sample. We then get an unofficial XX track with Jamie’s bandmates Romy and Oliver joining him on the outstanding Waited All Night. There’s also the funky stomp of Baddy On The Floor and the Robyn-featuring banger Life. Even when it’s just Jamie on tracks like Breather, Still Summer and especially The Feeling I Get From You, he still delivers the uplifting grooves and positive energy in abundance. All that said, my favourite moment on this record is still Jamie’s phenomenal collaboration with The Avalanches, All You Children – a track that emerged as my Song of the Summer for 2024.

Regardless of whether it’s as a solo artist or with The XX, Jamie continues to deliver the goods, with his discography near faultless at this point. Seemingly incapable of making a bad record, In Waves is as close to a perfect as you can get and the standout in a year of exceptional electronic releses.

Best tracks: All You Children, Treat Each Other Right, Waited All Night

Listen here

5. BRAT by Charli XCX

Let’s face it – if my Album of the Year was simply based on cultural impact alone, there would be no contest. From iconic lyrics and viral dances, to dictating 2024’s festival fashion, through to entering Presidential campaigns and being named the Collins Dictionary Word of the Year, 2024 was – above all else – very Brat.

With this record, Charli created a cultural phenomenon that would define the summer, and indeed the entire year, like no other album has in recent memory. From club-ready beats to stinging gut punches, BRAT is a rollercoaster of sounds and emotions that only got more intoxicating with each new spin.

With most tracks hovering around the three-minute mark, it’s a punchy, wild ride through some vibrant dance-pop, ranking right up there with Charli’s very best work. Channelling her recent Boiler Room appearances, BRAT was the perfect summer soundtrack, with everyone the world over seemingly raving to tracks like the Armand Van Helden-influenced Von Dutch, the trancey pulse of Mean Girls and cocaine-taking anthem, 365. Raising a few eyebrows, let’s not forget the latter did incredibly make Barack Obama’s famed summer playlist too!

But for all the hard drug references and party bops, there’s also equal parts introspection and vulnerability too. There’s the uncertainty on tracks like I might say something stupid and Sympathy is a knife, as well as her heartbreaking tribute to producer and friend SOPHIE on So I. She also talks about the struggles of female friendships in the music industry on Girl, so confusing, with Lorde also appearing on the more popular remix of the track, having been alluded to as the song’s subject matter. That’s another point worth making too – the remix version of this album is also fantastic and possibly one of the few that lives up to the original, thanks to features from The 1975, Bon Iver, Jon Hopkins, Julian Casablancas, Billie Eilish and many more.

Charli well and truly stormed 2024, proving once again that there is no popstar on the planet quite like her. Long overdue her flowers, having directly influenced other great recent popstars like Caroline Polachek, CMAT and RAYE, it was incredible to see Charli finally transcend in 2024 from cult favourite pop alchemist, to a true global sensation.

Best tracks: 360, So I, Von dutch

Listen to BRAT here

Listen to Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat here

4. Romance by Fontaines D.C.

Everything Is Romantic…and Romance Is A Place.

While Charli may have owned the pop world in 2024, Irish outfit Fontaines D.C. most certainly owned the rock world. Having been steadily making a name for themselves across their first three records, fourth album Romance has been a complete game-changer, rocketing them into the mainstream and to new heights of popularity around the world.

Although everyone will have their own favourite Fontaines record, with each album subtly different in style but equally as great as the last, there’s no denying Romance is certainly their most accessible project to date. For my money, it’s also their most sonically ambitious too, with the band showing they’re not just a post-punk outfit anymore but a true rock band, adding elements of shoegaze, grunge and indie to their already impressive sound. And while I was initially disappointed that Dan Carey wasn’t on production duties for this one, the legendary James Ford does an exceptional job of making the music sound as colourful and vibrant as the instantly iconic album art would suggest.

On top of all that, I think it goes without saying that some of the best songs of Fontaines’ young career are featured here. From the hip-hop inspired Starburster, one of the definitive singles of 2024, to the string-drenched majesty of In A Modern World, the radiant Sundowner, the stomping rhythms of Bug and the endlessly hypnotic central riff of Favourite, there is nothing but utter brilliance at every turn.

Like it or not, Romance is the album that cemented Fontaines D.C. as THE band of the 2020s thus far, elevating them to new levels of superstardom. Boasting some of the year’s finest singles and a tracklist that would make any band as green as some luminous lime tracksuits and balaclavas with envy, Fontaines have forged a classic that I think we will be revisiting for years to come.

Best tracks: Starburster, Favourite, In A Modern World

Listen here

3. Big Sigh by Marika Hackman

Into the Top 3 then and these next two albums were tough to separate – both tackling the pain and anguish of toxic relationships but in very different ways. First up is an album that I’ve lived with since January and have continued to play pretty much every month since the very start of the year. Brutal yet beautiful, it is the incredible Big Sigh by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Marika Hackman.

A record that deserved so much more attention than it received in 2024, Big Sigh is a towering work in so many ways. Sonically it is rich with some exquisitely composed, multi-layered instrumentation, all of which is incredibly played by Marika herself (bar the gorgeous string arrangements that also feature on occasion). The music has to be uplifting here as lyrically the album is devastating, with Marika laying bare her deepest thoughts and emotions during a tough time of high insecurity and low self-esteem. It’s a record that will frequently punch you in the gut and emotionally manipulate you, but then also soothe your wounds afterwards through the majesty of the music.

What’s more, every moment on here is just breathtaking in its own way. Whether it’s the enchanting and inventive opener The Ground, quietly anthemic single No Caffeine, the bluesy title track or the acoustic haunt of Blood, it’s an album that pulls you into its grip straight away and then refuses to relinquish. This is best demonstrated on album highlight Hanging, a hard break-up song juxtaposed on the hurt and relief of this relationship coming to an end. Then, after a short piano interlude, the record enters a more stripped-back second half, with further highlights such as Slime and Please Don’t Be So Kind.

Pulling me back in again and again into her bleak, melancholic yet uplifting and richly textured stratosphere, this is without a doubt Marika’s best work to date. A stunning album that set a very high bar for me right back in January, there were few records that could match Big Sigh’s emotional power or raw beauty in 2024.

Best tracks: Hanging, No Caffeine, Blood

Listen here

2. This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway by Lola Young

South London songwriter Lola Young is an incredible talent, one that has been on my radar for a while now. Having first seen her perform at 110 Above festival a few years back, I was later swept up in her conceptual 2021 EP, After Midnight, and have since continued to follow her progress.

However, when she finally released her debut album last year, My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely, I was left a little lukewarm. It wasn’t the same revelation as her early EP, in fact it sounded quite ordinary. Her poignant lyrics were still there, but she suddenly resembled a lot of other pop singer-songwriters. I thought it was a bit of a misfire and with most artists only getting one shot at a first impression these days, I sadly expected Lola to fade into obscurity – boy was I wrong. From TikTok stardom and a Tyler, The Creator feature, to even a massive Top 10 single now trending around the globe, Lola came back swinging in 2024.

Going back to the drawing board and fuelled by a brutal, toxic relationship, her second outing This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway is one of the best records of the entire year. Bringing together angsty lyrics that are vicious takedowns of her ex in one breath, to moments of stark vulnerability the next, with an eclectic mix of sounds and styles providing the sonic backdrop, it’s just an absolute tour de force for 38 minutes.

Channelling the spirit of Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen but with the artistic flair of artists like Cyndi Lauper and Kate Bush, the first half is one of the best runs on any record all year. From the echoey instrumentation of Good Books to the punk thrills of Wish You Were Dead, through to the catchy frankness of Big Brown Eyes and the rock stomp of album highlight Conceited, every song is seemingly better than the last.

If that wasn’t enough, we then get to my personal song of the year – Lola’s big breakout single, Messy. While Lola shields behind her brash persona for the first few tracks of the album, Messy is then the record’s centrepiece and first big gut punch, as she asks, “I want to be me, is that not allowed?” The intense insecurity is sad to hear, and that’s soon followed up by the deflated despair of “A thousand people I could be for you, and you hate the f*cking lot.” It’s a song that captures toxic relationships and feelings of hopelessness to devastating effect, and it’s no surprise that its raw sentiment has connected with so many people in 2024.

There’s plenty of highlights in the back end too, such as the string-tinged rawness of You Noticed, the torment of F*ck and the self-loathing of Intrusive Thoughts. It then ends in a spoken word outro, where Lola details the catharsis of writing the record and how it taught her how to love herself and music once again.

They say the finest art comes from the darkest times and - just like Marika’s album - Lola’s record is a testament to that age old saying. Coming through this bleak time in a damaging relationship, she’s emerged out the other side with an exceptionally honest album and renewed belief in herself. While Charli, Chappell and Sabrina took the headlines, for me there was no pop record this year that was as unflinching and soul-baring, but also where the songwriting and musicianship did justice to the impactful story being told, as this one from Lola.

An immensely talented artist that deserves all the praise in the world, and so pleased to see word finally getting out thanks to Messy’s viral success – my runner-up Album of the Year for 2024.

Best tracks: Messy, Conceited, Intrusive Thoughts

Listen here

1. Ness by Hayden Thorpe

If you’ve been following me in 2024, or indeed before that, this being my Album of the Year probably comes as no surprise. Hugely ambitious and a listening experience truly like no other, as soon as I hit play on the first listen, I knew there was only going to be one winner this year – Ness by Hayden Thorpe.

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Hayden Thorpe is no stranger to my year-end countdowns – in fact, every project he has released either as a solo artist or as part of Wild Beasts since I begun these countdowns in 2013, has made it into my Top 5 for that year. If you’re wondering what exactly it is that makes these albums resonate so much for me, I think everything that makes all his projects so uniquely intriguing can be found here on Ness.

An adaptation of Robert MacFarlane’s book of the same name, the album explores the site of Orford Ness - a coastal nature reserve down in Suffolk that was also at one point, a military testing site during both World Wars and the Cold War. The Atomic Weapons Research Establishment had a base there and conducted environmental testing of the Nuclear Arsenal at that point. However, the Ministry of Defence sold it to the National Trust in 1993 who left it to rewild, and it is now this place where nature lives and breathes once again.

So at the heart of Orford Ness, you have this fascinating collision of man-made destruction and natural life. This is what Robert MacFarlane paints in his book, and in-turn Hayden has brought to life on this album. Given the state of the world in 2024, it’s a place and subject matter that feels all too timely to explore.

So why is Ness my defining album of 2024? Well, let’s look back at my criteria for what I look for in an Album of the Year:

Had the biggest impact on me

I would argue there are few better feelings in the world than listening to a new album from one of your favourite artists, and it being right up there with their very best work. Ness gave me that feeling every time I hit play, while also magically transporting me to this real place that I’ve never even visited – you simply can’t put a price on that.

Was a landmark culturally or within the wider music world

While it wasn’t culturally impactful in the same way a Romance or a Brat was in 2024, it did get people learning about this lesser-known National Trust site, with some even travelling there for Hayden’s own album launch shows. It also turned me onto Robert’s book, something I likely would not have purchased and explored otherwise. For that, I also give Hayden big kudos.

Showed ambition or had something unique to offer

This one almost goes without saying, with the project’s ambition and uniqueness speaking for itself within the music. But having now read Robert’s book and having seen the alchemy with which Hayden has picked apart and redacted the source material to turn it into this wonderful musical experience, is quite extraordinary. Few artists would dare to even attempt a bold adaptation such as this, let alone pull it off to such mind-blowing effect.

I played the most during the year

Having only been released at the end of September, it finished as my second most played album on my Apple Music Replay statistics, while also finishing top on my YouTube wrap-up too. That’s not even including the pre-release streams and vinyl plays – so yeah, safe to say this is one I played a fair bit!

Ultimately produced my favourite front-to-back listening experience

For this part, and to officially close out my Album of the Year countdown for 2024, I’ll turn to the words I wrote in my CLASH review back in September, that still ring true now:

“Hayden Thorpe’s Ness ends up being more than just another album. Where Macfarlane’s book was part-novella, part-prose and part-poem, Hayden too has crafted a piece of art that blurs the lines between music, audiobook, spoken-word and classical composition. It’s simply a one-of-a-kind auditory experience, one that whisks you away to a place full of historical dread and natural wonder, which feels all too relevant for today’s world. Through Hayden, Ness Speaks – and it’s quite unlike anything else you’ll hear all year.”

Best tracks: The Whole Damn Thing!

Listen to my 2024 Album of the Year here

Read the full 9/10 album review for CLASH here

Watch or listen to my exclusive interview with Hayden on the making of the record here

Thanks for following along with my 2024 Albums of the Year countdown – still to come over the festive break, stay tuned for my Top 100 Songs playlist, Top 10 EPs and Best Gigs of the Year!

[progfessor-dyke]

Just thinking about if Hollywood ever decided to do a prog biopic about a band (let's use Yes as an example) it would have to be the anti-Bohemian Rhapsody. It would have to paint the band out to be much raunchier than they actually were, and include a SHITTON of side-characters from other prog bands making guest appearances.

My outline for a completely non-serious, absolutely inaccurate and insane Yes biopic would look something like this: 1. Make them all ridiculously conventionally attractive and NOTHING like the musician they're supposed to be portraying. Guess what motherfuckers? Steve is now 6'2 and more ripped than The Rock.

2. Way gayer than it actually was. Way, way gayer. Bill leaves the band after his sexual tension is resolved, and immediately joins Fripp.

3. Robert Fripp makes several guest appearances. He is played by Weird Al.

4. Ian Anderson also makes several guest appearances and is also played by Weird Al. This is never addressed.

5. Excluding Bill, whenever a band member leaves, this is not addressed. When Peter leaves, for example, the same actor puts on a wig and starts going by Steve. The movie carries on without addressing this.

6. When Rick joins Yes, he walks into Bill and Chris in their fist-fight, and immediately joins in.

7. The most inaccurate part of the movie: there needs to be a TON of women at concerts.

8. Not sure about how we'll end the movie, but I'm thinking one of three ways:

a) Jon returns to his home planet after Tormato, leaving Steve, Chris, and Alan to team up with the Buggles.

b) Film just cuts out in the middle of the story, because it was getting too long and complicated.

c) Ends in the late 80s/early 90s with ABWH and Yes-West settling their differences in a Denny's parking lot.

[princess-lvcifer]

[rey-jake-therapist]

Hey. I simply wanna share my thoughts on this with someone. Not a Tolkien fan myself, I have always ignored everything Lord of the Rings related, tried to watch the movies and failed, everything seemed boring, even though I love dark fantasy, folklore, adventures and stuff. The only thing making me interested right now is the ROP portrayal of Sauron (am I a bad person? yes), so the controversy with the show also caught my attention and here's my useless take:

People of the fandom has been there for so long they literally turned “lore” into something sacred and holy. Sure, a lot of things there are inspired by Christianity (as a Christian, I quickly recognised it all after checking out the main worldbuilding points) but it's not the Bible! These books are fiction and it's nothing wrong with interpreting some events differently. Had to watch Galadriel scenes from the movies btw, and her “greatly desiring” the ring and then opposing Sauron in her dark form... makes much more sense if they previously had a personal story going on. So I see no problem here. But fans! If Tolkien himself returned from the dead and said Galadriel 1) isn't Mother Mary figure, more like Mary Magdalene 2) had loved Sauron in a twisted way and that's why she wasn't chilling with other elves in the elvish Eden those guys would never believed him and kept bitching. Ofc, they are free to do so, I just pains me.

Same happened to my favourite show, which made me evaluate a lot of things and change my life for the best, and most of “fans” hate it because it's against the idea they had it their heads for years. What's funny is that my show doesn't have any book source material, it's just a — unconventional a bit — biopic about a rock band frontman, produced and controlled in EVERY ASPECT by his best friend and soulmate. Who new him better than any of the fans. The show is brilliant and nothing like that has been done in our country before, yet 70% of what it gets is childish criticism.

So yeah, seeing ROP mistreated in a similar way makes me sad. I can't even tell my friends about the cons of this show, as most of them have already written on their blogs how awful and unworthy of anyone's time it is. Ugh, thank you for listening.

I hear you ! The most infuriating is that most of these people didn't even bother to watch the show. They just heard some YouTuber or TikToker trash the show and repeat what they hear.

I've also noticed that much of the criticism is made by haters who claim to be Tolkien fans, but who are really just fans of P Jackson's movies, and are certain that HE gave a faithful interpretation of the books while it's just... Not true ! Sauron was never described as a giant eyeball in the books, for a start, it was just the easiest way that P Jackson found to represent the fact that Sauron could see everything everywhere.

By doing so unfortunately he ripped off Sauron of everything that made him a fascinating character, and now those morons use the movie's depiction of Sauron to decide that Sauron always was a one dimensional character and completely ignore the fact that in season 1, he was in a repentance phase, hence not entirely manipulative and dishonest towards Galadriel.

And the same happens with Galadriel. The only person I know in real life watched it, but hated it saying she "can't forgive them for what they did to Galadriel", because she refuses to admit the idea that she can have been a warrior, with tendencies to be reckless and a tad immature. She wanted Cate Blanchett's Third Age Galadriel and won't have it any other way. Why ? Again because of PJ's movies. She didn't read the books ! When I told her that PJ invented the scene from the Hobbit where Galadriel faces Sauron in Dol Guldur, she was surprised but didn't care because at least it was Cate Blanchett looking beautiful and ethereal.

What is the show you mention in your ask ?

[kassy-djomunson]

“Perry thought a “treacly, cliché, paint-by-numbers, cookie-cutter Pavement biopic was a funny thing to explore,” and immediately had Keery as Malkmus in mind. Without him involved, Perry says he would have scrapped the concept entirely.

“It just wouldn’t have been worth doing because he’s exactly the guy in the real world, in Hollywood, who would be getting an offer — like when we were doing this, New York Magazine’s website ran fan-casting for a Sublime biopic, and they put Joe in it,” Perry says. “He has too much integrity as an actor to take an offer like that seriously, but he has exactly the right amount of creative curiosity to play that part in quotation marks.”

[scotianostra]

Happy birthday to singer Lulu born in East Dunbartonshire November 3rd 1948.

Born as Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie in Lennoxtown, young Marie was brought up in Dennistoun, Glasgow, where she attended Thomson Street Primary School and Onslow Drive School.She lived in Gallowgate for a while before moving to Garfield Street, Dennistoun. At the age of 12 or 13, she and her manager approached a band called the Bellrocks seeking stage experience as a singer. She appeared with them every Saturday night: Alex Thomson, the group’s bass player, has reported that even then her voice was remarkable. She has two brothers and a sister, and her father was a heavy drinker.At age 14, she received the stage name “Lulu” from her future manager Marion Massey, who commented: “Well, all I know is that she’s a real lulu of a kid.”

Lulu went on to earn her place in the spotlight in May 1964, with her standout version of The Isley Brothers’ tune “Shout.” At the time, she was part of the group the Luvvers. However, after a few more chart toppers, Lulu decided to venture out as a solo artist. In 1966, she went on a tour with the Hollies that included a concert in Poland, which made Lulu the first female singer from the British Isles to sing live behind the Iron Curtain, as it was then.

A year later, though, was when Lulu really made an international splash as both a singer and an actress. She appeared in the 1967 film To Sir, With Love alongside Sidney Poitier. She belted out the film’s theme song (which had the same title as the movie) in a memorable scene. The song skyrocketed to No. 1 on the charts in America. Lulu also was joint winner of The Eurovision Song contest with Boom Bang-a-Bang, a top 20 song worldwide. She is the only female singer to have appeared on Top of the Pops in the shows five decades.

Back home she continued with more hits and TV appearances and in 1968, she hosted her own BBC 1 TV series, Happening for Lulu. In 1969 aged 19 she got hitched to Bee Gees band member Maurice Gibb, the marriage failed ad they divorced four years later. Lulu attributed in various interviews to Gibb’s rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and excessive drinking. In 1977, the singer tied the knot with hairdresser John Frieda. Their union lasted 20 years and produced one son, Jordan Frieda. Lulu has admitted in press interviews and in her 2002 memoir I Don’t Want to Fight that she was also romantically linked to the late Davy Jones of the Monkees and the iconic performer David Bowie.

In 2008 Lulu was one of a number of Scottish celebrities that featured in the advertising campaign for Homecoming Scotland and in In August 2014, she opened the closing ceremony of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. At aged 69 Lulu joined the cast of 42nd Street in a 16 week run. She has said in the past she “will never retire” and sure looks like living up to that as I saw her on TV just this week, however- she is now doing , what has been called a farewell tour, although it is being billed as a 'Champagne For Lulu' tour. There are ten dates left in the tour which finishes off at The Usher Hall in Edinburgh.

Lulu is also filming i biopic of her life and finishing writing her autobiography, oh she also played Glastonbury earlier this year, I don't think we have seen the last of her yet. Here she is at a Hogmanay show in 2018 into 2019.

[marvelmaniac715]

Mine was Queen, it started after I saw the Queen biopic starring Rami Malek.