(Firstly, this entry was originally just the outstanding LP ‘Shepherd Head’, until I remembered that the band also released a limited edition and equally fabulous EP ‘love for a new century‘, a one day BandCamp exclusive to raise funds for the Midwest Access Coalition, a charity providing funding for people who now -fucking ridiculously – are forced to travel to different states in the US as a woman’s right to her own body somehow went up for debate in that hellhole country in 2022. Didn’t buy it on May 7th?? Well sucks to be you. There’s nothing stopping you from just donating to that charity though, you lazy pricks)
Yeah, I know, it’s just ‘Bandcamp’, isn’t it? Not ‘BandCamp’ like it’s some internet 2.0 app allowing preteen marching band players share news about events (that later turned out to be a massive secret international pedophile ring), but I started calling it ‘BandCamp’ on the first sodding entry so now I have to either go back and change every entry – which will take, ugh, effort – or just continue doing so and hope nobody notices. I’ll change it in 2023, I promise. Resolution and shit, yeah?
I dunno, ma dudes, there are some artists that just seem to have the talent to always hit right there, y’know? There is another artist still to come whom I believe might have completely cheat coded the ‘Alexander F-P Love Button’, but Young Jesus have similarly found that sweet spot and are happily able to keep pandering to it. Their music bears some resemblance to early Bon Iver, but they sound like an alternative universe where instead of taking his muse into more dance inspired areas (sometimes successfully, sometimes less so), Justin Vernon instead decided to instead take his indie sad boi beauty and twist it toward completely new horizons. Although, yeah, Gold Line Awe would fit very nicely onto ’22, A Million’, that is actually the highest compliment because, you guys, that album is fucking amazing! You pricks! Sorry, I’ve called you ‘pricks’ twice now haven’t I? It’s not my fault though, you straw people keep being so obnoxious.
And…
*sigh*…
Am I going to go there…?
Fuck it, I’m gong there:
Just before I wrote this article I was talking to a ‘friend’ (she’d probably call me her best friend. I see her more as a general acquaintance. But I don’t hate her) and, because we’re both British, we touched on some good ol’ class stuff. I’d call it ‘Class Warfare’, she might wish to disagree for professional reasons. We got onto how many popular and successful musicians are not the most talented, but simply the ones who have got the breaks due to their upbringing and the (financial) support that was available to them. And also how few people are willing to merely accept that they’ve had it easier than others. As at least a wannabe Marxist (like, love the beard look, but there are so many books!! Did Engels have a TikTok?) it really made me question this very fucking list that I do every year for absolutely no discernible reason apart from to intermittently start beefs with famous rappers (Oh! You scared, Pusha?! Meet me outside, how ’bout that*??). Was I actually just rewarding the artists who have already been given enough privileges in life to even be heard of by me?? Nilüfer Yanya is the daughter of ‘two visual artists’ and grew up in sodding Chelsea! Spoon singer Britt Daniels’s dad was a freaking neurologist! Ibeyi’s dad was in Buena Vista cocking Social Club! And they’re just yesterday’s entrants! Does it make these amazing artists’ music any less wonderful? Absolutely not, and these are three of the most amazing musical artists currently existing. Did they all have a little more chance to get to where they are than people like you and I? Of course. You know how much you have to sacrifice to even make it that big, even assuming that your road to ‘fame’ contained no other leg ups? Of course these people could dedicate themselves to their craft, they never needed to work a day in their life! When I was off on disability payments, and never needed to worry about earning my right to exist, I wrote and published two books. Were they good books? That’s not the point! I beg of you to please focus a little
(*can you make Swinton Grove Park in Ardwick this Tuesday? No? How’s Thursday looking for you? Nah, next Saturday’s off, I’m going to Mum’s)
Young Jesus head honcho John Rossiter? Yeah, maybe he had these exact same privileges. Maybe he’s the son of Leonard Rossiter and has coasted his life on those Rising Damp cheques. I dunno. I don’t really care. Because he is amongst the most talented musicians working today, and he made this incredible record using Garage Band and a microphone. Yeah, I know, ooh-lala! MacBook is it, m’lud?? Yeah, back in my day we could only afford Dell Precision 5770s, but it’s still completely his own artistic vision and his own talent. Guy has less than 1000 Twitter followers. Even I wasn’t following him! Am now! Made it to the big nine-zero-nine! Woooo! I guess this album (and EP.) at once proved to me how musical success and fame is by no means a meritocracy, but also gave me renewed belief that this list isn’t just a ‘Spotify recommends’ playlist of what music the wider machine deems to be noteworthy, and might actually be giving small spotlight to smaller artists who really deserve it.
Fun fact: at least two artists featured so far have fewer Twitter followers than me. But I’m not going to name them because, lol, that’s embarrassing!! Rossiter Jr though? Dude I would literally kill for 909 followers…
I know
What?? Guy’s on Metacritic?? Forget everything I said, death to the bourgeoisie scum!
necessaryevil.blog 
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