20 Top Nottingham Music Releases of 2017

Alice Short - Frantic Dreams, Harshest Nightmares
What we said: "Has proven once again that not only is she a lyricist and performer of the highest quality, but she’s also one of Notts’ greatest talents."

Bloody Head - Failed Experiments In Kindness
What we said: "Murky mire of growling riffs that sound like a rottweiler with a hangover, played at mind-mangling volume."

Cameron Sinclair Harris - Grey Matter
What we said: "Songs that are relatable, sweet and honest."

Congi - Motion EP
What we said: "The textures of this five-track EP are more optimistic, gliding from the shape-cutting arms of opening track 174, through the soft, DMT-trip voices in Spring Cut, and into the piano-punctuated moon chase of Something in the Water."

Daudi Matsiko - An Introduction To Failure
What we said: "He is a masterful songwriter, creating songs that draw the listener in with their hushed ambience and lyrical depths."

Endless Grinning Skulls - Risus Sardonicus
What we said: "With Steve Charlesworth from the legendary Heresy in the engine room thrashing away at his drum kit like he’s wired himself up to a car battery for extra juice, the remaining band members have the perfect launch pad for their brutal and frantic riffage."

Gallery 47 - Adversity Breeds
What we said: "Evokes the same bittersweet experience as listening to the much-missed Elliot Smith."

George Gadd - Better Shape
What we said: "It doesn’t come as a shock that the musician has name-checked the likes of Frank Carter and Bruce Springsteen as songwriting inspirations, as there is a kind of earthy sincerity woven throughout these five songs."

Grey Hairs - Serious Business
What we said: "Grey Hairs have channeled the impotent anger that is living in the UK in 2017 and directed that frustrated rage into a collection of earth-shaking, ear-drum threatening, gloriously noisy guitar rock tunes."

Kirk Spencer - Zu Year
What we said: "A collection of sublimely crafted sounds that should please both the more sonically adventurous listener and those simply wanting a speaker-shaking collection of banging techno."

London Grammar - Truth Is A Beautiful Thing
What we said: "The songwriting has matured and the production is richer and more engaging than before."

Russian Linesman - The Eysenck Suite
What we said: "A modern day composer, taking fragments of sound and manipulating varied electronic sounds to create wistful mood pieces."

Schnez - Real Rave Ting
What we said: "Will have both old rave heads and young party hounds screwing their faces in unison."

Scorzayzee - Illa Scorz
What we said: "His most challenging and delicate piece of work yet, with the wordsmith tackling the heavy yet important issue of mental health."

Sleaford Mods - English Tapas
What we said: "It’s fair to say that success hasn’t dampened the fury that fire Sleafords Mods. Williamson, an engaging and intelligent lyricist, spits out his lyrics, bouncing between snarling anger and sarcastic passive-aggression, and always the in-your-face botherer."

Slumb Party - Slumb Party
What we said: "Full of dark, dirty post-punk tracks."

Torn Sail - This Short Sweet Life
What we said: "This Short Sweet Life’s songs burn slowly, with Costin in reflective mode contemplating big themes, namely life, ageing and death. And the music glides like Americana honey, all spacey reverb, sad guitars and furrowed brows."

VVV - Apocalypse Trent
What we said: "Apocalypse Trent has got some decent tracks nestled inside it, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously; one minute you’re in the thick of a screwface, the next you’re cracking up over some weird vocal sample or misplaced lyric."

When The Sun Hits - Immersed Within Your Eyes
What we said: "Although clearly indebted to Slowdive et al., WTSH are no mere copycats and have made an EP that stands up alongside the more celebrated shoegaze bands of the nineties."

Yazmin Lacey - Black Moon
What we said: "Yazmin’s debut EP is poetry for a Sunday afternoon; a spliff in the evening sun; poached eggs before 10am."