adam-franklin-swervedriver

Swerverdriver frontman Adam Franklin tells us about his favorite songs of 2018

UK shoegaze greats Swervedriver are gearing up for a busy 2019, with the release of their new album Future Ruins that’s out January 25 via Dangerbird. Judging by the three singles released so far, the band have lost none of their steam and you can check out videos for “Mary Winter,” “Drone Lover” and “The Lonely Crowd Fades in the Air,” below.

While getting everything in order for the LP and impending tour (TBA), Swervedriver frontman Adam Franklin sent us his list of favorite songs of 2018. He picked 12 (10 new, plus two reissues) including songs from The Bevis Frond, Oh Sees, Unloved, Beak>, The Beatles, and more. You can check out his list, complete with commentary for each pick, and listen to a playlist with all 12, below.

Swervedriver’s Adam Franklin – Twelve songs from 2018: ten new, two reissues

1) Unloved – “Heartbreak” (single)
Love this band – film noir, girl groups, psych sounds? Where could you possibly go wrong!

2) Altered Hours – “Over The Void” (from On My Tongue)
This song takes me back to that window of time around 1988/89 when indie rock was flying off in all sorts of interesting directions and no-one had had invented names for it all yet. I like that someone is playing an acoustic guitar in the video.

3) Oh Sees – “Last Peace” (from Smote Reverser)
Cool sounds from Oh Sees here – they’re hard to keep up with aren’t they? You just have to dip your hand in the jar and see what comes out.

4) The Still Out – “Out When” (from Crystallized reissue)
This is from an album made in 2004 in NYC that was never properly released at the time but just got reissued. Josh and Arjun crafted this in studio downtime and it fell out fully formed, as far as I can fathom.

5) Endless Love – “Iliovasilema” (from Endless Love)
Various filmic, loungey soundtrack sounds emanating out from Ontario in the form of these trippy interpretations tastemade to perfection as usual by Locksley Taylor. Noisy guitars lurk in the background.

6) Speaker Bite Me – “Ruin” (from Future Plans)
What a pleasant surprise to witness the return of Copenhagen’s finest after too long away with this brooding sprawl of a five song collection.

7) Beak> – “Harvester” (from >>>)
There’s something Scarfolk or Folk Horror about this album – that 1970s parallel universe thing, although this little pastoral guitar tune is probably the least representative on that count.

8) Khruangbin – “Maria También” (from Con Todo El Mundo)
No-one can ever remember the name of this band – “you know, those guys that make you wanna smoke weed and eat a shawarma at the same time?” I like the Turkish-psych-comp-from-1974 vibe and love everything about the bass.

9) The Bevis Frond – “A Hard Way to Learn” (from We’re Your Friends, Man)
This only just came out and I haven’t had a chance to investigate the album yet but the guitars on this sound a bit like something we just recorded so I’m definitely gonna dive in!

10) Deerhunter – “Death in Midsummer” (single)
Saw a clip of them doing this live which was fantastic – didn’t realise it was a new one. This band have done some sterling work – new album in the new year I hear. Comes out the same day as ours I think.

11) Majestic Horses – “Destroy Everything” (single)
When the three members of your band reside in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide I suppose you may as well record your album in Tasmania. Said album comes in the new year also.

12) Beatles – “Revolution 1 – Take 18” (from The Beatles reissue)
This is interesting – Take 18 of “Revolution” kinda mutates into “Revolution 9.” I’d never seen the connection previously. I also didn’t think “Goodnight” could sound in any way like “Julia” but early on it did. I’m sure it was all Donovan’s doing, mind you.