ablebody-Michael-Delaney
photo: Michael Delaney

Ablebody released debut LP (listen), tell us their Top 10 YouTube Finds of 2016

photo: Michael Delaney
photo: Michael Delaney

Ablebody, aka twin brothers Christoph and Anton Hochheim (who have played in The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Depreciation Guild and more), released their debut album, Adult Contemporaries, earlier this year which is full of arty pop that has clearly been influenced by ’80s indie (they even cover The Servants). If you like Prefab Sprout, The Associates, C-86 stuff, and the bands the Hochheims have played in, you should definitely give it a spin — you can stream the LP in full below.

If you’re reading this from Los Angeles, Ablebody play The Hi Hat tonight (12/19) with Cigarette Bums, Wyatt Blair, and Deep Fields. It’s a free show.

We’ve been asking artists to tell us their Top 10s of the year, and Christoph has offered up his Top 10 YouTube Finds of 2016, which includes some current music, ’80s obscurities, Elvis, Madonna, a forgotten Bowie video and more. Check out the list, complete with Christoph’s commentary (and the YouTube vids to watch), below.

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Ablebody’s 10 Best Youtube Discoveries of the Year

Louis Chedid – Ainsi soit-il
Really hope eternity is Louis Chedid singing this song to me on repeat, endlessly modulating into the heavens with those big beautiful doe eyes of his telling me it’s gonna be alright. This is the title track off the record that i’ve spun more than any other this year, incredible songs with honest delivery and a surprisingly contemporary flair considering it came out in ’81.

The Blue Nile – Stay
We’ve been massive Blue Nile fans for years now but this vid somehow slipped under our radar. I always love a chorus that hits hard with dumb simplicity and “Stay, I will understand you” is one for the ages. Not really sure what’s going on in the vid but every shot’s beautiful and strung together wonderfully.

[1988] 김완선 – 사랑의 골목길 (요청)
Gotta give credit to Josh from Regal Degal for this gem of a discovery. Don’t know much about Kim Wan Sun other than she was an amazing South Korean singer in the 80s who was known for her moves…and move she does. This vid blew my mind and the vocals are strangely desperate for being such a posi jam.

Gangway: The Twist videos
To pull off something so demented, heartbreaking and hilarious all at once is the definition of ‘advanced.’ This vid is actually a medley of three promo vids made for Gangway’s first record ‘Twist’ shot by designer Peter Ravn for his local danish TV show ‘Pop du Nord.’ Been a big Gangway fan for years but somehow missed this incredible document. Henrik Balling is undoubtedly a genius but I had no idea he was so funny too. If him playing a cow’s carcass like a piano and shredding a dramatic harmonica solo under a moody spotlight doesn’t move you then…i dunno.

Jerry Paper – Zoom Out
Might be a lil biased as my brother and I play in Lucas’ live outfit but ‘Toon Time Raw!’ is hands down one of the best records of the year and this is a jam amongst jamz. The vid pretty much depicts the lyrics to a T and I ain’t mad.

Madonna – Take A Bow
Damn somehow slept on this one. Sounds like it could be a Sally Oldfield or Demis Roussos song to me, guess Babyface wrote it which is pretty rad. Matador theme is a lil random but beautiful song and Madonna looks and sounds great, nice lil reminder that Madonna was still killing it way past the 80s.

Sean Nicholas Savage & Better Person – Moonlight Lady
This is a very successful collab between some very talented people. Sean Nicholas Savage is a gifted homie who we were lucky to have offer some vocals for ‘Send Me A Letter,’ one of the singles off ‘Adult Contemporaries.’ This is a Julio Iglesias cover he did with Better Person (who absolutely crushes it on this song) and Angus Borsos, one of the best filmmakers in the game right now.

Elvis Presley – I Need Somebody To Lean On [ Alternate master ]
I somehow avoided digging too deep with Elvis for years until somewhat recently. Think most people have a certain idea in their minds of what he’s about and I was no different but it wasn’t until I heard ‘Kentucky Rain’ in a random polish bar one eve in Greenpoint and was almost moved to tears that i realized he might actually be the King. For those in doubt please check out ‘Back In Memphis,’ super heavy record that sounds more like a Burt Bacharach record than Elvis to me. This is a clip from ‘Viva Las Vegas’ with an alt master of the track that’s veryy intimate to maximize feels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9z_uK7c9zc

David Bowie – Loving The Alien
I have to admit that I never explored many of Bowie’s later records until after he passed. Of course his early records made a big impact on me early on but I never realized just how insanely good his output remained throughout the years, culminating in ‘Blackstar’ which listens more like a Scott Walker record to me than a Bowie record. My girlfriend was shocked I had never heard this song and so was I. This is pop perfection and as edgy and moving as anything he’s ever done. Unreal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOaqDEjxQAU

Noosha Fox – The Heat Is On
Noosha Fox is the Australian Kate Bush and truly someone more people need to have on their radar. This song is like if Harry Nilsson and Kate had a love child and dropped her off at Abba daycare…gotta petition to get this gem back on Youtube.


NOOSHA FOX – THE HEAT IS ON 1979 (Vinyl Remaster) by pedunclebuckle