Lets Update Nature's Best: 2020-2023
Home Brew are back, as is Troy Kingi and The Beths - plus Reb Fountain, SWIDT, Leisure and Tiny Ruins. Plus one addition I said I wouldn't make ...
If you want to catch up on the Nature’s Best story so far, here are the posts so far:
Introduction | 2001-2002 | 2003-2004 | 2005-2006 |
2007-2009 | 2010-2013 | 2014-2019 | 2020-2023
Before we get to our final batch of tracks …
2014-2019 reconsidered
Based on last week’s voting:
I’ve bumped Broods up from #103 to #78.
Tami Neilson drops from #46 to #62.
UMO’s “Multi Love” moves down from #58 to #92.
The Beths’ “Future Me Hates Me” jumps from #69 to #40.
Benee’s “Supalonely” jumps from #122 to #102.
Everything stays where it is. Let’s go!
> Teeks - "Without You"
The first single from Teeks’ debut album Something To Feel is a gorgeous soul album that scored him the Best Māori Artist award at the 2017 Aotearoa Music Awards, and two further nominations. Teeks - born Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi - has this gorgeous, velvety voice, and a connection to his culture that makes him distinctive. The video for “Without You” (above) was filmed in the Hokianga, where he grew up. I’m feeling #71 for this track.
> Troy Kingi - "All Your Ships Have Sailed"
Look, I think Troy Kingi is a stunning artist. My favourite album of his, Black Sea Golden Ladder, was written in just four days. But I also think “All Your Ships Have Sailed” is the best song to come out of his 10/10/10 project - and it was nominated for Single Of The Year at the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards. I’m feeling #36 for this track, but it maybe deserves more.
> Reb Fountain - "Don"t You Know Who I Am"
Reb Fountain’s self-titled album was nominated for a slew of Aotearoa Music Awards in 2020, including Album Of The Year (which it arguably should’ve won). Regardless, its a gorgeous album that spawned this gorgeous track, which I’m feeling should be on the list at #116.
> Maisey Rika - "Waitī Waitā"
We’ve already added one Maisey Rika track to the list (“Tangaroa Whakamautai”, currently #49). Rika is a critically lauded and awards showered singer who has done a ton for Te Reo in popular music. I think we can find space for a second Maisey Rika track; lets pop it in at #80.
> The Beths - "Expert In A Dying Field"
The Beths have gone from strength to strength, playing Lollapalooza and joining the US Festival circuit this past year. They’re also great at writing title tracks; the title track from 2018’s Future Me Hates Me is on the list already (#40) and I reckon the title track from 2022’s Expert In A Dying Field deserves a spot at #55.
> Avantdale Bowling Club - "Friday Night @ The Liquor Store"
During the long gap between Home Brew albums, we weren’t lacking for material from virtuoso rapper Tom Scott - in addition to At Peace and Average Rap Band, Scott formed Avantdale Bowling Club, a jazz rap project featuring a ton of collaborators, particularly from the non-rap space. A self-titled debut won the Taite Music Prize and won Album Of The Year at the Aotearoa Music Awards in 2019, and the follow-up - Trees - debuted at #1 on the album chart. “Friday Night” is arguably the highlight of the album, a much closer collab between Scott and At Peasce bandmate Christoph El Truento. It certainly deserves recognition here and I’m feeling #105 is the right place for it.
> Tiny Ruins - "Dorothy Bay"
Look, Hollie Fulbrook’s primary project Tiny Ruins are critically acclaimed, beloved by fans, and musically gorgeous. I’m popping what I believe to be their best song in at #150 because I think they deserve to be here.
> SWIDT - "Kelz Garage (ft Lomez Brown)"
SWIDT (standing for See What I Did There) are another act that has embodied the evolution of the hiphop industry in this country; you could make a case that Dawn Raid and acts like Scribe walked so that acts like Tom Scott and SWIDT could run. “Kelz Garage” is one of SWIDT’s best, starting life as an instrumental before Lomez Brown added a vocal and it was released again in 2021, eventually winning Best Pacific Song at the 2022 Pacific Music Awards, and a nomination for Best Hiphop Artist at the 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards. SWIDT have bigger things ahead of them, but I’m feeling #135 for now.
> Home Brew - "80 Down Scenic"
If you look at all the ways that hiphop in this country has moved forward over the past decade, you’ll find that Tom Scott is usually involved somewhere, building on his previous work and going from strength-to-strength. So, while people were surprised by the surprise release of Home Brew’s second full length Run It Back, nobody was surprised that it was instantly recognisable as a massively well made and important piece of work that was given six nominations at the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards, winning two. “80 Down Scenic” is one of the best tracks on the album, and I think that quality - and Tom Scott’s sheer talent and influence - deserve a spot at #31.
> Leisure - "Back In Love"
Leisure’s latest album Leisurevision has been a pretty big success for the group: in addition to success at home (it was nominated for Best Album at the 2024 Aotearoa Music Awards), it has found an audience abroad, leading to features in television and film, and a slew of festival dates across Europe. “Back In Love” is one of their best and - while not typical of the group - is maybe their best piece of songwriting to date. I reckon it deserves a spot in the tail end of the list, #162.
Okay, last one, I promise …
> Weta - "Calling On"
I know, I know, I promised we weren’t going to revisit songs from BEFORE the original list was released. But, c’mon, Weta hit big here and in Australia right after the original list was compiled and missed out by a hairs breadth. Since they were discovered in Australia, music press at home took little notice: even though their debut, Geographica, peaked at #5 in NZ, and several singles were in high rotate at Triple J in Australia, the group received no recognition from the Aotearoa Music Awards. Despite this, ask people of a certain age, and they’ll tell you that album is one of the greats - and this song, one of NZ’s best rock songs of the past 50 years. Weta disbanded the year after Geographica came out, and singer Aaron Tokona passed away a few years back, so this is as good as we can make a tribute to one of our most interesting musicians. #47 feels right for this.
Alright, that is 11 new additions - that takes the list to 170.
Make sure you get your votes in as we close this thing out!
Hey, you lot are awesome - thank you for reading this little journey with me, its been hella fun to write and put together! What’s next? I’ll be back in a week with the final list, following any changes based on the voting. And then we’re done!
See you then - mā te wā!
Chris
I have very little to offer as I'm pretty sure I have only listened to a handful of bands and artists from post 2000. My list would solely be based on the music from acclaimed TV show 'The Almighty Johnsons'. You may have heard of it? ;)
In this case Flip Grater's The Quit and anything by The Veils stands out for me.
Meanwhile I'll keep wondering which of these artists you mention are real and which are designed to trick us old fellas into believing they are real!
Yes, I know you're not revisiting the past, but surely the time is nigh to revisit the case for "Shoop Shoop Diddy Wop Cumma Cumma Wang Dang" by Monte Video to be included?