The Tubs, the current group of former Joanna Gruesome members Owen Williams and George Nichols, released their excellent debut album, Dead Meat, earlier this year, which also featured JG’s Alanna McArdle. Williams and Nicholls have not lost their touch one bit, writing thrilling two-minute guitar earworms that mash together punk, post punk, power-pop and British folk. If you haven’t checked it out yet, listen below.
We’ve been asking artists for their Top 10 Albums of 2023 and Williams was nice enough to send us his, which includes Lankum, Wednesday, Hotline TNT, ML Buch, and more. It includes recommendations from the whole band but Owen wrote the commentary for all of them. Check that out below.
Lankum – False Lankum
The melodic half of the Tubs (me and George) love folk music and any folkie worth their salt will know about this great, grinding, low key heavy album by Lankum. I’ve been ringing the Lankum bell for a while so it’s heartening to see this album become such a crossover hit.
Lemon Twigs – Everything Harmony
Everyone in The Tubs is a Twighead and we had the great pleasure of playing with them in Amsterdam this year. They of course put on a phenomenal, highly acrobatic live show and we’d already gotten very acquainted with this record while touring around in our banter bus. It’s probs my fave of theirs. The songwriting is so well crafted and there’s more of an emphasis on hooks as opposed to the musical theatre kid seizure vibes of the earlier stuff. Mad chops!
Hotline TNT – Cartwheel
Our bassist Max turned me onto this band, and it’s great moody shoegaze pop rock. I like it when bands use shoegaze in contexts like this, especially if they actually have hooks and aren’t just leaning on the atmos. Also I haven’t thought about the idea of ‘TNT’ in a while.
Suep – Shop
This is an EP but it’s long so maybe an album? It also includes a Tub on guitar… Nevertheless it’s great stuff from our homies. ‘Oddball car boot sale pop’ that reminds me Anna Domino and Jona Lewie and a London of market stalls and car boots and old synths that might be slightly imaginary but also isn’t. They’ve also just recruited Louis from Goon Sax on bass!
ML Buch – Suntub
Some Tubs prioritise ‘vibes’ over songcraft and vice versa. I’m the latter so I’ll put on literally any kind of music with hooks, and this can alienate other Tubs. But all Tubs agree this record is the perfect combo of vibes and tunes.
Garden Centre – Searching for a Stream
Our favourite little band of plant pot men! Another band involving a Tub (me this time). But it’s very much Max Levy’s vehicle. This GC record has some of my fave ever Levy tunes.
North Americans – Long Cool World
I’m in a really loud room writing this right now and my headphones are broken so I can’t listen to this recommendation from our bassist Max….so let’s put this album in the mystery box!
Wednesday – Rat Saw God
This is on like every list obv but it’s a great alt country rock album in the tradition of Lucinda Williams, Drive by Truckers etc.
Lamp of Murmuur – Saturnian Bloodstorm
Another for the mystery box, this time recommended by our guitarist George. I know it’s a metal record and to me it’s funny that you’d name your metal band after a spooky lamp.
Edwin R Stevens – God On All Fours
Our Welsh brother Edwin has released a beautiful album on the legendary Ankst records. One of my fave lyricists and writers ever!!
—
