So to wrap up the songs segment of 2011 we have some of the years finest tracks. I will have the albums for the end of the week but here are my favourite songs of this year!!
9. Adele – Rolling In The Deep
If you heard one song this year on my list it would have been this one, I don’t think anyone could have imagined Adele following ‘19’ up with a record quite as monumental as ‘21’ was. This song was played everywhere; I must have heard it at the supermarket, airport, work, subway, underwater. The Jamie XX remix was superb but the initial song is just pure pop at its finest!
8. Lana Del Rey – Video Games
Youtube superstar Lana Del Rey released this song during the summer, the DIY video and track gained massive traction as it made the rounds. Millions of people saw it and fell in love with Lana, her album due in January will be one of the largest of 2012, it was however this single that made everyone realize there was a gem out there with an amazing voice and song like this!
Lana Del Rey - Video Games by Shore-Fire-Media
7. Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks (Skeet Skeet Remix)
Foster the People’s single ‘Pumped up Kicks’ was ace; I thought it was really good. I was somewhat disappointed with the overall album but loved that one song. It was however when I came across the Skeet Skeet remix that i had the epiphany that they are just a mediocre indie band who have a great song to remix into an electro gem! Ah Skeet Skeet you made this song miles better than it was!
Pumped Up Kicks (Skeet Skeet Remix) by DJ SEHRAWAT
6. Jay Z and Kanye West – Ni**as in Paris
The two biggest names in the game got together to record ‘Watch the throne’ there was a rumor that they were barely able to stand each other and that the tour was in jeopardy. However when the album dropped it was this song that hit everyone’s playlist, a Will Ferrell clip from Blades of Glory just makes it even greater!
Kanye & Jay Z - Niggas in paris by KrissParkins
5. SBTRKT – Hold On (feat. Sampha)
SBTRKT is the musical brain of Aaron Jerome, he works closely with Sampha who has one of the most amazing voices for the Soulful Dubstep music that SBTRKT is a vehicle for. ‘Hold On’ is just pure brilliance and when you hear it you will want to hear the whole album! Absolutely outstanding as far as a song, album and live performances! Drake loved this song so much he even performed with them in Toronto and made a remix of it.
4. Tyler the Creator – Yonkers
So we have all heard about the controversial comments that Tyler from Odd Future comes up with, they have had musicians, gay rights groups and pretty much anyone that takes offence shocked. However it was ‘Yonkers’ that put all those disses into music my favourite lyric being the brilliant “stab bruno mars in his god damn esophagus” . He tries and succeeds to offend, this track being the best on the album! In the video he eats a cockroach too.
3. Cassius – I Love U SO (Skream’s made Zdar feel like he was 20 again remix)
The song was sampled on Jay Z and Kanye’s ‘Watch the Throne’ however the original single had a remix by Skream that kicked ass. It sped up the track and gave it an amazing backlog of great beats that meant you would find it hard to listen to the original again!
Cassius - I Love U So (Skream's Made Zdar Feel Like He Was 20 Again Remix) by MisterOwen
2. The Black Keys – Lonely Boy
The Black Keys returned a year after their largest album to date was released, ‘Brothers’ was extraordinarily good! I felt that they may go in the same direction of the Kings of Leon and have an album that sounded more like B-Sides than original decent material! Fortunately The Black Keys returned with the infectious video of ‘Lonely Boy’ with Derrick Tuggle and his Tuggle Shuffle! Amazingly fun video and a super song to kick!
1. M83 – Midnight City
So for my favourite song of the year it’s the magnificent M83, I overheard this song whilst I was working at Sony and one of my colleagues was creating an animated presentation, he was using this as the song on it and it caught my attention straight away. The French band are topping many end of year lists with this anthem and rightly so! There’s nothing like a cheesy 80’s sax solo in the middle of a song!
So that's it for my favourite tracks of 2011, I will be back in 2012 with more goodness for you all!
Monday, 19 December 2011
Friday, 16 December 2011
Top 25 songs of the Year - Part 1 (25-10)
We have just had another superb year in music! So without further delay here is a picture of me at Bonnaroo and my top 25....part 1!
25. James Blake – Limit to your love
James Blake decides to cover a Feist song; on paper this doesn’t make any logical sense! However the post-dubstep electro artist turned it into a mesmerizing masterpiece. What makes the James Blake album stand out is the use of silence within music, you encounter this before the bass reverberations kick in and is truly inspiring, a hit on radio with seconds of pure silence! He broke boundaries with this song and transformed people’s opinions on a genre.
James Blake - Limit To Your Love by TheDropFather
24. Radiohead – Bloom (Blawan Remix)
Lets face it the last Radiohead album wasn’t their finest work, it improved once you saw them live but it didn’t live up to their previous effort (the amazing ‘In Rainbows’). However on their remix album (which again not great) there was this scorcher, Blawan turning album opener ‘Bloom’ into an industrial machine of a song, relentless the song sounds like a pounding machine picking up speed and destroying anything in its way. Nothing quite like when someone remixes a song into something great!
Bloom - Blawan RMX by Radiohead
23. Justice – On’n’On
Justice had the world in their hands when they finished touring ‘+’ they had broken America released one of the finest albums of 2007 and changed the face of electro. The duo returned with ‘Audio, Video, Disco’ this year and on the album was the triumphant return ‘On’n’On’ with the great lyrics “someday the grapes will be wine, someday you will be mine, and so the story goes On’n’On”. They went in a new direction but didn’t shy away from their Parisian roots!
22. Theophilus London – I Stand Alone
Theophilus London finally released his full length LP this year, I was a fan of his previous two mix tapes and wasn’t sure if he would succeed in a decent full length debut. The single ‘I Stand Alone’ filmed mostly in front of a ridiculous green screen worked well with the 80s throwback image that he has brought the world the past few years.
Theophilus London - "I Stand Alone" by TheophilusLondon
21. Cults – Go Outside
There’s nothing like a summer song for the end of the year reviews. Cults ‘Go Outside’ was definitely one of the indie anthems of this summer! The American duo’s album was perfect teen indie pop and this song epitomized the laid back vibe of a summer festival.
Cults - Go Outside by underhisempire2
20. Reptar – Blastoff
Never have I heard so much hype surrounding a band after SXSW, the thing that made it insane was that nobody actually saw Reptar playing at the festival! But with everyone talking about them it meant that this song saw the light of day it deserved, Blastoff appeared on their EP this year and got those that hadn’t seen them talking about them almost as much as those that had.
Blastoff by reptarmusic
19. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX – NY is killing me
Gil Scott-Heron passed away this year; it was a very sad story as he was continuing a much deserved revival. His last album was remixed by Jamie XX and between them they created one of the stranger collaborations of the year. He returned to New York before his death, he had contracted AIDS several years earlier and been previously hospitalized for Pneumonia, he had been fighting drugs (cocaine mainly) for years and been in and out of prison. This track resonates to so many levels of a superb career destroyed by fame and the big apple.
Gil Scott-Heron + Jamie xx - NY Is Killing Me by ilovemylifeasadickhead
18. Ghostpoet – Liiines (xxxy Remix)
Most years the Mercury music throws out a curveball nomination, someone who everyone suddenly deservedly takes notice of. This year it was Ghostpoet and his album ‘Peanut butter blues and melancholy Jam’ which contained the track ‘Liiines’. The album was a gem and this remix was brilliant as it took one of the strongest tracks and built it into a slightly faster amazing version. In all honesty either track could have gone in this spot they are both so good!
Ghostpoet - Liiines (xxxy Remix) by ghostpoet
17. Anna Calvi – Suzanne and I
Another Mercury music nominated album, having been on tour with Anna earlier this year in the US, I was fortunate enough to see her performing live several times, this track was the one that blew me away every time. One of the catchier numbers on the superb album it really was a pleasure to work with such a great artist on her first US tour. Even a 7am radio session still had this track come through strong, a very impressive artist with a lovely song!
Anna Calvi - Suzanne & I by The Maroon Cafe >
16. The Rapture – In The Grace Of Your Love
I nearly went for ‘How Deep is your love?’ just to put in the ‘Thong song’ chorus similarity but didn’t want to put that in writing on the blog, oh wait! Anyways the title track of their third album is a classic Rapture track, kickass bass and that staccato high pitched guitar that just makes you happy that they managed to continue after it appeared they all left and rejoined the band since the last album, in the end only the bassist left!
The Rapture - In the Grace of Your Love by Cendre
15. Gross Magic – Sweetest Touch
When I first heard Gross Magic’s song I just punched the air in delight! It had that amazing 90s guitar that is barely heard any more! His airy vocals are wicked and the song was just pure ace! Much blogged, much hyped and still awaiting to see him come out to NYC I loved the single and can’t wait to see him live! Hopefully the full length LP will shine in a way this single did!
Gross Magic - Sweetest Touch. by LitePanda
14. Tinariwen – Tenere Taqqim Tossam (feat. Tunde and Kyp from TV on the Radio)
As you know I am a big fan of world music, so when I heard that Tinariwen had recorded a single with 2 of TV on the Radio, I was very ecstatic. However it wasn’t until finally pressing play that I realized quite how good the collaboration had been. The track although retaining the African roots was able to embrace some of NYC’s sound to hopefully open them up to a new demographic.
Tinariwen - Tenere Taqqim Tossam by antirecords
13. Burial, Four Tet, Thom Yorke – Ego
Before we knew there was a Radiohead album on the way this song dropped out of thin air, a very limited 12” run (managed to get 1 copy!) was the finest work that Thom Yorke managed in 2011. Working alongside Burial and Four Tet in this collaboration was a superb move and I hope they make a longer record for the New Year!
Burial, Four Tet & Thom Yorke - Ego/Mirror 12" by Izvinitie
12. Spector – Never Fade Away
Before leaving London I saw Spector supporting Theophilus London, their songs were great and the look was different, Fred had come a long way since Les Incopetents and Ox, eagle… This being his most radio friendly song to date. The track takes you back to the crooners of yesteryear with clap along to boot it was a classic and has been on repeat since I moved out to NYC earlier this year.
Spector - Never Fade Away by Luv Luv Luv
11. Summer Camp – I want you
Jeremy Warmsley formed Summer Camp with Elizabeth Sankley and this teen pop love song is just pure class! Lo-fi electro, great vocals and an amazing buildup this is nothing more than a perfect pop love song!
Summer Camp - I Want You by Posh Magazine
10. Grouplove – Tongue Tied
The most shazamed song of 2011! The track appeared on the iPod Touch and had everyone wandering who it was? The answer was of course Grouplove with their infectious song ‘Tongue Tied’, bouncy bass and a great fun party atmosphere served up in three and a half minutes of fun!
Tongue Tied - Grouplove. (Released: 2011). by EmergencyBroadcastSongs
I will be back on Monday with my top 10 tracks of the year!!!
25. James Blake – Limit to your love
James Blake decides to cover a Feist song; on paper this doesn’t make any logical sense! However the post-dubstep electro artist turned it into a mesmerizing masterpiece. What makes the James Blake album stand out is the use of silence within music, you encounter this before the bass reverberations kick in and is truly inspiring, a hit on radio with seconds of pure silence! He broke boundaries with this song and transformed people’s opinions on a genre.
James Blake - Limit To Your Love by TheDropFather
24. Radiohead – Bloom (Blawan Remix)
Lets face it the last Radiohead album wasn’t their finest work, it improved once you saw them live but it didn’t live up to their previous effort (the amazing ‘In Rainbows’). However on their remix album (which again not great) there was this scorcher, Blawan turning album opener ‘Bloom’ into an industrial machine of a song, relentless the song sounds like a pounding machine picking up speed and destroying anything in its way. Nothing quite like when someone remixes a song into something great!
Bloom - Blawan RMX by Radiohead
23. Justice – On’n’On
Justice had the world in their hands when they finished touring ‘+’ they had broken America released one of the finest albums of 2007 and changed the face of electro. The duo returned with ‘Audio, Video, Disco’ this year and on the album was the triumphant return ‘On’n’On’ with the great lyrics “someday the grapes will be wine, someday you will be mine, and so the story goes On’n’On”. They went in a new direction but didn’t shy away from their Parisian roots!
22. Theophilus London – I Stand Alone
Theophilus London finally released his full length LP this year, I was a fan of his previous two mix tapes and wasn’t sure if he would succeed in a decent full length debut. The single ‘I Stand Alone’ filmed mostly in front of a ridiculous green screen worked well with the 80s throwback image that he has brought the world the past few years.
Theophilus London - "I Stand Alone" by TheophilusLondon
21. Cults – Go Outside
There’s nothing like a summer song for the end of the year reviews. Cults ‘Go Outside’ was definitely one of the indie anthems of this summer! The American duo’s album was perfect teen indie pop and this song epitomized the laid back vibe of a summer festival.
Cults - Go Outside by underhisempire2
20. Reptar – Blastoff
Never have I heard so much hype surrounding a band after SXSW, the thing that made it insane was that nobody actually saw Reptar playing at the festival! But with everyone talking about them it meant that this song saw the light of day it deserved, Blastoff appeared on their EP this year and got those that hadn’t seen them talking about them almost as much as those that had.
Blastoff by reptarmusic
19. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX – NY is killing me
Gil Scott-Heron passed away this year; it was a very sad story as he was continuing a much deserved revival. His last album was remixed by Jamie XX and between them they created one of the stranger collaborations of the year. He returned to New York before his death, he had contracted AIDS several years earlier and been previously hospitalized for Pneumonia, he had been fighting drugs (cocaine mainly) for years and been in and out of prison. This track resonates to so many levels of a superb career destroyed by fame and the big apple.
Gil Scott-Heron + Jamie xx - NY Is Killing Me by ilovemylifeasadickhead
18. Ghostpoet – Liiines (xxxy Remix)
Most years the Mercury music throws out a curveball nomination, someone who everyone suddenly deservedly takes notice of. This year it was Ghostpoet and his album ‘Peanut butter blues and melancholy Jam’ which contained the track ‘Liiines’. The album was a gem and this remix was brilliant as it took one of the strongest tracks and built it into a slightly faster amazing version. In all honesty either track could have gone in this spot they are both so good!
Ghostpoet - Liiines (xxxy Remix) by ghostpoet
17. Anna Calvi – Suzanne and I
Another Mercury music nominated album, having been on tour with Anna earlier this year in the US, I was fortunate enough to see her performing live several times, this track was the one that blew me away every time. One of the catchier numbers on the superb album it really was a pleasure to work with such a great artist on her first US tour. Even a 7am radio session still had this track come through strong, a very impressive artist with a lovely song!
Anna Calvi - Suzanne & I by The Maroon Cafe >
16. The Rapture – In The Grace Of Your Love
I nearly went for ‘How Deep is your love?’ just to put in the ‘Thong song’ chorus similarity but didn’t want to put that in writing on the blog, oh wait! Anyways the title track of their third album is a classic Rapture track, kickass bass and that staccato high pitched guitar that just makes you happy that they managed to continue after it appeared they all left and rejoined the band since the last album, in the end only the bassist left!
The Rapture - In the Grace of Your Love by Cendre
15. Gross Magic – Sweetest Touch
When I first heard Gross Magic’s song I just punched the air in delight! It had that amazing 90s guitar that is barely heard any more! His airy vocals are wicked and the song was just pure ace! Much blogged, much hyped and still awaiting to see him come out to NYC I loved the single and can’t wait to see him live! Hopefully the full length LP will shine in a way this single did!
Gross Magic - Sweetest Touch. by LitePanda
14. Tinariwen – Tenere Taqqim Tossam (feat. Tunde and Kyp from TV on the Radio)
As you know I am a big fan of world music, so when I heard that Tinariwen had recorded a single with 2 of TV on the Radio, I was very ecstatic. However it wasn’t until finally pressing play that I realized quite how good the collaboration had been. The track although retaining the African roots was able to embrace some of NYC’s sound to hopefully open them up to a new demographic.
Tinariwen - Tenere Taqqim Tossam by antirecords
13. Burial, Four Tet, Thom Yorke – Ego
Before we knew there was a Radiohead album on the way this song dropped out of thin air, a very limited 12” run (managed to get 1 copy!) was the finest work that Thom Yorke managed in 2011. Working alongside Burial and Four Tet in this collaboration was a superb move and I hope they make a longer record for the New Year!
Burial, Four Tet & Thom Yorke - Ego/Mirror 12" by Izvinitie
12. Spector – Never Fade Away
Before leaving London I saw Spector supporting Theophilus London, their songs were great and the look was different, Fred had come a long way since Les Incopetents and Ox, eagle… This being his most radio friendly song to date. The track takes you back to the crooners of yesteryear with clap along to boot it was a classic and has been on repeat since I moved out to NYC earlier this year.
Spector - Never Fade Away by Luv Luv Luv
11. Summer Camp – I want you
Jeremy Warmsley formed Summer Camp with Elizabeth Sankley and this teen pop love song is just pure class! Lo-fi electro, great vocals and an amazing buildup this is nothing more than a perfect pop love song!
Summer Camp - I Want You by Posh Magazine
10. Grouplove – Tongue Tied
The most shazamed song of 2011! The track appeared on the iPod Touch and had everyone wandering who it was? The answer was of course Grouplove with their infectious song ‘Tongue Tied’, bouncy bass and a great fun party atmosphere served up in three and a half minutes of fun!
Tongue Tied - Grouplove. (Released: 2011). by EmergencyBroadcastSongs
I will be back on Monday with my top 10 tracks of the year!!!
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Remix Thursday: Justice 'Phantom II' Boys Noize remix
Can you remember in 2007 when Justice smashed onto the scene with their superb heavy electro joy! It was as though someone had suddenly given the stale dance scene a shot and told it to go home and think about what it had done wrong. We were back to great heavy electronic joy and Justice were our new French leaders of the revolution, they paved the way to German electro king Boys Noize who remixed their track Phantom II, give a listen to his results as its utterly brilliant!
Justice - 'Phantom II' Boys Noize Remix
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Tuesday Track - Surfer Blood 'Swim'
Surfer Blood are great, they are young and full of superb tunes. Their album 'Astro Coast' is brilliant and definately worth listening to, I also think they are a great live band who are young and a breath of fresh air in the stale live circuit at the moment. So go ahead and check out their track 'Swim' below and let me know what you think!
Surfer Blood - 'Swim'
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Tuesday Track - Omar Souleyman 'Jani'
So this is going to be a bit different to the normal track that we have had appear in the past few weeks but it comes from a Syrian dude called Omar Souleyman who has released more than 500 cassettes in his homeland! The track is actually very heavily influenced by dance music and will surprise you.
THIS WILL NOT BE TO EVERYONES TASTE but its amazing live and worth checking out. Plus look at the dude he looks ace! I saw him at ATP and he was amazing!
Omar Souleyman 'Jani'
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Tuesday Track - Pavement 'Shady Lane'
Pavement have reformed and they are playing at the venue which graced them with their last performance just over 10 years ago. So for those of you that haven't yet dipped into the world of pavement I welcome you with open arms. This is a track called 'Shady Lane' which appeared on their album 'Brighten the Corners'. Its a pretty perfect introduction to the world of pavement, they have amazing songs with intricate lyrics and are truly great! How many people can include the lyrics "Tell me off in the hotel lobby right in front of all the bellboys and the over-friendly concierge"
Genius
Pavement - Shady Lane
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Tuesday Track - Interpol 'Lights'
As many of you will know, Interpol are a band that are very close to my heart. I love their dark lyrics, their amazing guitar sounds and whatever people say I don't think they sound like Joy Division....well actually this track does definitely start a bit like Joy Division....anyways that's besides the point. This is the new track from Interpol available as a free download through their website and my blog!
Interpol - 'Lights'
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