December 31, 201113 yr Author http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/5572/50wordsforsnow.png 04 // Kate Bush // 50 WORDS FOR SNOW Kate Bush's eerie collection of songs inspired by frozen precipitation takes a while to dig into, not least because the shortest track here is almost seven minutes long. But soon, it overcomes you like a black cloak, as if Kate has progressed from the ghostly white young woman to a creeping old witch. Physically, maybe not, but her voice has deepened, cracked, and her contributions here are of a morbid, desolate quality. She throws herself into a strange concept with full force, from the hilariously sinister egging on of Stephen Fry as he names those fifty words, to the despairing trudge of the duet with Elton John. It may prove one of her most rewarding recordings to date. Essential track: Snowed In At Wheeler Street am78PQI-fH0
December 31, 201113 yr Author http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/6302/youareallisee.png 03 // Active Child // YOU ARE ALL I SEE Active Child's full-length debut begins with a multitude of shimmering strings, what seems like a whole troupe of harps being strummed to no apparent melody. You Are All I See is an immersive experience in a world you imagine behind an ornate mirror, your every step accompanied by beautiful orchestrations and the thin, floating, haunting vocals. It feels Celtic, and Oriental, feeling inspired by the most exotic moods of those backgrounds without ever feeling derivative of them. This is the sound of your brain floating into other dimensions, the impossible attraction of your subconscious stirring. Essential track: Johnny Belinda 1lhVyvfU8pA
December 31, 201113 yr Author http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/5405/makingmirrors.png 02 // Gotye // MAKING MIRRORS Somebody That I Used To Know, the spearhead of Gotye's incredible success this year, is not at all representative of the astonishing breadth of the artist's third album. That breathtaking tale of a bitter break-up may remain the highlight here, but it is challenged by a set of tracks that encompass a variety of styles and attitudes that are threaded together by Gotye's vibrant delivery. Making Mirrors feels at once steeped in pop history and pleasingly fresh, with a kind of louche swing to its pleasures that make the more devastating moments (Don't Worry We'll Be Watching You hits hard from its shy dubstep crouch) even more powerful. Quite simply, this is the pop album of the year. Essential track: State of the Art xWIKQMBBTtk
December 31, 201113 yr Author http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5951/mirrorwritinglarge.png 01 // Jamie Woon // MIRRORWRITING When Mirrorwriting was released, it coincided with a job that required me to walk home after the midnight hour. The diffuse, ghostly soundscapes of Jamie Woon's heartfelt dubstep rang through my head as I trod down the bare streets, across the sodden leaves, looking out at the dewy grass and up at the vaguely visible stars. Great music is at its peak when it ties itself to your experiences, and so Mirrorwriting became the soundtrack to those walks, at its most vivid in that blue darkness, ghoulish sound effects vibrating through me. Who can tell if I would have fallen so hard for Mirrorwriting without those walks, although I suspect I might, as my propensity for dark, moody music has probably made itself clear across this list. Woon's vocals recall an unlikely counterpart, one Justin Timberlake, and often the beats of his music aren't too dissimilar from the dramatic Timbaland production of Justified. Woon is a great deal more sombre, but while the lingering mood of Mirrowriting is one of desolation, there is joy too, in the quiet genius of the enormous soundscapes and the sleek synth work. Every corner of this album contains new delights, and new emotions. Out of the finale, Waterfront, there emerges the faint glowing hope of dawn, reflecting on the still waters. After all, to write on the mirror, you have to carry on breathing. Essential track: Night Air EL0pTo9Z_XU
December 31, 201113 yr Author And here's the whole list! 25 // Nico Muhly // Seeing is Believing 24 // Laura Marling // A Creature I Don't Know 23 // Simon Curtis // R∆ 22 // Foster The People // Torches 21 // Tom Vek // Leizure Seizure 20 // Cut Copy // Zonoscope 19 // Rebecca Ferguson // Heaven 18 // Lady Gaga // Born This Way 17 // Wynter Gordon // With the Music I Die 16 // Neon Indian // Era Extraña 15 // Florence + the Machine // Ceremonials 14 // Lykke Li // Wounded Rhymes 13 // Patrick Wolf // Lupercalia 12 // Sneaky Sound System // From Here To Anywhere 11 // Friendly Fires // Pala 10 // Penguin Prison // Penguin Prison 09 // The Weeknd // House of Balloons 08 // Will Young // Echoes 07 // Cher Lloyd // Sticks + Stones 06 // Washed Out // Within and Without 05 // Katy B // On A Mission 04 // Kate Bush // 50 Words For Snow 03 // Active Child // You Are All I See 02 // Gotye // Making Mirrors 01 // Jamie Woon // Mirrorwriting Thanks for reading, and commenting, and all. See you next year!
January 1, 201213 yr http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5731/sticksstones.png 07 // Cher Lloyd // STICKS + STONES Short, and sweeter than you might imagine, Cher Lloyd managed to reap the very best of what SyCo had to offer. The infamous Swagger Jagger may have grated on nearly everyone, but Playa Boi swags Neneh Cherry's Buffalo Stance with such exuberant panache that suggests Lloyd is more clued-up that she gets credit for. Sticks + Stones incorporates all potshots at her public image and uses them as party tricks, playfully accepting them through buoyant pop melodies. Inexplicably, an X Factor act has delivered an album that embraces everything people appreciated them for, while also crafting a distinctive and lively pop career. Essential track: Playa Boi u7vMgl1KHLo OH NO In love with all of your top 6 though (Gotye not so much but Somebody That I Used To Know is pretty great)
January 1, 201213 yr Author OH NO In love with all of your top 6 though (Gotye not so much but Somebody That I Used To Know is pretty great) OH YES (soz Pav) Thank you, I am glad you approve. :D
January 1, 201213 yr The Cher Lloyd album is genuinely great, I'm not going to claim it's perfect but I don't get the hate for it, or indeed her :( From your albums I like: 24 // Laura Marling // A Creature I Don't Know 23 // Simon Curtis // R∆ 22 // Foster The People // Torches 19 // Rebecca Ferguson // Heaven 18 // Lady Gaga // Born This Way 17 // Wynter Gordon // With the Music I Die 16 // Neon Indian // Era Extraña 15 // Florence + the Machine // Ceremonials 14 // Lykke Li // Wounded Rhymes 09 // The Weeknd // House of Balloons 08 // Will Young // Echoes 07 // Cher Lloyd // Sticks + Stones 05 // Katy B // On A Mission 04 // Kate Bush // 50 Words For Snow 03 // Active Child // You Are All I See 02 // Gotye // Making Mirrors 01 // Jamie Woon // Mirrorwriting My EOY top 2 are number 18 and 19 in reverse order! Much love for Go Away being your favourite Katy B track too, it's mine by MILES. Edited January 1, 201213 yr by Liаm
January 2, 201213 yr Hi there, I like: 99 // Katy Perry // (not that bad by her standards) 98 // HURTS // Sunday :wub: (My favourite song by my favourite band) 97 // Adele // Rumour Has It :wub: :wub: (This >>>>>>>>>> Someone Like You) 96 // Kati Wolf // 95 // Maverick Sabre // 93 // M83 // 92 // Emeli Sandé // 91 // Breakage feat. Jess Mills // (can't wait for her album, she's EPIC live) 90 // Strange Talk // 88 // SX // 87 // Wynter Gordon // Dirty Talk 86 // Sanna Nielsen // 83 // Florrie // 82 // Tinie Tempah feat. Ellie Goulding // 81 // Simon Curtis // 77 // Chase & Status feat. Delilah // 76 // Jess Mills // 72 // Take That // 71 // The Wanted // 70 // Ed Sheeran // 69 // Alexandra Stan // 67 // Florence + the Machine // 62 // Jess Mills // 61 // Coldplay // 60 // Adele // Someone Like You 59 // Lady GaGa // 58 // Lana Del Rey // 56 // Olly Murs feat. Rizzle Kicks // 54 // Adele // 53 // Cut Copy // 52 // Marina & the Diamonds // 51 // HandS // 49 // Bastille // Laura Palmer 48 // Charli XCX // 47 // Bright Light Bright Light // 46 // Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi // 45 // Adele // Set Fire to the Rain (pleased to see this is your fave Adele track too :wub:) 43 // Loreen // 42 // Jenny Silver // Something In Your Eyes For being a lost ABBA classic. 41 // Tove Styrke // Call My Name 40 // Elisabeth Carew // 38 // Oh My! // Kicking and Screaming 37 // Will Young // 35 // Lady GaGa // 34 // Radio Killer // 33 // Sunday Girl // 31 // Selena Gomez & the Scene // 30 // David Guetta feat. Sia // Titanium 29 // Martin Solveig & Dragonette // :wub: 28 // Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull // 27 // Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera // 26 // Metronomy // (I keep forgetting to chart them :( 25 // Snow Patrol // 23 // The Weeknd // (totally should have been higher on my chart, probably my new artist of the year) 22 // SoundGirl // 21 // Chart Music // All My Life [no links available!] (here's one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvZtT5tfU_o) 20 // Amanda Mair // Doubt 19 // Foster the People // Pumped Up Kicks :wub: (MUST get tix for Brixton. MUST get tix for Brixton.) 17 // Ola // All Over The World 14 // Ellie Goulding // Lights 13 // Beth Ditto // I Wrote The Book (saw her live at Lovebox, so awesome :wub:) 12 // Florence + The Machine // Shake It Out 11 // Labrinth feat. Tinie Tempah // Earthquake 10 // Oh My! feat. Scrufizzer // Dirty Dancer (ehhh, Kicking And Screaming is better) 08 // Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay // 212 (waiting for the clean version) 07 // Metronomy // The Look 05 // Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris // We Found Love 04 // Patrick Wolf // Together :wub: 03 // Loreen // My Heart Is Refusing Me 02 // Gotye feat. Kimbra // Somebody That I Used To Know :wub: :wub: 01 // Florrie // I Took A Little Something Fab chart :D Shame Cazzi Opeia isn't here :kink: And you really ened to enter BJSC!
January 3, 201213 yr LOVE some of those albums hardcore. Mirrorwriting is truly sublime, and Cher's album is hellaciously underrated.
January 3, 201213 yr 24 // Laura Marling // A Creature I Don't Know - I do own this but I can't say I've ever really given it much of a listen. She's become irrelevant, almost, in the last year or so. 20 // Cut Copy // Zonoscope 18 // Lady Gaga // Born This Way 16 // Neon Indian // Era Extraña 14 // Lykke Li // Wounded Rhymes 11 // Friendly Fires // Pala 09 // The Weeknd // House of Balloons 06 // Washed Out // Within and Without 04 // Kate Bush // 50 Words For Snow A good list overall. (:
January 11, 201213 yr Hey David :D 24 // Laura Marling // A Creature I Don't Know 22 // Foster The People // Torches 19 // Rebecca Ferguson // Heaven Still struggling to get into this despite repeated listens seeing as it has such critical acclaim! 18 // Lady Gaga // Born This Way 17 // Wynter Gordon // With the Music I Die 15 // Florence + the Machine // Ceremonials 14 // Lykke Li // Wounded Rhymes 09 // The Weeknd // House of Balloons 08 // Will Young // Echoes Quite a return to form! I bought The Hits and saw him live back in 2009 but I've never been a HUGE fan. This album is sublime though 07 // Cher Lloyd // Sticks + Stones 05 // Katy B // On A Mission 02 // Gotye // Making Mirrors This is a massive grower, I thought it was boring at first but it's not at all - naturally I gave it repeated listens based on how I felt about STIUTK after the first few listens :lol:
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