012 -

*3rd HIT* *PEAK*

32-17-05-02-03-03-05-07-10-14-18-29-37

 

History:

Matilda (#84, 2012)

Breezeblocks (#32, 2012)

 

011 - Ben Howard 'Burgh Island EP' *6th HIT*

15-09-06-04-02-04-05-06*

 

History:

Old Pine (#47, 2011)

The Fear (#19, 2011)

Keep Your Head Up (#06, 2011)

Only Love (#88, 2012)

The Wolves (#29, 2012)

 

 

After The Maccabees, the other two acts with three entries also both just fall short of getting a top 10 entry, which means none of last years top 10 can repeat the feat this year. Although some of 'An Awesome Wave' might be quite ropey, there's a lot on it that isn't, and 'Tessellate' personifies everything that's good about Alt-J superbly.

 

It's always hard to know how to rank an EP when comparing them to standalone singles, going by the strongest track seems unfair, whilst the lead track could be the worst thing on it. Luckily 'Burgh Island' is consistently excellent, promoted track 'Oats In The Water' is PC #1 worthy, the first track 'Esmerelda' is even better, and 'To Be Alone' isn't really any worse than 'The Wolves', so #11 is about right. It's everything I'd have wanted a Ben Howard EP to be, the songs are just as excellent as those that make up 'Every Kingdom', and it's unmistakably him, but it's different, it has a much darker sound ('Esmerelda' in particular), it's not as poppy and there's certainly nothing to sing along to like 'Keep Your Head Up'.

I shall start (and maybe finish) the top 10 this evening.

 

It contains:

 

2 UK number ones

1 other song which made the UK top 75

4 songs sung by females, 6 by males

4 songs by acts who've had entries lower down the top 100

3 songs by acts who were also in my top 10 albums chart

9 songs which made number one in my personal chart, the other spent 11 weeks in the top 10

Wow, Dan Croll! Excellent. I had no idea you liked him. :D

 

Great to see "Tessellate", "Caliban's Dream", "Fineshrine" and "First Steps" inside the Top 20. I can't call the Top 10 at all, but I am excited to see what they are.

I forgot I was going to do this.

 

The best 5 songs of the year not in either chart

 

5 songs I've discovered this year but aren't on albums in my list or singles from this year, mainly older stuff or from mixtapes. No order, just alphabetical.

 

Burial 'Etched Headplate'

On the CD swap mixtape I received from tony in the summer, it's the most hauntingly beautiful piece of electronic music I've ever heard.

 

It's a shame I never downloaded this album last year, because it would've been in my top 5 of 11. Singles 'It's Real' and 'Out of Tune' are both great but this takes them to another level. Beautiful acoustics, and I'm a sucker for a song which is half vocal / half instrumental.

 

There can't be many acts out there who when making a mixtape, would open it with collaboration with someone famous for smuggling drugs, with a song about the joys of taking drugs and hiding the use from parents, sung in the most wonderful of Sheffield accents.

 

Steely Dan 'Do It Again'

I heard this wonderful 70s Jazz-Rock in a pub last month, had to get Shazam out and then heard it a couple of days later whilst waiting for Elbow to come on at their gig, a weird coincidence but it's something I've visited a lot since and I shall be delving further into their back catalogue.

 

By far the best thing I've discovered from an online contest this year, right from the beginning of the year.

Great seeing songs like 110%, Breezeblocks, Losing You, Goods, DoYaThing, 212 and Fineshrine since I last checked this. I also briefly listened to that St. Lucia song further down. Not quite as good as September but still lovely, I need to get more into him.

 

From Nowhere is not bad considering I wasn't expecting to like it and Caliban's Dream is still fairly wonderful although it was an exclusively 'Olympic-time' only thing for me.

 

VNV Nation appearing on the special mentions. :wub:

 

I wonder if I'll like anything in your top 10. It'd probably be hard not to but I can't think of what could be in there. Well I could take an educated guess at a couple but I'm mostly lost.

010 - Sleigh Bells 'Comeback Kid' *3rd HIT* *PEAK*

19-04-02-02-01-01-02-03-05-08-10-13-18-21-28-39

 

You're gone away but, you'll come back some day...

 

History:

Tell 'Em (#33, 2010)

Rill Rill (#22, 2011)

 

 

Part of me wishes I'd put this a place lower, if for no other reason than Bre would enjoy the pattern of their history. Although I don't think their second album can match up to the brilliance of their debut 'Treats', 'Comeback Kid' is their best song. It was everything I could've wanted from a Sleigh Bells song, it's unmistakeably them, but it's better than what came before. I was hooked from first hearing that intro, and the drum patterns are incredible.

009 - Rudimental feat. John Newman 'Feel The Love' *DEBUT*

34-13-03-02-01-01-01-01-02-04-07-09-11-14-17-22-27-36

 

I can feel the love, can you feel it too?

 

 

For the first time ever there are two number ones in my top 10 of the year, which is quite incredible really given that my music taste seems to get less similar to the charts with each passing year. But one thing it did better than before, was dance hits. I'd seen this song mentioned, mainly around forums, and had no interest in actually listening to it, seemed like the type of thing I'd hate. It wasn't until it had been number one on iTunes for a few days that I actually heard it, and thought it might be one of the better number ones of recent times but it grew to be so much more. As good a drum and bass single as there's ever been, an excellent vocal from the Maverick Sabre-esque John Newman and a quite brilliant horn section.

008 - Crocodiles 'Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9)' *DEBUT*

23-14-05-04-02-01-01-01-01-02-02-03-05-08-11-12-17-24-28-31-40

 

you, you stand naked in front of your jeweler's work...

 

 

'Mirrors' is one of my favourite ever songs I've discovered from taking part in an online contest, so I was always going to download 'Sunday' when I saw they had new material out. The album is decent enough but 'Sunday' stands head and shoulders above the rest of it. Fast and explosive and catchy as hell, a truly great single.

007 - Crystal Castles 'Plague' *5th HIT*

25-18-14-09-04-02-02-02-03-03-04-09-10-10-13-17-20-22*

 

I need you pure I need you clean...

 

History:

Courtship Dating (#40, 2008)

Baptism (#98, 2010)

Celestica (#10, 2010)

Not In Love [feat. Robert Smith] (#03, 2010)

 

 

The one song in the top 10 which never made it to the top of my chart, it was stuck behind 'Fineshrine' for three weeks, I first listened to them together, they charted together and they climbed the chart together, and whilst 'Plague' didn't initially win it's brilliance has continued for far longer. It still sounds wonderfully fresh and the release of the album brought new found love to it. I haven't always liked them, only 'Courtship Dating' from their debut I found listenable, but this is a wonderful progression from album two, it's different enough to be a completely fresh sound but it contains everything that makes Crystal Castles so good.

006 - Reverend & The Makers 'Bassline' *3rd HIT* *PEAK*

35-10-01-01-01-01-01-03-03-05-07-10-09-11-15-22-26-35-38-40

All of Monday's spent craving for Friday's highs, we just rattle around, stuck up in a nine til five...

 

History:

Heavyweight Champion of the World (#91, 2007)

Out of the Shadows (#97, 2012)

 

 

In an era where anthemic dance songs fused with other genres about the love of partying are ten-a-penny, it's perhaps surprising that this hasn't been far bigger. It sounds made for the club and the student night out, but there's certainly some truth in songs being about at the right time, a band like Reverend & The Makers are just so out of what's cool and belong in 2007 for the majority of the industry, that's before you even get on to singer Jon McClure. I don't even know what possessed me to listen to this as I've never even remotely liked them (save for one song) but it's exceptional, has lyrics every working person who loves going out on a weekend can relate to and an absolutely superb bassline (shock!).

005 - School of Seven Bells 'Lafaye' *3rd HIT* *PEAK*

21-13-09-05-02-01-01-01-01-03-03-04-06-08-11-15-20-24-31-40

 

You brought the sun to guide you through...

 

History:

Heart Is Strange (#31, 2010)

Faded Heart (#44, 2012)

 

 

2010s 'Disconnect From Desire' and the singles from it had been growing in me for the 18 months previous to their return in January. 'The Night' was ok, a decent enough teaser for what was to come. 'Lafaye' was exceptional, so catchy, instant but also a grower. Beautiful indie-pop delivered in the usual dreamy style of Alejandra Deheza. This would've been number one for longer were it not for the sudden emergence of 'Bassline'.

004 - Foals 'Inhaler' *6th HIT* *PEAK*

25-14-07-04-02-01-01*

 

it's lock and load, it's a dead end road, for you and me...

 

History:

Mathletics (#40, 2007)

Cassius (#56, 2008)

This Orient (#91, 2010)

Blue Blood (#51, 2010)

Spanish Sahara (#11, 2010)

 

 

Firstly, how on earth did I only deem Spanish Sahara good enough for number 11 in 2010?! ELEVEN?! It was a great year for the top end of music but I'd rank in in the top 5 from that year looking back. Foals had already shown incredible growth and progression from their debut to 2010s follow-up 'Total Life Forever', I'd always hoped the third could be just as good but I was always prepared to be disappointment. Their return eight weeks ago caught me by surprise as I didn't think they'd be here again until next year. 'Inhaler' wasn't that instant but I could always tell it would click sooner rather than later, and it didn't take long, and it's better than I thought. It's exceptional from start to finish, it's safe to say they've done it again.

003 - Swedish House Mafia 'Don't You Worry Child' *2nd HIT* *PEAK*

20-03-01-01-01-01-03-05*

 

We ruled the world, I thought I'd never lose her out of sight....

 

History:

Greyhound (#99, 2012)

 

 

It's safe to say it took a while for me to really appreciate this, I thought it was quite average to start with, but hearing it a couple of times on the radio doesn't exactly do the song much justice. The turning point was a mixture of three things, visiting a friend who's obsessed by them, hearing it in the most perfect atmosphere in London, and then seeing the video, where I became insanely jealous of everyone in it. It's so incredibly anthemic and euphoric, and John Martin's vocal is so suited to the song.

 

Top 2 will be posted tomorrow...

 

 

 

 

Reverend & The Makers did surprise with two half-decent singles this year. I thought they'd used up all their songwriting craft on "Heavyweight Champion of the World", given how terrible the rest of their material had been.

 

That Crocodiles track is fantastic, and Inhaler is Foals' best song to date. I have no idea what could be in your top 2, but here's hoping for something wonderful.

How many cover versions were there of Total Eclipse of the Heart this year? Either way, there's the top two.

Much, much love for 'Caliban's Dream', 'First Steps' and 'Harder Than You Think' for the Olympics memories. I never charted 'First Steps' somehow, probably my favourite DNC of the year. I forgot it when putting together my EOY but it probably would have just fell short anyway.

 

Obligatory yay for SHM as well of course, even if it remains their weakest single for me.

 

I agree with you entirely re 'The Burgh Island E.P.', I wish he had chosen 'Esmerelda' to promote it rather than 'Oats In The Water' but both of them were top 20 hits on my chart.

Edited December 31, 201212 yr by Bré

Oh I completely missed this due to thinking it was still your albums thread. Idjut.

 

Anyway, I'm guessing Loreen's Euphoria and Tulisa's Young for the top two? Not sure of the order though.

No top two yet Mark, the suspense :o Forgot how great Comeback Kid was, I haven't listened to it in ages! I STILL don't get the huge fuss with Bassline, granted it's better than their awful material of the past but it's still only 'quite good' for me. At least Jon had a #1 when he featured on Justice Collective!

 

Much love for Don't You Worry Child, stunning dance song, I can't think of any band in memory that have ended on such a high!

Bat For Lashes "Laura" is still to come right? Really hope that's #1, beautiful track.

 

Liking a few others here as well, mainly "Don't You Worry Child", "Feel The Love" and Solange.

god mark just HURRY UP AND ANNOUNCE MILITARY WIVES - SING AS #1