#26

Duet

Everything Everything

 

 

Album: Arc

 

“Duet” was the moment when I realised that I didn’t, after all this time, dislike everyone’s 2nd favourite epizeuxial band Everything Everything. It’s got a great chorus, great string melodies, and feels properly epic. How it didn’t become a hit for them is quite surprising.

So we've reached the half way point in the countdown. What are your thought so far? Any guesses as to what's going to appear in the top 25? Who are you sticking money on reaching the top 10?

Well 2 of the 3 choices of number ones I wholly approve of. 'Wake Me Up' is OK but I got bored of it pretty quickly. A lot of good stuff so far and a few things that'll be appearing in mine when I get around to it, Fryars and Parquet Courts are the only ones I know and am not particularly bothered about.

Wahoo for VW and Icona Pop (Charli XCX) and for Everything x2

 

I am predicting inside the Top 25:

 

Sigur Rós "Brennisteinn"

Vampire Weekend "Diane Young"

 

Arcade Fire? I don't know you are quite unpredictable (unlike myself). Oh and lots of groovy biscuits. :P

#25

Tsuki Hana

nano.RIPE

 

 

Album: Sankaku E.P

 

You guys absolutely LOVED nano.RIPE when they came up in an edition of Unknown Pleasures earlier this year, and I’m happy to announce that another one of their songs has made it to #25 in this year’s chart. “Tsuki Hana” (Japanese for “moon flower”) is a more laidback track from the band, yet is just as fantastic, showing off just why Japanese really is one of the most beautiful languages whilst sung. Apparently it reminded people of the Scrubs theme tune. It was used as the ending song for “The Devil Is a Part-Timer!”, an anime series about how Satan is forced to work in a fast food restaurant after being banished from his realm.

 

 

Previous chart positions:

2012 Real World - #47

#24

Pompeii

Bastille

 

 

Album: Bad Blood

 

Bastille broke firmly into the mainstream in 2013 thanks to “Pompeii”, an epic song full of faux-Gregorian chants and one of the finest choruses of the year. Is it just me, or does the main hook remind anyone of “Clocks” by Coldplay?

#23

Kaleidoscope

Hurdles

 

 

Album: N/A

 

Who’d have thought that Dungannon, of all places, would breed one of the finest indie-pop singles of 2013? Hurdles released “Kaleidoscope” without much warning in spring, and it went on to be one of the best songs to come out of the region of the year. Definitely one for fans of Phoenix.

#22

Dancehall

Tribes

 

 

Album: Wish To Scream

 

It’s sad that Britpop revivalists Tribes split earlier this year, as they really had a good thing going. It’s just a pity that the record buying public didn’t seem to agree. Still, a top 20 album and an album just missing the top 40 is pretty good going, and they left us with this fantastic single, “Dancehall”, their wonderful attempt at a “lighters in the air” moment.

 

Previous chart positions

2011 We Were Children - #9

#21

All Binds Fall Undone

In An Instant

 

 

Album: N/A

 

They haven’t officially released any material yet, but Bangor boys In An Instant are sure on to a good thing from the get-go. Their demo of “All Binds Fall Undone” is better that most artists’ fully rendered version of songs, mixing indie rock with Baleric, almost Chicane-esque synth work. They better become massive next year. They better.

I do quite like Tribes, didn't know they'd split. I do prefer 'How the Other Half Live' but 'Dancehall' is good too. Not fussed on Bastille at all, they're listenable but I wouldn't say I liked them.

#20

Right Action

Franz Ferdinand

 

 

Album: Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action.

 

Franz Ferdinand returned in 2013 with the fantastic single “Right Action”, their best song since 2009 (which incidentally, was the last time they released a single). To say it was a return to form would be a disservice to their last album, but it did capture that angular urgency that made them so beloved in the first place.

 

Previous chart positions:

2009 No You Girls - #27

#19

Chocolate

The 1975

 

 

Album: The 1975

 

When I went to see The 1975 in December last year with a crowd of barely 15 other people, I knew they’d do well for themselves, but I never thought they would become chart topping, venue selling-out behemoths. The one song that allowed them to make that transition was “Chocolate”, a song which was something of a surprise top 20 hit at the time, but is now firmly seen as one of the iconic songs of the year (in some circles at least).

 

 

Previous chart positions

2012 Sex - #34

#18

Fade

Jakwob

 

 

Album: N/A

 

Now this is the kind of 90s dance revivalist sound that I can firmly sink my teeth into. Hereford based producer Jakwob collaborated with vocalist Maiday to give us “Fade”, a song that harks back to the sound of 90s trip-hop, Lamb in particular. The song mixes stuttering jazzy beats, and minimalist piano chords (which some people have pointed out are the same as a Calvin Harris song, only reversed) and the haunting vocals and lyrics of Maiday to create something just stunning. Interestingly, it’s one of the few dance songs not to have a bassline (or if it does have one, it’s incredibly subtle indeed). It made the top 40 for only the briefest of moments, but don’t be surprised if it pops up again in the future.

#17

Riptide

Vance Joy

 

 

Album: God Loves You When You’re Dancing EP

 

“Riptide” by Australian Vance Joy was a monster blog hit back in the first half of the year, before crossing the choppy mainstream waters and racing its way up worldwide charts. It’s greatness is in its simplicity - it doesn’t try to be cool, edge, or experimental - it just concentrates on being a truly great, classic song.

#16

The Way I Tend To Be

Frank Turner

 

 

Album: Tape Deck Heart

 

Frank Turner’s transition from bathroom-venue touring troubador to one of the UK’s most beloved and successful singer-songwriters has been a slow, steady, but much appreciated one. And after all this time, mainstream radio has starting to really take to him, with “The Way I Tend To Be” being one of his most-spun tracks ever. It’s not hard to understand why - it’s a great tune, sung from the heart, with a really powerful chorus. In many years time, this will be the song that Frank Turner will be remembered for - and that’s including the one he sang at the Olympics Opening Ceremony.

 

Previous chart positions

 

2009 Reasons Not To Be An Idiot - #13

#15

For Something In Your Eyes

The Dancers

 

 

Album: N/A

 

Upbeat Vampire Weekend meets twee-pop next from French trio The Dancers. “For Something In Your Eyes” is an irresistible little earworm whose keyboard hook will get stuck in your head, never to let go.

#14

Hit Me

Suede

 

 

Album: Bloodsports

 

Well, the greatest band of all-time ever were always going to make an appearance in this chart, weren’t they?

 

“Hit Me” was the 2nd official single to be lifted from their glorious comeback album “Bloodsports”, and was by far the poppiest song on the album, sounding a mix between the “Coming Up” album and “Electricity”, and showed that despite treading different paths for so long, when the five of them come together, they make some brilliant tunes.

 

The music video for the song is well worth watching, given that it looks like it was a ton of fun to make.

#13

Out of The Blue

Prides

 

 

Album: N/A

 

The highest charting discovery I made during Unknown Pleasures this year. Scots trio Prides had made tiny waves a few years ago under the name Midnight Lion. Following a name and minor sound change, they gave us “Out Of The Blue”, a stunning electro-rock thumper that sounded like a mix between The Naked and Famous and Passion Pit.

#12

Medicines

Ed Zealous

 

 

Album: Wired

 

More electro-rock now, this time from Belfast’s Ed Zealous. The band (for they are a band, not a person called Ed) have been around for years locally, but only now have they really started to make waves, with “Medicines” being credited as the turning point for this. It’s a harsh slice of Does It Offend You, Yea?-style electronic rock, which gained quite a bit of late-time airplay on Radio 1 this year.

#11

Hypnotic Regression

Girls Names

 

 

Album: The New Life

 

Girls Names have been the biggest Belfast band of the blogosphere in 2013, and with their post-punk inspired sound, which is very much in-demand with the denizens of the interwebs, it should come as no surprise. “Hypnotic Regression” is a song that encapsulates all that is good with The Cure’s “17 Seconds” album, and also should be a must for fans of DIIV as well.