Great to see Wolves down there! I was very glad that some took very well to that when I sent it to BJSC, amazingly atmospheric and both chilled but gripping at the same time, the little else I've heard from them (like their cover of It's All For You b Janet Jackson) is of similar style and is just as good.

 

Flaws & Luna as well are really wonderful, I was so surprised when I saw the former was only 17! I kinda wish I'd heard a bit more of Kids of the Apocalypse, they seemed to just disappear this year after this one track and a teaser last year.

 

Nice stuff so far, looking forward to the rest!

Great to see Wolves down there! I was very glad that some took very well to that when I sent it to BJSC, amazingly atmospheric and both chilled but gripping at the same time, the little else I've heard from them (like their cover of It's All For You b Janet Jackson) is of similar style and is just as good.

 

Flaws & Luna as well are really wonderful, I was so surprised when I saw the former was only 17! I kinda wish I'd heard a bit more of Kids of the Apocalypse, they seemed to just disappear this year after this one track and a teaser last year.

 

Nice stuff so far, looking forward to the rest!

Thanks! Wolves is really lovely, so gorgeous, certainly in my top 10 BJSC discoveries of the year, looking at this list it'd be just outside the top 5. Two to come in the top 50 here, Empire, The Ship, The Years (Prologue) as well as Destroy Me which is too old for here.

FKA Twigs album really took me by surprise, I didn't think I would like her material until I heard 2 Weeks, and every thing else started to click with me, the album is a poor gem, not really one bad track on it, well almost, the last track on the album does nothing for me for some reason, just couldn't connect with me, the rest just fell into place. One of my favourite albums of the year, in the end after a false start.

Thanks Martin. Must say she was a bit hit and miss with what I'd heard before but 2 Weeks definitely the song that made me properly take notice of her.

50 - Grum 'Tears' *debut*

49 -

*debut*

 

 

Kicking off the top 50 are two acts who've never appeared in my End of Year chart before. 'Tears' is the most instrumental song in it this year, with only a few sampled words throughout, I've heard the odd Grum track over the last few years but this is by far their best.

 

It's joined by the most successful UK chart entry in the whole of the top 100, having peaked at #6. I've realised when looking at its performance and locating the video that I've no idea how it should be credited, but I suspect that what I've put (which is what iTunes tagged it when I bought it) is wrong! Everything I'd previously heard by Tove Lo (as well as everything I've heard since) I could firmly put in the category of 'meh' but this is a great remix, the only one in this chart.

48 -

*début*

47 - Eaux 'Head' *début*

 

 

A couple more débuts here, the first for Jimi Goodwin who has previously appeared 7 times as part of Doves (including taking an end of year number one twelve years ago!). 'Oh! Whiskey' is pretty much what you'd expect from a Doves song, if you like them you'll probably like it. The album 'Odludek' is strong but this is a highlight. He beats the other part of Doves by 6 places.

 

Eaux's album 'Plastics' is a beautiful piece of electronica and 'Head' is definitely a standout, so wonderfully dreamy.

Edited December 21, 201410 yr by RabbitFurCoat

46 -

*début*

45 - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart 'Kelly' *9th hit*

 

 

'Shoot and Run' was an incredibly instant hit for me, and made me properly get into his two previous singles, 'Hustler' looks an incredibly glaring omission from last years list now. The whole 'In Your Prime' EP that it comes from is both great and varied and I'm hoping for more great stuff in 2015. 'Kelly', the first all female led Pains... single gives them a 6th top 50, a joyous pop song.

 

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart history:

Young Adult Friction - #06, 2009

Say No To Love - #06, 2010

Higher Than The Stars - #24, 2009

The Body - #29, 2011

Heart In Your Heartbreak - #39, 2010

Come Saturday - #69, 2009

Until The Sun Explodes - #73, 2014

Belong - #93, 2011

 

I quite like stay high :wub:

44 -

*2nd hit* *peak*

43 - Ms Mr 'Dance Yrself Clean' *début*

 

 

It's been a pretty decent year for female fronted indie rock, with Alvvays, Honeyblood and Brody Dalle being joined by Wolf Alice. Moaning Lisa Smile is from an excellent EP in 'Creature Songs' and probably their best song yet, but one EP is still a slightly disappointing return for a band who so much was expected of this year.

 

It was hard to believe that a singer I liked a bit could do much justice to one of my all time favourite songs, but Ms Mr's version of LCD Soundsystem's 'Dance Yrself Clean' is really excellent, a great take turning into something completely different.

 

Wolf Alice history:

She - #92, 2013

42 -

*debut*

41 - Real Estate 'Talking Backwards' *2nd hit *peak*

 

 

'Write About Us' is certainly the song in this top 100 which is least like anything else in it, as death metal is rather unusual for me. But it really is excellent, the style of vocal, the drumming and the chorus all make for something superb to listen to. Having listened to a couple of other of their songs as a result, I think it's safe to assume this is a one off for me.

 

Real Estate's third album was one which I anticipated a lot given how much I loved 2011's 'Days', and lead single 'Talking Backwards' certainly pointed to it being an excellent follow up. A really nice, simple pop song.

 

Real Estate history:

Had To Hear - #69, 2014

 

40 -

*début*

39 - Doss 'The Way I Feel' *début*

 

 

Neither Elliphant or MØ were acts I'd ever previously been over impressed with, both are decent enough but neither have made anything I've liked loads, and this was a grower, but it's insanely catchy, and the tempo change after two minutes is killer. A smash waiting to happen, surely?

 

Of the 9 songs I've submitted to BJSC this year 'The Way I Feel' is right in the middle of them, really chilled out electro-pop that could go on for much longer.

38 - No Ceremony feat. James Vincent McMorrow 'Away From Here' *début*

37 -

*3rd hit* *peak*

 

 

No Ceremony's self-titled 2013 debut album was one of the best of last year, and the turn of the year saw 'Away From Here' be released as a single, featuring James Vincent McMorrow on vocals. A much more mellow and laid back track than most of their output, his vocals really suit it. It's the top single from a 2013 album.

 

I'd heard a couple of remixes by ODESZA before this year, with their mix of Beat Connection's 'Saola' making my top 100 of 2013, but 'Sun Models' was the first song I'd heard that was theirs, hazy chillwave with beautiful vocals from Madelyn Grant, they may be undistinguishable for the main part, but that's their main charm.

 

ODESZA history:

Memories That You Call (feat. Monsoonsiren) - #78, 2014

Saola (remix of Beat Connection) - #91, 2013

 

 

36 -

*3rd hit* *peak*

35 - I Break Horses 'Disclosure' *début*

 

 

The 1975 aren't really a band I've taken to, three very good singles from their album but certainly nothing about them that makes me like them a great deal, so I wasn't really expecting much of 'Medicine', but it's so unlike anything they've previously produced. I was quite taken aback by A) how good it was and B) how it sounds nothing like anything they've previously released.

 

Minimal, female vocals, electronic pop, 'Disclosure' sounds similar to a lot of the songs around this mark, but is just as wonderful.

 

The 1975 history:

Heart Out - #86, 2014

Chocolate - #98, 2013

34 - Elbow 'Fly Boy Blue / Lunette' *10th hit*

33 -

*début*

 

 

Elbow returned with their 6th album in March, and 'Fly Boy Blue / Lunette' was the first song they released from it, split into two parts. The first, 'Fly Boy Blue' is a standard Elbow uptempo affair, it's good but hardly outstanding. The 'Lunette' half on the other hand, is something completely different, and is Guy Garvey at his most beautiful. Of everything they've ever released, this song sums of both sides of Elbow, the rockier first half, the much more mellow second.

 

A rarity for this countdown, a song which made the UK chart! Albeit briefly, not particularly high and not as successful as seemed widely expected... A great non-rap song by a rapper, its dance beats showed why it was thought to be a sizeable it, a great shame that it wasn't. I still think it's great though I've tired of it slightly, it being the lowest ranked song here that was number one on my personal chart.

 

Elbow history:

One Day Like This - #01, 2008

Lippy Kids - #08, 2011

First Steps - #17, 2012

The Bones of You - #28, 2008

Open Arms - #42, 2011

Grounds for Divorce - #57, 2008

My Sad Captains - #66, 2014

Charge - #83, 2014

Neat Little Rows - #96, 2011

Edited December 24, 201410 yr by RabbitFurCoat

32 -

*début*

31 - Paperwhite 'Pieces' *début*

 

 

Two recent singles now, it's taken a while to properly get into Alvvays album but 'Next of Kin' is easily the highlight on it, female fronted indie-pop, far more upbeat and catchy than you'd ever suspect a song about drowning to be.

 

Paperwhite are an act I've been following all year, they've released some good pop singles although nothing I've loved. I thought that was going to remain with 'Pieces' but after a few listens it really kicks in, one of the best most stomping pop choruses.

Oh, Write About Us is superb, thank you for the discovery once again. I may check out more of them although like you said, any more is probably going to be very different. I love the menacing undertone of the vocals though, v. cool

 

Moaning Lisa Smile was a bit of a (pleasant) surprise for me, unlike you I wasn't expecting huge things from them based on what I'd heard at first (basically the song that got sent to BJSC one time) but this very different from that and a very good song from them.

Oh, Write About Us is superb, thank you for the discovery once again. I may check out more of them although like you said, any more is probably going to be very different. I love the menacing undertone of the vocals though, v. cool

 

Moaning Lisa Smile was a bit of a (pleasant) surprise for me, unlike you I wasn't expecting huge things from them based on what I'd heard at first (basically the song that got sent to BJSC one time) but this very different from that and a very good song from them.

 

Thanks. I do love Write About Us, I knew it wouldn't do anything in BJSC but I did hope I could introduce it to a couple of people who'd really like it, so I'm really pleased it did! :D The other songs I listened to by them were much more typical metal songs. I perhaps didn't think they were as bad as other stuff from the genre, but it's just not a type of music I like at all.

30 - Mainline Mussy 'Sick of Your Eyes' *debut*

29 -

*2nd hit* *peak*

 

 

Kicking off the top 30 are the 2nd best discovery I've made from BJSC this year, and the only act with more than one appearance inside the top 30. 'Sick of Your Eyes' was incredibly instant, the vocal set at the high pitch made me think it'd probably get annoying but unlike most songs of its ilk it never does, how can it with those beats?

 

'Face Again' was an early favourite of mine from 'Where Is This Heart?', a beautiful tale of being completely lost, an excellent choice of single which was was different in style to the previous two, making it a perfect trio.

 

How To Dress Well history:

Repeat Pleasure - #79, 2014

Edited December 27, 201410 yr by RabbitFurCoat

28 - iamamiwhoami 'Hunting For Pearls' *5th hit*

27 -

*début*

 

 

Eventually I came round to liking iamamiwhoami after initially dismissing the whole thing as a load of overhyped tosh, I'm still not as big a fan as many but there's a hugely impressive stream of singles now been released, with 'Hunting For Pearls' as good as any that have come before or since.

 

'Pushing On' is another song which probably wasn't as big a hit as it was expected to be (or should have been!) but in a year where deep house was such a popular trend this was certainly amongst the strongest within it, though only the full version.

 

iamamiwhoami history:

Idle Talk - #23, 2012

Fountain - #52, 2014

Goods - #57, 2012

Blue Blue - #64, 2014

 

Edited December 27, 201410 yr by RabbitFurCoat

26 -

*2nd hit*

25 - Felix Jaehn feat. Freddy Verano & Linying 'Shine' *debut*

 

 

So 'Second Life' is my favourite discovery from BJSC this year, though there are still 9 more BJSC entries ahead of it that I either already knew or I sent myself. It's probably not the type of song I'd come across myself but it's introduced me to someone who's proving to be excellent so far, her recently released 'Frostbite' EP (now as just Kitty) is pop excellence.

 

'Shine' was a summer smash hit waiting to happen to these ears, Linying's beautiful vocals over a great piano driven dance beat, and the flutes make for a tremendous addition.

 

Kitty history:

Miss U - #81, 2014

24 - Jon Hopkins feat. Lulu James 'We Disappear' *2nd hit* / *2nd hit* *peak*

23 -

*12th hit*

 

 

Last year was the first I listened to Jon Hopkins, and I instantly fell in love with his ethereal brand of electronic instrumentals, which work so well on their own and even better with vocals added to them. He has an incredible knack of picking the most suitable vocalists too, Purity Ring for 'Breathe This Air', Natasha Khan for 'Garden's Heart' and now Lulu James for 'We Disappear', always one of the best songs on 'Immunity'.

 

Speaking of Jon Hopkins, he was a producer for Coldplay this year too on 'Midnight', which they launched their 6th album with. It's by far the most un-Coldplay song they've ever done, and also one of their best. The well documented Bon Iver / Justin Vernon comparisons were easy to see, but weren't unflattering to either act.

 

Jon Hopkins history:

Breathe This Air (feat. Purity Ring) - #04, 2013

 

Lulu James history:

Closer - #54, 2013

 

Coldplay history:

Every Teardrop is a Waterfall - #06, 2011

Talk - #09, 2005

Clocks - #31, 2003

The Scientist - #41, 2002

Fix You - #41, 2005

Viva La Vida - #43, 2008

Life in Technicolor ii - #44, 2009

Paradise - #49, 2011

Violet Hill - #65, 2008

Hurts Like Heaven - #82, 2012

Speed Of Sound - #91, 2005