22 -

*9th hit*

21 - Caribou 'Our Love' *2nd hit* *peak*

 

 

Ben Howard's comeback was one I hugely anticipated this year, with 'Every Kingdom' being one of my favourite albums of the previous few years, and when he released 'End of the Affiar' it certainly didn't disappoint. Staying true to his debut but a progressed sound, a bit darker, and almost 8 minutes, it couldn't have gone much better really. The way 'End...' builds throughout is an absolute joy, the last two and a half minutes as good as anything Howard has produced.

 

Caribou's previous album was one which I enjoyed a lot, but with one standout song on it; the single 'Odessa'. 2014s follow-up is much the same, with title track 'Our Love' being the best of a largely excellent bunch of songs.

 

Ben Howard history:

Keep Your Head Up - #05, 2011

Burgh Island EP - #11, 2012

The Fear - #19, 2011

The Wolves - #29, 2012

Old Pine - #47, 2011

I Forget Where We Were - #59, 2014

Only Love - #88, 2012

Conrad - #94, 2014

 

Caribou history:

Odessa - #25, 2010

Edited December 27, 201410 yr by RabbitFurCoat

20 - ODESZA feat. Zyra 'Say My Name' *4th hit* *peak*

 

 

For me, less instant than their previous two singles but one hell of a grower. Unlike its predecessors with their use of samples, 'Say My Name' has a proper featured vocal courtesy of Zyra, the percussion towards the beginning is excellent and it's incredibly catchy, one of the best pop choruses in ages.

 

ODESZA history:

Sun Models (feat. Madelyn Grant) - #37, 2014

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

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

Shine :music: so summery, poppy and enjoyable on the whole

 

speaking of summery, Sunlight to smash the top 5 please!

 

 

19 - Eternal Death 'Head' *début*

 

 

Band and artist names can often be misleading, and an act called Eternal Death certainly sounds like they're going to be some form of metal band. Fortunately, they aren't, and 'Head' is an excellent slice of Swedish synth-pop. There's some darkness to it, but follow-up singles have been decent too showing the band aren't a one trick pony. An album in 2015 is something I'm hoping for.

18 - Idlewild 'Collect Yourself' *7th hit*

 

 

Well a couple of months ago I certainly wouldn't have expected Idlewild to be featuring in an End of Year list, and definitely not this high up. Having gone on hiatus in 2011 it felt like it was probably the right time. One of my favourite, and most underrated, bands of the last 15 years had gradually waned and whilst were still capable of the occasional great song, had fallen a long way from their first three albums.

 

'Collect Yourself' was something I listened to purely because of who it was, rather than because I thought it would be any good, but it's easily their best song for over a decade and I now cannot wait for the release of its parent album in early February. It's one of the heaviest things they've released in a long time too, the riff incredible. It's likely to spend the whole of January inside my Personal Chart top 3 and it wouldn't surprise me if in a couple of months I rated this far higher in my favourite songs of '14.

 

History:

American English - #04, 2002

You Held The World In Your Arms - #12, 2002

A Modern Way of Letting Go - #30, 2003

Live in a Hiding Place - #35, 2003

No Emotion - #73, 2007

Love Steals Us From Loneliness - #81, 2005

 

17 - Josef Salvat 'Open Season' *2nd hit* *début*

 

 

Whilst I'd thoroughly enjoyed everything he'd previously released I hadn't fell in love with any of it like I did with 'Open Season', right from the first listen I adored this song, another song which sounds like a smash hit waiting to happen. I'm clinging on the the vague hope that after the recent exposure of his 'Diamonds' cover that it might happen.

 

History:

Shoot and Run - #46, 2014

16 - Wild Beasts 'Palace' *5th hit* *peak*

 

 

From when I first listened to 'Present Tense' the closing track struck me as an immediate highlight, so I was delighted that they eventually released it as a single. Like many of their songs it's incredibly beautiful as singer Hayden Thorpe goes through a range of vocal styles. I adore the opening lyric "in detail you are even more beautiful than from afar".

 

History:

All The Kings Men - #53, 2009

Bed of Nails - #53, 2011

Hooting and Howling - #84, 2010

We Still Got The Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues - #95, 2010

 

15 - Royksopp & Robyn 'Do It Again' *9th hit* / *12th hit*

 

 

A whole EP of Royksopp and Robyn was something I was always likely to be excited about. It was fairly mixed, but then that goes along with their previous collaborations, 'The Girl & The Robot' is excellent, 'None of Dem'.... isn't. The lead single and title track was most definitely a hit though, 'Do It Again' stomping chorus showing Robyn's vocals off superbly. This and 'Monument' two great, but completely different singles.

 

Royksopp history:

Running to the Sea (feat. Susanne Sundfor) - #05, 2013

The Girl & The Robot (feat. Robyn) - #07, 2009

What Else Is There? - #08, 2005

Only This Moment - #15, 2005

Eple - #21, 2003

Poor Leno - #45, 2002

Monument (with Robyn) - #75, 2014

This Must Be It - #97, 2009

 

Robyn history:

With Every Heartbeat - #01, 2007

The Girl & The Robot (feat. Royksopp) - #07, 2007

Dancing on My Own - #07, 2010

Caesar (feat. I Blame Coco) - #17, 2010

Call Your Girlfriend - #23, 2011

Hang With Me - #36, 2010

Indestructible - #56, 2010

Be Mine! - #64, 2008

Monument (with Royksopp) - #75, 2014

Dream On (feat. Christian Falk) - #80, 2008

Handle Me - #95, 2007

 

14 - The Magician feat. Years & Years 'Sunlight' *début*

 

 

I listened to this once and thought it was great, once more and I'd fallen in love. From what I'd heard I hadn't been at all fussed with Years & Years material but this was excellent, the vocals complementing the looped house incredibly well. For once a song which I thought sounded like it should be a hit actually was and is the best song to reach the UK top 75 this year! Like most songs of this nature, the full version needs to be listened to to appreciate it fully.

 

 

13 - FKA Twigs 'Two Weeks' *début*

 

 

(FKA) Twigs was always a bit hit and miss for me, but this was by far the biggest hit I'd heard from her. One of the few songs this year where I've repeatedly jut sat and listened to it, concentrating on nothing else. The vocal styles, the lyrics, I was utterly obsessed with it during the second half of the summer. The radio edit can't do it justice though, the way the take out the swearing ruins it completely.

12 - Say Lou Lou 'Everything We Touch' *4th hit* *peak*

 

 

After their trio of excellent 2013 End of Year entries I went into 2014 with Say Lou Lou being the act I was most excited about hearing new music from, and in March they certainly delivered with such a rousing pop song, better than anything that had came before it. For two or three weeks I was as obsessed with this as I had been with anything for ages and it only continued to grow. It was the year of Say Lou Lou I'd hoped but I'm still looking forward to the album due in February, I just hope it's more like this than the collaboration with Lindstrom which followed.

 

History:

Sweetness Alive (feat. Goldroom) - #14, 2013

Better in the Dark - #76, 2013

Fool of Me (feat. Chet Faker) - #97, 2013

 

11 - Damien Rice 'I Don't Want To Change You' *3rd hit*

 

 

I'd been listening to this for weeks when suddenly it clicked and I realised what a great and beautiful song this is. I've never been a massive fan of Damien before, I'm pretty much limited to '9 Crimes' and 'The Blower's Daughter', but this makes a brilliant trio of Damien singles. The strings are superb (of course!) and it's a rather wonderful tale of love.

 

History:

9 Crimes - #07, 2006

My Favourite Faded Fantasy - #60, 2014

Here's what's gone so far:

 

100 - Brett 'Golden'

099 - Made In Heights 'Pirouette'

098 - Movement 'Like Lust'

097 - Blossom 'Regeneration'

096 - Jack Ü feat. Keisza 'Take Ü There'

095 - Les Loups feat. Cybil 'Colourblind'

094 - Ben Howard 'Conrad'

093 - SOHN 'Artifice'

092 - Daniel Avery 'Knowing We'll Be Here'

091 - Rustie feat. Danny Brown 'Attak'

 

090 - Metronomy 'Reservoir'

089 - Trust 'Icabod'

088 - Thumpers 'Galore'

087 - V V Brown feat. Kele Okereke 'Faith'

086 - The 1975 'Heart Out'

085 - JAWS 'Think Too Much, Feel Too Little'

084 - We Are All Astronauts feat. Ellena Soule 'Wolves'

083 - Elbow 'Charge'

082 - Keep Shelly In Athens 'Old Time Glory'

081 - Kitty 'Miss U'

 

080 - Holly Herndon 'Home'

079 - How To Dress Well 'Repeat Pleasure'

078 - ODESZA feat. Monsoonsiren 'Memories That You Call'

077 - Big Deal 'Always Boys'

076 - London Grammar 'Sights'

075 - Röyksopp & Robyn 'Monument'

074 - Honeyblood 'Biro'

073 - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart 'Until The Sun Explodes'

072 - Big Deal 'In Your Car'

071 - The Drums 'I Can't Pretend'

 

070 - The Midnight 'The Years (Prologue)'

069 - Real Estate 'Had To Hear'

068 - Brody Dalle 'Don't Mess With Me'

067 - Jessie Ware 'Tough Love'

066 - Elbow 'My Sad Captains'

065 - Jannine & The Mixtape 'Hold Me'

064 - iamamiwhoami 'Blue Blue'

063 - Alpines 'No Other Lover'

062 - Bombay Bicycle Club 'Luna'

061 - Cambio Sun 'Mad As They Come'

 

060 - Damien Rice 'My Favourite Faded Fantasy'

059 - Ben Howard 'I Forget Where We Were'

058 - Vancouver Sleep Clinic 'Flaws'

057 - Burial 'Rival Dealer'

056 - Jagwar Ma 'Uncertainty'

055 - Kids of the Apocalypse 'Empire'

054 - Black Rivers 'The Ship'

053 - Arctic Monkeys 'Snap Out of It'

052 - iamamiwhoami 'Fountain'

051 - Nicole Millar 'Fall'

 

050 - Grum 'Tears'

049 - Tove Lo feat. Hippie Sabotage 'Stay High' [Habits Remix]

048 - Jimi Goodwin 'Oh! Whiskey'

047 - Eaux 'Head'

046 - Josef Salvat 'Shoot and Run'

045 - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart 'Kelly'

044 - Wolf Alice 'Moaning Lisa Smile'

043 - Ms Mr 'Dance Yrself Clean'

042 - King 810 'Write About Us'

041 - Real Estate 'Talking Backwards'

 

040 - Elliphant feat. MØ 'One More'

039 - Doss 'The Way I Feel'

038 - No Ceremony feat. Benjamin Francis Leftwich 'Away From Here'

037 - ODESZA feat. Madelyn Grant 'Sun Models'

036 - The 1975 'Medicine'

035 - I Break Horses 'Disclosure'

034 - Elbow 'Fly Boy Blue / Lunette'

033 - Vic Mensa 'Down on My Luck'

032 - Alvvays 'Next of Kin'

031 - Paperwhite 'Pieces'

 

030 - Mainline Mussy 'Sick of Your Eyes'

029 - How To Dress Well 'Face Again'

028 - iamamiwhoami 'Hunting For Pearls'

027 - Oliver $ & Jimi Jules - Pushing On

026 - Kitty Pryde 'Second Life'

025 - Felix Jaehn feat. Freddy Verano & Linying 'Shine'

024 - Jon Hopkins feat. Lulu James 'We Disappear'

023 - Coldplay 'Midnight'

022 - Ben Howard 'End of the Affair'

021 - Caribou 'Our Love'

 

020 - ODESZA feat. Zyra 'Say My Name'

019 - Eternal Death 'Head'

018 - Idlewild 'Collect Yourself'

017 - Josef Salvat 'Open Season'

016 - Wild Beasts 'Palace'

015 - Royksopp & Robyn 'Do It Again'

014 - The Magician feat. Years & Years 'Sunlight'

013 - FKA Twigs 'Two Weeks'

012 - Say Lou Lou 'Everything We Touch'

011 - Damien Rice 'I Don't Want To Change You'

 

I'll do 10-4 on Monday, and the top 3 on Tuesday/Wednesday. I imagine it's quite a predictable affair but we'll see. One act appears twice, only two songs feature female vocals despite them featuring on more than half so far. 7 of the songs reached number one on my personal chart. One act to appear was in my top 10 of 2013 too, though on both occasions they've been featured artist.

10 - Kasabian 'Stevie' *8th hit* *peak*

Live to fight another day, live to fight again...

 

 

It seems the standard for Kasabian recently is to release a lead single that I really dislike so I end up proclaiming I no longer care for them. For the '48:13' campaign this happened with their first two singles, so whilst I was a bit surprised I took to 'Stevie' so much it wasn't that big a surprise given how much I'd loved them in the past. 'Stevie' is a combination of everything that's made Kasabian great in the past, and much more true to their normal sound that either 'Eez-eh' or 'Bumblebee' are, it's a brilliant rock anthem that builds throughout, the inclusion of a viola is wonderful and its outro is something I can't help sing a long to. I'd go as far as to say this is now my favourite Kasabian song.

 

History:

Underdog - #13, 2009

LSF (Lost Souls Forever) - #16, 2004

Goodbye Kiss - #39, 2012

Fire - #45, 2009

Processed Beats - #69, 2004

Club Foot - #82, 2004

Where Did All The Love Go? - #100, 2009

 

 

 

09 - How To Dress Well 'Words I Don't Remember' *3rd hit* *peak*

To let you have your peaceful private corners of your mind...

 

 

The song that started off my HTDW obsession of 2014. It took a while to properly grow on me but its story of love and commitment was too good to ignore for long. Thought provoking lyrics sung in the most beautiful of voices over the most suitable synths. My favourite song from my favourite album of the year, but not my favourite thing HTDW has made this year.

 

History:

Repeat Pleasure - #79, 2014

Face Again - #29, 2014

08 - Elbow 'New York Morning' *11th hit*

Reaching down into the ground, stretching up into the sky...

 

 

It's probably of no surprise at all to see Elbow appearing in an End of Year top 10 of mine, but it wasn't until I saw this performed live that it transcended from a good Elbow song to a great one and I properly fell in love. The use of the orchestra and choir suited it so perfectly, it's big and bold and stands up their with their other uplifting, anthemic songs. It's great to see that the success of 'One Day Like This' hasn't put them off going with that sound, yet it never feels like they're trying to recreate it. It'd make the perfect set closer, but they just have so many others songs that fit that description too.

 

History:

One Day Like This - #01, 2008

Lippy Kids - #08, 2011

First Steps - #17, 2012

The Bones of You - #28, 2008

Fly Boy Blue / Lunette - #34, 2014

Open Arms - #42, 2011

Grounds for Divorce - #57, 2008

My Sad Captains - #66, 2014

Charge - #83, 2014

Neat Little Rows - #96, 2011

 

 

07 - RL Grime feat. How To Dress Well 'Reminder' *début* / *4th hit* *peak*

Everybody got the price and this is how we all fall down...

 

 

In a year where I've adored How To Dress Well's output so much, I wasn't expecting anything else of his to love when this popped up, the lead single for producer RL Grime's album Void. It seemed weird to hear his voice on what's more of a dance track than normally, although hardly typical of previous RL Grime productions, but Tom Krell's voice suits it just as much as it does his own work, it's a perfect combination.

 

How To Dress Well history:

Repeat Pleasure - #79, 2014

Face Again - #29, 2014

Words I Don't Remember - #09, 2014

06 - Jamie XX 'All Under One Roof Raving' *2nd hit* *peak*

Fila, Head, Kappa, Ellesse, Lonsdale, Lacoste, Kickers, Lee...

 

 

I'd never been overly impressed with Jamie xx's solo material so whilst I listen to everything he puts out, there's usually very little hope or expectation involved. However this 6 minute take on 90s rave culture, full of wonderful samples was something that was incredibly instant, the steel pan throughout is exceptional, at 6 minutes in length you sense it could be twice as long and still have enough places to go to retain its quality. I thought it would be the type of song that would get on my nerves after a while but I'm still waiting for that to happen.

 

History:

I'll Take Care Of You (feat. Gil Scott-Heron) - #11, 2011

 

05 - Paradis 'Garde Le Pour Toi' *debut*

Tout ce qu'on a de commun...

 

 

For the second year in a row there's some French in my top 5, although considerably more than was on Bibio's 'A Tout a L'heure' last year. Mixing French house and pop music, French duo Paradis made one of the biggest surprise hits for me this year. Something I listened to purely by chance, 'Garde Le Pout Toi' is just so summery, dreamy and refreshing. Another long song touching almost 7 minutes it's split nicely into parts, the intro is so long I assumed it was an instrumental the first time I listened. I've never been a huge listener of foreign language music but occasionally a truly excellent song comes about, and for the last few months I've been singing along to this despite having no idea what the words are or what they mean, proving music to be a truly universal language.

04 - School of Seven Bells 'I Got Knocked Down (But I'll Get Up)' *4th hit* *peak*

Sitting in a hospital bed, frustration going through my head...

 

 

It's perhaps right that I should post this on today of all days, it being one year to the day that Benjamin Curtis, one half of School of Seven Bells, passed away of lymphoma aged just 35. The story behind the song probably made me enjoy it more than I perhaps otherwise would've done, they'd grown to be one of my favourite bands over the last 5 years or so and I was gutted to hear of his death. So a release out of the blue in the middle of summer was a hugely pleasant surprise.

 

Originally recorded by Joey Ramone about his own battle with lymphona, this was the last song the band ever made, and recorded from Benjamin's own hospital bed, with him communicating over Facetime whilst the vocals were recorded, the lyrics to this leave a lump in the throat. The song on its own would put it up there with my favourite School... songs, but the story behind it lifts it to the top.

 

History:

Lafaye - #05, 2012

Heart is Strange - #31, 2010

Faded Heart - #44, 2012

Edited December 29, 201410 yr by RabbitFurCoat