December 29, 201410 yr Author Lacuna Coil are pretty good. If you haven't heard their Dark Adrenaline album, I recommend it. I will check that out, thank you! ~~ Forgive my lying eyes cause' what you call love baby I call hell. It's Iggy Iggs! It's Izzy Iz I talked to a unicorn the other night, took me up on a lonely star, did the moonwalk on the milky way, realized I've gone too far sitting in a hospital bed But the faces are all the same I'd rather put on a film with you and sit on the couch Well I've bled words onto a page for you, and you never knew my name 131. Aynur Aydin - Life Goes On your life is what you make it If I Could Change Your Mind is lovely, as are Haim. Seeing them perform at Glastonbury (from the safety of my living-room) was one of the best things I saw from that festival, only really topped by Kasabian, and this single, the last major one from Days Are Gone hung around for quite a while in my affections. From a vaguely similar California group, in that they still have female rockers, are psychedelic duo Deap Vally, who I entered into BJFestivalen to the pleasure of almost no-one with the fiery Baby I Call Hell. It's a couple of years old but I was obsessed for quite a bit and those guitar chords are very very amazing. Stuff like that is why I love rock. Problem is a bit of pop fun, I shouldn't really like it but Ariana's voice appeals to me quite nicely and it's quite interesting for a hit that big with the brass throughout. Cake To Bake is iconic and should have done far better in Eurovision, there's something really nice about the whole package, and this from a nation who have every reason to be bitter at Eurovision. A very knowing underdog entry, it didn't win but it provided me with endless enjoyment throughout the Eurovision season. What applies to Tsunami also applies to Flute, I far prefer it as a (mostly) instrumental, and while trashy it is actually quite enjoyable, not quite as much as Tsunami but it does come close. The final School Of Seven Bells song would have passed me by if not for Grebo entering it and I'm glad he did, a lovely wistful long track to ponder over and as a final work, it's a great send-off (great cover as well). I didn't know them as a group that well but this is really something very lovely. Another song that is a simple joy to listen to is Artifice, possibly the best thing I've heard from SOHN yet, and I loved Oscillate. There's something so brilliant about the way the bridge descends into the chorus and the sounds... omg yes, very well deserved winner. Don't proved Sheeran really has an obsession with that damn couch of his (as well as with Ellie Goulding but that's none of my business), but I really do like upbeat Ed Sheeran and this is a worthy sequel to You Need Me, proving with this that he's still by far the most versatile male popstar (of his ilk anyway, he blows Ezra and Smith away). I am a small-time loon for Kyla La Grange, (as if anyone who's ever seen her name mentioned on this forum didn't know), and Cut Your Teeth was a great comeback single. There's more to come from her further up but I really liked this slight change of direction for her (and the Kygo remix is pretty decent as well). Be big one day PLEASE. Finally, Life Goes On, another entry from BJSC, but quite a sad one as it's pretty much Caerfyrddia's farewell entry, and so them at the same time (I'm going to do a BJSC countdown but I will skim past all the lower ones so I get to say things like this here). It's pretty fabulous (and I've used that word way too much already but it's appropriate here) pop. I feel emotion from it while the song is rushing past at full speed, that's a bit of a rare feat.
December 30, 201410 yr Author It fills me up, and it starts to shine Analyze my demise, I say I'm super anxious 128. Danny L Harle - Broken Flowers Time stands still around me Bam bam badai I'M NOT AFRAID ANYMORE Baby let me stay, when the world is gone Stoned in paradise, shouldn't talk about it If your sky will fall, I’ll shelter you from the rain, there’s not a cloud in the sky that can come in the way 122. Kristen Bell - Do You Want To Build A Snowman They say 'have courage' and I'm trying to, I'm right out here for you, just let me in 121. Nils Noa - Fade Away (feat. Vinni) and into the atmosphere I start to fade away, my fingers are scratching the mirror with razorblades Sunlight was a song that I only half loved until seeing it live (and that was only a couple of minutes of it) from then, over the last two months in the depths of winter it's been giving me a lot of summery vibes, can't wait to hear it in the sun when that next actually comes around. Never Catch Me I listened to with no expectations, and as a result of this and one other song further up I'm starting to appreciate Kendrick's presence a bit now I've actually listened to some of his material (unfortunately not so much his solo material yet). He's a good sight better than a lot of rappers and Never Catch Me is a very trippy kewl track. Broken Flowers is well, pretty amazing. 'Flying away for hours' always gets me, the way that line is delivered evokes so much feeling into what is just a few lines repeated over and over. They get more poignant each time though. From the sublime to the ridiculous as the one and only amazing trio of Japanese girls have their first of three entries in my singles chart, and almost certainly the least well known. Head Bangya!! is pretty much exactly as described on the title, you bang your head to it and that feels amazing. If you liked Megitsune you'd probably like this too, it's pretty similar. First prize for subverting my expectations must go to Afroki. Steve Aoki is someone I've never particularly enjoyed, Afrojack has gotten worse and worse ever since Take Over Control and Bonnie McKee well, she made American Girl. Therefore I never expected Afroki to be quite the tune it is but ever since hearing it it has just grown and grown on me. That dance backing is seriously very epic and Bonnie's vocals are very well-placed here, it is the most addictive thing that I know I shouldn't like in the slightest but absolutely do. It may well even grow above 126th in my EOY as we go on. My entry from the same contest as Afroki is next up, and yes, Tei Shi only comes 9th out of my own entries (that's because they're all so good). I do still love it a lot, the screams I originally fell in love with it for are just as good, I do kinda spend the other part of the song just waiting and waiting for them though. I also cannot get Banks' 'Fall Over' out of my head when listening to this, and that is probably better. That does not mean I regret it in the slightest, listening to those screams now is what makes it all worthwhile. Anyway, on from that, and on to a another hit, the very nice 'obviously European' hit Stolen Dance. Something about its vibe makes it feel like that. Also because of its limited chart performance in the UK. Probably. It was a song I thought sounded like a hit from the first time I heard it back in November last year and so to see it attain some of that was very pleasing. Yay more chances for me to be a hipster. Malta's tribute to Mumford & Sons took a long long time for me to see it as anything other than a weak tribute, but eventually I did really come round to it, and it was one of the songs I was rooting for on the night. The same happened last year with Tomorrow, Malta eventually present their entries with such charm that they must be loved in the end. It probably helped that I do like Mumfords probably a bit more consistently than Train. My highest UP entry, a Norwegian trancey ballad called Fade Away, was aptly sent at a time I was getting a little bit bored with UP and so even skipped the next contest. I loved this though, a little discovery I'd made at the very end of 2013. Like Bassically the best things about it are the warbles that are vocals but aren't really saying anything at the end. If you like any sort of dreamy music and have not heard this, I would recommend. Oh yeah, and I included Do You Want To Build A Snowman. I am quite serious. It's incredibly charming. I still haven't seen Frozen but I do know the plot to an extent so I sort of understand the meaning behind it (I am going to see it as soon as I can so hopefully I'll soon understand the full meaning, but the way it turns from happy to sad is very chill-inducing at the moment). Movie songs can easily hit me very well.
December 30, 201410 yr 2. Clean Bandit – New Eyes http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/60/Clean_Bandit_-_New_Eyes.png/220px-Clean_Bandit_-_New_Eyes.png Mozart’s House – 10/10 Extraordinary – 8/10 Dust Clears – 9.5/10 Rather Be – 11/10 A+E – 10/10 Come Over – 10/10 Cologne – 9/10 Telephone Banking - 9.5/10 Up Again – 9/10 Heart On Fire – 7.5/10 New Eyes – 9/10 Birch – 8/10 I don’t think this group really need any introduction, nor does their album, named as it in such a way that it’s very APT the new me fell so much in love with them. Because they’re Paramore fans, obviously. Unlike most albums here, I’ve seen this one live, which has helped me fall in love with a lot of the tracks, especially Cologne, which I completely passed over before the concert and now is so incredibly cool for me that I can’t really handle it. And that’s just the start, from the incredibly weird Mozart’s House, Dust Clears and Telephone Banking to the relatively normal Rather Be and Up Again, it is a brilliant album that isn’t particularly cohesive but rather gains its greatness from being full of fantastic tracks. I have vaguely listened to the bonus tracks but not enough to rate here unfortunately, rest assured that I do like Rihanna and other ones. I'm so very glad they’ve gone big because it would have been a crime to have such interesting music ignored by the public, and given how indie they seemed before Rather Be, that would never have happened without that track. This year has proved my love for classical-crossover music, this is a fantastic example of how to fuse that with dance, but it isn’t the only one in my top 2, the number one is also an example of that (and of course everyone knows what it is)… I found this album alright, I must admit Rather Be sticks out like a sore thumb above the rest, but I do like Real Love, Dust Clears, Mozart's House and New Eyes, the rest of the album I found middle of the road so to speak.
December 30, 201410 yr Well I've bled words onto a page for you, and you never knew my name I love her music, Cut Your Teeth had a very hard edge to it over her previous material and a great comeback single from her. I remember I entered one of her tracks in BJSC "Walk Through Walls" which I truly love, if I remember the track did well in the end, which really surprised me.
December 30, 201410 yr Holding onto heaven is so amazing and I loved bumblebee when I saw them live :wub: Ghost and blank space are definitely 2 of my favourite songs this year, both are amazing :wub: If I could change your mind is definitely one of my favourite Haim songs and I am glad it did quite well :wub: Great chart so far Iz :wub: Edited December 30, 201410 yr by Ultraviolence1989
December 31, 201410 yr Author I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations Now I'm trapped in the trap and the devil ain't forgetting, wanna see me dead or locked in a prison Can you sing me a last lullaby? I'm an expert flirt yeah, I'll surprise ya Ichi, ni, san, kaesu will you be gone forever? If you don't swim, you'll drown 111. Arctic Lake - How Long Can You Stare Just how long can you stare This section is a perfect example of why I always stretch to a top 200, doing a top 100 would mean I would always miss out some of the essential songs, as all of these are some of my favourite songs of the year and we still have another 10 to go before the top 100. It does make it a bit longer but it's worth it in the end. Like, as an example for that, I thought Proper Moist would be way up inside my top 100 and would shock everybody, before I started ranking this. Okay, let's talk about that one first. It's the elephant in the room quite clearly as I've seen nothing but hate for this song with a little bit of ironic love from the culprits I'd expect. The thing is, I actually really enjoy it. Not that I'm encouraging the sentiments in the song which are... well they've been covered enough already with his media execution recently and they're questionable at best. It's just the fast way he races through the track, it's therefore catchy, no matter its reputation. It's a tune and I will not hear otherwise. Back to the start of this section, a couple of big hits from Riptide, more proof that I'll just really like anyone who does a lot of guitar strumming, was quite nice seeing this one become big over time, and the chorus always brings a smile to my face. The other one is another 'surprise' hit, as I never forsaw Walking With Elephants becoming big. I'm glad it did though, the world needed a song with that title in the top 10 and it's a lovely 6 minutes chilling out imagining that you really are walking with elephants, Ten Walls has a talent of making his instrumentals really match the title, in a sequel to the obviously very Batman-sounding Gotham. I quite like the formula of rapped verses/sung chorus and with Purity Ring on duties for one of these I was very interested in what 25 Bucks was offering. The chorus is great but Danny Brown's ramblings are very easy to get used to, lovely song. And then this is immediately proved again with Lullaby, which is a bit more pop. Professor Green's voice is the same as ever but as ever, it's his featured vocalists that are more interesting; there's something about Tori Kelly's one that makes me sit up on this one. It's very full and well-judged. It doesn't hit me as much as Avalon but it's very pleasant. In terms of beautiful sounds they don't really get any better than Un Nouveau Soleil. From the first BJSC this year it's been growing and growing on me throughout the year, M83 rarely let me down these days and this is certainly no exception, the build is one of the best in any song this year, like Walking With Elephants this one sells the impression of a new dawn over a once-darkened land amazingly. I could listen to it over and over again, so thank you Chez for sending this, it was well worth it. 5 Seconds Of Summer are definitely 2014's McFly as they're a band not too far removed from the boyband mould, and they make complete tunes that will no doubt will be remembered for years to come. She Looks So Perfect is the epitome of that, it took me a while to get used to it but it's one of the best hits of the year for me and among the very samey dance tunes filling up the rest of the charts it stood out in a really good way. A similarly good pop group hit is Braveheart, the best thing Neon Jungle have done, for most of it it's a great if standard pop hit, like Problem if Ariana's voice was stronger, but my favourite bit is 'Ichi, ni, san, kaesu', because we all need a good bit of kawaii in our lives. And not in the way Avril thinks. The best big single from Foxes, aside from Youth, will probably be Let Go For Tonight, which is a very cute thing to have as a hit. It's not as emotional as I might have liked from Foxes but the musical things the track is doing are good enough to keep me interested. Finally Arctic Lake take #111 with a brilliant indie-pop song that I know each time is building up to just the title drop, but the journey never gets boring, another great discovery for me from BJSC, and exactly the thing I want to keep discovering from there all the time.
December 31, 201410 yr Well, that's a lovely surprise, I wasn't expecting to see Un Nouveau Soleil in anyone else's list (apart from my own ofc.) :wub: If you like this, You may like the film soundtrack album it's from, You & The Night (a French film about an orgy..not really what you'd expect from the music), there's nothing quite as wonderful as this track (which is the closing track and much longer than the other tracks) but the album has similar beautiful sounds that when merged together sound really nice. It's on Spotify if you're interested :D Been following this as ever and liking a lot of it - lots of BJSC songs in here, you may have more songs from there in your list than me :o (21 in my top 100, not counting my own entries/entries that became chart hits), but nice to see as I've made a lot of great discoveries from there and it is pretty much my go to place for new music discoveries. A lot of really good ones from there - Henry Saiz, Kero Kero Bonito, Lapse of Time, Artifice, Broken Flowers, all really great. We Know & Fade Away were both really good UP discoveries too, both very infectious Some nice chart stuff as well, nice to see Walking with Elephants & Riptide in here, both extremely surprising hits but they ended up being real keepers throughout the year. (this was a long post lol, but yes, great so far, keep it up!)
December 31, 201410 yr Author I love her music, Cut Your Teeth had a very hard edge to it over her previous material and a great comeback single from her. I remember I entered one of her tracks in BJSC "Walk Through Walls" which I truly love, if I remember the track did well in the end, which really surprised me. Excellent. I do still prefer her previous material but Cut Your Teeth is still amazing. 'Heavy Stone' had done well before that so I wasn't too surprised when 'Walk Through Walls' smashed, I just wish I'd gotten to enter her. :P Holding onto heaven is so amazing and I loved bumblebee when I saw them live :wub: Ghost and blank space are definitely 2 of my favourite songs this year, both are amazing :wub: If I could change your mind is definitely one of my favourite Haim songs and I am glad it did quite well :wub: Great chart so far Iz :wub: Thanks! Kasabian look like they would be amazing live, just seeing them on TV at Glastonbury was an experience. Well, that's a lovely surprise, I wasn't expecting to see Un Nouveau Soleil in anyone else's list (apart from my own ofc.) :wub: If you like this, You may like the film soundtrack album it's from, You & The Night (a French film about an orgy..not really what you'd expect from the music), there's nothing quite as wonderful as this track (which is the closing track and much longer than the other tracks) but the album has similar beautiful sounds that when merged together sound really nice. It's on Spotify if you're interested :D Been following this as ever and liking a lot of it - lots of BJSC songs in here, you may have more songs from there in your list than me :o (21 in my top 100, not counting my own entries/entries that became chart hits), but nice to see as I've made a lot of great discoveries from there and it is pretty much my go to place for new music discoveries. A lot of really good ones from there - Henry Saiz, Kero Kero Bonito, Lapse of Time, Artifice, Broken Flowers, all really great. We Know & Fade Away were both really good UP discoveries too, both very infectious Some nice chart stuff as well, nice to see Walking with Elephants & Riptide in here, both extremely surprising hits but they ended up being real keepers throughout the year. (this was a long post lol, but yes, great so far, keep it up!) Heh, it's only half the length of one of my commentaries, I'm putting probably too much into it. :lol: Thanks though, glad you're enjoying it. ^_^ I may check out a few more from there then, I like that sort of film music a lot. I don't even think I gave it huge amounts of points in the contest but it kept on growing and growing. Probably also helped that you changed your name to Terra Dinosaur for that contest, made the music evoke a few Jurassic Park-esque feelings (and of course that's an amazing soundtrack). I only have 22 BJSC entries by the same criteria in my top 100 so it's probably my top 200 giving the impression of more, I may do a summing up of it in my national thread in a few days before I get right into the business end here, but that means Un nouveau soleil is firmly in my top 30 of the year, and yes, same, it's where I get about 75% of my non-hit music these days and there's always at least 70 tracks per year I really love. UP less so this year but glad you agree with me on We Know and nice to see support for Fade Away, easily the best of the three I entered this year.
December 31, 201410 yr Hai :cheer: Happy new year for when it comes and BTW I know your Eoy #1 :P 199. Adélen - Always On My Mind This song just reminds me of Lee for some reason :lol: 198. OneRepublic - Love Runs Out 197. Kero Kero Bonito - Sick Beat And this makes me think of Taylors Shake It Off :lol: 193. Tielsie - Palette 191. Iggy Azalea - Black Widow (feat. Rita Ora) 190. Ellie Goulding - Goodness Gracious This might be my fave Ellie track :cheer: 188. Deja - Heart 185. Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne - Real Love 184. Robin - Parasta Just Nyt (feat. Nikka Ankara) 177. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Don't Stop 176. Foxes - Holding Onto Heaven Lights fade but I won't let them 175. Shakira - Empire 173. King 810 - Write About Us 171. HA:TFELT - Ain't Nobody 170. Jennifer Davies - Lapse Of Time (Njie Remix) 169. Shakira - Can't Remember To Forget You (feat. Rihanna) 165. Ella Henderson - Ghost 164. Ingrid Michaelson - Girls Chase Boys :wub: This is brilliant! 160. Taylor Swift - Blank Space I've said this on everyone's charts but never have I ever heard a more perfect album in my life! It's fantastic! 155. Route 94 - My Love (feat. Jess Glynne) 154. Rita Ora - I Will Never Let You Down 151. Icona Pop - All Night :wub: Lovely to see this on someone else's EOY. Although it's not appeared on mine just yet! It's one of my fave songs from last year and defo my fave Icona Pop Track. I don't get the hate for it at all and I still don't see the similarities for It Love It either. But seriously it's perfect, the video is brilliant, especially the full length version and this is way too underrated by everyone! 150. A.G Cook - Beautiful 148. Hozier - Take Me To Church 144. Mr Probz - Waves (Robin Schulz Remix) slowly drifting 143. MisterWives - Reflections 140. Haim - If I Could Change Your Mind. 138. Ariana Grande - Problem (feat. Iggy Azalea) 136. New World Sound & Thomas Newsom - Flute 135. School Of Seven Bells - I Got Knocked Down (But I'll Get Up) 134. SOHN - Artifice 132. Kyla La Grange - Cut Your Teeth 130. The Magician - Sunlight (feat. Years & Years) :wub: A definite highlight of the year for me! 128. Danny L Harle - Broken Flowers 124. Milky Chance - Stolen Dance 122. Kristen Bell - Do You Want To Build A Snowman This song is lovely! As is the film and the other two singles! 120. Vance Joy - Riptide 119. Ten Walls - Walking With Elephants 114. Neon Jungle - Braveheart 113. Foxes - Let Go For Tonight? 112. 5 Seconds Of Summer - She Looks So Perfect Fantastic so far :cheer:
December 31, 201410 yr Author Hai :cheer: Happy new year for when it comes and BTW I know your Eoy #1 :P Hah, thanks for the list James, happy new year to yourself also. But do you know my EOY #1, that is the question. It may be what you think, it may not be. *secrecy, shades and mirrors* Um yeah, is there All Night hate? I hope not. Completely a different proposition from their track of evil. ~~ Like a fool I'm in a cage 109. YOHIO - To The End Can you see me, can you feel me Do you believe what I say to you? Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars Et si tu nous laissais ce qu'il faut de temps From up here, life seems so small, what's the meaning of it all? 104. Team Me - Blind As Night I never learn when the fever runs high I’ve been saving all my summers for you When I'm rolling with the thunder but bleed from thorns I think with my heart and I move with my head I was very briefly very obsessed with The Subs' reworking of an 80s hit that I'd never come across before now. Both versions (although I think I prefer this one more) are great songs, very nearly a second BJSC win for Farc although in the long run I think I began to prefer the track that won. This remains fantastic though, dw Jake, this was a lovely discovery. Just above that are a few 'less credible' entries. My 2013 love with YOHIO, who SHOULD have been Sweden's entry to Eurovision 2013, continues with To The End. He and I may still be slightly bitter about that as he came back with an 'almost as good' track for another try and I loved it.. to the end of Melodifestivalen and beyond, it's one of the few that's stuck with me although there are a few higher. I can't really resist Avicii ripoffs having placed Wake Me Up 5th last year and a Spanish girlband's take on it is as good as any other. Long-live country-dance. Meanwhile, Thinking Out Loud needs nearly no introduction but despite being heard so much recently it is sweet and emotional and that's what has got it up here, it just needs to be stopped playing for a few months then it'll be fantastic again. Garde Le Pour Toi is one of those very good French songs that appear from time to time in BJSC. The instrumental is very well-balanced and the whole track is very very cool. Also incredibly European is the 10 years or so old 'The Magic Key' which must have been the ultimate exercise in European cuteness, and it passed the UK right by sadly. Another two songs I'm very glad were entered to BJSC. I have been following Team Me to an extent ever since Show Me in UP back in 2012, because that was amazing and followup songs have not failed to impress. Including this, a very epic, cinematic song that, had I let it grow on me a bit more before taking a holiday, might have been the song I entered to BJSC instead of The All Time High as (spoilers) I like it just about the same now and this might have been a better-judged one, it would probably have a bit more indie appeal. I'd say it's a bit of a cross between The All Time High and my other entry Blood, it has the same building feeling as the latter. What can one do now though? Not much aside from say: people, you should listen to Blind As Night, it's definitely going to be to your tastes. Yes. A couple of years ago a new Marina song would have probably been in my top 40. Froot falls outside the top 100 though, it's very good but not quite the perfect song I wanted Marina to come back with, and I know I would be setting her high expectations after two flawless albums. It's good and comparable to some of her past work, if not up there among the best, I just haven't been motivated by it to listen to any of the other songs yet. I will do this in the new year I'm sure, when the album comes out, but I'm not quite sharing the excitement that is infecting everyone else right now. I think we were all rather impressed when Coldplay surfaced with Midnight at the beginning of the year, and it's stuck with me, slightly less so than their two big singles from this album but it's comfortably a third-fave on Ghost Stories now, relaxing and chilled, before the lovely instrumental build towards the end, and far more actual indie band than a vast swathe of their material. I can definitely appreciate them doing something so different that works with their production. Probably suitable for New Year's Eve heh. The final track to miss the top 100 is KONGOS' big track that really started to blow up in the States this year. I first heard it about then, it's a great fast paced rock track with some very nice bits where the music switches back and forth, such that it never leaves you bored. Wish this could be in the top 100 but things have pushed it out, I've since obtained their album and while I haven't really listened I hope the rest at least can provide something that's half as good as this, as then it will have succeeded. Reached the top 100 in time for New Year I guess then. I'll stop doing this then and spend the final hour of 2014 doing more important things. ^_^
January 1, 201510 yr Haven't commented here but I have been reading, loving your commentary, very insightful! All Night is fantastic, not sure why it wasn't huge because it's leagues ahead of other tracks by them. It hit me when I got to see them live supporting Katy Perry and it was a real moment. Hope they come back with something strong. Girls Chase Boys is utterly brilliant, hadn't heard of it until I stumbled across it in TBO and now I'm hooked and can't get enough. Addictive pop track and that's all there is to it really. Another huge discovery from TBO is The Magic Key, another incredibly addictive track. It's quite quirky and fun, reminds me a bit of Sick Beat which I also love.
January 1, 201510 yr I'm starting to see how This Is The Life made TBO semis, it's appeared in quite a few EOY charts :o Fantastic 101-200 section so I'm sure the top 100 will be all sorts of amaze!
January 1, 201510 yr I adore let go for tonight but I do think there is a lot better on the album though :)
January 3, 201510 yr Author Haven't commented here but I have been reading, loving your commentary, very insightful! All Night is fantastic, not sure why it wasn't huge because it's leagues ahead of other tracks by them. It hit me when I got to see them live supporting Katy Perry and it was a real moment. Hope they come back with something strong. Girls Chase Boys is utterly brilliant, hadn't heard of it until I stumbled across it in TBO and now I'm hooked and can't get enough. Addictive pop track and that's all there is to it really. Another huge discovery from TBO is The Magic Key, another incredibly addictive track. It's quite quirky and fun, reminds me a bit of Sick Beat which I also love. Thanks jsilv, always nice to hear compliments about my commentary, I just write what comes to mind most of the time so I hope it remains insightful. True about All Night, it is definitely becoming their best for me too, maybe this'll get realised in the future. And I'm glad you're discovering good tracks from TBO, I did that in my first year in BJSC (I joined in the August) so when TBO time came round I suddenly became a fan of several tracks from the first 6 contests of the year that I wasn't around for, it was then that I got really hooked so pleasing that you're experiencing it too. :D I'm starting to see how This Is The Life made TBO semis, it's appeared in quite a few EOY charts :o Fantastic 101-200 section so I'm sure the top 100 will be all sorts of amaze! I think it has that element of a song that just sticks with you, it's very addictive, I'm glad it has made TBO semis, one of the best things about the top 10 that contest. Thanks, I know I've been slacking a bit but it is all sorts of amaze, just as soon as I get time to reveal it. I adore let go for tonight but I do think there is a lot better on the album though :) Probably is, I prefer Youth and White Coats and Echo but they're all older songs for me. but if you let go are you going to find an empire 100. Team Me - The All Time High does it burn as bad for you Once I'm transformed, once I'm reborn Trouble, baby I'm trouble For better or worse, a blessing or a curse 93. Lushington - Settle Down don't get lost in the crowd If he wakes up before the year is out, he'll rid his sons and daughters of their doubt I’m setting fire to the life that I know So it turns out I did forget something. Even though I checked my favourites list from BJSC (specifically those I would have missed by never charting them) numerous times, I forgot about Empire until voting in TBO yesterday. Fortunately we're at the point where I can sneak it in and it would actually be a pretty accurate representation of how I feel about the song, wonderful discovery at the very beginning and a worthy runner-up in that contest. There is a boatload of BJSC entries in here, one of them my own, a fantastic indie-pop record that didn't make anywhere near the impact I thought it would in The All Time High. I thought the happy mood of the track, the unusual but stunning vocals and the very upbeat-ness meant I was on to a winner or another top 10 at least, unfortunately it seems like only Jordan agreed (big thumbs-up for that). Still, at least I will probably be never more wrong with an entry, and I still love the song itself. The others include two great foreign language entries, one clearly the Croatian P!nk or something of the sort that is: Colonia who summons a lovely rock ballad in Feniks, and Albin with Kristin Amparo, who summon together a trashy Swedish dance tune that I wish was played at parties and the like over here, would liven it up no end. And there's Lushington, whose incredibly rhythmic dance track was a lovely discovery from BJSC 63 and sees that contest's final bow out at least, the first of the 10 to do so. There's also two of Eurovision's very incredible top 3 this year, Rise Like A Phoenix being the stunning Bond-esque ballad that it is (with a stunning title, anything about mythological creatures is exactly what I want), and an excellent winner in Conchita to join the pantheon, is actually just narrowly my least favourite of the 3, with Sanna Nielsen's lovely ballad Undo coming in two places above it, every time I hear it I'm reminded just how good it sounds, classic pop tune and another example of Scandinavian superiority over pop. Pitbull... well, I am very much not a fan in the slightest. I only leap on board when he has a killer chorus accompanying his ramblings, and even then I feel slightly guilty every step of the way. Which, as good as Wild Wild Love is, is exactly what I continue to feel. Just a little bit. The G.R.L chorus is so good though that I have to love it for what it is, with a very pleasing melody to go along with it, and on the whole it is a great party tune and I can admit Pitbull's catchy when he really wants to be. Way better than that take on murdering Cotton Eye Joe. On one of my ramblings about TVTropes, I came across one about often used music in films and the like (this also started my rediscovery of Nightwish's epic Ghost Love Score, which I'd passed over a little before), and one of the songs I made a discovery with was E.S Posthumus' Pompeii, which I recognised vaguely, probably from some action sequence or other. Coincidentally, the very next month, Mosane got entered to BJSC and I started looning for the archaic Latin sounds mixed with the feeling of a high-octane action sequence. Total bliss. Even though it's a few years old I can't deny I was obsessed with it this year and, 'discovery', so in it goes. Meadowlark are a bit of a special case for me, my brother has been rather obsessed with them this year, so I've heard them quite a bit, and become a big fan as I think I said in the album commentary, and Family Tree is a very wistful look at well.. a family, with some beautiful sounds from Kate McGill to tell the story. Very, very epic song, especially towards the end, one of my favourite BJSC medalists of the year. Finally Christina Perri's second single Burning Gold slots in at #91, it's another typically lovely song from Ms Perri, and helps me continue my love affair with her, in the same vein as Meadowlark really. I do like well-done well-voiced ballads. Thought I'd check a couple of counters that may or may not be interesting: Eurovision entries left: 6 Non-Séyetan BJSC entries left: 17 UK #1s left: 7
January 4, 201510 yr Pitbull... well, I am very much not a fan in the slightest. I only leap on board when he has a killer chorus accompanying his ramblings, and even then I feel slightly guilty every step of the way. I love this. Sums up my relationship with his music so perfectly! Although that said, G.R.L. on the chorus of 'Wild Wild Love' couldn't save that particular track for me. -_- Been enjoying checking this thread out and reading your discerning and thoughtful takes on the songs I know. Keep up the good work!
January 4, 201510 yr 100. Team Me - The All Time High does it burn as bad for you There is a boatload of BJSC entries in here, one of them my own, a fantastic indie-pop record that didn't make anywhere near the impact I thought it would in The All Time High. I thought the happy mood of the track, the unusual but stunning vocals and the very upbeat-ness meant I was on to a winner or another top 10 at least, unfortunately it seems like only Jordan agreed (big thumbs-up for that). Still, at least I will probably be never more wrong with an entry, and I still love the song itself.I remain just as confused as you. It builds so gloriously into that chorus, right away I thought "The All Time High" was such an apt title and I can't believe no one else seems to feel it. It also immediately reminded me of "Light And Day" by The Polyphonic Spree, maybe you'd know it? Regardless, one of my favorite BJSC discoveries to date so your sending it wasn't a complete waste.
January 5, 201510 yr Author I love this. Sums up my relationship with his music so perfectly! Although that said, G.R.L. on the chorus of 'Wild Wild Love' couldn't save that particular track for me. -_- Been enjoying checking this thread out and reading your discerning and thoughtful takes on the songs I know. Keep up the good work! I have the same feelings about Rain Over Me, Feel This Moment and Hotel Room Service, it is crazy how good his songs can be entirely in spite of him and relying on whatever sample/singer he's roped in this time. Thanks, always nice to hear. ^_^ I remain just as confused as you. It builds so gloriously into that chorus, right away I thought "The All Time High" was such an apt title and I can't believe no one else seems to feel it. It also immediately reminded me of "Light And Day" by The Polyphonic Spree, maybe you'd know it? Regardless, one of my favorite BJSC discoveries to date so your sending it wasn't a complete waste. I do not know that song, so I'm listening to it as I type. Quite, the only thing I can think of for Team Me is I remember some people saying the voice is a bit weird, but it just makes it better for me, such positive energy. You should check out a few more of their songs as well if you haven't already, I can't recommend 'Show Me' or 'Blind As Night' any higher and I'm still woefully uninformed on them so I'm sure there's a lot more good to be had in their depths. And wow, 'Light And Day' is very good, like a cross between these guys and Empire Of The Sun or something. I'm enjoying it, thanks for that. ~~~ Right, let's get this finished. Or at least a big chunk taken out of: And it's always the night before deadlines What doesn't destroy you, leaves you broken instead I push all my problems to the back of my brain Sunbathing on the moon Come ride with me, back to the stars CLEO! DONATAN! (only decipherable lyrics in here, sorry Polskis) and I just got broken, broken into two surfboard cause tonight I cannot go hunting for stars Hell, I don’t even know her name but yet she sticks to me There are few things more joyful than a piece of modern pop that works. The Melodifestivalen runner-up, the anthem to laziness that every Eurovision fan worth any salt at all now loves, comes in to start this section off with a bang. Good things come in unexpected packages sometimes and based on Ace's previous material I would not have predicted the whirlwind of trashy yet polished pop that is this track. I let Drown into this year, against my normal rules of excluding December-only tracks, normally based on the premise that I need time to let them hit me and they'll probably be a big part of the next year anyway, that's definitely what's happened to Uptown Funk. It's pretty obvious though that it'll seem anachronistic by then, but the swift and fleeting success of a metal song was very appreciated by moi, and it's been a very accessible and enjoyable track over the last month. In the early 2000s, this would have been big for ages, which given the situation for the genre now seems very bittersweet. But at least my kind have had this to be sated by. We'll just ask for another iTunes #1 scalp about this time next year, yes? From one of the newest tracks to one of the oldest, Crying For No Reason advances from #110 last year to #88 this year, due to its great success and longevity in terms of appeal, beautiful ballad. On the other side of 'cool British females', Charli XCX has had a rocky road to hitting the mainstream, not everything she's done has turned to gold, but Boom Clap finally gave me a song by her I could truly, absolutely love, exciting and credible in equal measure. I hope this becomes her signature song, or she comes out with something better, which I wouldn't be averse to either. It is uncanny how much Natural Animal's Who You Are reminds me of Gorillaz' On Melancholy Hill, the track has the same sort of tempo with the same sort of bouncy synths that keep the track floating along. Admittedly I may have first thought of it because one of the Youtube comments points to this but they're entirely correct. The lyrics are pretty inspiring and as they feature a lovely sampled monologue to go with it (and not the last track in here to feature one of those either), I can't resist listening to this one over and over again, fantastic BJSC discovery. I first heard My Słowianie last December in some BBC article looking at the culture of the Slavs which this song talks about, I liked it but sort of forgot about it as something for the Poles and not for me. Therefore when Poland announced it as their Eurovision entry I was taken quite by surprise, I wasn't used to a song I already knew about becoming an entry. Of course that was when I began loving it, it is absolutely one of the coolest Eurovision songs from this year in sound and musical skill, such that I was actually quite upset when all anyone remembered from the performance was the sexy stuffs, like there wasn't even a song at all (although I concede that without other, less discerning, heteros, it would have done far worse). It deserved its position on song merit, it deserved far more than that. Coldplay's proper lead single from Ghost Stories is a pretty great lead single, and I still really do enjoy it, although there was a point in the middle of the year where I started to get a little bored so that's why it's a bit low for a Coldplay single. It's still very good as are all their songs but there was far better to come from their campaign. Beyoncé's campaign however, peaked very much with Drunk In Love, the slightly trippy trappy sounds as part of another duet between Bey and Jay-Z, a song that is very tied to the early part of the year for me, and possibly on its way to becoming one of her best for me. I can see how people criticise it, there are a few cringeworthy parts but the sound is good enough for me to ignore those, that trumps above all. Finally, two pretty slick male singers. I was a big fan of Hunter Of Stars from the very beginning and saw its hit potential when others were ignoring it or dumping it into mid-table, always go for the catchy, charming song with the whistles, and with a bit of an engaging performer to boot. At the beginning I thought it might be my favourite Eurovision entry but that was obviously yet to come. Switzerland had deserved its success for a couple of years and while the last 2 were always a bit on the edge, this was exactly what they should be doing and I was so glad it paid off. And there's Paolo Nutini, who has had a brilliant year for me. I had almost ignored him up to this point but the funky rocky sounds of Scream demand attention and as I've covered earlier, the rest of Caustic Love was up to scratch with this. If recent events are anything to go by, funk can really produce some moments. But before you all immediately bow at Mark Ronson's feet, as good as Uptown Funk is, take a bit of notice of this one, it took its time to grow on me, but the end result is utterly fantastic.
January 5, 201510 yr It was great to see Drown getting some commercial success a few weeks back, I don't know any of their previous songs so I don't know if this is watered down compared to what they usually do but I thought it was fantastic. I love the raspiness to the vocalists vocals too, very good song. Magic is lovely, I've never been keen on Coldplay at all and before this era would struggle to name a song of theirs I even like but Magic really turned me around. It's just a stunning minimal song but it all works so well and somehow manages to sound atmospheric, wasn't against it hanging around ages in the chart at all. Ended up liking Ink and True Love too although not ASFOS or Midnight.
January 5, 201510 yr If recent events are anything to go by, funk can really produce some moments. But before you all immediately bow at Mark Ronson's feet, as good as Uptown Funk is, take a bit of notice of this one, it took its time to grow on me, but the end result is utterly fantastic. I have, and indeed did at the time, but, while it's still very much up there in my affections, I will remain bowing at Mark Ronson's feet like I have been doing for many years. ^_^ (:D) I am very much liking this countdown but shocked to see 'Froot' fairly low down! Shame that you haven't warmed as much towards it.
January 5, 201510 yr Author It was great to see Drown getting some commercial success a few weeks back, I don't know any of their previous songs so I don't know if this is watered down compared to what they usually do but I thought it was fantastic. I love the raspiness to the vocalists vocals too, very good song. Magic is lovely, I've never been keen on Coldplay at all and before this era would struggle to name a song of theirs I even like but Magic really turned me around. It's just a stunning minimal song but it all works so well and somehow manages to sound atmospheric, wasn't against it hanging around ages in the chart at all. Ended up liking Ink and True Love too although not ASFOS or Midnight. Based on just Shadow Moses, and indeed that's about all even I know of them otherwise, it is 'watered down'. I like my metal commercial though, that's not too much of a problem, and I really do agree with you on the vocals. And that's really cool, Coldplay have been about long enough that there should be something for nearly everybody somewhere in their back cat, glad Magic's hit it for you. I have, and indeed did at the time, but, while it's still very much up there in my affections, I will remain bowing at Mark Ronson's feet like I have been doing for many years. ^_^ (:D) I am very much liking this countdown but shocked to see 'Froot' fairly low down! Shame that you haven't warmed as much towards it. Absolutely, he is talented and has indeed gotten more so as time goes on, I'm just enjoying the funk revival, can we call it a revival yet? Hopefully. Yeah, I'm not sure what I really wanted from Marina really but I just didn't really connect with Froot in the biggest way, I like it sure but for me I don't quite feel the heart in it that was there before in her music. Hopefully when I hear the rest of the songs I'll warm up and stop holding on to my winter froots (or something to that effect). ~~~~ Down on the West Coast, they got their icons, their silver starlets, their Queens of Saigons We'll go down in history I wanna hold you close like it’s the very first time Sobering up we just sit on the couch Mercy, I have no feelings of mercy 74. Olga un Ligo - Saule Riet I'm your greatest masterpiece Afterlife, oh my God, what an awful word And all the kids they say, we'll live to fight another day It unfortunately seems that the main thing, as of writing that Lana Del Rey has to offer on her new album that's anywhere near the quality of Born To Die is West Coast, another cool and trippy song that took a few plays to stick with me, so maybe there is hope for the rest of Ultraviolence yet. Good for cool summer evening vibes, as long as you don't want to feel too happy at the end of it. Honestly though, glad she made this one to go with the gems from the first era. Centuries is another fantastic rock tune from one of the better pop punk bands in the game, it's a little bit emo, it's a little bit geeky, it's all parts amazing. Like all rock songs with any form of success these days I was pleased with how long it managed to stay around. I've been exploring the older things from this genre a lot and so any and all new stuff is likely to find its way into my good books. Hmm, Prom Night, a track that pretty much dragged me into loving an chiptune song, which I was probably prone to already with the interests I have going on, but there's something about the way this works that really lifts my emotions, I'm ashamed I didn't pay as much attention to this in BJSC as I should have done, it's become one of the most lasting discoveries, probably because it sounds nothing like anything else I've loved this year. It is awesome. Sing... is Sing, it's big, obviously a hit, a great Ed Sheeran song and my favourite of his big three from X. We aren't quite done with him yet, but it was excellent to see his first #1 be a song like this and let the likes of Thinking Out Loud come later, shows he's not giving up being interesting just yet. Like all big hits it becomes more normal as we get used to it but on its own this is actually a rather unusual hit, even if obvious, and he deserves credit for that at least. Master Of Tides was an instant highlight from Shatter Me, and I clearly pick singles well, as it was chosen as the third 'single' a few months after Shatter Me, complete with swashbuckling music video featuring Lindsey playing violin in costume in a fountain, never has there been a violin-dubstep-nautical-shanty more energetic, another brilliant piece of music from Lindsey. Wild Soul was clearly a victim of my tastes in lyrics not really matching up with most sane people's taste in lyrics, as while I absolutely loved the dark emotional rocky vibe of the song and even more so when Cristina came dressed as Daenerys for the contest, the nihilism clearly didn't get many people voting, and it came last in the semi, as well as last overall, unfortunately even behind that tragic Belgian wailer. At one time, like Hunter Of Stars, it was my absolute favourite song of ESC 2014, which would have been an interesting opposition had it stayed that way. I still maintain it's incredible and everyone else just missed everything about it. Also, Moldova are my kind of country. Latvia aren't really. I'm admittedly more sympathetic than most to the half-hearted things they send, and I loved Cake To Bake this time around, but of course they had something better to send in their NF and it was this: Wake Me Up on speed and folk fiddles. Which naturally works excellently, and it just got better as the year went on. You Ruin Me I never expected to be a ballad, my main experience with The Veronicas being about the same as many people's, Untouched, 4ever and nothing else. With only a few listens it did the job though, I loved Tegan & Sara's I Was A Fool last year, and this is pretty much this year's version, a few more vulnerable-sounding vocals, and an incredible number of different ways to sing the title; it just gets more poignant each time. The highlighted lyric on Afterlife starts off the track brilliantly and like Reflektor last year, it just keeps going and going and getting greater all the time. Inflated by my new-found love for them in their entirety, it's hung on from being denied a place in last year's EOY for being too new, and now it's up here. A beautiful anthem to anchor in the second-half of the album. Stevie is similarly good, from the first listen of 48:13 I knew it was a highlight, and then the single release helped me to adore it more and more. It has one of the best choruses Kasabian have ever done, and with the improved production from this album overall its steadily working its way up my list of their best songs.
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