Warm In The Winter! *.* i came across that one fairly late (mid-2013), their track "The Possessed" (which was also in bjsc and didn't get nearly the right amount of love) was what lead me to it eventually

 

Sunlight! *.* smash hit right there

 

And OMG those extremely time consuming sections are done :drama: Must do a less laborious format next year.

Oh my God, tell me about it. The struggle has never been realer. I've pretty much stalled in the mid 30's and feel a bit nauseous every time I consider writing some more. :drama:

 

There's a lot of great stuff in those last couple of sections and your commentaries are as sharp as ever. Hope you don't mind me c+p'ing some of them directly into my own thread. :jump:

Edited December 31, 201410 yr by Noahspike

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19. Momofoko – We Know

20. DrugznDreamz – Higher (Is Tropical Remix)

 

My two favourite discoveries from Unknown Pleasures are two very different tracks (and it's a rather strange coincidence that they were sent by the same poster! Muchos gracias Seven, keep it up with the wonderful song contest entries next year :heart: )

 

For DrugnznDreamz, the song and artist title tell you all you need to know about this - it's some drugged out shit indeed. As a song, it takes a lot of different turns - primarily it has a psychadelic house song with some synths that sound a bit like video game music (and that's backed up by the Mario mushroom video below), there's even something of a hip hop verse that comes in at the end. It's a bit of a strange journey of a track, but it's an enjoyable one for sure.

 

Taking the title (narrowly) as my favourite discovery from that contest this year is the peculiarly named Momofoko - in comparison to the above track, is a great indie-pop number complete with a stadium style singalong bridge before everything lets loose for the rousing 'chorus' per se, the lyrics don't make a lot of sense, but by hearing it a few times, it'd be surprising if you didn't sing along.

 

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17. Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne – Rather Be

18. Tove Lo – Habits (Stay High) (Hippy Sabotage Remix)

Recipient of: Best song with the most indecipherable lyrics ever

 

Two rather big hits of the year now, yet both were quite unexpected in the way that I'd have never thought the artists would do anything.

 

Tove Lo wasn't a name I really knew other than that I'd seen a lot of love for her on Buzzjack (a bit like Tinashe currently :ph34r:) and I will continue to be ignorant by saying I haven't heard the original version of Habits yet, but I do love this song. I guess it could be seen that Tove is reduced to a standard vocalist , but I think her shrill vocals really add to the chilling and beautiful atmosphere created that swerves round as the verses and chorus are repeated, which sort of reflects the feeling of 'staying high' then coming down when the verse starts again. My only gripe is her diction - 'Staying in my play pretend, weather fine, ain't got no air' + 'To find, to pie' - I can't be the only one that hears this?!

 

Little words need saying for Rather Be, one of the biggest songs of the year and deservedly so. Clean Bandit were always a really refreshing prospect for me, I mean can you get more unique than baroque pop, a genre that hasn't touched the charts for decades and it excellently fused with pop and modern beats. Rather Be, unlike Mozart's House & A&E, sounds a lot more commercial but that doesn't affect it at all. The classical violins merge well with pop beats and Jess Glynne's vocals are excellently cast and give the track a soulful, universal feel. It never really got old with overplay and still sounds brilliant today. A real high point for them if not quite THE high point....

 

18. Tove Lo – Habits (Stay High) (Hippy Sabotage Remix)

Recipient of: Best song with the most indecipherable lyrics ever

 

Two rather big hits of the year now, yet both were quite unexpected in the way that I'd have never thought the artists would do anything.

 

Tove Lo wasn't a name I really knew other than that I'd seen a lot of love for her on Buzzjack (a bit like Tinashe currently :ph34r:) and I will continue to be ignorant by saying I haven't heard the original version of Habits yet, but I do love this song. I guess it could be seen that Tove is reduced to a standard vocalist , but I think her shrill vocals really add to the chilling and beautiful atmosphere created that swerves round as the verses and chorus are repeated, which sort of reflects the feeling of 'staying high' then coming down when the verse starts again. My only gripe is her diction - 'Staying in my play pretend, weather fine, ain't got no air' + 'To find, to pie' - I can't be the only one that hears this?!

You really know how to make Haus mad don't you :angry: Firstly, listen to the original 'Habits' as a MUST (then the rest of 'Truth Serum') then listen to Tinashe's 'Aquarius' :hitler:

 

I agree with your description of this though, her music takes you so high, then crashes you back down every passing minute. Such a beauty. <3

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15. SOHN - Artifice

16. Lilly Wood & The Prick vs Robin Schulz – Prayer in C

 

Only a handful of UK number 1s made it into my top 20, but the ones that did were definitely worthy of it. The original version of Prayer In C is really sombre, slow but still quite a gripping stripped back affair, which is lovely but it would never have became a hit, so I think it's quite good that Robin Schulz could work his touch on it, like he did for Waves, and it becomes a big hit. The good thing here is that it still maintains that sombre and emotional tone exactly, and the dance production isn't particularly strong enough to overshadow the excellent lyrics and simply makes it a lot more dynamic and accessible, it still makes for a very different kind of number 1, even without considering Waves' huge success. This narrowly wins over the aforementioned, if just because Waves' chilled vibes can't quite match the sheer emotional power of this one.

 

Another number 1, just on a different chart at (but no less important to Buzzjackers :magic:) is SOHN, another Buzzjack name that I knew of but just couldn't really get into his material that I'd heard, it all changed with this one, which was a lot more accessible and pop-leaning than anything else I'd heard from him, but still had a real emotional power in the lyrics and the melody and humming instrumental that builds with the lyrics, a really beautiful affair and probably the song that grew on me the most after the BJSC it was in (another album to add to my to-listen-to list probably yay)

 

Edited January 1, 201510 yr by Wauldlangsynaby

I adore if I could change your mind and prayer in c + rather be are both great dance songs :wub:

I absolutely adore Ella and ghost and glow are both so so stunning :wub:

Blank space is absolutely amazing and I love the video :wub:

 

And yay for let it go and shake it off here :cheer: Both are amazing spectacular stunning masterpieces :wub:

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13. Fickle Friends – SWIM

14. Coldplay – A Sky Full of Stars

 

(Sorry 'bout the picture difference)

 

So at 14 is a song I initially said I was quite underwhelmed with, oops. I wasn't sure that Coldplay going down the Avicii route would really be that convincing, (though it would mean that they'd get a hit easy ofc.) and indeed, it took it's time to grow on me, but it eventually. It may not make full use of the guitars, but it's still an out and out uplifting anthem, Chris' vocals build with the track and they fit excellently with the instrumental, and do add a sense of identity to the track to not make it a standard dance song. I can take my loon glasses off and admit it's not exactly something new for them, but when they can still make stadium and generally feel good anthems as good as this, why stop?

 

At 13, is a song I entered to BJSC way back at the start of (last) year, I thought at the time on CHVRCHES with guitars and on laughing gas that improves their mood, and that's pretty much what I can still say now. It's a really excellently uplifting track with a wonderful electro-guitar instrumental, a sunny vocal and a really, really catchy and optimistic feeling made it a real keeper in the dark winter months and beyond. I am seeing their name around on blogs more recently and I hope so as it's the sort of dancey indie pop that we need to inject a bit of happiness sometimes.

 

Edited January 2, 201510 yr by Wauldlangsynaby

Wow, I never realised Fade Away had hit you so hard. :o Very glad I could provide that discovery for you, and that's a great commentary of it, probably better than mine, wistful is the perfect word for it. Yay evenness.

 

Your top 20 so far is utter fantasticness, all the perfect songs from the hits you've chosen and very good addictive songs in Artifice and We Know.

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11. Jay Dabhi & Moises Modesto – Cry For Freedom

Recipient of: 'No words needed...' award for best instrumental

12. Max Richter – Spring 1 (Ade Laugee Remix)

 

In the section before the all important top 10, we see two really great BJSC discoveries and are coincidentally both instrumental hits as well. Both are great for very different reasons.

 

I am a big fan of the Four Seasons so seeing them anywhere, let alone in BJSC, is always excellent to see, but I don't think I quite expected this. A very avant-garde like remix which combines the strings of Spring (in this case Max Richter's recomposition, but you can hear Vivaldi's original in there easily) with a pulsating dance beat and even a hint of bhangra music with the quite unexpected 'breakdown' coming midway through the song. There's various sound effects and distinct moaning sound heard throughout that gives it a slightly unsettliing feel. It's all rather a lot to take in in one listen, but if you could hardly ask for a more fresh prospect than this.

 

One place ahead is the beautiful BJSC winner, Cry For Freedom. I don't think there is a song more worthy of that award than this, and it essentially says all I need to say about it. It's a great drum'n'bass song made even more beautiful by the presence of sombre violins and a chilling piano and acoustic vibe with even a siren noise, it is enhanced even more by the context of the track as an anti-war, defiant anthem. There's no video I can find with it, but the music is so powerful that it captures that vision perfectly. Overall, it really is an inspiring and beautiful track that I could play over and over. The term 'music speaks for itself' can only be applied here.

 

Thanks to both senders of these tracks for the great discoveries, wish I could've found a place for them in my top 10, both still sound so good <3

 

 

-x-

 

I will start and hopefully finish the top 10 tomorrow, where I still have the following 'awards' to give (I've just realised I've forgot to allocate 'Best New Artist' whoops, let's give that to...George Ezra yay):

 

Best song

Best grower

Favourite Buzzjack related discovery

Favourite UK number 1

Best Movie song

Most inspired use of an instrument

Most refreshing surprise hit

Gloriously atmospheric song

Best instrument

Lifetime achievement award for most beauties released within the artists career

 

And again thank you for all comments so far, they all are much appreciated, I promise I will check out yours if I haven't already!

Edited January 2, 201510 yr by Wauldlangsynaby

Drugzndreamz and Momofoko back2back :o :o thank u, i had We Know as a UP potential for almost a year before sending it so it's kinda weird to see it in a few other EOYs!

 

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10. Clean Bandit – Mozart’s House

Recipient of: Most refreshing surprise hit

 

So I am aware that this was officially released in 2013, so perhaps doesn't have much of a place here, but assumedly because it exited so quickly, I honestly cannot recall it at all from there and it was only this year, when I felt an urge to check out their past material with the release of Rather Be, that I saw how wonderful it was. Rather Be, as lovely as it was, I don't feel fully made use of their absolute uniqueness like this track does. Deftly fusing grime, garage & electronic with that of classical Mozart music and not sounding out of place at all, and probably the most refreshing surprise hit in a long time (even if that was almost two years ago now, there is another song from 2013 still to come.)

 

Two other things to take away from this: Grace Chatto = YES *.* & this quite brilliant lyric: 'So you think electronic music is boring? You think, It's stupid? You think it's repetitive?Well, is repetitive'

 

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9. Duke Dumont feat. Jax Jones – I Got U

Recipient of: Most inspired use of an instrument

 

If just because of those steel drums, could you get any better I ask? I was never a fan of Need U (100%) so I was glad to hear this Whitney sampling follow up was much better in every way. Starting out quietly with lyrics from Whitney Houston's My Love Is Your Love before the 'clap your hands' refrain promises that something big is coming and then it hits you harder than ever with a glorious steel drums which paints a picture of summer times in your head just with the music, which was kinda nice in dark wet January. One of the enduring big hits that never got old for me and listening to it now still puts me in a happy place (which is what I need right now with essays etc.)

 

(there's no official artwork, so this'll do)

 

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8. We Are All Astronauts feat. Ellena Soule - Wolves

Recipient of: Gloriously atmospheric song

 

I've used the word atmospheric a lot during this countdown but I don't think anything can even hold a candle to this, and something I was glad to provide as a discovery to some in BJSC. I don't know a whole lot about this group except their tendency for space philosophy and they produce gloriously ambient and building remixes. The original version of Wolves is a folk acoustic guitar led song not too far from the style of Katie Melua, this remix slows it down and replaces the guitar with an ambient electronic instrumental that slowly builds around the soft yet stunning vocals of Ellena Soule (whose sense of identity in her vocals is still maintained here), I must say my favourite part is around 3:15-4:05 which really shows a joint power in both the production and the vocals. I cannot possibly describe the soaring, gorgeous build up of this song in words, it really needs to be listened to get all that out of it:

 

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7. Natural Animal – Who You Are

Recipient of: Best Buzzjack related discovery

 

Those of you that saw my BJSC top 50 thing would know this but yes, this brilliant, heart-warming positive indie pop anthem takes the title of best genuine Buzzjack discovery very easily. It really is a beautiful song that again has a lovely build up with a plinking piano in the verses and great unison-sang chorus and there is a genuine sincerity in the vocals which makes it all the more lovelier. It fuses this with some spoken vocals by philosopher, Alan Watts which, after a quick wikipedia scan, are taken from a talk that reflect on quite literally who you are. It works surprisingly well as both leading into the final chorus and closing the track. All in all, a song which, if I'm in a sad/emotional mood, could easily move me to tears as the lyrics are just so heartfelt, and that isn't always easy.

 

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6. Sigma – Nobody To Love

Recipient of: Best UK number 1

 

(NB: I've not yet heard Bound 2 so I might be missing some of the context) Commercial drum'n'bass at it's finest and most beautiful too. The opening piano keys that surround this are really hypnotic and are really the most memorable aspect of the whole track, which is nice as it gives it a more emotional and melodic feel than standard drum'n'bass, the vocals as well are greatly cast and dynamic in their delivery. I remember hearing this on Radio 1 and not believing that it had a chance of going mainstream, and was really pleasantly surprised it did, since then it's stuck with me remains appropriate and wonderful in any sort of mood or weather and makes me want to start singing along instantly.

 

Artifice is a fantastic song, it's indie mixed with electronic music I suppose that's how I'd describe it and it works really well. The production is incredibly tight and I love the falsetto in the chorus. I knew it before but TBO has made me re-discover it, hoping it'll at least qualify for the final.

 

Nobody To Love is a fantastic drum n bass song, it's one of my favourite dance genres and the dissection of Bound 2 works way better than I'd have guessed for a dance song. The decision to keep the 'uh huh honey's was a very good decision because it adds another element of light to the song. Very well crafted dance song and I'm glad it was a chart hit despite it not sounding that commercial.

I'm not dragging this out purposely I've just have no willpower recently :drama: this will (hopefully) be very quickly gotten over with by the end of today.

 

-x-

 

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5. Coldplay - Magic

Recipient of: Lifetime achievement award for most beauties released within the artists career

 

*commentary may contain traces of looning*

 

Well, it couldn't be anyone else could it? Long time, my favourite band ever and their beautiful, absorbing, enchanting, haunting, amazing, anthemic, insert additional positive adjective songs still really get me these days and what I suppose makes me happiest is that they've never really disappointed me as with each passing album, their sound never feels stale yet never sounding completely unlike them either.

 

Magic is very much a throwback to their Parachutes-era subtle songs, which coming after the stadium sounds of Mylo Xyloto, did come as something quite refreshing and it has all the charms of those songs too - a slowly impacting song that slowly becomes enchanting rather than instantly hitting you like A Sky Full of Stars, Chris' voice is a lot more restrained here, but still has a clear power to it. This song was very reflective of the style of Ghost Stories as a whole, which I was quite glad as the three singles did seem to point at three different sounds that suggested the album would be a bit messy. I was more happy with this more cohesive style, though Midnight/A Sky... did add a bit of variety at least.

(and were both amaze ofc.)

 

I can only hope they continue making songs of this standard into their next album and can only what I read isn't true and it won't be their last (:()

 

SO MUCH AWFUL MUSIC.

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4. HAERTS – Wings

Recipient of: Song that took the longest to grow

 

I first heard this in 2013 and didn't really think much of it, it took me a whole year before I came back to it and realised how wonderful it actually was, I think that constitutes the 'biggest grower' tag.

 

This is really affectionate number and I really love the lead singer's voice, she really adds a brilliantly emotional tone to the song and the guitar solo changes with the mood of the song but is always in the same way gripping. It all creates a really great feel-good atmosphere and I quite like the raw feel of it with no electronic/vocal effects and just straight classic instruments. HAERTS are quite high up my list of acts to check out further material of (and I will as soon as I've finished this actually, honest).