Sorry more pretty bad commentary again due to super tiredness for a second day in a row. Here we go~

 

---♫---

 

~BJSC EOY - TOP 100~

 

60

 

HOLYCHILD - 'Money All Around'

Hendinia | BJSC 78

 

Harmonica firstly gave me a taste of HOLYCHILD with their very infectious entry 'Running Behind'. Thus, when I saw the name crop up again I was very intrigued to hear what this one would be like. Of course it was another great one from them! The song itself is a lot of fun, and sonically my favourite aspect would be the chopped up vocal parts. On top of this the music video is outstanding! The simple but effective addition of the little fact boxes throughout work so well, covering everything from Gaga's meat dress to the average earnings of a singer. They do a great job of elevating the entire thing. Hendinia received 10 points for this.

 

59

 

IRIS - 'I'll Wait For You'

Federal Republic of Ashton | BJSC 77

 

Here is the first instance of us pointing longstanding BJSC nation Federal Republic of Ashton! Outside of our 18 point swap in the Dance Anthems spinoff the points were a little quiet, so it was great to become a big fan of one of their entries this year. 'I'll Wait For You' is rather addictive in both its production and catchy sing-a-long lyrics. IRIS also has a great voice. Big thumbs up over here! Ashton received 8 points for this gem. While I don't look back too fondly on BJSC 77 in terms of my own performance, this was one of many excellent songs that it had to offer which more than made up for it.

 

58

 

Gfoty - 'Friday Night'

Hendinia | BJSC 77

 

If you thought HOLYCHILD was the first and last of Hendinia then you thought wrong. A double whammy from one of our biggest haters (even if becoming less-so somewhat recently, altering original ranking of 'Time' from like 2/10 to a solid 5/10 x) 'cause I absolutely could not deny this. I do usually resent this kind of annoying PC music type song but this is a total anomaly. 'Friday Night' is just so euphoric. I do have a bit of a guilty pleasure for all the rather hoe-y lyrics. This is one of my go-to songs when I need a bit of a boost as it never fails to put me in a good mood. Now an official vid please. Hendinia received 9 points for this.

 

57

 

Theodora - 'One Foot In The Grave'

N DNTN | BJSC 77

 

A triple helping of BJSC 77 greatness. Thank goodness Theodora was saved from her almost-DNQ after a bit of a mix up, as this was essential in the final. It stood out from the rest in a very idiosyncratic way. 'One Foot In The Grave' is rather captivating, from the commanding vocals to the pulsating production. It's dripping with synths which is always a good thing too. Lyrically I love the repetition of the title and the talk of the cards. Props to the video as well, I appreciate the cheeky covering of the lewdness with the square and her face. Overall a bit dark and weird but super enjoyable all the same. 10 points for you N DNTN (back in the summer), you go N DNTN.

 

56

 

Steven A. Clark - 'Can't Have'

Desbuanda | BJSC 78

 

I was so gutted for Desbuanda that this didn't do so great in the final, as it was easily one of my favourites! This should not be an example of me supporting a charity case as it deserves far more than that. This as a whole works so well: his gorgeous vocals, the excellent production (with the very brief beautiful piano moment near the end too <3) and the lyrics that all flow so well together. The chorus tells the very relatable tale of "I guess we always want we can't have". I find it hits even harder when he repeats "can't have" over and over again. Very raw and emotional. Why oh why did this not do better. 12 points were awarded to Desbuanda for this stunning entry.

 

55

 

Christine and The Queens - 'Saint Claude'

N DNTN | BJSC 76

 

WB N DNTN to this section. French with a dash of English entry 'Saint Claude' is absolutely mesmerising. It gives me chills every time! She sings the words with so much passion and the subtle production compliments this so well. I love the simplicity of the video too, her dancing is rather fab. I am still yet to hear 'Christine' but I can definitely say that I am all over this. Christine and The Queens received 9 points for this contest.

 

54

 

Tame Impala - 'Cause I'm A Man'

Flynnonda | BJSC 76

 

Here we have the first appearance from fellow BJSC 74 debutants Flynnonda. Lux Lisbon really should've been their first points from us, but alas that was never to be. So instead we have the brilliant Tame Impala to claim that feat. I'd heard of them but didn't really know much of their material at all. This is just glorious in its carefree and chilled nature. Loving the über-trippy visuals as well! Everything is just majorly on point here, the production being no exception either. Tame Impala grabbed 10 of our points in BJSC 76.

 

53

 

Goodbye Tomorrow - 'JAY Z'

Séyetana | BJSC 75

 

Ahh I can always rely on Séyetana to provide a bit of diversity to the contest quite a lot. This is no exception, bringing a bit of rap to Perseventyfive (a perfect fit when hosted by the swag king himself) and some amazing rap at that. I totally get comparisons to Kendrick and Kanye because this really is good enough to be up there with them, why is it not bigger! That confident hook of an ode to one of the biggest rap legends can get stuck in my head for days! It's backed up by some extremely fantastic beats and backing vocals in places too. I just can't get enough of it. 10 swag points were given for Goodbye Tomorrow.

 

52

 

Kinnie Lane - 'Je te suivrai'

Ultraviolenceland | BJSC 74

 

While our general points flow with Ultraviolenceland is pretty weak so far, this is the utter exception to that. This was one of the many highlights of my debut contest and I still love it every bit as much. I may not be able to understand a word as it's in French, but it comes off as super sweet and catchy as I cannot resist the urge to sing along every single time. Plus the production on this is pretty great as well, I'm loving the subtle electronic elements. We gave a hefty 10 points to Kinnie Lane in this contest.

 

51

 

LION BABE - 'Treat Me Like Fire'

Jayrusalem | BJSC 73

 

While Jadakissnia and Jayrusalem have noticeably never swapped points before (minus the dance spinoff!11) this totally would not have been the case had I signed up just one month earlier! Her hair alone is fabulous, let alone the song. What a song it is! It's so sultry and smooth, her voice is rather special and the production is really cool on top of that. I particularly love the midway point of the song when she sings a lot of random notes as it really highlights how fantastic her voice is. This should be a hit outside of BJSC too! Though at least she's making waves via 'Hourglass' with Disclosure.

 

---♫---

Edited December 4, 20159 yr by Slade

Kinnie :heart: :heart: :heart:

Gfoty, Steven A. Clark, Kinnie Lane, Goodbye Tomorrow AND Lion Babe :heart:

 

Also My entry too Thanks Jade :heart:

I think "Friday Night" was one of those songs that seems chaotic at first but a couple of listens through and it slowly worms into your head.

 

Not really sure what to think about "Treat Me Like Fire" but I will admit that "Impossible" is BEYOND.

Swag :music: Glad my diversity could be of service with 'JAY-Z' :heart:)

Yay JAY Z reject appreciation :D

 

I see Stars and Insomnia are :music: love snow and Hold Me Up is great and Intoxicated is a great bop :music:

 

Important hilarious but great and so is What You Do and Bad especially! Nightclub Nirvana and Loves Got Me High :music:

 

Trance and Acid also good :D

Without giving my own EOY away (;o), 'JAY Z' is still very much up there with my absolute favourites of the year :wub: Also great selections there with LION BABE, Tame Impala, Christine And The Queens, GFOTY and Iris. Yass for Kai Tracid in the previous section as well, so glad I wasn't the only fan of that in the end!

Rejects Success, Scottish Christmas and a Secret Surprise

 

Quick note to say thank you to all who voted for Stranger Cat in the opening round of Rejects! Muhsinah expectedly crashed out with just 5 points, but thankfully 'Unzip Your Skin' won enough over to give us a first ever taste of making it past the first Rejects round. I was generally happy with the outcome elsewhere, with all of my DNQ 12 pointers getting justice here! So yes, thank you and please vote Stranger Cat in the semi it has been drawn in as well!

 

Elsewhere, the Christmas spinoff has arrived! It is being hosted in Ultraviolenceland but excitingly we (alongside business partners Hushkanukia) will be part of the veto panel successfully trialled in the Halloween spinoff. Our own entry for the contest has been described as 'A Scottish version of The Pogues' by one commenter, which we sorta get but yes the Scottish vibes are very strong. Also the production is v nice and wintery.

 

Also, our EOY countdown will resume tomorrow! Unfortunately I didn't get round to finishing today's section so tomorrow it is. We have also been putting something else together over the past couple of months in free time that I will post after that has concluded. Thanks to all who have followed/participated in discussion so far! Also to those who have included us in EOYs, it means a lot to see other people appreciating songs that we are very passionate about. Yay!

Edited December 6, 20159 yr by Slade

---♫---

~BJSC EOY - TOP 100~

50

Silvermine - 'Flying (Solarstone Pure Remix)'

Quintessa | BJSC 74

Quintessa kick off the top half of this countdown in style. This is the first of three appearances for the country. We begin with the stunning 'Flying (Solarstone Pure Remix)' from my debut contest. We gave it 8 points in the semi so this was one of my biggest losses in terms of DNQs. Baffled that it also failed to qualify in Rejects! I'm saddened that this still hasn't quite caught on properly. Anyway, the song is a beautiful example of trance. The emotion in this is really special and in particular I love the way the chorus is delivered with the elongated notes. The production is such a gorgeous mix of the usual trancey sounds and also piano! A lovely combination. This may not have qualified but at least it secured a few big fans, a truly worthwhile discovery.

49

Caravan Palace - 'Lone Digger'

Kluminican Republic | BJSC 80

Obvs taking inspiration from iconic Eurovision entrants Electro Velvet, here we have Caravan Palace with a bit of electro swing. This is incredibly infectious and stood out for miles in the latest contest. A great comparison also made is to Gramophonedzie's 'Why Don't You' which maybe explains why I love this so much. Honestly such an earworm though. I've finally seen the video now too and it's just as iconic. Literally three cats walking into a club and everyone killing each other while a stripping gazelle is blissfully unaware. Amazing. Especially when the animation is so good. This now cements a top two of fab videos after 'Ghost' winning this contest, now to see if 'I've Been Secretly Falling Apart' delivers on that front too eventually. Love love love, this gave Kluminican Republic 11 points from us.

48

XOV - 'DTTM (Don't Talk To Me)'

Cadelicia | BJSC 79

Next up is another one that has released a video since the contest! Just checked that out and it's all rather ~artsy~ with its black and white editing and face painting usage. It doesn't really do an awful lot to enhance the song for me but that isn't really an issue when I love the song anyway. It opens with the bold statement "I admit I'm a freak of nature" and remains just as interesting throughout. The chorus may only consist of the title repeated but it's done so in an effective and emotional way. Of course it's lifted by the fantastic production afterwards too. We were happy to give Cadelicia points again for the first time since our debut, awarding them 11 again just like in that contest.

47

KSHMR - 'JAMMU'

Danaelanda | BJSC 77

Next up is a sensational selection from dance dominated Danaelanda this year! This stood out from all their other entries in being the most hard-hitting of the lot. Not only is the song an absolute banger, it's also rather powerful through the video. 'I c what he did thurr' titled 'Jammu' of Northern Indian Jammu and Kashmir fame uses some of these influences to completely elevate any ol' Spinnin' Records jam into one that has a bit more depth and emotion. It is a force by itself, but do be sure to check out the vid too in tribute to his grandma. This picked up a large 11 points from us!

46

RUUMER - 'House of Cards'

Hendinia | BJSC 76

RUUMER (apparently formerly known as L2, good rebrandage move) marks another appearance for Hendinia here! I forgot how much I stanned over a few of their entries this year, but the points do not lie. Listening to this back now and it is so glorious! It's one of those songs where it's all about the chorus, it has such an anthemic feel to it. Not to completely disregard the verses of course as there are some fun lyrics in there. But yeah what a total MOMENT when that chorus hits! It just makes me feel so happy. A brief middle 8 of muffled words works surprisingly well too! Great job. This grabbed 11 points from us.

45

tiny deaths - 'Ocean'

Persephonia | BJSC 78

Another excellent offering now from our favourite country of the year, Persephonia! This nation continually impresses me, particularly in this case where they'd been sitting on something this good for a while! Bringing the goods and with some stuff up their sleeve too, I like. Anyway, what I love about this is firstly that distinctive synthy sound that is strong enough to pretty much carry the whole song along! The other components are super strong too of course. One particular favourite part is when she sings "you were just beyond my...reach" prior to the chorus, an excellent little bit of suspense before the iconic production comes rushing back in to grab your attention. 11 points in the bag for Persephonia here.

44

Django Django - 'First Light'

Trifoski | BJSC 75

Everybody's favourite odd defiers are back to grab another space a bit higher this time. Cor Lupus may think this is one of the worst entries of the year but my opinion could not be more opposite! I fell in love with this straight away upon hearing it as a potential! That hazy Beach Boys-esque delivery that's going on is so lush. The melody and harmonies are just wonderful! The production also fits in alongside just magically. What more could you want! Trifoski received 11 for this wondrous entry.

43

About The Girl - 'We Have To Talk'

Cadelicia | BJSC 74

Another 11 points awarded here and another Cadelicia 11 pointer at that! What a super discovery this was in a debut contest, I still remain as in love with it now as well. 'We Have To Talk' lets the production mainly do the talking for me, with those repetitive sounds (albeit switched up a bit throughout) being extremely hypnotic. The vocals of course are fabulous too! The French accent is gorgeous throughout and gives a really sultry vibe. Just an excellent standout bit of dance!

42

Eves The Behavior - 'TV'

Desbuanda | BJSC 73

Well Noah, you were hoping for 'Can't Have' to do well, and this has gone and smashed even harder here! Yup I'm a bit of a BJSC geek and have listened to many hits from past contests so I was quite familiar with this despite not joining until the contest after! I could not leave this out though, it's absolutely stunning. I'm not 100% on what this is about but for me personally I see it as feeling like you connect more with people you see on TV ("I saw my feelings on TV last night") rather than those in real life. Which is a really great topic! She brings this subject to life and absolutely knocks it out the park with the killer delivery. Just gorgeous. 'Electrical' by her is also insane, I feel she'll definitely be one to watch.

41

Young Fathers - 'Get Up'

Cumulonimbia | BJSC 79

Just missing out on top 40 glory but still doing ever so well is the addictive 'Get Up'. I was actually not too familiar with the material of the Mercury Prize 2014 winners, so this was an incredible introduction to the glorious madness. I adore how chaotic this is, with different elements of huge production flying in from different directions to create an absolutely epic sound. The delivery is also on fire! I am hooked on every second and want to join in this party stat. Young Fathers received 12 points from us two contests ago!

---♫---

Edited December 7, 20159 yr by Slade

Young Fathers *.* Django Django, tiny deaths, KSHMR *.* All really good :wub:

Cor Lupus may think this is one of the worst entries of the year.

It's boring! The light surf rock Beach Boys-type of genre is a very delicate genre to tackle, and it just seems a bit off. It's not even the worst entry (IMO it's that one Megan & Liz feature)

 

"Jammu" still gives me LIFE with that drop.

Ooh wow, was wondering if I'd be able to creep in here... low and behold, I have 3! Lots of love your way, Jade <3

~ BJSC TBO VIII ~

 

The nomination round for BJSC TBO VIII is now OPEN! If you wish to help us progress to the next round of this then here is what is eligible:

 

 

Last Lynx - Curtains | BJSC 74 | 13th

 

 

ONUKA - Time | BJSC 75 | 9th

 

 

M+A - When | BJSC 76 | 36th

 

 

AK & LYNX ft. Veela - Virtual Paradise | BJSC 78 | 7th

 

 

jj - 'All White Everything' | BJSC 79 | 26th

 

(also EOY countdown will continue very soon, apologies I was swamped in assignments this week!)

---♫---

~BJSC EOY - TOP 100~

40

Wolf Tide - 'Spoke The Words'

FARC | BJSC 80

Kicking off the top 40 is the utterly stunning 'Spoke The Words'. I'd been introduced to this as a potential many months ago and was vying for the nation to send it. I was thrilled to see it pop up in this edition! The song is so gloriously chill-out, blending rather smooth blissful vocals with subtle but interesting production. This stood out just beautifully in amongst the rest of the final in the latest contest. Wolf being such a common title for artists/entries needn't be a bad thing. This meant that FARC finally received points from us again since our debut, with Wolf Tide grabbing 12 of them.

39

Sandra - '(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena'

Singerpurear | BJSC 77

Singerpurear proving why old can sometimes be gold. Or at least top 10! European (except for the U.K. of course. Why?!) 80s smash '(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena' was their latest dabble in idiosyncrasy. And it totally worked! Who would've thought that Singerpurear would be pulled out of their unlucky DNQ streak into the high heavens of the top 10! They pulled this off in style, as this song really is quite something. Despite its age it is truly timeless. That huge electronic production is fantastic and the song itself is so catchy and fun. I can also report that Sandra's greatest hits is everything. We need more of this 80s-type sound in the contest! Singerpurear proving why they're one of my favourite countries here, and there's still more from them to come. This song received 12 points from us.

38

Courtney Barnett - 'Pedestrian At Best'

Unovia | BJSC 74

I want whatever Unovia were on in this contest and the one after. Seriously, so on form! Unovia love a good Aussie act and Courtney Barnett was a great one for them to introduce the BJSC masses to, what a talent! She is such an incredible lyricist, though I gathered that would be the case just from her song titles alone. What with the genius of 'Pedestrian At Best' and the likes of 'Avant Gardener' and 'Depreston'. She has an extremely distinctive voice and I love the way she satirically delivers the lyrics. Plus the colourful video really brings the words she sings to life. Brilliant! Unovia impressed us from the offset, as we awarded this 12 points in our debut contest.

37

A-Trak ft. Andrew Wyatt - 'Push'

Cor Lupus | BJSC 75

Cor Lupus floppi... oh no wait, they've landed themselves a spot in my top 40! Hooray! In all seriousness, despite 'West End Kids' or 'Savages' usually being the average BJ member's answer to their fave Cor Lupus entry, this is still the one that has impressed me the most. 'Push' holds a place in my heart for being that type of dance song that leaves me feeling utterly euphoric! Yup, my utter adoration for it is not due to the lewd vid (what do you take me for!) but for the pure energy and joy of it. My absolute highlight is the little "baby...just take me with you" bit of the chorus that just elevates the excitement of it all even further. Excellent stuff! This received 12 points from yours truly.

36

Art vs Science - 'In This Together'

Land of DW | BJSC 76

This was definitely the moment I suddenly sat up and took notice of Land of DW. 'In This Together' is an incredibly unique entry, in its contest but also in the whole competition as nothing has sounded similar since either. I adore how spacey it sounds. The build-up of the production throughout is such an exciting experience and the vocals are great as well. I need more of this type of stuff from you Land of DW! 'In This Together' received 12 points from us.

35

LOLAWOLF - 'Calm Down'

Deandria | BJSC 78

Still sad about this DNQing. LOLAWOLF aka Zoë Kravitz is the daughter of Lenny Kravitz, fun fact! She proves that she is quite the talent too just like her father, as this is so striking! I really thought Deandria were really onto a strong comeback here after the poor performance in the previous contest, so I'm really sad that this didn't quite catch on! It's so vibrant, quirky and fun and one I come back to an awful lot. A shame it didn't even get Rejects justice! You meanies. More standout stuff like this please Deandria, even if this didn't qualify it was still a very fantastic discovery! We gave this 10 points in the semi.

34

Stephen Lopkin - 'Farewell G41'

Skall | BJSC 80

Skall's very recent formula of pretty long dance instrumentals that worm their way into your brain certainly has been sitting well with me! Though apparently not so much with the general BJSC voters. 'Blaff' was a beauty that sadly slipped through the net, and though this came VERY close to qualifying, sadly it was not to be. I guess it still did pretty well considering how dance-heavy this semi was, though! Anyway, it found a HUGE fan in me! I just find it so joyous and infectious. The fact that it's essentially the same repeated loop with slight alterations for a good 6 minutes and it can hold my attention the entire way through says a lot. Bravo Skall. This received 10 points in the semi, one of the few brutal losses for me in BJSC 80.

33

SchulKid ft. Valair - 'Slow Dancing'

Pupok | BJSC 80

Well speaking of Jadakissnian BJSC 80 semi faves losses... This was such a huge WTF moment! Being tipped as a possible top 10 contender, this wasn't even particularly close to qualifying. Baffling stuff! Pupok caught our attention a little bit previously with Phantogram, but it was THIS that finally won us over. This stood out for miles in a sea of dance, as it's my favourite type! That being the extremely cool electronic synthy 80s-ish type. ALSO there's a kitty in the vid. Anyway this is just wonderful! Is it because I imagine that it was written about me and Bray slow dancing to Michelle McManus on our wedding day? Perhaps. Hehe. Great song though! This was the 5th time we'd lost our 12 from a semi, cry. Apologies that you had to fall victim to this curse Pupok!

32

Badpojken - 'Johnny G (The Guidetti Song)'

Dobago | BJSC 78

Omg YESSS. No regrets at how much I love this tbh. Having some kind of odd standout factor tends to bode well with me it seems. In this case it would be a Scandinavian dance song about a footballer that has resemblances of 'I'm An Albatraoz'. You couldn't make this stuff up. This is SUCH a banger though. The debutants have really impressed me since I joined! I've already fawned over St. Burbia's debut, another one is still to come much later, and here we are with Dobago's debut! What a way to put your mark on the contest. This is SO much fun! The pulsating instrumentation throughout keeps me hooked and the chanting back-and-forth nature of the middle 8 in particular ("Johnny G, Johnny G, will you marry me?" keeps it lodged in my brain even after the song has finished. Plus I love the way she says "Guidetti" in the chorus. I was very surprised to see this qualify but happy all the same! A shame Dobago's entries have swiftly gone downhill with the absolute mess that was Koo and the Basshunter ripoff but we'll let those slide when this was so good. Badpojken received 15 points from us, meaning it's the first silver medal song out in the countdown.

31

SYKES - 'Best Thing'

Ajanaeda | BJSC 74

Well hello there Ajanaeda! Getting very nostalgic about this one right now as it's one of the standout songs that reminds me of my debut contest. Anyway, here we have a very pleasant song indeed! I love how subtle the whole thing feels, yet the verses seem to be packed with quite a bit of suspense. That chorus is such a beauty though! I love the lyrics, production and the vocalist is lovely too. Plus the girl in the vid is a total hybrid of Sia and Lily from Hannah Montana. I don't think I love this *quite* as much as I did at the time, but it still holds a place in my heart. I'm still a bit sad that this didn't do a lot better, especially after a fair few optimistic predictions! This was a huge favourite of ours in our debut, receiving 15 points.

---♫---

Is that what it actually says? I've never really paid attention to that part of the chorus and thought it was some random sample (probs from a Miike Snow track).

 

"Johnny G" is probably one of the biggest guilty pleasures yet. Dobago should be known for that type of dance :D (Try putting in Demi Lovato's "Confident" in the chorus :P)

Anyway this is just wonderful! Is it because I imagine that it was written about me and Bray slow dancing to Michelle McManus on our wedding day? Perhaps. Hehe.

 

<3 x

 

Great set of songs here (well 33-40 are anyway, not quite as keen on the last two). Also made me realise LOLAWOLF is really far too low on my list. Not sure what I was thinking there ~

Sandra.... Courtney Barnett...A-Trak....Art VS Science :heart:

 

Wolf Tide aint bad

Edited December 12, 20159 yr by MerryFlynnmas

Sandra! :yahoo: :wub:

 

Thanks jade, great commentaries as always - your enthusiasm makes me want to look again at tracks that passed me by, and reinforces what i loved about the ones that grabbed me :cheer:

yay for 'JAMMU' making an impakt on this chart!! A few good songs in your top 40 so far too, mainly 'Push' :heart:

^ thanks for all the comments :wub: new EOY section should be coming soon!

 

Meanwhile...

 

BJSC Christmas

 

 

The BJSC Christmas spinoff is under full swing now! Our own entry has been revealed as 'A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss)' by Glasvegas. I instantly fell in love with this and I hope a lot of you do too. The gorgeous twinkly production throughout put me in a very Christmassy mood and the the iconic heavy Scottish accent works well alongside, very emotive. We hope you all enjoy! In a sea of Shrek, Basil Brush and Mr Showbiz who knows what could happen.