So no matter how much less I post on here and though I never frequent this forum in the year, I do still love the list culture in this part of the forum, so here I am for the sixth year, bringing you my top 100 tracks of the year.

 

2016, hmmm, bit of a shit year right? The year of questionable political decisions causing rifts in the world it may be and one of the toughest years of my life personally, it also unfortunately was the year I found it hard to be in with most mainstream music, not helping by the chart becoming the most dull and inspiring it's ever been for me quality wise resulting in me just not bothering with it anymore and well...streaming, but we can have the millionth discussion of that in the chart forum. But there have still been some special songs that have soundtracked this year that I can comment on - most of which come from this here website, BJSC has pretty much single-handedly been my source for new music in the latter half of the year. There may be quite a lot of stuff some of you may not know if your not in these certain musical circles, but hey, maybe you'll find a discovery~

 

So anyway, I hope you enjoy (I mean this is a countdown coming from a certified Buzzjack Award nominee of Best Music Taste B-)), I certainly will as a distraction to about a million other things I need to be doing in the holidays, I'll be starting next week and hopefully finishing before the year is out. Any readers and comments are very welcome!

Edited January 4, 20178 yr by Chez Wombat

Will definitely follow this one, looking forward to seeing what one of the members with the best taste has to offer us ^_^

Looking forward to this! :D

this should be a great one to follow :D

Excited for this!

Our tastes rarely overlap but I normally find a few things I love in here so hyped to see what pops up this year!

Woop, let's begin then

 

I'm not gonna do a hate chart/album chart or similar to start off with, I don't listen to enough of the latter and the former will probably be the same as everyone else's as it's been the main chart hits that have been the bane of my life this year.

 

Basically streaming, songs where 'work' said monotously is considered a good enough hook, soulless covers of amazing songs that many wouldn't even know is a cover, Acoustic male songs with '''meaningful''' lyrics, Drake's constant re-recordings, songs watered down to the nth degree of a new dance trend in order to appeal to streamers on Spotify who care nothing more for music than being the background to their social scene that can now get number 1, 4 FUCKING MUSIC (I thought Kiss FM was bad) and Meghan Trainor as when does she not all need to FUCK OFF in 2017 #rant

 

-x-

 

I've decided to start with a countdown of my favourite TV series of the year, as I have been checking out a lot more this year and filling time, this will only be 10, and these two are technically not there as I'm yet to finish them (or even get halfway through lmao), but I thought I'd include them anyway as they've caught my attention enough. I am disincluding shows I loved but haven't been all that enthused about this year, The Walking Dead (the second half of the sixth series was decent but flawed and the first half of the seventh has been largely uninspiring, I hope it doesn't continue on this downward trend as I binge watched the first six series this year and it was hella engaging), The 100 (largely a disappointing series and a show I'm tiring of, and no it's not because of Clexa, I do not watch the show purely for couples I 'ship' ffs)

ANYWAY, 9 & 10 are more 'amazing starts' than amazing series:

 

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10. The OA

 

So I only started this this week, which shows how much impact it's had on me in such a small space of time. I'm two episodes in and wow, this is going somewhere very interesting here? It's best you don't know as much about this before watching it, as it's all in the gradual build up that you get the clues, basically it's about a girl who is found after being missing for seven years, one small thing is she was blind before and now she isn't...that's about all I can say for that one. I've seen comparisons to Stranger Things, but honestly they both work seperate from one another from what I've seen and this really works as a true enigma of a show that I just love to watch. I hope it can keep living up to this~

 

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9. WestWorld

 

Again, one I've fallen behind on, but I am four episodes in and I have been suitably impressed so far. It has one of the most

to a TV Show I've seen...probably since Game of Thrones, and there are many comparisons to that one here that make it just as engaging in some places. The vast scope, the lavish production design, the notable characters and the multiple storylines and the general build up of uncertainty. Honestly, I'm still not quite sure where it's gonna end up at where I am. It's essentially a television remake of the 1973 film about robots in a Western themed amusement park coming to life or something, I've avoided the plot as I don't wanna spoil it, but it's really worth the watch, even if sometimes it definitely tests you with the bad things that happen to some characters. Can definitely see why it's getting the acclaim and I just hope the ending lives up to it!

Edited December 20, 20168 yr by Wombanta Claus

The following TV shows I have all seen the whole of woop~

 

(spoilers may be included)

 

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8. American Horror Story: Roanoke

 

So I don't give up on TV shows easily, but I thought for AHS it might be time to call it quits after the last two seasons. See I love anthology shows, Murder House was a pretty great intro, Asylum is where it really stepped up and Coven was also excellent, then Freak Show had SUCH an intriguing premise and characters, but it was all over the place and dragged on and on with too many storylines that I couldn't even finish it, and Hotel...yeah, utter style over substance, I barely made that two episodes in.

 

SO I'm very pleased that I can put it back in my good books based on the current series, this was back to basics - it had a simple premise, like Murder House but otherwise of a couple going to a cursed house and feeling the brunt of it, yes it's just like Murder House but it's a nice historical link and intriguing documentary format made it interesting. Moreover, the focus on ONE storyline rather than several made it more suspenseful and y'know, scary like a horror show should be. And then the twist midway was well done and built well even if you could predict where it was going. It was still flawed - found footage has become a painfully overused cliche and it becomes quite implausibel towards the end of the series and the finale felt a bit ridiculous in it's format and a bit of a messy ending. But these flaws were balanced with a good use of suspense, the characters weren't too outlandish and actually were very watchable, especially Sarah Paulson's hilarious British accent in the second half, and frankly, I didn't really miss Gaga oops. Overall, this was proof that back to basics CAN reinvigorate my interest in a show.

 

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7. The Exorcist

 

So yes, when I saw this on a newspaper advert one morning, I was...less than enthusiastic, classic films remade into a modern TV series don't usually fill me with help, as why should they be any better than terrible modern film remakes? So, yes this was a pleasant surprise as it was a very engaging and multi layered series that served more a sequel than remake. Indeed, it actually is almost completely separate from the original film in all but name at first, it telling the story of a young girl that is possessed by a demon in a different family and the story of two shamed priests that must work to stop it against the law as the beast's influence grows, so far so familiar~

 

But the show's strength lies in the big reveal midway through (censored so I don't ruin it for everyone~) which ups the stakes considerably and definitely kept me coming back to it. And from then on, the family's storyline with the two priests is brilliantly engaging, the only issue is what's going on outside that - there are various subplots about a priest's infidelity and the uncovering of some super big religious conspiracy that intensifies, I mean kudos on expanding the range of the original film, however it doesn't always work, mainly cos the outside characters of the family just aren't very interesting as well as the plots being relatively rushed. Overall, the series was great and works as a stand alone (at least assuming based on the (quite unfair) ratings) follow up to the film, I'm not sure a second series is needed, certainly not with this family, but the world of one of the top horror films of all time being expanded is always an interesting thing to view.

 

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6. The Living and the Dead

 

This was a box set on BBC iPlayer that I took advantage of earlier in the year, mainly by the presence of Colin Morgan, who I do still have fond memories of from the days of Merlin (also reminds me I haven't watched the second series of Humans yet, whoops lets add that to the list too), but supernatural dramas are always excellent and I've been freshly thinking of them after catching up on The Returned (original ofc.) earlier this year. This one wasn't quite as good, however it was still an effective BBC-style part supernatural part psychological costume drama that remained suspenseful until the end. As a story on it's own, the spirits of an old town returning to haunt the living and no one realising apart from one man would probably get old, and indeed it does start to drag somewhat until the penultimate episodes where it takes upon an Exorcist-style climax. The strength are the hints it teases you with, such as a girl with an iPad and a car pulling up in this old land making you think there is something VERY odd going down, and indeed the ending hints at more of this. It's a little confusing as a whole, especially with the timeline aspect coming into it, but it works as a classier than average ghost drama.

 

-x-

 

oh drat, I said I'd write less this year too.

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5. Bates Motel

 

So yes, another spin off of a horror series, I guess the few ones that actually WORK and complement the original work is a surefire way to get me into a TV series. I've been following Bates Motel for a few years now, and it even helped me out in one of my assignments for Uni, and I've been impressed how well it works as it's own programme as well as a homage that never is unfaithful to the original (except well the time differences), Freddy Highmore in particular couldn't have been a better fit as Norman Bates and Vera Farmiga is a pretty representative model of Norma that Hitchcock would've been proud of. The show's one flaw is I suppose quite obviously why it wouldn't make sense dragging it out - we all know, or at least those of us that have seen Psycho, what's gonna happen at the end, so it's question of when.

 

Well, thankfully that was answered this season where IT happened, you won't get what that is if you've never seen the film or TV series but those that do probably will know. And the build up to that is just amazing - to give a bit of background, Norman is worse than ever this season, on the back of various murders when his out of character self kicks in, he is in a mental home after Norma finally comes to her senses (but not really) and sees he is dangerous. The constant struggle between two well meaning but extremely flawed characters is so stark this season, and the ending feels like the build up of that tension over four seasons. Also good are the supporting characters, Sheriff Romero has always been very interesting, but this season he becomes far more directly linked to the Bates family, along with Dylan (the one normal fellow in the Bates family, poor guy) and Emma's presence, it'll be very interesting to see how their lives is affected over the next season after the news. I did also like how this season didn't focus on constant sub plots relating to gang life, criminal stuff as they did tend to drag and I'm far more interested in the actual family dynamic going on. Overall, this stepped up to fantastic television this year and is a show I'm very much looking forward to coming back.

 

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4. Game of Thrones

 

GOT continues to be one of the truly best things on television even going into it's sixth season and without the aids of the source material this time (who knows when/if we'll ever get them but as long as the show resolves), maybe I'd call it the best if I hadn't finally got round to finishing Breaking Bad this year, but that's besides the point isn't it. As ever, there was loads going on this season and as ever, it got a bit clustered but there's so much style and incredible acting/staging that you forgot that. Honestly, i was getting frustrated up to a point with some storylines this season - mainly that of Kings Landing, where the High Sparrow's dominance and the Tyrells doing naff all else was making things just a little bit boring, and ARYA's, I mean Christ how much mumbo jumbo and suffering do we have to witness before things start to happen? The fact these dragged on until mid season was frustrating BUT you can count on this show to resolve things excellently, and Cersei's final act, Arya's kill list claiming one big victim and THAT final battle between Jon and Ramsay and suitably incredible staging, made it all worth it, in fact I'd call that my favourite two final episodes to a season of GOT in a long time.

 

Other storylines that did get more interesting was Bran's, I was previously kinda confused with this one but things started to really point to him as a possible saviour in the upcoming war and ofc. I'm not sure any of us can think of the phrase 'Hold the Door' in the same way again :( Daenerys' storyline I actually had fears about as she needs to just set sail already, but the Meereen situation remained very gripping stuff and Tyrion and Varys still proving a top quality partnership and ofc. the beautiful dragons and the ending shot and the Greyjoys joining her shows we're up for something great. Oh and Jon Snow was cool too, I've forgotten that 'is he dead?' was even a thing honestly, did people really think otherwise? Definitely a lot of promise for the show as it approaches it's last two halves of television to deliver on and cement itself as one of the all time greatest television shows, will it do so? Based on this season, I'd say it's certainly lost none of it's ability to satisfy expectations.

 

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3. Stranger Things

 

My favourite brand new TV series of the year, and surely one of the shows that 2016 will be remembered as a whole for in it's coming out of nowhere and seizing various fandom and making stars of it's young cast. I get a lot of the appeal of this show, everyone seems to be trying to make TV shows current and relevant with the latest effects and pop culture trends this year, and it is extremely refreshing to see a TV show unconcerned with that and painting an authentic picture of the 1980s. It's not even just the storyline being reminiscent of the likes of The Thing, Poltergeist etc. and the various works of Steven Spielberg and Stephen King-esque setting and story, but just the little touches like the Rubiks Cube, Star Wars posters, clothing and Toto's Africa playing in the background. It's clear so much effort went in to make it authentic and although I'm obvs not an expert, I'd be surprised if normal life (minus the supernatural stuff ofc.) was wildly different to what was portrayed.

 

But the storyline is amazing too - so expertly paced and gripping, layering the plot gradually as it goes and culminating in a hell of finale, the atmosphere always feels tense, even if nothing out of the ordinary is happening. I'm a sucker for these sort of sci-fi/horror/alternate world kinda stories so that was always going to appeal to me, but the characters and actors deserve big props for playing their parts so well, a TV series with a group of kids at it's centre has potential to get annoying, but all of the clan are endearing and have their own individual personalities that are allowed to develop and Eleven in particular is expertly played and surely has a bright future as an actress. Winona Ryder I was actually initially (probably like most of the world) annoyed by her role which was just a TAD OTT, but in reality, it would be what that person would be feeling and she shows a resourceful side to her later on which makes you warm to her. I love shows with no pointless characters that all end where all characters are connected and have to all unite for that final act.

 

Certainly a lot of potential for a second season, even if I do still maintain that this would be a lot better as an anthology series focusing on a different setting yet still that 80s horror-esque tone, however there's still plenty of scope and unanswered questions to make this an enjoyable second series which I look forward to, also JUSTICE FOR BARB :(

 

-x-

 

I think I'll reveal my top 2 tomorrow (lol later today more like), save for my hands falling off.

Edited December 21, 20168 yr by Wombanta Claus

Game Of Thrones is obviously incredible. And has been so much more solid this year than last, I'm just now, after a few months of not thinking about it, thinking back to the way the last episode took my breath away - it's great to know it can still do that.

 

Really glad I picked up Stranger Things, at least it's another zeitgeisty show that I'm managing to keep up with (haven't tried Westworld yet of another show that seems to be one of those), it was a very enjoyable watch with all of the nostalgia present. Very good #3 and #4 there - at least I've seen those.

Hey Chez, I've been looking for TV viewing recommendations lately, especially over the holidays, so I'll remember to return to this thread! Currently fixated on season three of Homeland <3. You seen it?

 

Finished Stranger Things a few days ago and enjoyed it for the reasons you mentioned, though I did feel my interest wane a bit as the series went on. A few too many unanswered questions/small inconsistencies/unclear motivations etc. so I'll be sure to check out how the story progresses in the next season. I should say though that sci-fi is never my genre of choice so I'm probably searching for realism where I shouldn't and putting too much emphasis on everything 'adding up'! Totally agree though on the young actors being revelations in carrying the show so well. I was actually put off at first by the cast's youth but they were superbly written and played...though I could've done without Lucas's incessant negativity and narrow-mindedness haha.

Also, I'm chuffed that Barb's become an unlikely internet icon as I spent the latter episodes wondering if anyone aside from Nancy cared that (or even noticed) she'd disappeared :lol:. I know the creators have defended this by saying the story centred on Will and only spanned a matter of days, which is fair enough, but it still seemed she was brushed aside too easily. They've hinted that there will indeed be some form of justice for her in the upcoming season though so thank the internet god for that! ;o

 

 

(Wasn't sure whether to spoiler or not but did just in case B-))

Hey Chez, I've been looking for TV viewing recommendations lately, especially over the holidays, so I'll remember to return to this thread! Currently fixated on season three of Homeland <3. You seen it?

 

Finished Stranger Things a few days ago and enjoyed it for the reasons you mentioned, though I did feel my interest wane a bit as the series went on. A few too many unanswered questions/small inconsistencies/unclear motivations etc. so I'll be sure to check out how the story progresses in the next season. I should say though that sci-fi is never my genre of choice so I'm probably searching for realism where I shouldn't and putting too much emphasis on everything 'adding up'! Totally agree though on the young actors being revelations in carrying the show so well. I was actually put off at first by the cast's youth but they were superbly written and played...though I could've done without Lucas's incessant negativity and narrow-mindedness haha.

Also, I'm chuffed that Barb's become an unlikely internet icon as I spent the latter episodes wondering if anyone aside from Nancy cared that (or even noticed) she'd disappeared :lol:. I know the creators have defended this by saying the story centred on Will and only spanned a matter of days, which is fair enough, but it still seemed she was brushed aside too easily. They've hinted that there will indeed be some form of justice for her in the upcoming season though so thank the internet god for that! ;o

 

 

(Wasn't sure whether to spoiler or not but did just in case B-))

 

I started to watch Homeland a few years back after hearing good things, but I didn't get round to finishing it for...reasons, I've been told good things, though my parents do say it goes downhill after season 3 :thinking: Will hopefully get back round to it one day!

 

Aww, that's a shame, I guess I love more enigmatic things about TV shows, I must admit The OA sounds like it should be your thing, there's a fantasy element to it but actually it's much more of a mystery storyline from what I've seen so far (yass at justice for Barb happening *.*)

 

Iz, I would recommend WestWorld highly, definitely seems like your kinda thing! (and I'd recommend to you both the show I'm about to reveal at #1 and #2 ofc. ;o)

 

-x-

 

I just realised I forgot Mr Robot from my list, oops :drama: the second series wasn't quite as good as the incredible first series, a hell of a lot of uncleae questions and trolling of us the audience but still got much better as it went on and though the ending was a little bit muddled, I still remain very intrigued by the show as a whole.

 

Top 2 coming now!

Edited December 21, 20168 yr by Wombanta Claus

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2. Black Mirror

 

This was absolutely one of my favourite shows when it was first brought up on Channel 4, from the God that is Charlie Brooker I'd expect no less, and I always craved so much more than just the six episodes we did get. All of them managed that very tough trick of how to make a point about how technology is destroying us and not sound preachy or OTT about it, ofc. the storylines are exaggerated heavily but they all maintain that subtle, darkly cynical tone and soft extrapolation which makes you believe that this could actually happen (and well, it did in some cases - in terms of politicians doffing pigs and cartoon characters becoming major political contenders ;o), whether it's the topic of social media mobs, reality TV false promises, technology affecting mind control or even the treatment of criminals and it's endings often leave you wondering what on Earth your doing endorsing this shit daily. But there just wasn't enough of it, so my reaction when Netflix got hold of it and there would be a full 12 new episodes coming was...mixed in the sense I was HAPPY it was back but also wondering if it would lose that gritty uniqueness and turn it into something generically Hollywood and unsubtle.

 

Thankfully, that wasn't the case woop! The six new episodes of Season 3 were actually really, really good and if anything the international expansion gave the show new ground to cover and make it's themes more worldly. If I could say anything, it's that it lost it's subtle elements as the fear is made pretty blatant, but honestly it's still extremely engaging television all throughout and managing this all through extremely different genres is no main feat - Nosedive is amazing, a smiley, colour palette filled episode with a darker undertone of social media's ultimate narcissism comforting that we can all see happening, Playtest was a great horror/sci-fi romp, dragged a little bit and seems predictable, but the pay off typically pulls the rug from your feet. Much the same can be said for Shut Up & Dance, a classic Black Mirror episode and exceedingly gloomy and dark hour of television a'la White Bear from the Channel 4 series, I won't say anything else but it's not for the faint-hearted. Then a complete change of pace in San Junipero, with a beautiful love story and focus on the positives technology can bring, yet at the same time extremely tragic, it's the biggest tear jerker of them all. Men Against Fire is decent, definitely the easiest to guess the twist/what's going on, but harrowing all the same as a kind of 1984 meets Full Metal Jacket and A Clockwork Orange, and then the closer, Hated in the Nation is a cinematic crime epic that is constantly gripping and feels possibly the most relevant to today's world of any of the episodes, you can easily see this happening in the very near future as it's half happening all around us. It's a testement to the strength of the programme and Brooker that all six episodes despite seemingly being starkly different all have the same effect - truly making you think and take notice. I'm even more hyped for Season 4 now, I thought nothing could beat this to my number 1 until....

 

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1. Planet Earth II

 

It couldn't really be anything else could it? Yes, I love animals and I love Attenborough and the first series of Planet Earth so this was always going to be right up my street, but still, it delivered even more than I thought possible and was pretty much single-handedly responsible for keeping me sane and positive about things in the second half of the year where my stress was extremely high.

 

It goes without saying that it looks incredible - we've come to expect this by now, so many aspects of the world we never consider look so incredible with no CGI enhancers or fake stock footage to dampen this, the diaries at the end of each episode were fascinating in this respect, though they weren't really enough for the amount of stunning detail on show here, I guess you'd need to a full other series to know the true depths the creators went to to get this footage but it constantly stunned me. Attenborough's attention to detail and soothing voice was as great as ever and perfectly matched for almost every scene. Even a naturalist like myself wasn't aware of some of the facts and living areas present here so those were a welcome insight, but it worked amazingly as a piece of television as well, it's incredible how much emotions and drama can be wrung from these premises - There was more drama in whether the sea iguanas would escape the snakes, more humour in bears scratching themselves off after hibernation, more triumph at a snow leopard mother reunited with her cub after a close encounter and more sadness at a host of baby turtles misled to their deaths in a busy metropolis than MANY shows this year. It's quite stunning it managed to do that.

 

But moreover, it's message that this could all be changing due to the constant struggles of destroying of habitats, hunting and global warming hits really hard, especially when we see how beautiful the world looks, which leaves you with a message that things really DO need to change, and while it was coincidence that it happened in this year of all years, it couldn't be more relevant to 2016, in a year where the world is so divided with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel, this proved a reminder that we all live on this Earth, and it's still beautiful and worth uniting for, if just for this cause putting aside political conflicts, terrorism threats or otherwise, because it is for the good of our own survival. Bravo BBC and Planet Earth team for making possibly one of the greatest documentary series of all time and finding a way to end a year like 2016 on a positive note.

 

-x-

 

Songs starting very soon, and will definitely be a bit more streamlined than that lol

Edited December 21, 20168 yr by Wombanta Claus

OK, let's begin the sangs ;o Slightly different format this year, so I don't burn myself out and we're not here until Mid January

 

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91. Anna Meredith – Nautilus

92. Blue King Brown – All Nations

93. The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk – I Feel It Coming

94. Infinity Ink feat. Yasmin – How Do I Love You

95. Parade of Lights – Feeling Electric

96. Plaitum – LMHY

97. Philter - Revolver

98. Ariana Grande – Into You

99. Aelyn – Give Love a Try

100. AlunaGeorge feat. Popcaan – I’m in Control

 

So it seems we have some clear alphabetical divisions here, lol, let's start with the others shall we~ First of quite a few songs I got from UP or BJSC this year, Blue King Brown was a wonderful reggae-pop track whose anthemic and united feel stuck with me throughout the year after I almost forgot it when I first heard it back at the start of the year. Infinity Ink's subtlety is it's key, it never really builds yet remains engaging through this, I don't yet know if that's the same Yasmin of Finish Line fame but whoever it is is perfectly suited for this. And a song I heard just recently, I've been enjoying The Weeknd a lot more since he stopped being too chart pandering (what do you mean that's when I noticed him first?) and maintain that alt-urban sound, I Feel It Coming has much the same appeals of Starboy, still to come, but Daft Punk's influence is clearer and that is never a bad thing, could become a fave in the future.

 

For the As, AlunaGeorge didn't quite impress me as much as her wonderful last era with what I heard here, but I'm in Control has some quite banging production and maintains the charm of her earlier material, even with the pointless indecipherable rap from this movie snack fellow. Aelyn has some beautiful longing vocals accompanied with a dream trance backing, this is a recipe for wonder, it's a blissful listen that really doesn't feel as long as it is, well done BJSC people for making the right choice there. Ariana Grande was all over 4Music and it was worse and I don't care for the majority of her music if just cos it maintains too much of the 'I'm not Disney anymore, I'm mature!11' (see ADoseofBuckley's videos for more) statements, however I'll give her Into You, an infectious bop that anyone can jam too, almost like an updated version of Christina's Dirrty, anyone? Anyway, I wish she did more like this. Anna Meredith I wouldn't have discovered if it weren't for Seven, thanks for that, I'm always down for hearing epic classical building places, those trombones are pretty exquisite, definitely need to check out more from her.

 

And the Ps, Philter was a really haunting and unsettling yet weirdly soothing mysterious pop number that I love finding in BJSC from Greenfroze, the video's a tad disturbing and weird but that only furthers the intrigue and was one of the reasons it stuck with me so well, well that and whistling hooks, cos they are always amaze. First of two for Plaitum, this one from UP and a great introduction to their shouty intense witch house that they would go on to better, but this still remains a real captivating listen and those screams are still great. And finally the triumphant sounds of Parade of Lights, fitting as to how it did in the BJSC contest I guess, but this song is what it says - the synths and vocal harmonies are extremely vibrant and bright, enough to give any listener a volt of, ahem, electricity. Still a marvellous listen. The guy looks a bit like Colin Morgan too, fun.

 

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Edited December 23, 20168 yr by Wombanta Claus

Hi Chez,

 

93. The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk – I Feel It Coming

94. Infinity Ink feat. Yasmin – How Do I Love You

95. Parade of Lights – Feeling Electric

98. Ariana Grande – Into You

99. Aelyn – Give Love a Try

100. AlunaGeorge feat. Popcaan – I’m in Control

 

Like all these tbh especially Into You and I'm In Control :heart:

 

 

I'm In Control is great :music: so glad it did well officially. I do agree that Popcaan doesn't add much to it though, it's as if he didn't know what the song was about when he sung his verse :lol:

Love both Into You and I'm in Control! :wub: I expect high quality from Ariana anyway but she's really outdone herself this era I think. I'm in Control was more of a surprise to me, I wasn't a fan of theirs really prior to this but it totally changed my opinion round :heart:

"Into You" was more of an updated "Your Body" except the former was a hit

 

I think I'm starting to become a slight stan for The Weeknd, just about everything he's put out is SO GOOD

I already think I've put I Feel It Coming too low lmao, the pains of only hearing it a few times when compiling this </3

 

-x-

 

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81. Elle King – Ex’s and Oh’s

82. Porter Robinson & Madeon – Shelter

83. Major Lazer feat. Justin Bieber & MØ – Cold Water

84. Ariel Pink – Not Enough Violence

85. That Poppy – Lowlife

86. Fever High - Tantalized

87. Children of the Hollow Earth – Inside Our Hearts

88. David Lyme – Bye Bye Mi Amor

89. Teengirl Fantasy – Azz Klapz

90. DNCE – Cake By The Ocean

 

OK, I shat on mainstream music a bit at the start of this but it doesn't mean there wasn't still some gems there - Yes, that includes DNCE, I have my guilty pleasures. Probably the most laughable lyrics this year, but it's just too much fun to deny when that AYAYAYAYA bit comes in, plus the girl in the band is pretty fit, yeah that's a reason~, Major Lazer's song certainly felt, ahem, watered down, however it was a big grower and even on these cold winter nights, it's very nice and summery and it ended that bizarre run of One Dance at the top, BIG props for that, and I love that MslashO now has a number 1 to her name even if I wouldn't be surprised if your average consumer forgot she was on it. I was worried about hearing Elle King when I heard it was the 'next All About the Bass', I'm baffled by the comparisons as Ex's & Oh's (hideous placings of apostrophes aside) is an excellent rock number with more than a nod to the classic Blues-esque sound that should've done a lot better, although I think my frustration is fairly clear that I don't need to keep saying it~

 

Elsewhere, we have two BJSC discoveries from Skall, still proving themselves to be one of the most diverse and brilliantly inspired nations when they're on form. Teengirl Fantasy has a wonderful hook and gradually building layers that makes for a much more immersive experience that defies it's length, and David Lyme is an excellent Spanish forgotten 80s jam that I'd never have expected to find in 2016, makes me long for when this sort of sound was more of a thing. Speaking of 80s, Fever High definitely brought a smile to my face with it's amazing synths and 80s throwback sound, and has stuck with me from that recent UP more than other songs I pointed, amazing replay value for sure. Not so much 80s but a more Pink Floyd-esque psychadelica sound is present in Ariel Pink, I knew of them vaguely but nothing as good as this, from the amaze starting synths, the weird robotic tinged chorus and the screams of 'FERTILISER', it's such a journey of a song, I don't know what's going on in it, but it's amazing. Slightly more conventional but still odd, I don't really get That Poppy, she's not an obnoxious airhead, she just seems to be pretending to be one and has a slightly...kooky style, nonetheless, I can't deny Lowlife, the reggae backdrop and the short but sweet utterances throughout turns it into a right earworm and one that really clicked with me after the contest it was sent (tis a shame her other one that was entered later and did much better didn't :'()

 

Finally, the two slightly more standout ones, Children of the Hollow Earth is, as you'd expect from that title, a beautiful unity themed instrumental and if that gorgeous background isn't enough to take your breath away, the amazing soothing yet quietly epic production will,

, I always meant to send this to BJSC/UP but never quite got round to it. I am a big fan of Porter Robinson & Madeon anyway, and Shelter was lovely and typically epic and dreamy of them both for sure and it may have been here without that, though it was that video that made me take notice, anime (particularly that of Studio Ghibli) is very rarely not extremely effective on me and sure enough this is a wonderful though tragic little tale that Hayao Mitzuki would probably be proud of. I do wish there'd be more videos this adventurous by dance producers as there is so much emotion on a song that can sometimes only be suitably brought out in video form.

 

http://i68.tinypic.com/aetc8k.jpg

 

-x-

 

And goes without saying but thanks for the comments guys <3

Edited December 24, 20168 yr by Wombanta Claus

Ariana and The Weeknd my favourites so far! Intrigued to see what else is to come, I haven't spoke to you much about new music this past year :o

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