-Starting with the most obvious....Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye featuring Kimbra. It will be a miracle and then some if this song doesn't take out the number 1 spot by an insanely huge margin (I'd be willing to wager it will be by far the biggest margin in Hottest 100 history). The rabid popularity of this song actually quite perplexes me as it is not conventional pop and yet it appealed to a broad audience that included people with completely different tastes in music. I do think it is the best song on Making Mirrors (though the whole album is sublime and is in my books the best album of 2011) and I knew I didn't have space of Kimbra in my top 10 (Vows is also an amazing album and on my shortlist Good Intent was about number 16- I'm listening to the album as I type this actually) so this felt like giving her half a vote.
-This is Why We Fight by the Decemberists. Personally Calamity Song is actually my favourite song off The King is Dead but sadly it wasn't an option and voting for something not on the big list means it has zero chance of getting into the actual count down. I fell in love The Decemberists' crazy progressive folky vibe at Big Day Out a few years ago and think it is pity that they don't get more airplay (probably because their albums are mostly concept albums). If you haven't heard of them or listened to their stuff before I strongly recommend you check them out.
-Even Though I'm a Woman by Seeker Lover Keeper. You'll note there actually isn't a film clip for this one yet. The Seeker Lover Keeper album was so amazing that I hope Sarah Blasko, Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby have time to do some more stuff together in the future- they are currently back working on solo stuff (which is still brilliant as a new Sarah Blasko album would make me very happy) and Seeker Lover Keeper is on hiatus. The melodies are just outstanding, unlike other pop acts they play their own instruments, and it is just amazing for Australia to produce such an outstanding all female supergroup. This song was my clear favourite on the album which is odd as Holly Throsby does lead vocals in it and my other album/concert highlights (Lights All My Lights, Rely On Me and their cover of Neil Finn's Sinner) have Sarah Blasko on lead vocals. I think the thing that sells me on this song as a favourite are the lyrics by Sally Seltmann which are just so honest and completely non-sappy.
- Mermaids by Jinja Safari (again no actual film clip). I first saw Jinja Safari as support for Boy and Bear (back before they were multi Aria winners and when a ticket to see them was less than $30) and as someone who is usually fashionably late for gigs in order to miss support bands I was surprised at their brilliance (their set was in my opinion better than Boy and Bear's which was still very solid). Jinja Safari's music just makes you happy- really I challenge you to listen to it and not smile. This song makes me imagine running/rolling down a grassy hill on perfect summer day and having fun. Even it had just been for the return of sitar and keytar to popular music, I will be eternally thankful to Triple J for unearthing them (that said they aren't the only unearthed art in my top 10).
-Rosebud by The Jezabels (another film clip-less song and also another unearthed band). I vaguely remember when The Jezabels first made a big splash a few years ago but I missed the boat that time around. Then a few months ago just after I changed jobs and got listen to triple j online again in the office, their new album was released and was a feature album. It is one of the best alternative/indie pop rock albums I've heard in years and is a close 2nd to Making Mirrors as my album highlight of 2011. It was hard to pick a favourite song off this album and Endless Summer will almost certainly wind up with a top 20 (if not top 10) finish, but the opening guitar riff and vocal just completely sells me on Rosebud.
- L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N by Noah & the Whale (a song with a filmclip finally). Now for something from much earlier in the year.... Still the original darlings of the London folk scene and still sounding a lot like a band from a completely different era, their March album, Last Night on Earth, proved once more (as if it needed proving) that there is nothing wrong with either of these facts. This song is just delightfully catchy and I do have a soft spot for songs that teach people how to spell.
- Raconte-Moi Une Histoire by M83 (so filmclip less that the fake clip on Youtube isn't even properly importable here- click on link to listen/watch). This song completely took me by surprise when I heard it a few weeks ago as I'd never felt a strong desire to listen to M83's past releases. There is only one word for this song and that is "adorable". Listening to it fills me with childlike delight....
- W.O.W. by Architecture in Helsinki. I've been a fan of Architecture in Helsinki's electro/art pop for a few years (actually more than a few- I think I first saw them live before their 2nd album was released back in 2005) and I think that Moment Bends is without compare their best album yet. The whole album is the perfect mix of arty innovation and channelling of 80s electro. Everyone will be fighting to vote for Contact High but personally I think W.O.W. is better and more complex pop song- that said looking for it on Youtube did find me WAY too many World of Warcraft which was also mildly entertaining.
- The Words That Maketh Murder by P.J. Harvey. This is earliest release in my top 10 and I have to say it is mighty fine year in music when a P. J. Harvey release of the quality of Let England Shake only comes in as my tied third favourite album (tied with Moment Bends- behind Making Mirrors and Prisoner). It is one of Harvey's best albums and that is saying something as she rarely put a pinky toe, much less a foot, wrong. All of it has a quality folk vibe and it is a brilliant tribute to Harvey's homeland. There is no song on this album that I would have felt bad voting for and I actually didn't have a favourite song so I picked the one most likely to chart higher as it would be amazing to see music for grown ups go well instead of just more hideous Australian hip-hop.
- Montezuma by Fleet Foxes (back to the land of no film clips). This falls in the same box as This is Why We Fight i.e. it isn't my favourite song on Helplessness Blues but I thought it best to vote for something on the actual list- my favourite song was The Shrine/An Argument which also has my absolute favourite film clip of this year (it is awesome...you should look it up on vimeo if you haven't seen it yet). It is still a great song though- as are the rest on the album. I got into Fleet Foxes really recently based on the combo of friend and iTunes recommendations, and they are just outstanding but much like the Decemberists they don't get as much airplay as they should.
So there are Clare's Hottest 100 votes- very folky/ arty, half Aussie and half from bands I've seen live this year (I've seen Gotye, Jinja Safari, Noah & the Whale, Architecture in Helsinki and Seeker Lover Keeper - I missed The Jezabels, I'll be seeing M83 at Laneways, the Decemberists haven't toured lately, and don't even speak to me about missing out on P. J. Harvey and Fleet Foxes next January (will be away the week of P.J. Harvey's shows and was going to away for Fleet Foxes and now am not but missed out on tickets))
...have you lodged your vote?
If not, you may like to show some love to the following five songs which I was desperately sad to see pushed out of my top ten:
Turn Me On by The Grates (another band I saw live this year and this song goes off live)
1996 by The Wombats (again brilliant live when I saw them this year)
The Circle Married the Line by Feist (can't speak to its goodness live (I'll be seeing Feist at Laneways next year and I've not seen her live in the past) but this is live clip so baring crappy sound quality you can judge for yourself)
Oh Well That's What You Get Falling in Love with a Cowboy by Lanie Lane (another unearthed art who I've seen live but only in the sense of covering Nick Cave tunes though this indicated that she might be quite amazing performing her own stuff)- it was quite the toss up between this and What Did I Do so it completely broke my heart that I couldn't include either.
Salinas by Laura Marling (a live clip of a song I saw as a song "for the next album" when I last saw Marling live- I'll be seeing her again at Laneways)- I felt dreadful not voting for Marling as it is my fault for only buying A Creature I Don't Know about a week ago and what I've listened to just cements Marling's talent (seriously she is WAY too young to be that amazingly talented).
No comments:
Post a Comment