Tunes for 2012...yep blogging my hottest 100 vote again

So just when you'd all given up on me...I'm back...though maybe people haven't given up on me as for some reason this blog got 200 views this month despite my not having posted anything since July (weird much?).

Last year I blogged my Hottest 100 votes and for some reason that interested people so here we go again...including once again so voting recommends for those yet to cast their vote that I didn't have space to include. Last year I said best song of the year was a tough call...this year it wasn't but sadly it wasn't on the list and I only vote the list so I supplemented another awesome song by the same artist (song in question was Don't Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas) by Regina Spektor if you wanted to know).

This year big for female singers and Scandinavians...

So the songs:

 - Starting with the replacement Regina Spektor song...All the Rowboats. I could have sworn this was released as a single last year but it was the only Regina Spektor song on the list and her album, What We Saw From the Cheap Seats, was far and away my favourite of 2012 so I had to make sure to vote where I could. Still bummed that her recent shows in Sydney were so damned expensive. With this album, she may have replaced Sarah Blasko as my favourite female singer.

- King of the World by First Aid Kit. Not my favourite song off The Lion's Roar (that would by Emmylou but it wasn't on the list...I suspect it was released right at the end of 2011) but the whole album is sublime. The whole odd vibe of a Swedish folk group that is at times more than a little country in their vibe just makes them worth the listen. Pity there isn't a film clip of this.

-Boy by Bertie Blackman. I'm such a strong believer in supporting Aussie music that I feel very awkward that Berte Blackman is the only Aussie artist to get a vote from me this year. Like other five artists who got my vote this year I was a last comer to Bertie Blackman. I own her first album (unlike the others in the same category i.e. First Aid Kit, Ladyhawke, Chairlift, Bombay Bicycle Club, and Bat for Lashes) but I only bought it late last year after seeing her at the Nick Cave tribute concerts that Triple J staged. Her sound is so different from the other female artists out there in the best way.

- Black and White and Blue by Ladyhawke- I could do what Aussies do to Kiwis all the time and try and claim her as ours but that would be a big lie. Earlier this year (read before Regina Spektor's album was released), this was my favourite tune of 2012. I was not so much indifferent to Ladyhawke's first album as I really disliked it...I have since re-listened and realised that I was more than a little insane as it is a great album. Her second album is truly great and this song is a complete highlight...love the film clip too.

- Met Before by Chairlift. Though Regina Spektor claimed my favourite album of 2012, Chairlift's Something was probably the one I played the most. I know I'm not alone in loving their 80s synth styles and one of the musical choices of times past that I wouldn't mind making more of a return.

- All Your Gold by Bat for Lashes. I missed her in the past and recently have been listening to her back catalogue a lot. Loving her new album hence this vote which is one of the most recent releases on my list.

- How Can You Shallow So Much Sleep? by Bombay Bicycle Club. One of the breaks from the female singers so many female singers vibe of this year's vote. Quite an interesting album from them and very different from their past ones.

- Varou by Sigur Ros. The second Scandinavian artists on my list (and not the last) and another male singer. Yet another outstanding album from them and you can't go past voting for them in the Hottest 100 when they do release something. My chill out band of choice and I'll be always be thankful to my little brother for introducing me to them a few years ago.

 

 - Angels by the xx. Finishing the actual vote part of this post with two songs by the "it" bands of 2012. I love this tune and in fact that whole of the xx's album, Coexist. And even the overplaying of it didn't lessen that love.

- Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men. My money is on this track taking out the number 1 slot (and I'm pretty sure many who are more in the know than I am agree) and I'll be on a six year run of being too mainstream and voting for the number 1 track. I completely understand why this song and the whole of Of Monsters and Men's album has been played to death and got much buzz this year. Another lot of Scandinavians doing well and I'm very excited to see where they go in the future.

So there are Clare's Hottest 100 votes for 2012- very heavy on the female singers and the Scandinavians and sadly light on the Aussies.

...have you lodged your vote?

If not, you may like to show some love to the following song which just missed out on a Hottest 100 vote from me:

-All of Me by Sarah Blasko. I love I Awake, like I do all of Sarah Blasko's albums, but I decided to vote for artists who I haven't voted for every year for many many years so no songs from it got a vote. This or God-fearing definitely deserve your vote and it was my number 11 and I was very sorry to see it not make the final vote.

OK so that is my Hottest 100 spiel for 2012....see y'all in 2013 (possibly tomorrow).