Top 25 - 25 April, 2016

Garbage!

1. Little Earthquake - Honest





2. The Raffaellas - Control (Had It, Lost It) (NEW)





Matt's Pick of the Week: It feels like it's been forever since we've heard something new from The Raffaellas. But in good news for fans of the quality musics, the Melbourne four-piece are back with a new EP, Dreams Out of Reach and it is a good'un. Second single 'Control (Had It, Lost It)' stands alongside hits from local contemporaries like Birds of Tokyo and The Temper Trap, which is why you'll ask yourself why you haven't heard it getting played to death on radio. When it comes to Australian rock outfits, it's the quality tracks that tend to get a ton of radio play. And 'Control' has all the hallmarks of a radio-worthy track. It's guitar driven, lightly bluesy and likely to find itself stuck in your head long after you've finished listening. Mostly, it's just a great song you're going to be coming back to for more listens. A most very welcome return from The Raffaellas indeed. (Matt Bond)


3. Phebe Starr - Feel My Love





4. Auguste - Kingdom





5. Garbage - Empty (NEW)


 


6. Landings - My Bones





7. Sarah Blasko - I Wanna Be Your Man





8. Alex Watts - Hopeful (NEW)





Jo's Pick of the Week: Alex Watts wrote this cute little ‘Hopeful’ song with all its retro inspired melodies and drum breaks, but I’ll be honest and say it wasn’t until I saw the clip that I was really addicted. I couldn’t decide if it was more awesome than awkward or more awkward than awesome, but the concept of trying to hook up with oneself is a conversation I had with a very good friend only days ago, so I’ve pretty much decided that Alex dating himself up has to be an awesome thing. I said the same thing about my friend dating himself. Hot? Also, the slightly awkward dance moves of a man who seems to be able to move his arms and legs while keeping his hips completely and totally still has pretty much blown my mind which equals awesome, and just to add to that whole awesome concept, I need to know where to get myself one of those black and white spot skirts, because I’d totally hook up with myself in one of those. (Jo Michelmore)


9. Gordi - Wanting (NEW)


 

10. Seavera - Caving





11. Youngsmith - Red (NEW)


 

12. Emily Wurramara - Ngerraberrakernama (Wake Up)





13. The Temper Trap - Fall Together





14. Sara Hartman - Monster Lead Me Home (NEW)


 


15. Juke Jaxon - Memory Man





16. Alex Lahey - You Don't Think You Like People Like Me





17. Emma Louise - Talk Baby Talk





18. Clare Maguire - The Valley (NEW)


 


19. Winterbourne - Shape





20. Old Sault - Ghost





21. Sneaky Sound System - I Ain't Over You (NEW)


 


22. Flume ft. Tove Lo - Say It (NEW)


 


23. Darling James - The Itch





24. Sun Sap - Mexico (NEW)


 


25. Jesse Redwing - Crawlin' Up The Walls

Top 25 - 27 March, 2016

Emily Wurramara, Fitz and The Tantrums + Clare Maguire!

1. Phebe Starr - Feel My Love





2. Emma Louise - Talk Baby Talk (NEW)





3. Alex Lahey - You Don't Think You Like People Like Me





4. Fitz and The Tantrums - HandClap (NEW)





Jo's Pick of the Week: Yay! Two weeks in a row, bands I had almost forgotten about have released incredible songs! It’s like the greatest Easter surprise ever, except I guess for that one where the guy came back from the dead, you know, if that’s your thing. Aaaanyway, not sure where Fitz or his Tantrums have been the last couple of years, but a couple of years back they were one of the greatest live bands I'd seen in a long time, all energy, dance and some soul thrown in for good luck, so I'm more than happy to welcome them back into my world. And any band that not only includes handclaps in a song but writes an entire song about them is fine by me. There’s a feeling of soul like there are in all F and T songs, but ‘Handclap’ seems to have reached somewhere into the 90s and grabbed a handful of pop that I’m more than happy to hear again, and there’s definitely a solid beat here that makes me want to move, which has to be a good thing considering the amount of chocolate I’ve consumed in the past 24 hours. WIth a new album due mid year, here's hoping we see them on this side of the world sometime later in the year. Yay for the return of Fitz and the Tantrums! (Jo Michelmore)


5. Machine Age - Don't Look





6. Little Earthquake - Honest





7. Band of Skulls - Killer





8. Emily Wurramara - Ngerraberrakernama (Wake Up) (NEW)





Matt's Pick of the Week: I was in attendance at the Queensland Music Awards last Monday night, which was a whole lot of fun. It's nice to see how close and supportive the Queensland music community is and it was even nicer to listen to some stellar performances from local talent. One local talent that blew me away was Emily Wurramara, who was flawless on the evening and nominated twice in the Indigenous category. There's a warmth and maturity in Wurramara's voice that immediately draws you in, as dignified as it is gorgeous. 'Ngerraberrakernama' is her most recent release and beautifully represents a modern Indigenous Australian artist who will hopefully have a long and successful career ahead. When the music is this good, there shouldn't even be any doubt about it. I'm really looking forward to hearing more from this very talented local artist. (Matt Bond)


9. Sharn - Born (NEW)





10. Remi ft. Sampa The Great - For Good





11. San Mei - Revel (NEW)





12. The Belligerents - Before, I Am





13. Clare Maguire - Elizabeth Taylor (NEW)





14. Lupa J - Numb (NEW)





15. King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard - Gamma Knife (NEW)





16. Amanda Palmer - Machete





17. Ngaiire - Diggin





18. Ladyhawke - A Love Song





19. HEIDEMANN - Last Chance (NEW)





20. Ariela Jacobs - Lost





21. The Ruiins - Eventually





22. Olympia - Smoke Signals





23. James Chatburn - Cracks and Breaks





24. Chris Watts - Let Go





25. Montaigne - In The Dark

Top 25 - 26 April, 2015

Gin Wigmore, Jeremy Neale, The Kite String Tangle + Dustin Tebbutt!

1. Florence + The Machine - Ship To Wreck (#1 for 3 weeks!)





2. Sia - Big Girls Cry (NEW)





3. Bright Spark - Head In The Sand





4. Gin Wigmore - New Rush (NEW)





5. Jeremy Neale ft. Phoebe Imhoff - Hold On Together (NEW)





6. Violet - Ivory (NEW)


 

7. The Colour Code - It's Up To Me





8. MS MR - Painted





9. Holy Holy - You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog





10. The Kite String Tangle and Dustin Tebbutt - Illuminate (NEW)





11. Rihanna - American Oxygen





12. Torres - Sprinter





13. Shelley Segal - Sidelined





14. Torres - Cowboy Guilt (NEW)





15. JOY. - Weather





16. Quintessential Doll ft. Clio Em - Thunder Gods





17. Japanese Wallpaper ft. Airling - Forces





18. The Stiffys - Kissy Kissy





19. Clare Maguire - Dream Big (NEW)





20. Young Wonder - Sweet Dreaming (NEW)





21. Morgan Bain - Why Don't You Stay





22. Forest Falls - Hounds





23. Heloise - This Is Home





24. The Radar Post - Nothing's Holding You Back





25. Tame Impala - 'Cause I'm A Man

Top 114 Songs of 2014, #60 - 51

Taylor Swift, Sharon Van Etten, The War on Drugs + Sam Smith!

#114 - 101

#100 - 91

#90 - 81

#80 - 71

#70 - 61

#60. WAITING

by HOWQUA





It's been raining here for days,
And I can feel these drops on my weary face. 

It’s so hard to write words about songs that become more than songs to you. They’re not just notes and chords, they aren’t just words in tune and they’re more than just a collection of sounds. Some songs are a comfort, they are a sense of security, they are a memory and an experience and they are the things that get you through the days as you’re waiting for the sun to set, waiting for the sun to rise, they are the things that remind you to breathe when it’s all too hard. They sometimes become your life line, they become a definition of a time and an experience and they become a reflection of yourself. Some songs are more than songs. Some songs are the best of friends. (Jo Michelmore)

#59. STAY WITH ME

by Sam Smith





And deep down I know this never works,
But you can lay with me so it doesn't hurt.

It would only be too easy to think men dropped off the face of the pop music planet in 2014. Oh, yes... it was a banner year for the women of pop and they totally dominated. But one male artist did have a massive breakout year on the charts, both commercial and critical, and that was the UK's Sam Smith. Marketed as the dude version of Adele, he took the song 'Stay With Me' to the upper echelon of Top 40s all around the world. Of course, when you achieve something there's going to be those throwing shade your way. Smith copped it over being gay, white, not being a supermodel, not having the waistline of a supermodel and more. Do you think he gives a flying fuck? I highly doubt it. At the end of the day, the only thing that should matter is the quality of the music. And Sam Smith more than delivered with 'Stay With Me', one of the most successful tracks of 2014. (Matt Bond)  


So you’re a white guy Sam Smith? Yep. So you’re a gay guy Sam Smith? Yep. So you’re an average sized guy Sam Smith? Yep. And your name is Smith, Sam Smith? So you’re an average sized, white gay guy with an average name, Sam Smith? Yep. Sometimes I get really angry at the world I exist in. Because sometimes some people can be incredibly ignorant and harsh and just plain stupid. Listen to this song again. See? All of the things I mentioned don’t matter at all, no matter how many times they are discussed or googled or read about. All that matters are the things that matter, like love and longing and all the things that Sam Smith sings about in not so many words in one of the most beautiful pop songs of this year. Sometimes the only thing that makes sense to me is the music I listen to.  And sometimes, most times, that’s all I need. (Jo Michelmore)

#58. OVER YOU

by Ingrid Michaelson ft. A Great Big World





Maybe if I tell myself enough, maybe if I do,
I'll get all over you...

For fans of singer-songwriters, they who believe that the words are just as important as the music, Ingrid Michaelson and A Great Big World teaming up must have been something of a dream come true. It was for me. Ingrid Michaelson has won a legion of fans throughout the globe for her stirring lyrics and beautiful melodies, while A Great Big World burst onto the scene late last year with the monster hit ballad, 'Say Something'. That the result of the two acts letting their powers combine was an experience as perfect as 'Over You' really wasn't a surprise. These are musicians that know all the tricks to send you on an emotional rollercoaster. They're even going all Pachebel's Cannon-ish on us, which is like emotional trolling. Why do you think you hear Michaelson's tracks on every damn TV show? Because her music makes you feel something. And generally that feeling is sadness, but as I've repeatedly mentioned, I'm a sucker for a sad, sad song and they make me weirdly happy. 'Over You' is a song and a story I just can't get sick of, no matter how much I listen. (Matt Bond)  

I wish I didn’t relate so much. I wish I didn’t hear every single key on that piano. I wish I didn’t hear the feeling in every single one of those words. I wish I couldn’t feel those strings. I wish I wasn’t so transparent. I wish I didn’t let things bother me so much some days. I wish I didn’t know exactly what those words meant “I’m falling around you”. I wish all of these things, but then maybe I don’t, because if I wished them all away I wouldn’t have this feeling of absolute adoration of a song that brings a tear with every single listen and that’s a feeling I don’t ever want to go away. (Jo Michelmore)

#57. YOUR LOVE IS KILLING ME

by Sharon Van Etten





You like it when I let you walk over me,
You tell me that you like it,
Your love is killing me.

It's come to my attention that this particular edition of our countdown might be a little bit depressing. Well, I brought it to my own attention doing write-ups for the last three songs and then I got here to Sharon Van Etten's showstopping track, 'Your Love Is Killing Me' and realised the mood might be getting a little somber around these parts. Oh well, if you're not into your moving, sad-o numbers... you'll get over it. I'm not the one with the problem here. 'Your Love Is Killing Me' is what music is all about. An artist truly cutting loose and telling a story that can come painfully close to mirroring a story of your own. Sometimes it comes with a harrowing vocal performance that sets your heart racing. This is one of those times. (Matt Bond)


Alright then. You wanna pick up my heart and chuck it on the floor? You wanna have a little stomp on it while you’re there? Go ahead, throw some Sharon Van Etten on. You don’t even have to find my heart, I’ll take it out and give it to you just so it doesn’t beat so desperately anymore. Some despairing piano, some marching desperate drums and that voice, the sound of hopeless and inconsolable misery, ‘Your Love Is killing Me’ is every desperate moment I’ve had picked up and rolled into song and you know what it is? It’s beautiful is what it is. Beautiful and painful and beautiful, which are sometimes one and the same thing. (Jo Michelmore)

#56. COLD

by Winterbourne





Life goes by I'm lessening,
Everything.

If you were after a couple of guys doing catchy indie-pop songs these days, you’d have literally* a million to choose from (*when I say literally, I don’t mean literally, I haven’t counted. Literally in the way the kids use literally these days, which means not actually literally, just mostly very heartfelt) but you get my point, there’s a lot of bands making sweet indie pop sounds at the moment. What you don’t always get with those million bands is the honesty, the life lessons and the feelings of warm, cosy comfort with each chord and every lyric. Those kind of feelings only come with the best of those indie-pop guys and with tracks like ‘Cold’ Winterbourne are proving that they are some of those indie pop guys who are literally* just the best. (Jo Michelmore) 

Two guys with guitars, big dreams and big voices. Winterbourne have taken their music from the streets of Sydney, where they've honed their craft as buskers, and out into the world. And what a song to introduce themselves to a much bigger audience. 'Cold' is another embraceable folk-revival tune that puts Winterbourne in the company of another of our favourite acts, Little May. A slow burn of an opening that reels you in with emotive lyrics that tell a story in your head with perfect harmonies. Everything's going along nicely and then the pace picks up, the music gets that little bit louder and you find your foot tapping along uncontrollably. A lot like many of Little May's tracks. No wonder both acts are just finishing up a tour together. Anyway, the sound is exciting and makes you want to hear more of 'Cold' and of Winterbourne. Another act to add to our 'must watch' list for 2015. (Matt Bond)

#55. RED EYES

by The War On Drugs





And you don't go home,
But you abuse my faith.

I'm not going to lie to you, I had never heard of The War On Drugs before 'Red Eyes' came along. Get over yourself, neither had you, you hipster wankfest. Stop pretending you're cool. If you're still with us, let's have a chat about how fantastic this song is. It's Arcade Fire's The Suburbs meets 80s power-Springsteen-ish rock. Don't you feel like you were born to run? I do. Adam Granduciel's lyrics are like a stream of consciousness being hurled onto paper, a running commentary of heartache that's wisely masked behind an incredibly catchy indie-rock song to make it more digestible. I might not have heard of The War on Drugs before 'Red Eyes', but I'm going to make sure I know all about them from here on in. (Matt Bond)   


The clip for ‘Red Eyes’ is like this pseudo talent contest type situation, where the band sit down and watch a lady dancing, a smoking clown, a tragic musician, a hoola hooper (is that what they’re actually called?) and a tiny little guitarist all audition to be a member of their band. Each of the band members holds up a card with a cross or a tick on it for each contestant. Only one wins, as is the case with most of these things. The thing is, I wonder how the contestants would judge the band if the situation were reversed? Well I’m saying four giant ticks, because ‘Red Eyes’ is pretty darn likeable and if it’s a talent contest, I don’t even have to justify that, because my tick says it all. Tick! (Jo Michelmore)

#54. WHENEVER YOU WANT IT

by Clare Maguire





I don't wanna be alone, I just wanna have someone,
Who laughs at my shit jokes, won't break me when I'm already broken.

My mighty heart is breaking. Urgh, Clare Maguire... you are the bees knees, so damn fine and you're blowing my mind on 'Whenever You Want It'. You might remember Maguire from when she was a butt-kicking electro diva. That's changed. You might be able to tell by the lack of electronic sound on this track which is a piano ballad. If you noticed that, you are a big winner today. 'Whenever You Want It' is a big change, but Maguire shows she can comfortably reinvent herself as more of an acoustic singer-songwriter that knows a thing or two about penning relatable tales of heartache and pain and not wanting to be alone. I don't think anyone that listens to this and pays attention to the lyrics will be able to get away without being moved. Helping matters is Maguire's enchanting voice that makes a piano/vocal track sound so incredibly full. (Matt Bond)


There are points in your life that make up who you are. Moments that define you. You don’t always like to visit them, but they are there, following you around like shadows and sometimes they are shadows you never wish to see again. Sometimes something makes you face those clouds and make friends with them so that when they do visit, you’re ready for them. Those shadows tapped me on the shoulder when I heard ‘Whenever You Want It’ the first time. There they were, the simple piano notes and the words; “I don’t wanna be alone, I just wanna have someone”. The clouds crept in, making me sit up and take notice, forcing me to be uncomfortably calm with so many moments that describe me. I’ve still not made friends with those shadows, but when songs like Clare Maguire’s come along with words like  “…won’t break me when I’m already broken”, they make the shadows that visit a lot easier to face. (Jo Michelmore)

#53. MY ONLY FRIEND

by BAD//DREEMS




Do you think I'm good enough?
Never have been good enough.

Even though I'm 75% sure they were singing about incest when we stumbled upon them (Jo says 80%), BAD//DREEMS were one of our favourite finds at this year's BIGSOUND Live event. The large crowd assembled to see them were buzzing throughout the performance. They're effortlessly cool, don't seem to have any douche-y qualities and could be the rock band we deserve, not the one we need. Did I get that right? I think I stole it from Batman. Forget that last part, 'My Only Friend' falls somewhere between stoner rock, grunge and garage pop. Whatever they're doing, they're doing it well. (Matt Bond) 

#52. BURY ME

by JP Klipspringer

It comes each day, it drags you in,
It spits its blood, a summer wind... 

Like I said about Our Man In Berlin earlier and let’s be honest, like I’m going to say about someone else in the next 51 songs in our countdown, when I speak of 2014 and the things that blogging has bought me, I’m going to mention the artist responsible for number 52, because I couldn’t even count the number of times I’ve listened to this song and the number of times I’ve been glad I found JP Klipspringer. ‘Bury Me’ is one of those special songs that was all gold and glistening and like nothing I’d experienced before when I first heard it and it’s one of those songs that has never lost its shine, it is still now as goosebump inducing as it was back in March and I’m thinking it may stay that way for a very, very long time. It’s as sad as it is beautiful, as beautiful as it is uplifting and it’s one of my absolute favourites for 2014. (Jo Michelmore)

#51. SHAKE IT OFF

by Taylor Swift

I'm dancing on my own, I make the moves up as I go,

And that's what they don't know...

Is there anything here that I could cover that hasn't already been done? You know it all... Taylor Swift, biggest music star on the planet. Biggest album of the year. Two of the biggest songs of the year. Spotify slayer. Crossover superstar that mixed up the standard pop to country route American artists have been doing for sales over the past couple of decades. Victoria's Secret mega babe. We could throw in her previous achievements like that time she won the Grammy for Album of the Year? What haven't we been talking about? Her relationships. Her public image generated by gossip magazines. How lame Harry Styles is. How Lorde and her should be my best friends because I think we'd have heaps of fun together. Tay-Tay, T-Sweezy, T-Swift... she ain't got time for none of that, she doesn't have time for any hate and she's just going to shake it off... shake it off. But seriously Taylor, have a think about the best friends thing. #callme (Matt Bond)   

I had a theory about lil ol Taylor that I wrote about a few weeks ago. It was something along the lines of old Swifty being Shifty. Well, thems the facts, she was, she is. She’s also a really good pop star who sings really, really catchy pop songs. This is one of them. I stand by my original statement. But I also stand by this one; I love Taylor Swift. End. (Jo Michelmore)

Top 25 - 12 October, 2014

UK Ladies: Clare Maguire + Marina and The Diamonds!

1. Dear Plastic - Epic Delay





2. Hey Lady - My Head, My Heart





3. Little May - Bones (NEW)





4. Julia Why? - Just One Night (NEW)





5. Pharrell Williams - Gust of Wind (NEW)





6. Tanzer - That's Why Darling (NEW)





7. Clare Maguire - Boomerang (NEW)





8. Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat





9. SAFIA - You Are The One





10. slacksmiths - Slotmachine





11. Cold Clinic Love - Bullet Youth (NEW)





12. Lisa Mitchell - Wah-Ha





13. Heyrocco - Mom Jeans (NEW)





14. Marina and The Diamonds - FROOT (NEW)





15. Kilter ft. Tkay Maidza - They Say





16. Megan Washington - My Heart Is A Wheel





17. Pretty City - Flying





18. Little May - Dust





19. Hamish Anderson - Burn





20. Tora - Admire (NEW)





21. APES - Pull The Trigger





22. Husky - I'm Not Coming Back





23. Charli XCX - London Queen (NEW)





24. Winters End - Walls





25. Jessie Ware - Say You Love Me

Top 25 - 9 March, 2014

Clare Maguire, Lykke Li, Sharon Van Etten and Mia Dyson!

1. Clare Maguire - Whenever You Want It

 

2. Son Lux ft. Lorde - Easy (Switch Screens) (NEW) 





3. Lykke Li - Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone (NEW)





4. Jack Colwell and The Owls - Far From View





5. JP Klipspringer - Bury Me





6. Mia Dyson - When We're Older (NEW)





7. The Presets - Goodbye Future (Re-Entry)





8. The Growlers - Humdrum Blues





9. The Tambourine Girls - Blood and Bones





10. Achoo! Bless You - Wild Eyes





11. Jessie Frye - Never Been To Paris





12. The Trouble With Templeton - Soldiers (NEW)





13. Megan Washington - Who Are You





14. Harts - Lovers In Bloom





15. Sharon Van Etten - Taking Chances (NEW)





16. Sons et al. - Day By Day (NEW)





17. Cathedrals - Harlem





18. Oliver Tank - You Never Know ft. Hayden Calnin (NEW)





19. Second Hand Heart - Spending My Time


 


20. Janelle Monae - What Is Love (NEW)





21. Iluka - 12th of July





22. The Twoks - First Light





23. Hercules and Love Affair - Do You Feel The Same (NEW)





24. Holy Holy - House of Cards





25. Ngaiire - ABCD  

Top 25 - 2 March, 2014

Megan Washington is back!

1. The Growlers - Humdrum Blues

 
2. Jack Colwell and The Owls - Far From View





3. Megan Washington - Who Are You (NEW)





4. Harts - Lovers In Bloom





5. Cathedrals - Harlem (NEW)





6. JP Klipspringer - Bury Me





7. The Tambourine Girls - Blood and Bones (NEW)





8. Jessie Frye - Never Been To Paris (NEW)





9. Holy Holy - House of Cards





10. Clare Maguire - Whenever You Want It (NEW)





11. Iluka - 12th of July





12. Little Dragon - Klapp Klapp


 

 
13. The Twoks - First Light (NEW)





14. Caitlin Park - Hold Your Gaze (NEW)





15. Second Hand Heart - Spending My Time (NEW)





16. Passerine - Free Again





17. Slow Club - Tears of Joy (NEW)





18. Ngaiire - ABCD





19. Achoo! Bless You - Wild Eyes





20. Zella Day - Sweet Ophelia (NEW)





21. Beyonce - Partition (NEW)





22. Shakira - Empire (NEW)





23. All The Colours - Fragile





24. Paolo Nutini - Iron Sky (NEW)





25. Tales In Space - All Messed Up

2011 Scene Awards - Best New Artist



Lana Del Rey, now in technicolour!


2011 was a pretty tough year to 'break it big' in the music industry. It seemed like everyone and I mean everyone was releasing an album this year. Well, Madonna didn't. Neither did Missy Elliott. Fine... not everyone then, but you know what I mean. New acts were competing with industry heavyweights, some of which were coming out with the best music we've ever heard from them. Due to their innovative sounds, the ten acts below emerged in 2011 and impressed us with their ability to draw attention away from their established contemporaries. These acts are your nominees for Best New Artist of 2011. Let's meet them!

Ball Park Music

Clare Maguire

 

Top 111 Songs of 2011, #40 - 31

Are you excited? You say you're not that excited now, but once you realise that this countdown ends on Friday you're going to be very excited. Why? Because you can listen to the top 100 songs of the year all weekend. It's got highs, it's got lows... play them all and watch a party take some interesting turns! But that's not until Friday. Before then, we've got forty more bangin' (and I guess not so bangin') tunes to get through. On with the show!


111. Clare Maguire - Ain't Nobody
110. Ball Park Music - It's Nice To Be Alive
109. The Strokes - Under Cover of Darkness
108. Coldplay ft. Rihanna - Princess of China
107. Coldplay - Paradise
106. Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull - On The Floor
105. Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
104. Professor Green ft. Emeli Sande - Read All About It
103. Cage the Elephant - Around My Head
102. Warpaint - Warpaint
101. Adele - Rumour Has It
100. Beirut - East Harlem
99. Ida Maria - Cherry Red
98. Digitalism - 2 Hearts
97. Washington - High Treason
96. Ben Lee - Get Used To It
95. Oh Land - Sun Of A Gun
94. Wolfram ft. Hercules and Love Affair - Fireworks
93. David Guetta ft. Sia - Titanium
92. Kimbra - Old Flame
91. Little Dragon Nightlight
90. The Rapture - How Deep Is Your Love?
89. Beirut - Santa Fe
88. Architecture in Helsinki ft. Sally Seltmann - W.O.W (Invisible Version)
87. PJ Harvey - The Last Living Rose
86. Emeli Sande - Heaven
85. TV On The Radio - Will Do
84. Dr. Dre ft. Eminem and Skylar Grey - I Need A Doctor
83. Boy and Bear - Feeding Line
82. Monarchy ft. Britt Love - You Don't Want to Dance With Me
81. Gotye - I Feel Better
80. The Drums - Money
79. Liam Finn - The Struggle
78. Little Boots - Shake
77. Neon Indian - Polish Girl
76. Kitty Daisy and Lewis - Don't Make A Fool Out Of Me
75. Beastie Boys ft. Santigold - Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win
74. Bon Iver - Holocene
73. Lykke Li - I Know Places
72. Florence + The Machine - What The Water Gave Me
71. The Black Keys - Run Right Back
70. Sneaky Sound System - Big
69. Rihanna - We Found Love
68. Florence + The Machine - Only If For A Night
67. The Naked and Famous - Punching In A Dream
66. Slow Club - Two Cousins
65. Kasabian - Switchblade Smile
64. The Ting Tings - Hang It Up
63. The Good Natured - Skeleton
62. Fever Ray - The Wolf
61. Kaiser Chiefs - I Dare You
60. Hercules and Love Affair - Painted Eyes
59. Jay-Z and Kanye West ft. Otis Redding - Otis
58. Justice - Civilization
57. Blaqstarr ft. Talib Kweli - War Of The Roses
56. Evanescence - Lost In Paradise
55. Britney Spears - Till The World Ends
54. Amanda Palmer ft. The Young Punx - Map Of Tasmania
53. Kimbra - Good Intent
52. Feist - How Come You Never Go There?
51. Yelle - Quex Veux-Tu
50. The Grates - Turn Me On
49. Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans
48. Seeker Lover Keeper - Light All My Lights
47. Matt Walters - St. Peter's Gate
46. San Cisco - Awkward
45. Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
44. Adele - Turning Tables
43. Florence + The Machine - No Light, No Light
42. Kate Bush - Snowflake
41. Sneaky Sound System - We Love

#40 - Techno Fan

by The Wombats

Shut up and move with me, move with me,

Or, or get out of my face...

You can dance to Joy Division as much as you want, but The Wombats really know how to make you want to move! 

#39 - Major

by Asteroids Galaxy Tour

You're the best, you're the most,

You're the toast of the Barbary coast.

Speaking of acts that make us want to move from left to right on a d-floor, it's Asteroids Galaxy Tour! These great Danes are on the verge of becoming one of the next big things in music, with their much anticipated sophomore album, Out of Frequency, set for release in January. 'Major,' the first single from the album gives us a perfect taste of what to expect; distinct pop sounds, party-starters and the vocal stylings of the beautiful and talented Mette  Lindberg. 2012 is already looking pretty good.

Top 111 Songs of 2011, #111 - 101



Wait... Coldplay? Yep. Coldplay.


Yesterday we looked at the honourable mentions, but now it's time for the real deal; the top songs of 2011! It's Bjork vs PJ Harvey; Kasabian vs Kaiser Chiefs; Lady Gaga vs Lykke Li... and so on and so forth. From established big name acts to emerging new talent, 2011 has given us so much quality music that cutting it down to 111 songs proved to be nearly impossible. Clearly it wasn't impossible though because, you know, here we are. Countdown... commence!!!

#111 - Ain't Nobody

by Clare Maguire

Meet me in the red sky and dance with me,

Let the valley change you and the night set you free.

#110 - It's Nice to Be Alive

by Ball Park Music

I'd prefer your enthusiasm, while you're here with me...

Australia can be proud of its contributions to pop music in 2011. You had breakthrough years for Gotye, Seeker Lover Keeper and Cut Copy (to name just a few) as well as exciting new acts like Boy and Bear, San Cisco and Brisbane's own, Ball Park Music! Hopefully all of these acts can make a big impact on the Triple J Hottest 100.

Top 20 - 21 May, 2011

BON IVER!

1. Bon Iver - Calgary (NEW)





2. Ladytron - White Elephant (NEW)





3. Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory





4. Clare Maguire - The Shield and the Sword (NEW)





5. Birdy - Skinny Love

Song of the Day - The Shield and the Sword

Clare Maguire - The Shield and the Sword

Album: Light After Dark (2011)

Clare Maguire recently released 'The Shield and the Sword,' one of the best tracks on her debut, Light After Dark, as a single. She hasn't caught on yet in the major markets outside of the UK, but this could be the song that finally gets her a little US or Australian love. I'd even settle for Canada. The track is amazing, she is amazing, her voice is amazing and the video? I'm not sure if she's intentionally taking pot shots at Katy Perry and Lady Gaga with some of her outfits... but if she is, ten points! Enjoy!

Rating: 4/5

New Music: Art vs Science, The Strokes, Willow Smith

Remember kids, never whip your hair while eating.



Art vs Science - Take A Look At Your Face


Fans of Art vs Science's industrial and experimental nature should be happy with 'Take A Look At Your Face.' That goes for the majority of the tracks on their debut full-length album, The Experiement, which is expected to make a huge impact on the ARIA album charts next week. Unfortunately 'Take A Look At Your Face' isn't as accessible to mainstream audiences as hottest 100 success 'Parlez-Vous Francais?' or 'Magic Fountain,' but it's sure to get play on alternative radio. This is a good thing.

Rating: 3/5

Clare Maguire - Burn

Another artist with their debut album released in the last week, Clare Maguire dropped Light After Dark on the last day of February and has been generating a ton of buzz for her efforts. Lead singles 'Ain't Nobody' and 'The Last Dance' showed off her vocals, songwriting skills and how good she looks in leopard print. Not only is she talented musically, she's on trend in the fashion realm too. You go Clare Maguire. 'Burn' follows in the footsteps of its electro-pop predecessors and while not as strong as either of those, still comes off quite well.

Rating: 3.5/5

Glee - Get It Right


So, Glee's going to be using original music. You know what that means? More $$$ for Fox. At least 'Get It Right' is serviceable and a showcase for Lea Michelle's booming vocals. If you're hating on this already, wait until you hear the other original song, 'Loser Like Me.' Oy vey.

Rating: 2/5 (for the song), 5/5 for Michelle's vocals.

The Strokes - You're So Right

Don't you feel a little bit guilty about wishing that every new Strokes song would stop sounding like every other song they've released?

Rating: 2.5/5

Willow Smith - 21st Century Girl

21st Century Girl by Willow Smith

I WHIP MY HAIR BACK AND FORTH, I WHIP MY HAIR BA- what? What? Oh, wrong song. But you kind of wish it was that song. Willow won't be winning over any new fans that are aged 14 and over (or any guys I guess) with '21st Century Girl,' but she doesn't need to. That demographic will give her more than enough in sales.

Rating: 2/5