Top 119 Songs of 2019, #10 - 1

#119 - #111

#110 - #101

#100 - #91

#90 - #81

#80 - #71

#70 - #61

#60 - #51

#50 - #41

#40 - #31

#30 - #21

#20 - #11

#10. VIDEO

by Cub Sport ft Mallrat

Did you forget I am no pedestrian recycling art

I am Mozart

I saw these Cub Sport characters in a café near my place recently, and I spent the whole time I was there waiting for my takeaway trying not to look at them, leaving my sunglasses on and pretending I was looking at menus of the restaurant next door, because I didn’t want to look like a loser and be like “Hey. Are you Cub Sport? (knowing exactly who it is) I really like you guys a lot” because that would be lame. So here I am on the internet, declaring my love for the rest of the world to see instead, because that’s not embarrassing at all. Isn’t life weird? Hey Cub Sport! I like you guys, a lot. (Jo Michelmore)


You take two of Brisbane's most exciting acts, put them together on a song and you get GOLD. Obviously this is what happened when Cub Sport and Mallrat teamed up for 'Video', a track that's as romantic as it is sex-ay. As someone with nothing notably 'sexy' going for them (exhibit A, the use of sex-ay) it even makes me feel a little bit goooood about myself. 'Video' was the diamond amongst the many rich gems populating Cub Sports' 2019 self-titled release, standing out as a shining example of the absolute confidence Cub Sport have found in their music. (Matt Bond)

#9. DON'T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF

by Alex Lahey

You say, that things are spinning around and around

And you've lost control and you need to slow down

If I got any of these top ten songs stuck in my head, I feel like this one would be the most useful. Been sitting at a laptop for hours on end, Jo? Can’t think of any more positive words after writing about a hundred songs in the last few weeks, Jo? Think your writing is garbage but put it on the internets anyway, Jo? Hungry, Jo? Don't be so hard on yourself, Jo. Alex Lahey’s little brand of pop punk and self-depreciating saxophones are what I should be listening to. This is advice I like to give often, and advice I should take often. If only I could present it as well as Alex Lahey does. Don't be so hard on yourself, Jo, and so on... (Jo Michelmore)


A musical pick-me-up, an upper in song form... it's 'Don't Be So Hard On Yourself' by Alex Lahey. It's the perfect cure for those mild cases of the sads, ready made for those moments when you're thinking you have no idea what you're doing with this whole 'life' thing. Sometimes you just need a reminder to get out of your own way and that things are never as bad as they seem (being caught for committing a crime is excluded from this narrative). Lahey has you covered in this department with the lead single from her sophomore album, The Best of Luck Club. This might very well be the best we've heard from Alex Lahey so far, but I think we all know THE best is still to come from an artist that keeps topping what came before with each new release. (Matt Bond)

#8. KITCHEN

by Annie Hamilton

I could try to recreate it

The memory is overrated

Annie Hamilton’s music was my pleasant surprise of the year, I was so hoping she’d keep releasing incredible things. Completely unexpected and now seemingly obvious, she was part of one of my favourite acts of the decade (see number six), so of course she was going to remain incredible on her own. And a song about my favourite room in the house. Whatta dream. So many layers of sound like some kind of cake one would find in such a room, I want to listen to Annie Hamilton in all the rooms of the house, across all the stages of the world where she deserves to be. I’m so looking forward to seeing which room she’s in next. (Jo Michelmore)


Continuing her brilliant run of single releases, Annie Hamilton is now 3 for 3 with 'Kitchen'. It's one of the finest rock releases of 2019, something you'll agree with from the opening distorted guitar that leads into Hamilton's stunning opening lines, "clouds are rolling down the hills, I tell you that it kills when you look at me like that." The imagery these lines and the music paint in your mind, I mean get out of here, this is too good! 'Kitchen' takes the first started by 'Fade' and 'My New Tattooed Chameleon' to another level as it builds to a thrilling conclusion with Hamilton letting loose the final time she prepares to let us know what she's missing as she stands there in the kitchen. Like I said, it's just too good. (Matt Bond)

#7. MONEY

by Lime Cordiale

Make a lifetime full of small talk

Pretendin' he's so funny

I nominate Lime Cordiale for having some of the greatest hair in Australian bands at the moment, but I also nominate them for being one of the greatest Australian bands ever as well. That’s not too big a call to make is it? Have you heard this song? It’s got a 70s groove bassline, a simple driving beat and a horn section half of the 80s would be jealous of. As well as half the 00s, and most of 2019 as well. They sing about the pressures of society and our collective thoughts about money, but the best part about music is that almost anyone, regardless of pay scale, can enjoy rock like this. (Jo Michelmore) 


The echo in the vocals, the perfectly times keys, those harmonies, a chorus that somehow manages to be apathetic and indignant at the same time. Yeah, Lime Cordiale are pretty good at this whole making music thing. 'Money' grows on you as you listen to it more and more And you won't be able to not listen to it more and more. It's a catchy jam that's worthy of a singalong. It will have those toes tapping at quiet social occasions and feet stomping at those unexpected, less quiet ones. Oli and Louis Leimbach aka Lime Cordiale have had a huge year built off of banging tunes. 'Money' is the most banging of them all. (Matt Bond)

#6. APPLES

by Little May

I wish to be governed by something else

I can hold your hand while you wash away our dreams

This is a song I have been dreading writing words about, not because of the song itself, but because of knowing it will be the last time I write anything about a band I have adored so much in the last few years. How excited I was to hear new material from Little May in 2019. Their second album Blame My Body was everything I expected it to be; emotionally charged, an incredible strength woven through every note, all of the songs quickly becoming new favourites and every moment a sense of hope of what was still to come. When I heard they had called it quits midway through the year, I admit I felt a bit empty for a couple of days. While I’m so hopeful that both Hannah and Liz will find their musical feet somewhere else, and I’ve no doubt they both have the talent to make amazing music separately, it’s tough when your favourites move on without you. Thanks for ALL the music Little May, you filled a hole in my life soundtrack, covered it with your own brand of perfection and won’t be forgotten. (Jo Michelmore) 


Oh, Little May. This chapter of the musical adventures of Hannah Field and Liz Drummond might have come to a close, but what a way to go out. Their second album, Blame My Body, was one of the best releases of the year with 'Apples' quickly becoming my most listened to track. It takes some inspiration from 90s alternative rock, both in the music and the lyrics, but keeps Little May's trademark ability to construct a layered track that breaks your heart while putting it back together at the same time. Drummond takes the lead vocals with Field backing her up, ensuring those Little May harmonies can still shine. I could go on and on, but I'll just highlight my favourite part of the song. As the second verse begins, Drummond sings the lines, "I wish to be governed by something else, I can hold your hand while you wash away our dreams." It's a devastating thoughtfulness that gets me every time. And devastatingly thoughtful is the best description I can think of for Little May's music. Thank you for the music and we can't wait to hear what comes next from Liz Drummond and Hannah Field. (Matt Bond)

#5. PARADISE

by The Presets and Golden Features

You and I are face-to-face

While the world up above keeps burning like a riot

I love how reliable The Presets are. There’s one thing for sure and that’s if I’m writing about The Presets it’s going to be positive. They just keep doing their thing, and everything they do turns to electronic gold, or in this case they work with Gold(en Features) and everything turns to…Paradise? I don’t know, I’ve written a lot of words, excuse my random ramblings at this point. I do know if you smash the ever reliable Presets together with another of this country's electronic heavy weights, Golden Features, you get what I think is actually as close as you’re gonna get to any of the songs Matt likes to call ‘bangers’, or ‘bangerz’, with a z, should you be so inclined. Either way, this song is perfection in paradise. (Jo Michelmore)


Not that they ever lost 'it', whatever 'it' is, but The Presets still have 'it' and so does Golden Features. Golden Features definitely has 'it'. Let's just say 'it' is being able to put together a song that makes you want to dance and it also makes you think you can dance when you know you can't. And what is paradise, if not a magical place where you think you can dance and then you can dance like no one is watching because you're on a tropical island with endless drinks and fancy food and you're alone and that's why you can dance like no one is watching because there's literally no one there to watch you. And 'Paradise' is playing. And it's perfect. Take me there now! (Matt Bond)

#4. READY

by Montaigne

And I'm at the edge of the cliff

So let's begin

One of the things I love about Montaigne is her love of the dramatic, her appreciation for her music as not just a song, not just an album, but an experience; she pieces everything together in such beautiful theatrical ways that one can’t help but feel spellbound by her ways. The confident percussion, the layered vocals and the important messages in 'Ready' (and all of her second album Complex) are unparallelled, her performances captivating and her voice mesmerising. She has a long list of influences that can be heard amongst her songs and seen in her stage presence, but what’s most exciting is the influence Montaigne will be on others as she keeps evolving and creating and growing. I will be happy to see where she goes and so ready to follow her wherever she heads next. (Jo Michelmore)


A click of the fingers and beating drums. You know you're in for something epic. This is a Montaigne song, you already knew you were going on a journey. It starts with a frank admission of frustration that explodes following Montaigne's promise, her mission statement. She's ready. We're ready. Let's begin. In the chorus we find soaring vocals and lyrics that show how much growth her occurred between albums. No wings will be clipped today, Montaigne is destined to jump off the edge of that cliff and fly high. Montaigne set the bar high with her 2016 debut, Glorious Heights. But with this year's follow-up, Complex and on the song 'Ready', one of the true new classics smashes all expectations to dust with fearless precision. Her name is Montaigne, her time is now. And we are so ready for this. (Matt Bond)

#3. WE DON'T CARE

by Polish Club

This could be a start

Do it for the art

I’ve had some of the greatest nights of my life in a Polish club. Well, at least I think I did. Apparently I did. Those Poles sure know how to distill a vodka. That has nothing to do with this Polish Club though, except to say I think of that other club whenever I hear this Polish Club, and ‘We Don’t Care’ is pretty much exactly how one feels when one is consuming said vodka in the aforementioned club. It’s the ultimate rock I love; pounding drums, gritty guitars and a vocal that smashes its way into my brain the way all the best rock lyrics do; “For the night I can live like a stranger, for the night I'll forget all the mess…”and so began and ended my Polish vodka evenings. And one more thing. Greatest clip of the year, because I may or may not have been all those guys in that karaoke bar. Every single one of them. (Jo Michelmore) 


Funnily enough, my experience with an actual Polish Club is the exact opposite of Jo's, but the less said about it the better. The band Polish Club is nothing like the night that shall not be spoken about, they are amazing. Unrelated to their track 'We Don't Care', Polish Club recently released a little New Year's collection of songs that you should GET ON NOW, because it's guaranteed to start your 2020 in the best way possible. With a Kylie cover. As for 'We Don't Care', all swagger, sex appeal and too cool to give a fuck vibes... yes please and thank you. We are not worthy. David Novak howls his way through the rock anthem of the year, as essential track for any playlist that includes the word 'party'. This is fun, doesn't take itself too seriously and encourages you to make choices so bad they have to be good. Actually, this is the New Year's Eve jam you need to be playing. (Matt Bond)

#2. EVERYTHING'S BETTER WITHOUT YOU

by Kira Puru

You asked me how I've been

Like we're just friends

You really wanna know?

A groove that begs to be danced to, beats that stick in your mind long after they’re over and words that must be sung along to, ‘Everything Is Better Without You’ is the anthem we all need every now and then. Bold, sassy, strong, confident and so very fabulous, Kira Puru seems to be the person I want to be. I said everything I think about Ms Puru back at number 26, but the thing is that in this song she sings a set of words I would never, ever think of her, because my world is a much, much better place with Kira Puru in it. (Jo Michelmore)


We've been saying it for years... everything is better with Kira Puru. And now she offers up the quintessential post-relationship pop smash with 'Everything Is Better Without You'. It captures everything you'd want in the moment you encounter your ex at the local discotheque, saloon or frozen vegetable section at Coles. You're looking good. Damn good. And you're feeling it. All because a certain someone is out of your heart, out of your mind and out of your life. The glorious feeling this song give you, the sheer joy? It should be bottled into a fragrance, yeeewwww du Puru. It's official, Kira Puru can do no wrong as she continues to pump out bop after bop. Everything really is better with Kira Puru. (Matt Bond)

#1. BETTER IN BLAK

by Thelma Plum

But if I just keep quiet

I'll be the one who's dying too

It seems so appropriate that a decade after Matt started this blogging thing and six, maybe seven years after he invited me to start writing with him that our number one song of the year be this one, because it is a song that somehow represents so much of what this blog has been about all this time.

‘Better In Blak’, from Thelma Plum’s incredible album of the same name is an important piece of music, a personal tale but also a reflection on our society and just some of the things Thelma, and so many others have had to face in said society; told with an incredibly strong and danceable beat, a bassline to move to, a chorus to groove to and it includes something Thelma does so well, a resounding “fuck that” lyric to sing along to, which I can say is so very powerful when performed live. It’s a song of fight and song of strength, a song of confidence and a song that needed to be heard in 2019, a song that shows us where society has gone wrong and which way to head to be right. It’s Thelma Plum at her best, coming from a place so dark and turning it into something we adore, and I only hope she doesn’t have to face such awful things again to make her next piece of incredible music.

But with all of those things, all of those life affirming words and reflections of ourselves and each other, it’s also basically a perfect pop song. Life wrapped up in music, which is the thing that Matt and I have always loved. It’s the thing that has inspired us to spend endless hours over the years writing all the words to share with someone, anyone who has wanted to join us, the thing that tells us all about ourselves, the thing we desperately search for in darkness and the thing we love to love in the light. It’s pretty much everything, and our lives would be nothing without it. Music. Thanks for loving it with us all this time. Until the next perfect pop song… (Jo Michelmore)


What makes a song your favourite of the year? Is it how many times you listened to it? Is it the feeling that it gives you; happy, sad or something in-between? Does it make you think or feel less alone? Does it send a message? Is it defiant? Rebellious? Triumphant? Maybe it's all of those things. Maybe it's more. Thelma Plum's 'Better In Blak' ticks off a lot of those boxes, but that's not necessarily why it's our most loved, number one song of 2019. All those things play a part but, and I'll use this one last time and then retire it forever... 'Better In Blak' is an absolute banger of a track. A perfect pop song. It builds on all the elements of Thelma Plum's work we've loved over the years and crafts a song that will stay with us forever. Jo has mentioned before that there's songs that will be part of your life's soundtrack and 'Better In Blak' is one of them. We'll be listening in 10, 20, 30 years time. Hopefully long after that too. It's a song that will stay with you for a lifetime. And it's an absolute banger. The best banger of 2019. Love. (Matt Bond)

Top 119 Songs of 2019, #30 - 21

#119 - #111

#110 - #101

#100 - #91

#90 - #81

#80 - #71

#70 - #61

#60 - #51

#50 - #41

#40 - #31

#30. LAST STAND

by Guards

We're getting older while we can

I wish I could say I knew more about Guards, but I’m a busy person, I’ve got a lot going on beside writing these words here you know. What I do know is that if I spent more time keeping up with things I like I’d get rewarded with songs like this one, a quickfire journey of driving drums turning rock turning pop turning rock turning the sound up every time I listen. (Jo Michelmore)




If you have a Spotify or Apple Music account, you'd be well aware of the personalised playlists that these apps make for you. Blah blah algorithms blah blah and you get recommended artists you might be interested in. I feel like the algorithm doesn't get me all that much based off the majority of what's recommended to me, but sometimes a song works its way into these new tunes I supposedly might like and I end up loving it. Like 'Last Stand' by Guards that I wouldn't have heard any other way. And I'm very thankful I did hear it, because it's a whole lot of Brit-poppy fun. (Matt Bond)

#29. MISERABLE

by Alexander Biggs

Am I hard to love? With a heart so tough

You could cut me and I wouldn't feel a thing

There’s a very special kind of talent that can turn a subject so sad into something so sweet, there’s very special kind of artist who can did deep into what becomes the murky mundane and turn it into a piece of magic, a reflection of life and it’s ability to be as equally bleak as it is exhaustingly beautiful. ‘Miserable’ is exactly these things, and Alexander Biggs is exactly the artist with the special kind of talent to see a subject so pessimistic and turn it into something so pretty. (Jo Michelmore)

#28. CLIMATE

by Ruby Fields

Darlin', could you teach me to make a spark?

I've never quite gotten the technique down

I’ll be completely honest here and admit I hadn’t heard much of Ruby Fields until I saw her coverage of Laneway for Triple J early in the year, which was one of the funniest things I saw on social media all year. Thank goodness for Laneway patrons and Ruby’s deadpan way of dealing with them, because they inadvertently introduced me to Ms Fields’ world, and her terribly good pop, her terribly good way with simple drums and guitars and her terribly catchy way with words, as well as her views on terribly amusing festival patrons. (Jo Michelmore)

#27. STARS

by Cub Sport

I never thought anyone got to live like this

Cub Sport are on the hottest of hot streaks at the moment. Everything they touch turns to musical gold and we are here for it. And you can tell these Brisbane indie-popsters are feeling it too, going the self-titled route on their third LP. They've found their place in the musical world and found themselves in the process. And what better way to spelt for us than on the dreamy, oh so dreamy, 'Stars'. It lives up to the promise of taking you higher and higher and leaves you with the fullest of hearts. Tim Nelson's writing is top notch, perfectly reflecting his contentment in Cub Sport's and his own current state of being. High fives and love heart emoji for everyone! (Matt Bond)

#26. WHY DON'T WE GET ALONG

by Kira Puru

But I need so much more

Than a good long talk

From the moment I heard Kira Puru with that Bruise all those years ago, I was mesmerised, so powerful and enigmatic it was a spell I couldn’t escape; her voice was magic, her sense of life addictive, her style so captivating; I almost wanted to be her. I’ve since decided I’d much rather be myself, because from my view I got to see her evolve into her current incredible unapologetic self, hear her sound as confident as she does vulnerable in all her material and watch her talent evolve into such good songs like this one. And with every release I also get to see so many more people discover the same thing I know; that Kira Puru is fabulous. (Jo Michelmore)

#25. TEA STAINS

by Didirri and Ro

Every time I turn my head

I see your shadow in the trees and I lose the hour

If you write a song about tea, there’s an incredibly high chance I’m going to like it, considering my love of one of the most comfortable beverages in the world. Didirri and Ro have written such a song. If you have anything to do with Eurovision, there’s an almost definite chance I’m going to like you, considering my love of the most enjoyable celebration of music in all the world. Didirri is hoping to compete in said competition next year. And as Didirri is involved in both songs about tea and things about Eurovision, chances are, I’m a fan. Yep, I am. (Jo Michelmore)




I was lucky enough to see both Didirri and Ro this year, supporting Middle Kids and Little May respectively. Their solo sets included a whole bunch of gorgeous tunes. Like the X-Men before them, alone they are mighty... but together? They are unstoppable. Or something like that, I don't know. Together, Ro and Didirri show they can make musical magic, as proven by 'Tea Stains'. It's understated, simple and overwhelmingly effective with the focus on the sweet performances from both artists that try so hard to mask the underlying sadness. Can you be happy and sad at the same time? Of course... just listen to 'Tea Stains'. (Matt Bond)

#24. STAINED GLASS

by Ocean Alley

To be perfectly honest

You're not being honest, my friend

I’m almost convinced that Ocean Alley could write a song about anything and they’d still sound like they were chilling on a beach somewhere watching the sunset. They could perform a list of addresses, repeat a political mantra, recite a recipe to music and I’d still be thinking of the coast. They were probably quite smart in putting the Ocean in Ocean Alley, I guess. ‘Stained Glass’ is a gem of dreamy layered guitars and a swirling groove which sends your mind to pleasant places and proves that hottest 100 position wasn't a fluke, they know their thing, and they do it very well. (Jo Michelmore)

#23. CIRCLES
by George Alice

You know I lie when I say goodbye

Sometimes I mean it, I mean it, I'm leaving

The worst type of relationship laid out in one of the best listens of the year. The type of relationship that goes round and round (and round in circles) with a destination of nowhere. One party needs to be the one to break the cycle for good, but who's it going to be? Here's hoping it was George Alice and she's still not going round and round (and round in circles). Break the cycle now while you're still young! Time is on your side. With that out of the way, George Alice is finishing up high school and she is killing it on her first big release. 'Circles' slowly draws you in, works its way into your head and you'll never want it to leave. The only healthy circular motion you should find yourself in is the constant loop of replay you'll have 'Circles' on. (Matt Bond)

#22. WITHOUT A BLUSH

by Hatchie

If I could kiss you one more time

Would it make everything alright?

Hatchie. So dreamy. Even when putting her own heartbreak out into the world, and taking inspo from Greek tragedies no less, Hatchie remains the dreamiest. In 2019 we got to hear the explosive debut album, Keepsake, seemingly years in the making but more than well worth the wait. 'Without A Blush' would be released as the album's lead single at the start of the year and our love for it has only grown as we navigated the worldwide shit-show known as 2019. Hatchie's music has been a genuine highlight that's never failed to put a smile on our faces and that's never been more true than with 'Without A Blush' and its thoughts of what might have been with one last kiss. (Matt Bond)

#21. RESTLESS

by Allday ft. The Veronicas

There's a party we're late for, way up on a windy road

With people we can't relate to, once we're there we'll want to go

I mean, it's not the sequel to 'Untouched' that the people demand, but this will do. For now. The unlikely pairing of Allday and The Veronicas struck low-key, emotional gold with 'Restless', a track that brought out the best in both acts. Allday has found a maturity and depth in his music that will ensure he's sticking around for a log time to come and The Veronicas drop the big time pop sound for a restrained, relatable and engaging chorus that has them sounding better than ever (sans 'Untouched'). As much as we all want to hear 'Untouched' 2.0, I don't think anyone would be complaining about a sequel to 'Restless' either. These acts are quite the match. (Matt Bond)



Top 100 Songs of 2018 - #10 to #1

Thelma Plum, Cub Sport, Kira Puru + Little May!

#100 - #91

#90 - #81

#80 - #71

#70 - #61

#60 - #51

#50 - #41

#40 - #31

#30 - #21

#20 - #11

#10. ALL YOUR LOVE

by Dustin Tebbutt

Those wide eyes, bright blue

Pulled me from the tide and cold water.

We start our top 10 songs of the year on a calming note, courtesy of singer-songwriter Dustin Tebbutt. 'All Your Love' washes over you like a gentle wave and leaves you in a state of chill. One might say it leaves you feeling ice cold, because it's certainly leaves you feeling cooler than being just cool. You know? Tebbutt has built a reputation for crafting tender indie-folk tunes and this year's Chasing Gold EP provided us with seven of them. It was 'All Your Love' that struck us the most and had us dreaming of a love just like in the song's story. A love that offers a safe place, fills your (cold, dead) heart and leaves you feeling like a brand new you each and every day. Like, I'm happy for Dustin Tebbutt, but right now that feels like some fantasy Grey's Anatomy-level fairytale love and that just ends with a shooter in the hospital, doesn't it Dustin? Doesn't it?! Okay... I've got to go and listen to 'All Your Love' to get that chilled out feeling back. Bye. (Matt Bond)


“All your love it keeps me safe, all your love completes me…”, well, there's the line that means you’re going to be hearing this one at weddings, obviously. Move over Sheeran, Tebbutt is in town. And then you'll hear it on television shows, clearly, where two characters who’ve taken so long to get together because of teledrama tension finally declare their love for each other, just before one is tragically taken in a freak accident, or something. Or even better, a blockbuster rom-com-action-drama-horror film where one character is running down a city street at night, surrounded by headlights and pedestrians, desperately trying to catch another character who’s about to board a train, going to an airport, to leave for ever and ever, because that’s what happens in movies, doesn't it? It’s a song that feels like it’s written for all the greatest stories, the tempo giving a feeling of desperation, but the words giving a sense of completion, a song that feels like a classic from the very beginning. And like the great classics, it’s a song that feels timeless. Appearing in weddings, TV and movies for years to come. And in my favourites list too. (Jo Michelmore)

#9. FLY

by Kira Puru

Brace yourself put on your seatbelt

'Cuz it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Hello and welcome to Kira Puru Airlines, this is your Captain speaking. Our journey this evening will take approximately three minutes and it's looking like it's going to be a bumpy ride, so please do sit back and enjoy the ups and ups and ups that can only come with the music of 2018 Kira Puru. Puru lived up to her promise of teaching us how to 'Fly' with her most infectious track yet. A track that will have you breaking all the rules; tray tables down, dancing down the aisle when the seatbelt sign is on, stealing those delicious fun-sized bottles of boooooze. When writing about Puru's other signature 2018 track 'Molotov', Jo mentioned how great it is to see Puru winning the hearts of more and more music fans with each release. And as she said, it's so awesome to not only see that happening for KP, but to see her in her musical element, crafting the bestest pop tunes around. The song slays in every aspect, which includes that gorge black and white clip directed by Josh Harris. Anyway, thank you for choosing Kira Puru Airlines and we do hope to see you again soon. Kira Puru, we hope to hear you again even sooner. (Matt Bond)


Put your dancing pants and platforms on, Ms Puru is in the house. Well, not my house literally, she lives in Melbourne, I think, and I live somewhere else a long way away. Kira has come a long way from her days with the Bruise, but the things that made me a fan then are still what draws me in today. She has that kind of cool that is intriguingly intimidating, and a voice that can go from straight up perfect pop through to gut wrenching blues and all the way back to electronica again. With the release of her self titled EP, she’s showing this country and this music industry where she deserves to be, and seeing where her musical future takes her is definitely going to be an awesome journey. As she says; “brace yourself, put on your seatbelt, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride”. I'm in and I so look forward to that Kira. (Jo Michelmore)

 

#8. SLEEP

by Hatchie

Baby, I'm a piece of glass, I shatter so fast

Don't know how long I'll last.

Okay, how many times have we referred to Hatchie's music as dreamy? And now here she is coming at us with a song about hanging out in her dreams and I don't know what your thoughts are on this, but that's some Inception level shit right there and we see you Hatchie. We see you. We also love hearing you on songs like 'Sleep' that take the right amount of influence from 90s alternative, add a touch of Brisbane's signature garage rock, combine those with a healthy chunk of modern electronic-indie and make pure musical magic. We're all smiling in our sleep, Hatchie, because we get to drift off listening to these songs from you that are beyond dreamy. They're so dreamy you'll find yourself daydreaming while listening to them. As Hatchie gains more and more fans at home and abroad, we'll be dreaming of more and more success for Brisbane's own Harriete Pilbeam into 2019 and beyond. (Matt Bond)


Everyone’s always like “Hatchie is so dreamy” (including us, example A as above) and I’m like, yes, definitely, but  ‘Sleep’ is totally daydreamy, conjuring images of green grass and beaches and mountains and the last day of school and some kind of scene in a film where people are hugging and dancing in slow motion and the credits roll on smiling faces….did Hatchie write a song for a film that hasn’t been made yet? It’s a perfect soundtrack song, which means it makes a great addition to life soundtrack, sunny days and a feeling of hope through all of those keys and beats, and the best part is she conjures all of these daydreamy images while making it all sound so effortless. Maybe all those things written about Hatchie being dreamy are right, surely songs this good can only been seen in my dreams. (Jo Michelmore)

 

#7. FLEXIN'

by Tkay Maidza ft. DUCKWRTH

People don't get it, I'm awesome

Talkin', they want me to fail

I am too busy to care.

TKAAAAAAAAAAAY! I said, TTTTTKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY! What up? Hey, remember that time I went to Bigsound and this exciting Adelaide-based MC going by the name of Tkay Maidza got up and absolutely killed her set which included her BLOWING UP THE SPEAKERS? If you weren't around Brisbane in September 2014 then you probably don't remember this, but it was just the most ridiculously amazing thing to happen. In the years that have followed, Tkay Maidza has worked hard to develop her already mad skills on a mic and now here we are in 2018 and she's exactly where we knew she would be. On top of the world, gaining new fans in every country every day, keeping it real and staying humble. On 'Flexin', which teams Maidza with Duckwrth for the first and hopefully not last time, the pocket rocket rap superstar throws out rhymes thicker and faster than ever. While I'm not fully up to date on what a flex means to the young ones these day, I'm digging the attitude that Maidza is rocking. Let's keep the Tkay Slay train rolling into 2019 with even more of this. Thank you in advance, Tkay. (Matt Bond)


I actually feel like I just wanna revisit old words I’ve written and just see if it’s at all possible to describe Tkay Maidza in a different way, because I feel like I’ve written about her a million times, and I’ll listen to her a million times more. It’s because she’s just so incredibly good at what she does, every single release is just as strong as every other, every song making me appreciate her talent a little bit more than the last and every listen ending in me just hitting play again, pretending I have a teeny bit of the rhythm Tkay has, and desperately waiting for the next release. Her EP Last Year Was Weird described my year more than I can explain, but the years are only made better with Tkay in them. (Jo Michelmore)  

#6. MISTAKE

by Middle Kids

You're standing out in the rain tonight

Like you got something to say to God.

2018 was a breakout year for Middle Kids, if by breakout year you mean scoring a tonne of ARIA nominations, taking out the coveted J Award for Album of the Year and winning over fans worldwide with said album. That would be the electrifying debut, Lost Friends, that has made the Sydney-based three-piece into the bonafide rock success of the year. And if you've been living under a rock, which is understandable given the price of living these days, but you find yourself reading this because priorities demand you have phone with internet, I'm going to need you to listen to 'Mistake'. Because once you've listened to it you're not going to be able to stop listening to it and then you'll have to listen to everything Middle Kids have ever released. Which is what happened to me, but I wasn't under a rock, I was in Krakow. A much cooler friend than I (hi Jade!) had posted something on the social medias about Middle Kids so I downloaded their album but life got in the way and it wasn't until I was walking down a street in Poland and 'Mistake' pops up on shuffle and BAM! I'm hooked on Middle Kids. For life. Many things in life end up being a mistake. Loving the music of Middle Kids will not be one of them. (Matt Bond)


Ohmygawd I just wanna dress in baggy pants, eat week old pasta, find my favourite boots amongst a pile of last week’s clothes on the floor and go somewhere strange, to meet a friend who I’m going to know for a hundred years, to drink cheap booze, talk shit about nothing and everything and dream about the mistakes we’re making and where we’ll be in twenty years. And we’ll walk home in the rain because no one can afford cabs and then we’ll do it all again the following week. And I just wanna hit play on ‘Mistake’ every time it ends because I want those riffs to take me back to that place, and I want those words to remind me of that friend and I want those three minutes of Middle Kids to never end because songs that remind you of things you have done and people you have loved are not mistakes, they are the greatest songs ever. (Jo Michelmore)

#5. SOMETIMES

by Cub Sport

You see everything I'm hoping

I'm a river running high.

Well... Cub Sport sure have come a long way, haven't they just? Remember when they were kiddies riding around on their bikes in music videos and singing little indie-pop gems like 'Told You So'? In six years they've grown up and their music has grown up with them, elevating to like super good levels around the same time that 'Come On Mess Me Up' came out. Now, with the release of 'Sometimes', it seems Cub Sport has truly arrived. If you thought the four-piece would be where they're at musically now back in the old Cub Scout days, I've got to tell you... you're a liar and you need to stop lying. 'Sometimes' is the indie dance anthem you never would have seen coming from Cub Scout, but exactly the right kind of amazing that could only come from 2018 Cub Sport. When that chorus hits, you have no choice but to shake it out like you're Tim Nelson standing on maybe a mountain with your shirt unbuttoned, not a care in the world or hair product in sight. A bird tattoo on your stomach... I don't know about that, but I do know 'Sometimes' is much fun, so amaze. (Matt Bond)


Sometimes a song comes along that surprises you. Sometimes bands who you’ve liked but never loved will do something that resonates in a way you can’t explain. Sometimes the sounds songs make will take you to places you’re sure you’ve been, or movies you’re sure you’ve seen, or rooms you’ve been, and those sounds really make you smile. Sometimes you hear a song which makes you start searching back catalogues, makes you turn around and visit albums you haven’t been to for years, or met at all, and sometimes that song will give you a new appreciation for all the things you’ve missed. Sometimes you get in one of your best friend’s cars and they put on a song you weren’t expecting and sometimes that song becomes one of your favourites of the year. (Jo Michelmore)
 

#4. CLUMSY LOVE

by Thelma Plum

I can only love you twice as much before you fuck this up.

After what felt like forty-five years without new music from Thelma Plum, we were treated to 'Clumsy Love' this year. I would very much like this to be the start of the build to us finally hearing the debut album from one of our all-time faves. Was it three years ago that Jo and I went to see Thelma in Brisbane performing songs from her debut? Songs about ice-cream and love and losing that love and did I mention ice-cream? 'Clumsy Love' shows that Ms Plum has only gotten better during her time away, putting together her catchiest, most immediately engaging track yet. It's fun pop, elevated by words from one of the best songwriters in the business. Maybe all this love is because Thelma Plum manages to get the word fuck into all of her best songs, but sings it in the sweetest way possible. Or maybe it's because she makes music that's so heartbreaking so much fun. Whatever it is, don't ever stop doing you, Thelma Plum. (Matt Bond) 


Thelma, oh Thelma, how I’ve missed you. I played that Monster EP until I knew it like the back of my hand and I listened to that Rosie EP until it became an integral part of that year. Those EPs knew me better than I knew myself for a little while. So when ‘Clumsy Love’ came into my existence this year, it was like meeting an old confidante again, a friend who knew all my secrets, coming back to say hi. The familiarity in voice with the sparkle of new words was more than I could have imagined. The bounce in all the sounds combined with Thelma’s sense of beautifully awkward is exactly everything I didn’t even know I missed until it came rushing back, and I can only hope she does exactly as she repeats; “don’t keep me hanging on” for another four years Thelma. I adore you so, so much. (Jo Michelmore)

#3. LOVER

by Little May

You threw me out in the water and turned around

Don't let me drown.

Liz Drummond. Hannah Field. Little May in 2018, this is what we're living for. Because with the release of their new single 'Lover', we know we're going to be treated to a whole album of music this brilliant in 2019. I really don't know where to begin with this one. How do you put into words how happy you were to hear something new from a band you've listened to more than any other over the past couple of years. Their debut, For The Company, was on repeat for a long, long time. So what came next from the now Field and Drummond-led outfit had a lot to live up to. Not that we had any fears they wouldn't be living up to the high benchmarks they've set in the past. It's sort of a thing with Little May to see those benchmarks and smash through them as they soar higher with each new release. And 'Lover' has Little May soaring higher than ever before. They're leaning heavily into their rock influences on a track that makes you want to jump around from start to finish, cursing those that have wronged you... but secretly you're hoping they're going to make it up to you because they're supposed to be your friend. What? Clap along, sing along and fall in love with the music of Little May all over again. What's even better is we'll get to do it all of next year once we get our hands on that sophomore album. Love love love. (Matt Bond) 


While attempting to come up with words about one of my favourite songs of the year by one of my favourite bands, I started to read some things on the internets, which took me to a review someone had written when this song was first released. It was a very favourable review, but it went into great detail about the composition of the song and chords and major minor blah blah and some such things; which made me feel like WTF, I know nothing about music. What am I even doing pretending to write words about it? But then I hit play again and the sounds came out and I realised the most important thing. I know what I love and I love it hard. I know the sound of Liz Drummond and Hannah Field make music I relate to, because their voices make me feel hopeful, the instrumentation always makes me feel alive and I know I don't need to know much more than that. 'Lover' was one of the greatest songs of the year, by one of my favourite bands of the ever. And that’s more than enough to know. (Jo Michelmore) 

#2. MAKE ME FEEL

by Janelle Monae

Should know by the way I use my compression

That you've got the answers to my confessions.

"Baby, don't make me spell it out for you." Janelle Monae is on another level. She's a real life musical super hero, here to save the day with funk infused dance anthems that double as on point responses to questions that shouldn't really matter concerning her personal life. I'm not sure if there's an artist that's more of a total package than she is. Beyonce? More like Bey-schmonce. Tay? Nay. JT? What year are you living in? Look, I'm not actually dragging any other act or anyone's taste in music. We all know that's subjective. But to me, no other act in music is on the artistic level  that Janelle Monae is. She's created a character to live her music through, she's championing minorities in the most creative and clever ways, she's a fashion icon, but most importantly, she makes damn good music that makes you want to dance and puts a smile on your face. That's just the way Janelle Monae makes me feel. Hopefully she's got you feeling the same. (Matt Bond)


It’s taken me many, many listens (and I'm not complaining about that) to figure out what it is about this track that makes it so good. There’s the obvious; an extreme bass line impossible to ignore that makes you move, whether you like it or not, the keys that bring the feel of funk from so many artists before her, the obvious influence of the late, so very great Prince in those chords, but there’s something else. There’s something that’s not as pronounced, but so very important. It’s the confidence she presents it all with; it’s the references to soul greats before her with each breath, the self-assured way she gives a “good god” like the legends of funk she references, it’s the presentation of pop being as important as it is. All of that and it’s the way every single note sits together within each other to feel really, really good, which is what all the music, all of the time, should make you feel. (Jo Michelmore) 

#1. SOCIETY

by Ainslie Wills

I've always done exactly what I'm told

But that ain't gonna work for me no more.

This. This is 2018. So, if you're of a certain age and you're trying to get through the day at work, pay the bills, eat right, get enough sleep, drink enough water, watch all of the TV shows, spend time with people that actually matter, get some exercise, be a "good" person, fall in love, buy a home and/or try to have it all (whatever that means)... do I have the song for you. On 'Society' Ainslie Wills reminds us the struggles that come with everyday life aren't a unique experience. "What am I doing with my life? I feel like I should be hitting some kind of mark." Please raise your hand if that's a question you’re asking yourself on the daily. This isn't just a song... it's you listening to your life and wondering how this total stranger knows you so well. "What is this life we're looking for? I feel I want to make it known that I might disappoint you and I'm sorry if I do." Ha. Same. Sigh. Ainslie Wills has worn her heart on her sleeve on 'Society', putting into words so many things we try to laugh off and not say to each other. "I just want someone to love me quietly, for who I am for real and not for who I try to be." Just another thing to blame on society. Anyway, best not to dwell on these sorts of things, right? Oh and we love you for who you are for real, Ainslie. So much. (Matt Bond)


She says it right there, in the middle of the song; “I need a break from this anxiety”. Don’t we all. Of all our songs, this is not the one that jumped out at me, it’s not one of the ones that demanded I dance and it’s not a song that I’ve been singing all day for months. This is the song that slowly crept in, the one that reminded me when I least expected it. You see, I need this kind of song every now and then. Because I never blame the others, I never blame the outside, for anything and everything. I rarely blame anyone but that weird looking girl in my bathroom mirror who stares back at me every day. That’s the face I mostly can’t stand, she’s the one who sees it all, she’s the one who didn’t say the things she should have, who doesn’t really understand what all the others have and she’s the one I always blame for suggesting there’s something more. That girl though, who I’m sure is much like Ainslie Wills’ girl in her bathroom mirror, well she’s just doing all she can, outside, walking the streets at night, trying to make the wrongs right, trying to get all the fears out of her mind and desperately trying to please a million people all the time. Which is exactly why a song like ‘Society’ arrives quietly, at exactly the right times, because that mirror girl needs it to. Sometimes, someone else needs to ask the questions and take the blame and Ainslie Wills reminded us all of that this year. Things are going to go wrong, things are going to go right, but most of the time, I need to go easy on that weird looking girl in the bathroom mirror, she has rough days too. She also has great taste in music. Best to make friends with her…and blame it all on society. (Jo Michelmore)

2018 Scene Award for Song of the Year:

Winner: 'Society' by Ainslie Wills

Runner-Up: 'Make Me Feel' by Janelle Monae

2017:

Winner: 'Let Me Down Easy' by Gang of Youths

Runner-Up: 'Green Light' by Lorde

2016:

Winner: 'Black Smoke' by Emily Wurramara 

Runner-Up: 'Simulation' by Tkay Maidza

2015:

Winner: 'Clip My Wings' by Montaigne

Runner-Up: 'Hold On Together' by Jeremy Neale ft. Phoebe Imhoff

2014:

Winner: 'Uh-Huh' by Tkay Maidza

Runner-Up: 'How Much Does Your Love Cost' by Thelma Plum

2013:

Winner: 'Royals' by Lorde

Runner-Up: 'Get Lucky' by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams

2012:

Winner: 'Heart Says Yes (Head Says No)' by Texas Tea

Runner-Up: '212' by Azealia Banks ft. Lazy Jay

2011:

Winner: 'Somebody That I Used To Know' by Gotye ft. Kimbra

Runner-Up: 'Cameo Lover' by Kimbra

2010:

Winner: 'Not In Love' by Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith

Runner-Up: 'XXXO' by M.I.A