Look, I'm not a big enough fan of Troye Sivan to be able to tell you if the 'e' is silent or not in his name - like do you say Troy or something along the lines of Troy-eh - but I don't mind his 2018 team-up with Ariana Grande. I can tell you that the 'e' is not silent in Grande, so it's not pronounced grand. Pop culture hasn't left me completely behind just yet. 'Dance To This' certainly lives up to its name and makes you want to shuffle as awkwardly as Sivan does in the video that also makes me feel like a proud parent watching my two weird, mismatched children performing at the local talent show. (Matt Bond)
#99. FRIDAY FOREVER
by Trophy Eyes
Slow down, take a moment with me
Got nowhere to go and I've got no one to be.
This song makes me feel like it’s 2006 again and that wasn’t such a bad year in hindsight. And in writing these words about it, I’ve just found out Trophy Eyes are Australian, which is hilarious, because I just assumed coming from an album called The American Dream and sounding like so much of the pop punk of the previously mentioned decade, they were from somewhere else. Maybe that’s just a reflection on how catchy this song is; I haven’t needed to know more because I’ve been busy thinking about getting day drunk, wondering what clouds feel like and trying to figure out whether to change my insta bio to “never really happy just quiet and polite”. (Jo Michelmore)
#98. UTOPIA
by Lykke Li
I see the dream in your eyes and I want it
It's burning bright like a fire from a comet.
On her fourth LP, so sad so sexy, Lykke Li moved away from the cinematic sounds that defined the album's predecessor towards a blend of modern pop and RnB. It won't go down as one of her most memorable collections of songs, but there were some highlights like the stripped back and reflective 'utopia'. It's simple, it's sweet, it leaves you wanting more and it's not ridiculously named like the album it finds itself placed on. (Matt Bond)
#97. NO OTHER WAY
by Maddy Jane
Don't get me wrong, I know that we all change
Oh, just a little more and more each day.
At 22 I had just become the owner of my first bass guitar, which I didn’t play enough, I wasn't able to drive legally on my own, I dressed in poorly put together ensembles in terrible colours and I lived pretty much on tinned food and toast. Don’t get me wrong, tinned food can get pretty gourmet if you throw some grated cheese on it, but Maddy Jane at the same age has released two albums, toured with a bunch of impressive artists, run her own independent music festival and released songs like this one; incredibly catchy, super cute and lyrically adorable. She’s been so busy I hope she’s managed to fit in some tinned food and grated cheese treats. Bon Appetit. (Jo Michelmore)
If there's one sort-a, kind-a, maybe theme that shone through in Australian music in 2018, it's that everyone's kind of over it. You can substitute it for everything if you'd like. Everyone is over everything. But since we're Australians, we're also accepting things for what they are. No riots from us, no... just clever songs like Maddy Jane's 'No Other Way' that will have you singing along in no time to lines about those everyday, mundane chats about nothing. When the music's this good, it really is easier to accept things for what they are. (Matt Bond)
#96. RUN THE ROAD
by Santigold
Rough ride, get me through it some way
Another long flight, make me earn the pay.
What... did you not know that Santigold released new music in 2018? If you said you didn't, I wouldn't be surprised. It seemed like the album I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions was released with zero promotion. I wouldn't have even noticed it if Apple Music hadn't recommended 'Run The Road' to me. But hey, if you weren't aware you are now and that means you need to go and listen to some Santigold, because she's still at the top of the dancehall music making game, serving accessible reggae inspired hits that are pretty much perfect for any occasion. (Matt Bond)
Oh how much I’ve missed that distinctive Santigold vocal, those beats so familiar and the way she makes sounds have been lacking in my life for a couple of years now. Although I like to revisit past loves every now and then (it’s been 10 whole years since L.E.S. Artisites!) there’s nothing as good as the hope you feel when you hit play on one of your favourite’s brand new tracks. And let’s say, ‘Run The Road’ is new but not new, it’s Santigold being Santigold, and Santigold is fabulous, so that's exactly what it is. (Jo Michelmore)
#95. COMEBACK KID
by Sharon Van Etten
Yeah, I'm the runaway
I'm the hardly stay, let me slip away.
2019 is going to be a big year for Sharon Van Etten, but in these last couple of months of this year we got a taste of what's in store in the form of 'Comeback Kid'. While there's been some re-release and EP action over the past couple of years, it was all the way back in 2014 that Van Etten released her last full-length LP, Are We There. If you've listened to that one (which you should - it's all kinds of amazing), you'll know it's super devastating and brilliant and all of the words you use to sell something that's reeeeeallly good. Moving forward, we seem to be looking at a more electronically influenced and, dare I say it, upbeat Sharon Van Etten. Will it last? The safe money is on no. Van Etten is one of the greatest storytellers in music today. And you don't get titles like that by telling happy stories. Do you? Maybe I've just been watching too much sad TV. Moving on... (Matt Bond)
#94. IDGAF
by Dua Lipa
Your time is up, I'll tell you why...
Ah yes, it’s the ol’ Carly Simon effect again. A classic; one feels upset/hard done by/angered by the behaviour of one’s current or ex boyfriend/girlfriend/person they hang out with, so one writes a song about said person in order to makes oneself feel vindicated/absolved/better about said poor behaviour, but titles one's song with accusation or lack of care, because oneself is (apparently) over the situation, therefore creating an interesting paradox where song could not be created without existence of said boyfriend/girlfriend/person one hangs out with, even though one wishes said person didn’t exist. In this case, Dua Lipa claiming one DGAF, even though one must keep repeating that one doesn’t, therefore hasn’t moved on and D actually GAF. Make what you want of said theory, it’s a catchy song but. (Jo Michelmore)
Who doesn't love a good 'ole 'pack up your shit and get outta here' pop banger? I'm talking Jojo 'Leave (Get Out)', Kelly Clarkson 'Since U Been Gone' and now Dua Lipa 'IDGAF' style kiss offs that you can get your drank on and scream along to with the kids at the clubs on a Saturday night. It's been some time since I've been to these clubs, but I'm pretty sure only one of those songs is likely to get any play these days and that's obviously the one we're talking about here. Dua Lipa may be another artist that I'm unsure about when it comes to name pronunciation, but I'm liking her style so far. Her face in the video is actually giving off vibes like she doesn't give a fuck and maybe that's because of the outfits or maybe that's just acting, but I'm liking it. (Matt Bond)
#93. OVER AND OVER
by Jack White
And although you want me
The gods have all scorned me now.
I’ve listened to this song over and over and over (boom, thank you, I will be writing all week) and we may not have written on this blog for a while now, but let me say, a tradition is still a tradition around here as far as I’m concerned, so I’ll say the other obvious thing before these words are over. But about the song; its guitar riffs are typically Jack White harsh, it’s vocals are typically Jack White creepy, it’s drums are typically Jack White thundering and it’s bongos are typically Jack White surprising, which means about now is when I say the only thing I can ever manage to say about Mr White, even all these years later. Oh Jack. Oh sigh. (Jo Michelmore)
#92. HARD WAY
by Eliza Hull
No I won't hold onto you
Because I know what you're thinking...
The first time I heard Eliza Hull was waaaaaaaay back in 2013, when I played her tracks, like, about a thousand times over, or more. Five years ago feels like an eternity ago, but I suppose not that much has changed, considering I played her latest EP How We Disappeared about a thousand times or more this year, and although it’s only five new songs, they are very, very good ones. This track, ‘Hard Way’ with its handclaps, slightly spooky vocal track and searing instrumentation shows Eliza’s growth as a musician, and her outstanding vocal shows off her growing skill and depth as a lyricist. Looking forward to seeing where the next five years will take Eliza and her incredible talent. (JoMichelmore)
#91. BITE THE HAND
by Boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus)
I can't love you how you want me to
I can't love you how you want me to.
With their powers combined, they are Boygenius! I'm a big fan of a long-form indie team up and it feels like forever since we've had one at the level of, say, Seeker Lover Keeper. In the second half of 2018 we saw American artists Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus come together to show off their musical talents and the results were nothing short of amazing. 'Bite The Hand' packed the greatest punch among the tales of love, loss and everything in-between. The gentle wave of regret that washes over you with the repeated line, "I can't love you like you want me to," will have you coming back for more from three songwriters that are killing it individually and together. (Matt Bond)
But you don't seem to think you are capable of anything.
Ben Folds collaborating with a six-piece classical ensemble. What's not to love? 'Capable Of Anything' is all strings, clarinet flourishes and the songwriting finesse we've come to expect from Folds over his storied career. The bouncing piano lines go down a treat too. But back to the songwriting. Folds is really quite good at that and there's a depth to the material here that makes a song with trumpets in it a whole lot sadder with each listen. And songs with trumpets shouldn't be sad. Brass instrumentation should only be used for triumph! What do you mean this is a Ben Folds song and it's kinda sad by default? Whatever, it makes me happy. (Matt Bond)
What a lovely way to start this little countdown of ours. Love him or hate him, there’s a couple of things about Ben Folds that can’t be denied – he’s very good with the music playing and arranging bits and he’s also very good with the word bits. Funny that, because we like to talk about both of those bits on this here blog, unless we’re talking about something else which we sometimes have a tendency to do and mostly we talk with the words, unless we’re talking in emoji, which we also have a tendency to do. There’s a few words in this song that are most important to two little blog writers who are desperately trying to juggle real life and blog life and about to embark on a yearly quest of writing a whole lot of words about a whole lot of songs we love. They’re pretty simple and in this song, they’re pretty sweet – “you are capable of anything…” 115 songs? We can do this! Here’s to the next 114 songs! (Jo Michelmore)
#114. TRY A LITTLE LOVE
by Big Smoke
But the sun will shine
If you try a little love.
Have you ever been into one of those dodgy little pubs in rural towns that feel a certain way, have these weird long faded towels on the bar, strange faded black and white pictures of locals and sometimes the Queen hanging lopsided on the walls (like, Elizabeth, the English one, not Madonna, the plastic one), where there’s always an old gentleman sitting somewhere in the dark, judging the locals and mocking the visitors and wishing his life was closer to the start than the end, but certain he had a good time sometime in there. And most definitely in these establishments there is a certain scent that you get nowhere else in the world. Have you been into one of those? I love visiting those places. Just to remind me of what life really is. Whatever that is. Big Smoke’s ‘Try A Little Love’ reminds of the same thing. What life is, not the pubs. Or both. (Jo Michelmore)
Big Smoke put a big smile on our faces and melted our cold, cold hearts with the track 'Colours' in 2014. They went and did it again in 2015 with 'Try A Little Love'. There's something about the sincerity in Adrian Slattery's voice that should comfortably win over even the biggest jerk. What could have been a trip on the Cheese Express in the hands of lesser performers is avoided all too easily by Big Smoke. They know what they're doing. (Matt Bond)
#113. STUDVILLE
by Tempura Nights
Want to feel like I felt that day
Want to be a fantastic stud.
Brisbane's Tempura Nights don't mess around. Even if they've only got a minute and forty-eight seconds, they'll make the most of it. And make the most of it they do on 'Studville'. It's over far too soon, but it's a whole lot of fun while it lasts. After checking out their set at this year's BIGSOUND Live, I'm hoping we'll be hearing a lot more from Alice and Co. in 2016. (Matt Bond)
If it was twenty years earlier than it is now and I wanted
to be cool, I would have burnt a CD and put this song on it and it would have
automatically catapulted me from average, slightly overweight girl with bad
hair, wearing a floral dress over her jeans into an average, slightly
overweight girl with bad hair, wearing a floral dress over jeans who had very,
very good taste in music. I would have worn said outfit into a dodgy
underground bar that amazing bands looked awkward in, but where they played
incredible music very loudly and Tempura Nights would have been playing and I
would have talked about them to anyone who would listen and I wouldn’t have
even cared whether they were interested or not because I was talking about
music, man. Nowadays I look a little more fashionable (most days), am slightly less overweight and see bands
like Tempura Nights at events like BIGSOUND, then rant about them online. How
good is 2015? (Jo Michelmore)
#112. HIT SONG
by Babaganouj
Gonna write a hit song for you
To a memory I wish was true.
Ah the Nouj! I’m so glad we included them just so I got to say ‘Nouj! Nouj Nouj Nouj!’ which still makes me laugh every single time I say it. Nouj. Nouj. Nouj. Yep, isn’t old. Bets on Matt also including the words ‘Nouj’ in his review, because they’re like cigarettes, once you start smoking its hard to stop. Wait, is that right? I don’t know. I just like the word nouj. And the band. I also like the impressive grungy guitars of ‘Hit Song’ that smash their way out of my headphones. I don’t know if naming a song ‘Hit Song’ is a little pre-emptive, but they made it work and they probably don’t care anyway. After all, their name is Nouj. Say it again. The Nouj! (insert manic laughter here). (Jo Michelmore)
From one rocking Brisbane band to another, next up is Babaganouj. Or the 'Nouj. Nouj, nouj, nouj. 'Hit Song' is their catchiest track yet with a chorus that you can't help but want to sing along to. Charles Sale keeps on getting better and better and this marks a standout moment for him as lead. Last year was the Harriette led 'Bluff', this year it's Sale's 'Hit Song'. Next year must be Ruby's time to shine. Regardless of who takes the vocal lead in 2016, we'll be happy to hear what comes next from Babaganouj. (Matt Bond)
#111. SETTLE DOWN
by Lanks
A manic joy through your weathered black piercing eyes.
I do not know why, but I could watch the clip for ‘Settle Down’ a thousand times over and find something new and something disturbing about it every single time. It’s because I’m trying to figure out when the dog gets involved, isn’t it? There has to be a dog, right? There’s always a dog with human arms, isn’t there? Subtle but brilliantly, alas, no dogs, I’m not going to say it’s going to change your life, but it’s incredibly addictive, much like the “don’t look down” syndrome, I just can’t help myself, just a little too good to turn from whenever I remember to hit play, which is really much like the song itself - subtle but brilliant. (Jo Michelmore)
#110. LET ME IN
by Arctic Maps
Take some time to dream my love, see if you dream of me
And if it's me your dreaming of, this is where you're meant to be.
Stunning doesn't seem to be strong enough a word to describe Arctic Maps' 'Let Me In'.It's hard to believe it's only the second original track the Melbourne-based electronic duo have released. Quality wise, this is top stuff that finds itself caught smack bang in the middle of heartwarming and heartbreaking. Freya Bennett's performance is enchanting and matched every step of the way by Nathan Power's beats. It's the right kind of dreamy and has me firmly backing Arctic Maps as an emerging Australian act to keep your eyes on over the next couple of months. There's meant to be a debut EP coming soon. If we're in for more tracks like 'Let Me In', it's going to be a treat. (Matt Bond)
#109. MICHAEL MOORE
by Bad Pony
No I won't go on living like it'll be the same...
The first track from Bad Pony's Limbo EP is the Sydney five-piece band's best track yet. That's saying something, because they've got a stack of great songs building up and you should do yourself a favour and check out their releases from the past couple of years. 'Michael Moore' will get those feet moving, your hands clapping and maybe even some fist pumping as it hits the home stretch with the repeated lines, "my opinion's better." Perfect for a song called 'Michael Moore', right? Vocals are on point or on fleek or whatever the kids are saying these days and I promise not to say either of those again. (Matt Bond)
Does Michael Moore know that this song exists? Does anyone know who Michael Moore is anymore? Is Michael Moore still making documentary films or is he flipping burgers in one of the chains he probably tried to take down in the early 00s? Did he do that or was that another guy? I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, but I do know this song of his name is catchier than anything Michael Moore has done this year*. There’s a whole bunch of clicks and sounds and tricks and arrangement in this song and I don’t even know where it’s headed most of the time, but I know I like it all. Is this song even about Michael Moore or some other Michael Moore? Who can say? Bad Pony I guess.
*I don’t actually know what Michael Moore has done this year, so that may not be true. But probably not. (Jo Michelmore)
#108. CAN'T GIVE YOU UP
by Dolo Jones ft. Passerine
No matter what you say to me, no matter what you do
I can't get away from, can't get away from you.
There’s something really, really fabulous about a simple house tune. They sneak into your consciousness without you really being aware of that they are there and five minutes later you wonder why you’re in such a good mood, before realising you’ve been dancing in your car seat, at your desk, around your workplace, throughout your kitchen, in the gym or if you’re really lucky, on some dancefloor, somewhere. Dolo Jones teamed up with one of our blog faves in Melbourne’s Passerine mid way through this year and created a tune designed to make you happy. Perfect for some sweet summer time moves, I’m so glad we’ve found it again now, so I can spend this summer reminding myself how good the house musics are. (Jo Michelmore)
Passerine and their vocalist Phoebe Dubar are a driving force behind Australia's nu-disco movement, delivering dance revelations in their own right throughout 2015. We'll get to one of those a bit further into the countdown (spoiler alert), but first we're going to focus on their collaboration with emerging producer Dolo Jones. 'Can't Give You Up' is the perfect vehicle for Dubar's vocals, practically demanding you get up and dance. I haven't seen the movie or done any research into Studio 54, but I totally know that if it was still around it would be playing this song. Go and put on your finest pair of sparkly gold hot pants and shake your groove thing. I promise I won't say 'shake your groove thing' again either. (Matt Bond)
#107. CAN YOU HEAR ME TALKING AT YOU
by Manor
Can you see me?
Can you hear me talking at you?
What's cooler than being cool? Being Manor. Duh. From the opening percussion and lightly psychedelic guitar 'Can You Hear Me Talking At You' establishes itself as Manor's most effortlessly chill track yet. When Caitlin Duff enters with the lines, "you've journeyed far across the universe, you've seen more than most," the song hits dreamy heights you might not have expected, but you certainly won't forget. Well worth the many repeated listens its guaranteed to produce. (Matt Bond)
If this countdown was purely for song titles of the year, I’d be voting for this one to be possibly number one in the list. Top five at least. ‘Can You Hear Me Talking At You’ is one of the greatest sentences one can possibly say, statement and question, anger and observation, I just love the passive aggressive tone of throwing those words together, let alone saying or singing them to someone. Manor managed to make a great song to match the title, the submissive antagonism weaving its way through almost five minutes of guitar and drums that remind me of all the great carefree angsty blues that I’ve always loved. (Jo Michelmore)
#106. CHEATED
by Gena Rose Bruce
I love him, I really do
But it's best he don't know the whole truth.
If it was 1995, people would say Gena Rose Bruce was trying to be Jewel. Which is not meant to be an insult. Time does strange things to people’s perception of music and although she wasn’t exactly Adele, at that time in the mid-90s, Jewel wrote some of the sweetest, most heart wrenching pop songs with her simple guitar and honest lyrics. She was very, very good. That’s why she was popular, people like stories of love and loss and what is and what could have been in a parallel universe. So in a parallel universe, Gena Rose Bruce is played on all the radios and people have started naming their children Gena in tribute to the girl who knows how to strum a guitar and pull on their perceptions of love and relationships and right and wrong. All the things the actual Gena does in this universe on ‘Cheated’. What I’m trying to say is, in any universe or time, she’s alright, isn’t she? (Jo Michelmore)
It's no secret we've had a lot of love for Australia's alt-country artists over the years. With many of them, we wish they'd get a whole lot more attention and Gena Rose Bruce totally falls into that category. She's brilliant. That voice, those lyrics, the simple and incredibly effective instrumentation on her tracks. Case in point, the song 'Cheated' which came out a little earlier in the year. It's country at its best and that means it's full of pain and longing and heartache and bad choices. Yep, someone screwed up bad and now they've got to pay for it. We, the listeners. get to benefit from the sad experience because this track is all kinds of gorgeous. And seriously... Gena's voice? Can't get enough of it. (Matt Bond)
#105. SOMEONE SOMETIME
by Major Leagues
It's fine to run sometimes
Even if you're gone for some time.
We were lucky enough to see Major Leagues play a couple of months back at the relaunch of The Foundry in Brisbane and they're a lot of fun. After loving their track 'Endless Drain' last year, it was seeing their live performance of 'Someone Sometime' that got me majorly in league with the local legends. That was a terrible line, but I make no apologies. Brisbane has a proud history of producing bands that can deliver the garage sound like no one else could and Major Leagues fly that flag proudly on 'Someone Sometime'. It's a whole lot of fun and so is the video. Top marks all around and I've got a feeling they're only going to get better. (Matt Bond)
Let us clear something up at the very beginning. When you search for Major Leagues on the internets, beware that they are not Major Lazer. I don’t mind that ‘Lean On’ song, but the Lazer Major types should never have hooked up with Ellie Goulding. No one should hook up with Ellie Goulding, but that’s a whole other post. Whatever happened to the K-Tizzle Sizzle? Also, Major Leagues have nothing to do with baseball, I don’t think. Or maybe they do, I don’t know. They are also not an American pop punk band from New Jersey. It’s all about the plural, you see. I’m sure Major League are quite good in their own way, like Bon Jovi, but they’re not featuring on our 115 songs list. Maybe next year guys. These are all the things that appeared on google before the super cute guitar pop sounds of Major Leagues popped up. When you hear ‘Someone Sometime’ you’ll be glad I saved you the couple of minutes of wasted googling, because it’s a really, really good little song. Much better than anything Lazer, League or Bon Jovi are doing right now. (Jo Michelmore)
#104. WALK AWAY
by Eliza Hull
If it's momentary I'll just breathe it in...
I feel like we’ve been banging on about Eliza Hull on this blog forever, so I’m really glad we’re now banging on about her in the list of our fave songs of 2015. As sweet and subtle as ever, her music is a pure joy to listen to, her vocal perfectly divine and the subdued sounds of ‘Walk Away’ delicately draw you in, making you want to bang on about her to your fellow blogger, your housemates, friends, next door neighbours, the chick at the supermarket and that guy that walks to work down your street every morning at 7.15. That guy looks so cool, I’m not really sure why he keeps walking away. (Jo Michelmore)
Longtime reader? Then hopefully you're all over the dreamy goodness that Melbourne's Eliza Hull has consistently delivered over the years. This is the fourth year in a row Hull has appeared on our end of year countdown, this time with 'Walk Away' from her debut album The Bones of Us. Its got all of the elements we've come to love about her music. Vocal work that is both haunting and ethereal, words that paint vivid imagery in your mind and expertly produced electronic beats. If you do yourself one favour today, go and give The Bones of Us a listen. It's chock full of gems like 'Walk Away'. (Matt Bond)
#103. WE DRINK
by James Chatburn x Frank Nitt
All I have left is my really good friends
All around I feel the world collapse upon itself.
Yes. A million times yes. James Chatburn could do no wrong this year. Whether it was the banging solo jams he kept on throwing out into the world or his work with The Septembers, I've been loving it all. Judging by the thousands of Soundcloud listens he's racked up, I can't be the only one. Like, a lot of them are mine. But I don't have THAT much time on my hands. Or do I? 'We Drink' lives up to its title. It makes me want to go out, down a couple of beverages and dance to some slow jams. Preferably slow jams by James Chatburn. Radio stations across the nation should really be embracing music like this. Smooth vocals, some party starting verses from Frank Nitt and some totally not out of place Spanish guitars will leave you wanting a whole lot more. Lucky you can listen to it over and over again, am I right? (Matt Bond)
Twenty, fifteen, even ten years ago Australian music was not necessarily known for its great hip hop and/or r’n’b, which is a shame really, because I’m sure there’s been some amazing Australian artists desperate to make a name for themselves in that time. Thankfully, the times they have a changed and artists like James Chatburn are proof of what this little country of ours has to offer in the world of soul/electronica/hip hop/blues and all the other genre names you wanna throw around when you’re talking about someone this talented. And yes, once you listen to ‘We Drink’, you will want to be talking about James Chatburn. (Jo Michelmore)
#102. GOLDEN FLEECE
by Little Sleeper
I don't care if she's here, I don't care if they're there
You should be mine.
“I only want you ‘cause I can’t have you” Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I’m going to have to find a lot of words over the next 100 or so songs, but right now there aren’t many more words that come to mind when listening to a song like ‘Golden Fleece’. So many subtle words, so much power, so much emotion and so much truth, this all shouldn’t be allowed in one little song. It hurts, it’s on purpose, and it’s remarkable, exactly as those words describe. When this countdown is done, this is one I’ll be coming back to, for that little bit of hurt and that little bit of remarkable, over and over and over again. (Jo Michelmore)
If you were to ask me right now who to keep an eye on in 2016, I'd say Little Sleeper. Well, you should be listening to the music already out there that's been released by Amy Billings and her new moniker Little Sleeper. Music like 'Golden Fleece' that's deserving of analysis and a write up far better than what I can muster this late at night. Music like 'Golden Fleece' that speaks to shared experiences many listeners can relate to. Music like 'Golden Fleece' that features the lyrics of one of our favourite emerging songwriters. With triple J already backing her, 2016 should see Little Sleeper reach the larger audience her music deserves. Artists to watch in 2016? Little Sleeper is on the list, right at the top. (Matt Bond)
#101. FIRE AND THE FLOOD
by Vance Joy
Everything is fine
When your head's resting next to mine.
Good 'ole Vance-y Joy-pants. This song's a bit alright, isn't it? Taylor Swift must be loving it sick on her 1989 tour. Have those two hooked up yet? Is she still with Calvin Harris? Are Swifty and Vance-y going to do a duet. That could be good. Right, 'Fire and The Flood'. All kinds of catchy. Vance Joy can do no wrong right now. (Matt Bond)
I saw Vance Joy at a festival once. The girl that was
standing next to me tried to make me her friend by slurring to me about the
beautiful day and how much she loved that song by Ph-Lance Jeeeeoooooeeeyyy.
She slobbered something incomprehensible at one of her friends’ midway through
the set and then proceeded to force him to the ground so she could hike herself
up on his shoulders during ‘Riptide’. While atop said friend, she proceeded to
take most of her clothes off while Vance sweetly sung his sugary lyrics on stage
not more than 10 metres in front of her and not more than a metre from me. I’m
not saying this is unacceptable behaviour, especially at a festival, it’s
something we’ve all done seen before, but during Vance Joy? Which brings us
to the number 101 song on our countdown and its catchy “anywhere I go there you
are”. Not sure that’s something Mr Joy would be wishing about my little
festival friend. Or maybe he would. Who can say? (Jo Michelmore)
It's no secret we've had a lot of love for the music of Melbourne's Eliza Hull over the past couple of years. That it only took one listen to love her debut album The Bones of Us was no surprise. With her previous releases, including the stunning EP The Ghosts You Never Catch, Hull has proven herself an artist that will confidently deliver the musical goods each and every time. Along with longtime collaborator and producer, Hayden Calnin and with Dylan Hill providing the beats, she creates the most perfectly dreamy atmospheres that can build you up just as easily as they can break you down. While a track like 'Walk Away' is built on sparse beats that feel cold and isolating, Hull's voice adds an appreciated warmth that's missing from much of today's electronic pop. The heartfelt performances and the stories of each track will keep bringing you back for more and more of The Bones of Us.
Positioning 'Caught' alongside 'Christoper' creates a beautiful 1-2 punch. We've spent a lot of time with these tracks over the past year (or two, in the case of the latter track) and they've "aged" incredibly well. I guess they're like fine wine. That gets better and better with age, right? At least that's what I've heard... I'm sort of on a boxed wine budget. 'Caught' and 'Christopher' both hold stories about having to get away, to run, but they're approached in two very different ways. 'Caught' is the most anthemic number on The Bones of Us. If I was at an Eliza Hull show, I'd have the urge to get a lighter out and wave it in the air when 'Caught' was played. On the other hand, 'Christopher' would probably have me pretending I had something in my eye, so no one could see the manly tears I wouldn't be crying. It's a complex track. A chorus that promises our narrator will be there for the song's title character. Verses that show our narrator is really on her way out the door and it's likely she won't be looking back. It's rare that I get to describe a performance as hauntingly beautiful these days, because I promised I'd only use that for Eliza Hull a long time ago when I first heard 'Christopher'.
Eliza Hull has always had a way with words and that songwriting game is strong throughout The Bones of Us. The lines at the top are from 'Skeleton' and completely grab your attention as soon as you hear them. I don't want to spoil all of the goodness for you, but here's some of my favourite lyrics from the album.
"And you know I wouldn't change it, all of our lies and the dark is all that we need." - 'Satellite'
"I've been wrestling in my sleep, I touch you in my dreams, now I don't want to wake up, do you... dream of me too?" - 'Dreamer'
"Oh, life with your head above water... sink with me." - 'Head Above Water'
I'd sink with Eliza Hull anytime. 'Head Above Water' closes out The Bones of Us. You might think a track asking you to 'sink' would be a downer, but you'd be wrong. Way wrong. 'Head Above Water' builds to a stunning finish, ending the album on the highest of highs. Don't think of it as sinking, think of it as taking a plunge that pays off spectacularly. It's a risk, but taking the risk can lead to the greatest of rewards. Which you could say about the music of Eliza Hull. Take the plunge and give this a chance. You'll love the payoff.
Matt Bond gives The Bones of Us four Roisin Murphy heads out of five...
