Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... welcome to the 6th annual Scene Awards! Well, it's more like welcome back, since Montaigne has already taken home the Scene Award for Song of the Year with 'Clip My Wings'. Remember, we had like this countdown going for a couple of weeks and it was awesome and... you remember? Good. Great! Anywho, from now until the end of the year (with a small break over Christmas), we'll be handing out awards for Video of the Year, Best New Artist, Australian Artist of the Year, EP of the Year, Group of the Year, Man of the Year, Woman of the Year and Album of the Year. First up, it's the Video of the Year. Let's get to it...
VIDEO OF THE YEAR:
#4. Clip My Wings
by Montaigne
Directed by Guy Franklin
It’s fitting that the song we named our number one song of 2015, Montaigne’s ‘Clip My Wings’ also has a clip so stunning we had to include it in our list of favourite clips of the year, even though I’ll probably be using so many of the same words we’ve already used to express our adoration of a talent so impressive. Everything that the song is, the clip is even more so; beautiful, strong, spectacular, bold and brave. It’s a visual journey that is simple but so complex, her movements as natural as they are involuntary and the neutral feel of it all leaves so much room for a kaleidoscope of emotions, sounds and sentiments. Every beat is met perfectly with a seemingly uncontrolled movement, each note meticulously matched with gorgeous visuals and Jess Cerro’s beautifully expressive looks and stares. It’s a deceptively simple clip for a deceptively complex song that is unflinching in its exquisite confidence and I feel like they are the kinds of words we’ll be using to describe so much of Montaigne’s future. (Jo Michelmore)
#3. Pedestrian At Best
by Courtney Barnett
Directed by Charlie Ford
Now, I hate clowns as much as the next relatively sane person, but I'm all for Courtney Barnett's super sad 2014 clown of the year. Sad clowns, man. Sad clowns. Something about a sad clown just feels... right? If any moment in a 2015 music video spoke to me, it's Courtney's time spent on the fairground ride... Going round and around with the most exasperated and defeated look on her face. It would have spoken to anyone trying to wrap their head around this whole adult-ing thing. Haha just kidding... Everything is fine. This is fine. Adulting is easy! Oh how we laughed and laughed. A lot of moments in the clip play into that view of 'Pedestrian At Best', with adults acting as children and adults acting as adults in the clip. Am I looking into this too much? I suppose the real point of the video is about how the world builds artists up only to break them down and move on to the next hot ticket in town. Which is perfect for the song. It's not about being apathetic, it's more world weariness shining through from the Barnett clown. That beaten down and defeated feeling that comes with life, you know? Yay. Clowns are never funny and I definitely don't find this very fuu-uh-uuuu-uh-uuuu-uh-uuuu-ny. But I do think this is a special little video. The 2014 clown of the year meeting her 2013 equivalent for the least joyful joyride of all time caps off Courtney's best clip and one of our favourites of the year. (Matt Bond)
Runner-Up: Magnolia
by Gang of Youths
Directed by Josh Harris
Proving that less really can be more, here we have 'Magnolia' from Gang of Youths. Shot in black and white, the video is carried by the spectacular performance of the band which is full of the same attitude and energy you'll find at one of their live shows. Dave Le'aupepe finds himself lying in the middle of the road when we first meet him, but soon enough he's up on his feet and busting out the moooves. There's even some 'Single Ladies' walking going on there. Move yourself over Beyoncé. Things escalate when the rest of the band show up; stuff gets broken, tables get set on fire... a pretty standard Tuesday night wouldn't you say? Josh Harris' partnership with the band as their video director has produced a whole lot of goodness. Check out 'Radioface' for another excellent watch. It was 'Magnolia' though that really stood out this year. And it's kind of like watching Khal Drogo dancing up a storm for a lot of it. (Matt Bond)
WINNER: Drive
by Oh Wonder
Directed by Thomas James
I love the way that one song can mean so many different things to so many different people. A heartbreak song for one is a dance anthem for another, a sweet ballad for someone is a devastating mess for someone else. And so the same goes for the music clip. We watch the same visuals, we hear the same notes, but the message is however you take it, however you want it and however you feel it. When ‘Drive’ appeared at number 19 in our Top 115 Songs of 2015, Matt described his love of the clip and its stunning twist, which he described in a way only he can; “like watching The Sixth Sense all over again, but not like that at all really”. I haven’t seen The Sixth Sense, so you know, I can’t really say, but if watching that is all emotional and pretty scenes and American diners and trashing motel rooms and is she, isn’t she, who is he, who isn’t he; then it’s pretty much the same thing, but without Bruce Willis’ face and a much better soundtrack, so maybe Matt was spot on with his thoughts. My description is a little different, because the twist Matt saw is a little different to the twist I saw, but I’m not going to spoiler alert, I’m just going to let you make up your own mind, which is exactly what I love about songs and scenes meaning different things to different people. The most important thing is that whichever way you see it, Oh Wonder have produced a visual masterpiece; a beautiful journey of desperation and loneliness and tell a little story that so many of us can relate to, bat-shit crazy or just a little lonely, it’s certainly a wonderfully striking way to tell a story of loss. Who and what is lost is up to you. All of that and also, I want Josephine’s dress. (Jo Michelmore)
2014 Winner:
'It's Alright' by Fractures
Runner-Up: 'I'm A Fantastic Wreck' by Montaigne
2013 Winner:
'The Bed Song' by Amanda Palmer and The Grand Theft Orchestra
Runner-Up: 'You Are New' by The Trouble With Templeton
2012 Winner:
'Bad Girls' by M.I.A
Runner-Up: 'Hey Jane' by Spiritualized
2011 Winner:
'Lonely Boy' by The Black Keys
Runner-Up: 'Somebody That I Used To Know' by Gotye ft. Kimbra
First up, we’re just gonna refer to her as ETB throughout this review, because I’ve written a bazillion words now and can’t be bothered remembering to stop my computer from correcting the spelling of behavior all the way through, but don’t let that put you off, ‘Electrical’ is a tremendous piece of electro-pop, something that ETB has been perfecting over the past year or so. Don’t let the quiet start fool you, it’s not an indication of where this song ends up, which somewhere right in the middle of powerful indie pop, the military style beats adding to the drama and the soft vocal of ETB’s in beautiful contrast with the crispy synths and chords. This girl has somewhere to go and ‘Electrical’ is an indication of that place being so much bigger than I think even she has imagined. (Jo Michelmore)
#19. DRIVE
by Oh Wonder
And I promised I'd be there but you don't make it easy
Darling, please believe me.
Oh, the video for this one is something special. If you haven't seen it before, watch it now because there be spoilers ahead. No further warnings, let's proceed... When you first figured out that 'man' character is only in 'woman' character's mind, were you not like *boom* mind blown. It's like watching The Sixth Sense all over again, but not like that at all really, but TWIST. At the start I was thinking she was just sad, lonely, missing her great love. But then it turns out she's actually kinda bat-shit cray and robbing old school American diners and wasting milkshakes. Enough about the video though, I'm supposed to be talking about Oh Wonder's song 'Drive', but they've made such a great clip it's hard not to want to talk about it. Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West's voices fit so sweetly together. You could even say they were made for each other. Awww, cute. The whole sweetness thing and perfect harmonies make the all too real sadness in the lyrics hit so much harder. I imagine the live version is even more heartbreaking, Anthony and Josephine stealing glances at each other while singing, "and I promised I'd be there but you don't make it easy, darling please believe me," and everyone in the crowd feels sad about life. Hopefully I'll get to see Oh Wonder live sometime soon. They'll be at the upcoming Falls Festival and have Sydney/Melbourne shows in early January but they don't have a show in Brisbane because whoever booked their tour is a d-bag :) (Matt Bond)
Oh my I’m so glad Oh Wonder have made it to the list again. I think I sent Matt one of my approval text messages when I this one made our top 25 a few months ago, which usually involves a name and a heart emoji, because what else is there to say about a song so good? They were a refreshing slice of music in a world defined by names and looks and social media accounts; releasing a song a month for a year and hiding their identity for the release of their first few songs, which forced those who cared, to listen to the music alone, which could have been seen as a marketing disaster, but when the music is this strong, when the songs are so honest and the sounds so crisp, well that’s when all that matters is the music. And the music is so, so good. (Jo Michelmore)
#18. I'D BE LOST
by Sarah Blasko
You're not just someone to believe in
You've become a part of me and I know...
So, if I was a fortune teller and you’d given me a crystal ball 18 months ago and asked me to tell you what Sarah Blasko would be doing in 2015, I’d have made up some elaborate story about orchestral arrangements, haircuts, something fabulous and a someone starting with a random letter of the alphabet. That’s about how much I believe in fortune telling and crystal balls, but I would have been right about one thing and that’s the fabulous part, because with the release of her fifth album Eternal Return she hit fabulous right on the mark; an enchanting pop delight, not at all what I would have expected from Ms Blasko, but a masterpiece nonetheless. The new wave type synths and falsetto vocals make ‘I’d Be Lost’ anything but lost, it’s a piece of electro-retro inspired greatness and her album was just as great. I might not be a fortune teller but I can tell you that Blasko keeps getting better and better with every album, so who can even imagine how good her next one is going to be? (Jo Michelmore)
I'm not going to lie. When I heard the whispers about Sarah Blasko's Eternal Return being an upbeat, "happy" album I was quite apprehensive. Would the haunting vocals and devastating, punch in the guts moments full of heartache and longing be gone? Who would I turn to when a hit of melancholia pop was just what the doctor ordered? Would hell freeze over? Would the zombie apocalypse began so I could finally reach my full potential? There were a lot of questions, some would be answered upon the release of the single 'I'd Be Lost' and some of those questions will be addressed at a later date. 'I'd Be Lost' was so different to the sounds of Blasko's fourth album, I Awake. We've gone from string heavy orchestration to an exploration of 80s synth and the results were spectacular. Which shouldn't be a surprise, because at this point in her career Blasko has built up a great deal of trust from her fan base that she will deliver the goods each and every time. 'I'd Be Lost' might be about love and warm, fuzzy feelings, but that doesn't mean there's not a darkness lurking, if only you scratch the surface of it. In my review of Eternal Return I wrote that 'I'd Be Lost' is, "as close to a runaway pop smash as we're likely to ever experience from an artist who might never cross over into the Top 40, this is so different from what we've come to know about Sarah Blasko. Which is possibly why I wasn't enamored with it upon first listen. Like all great pop gems, 'I'd Be Lost' has a way of working its way into your brain and refusing to let go. Crafted expertly with coos in all the right places and finding Blasko falling deeper and deeper in love, this is a stand out moment on Eternal Return and shoots towards the top of a stellar catalogue of music." It might even be at THE top of that stellar catalogue of music. (Matt Bond)
#17. FORCES
by Japanese Wallpaper ft. Airling
You feel it in your bones but you won't act on it
There's something in your heart but you won't talk, talk, talk about it.
The stunning and layered production of Japanese Wallpaper with the sweet and heartwarming vocal stylings of Airling. What more do you need in your life? Nothing. You need nothing else. JW's Gab Strum creates the most peaceful atmosphere on 'Forces' that becomes perfect for almost every situation. Going for a long drive down the coast? Put on 'Forces'. Having some Sunday afternoon bevvies on the deck with sunshine and friends? Put on 'Forces'. Feel like you're going to punch someone in the face at work? Put on 'Forces'. It's beyond calming and guaranteed to put a smile on your dial and have you seeing the good in the world again. And we could all stand to do that a bit more. Anyway, I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need... and that's to hear Japanese Wallpaper and Airling are working together more in 2016. (Matt Bond)
So I’ve got this theory about Japanese Wallpaper, which could be considered slightly controversial, but I’m going to go with it. He’s actually 45 years old and has been kept in school, repeating grade 11 for the last twenty(?) years (whatever, maths wasn’t my strong point in high school) because I can’t quite figure out how someone so young can make music so….good? It always blows my mind when I remember that Japanese Wallpaper is a teenager and winning Triple J’s Unearthed High Competition last year was just the beginning of his introduction to the world, but it’s obvious that making music is a talent that is more important than any subject he could have taken in school (just don’t tell any teachers I said that). ‘Forces’ is magnificent, Airling’s vocal floating beautifully over the sweet, sweet sounds of JW’s, that line about “I’ve been dreaming about you, won’t do a thing about this ‘cause I don’t wanna ruin you” one of the most well-hidden but meaningful lyrics I heard all year, which again makes me question how someone so young can be so amazing? But the answer to that is pretty simple. Music isn’t about age, it’s about heart. (Jo Michelmore)
#16. KING KUNTA
by Kendrick Lamar
Straight from the bottom, this the belly of the beast
From a peasant to a prince to a motherfucking King.
Kendrick Lamar is one of those hip hop guys they’ll talk about years from now, when he’s old and grey they’ll talk about his glory days at the top of the hip hop pile, he’ll be one of the ones people twenty years from now talk about influencing their sound, he’ll be the one they name a music award after and he’ll probably be one of the ones that gets sampled over and over and over. Which now thinking about it, will be kind of funny, because Kendrick samples things so well, if other people sample him is that a sample sample or just a sample? The writing credits on songs are going to be pages and pages long in years to come, aren’t they? Anyway, the point is he’s very good at the rap and at the hip hop and as ‘King Kunta’ says, he’s very good at putting the funk in. Whatever that means. (Jo Michelmore)
Nobody did rap better in 2015 than Kendrick Lamar. You need only look at his leading nominations for the upcoming Grammy awards to know he's a pretty big wheel down at the cracker factory. Whether he'll take down Queen Swift and... whoever else is nominated (?)... will be decided next year, but Lamar doesn't need the awards to know he's had a good year. 'King Kunta' was released as the third single from Lamar's third LP, To Pimp a Butterfly and was, for my money, the best track on the album. Sorry I'm so mainstream. I can't say I really have any idea what's going on with the whole yams thing (even if he does go out of the way to explain), and there's plenty of analysis articles out there so we can all go learn something about the track later, but I love the flow of Lamar's rhymes and the incorporation of funk-ier backing elements seems fresh among the more industrial/electronic and standard pop leaning rap tracks making the rounds. 'King Kunta' expresses Lamar's views on the stereotypes facing much of the African-American community in America and for the most part, it leaves out the grandstanding and ego-driven verses that have become the new norm. Lamar could be responsible for taking rap back to its roots. I've got no issues with that. (Matt Bond)
#15. ALL DULLED OUT
by Kira Puru
I hear you're doing well
But it never goes away.
As glamorous the life of a music blogger may seem, I have to admit that there are moments when I'm rushing around non-stop with work (the one that pays the bills), weddings, birthdays and all of those things that dominate your time when you start adulting and I'm thinking... you could just, you know, not blog anymore. I had one of those moments this year where I was for sure done and dusted and then an email found its way into our inbox from a delightful music PR company somewhere down south saying Kira Puru had released her first solo single. I couldn't not listen to it, I mean, it was Kira Puru and everything is better with Kira Puru. Her voice is filled with a fiery passion and she does soul unlike anyone has been able to in this country for far too long. So I start playing this track that was kindly sent through to us. 'All Dulled Out' was the name. Even that's so perfectly Kira Puru. With synths and light electronic touches surrounding her, Puru shares some deep thoughts about someone I'm already convinced is a jerk and her attempts at payback via fun times with friends. Not Puru's friends. His. Nothing works though and there's always that lingering pain that never goes away. I love everything about this song. But I strongly dislike that 'All Dulled Out' didn't receive the attention it so strongly deserved from radio, the internet and however else the kids are hearing about the musics these days. If we can hear the same ten songs ten times a day on commercial radio, I'm pretty sure there's room for an amazing track like this to take up some of those plays. Until that starts happening, I'll keep on writing about talented local artists like Kira Puru. Because if we didn't have the blog going, we wouldn't have an inbox for these emails to come to. And I wouldn't want to miss out on music this good. (Matt Bond)
If you haven’t been lucky enough to find her yet, I’m going to ask tell you to go and do one thing today. YOU NEED TO GOOGLE KIRA PURU AND LISTEN TO EVERYTHING YOU FIND. I have put that in capitals to emphasise how important this is. There are very few people I have found that have the talent Kira does, the way she can rip my heart out, gently toss it around and then give it back, seemingly unchanged but forever a fan, a talent like hers is rare, is special and is totally life affirming. I have already written so many words about so many songs, but this is one of the selfish ones, really one of the ones I want someone, anyone to find, so that Ms Puru can continue to make the music that has made my last couple of years complete. (Jo Michelmore)
#14. HOLIDAY LOVE
by James Chatburn x Jordan Rakei
We pretend our
We pretend our hearts surrender.
The smooth and soulful James Chatburn absolutely killed it in 2015, releasing the finest jams from both his hometown of Sydney and current place of residence, Berlin. 'Holiday Love' saw Chatburn team with Brisbane's Jordan Rakei for the best slow jam of the year. Let's be honest, who would have thought we'd be saying that about two Aussie lads? The track has racked up 153,000 Soundcloud plays in the past 9 months, a whopping amount for any emerging artist and it goes a long way in showing there is huge interest in the music of both Chatburn and Rakei. I'd say about a thousand of those are me though... #superfan. I've just realised I've written essentially the same thing as I wrote about Chatburn's 'We Drink' at the start of the countdown. So let's talk about 'Holiday Love'. The main groove in the verses has a bounce to it that will draw you in, but the focus stays exactly where it should be; on the ridiculously smooth voices of Chatburn and Rakei. In a perfect world, 'Holiday Love' would be a huge summer anthem. With the music he's come up with in 2015, I don't think it will be too long before Chatburn scores a summer anthem in this current, non-perfect world. (Matt Bond)
#13. WHAT KIND OF MAN
by Florence + The Machine
How do you do it?
I think I'm through it, then I'm back against the wall.
It’s kind of weird to think this was the first taste of what was only Florence and her Machine’s third album; it feels like she has been around forever, making music since the beginning of time. Now thinking about that, her music kind of has that timeless feel to it, all the drama and all the giant notes and dramatic highs and lows, whether they be celebrating a wonderful moment or wallowing in moments of despair, this is a band that can take all the emotions and make them magnificent. If my life were a made for TV movie, I’d hope Florence appeared in the score somewhere, because wherever she was, good or bad, what a moment it would be. (Jo Michelmore)
Apparently a running theme with me this year was not giving my favourite artists the benefit of the doubt. My latest piece of evidence in favour of this, was my initial reaction to Florence + The Machine's 'What Kind of Man'. When the music first starts and it's all sparse and electronic-y with distorted Flo vocals, I was like... she's gone off the rails and it's all Kanye's fault because when there's distorted vocals or auto-tune it's always Kanye's fault. But then the opening segment closes with the question, "what kind of man loves like this?" and then comes the guitar, the choral backing and the untouched vocals of Florence Welch in all their glory. There's horns, unbridled fury and an artist who has secured her place at the very top. 'What Kind of Man' was even better than what I could have ever imagined Florence + The Machine's return would be in 2015. (Matt Bond)
#12. IT WON'T HURT ANYMORE
by The Grates
Blood and fear, hearts on trees, pig skin knees
It's not gonna hurt anymore, than it was ever going to.
As a big fan from way back of all things Grates related, I was super excited to see the Brisbane legends release their album Dream Team at the end of last year. It was this song right here, #12 on our songs of the year countdown that I would love the most. There I was, sitting in my car and feeling particularly down in the dumps (what an awful expression) on that day and 'It Won't Hurt Anymore' started playing. I found myself really paying attention to the words for the first time and, well, it inspired me to not feel so shitty anymore. It was a perfectly timed reminder that things that are sucky were always going to be sucky and at some stage you've got to make a decision for things not to be so goddamn sucky because no one else is going to make that decision for you. If music's that friend you always have when no one else is around, 'It Won't Hurt Anymore' is one of the best friends you can have. So many years into a wonderful career and The Grates continue to astound, amaze and inspire. All I can say is thank you. (Matt Bond)
These are the moments I look for in music, these are the moments that make me keep listening, make me keep writing, keep me company and keep me wanting more, the moments that make everything ok when everything is sometimes not ok and even better when everything is more than ok. When the notes rest upon your life, talking to you in ways words never can and when the words speak about moments in the ways chords cannot, they are the moments in music that mean the most. When music is more than the composer, than the singer, than the guitarist and the drummer, when music is more than all of those people imagine they could ever be, that’s when music is the most. When I hear it all and hear nothing at all, those are the notes that bring the tears and the smiles, they are the songs that make the soundtrack for life and those are the moments that music is everything to me. (Jo Michelmore)
#11. LEAVE A TRACE
by Chvrches
You think I'll apologise for things I left behind
But you got it wrong
And I'm as sane as I ever was.
These songs, sometimes I write about which album they were from and who sings them and what the film clips are like. And sometimes these songs mean things I can’t explain and so sometimes I write things like this, because everyone’s had a song they know like this. Remember that jerk that did that thing that made you feel like a teeny tiny piece of nothing, that made you question who you were and where you’d been and why you ended up there? Remember that person who said that thing that stabbed you in the stomach, that took the air from your lungs and almost stopped you breathing for a while because all you had were gasps? Remember the one who took all you had and made it their own, even long after they had left? Remember the face of the person who turned you into someone you hate, someone you never want to visit again and someone you never knew you knew, let alone could be? Remember the empty they left when you finally walked away and remember the terrifying freedom in all that emptiness? “You think I'll apologize for things I left behind, but you got it wrong” Yes Chvrches, all that and yes. Thank you. I am as sane as I ever was. (Jo Michelmore)
There is nothing worse than someone making you feel like you're crazy, when the reality of the situation is you're perfectly fine and they're just a manipulative asshole. Chvrches' Lauren Mayberry knows it. Jo knows it. I know it and you know it. People can be the worst, but it's not all people that are the worst. Because on the other side of that is the you, the one that's been treated like dirt in the past and had to walk away from a really crappy situation. After a while you have these thoughts running through your head of all the awesome things you wish you had said at the time, things about how you had nothing to apologise for, that you weren't the crazy one, that you can see clearly now the rain has gone etc. etc. And you'd look awesome doing it, with a great new haircut and some hot new jeans. So this song comes along from Chvrches this year called 'Leave A Trace' that pretty much puts all of those thoughts into three minutes and fifty-seven seconds and you're just left here saying, "sing it loud, sister!" and high-fiving a million angels in Chvrches honour because you know you're not the only one thinking these thoughts. It's also just a really fun song with 80s vibes that makes you want to dance. There's also that going for it. Woo. Hoo. (Matt Bond)
Well, that wraps up the penultimate edition of our Top 115 Songs of 2015 countdown. Check back tomorrow for the TOP 10 SONGS OF 2015!
What's that sound? Oh... that's just the sound of your heart breaking. Yes. That's what it sounds like. Shhh. Shhh. Let it happen. The other sound (and the cause of said heart breakage) is likely The Paper Kites' 'A Silent Cause'. It's the oldest story in the book. Boy meet girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Girl has to move away. Boy remembers girl saying something about how all the people she knows are dying from a silent cause, which may or may not be their quiet desperation. Boy realises his own quiet desperation is in fact killing him too. Boy's heart breaks. Girl's heart breaks. Everyone is sad. And you wouldn't want it any other way. Stunning work from one of Australia's finest acts. (Matt Bond)
My love of lyrics is well documented, so it’s pretty much a no brainer that I love the little tale that The Paper Kites tell in this super saccharine sweet little tune. I love the little tale of love and the life and I love the feeling in my guts when front man Sam Bentley sings that line about people dying from the silent cause, but it’s the lump in the back of my throat that really hits it all home, at the “thought that I was different when you looked at me, but this quiet desperation is killing me too” When you put all those words with such a modest little guitar, well, oh my goodness, some songs are just divine aren’t they? (Jo Michelmore)
#89. HUMANS
by Sarah Belkner
This is why the rain comes down
Washes out everything, makes us feel like humans again.
I used to hate how YouTube thought it had the right to just automatically move onto another video once the one I had chosen to watch ended. Rude. Don't try to tell me how to live my life, application I pay nothing for and benefit from immensely. Anyway, I did hate that. Until I was watching a Jack Colwell clip one day and got up to... I don't know, make a sandwich or something and that song finished and then this song right here, 'Humans' started playing. It was exciting. Right from the start I was in l-o-v-e love. After questioning if Tori Amos had a little something new out, I made my way back to the laptop and saw the name Sarah Belkner. I didn't know who Sarah was at the time, but I sure do now. And she is brilliant. 'Humans' is the perfect showcase for her talents as a songwriter, vocalist and artist. She excels in all aspects of her performance. If you have the time to listen to her 2015 EP, also named Humans, it's well worth the investment. (Matt Bond)
#88. DOLLARMITE
by Velociraptor
Hey, the world is not a race
Still I don't want to be left, behind...
So I’m clearly not the only one who remembers their Commonwealth bank dollarmite account from childhood. Whatever happened to that cash? Surely I had like 25 bucks in there at some stage. Is that still building interest? Am I a millionaire? Do they still have those things for the kids these days or do you just get a credit card in grade one now? Do the kids even know what cash is anymore? It’s just numbers on a magical card you wave at machines, isn’t it? If I had a dollar for every member of Velociraptor, I’d have 14 bucks and if I was in grade one and that was in my dollarmite account, I’d have thought I was rich. Now the only part of me that’s rich are my ears, filled with songs like this one from Velociraptor. How the times have changed. Anyone got fourteen bucks I can borrow? (Jo Michelmore)
While I may have lost count of how many people are actually in Velociraptor, I will never lose my love for the Brisbane collective. Could you ever really not love a band that finds inspiration in the way so many of us were introduced to money and banking and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia? *insert single tear, yet happy face here. I think there might actually be fifteen members of the band though and now I'm thinking they're more cult-like. Think Polyphonic Spree. No white robes, just skinny jeans. Don't think I don't see you kids around town in your skinny jeans. (Matt Bond)
#87. HOLIDAY HOME
by The Grates
Do you want to light it up, yeah
In the sand dunes?
Patience can be a virtue, or she can be the lead singer of The Grates and pretty much the raddest person in all of the musics. True story. The return of Patience and John Patterson has been well reported on over the past twelve months. As has the idea that The Grates' fourth studio album Dream Team could very well be their best to date. Joined by new drummer-friend Ritchie Daniell, The Grates returned late last year (just missing the cut off for our 2014 edition) with 'Holiday Home', the lead track for their latest LP. It was loud, proud, in your face and a not so gentle reminder that The Grates were finally back. Not only Brisbane music royalty, The Grates are now total AUS music legends. (Matt Bond)
The Grates have been sounding like The Grates since forever, which is good really, considering things would be a bit weird if they started sounding like Katy Perry in the middle of things, although I wouldn’t complain about that either. ‘Holiday Home’ is perfectly Grates; quickfire, bass heavy, Patience sounding all manic even when she’s not being manic at all with a clip so perfectly VHS it hurts. Go google VHS kids. It doesn’t stand for anything you want to snapchat. Maybe it does. I can’t keep up with the kids these days. (Jo Michelmore)
#86. WRITTEN IN THE WATER
by Gin Wigmore
Give me one kiss for the road
Now it's time I let you go.
You know what I loved this year? I loved hearing Gin Wigmore somewhere other than an ad on TV. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s not the sell-out factor I care about, people gotta make money to pay the rents. I love the fact that she was featured in heaps of ads, because it meant she got to earn some cash and spend some time recording songs like this one. I can’t easily think of anyone else with a voice like hers and the pace of ‘Written In The Water’ shows it off perfectly. Just her and those keys at the beginning set up such a tortured little tale, with such a great story telling clip. Also, apparently the guy in the clip is her real life husband. The youtube comments told me that, so I can’t guarantee it, but I hope so. What an attractive couple they make. (Jo Michelmore)
It only took some rapid piano lines and the opening words, "I was born by the devil, I was left here to die, I was held up for ransom under cold summer skies," to fall in love with Gin Wigmore's music all over again. Another artist that seemed to be out of the spotlight for too long, Wigmore dropped her Blood To Bone album halfway through the year and it was well worth the wait. 'Written In The Water' is everything we've come to love about the Kiwi songstress and her brand of flapper-pop. Can I say flapper-pop? I mean it in the best way. It's a roaring 1920s jazz delight re-imagined for the modern audience from one of our choicest bits of calico. And it is gooood. Oh the calico thing? I looked up 1920s phrases. Apparently it means a desirable woman, you dewdroppers. (Matt Bond)
#85. DEVIL IN A DRESS
by Anita Lester
We are lost in conversation
Underneath the pulsing lights.
Anita Lester may have dropped her pseudonym and moved across the seas, but there's one thing that definitely hasn't changed about her. That would be her ability to make bewitching music that leaves us wanting a whole lot more. 'Devil In A Dress' proved that in spades. Spades, I say! I don't get it either, but it was proved. The music certainly goes with The Witching Hour title bestowed on Lester's next collection of songs and there's a haunting quality lurking within the vocal performance that can give you chills. While the video was pulled at some stage, hopefully you'll be able to witness it soon. It was a beauty. There's been changes for Anita Lester in 2015, but she remains as fierce as ever. (Matt Bond)
Anita Lester used to be Lester The Fierce, but it doesn’t really matter what she calls herself, she’s very good. She don’t need no fierce, because ‘Devil In A Dress’ proves she still is. Much less guitar and 90s rock chick than I expected, but a slight turn back in time to some seriously good 80s influence means I’m still happy either way. Synths and beats abound, making me wish I was an extra in some kind of clip that involves soft lighting, strange freestyle interpretive dance moves, neon lights, probably a cape and some poorly filmed mountain scenes. I think I’ve missed my calling in life. Clearly I should have been an 80s slightly alternative pop star. Or Anita Lester. Either/or. (Jo Michelmore)
#84. PARADIS PERDUS
by Christine and The Queens
In the night I hear them talk
The coldest story ever told.
Ah yes, here’s the bit where we get all fancy like and pretend we’re classy n shit. Stick some French lyrics in the countdown and ta-da, we’re very impressive. We’re not fooling anyone, Matt. Thing is, you don’t need to speak French or care who Kanye West is to know how stunningly beautiful this song is; the keys, the strings, that tiny little beat and the tone in her voice. So soft and a little despairing, it all comes together so perfectly you wonder how Mr West could be referenced at all. I don’t know exactly how it works, but I know it works in the best way and is gorgeous and that’s more than enough. (Jo Michelmore)
How do I know incredible music transcends all language barriers? For one, I don't speak French. And even I 'get' what's going on in 'Paradis Perdus'. Christine and The Queens thrilled us last year with 'Saint Claude' and 'Christine', so we weren't exactly expecting to hear from her/them again so soon. I can't say we weren't happy to be surprised by her return though. Christine's (real name Heloise Letissier) performance is enough to melt even the coldest of hearts. If it doesn't, you just don't have one. And how could you be so heartless? (Matt Bond)
#83. 6000 MILES
by The Waifs
I've never really had much of a way with words
But God knows I love to sing.
Speaking of AUS music legends, I was stoked to see The Waifs not only return this year, but deliver unto us some of their best music yet. Take '6000 Miles' as an example. The Vikki Thorn led track is already right up there as one of my favourite Waifs songs. Like many of their cuts, it's like having a conversation with one of your wise friends. The ones that give you the best advice and you have open and honest chats to about anything and everything. The Waifs would be those kind of friends. I'm just taking this opportunity to tell The Waifs that we should be friends. Haha. Kidding, that's totally inappropriate. Or is it? (Matt Bond)
I’ll be totally honest and say I had no idea what ‘6000 Miles’ was actually about before I started writing these words that you’re reading right now. I’d heard the bittersweet tone and the sentimental chords, I’d heard the emotion in all the notes and I knew 6000 miles was a long way, but little did I know that 6000 miles is the distance between Perth and Utah. It all makes sense, right, because 9, 656 kilometres doesn’t have the same ring. And that’s where singer Vikki Thorn’s husband lived and that’s why the first track from The Waifs’ seventh album is so goddamn sweet. Ah the long distance love. Don’t do it. It’s expensive. And annoying. Or do it and listen to songs like this to make yourself feel better while you cry into your tea. Or something. (Jo Michelmore)
#82. WITHOUT YOU
by Oh Wonder
Lift up, carry the love
Do you know?
Oh Wonder were that crazy gang of two who insisted on releasing a song a month this year, before gathering them all together and releasing an album. While some have threatened-slash-promised to do that in the past, and some seemed to think it was a crazy idea while others thought it was brilliant, I think it was a certain kind of genius, because it resulted in some of the prettiest pop of the year and it resulted in one of my personal fave pop tunes of the year. Sure, lots of people can harmonise and sing around each other, but these guys sound divine squished into each other’s space, their voices were made for each other. How wonderful. (Jo Michelmore)
I've been living a lie, because I thought Oh Wonder were Australian. That is incorrect. They are not Australian, if Wikipedia is to believed. Anyway, these two do the cute love song thing well. What will be awesome though is the break-up album. What? It worked for Adele. (Matt Bond)
#81. MOLIERE
by Our Man In Berlin
For your lonely mind For your lonely heart.
When I wrote about this song at the start of the year, I said I felt like I’d written about Our Man In Berlin a bazillion times, because I probably had (more than ten counts as a bazillion in blog life) and listening to it again now I know why I had written about them that many times. They’re really, really good. Like, seriously. There they are over there in Perth, just plugging away, doing their thing, and their thing is kind of awesome. The organised mania created at the end of ‘Moliere’ reminds me of why I’ve liked them so much; they have this natural ability to write songs that demand attention, pose questions, chill me completely out and make me want to dance all at the same time. Their second EP Spirit Down was all of those things as well and while I haven’t quite made it to two bazillion posts about them this year, with this kind of talent, I’m suspecting we might get there sooner rather than later. (Jo Michelmore)
So many feelings, so little time. See you again tomorrow!
