One guy from Australia still at the start of his incredible musical journey and one guy from England whose journey was so much more than music, it was everything. This is Man of the Year.
MAN OF THE YEAR
Runner-up: Remi
Australia's premiere MC of the male variety knocked it out of the park yet again in 2016 with his sophomore LP, Divas and Demons. Yep, Remi Kolawole has fast become the most fascinating male artist in the country today. With every new song released the appreciation grows, as does the depth of his writing. Team-ups with the likes of Sampa The Great and Jordan Rakei show excellent judgment in choosing collaborative partners that will bring out the best in both artists. And at the end of the day, we love Remi because he's really good at providing music to us that puts a bounce in our step when we need it the most. He can't get back to us with LP3 soon enough. (Matt Bond)
Winner: David Bowie
I mentioned to someone the concept of making David Bowie our Man of the Year and they responded in a way I know some people may; "Because he died? Or did you actually like that last album?" and my response is simple. I don't know if I would have liked Blackstar any more or any less had I not known he had passed when I listened to it in full for the first time. I don't know how I would have felt had I known it was his final goodbye in music form. I don't know how I would have felt if the first time I watched that dark clip I would know that he would be gone in a matter of days and that it was so much darker and somehow so much lighter than I could ever have imagined, let alone understood.
But within that, there is also this.
I don't know if I would have become a Bowie fan all those years ago had I been one of the popular kids in school. I don't know if I would have related quite as well to those words about planet earth on 'Life On Mars' had I ever felt like I belong. I don't know if I would ever have needed those keys in 'Changes' as much if I'd thought I was one of the pretty girls. I don't know if I would have heard the meaning in 'Under Pressure' if I hadn't had my heart torn to pieces. I don't know any of these things but one of the things the music of David Bowie has taught me is that I don't want to know. I don't need to know if I would have acted differently, felt differently, cried differently when he passed, because the life I'm leading is mine. With all of it's sublime heights and all of it's glorious lows, every bit is me and it's artists like Bowie who help me realise along the way, that me is perfectly ok. When there is doubt and when there is wonder, when there is love and when there is fear, the one constant companion has always been music. And how lucky am I to have lived in a world where a simply, perfectly complex set of notes and words have meant the difference between a day beginning and a day ending? He is Man of the Year, because of his talent, because of his inspiration, because of his legacy, but most importantly, because it is David Bowie who helped me realise that with every insecurity and every blustering confidence, I can do this, minute by minute. I need not worry about anything other than now, because every single day is exactly that, just one day.
Not that I needed some sweet, sweet Tkay Maidza levels of inception to get her music in my head b-b-b-but... hearing'Tennies' playing in the Apple Watch ad that played on YouTube before I got to 'Tennies' itself was the feelgood moment of the year. Like a proud mumma, I may have shed a dignified, single tear in celebration of Tkay Maidza's continued success. Getting into an Apple advertisement played worldwide? Achievement level unlocked. That level? Boss level. Because Tkay has been a total boss this year in the lead up to and after the release of her debut album, TKAY. Just before the album's release, 'Tennies' was dropped as a promo track and we couldn't get enough of it. We still can't get enough of it. The energy is infectious as Tkay lays out some quick-fire rhymes to politely inform you that she is the new Queen all up in here and you will bow down to her greatness. Admit it, you're bowing down right now. We are truly not worthy of this greatness. (Matt Bond)
I did a bit of a double take when I read something about Tkay's 'Tennies' that described it as "another club banger" which is probably a reasonable description of said single, but I don't really think of Tkay as a purveyor of "club bangers", because while that's a reasonable genre in itself, it just doesn't seem to lend enough weight to the actual talent of Tkay. I think of the "club banger" as a fairly throw away sound, but I still haven't gotten over the first moment I heard Tkay's sound and there's no way I've thrown that track away, let alone this song, three years later. Also, tennies is referring to her tennis shoes, for those like myself who doubted themselves and assumed it was referring to something else the kids are talking about. I don't know what the kids are talking about. (Jo Michelmore)
#19. AGORAPHOBIA
by Tired Lion
It's not a movie, now it's night time Those kids are itching for red wine...
I listened to this song about a thousand times when it was first released, because Tired Lion write really, really good rock songs. Their guitars are always dirty where they need to be, their drums are always pounding exactly when they need to be and that voice of Sophie's is always as perfect as it needs to be. It was listen number one thousand and one that had me hear a lyric I hadn't before, which made me draw a breath and press pause for a minute, because sometimes really, really good rock songs are also really, really good mirrors and sometimes that's a little confronting, but the best of really, really good rock songs are also equally comforting and 'Agoraphobia' is exactly, and so much more than that. (Jo Michelmore)
Moving from Unearthed to the triple J A-list was all but guaranteed for Perth's Tired Lion after the huge success of tracks like 'I Don't Think You Like Me' and 'Suck' in 2015. No one would have held it against the band for taking some time off, but it was so good to hear two new tracks from them in 2016. 'Not My Friends' was another banging piece of alternative goodness, but 'Agoraphobia' was the Tired Lion track that I just couldn't get enough of from the day I first heard it. It's got everything we've come to know and love about their sound over the past couple of years; 90s post-grunge inspired hooks, gorgeous melodies and scream-and-shout-along choruses delivered by the formidable Sophie Hopes and snappy lines that spark the imagination. But the thing about 'Agoraphobia' is, it's not just snappy lines anymore. As the topic of discussion is mental illness, something each member of Tired Lion has dealt with in their young lives, it's no surprise there's a new level of depth here. This is the sound of a band growing from their angsty teen beginnings to something bigger and bolder. I'll even throw in that it's a maturing of their sound, but don't worry, this is still brash and loud and everything you'd want from a Tired Lion track. (Matt Bond)
#18. FOR GOOD
by Remi ft. Sampa The Great
You're giving me the silent treatment, baby And that's oh so cold, gorgeous.
'For Good', the first single from Remi's critically acclaimed second LP Divas and Demons, brought a much needed dose of funk to Australia's hip hop scene. It brought the mega talent that is Sampa The Great along for the ride too and hearing Sampa alongside MC Remi Kolawole made for one of the brightest collaborations of the whole year. At least in terms of music and performance, both of which are faultless and ready made to make you get your groove on. While the story might not have the sunny disposition to match, at least we get a refreshing take on a dude admitting he's been a bit of a dick to a lovely lady undeserving of such treatment. Now she's gone and she's gone for good and he's left alone with his weed and Nintendo and sadness. I'm going with this being a work of fiction, because Remi doesn't seem like a jerk at all. He's like the Drake of Australian hip hop. Just, you know, awesome. (Matt Bond)
#17. FEEL MY LOVE
by Phebe Starr
Please be kind You know I love you, but my heart is blind.
One should have assumed that 'Feel My Love' was going to be one of the most perfect pop songs of the year, being that it is performed by someone who I have always thought has the most perfect pop name I could possibly imagine. If I was a singer, I'd have given up this Jo business and renamed my myself Phebe Starr a long time ago. Beside my slightly weird obsession with Phebe's name, 'Feel My Love' was definitely one of the highlights of pop music this year; all bounce, all build, all beautiful, it's one of the ones that would make that incredible scene of summer and sun and smiles when they make the film of my life. They will be making that sometime, and if I have my way, my character will be called Phebe. Phebe Starr. (Jo Michelmore)
If you are not dancing by the time the second verse hits, in whatever way it is that you choose to dance, then I am afraid to inform you that you are dead inside and I am sorry for how the world has beaten you down. Because 'Feel My Love' is epic-mega-out of this world-pop that will make you want to move, to shout, to live, to love. Phebe Starr, you continue to astound and amaze with the absolute gems that you're releasing. I probably say this with each new track, but this truly is your finest work to date. It makes you feel like anything is possible because it is so warm and so full of hope. In a perfect world this would have been a number one hit everywhere, but hey, this ain't no perfect world. I can say though that my world feels a little bit more perfect with this song in it. And you know, if you are feeling a little dead inside you really should listen to this a couple of times. It's probably just the cure you're looking for. It really is that good. (Matt Bond)
#16. ON HOLD
by The xx
My young heart, chose to believe We were destined.
Urgh, how exactly does someone get this talented? Like, I'm jealous. Why even hide that fact. I'm super jealous of The xx and how they can make music that speaks every freaking language to you, even ones you didn't know you know, but you know them and it's all because of The xx's music. And they keep getting better. How is life fair? Anyway... Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim's chemistry remains out of control and their vocal performances are coming from a much more confident place. Dare I say it sounds like The xx might be having a bit of fun these days? 'On Hold' certainly makes it sound like there's a smile lurking behind the totally devo (this means sad, not Devo the band) words that are so well written without having to say much of anything and again I'm super jealous of this group's talent. But I'm also super in love with everything they do and can't wait to hear their third album, I See You when it comes out next month. (Matt Bond)
I don't want to have to say spoiler alert, but this could be the newest song on our long long countdown, which means that new track Little Mix are releasing tomorrow won't be making our top 10, sorry guys. (Little Mix are not making our countdown. Please don't be disappointed.) Is this the cutest I've heard The xx? Maybe, maybe not, but either way there's something more poppy about this track than I'm probably used to from Jamie, Romy and Oliver and that's not a bad thing, it's a super good thing. Also, it's been far too long since I've pushed someone around a carpark in a shopping trolley. And one more thing. When did that Oliver character get so cute? And where did he get that shirt? I think I love it. And him. And them. (Jo Michelmore)
#15. BURN THE WITCH
by Radiohead
This is a roundup This is a low flying panic attack.
I'm honestly going to say there was not another song this year that had me as equally excited as I was nervous to hear it. It took a few minutes to prepare myself for what was to come before I hit play, because Radiohead and I have been through a lot. We've had a tumultuous relationship, but we've always agreed we love each other in the end. So I took a deep breath and I hit that little sideways triangle and those urgent strings came leaping out of my headphones and the familiar goosebumps of Radiohead started at my spine and worked their way around and not only did we agree we love each other, but we adored each other and everything about the world was absolutely perfect. And still is. (Jo Michelmore)
#14. DIGGIN'
by Ngaiire
But here you found me With a shovel in my hand...
To avoid wanting to write about this throughout the entire paragraph, I'm going to get it out of the way early so we can all move on with our lives. I am totally digging this track. Okay, done, moving right along. Now we can focus all of our time and energy on expressing all of the love we have for the INCREDIBLE music Ngaiire put out over the past twelve months. Starting with 'Diggin' the second song to be lifted from her sophomore album, Blastoma. It was a most suitable follow up to the 2015 Hottest 100 jam, 'Once', turning it up a notch in terms of the party starting stakes, while sacrificing nothing in terms of quality and uniqueness in the Australian music landscape. The reigning Empress of Neo-Soul was more glam than ever throughout 'Diggin', running vocal lines to die for alongside mighty fine electronic beats. Genre bending and defying expectations are nothing new for Ngaiire, but 'Diggin' was on a whole new level to what's come before. And this wasn't even our favourite release from Ngaiire in 2016. Ya dig? Sorry, had to use that one too. (Matt Bond)
#13. NEVER BE LIKE YOU
by Flume ft. Kai
Please just look me in my face Tell me everything's okay.
The kids these days, they say things like realness and all the feels and there's probably someone somewhere that's creating a meme right this very minute that means exactly those things but in a different way, but all they need to do is listen to some Flume and words and memes don't matter. This was one of those creepy songs that snuck up on me and slapped me in the face, having heard it about a bazillion times without too much thought until one day it just it me - boom, and suddenly I'm at work humming something about never being like you to my boss. (Hi boss! Jokes! I love you etc). It was only a few days I may have whispered something to Matt under my breath about possibly liking that Flume song that every one goddamn likes and now here we are at number 13, which means he liked it too. Boom. (Jo Michelmore)
That Flume fella's done alright for himself, hasn't he now? He scored his first #1 song in Australia with 'Never Be Like You', which also took him to the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100. The monster hit has also scored young Harley Edward Streten his first Grammy nod for Best Dance Recording, while parent-album Skin took took out Album of the Year at the ARIA Awards. Will 'Never Be Like You' go all the way in the upcoming Hottest 100? It would definitely bring a smile to many dials on Australia Day if that were to happen. Everyone loved 'Never Be Like You' and there's a simple explanation... it's really fucking good. Flume was more than deserving of all the success that's come his way over the past 12 months, delivering this killer jam with Canadian singer Kai that will be remembered for a long time to come. (Matt Bond)
#12. ADORE
by Amy Shark
Now go when you're ready My head's getting heavy pressed against your arm.
I wish life always felt like it does when you're listening to Amy Shark's 'Adore'. Full of that happiness that only comes with the initial buzz in your head and your heart, the result of a new romance where anything and everything seems possible. It's like you're floating in your own personal happy place. Unfortunately there's so many other things that seem to get in the way. Life stuff, good and bad. Work, commitments, that darn requirement to sleep. When everything else is getting the way and you've got too many thoughts running through that brain that always wants to ruin everything with its thinking, just put on 'Adore' and disappear to that happy place. Life can't always be like that, but for three minutes and twenty seconds, Amy Shark can take you there. Given that the song has raised her profile significantly since it was released, it seems like the whole world is going to be taken to happy places by Amy Shark very soon. (Matt Bond)
Everyone has been there and if you haven't, then I'm pretty jealous of your life. They are the subject of so much art, writing and music, it's hard to imagine what life would be like without them. Those times when there's nothing more pure and sweet than the desperation of wanting, the need to be loved and the true beauty in the agony of loneliness. Without big vocals, with simple words and some raw and uncomplicated keys and guitars, Amy Shark has captured the melancholy in obsession and the hopelessness of passion in such a effortless but powerful way. And now thinking about it, if you haven't felt any of these things, maybe I'm not jealous at all, because there's no feeling more intense and more alive than that of adoring...and needing to be adored. (Jo Michelmore)
#11. BEST OF YOU
by Big Smoke
We're peeling back the blue skies They got nothing on your blue eyes.
I really want to write about this song without mentioning how very bittersweet it is. I really want to write about the sense of roadtrip that it begs me to take, without wondering what could have been. I really want to write about those keys and that comforting voice that has me swaying with every listen, making me wish I was in a saloon, drinking a gin or a whiskey, or both, without wishing I could hear more. I really want to write about the absolute richness of this sound and the saturation of emotion without knowing where some of that might have come from. I really want to write all of those things without thoughts of what was or what could have been and I really want the members of Big Smoke to know they did good. While I can't imagine the things they have been through this year, I'm so glad they gave us all they could, because in songs like this, I hope they truly know thoughts of their friend and bandmate Adrian Slattery will be hanging about for a long time and with songs as gorgeous as this, he's never going to be forgotten. (Jo Michelmore)
Last week was huge for Tkay Maidza fans, as our fave rap dynamo announced that her highly anticipated debut album TKAY will be released on October 28! If that wasn't exciting enough, she'll be heading out on a headline tour in November (in addition to performing at this week's BIGSOUND!!!) and we got this absolute banger of a lead track, 'Carry On'. Killer Mike delivers the goods as only he can with his guest verse, but 'Carry On' is another Tkay tour de force of slay, which makes us want to hear that full TKAY album all the more. You can chant along to carefree lines like, "they say they're coming for ya, but I don't want none, 'cause I really don't care and I'm still kinda young." And then you can feel old when you remember that Tkay is only like 19/20 and you're nearly 30 so you're definitely not kinda young because you're not about that life anymore because you are now, in the eyes of the youths, old. But moving right along, 'Carry On' is THE jam of the moment, ready for the dancefloor and totally appropriate for following up the amazing collab with Martin Solveig, 'Do It Right'. Maidza has been working like crazy since she stomped her feet into our lives, so she's never really left, but it sure feels good to welcome her back anyway. Bring on TKAY! (Matt Bond)
2. Amy Shark - Adore
3. Chet Porter ft. Chelsea Cutler - Stay (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: There I was, driving along in my car, peacefully looking forward to the fourth (today) milky take away coffee goodness awaiting me ahead, which was going to see me through a night of listening to some tunes and watching some clips in search of what was going to be the greatest song I had ever heard (this week), which was going to result in a collection of the greatest words I have ever written (this month), when straight from the radio came the sounds of someone I've never heard of (until today) and some of the greatest sounds I think I'm likely to hear (this year), which resulted in me rushing home, googling and typing quicker than I ever have (slight exaggeration) and pressing play a hundred times (so far) because this gorgeous song is one that is going to be stuck in my head forever (at least this week) and I'm going to love every second of it. And I could tell you all sorts of things aout who Chet Porter is (not the other Chet) and the things I discovered after googling his name (Porter's, not the other's) but you know, you're going to be finding out those things for yourself soon anyway because this song has such a sweet, warm sound you're (hopefully) going to be hearing a lot of it, with or without my (small) influence. Now here's my name in brackets. (Jo Michelmore)
4. Hot Spoke - Outlines
5. Remi ft. Jordan Rakei - Lose Sleep (NEW)
6. Ayla - Like The Other Kids (NEW)
7. Ali Barter - Girlie Bits (NEW)
8. Montaigne - Till It Kills Me
9. PASSERINE - White Shadows and Grey Noise (NEW)
10. Holy Holy - Darwinism
11. Florence and The Machine - Wish That You Were Here (NEW)
12. Airling - Move Me (NEW)
13. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Jesus Alone (NEW)
14. Abbe May ft. Joni Hogan and Odette Mercy - Doomsday Clock (NEW)
Matt's Pick of the Week: James Vincent McMorrow falls into the 'better late than never' category of artists with me. Which really just means that while I had heard of the Irish singer over the past couple of years, I hadn't listened to his music... but then I finally did get around to hearing him and was blown away and had to go listen to everything he's ever put out. There's only so much music we can actually listen to in a week, but I'm glad I stumbled upon McMorrow. And it's better late than never, right? Oh and when I say stumbled upon McMorrow, I mean I heard his excellent cover of 'Wicked Game' in the Game of Thrones season six trailer. Which is totally stumbling upon someone. And now we can forget about that long-winded story and talk about McMorrow's new single, 'Rising Water'. The unexpectedly groovy number previews his third LP We Move, which is set for a September 2 release. I don't really know what to say about it, other than it puts a huge smile on my face each time I listen to it and JVM's voice is as close to happy as his haunted tones can sound. There's something about that voice against the groove-infused beat that is really working for me here and I cant' get enough. (Matt Bond)
2. Stevie - Decay
3. Kid Runner - Give Me Something To Love (NEW)
4. Cash Savage and The Last Drinks - Falling, Landing
5. Emily Wurramara - Black Smoke
6. JP Klipspringer - Can't Be (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: While his career is still in its relatively early stages, I really like the stage that JP Klipspringer has reached. It's that sweet era where I've heard enough to know a Klipspringer track when I hear one, but I don't know him well enough to know what's next. 'Bury Me', the first track I heard of his way back in 2014, is one that still takes my breath away when it pops up randomly in my playlist and his EP Din Deafening from last year is one I still like to pop on when I need a slice of calmness in my life. After hearing his latest offering 'Can't Be', I suspect I'll be saying something similar about it in a few years time, with its plain and simply perfect indie pop (with a tinge of country) sensibilities, it is everything I expect from the talent of JPK; not really anything I expected but everything I love about everything I hear of his. His debut album due in September, will no doubt be one of my favourites of the year, so if you read nothing else I write in 2016, just know that album will be in my list of "best ofs" in December. Spoiler alert! (Jo Michelmore)
Can you believe it's June already? Where does the time go? I'll tell you where it goes... lots of research into Game of Thrones theories, cat videos, seeing if there's new Snap Chat selfie filters and complaining that it's too hot/too cold in Australia. Mostly that it's too hot. We do however try to make as much time as we can to listen to the best new music going around. We think we do a pretty good job and so, as we do each June, we let you know what our 25 favourite songs of the year have been so far. 2016 has already been an incredible year for acts both established and emerging, from Australia and abroad and across all genres. Yes, especially gospel hard rap. It's a thing, look it up. While you might call us biased, we've got to say that the world's best music is coming out of Australia this year. In fact, Australian artists make up 21 of the 25 songs listed below. And what are these songs? Why waste your time with more small talk? Let's get to the music!
TOP 25 SONGS OF 2016 (SO FAR)
10 FEET TALL
by OKENYO
She swore she'd never play that hand,
But she's stuck.
A LOVE SONG
by Ladyhawke
It all began innocent as love could be,
In every word you gave it all to me.
BURN THE WITCH
by Radiohead
This is a round up,
This is a low flying panic attack.
DIGGIN
by Ngaiire
But here you found me with a shovel in my hand
Faking innocence.
DON'T LOOK
by Machine Age
But I'm afraid of losing all that I've got,
It's clear to me that I don't think we'd get far.
END OF TIME
by Ecca Vandal
You're testing my faith, feel I should run but I'll,
Stay 'til the end, 'til the end times out...
FADING
by Two People
Throw things around 'til the walls fall down,
And I fall out, and I fall out.
FEEL MY LOVE
by Phebe Starr
Please be kind, you know I love you,
But my heart is blind.
FOR GOOD
by Remi ft. Sampa The Great
Where's your self esteem, gorgeous?
Did it go when I told you that I was a cheat, gorgeous?
FORMATION
by Beyonce
Earned all this money but they never take the country out me,
I got hot sauce in my bag, swag.
HAPPIER
by Miami
It's too hard to know what you're thinking,
And I'm only thinking of you.
HONEST
by Little Earthquake
Why can't you be honest?
Why can't you be honest with me?
HOUSE ON A ROCK
by Ngaiire
Living on I love you's and recycled prayers.
LOST
by Ariela Jacobs
Everywhere I go, it's hurting me to know, It's not the right thing to do.
IN THE DARK
by Montaigne
I do not love, anyone anymore, You taught me how, to be numb to the core.
MONKEY MIND
by Ella Hooper
And if I know I can't make you love me, Is it wrong to hold on, child?
NEVER BE LIKE YOU
by Flume ft. Kai
I'm only human can't you see, I made, I made a mistake...
NIGHTMARE OF 1984
by SS Sebastian
I can barely breathe anymore, Like my hand is holding my own head under water.
NOT MY FRIENDS
by Tired Lion
Look at the people just lying around, To get you back up they just pull you back down.
SMOKE SIGNALS
by Olympia
The world keep turning, safe place to fall, Hugging your shadows, up on the wall.
STRANGE DISEASES
by Gang of Youths
All the neighbours think we're strange, But they don't feel the strains, of living with our strange diseases.
THE WHEEL
by PJ Harvey
Hey little children don't disappear (I heard it was 28 000).
VICEROY
by Violent Soho
Killjoy, you're like a rhinestone pick up line, My drunk guitar's more fun than you'll ever be.
YOU DON'T THINK YOU LIKE PEOPLE LIKE ME
by Alex Lahey
All I want is to have cleanskin wine and watch Mulholland Drive with you...
YOU'RE A FUCKING JOKE
by Bec Sandridge
Baby, you're a fucking joke, I think it's funny, you feel a little cold, You've got a hunger, you can't control, And now I'm leaving, you're saying oooh don't you go.
Band of Skulls, Remi, Alex Lahey + Little Earthquake!
1. Phebe Starr - Feel My Love
2. Band of Skulls - Killer (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: Am I psychic? Only last week I was suddenly and mysteriously struck with a thought “what happened to Band Of Skulls? Where are those guys? I love those guys!” and then bam! Two days later, what should appear in my social media feed? Those smashing guitars and drums exploded outta my phone as I manically hit play on the link to the single ‘Killer’, the first from their fourth album By Default, due later this year. I only thought about them a day ago! Did I make this song happen? How could this be? The band themselves are calling this a new era in their career, but I call this an awakening to my own psychic abilities. This is everything I love about them, dirty guitars taking the lead, the blues rock turning into rock rock and back again in between all those “got your heart got your soul got your back” words I can’t seem to get out of my head. Ok, maybe I’ll admit I’m not psychic, but there’s one thing about the future I can pretty much guarantee. I’m going to love that new album when it’s released and I’m going to spend my days until I hear that hoping that they tour again asap. (Jo Michelmore)
3. Amanda Palmer - Machete
4. Machine Age - Don't Look
5. Alex Lahey - You Don't Think You Like People Like Me (NEW)
Matt's Pick of the Week: I don't know much about Alex Lahey. After hearing her song 'You Don't Think You Like People Like Me' on the radio last week though, I want to know EVERYTHING there is to know about Alex Lahey. "All I want is to have cleanskin wine, And watch Mulholland Drive with you." I'm hooked, right from the start. Lahey offers up killer hooks, rocking vocals and lyrics you'll find running through your mind long after you have finished listening. Like one of those movies that are super quotable but too cool for you. A really wonderful track to stumble upon (if you can call hearing it on the radio 'stumbling' upon it), 'You Don't Think You Like People Like Me' only proves that I really like Alex Lahey. And I can't wait to hear so much more from her. (Matt Bond)
Matt's Pick of the Week: Phebe Starr, how I've missed you. But you're back now and you're back with this incredible track 'Feel My Love' that is going to put smiles on faces all around the world. This is irresistible pop, the kind that runs through your entire body and makes you want to dance and have fun and do amazing things. The instant replay value is ridiculous, don't be surprised if you find yourself in a 'Feel My Love' loop for a couple of hours as you explore all the wonderful little touches that make the track as great as it is. And even though I haven't been able to stop listening to it for a few days now, I've got a feeling I'm only going to love this new one from Phebe Starr more and more as the year goes on. Hopefully this is the first of many big things coming our way from Starr this year! Oh and when that chorus hits? Too good. More please. (Matt Bond)
7. Sans Parents - Can't Stop Moving
8. The Ruiins - Eventually (NEW)
Jo's Pick of the Week: So I’m having a little bit of trouble believing that this is the debut single from The Ruiins. No, seriously, I’ve googled over and over, looking for something, anything, anywhere to tell me where they’ve played, who they are and what else they’ve done, because there is a maturity and a simple comfortability in ‘Eventually’ that suggest they’ve been playing together a thousand years (possible exaggeration) and surely I’ve seen them and heard them somewhere before. This track is everything I love about unpretentious rock and perfect blues, doing exactly what any song I love should do, which is to take my mind away from my laptop to places I’d rather be and making me want to sway in ways only guitars know how to. If this is only their first release, I am so looking forward to hearing more from this duo from the Gold Coast. (Jo Michelmore)
9. Chris Watts - Let Go
10. Ariela Jacobs - Lost (NEW)
11. Babaganouj - Do Rite With Me Tonite
12. Little May - Remind Me
13. Hayden Calnin - Cut Love
14. Elizabeth Rose ft. Remi - Playing With Fire (NEW)
15. Bag Raiders ft. Benjamin Joseph - Checkmate (NEW)
And I thought I knew you, But baby you make me so blue.
You're always going to have a good time with Velociraptor, because Jeremy Neale and his music friends want you to, "make like a powerful metal guitar solo and key change your life today." I took that from Neale's Facebook page. Go and give it a like and have a read, it will make your day. Velociraptor fly the flag as the franchise players in Brisbane's burgeoning Garage Pop scene and with 'Ramona' they're showing that status isn't changing anytime soon. It's as good, if not better, than what's come before with some banging hooks and a nice surf rock-ish "love" story driving it along. You stay classy, Jeremy Neale and friends. I'd write out everyone's names, but I'm pretty sure the band's got about forty-five members. (Matt Bond)
Like many people, I have a facebook account. I show appreciation for things on that facebook account by pressing the ‘like’ button, that is, the small thumbs up symbol. I follow a lot of pages on my facebook account. I quite enjoy ‘Shit Brick Fences Of Melbourne’ and the ‘Walthamstow (Unofficial) Tourist Board’, as well as one of my more recent favourites ‘The Same Photo Of A Fork Everyday’. I like all of these pages, but I think the page I press ‘like’ on most often is that of Jeremy Neale, singer from the band featuring here at number 90. Jeremy Neale is a beacon of light on a social media tool too often darkened with an addiction to boredom and I feel like I need to pay his band and their song ‘Ramona’ the ultimate compliment, which I give to Jeremy Neale’s facebook page every couple of days so here it is…..like. (Jo Michelmore)
#89. BUT I SAY
by Tulane
If silence is golden, Then you certainly are king.
Sydney's Tulane is a duo made up of vocalist Nikki Malvar and guitarist Nikk Retalic. They work really well together as a pair. All the proof you need of this is in their 2014 release, 'But I Say'. It shows you don't need all the bells and whistles to make a connection with the listener. Sometimes all you need is a relatable story, an emotive performance and a memorable melody. Try not to feel just a little bit heartbroken while you're listening to Malvar's performance. Tulane as a duo are hopefully just getting started. I want to hear a lot more from them in 2015. (Matt Bond)
Well, I certainly do wish I was better at this writing thing. I wish I had the words to describe the sadness and the desperation and the heartbreak and loneliness in Tulane’s ‘But I Say’, but I don’t. I’ve written thousands of words on this here blog and I’ve learnt that it’s mostly easier to let the artists speak for themselves, because they have the emotional capacity to face their own sounds, which are sometimes so beautiful I can’t. So I’m gonna leave this one in the words of half of Tulane, Nikki Malvar, because besides telling you to press play, I just can’t describe the beauty of heartache as well as she does; “Despite the fact that your head might know better, unremarkable people can make remarkable impressions on your heart sometimes. ‘But I Say’ is one of those unfortunate stories.” Yep. It is. (Jo Michelmore)
#88. CUT
by Hopium
Everyone here is just a bad version of you...
It could be because I’m a bit of a creep, but I
really love and appreciate this song. I mean, I have all kinds of crazy
thoughts that run around this brain of mine that are confined to a diary
and a therapist. Okay, both of those things are lies, but I really do
need an outlet. I digress. The point I was going to make is that I feel
like this song is such a collection of random, private ramblings. I mean,
“I'll cut off my legs so I could never leave you”? It’s brilliant. (Katie Langley)
There are some grand declarations of love and all that stuff in music. But if you can come up with anything that compare to, "I'll cut off my legs so I won't ever desert you, I'll cut out my tongue so nothing I say can hurt you, I'll cut out my eyes so they won't ever wander, I'll cut off my hands so there's no chance I'll ever touch another," please let me know. I don't know much about Hopium, because they're doing the whole 'mysterious' thing and not giving much away about themselves, but they've got some world class music to their name and 'Cut' is one of the best things to come out of 2014, so they can be as mysterious as they want. Brooding and industrial dark electronic pop with killer vocals and unforgettable lyrics. What's not to like? (Matt Bond)
Ah see, here we go. This is the kind of thing I get. I don’t often admit it, because no one really wants to know about the darkness, but this is the kind of thing I revel in. You hear those beats? Do you hear how painstakingly placed they are? Do you hear the tiny cracks inside every one that pound against that little paranoid part of my head? Can you hear the synths? Can you hear the shadows creeping in over every sense of light? Do you hear those words? Don’t pretend you don’t. We’ve all been there. Some of them you’ll hear more than others. But those lines; “Maybe I wanna see what burns, maybe I wanna see what breaks, maybe I need to learn from my own mistakes” well, they’re ones that hit a little closer to home than I care to admit. Except I just did. (Jo Michelmore)
#87. TYSON
by Remi
And I'm Tyson, circa 88, Yeah right, son.
Before this year, I wasn't the biggest fan of Australian hip hop or rap. If that's your thing, that's great, but you don't really need to tell me about why I'm crazy for not declaring a 360 song as my, "jam". My attitude has been turned around quite a bit though in 2014, with releases from the likes of Tkay Maidza, Citizen Kay and this guy right here, Remi Kolawole. 'Tyson' has a great beat, shows that Remi can rap with the best of them and doesn't make me want to punch myself in the face in a display of pain transference. It might not seem like it, but that's a huge compliment to a really excellent song. (Matt Bond)
Fun fact: 'Tyson' runs for four minutes 20 seconds. Yes, 4:20. (Katie Langley)
2014 did something completely unexpected to me. Well, maybe it wasn’t 2014 itself, but artists like Remi, who kinda called out my name, made me sit up straight and demanded I listen. I’ll admit it to you Remi, I’ve always had this minor awkward relationship with Australian hip hop, it’s always made me cringe a little. Ok, more than a little. You Remi and your song ‘Tyson’? No cringing. Because it doesn’t sound like you have anything to prove, you’re just doing your thing and you don’t care whether I like you or not; but not in an ‘arrogant-wannabe-something-you’re-not-rapper’ kind of way, just in a ‘hey-I’m-just-doing-my-thing-you-do-yours-whatever’ kind of way. Maybe it’s that whole liking the boy who doesn’t like you thing I’ve always had, but whatever, that’s my psychological makeup I have to deal with. This is just a song countdown. I like you Remi. I like you a lot. (Jo Michelmore)
#86. SEEK THE WILDE
by Jack Colwell and The Owls
A frightened child thrown into the wild...
You'll probably get sick of me repeating the same sort of lines throughout this countdown, but here's another one of our favourite people from 2014, Jack Colwell! His unique musical style made us big fans and 'Seek The Wilde' was just one of his tracks from the year we've been loving. Colwell set out to deliver a "baroque pop romp" on 'Seek The Wilde' and he more than delivered. In a sea of overproduced electronic music that all sounds a bit same-same, Jack Colwell stands out by composing an actual song with these things called instruments. And they're instruments that aren't just like a guitar or a triangle. There's a harpsichord. And what sounds like a flute and an oboe. And it's still really good pop music. It's only a matter of time before the right person pays Colwell the attention he deserves and his music gets celebrated the same. (Matt Bond)
If you’d told me at the end of last year that we’d be featuring a song with a harpsichord in this year’s countdown, I may have been a little surprised. Don’t get me wrong, I would have been incredibly happy, but I would have been surprised, it’s not an instrument you hear every day and I would probably have demanded that you tell me how you know this you gypsy fortune telling freak and then I would have wanted you to play the song for me immediately. Ok, maybe I wouldn’t have said gypsy, but I would have wanted to hear the song. If you’d played me the song, I would have demanded to know the artist, because this is one song I LOVED from the very first note the very first time I heard it. It is so joyous, so bouncy, so full, so melodic and fairy tale and whimsical and goddamn I just want to get inside its soft feathery sounds and roll around. Is that weird? Shut up you gypsy fortune telling freak. (Jo Michelmore)
#85. BETWEEN FRIENDS
by Japanese Wallpaper ft. Jesse Davidson
If you wanna be my friend, Stop trying to be my lover.
I find myself using the word mesmerising a lot, but when I say it about this song, I actually, genuinely mean it. ‘Between Friends’ is just beautiful with its serene tones, the synths crashing around the sounds of twinkling bells and that chorus lyric whirling around and around my mind, over and over again. All of this from someone barely out of high school; way to make the rest of us who just write a couple of words on a blog every now and then feel inadequate. It’s ok, I’m prepared to feel inadequate when the music sounds this delicious. It’s simply stunning and only the very start of what I expect we will hear from Japanese Wallpaper in the future. (Jo Michelmore)
Japanese Wallpaper, for real-real name Gab Strum must be very happy with his 2014. He took out the triple J Unearthed High competition in July, joining the likes of Asta and Snakadaktal (R.I.P) as winners. 'Between Friends' alone is enough to say, "I'm a big winner, just give me the title!" Beautifully put together by Japanese Wallpaper and completely chilled out, the track scores bonus points for Jesse Davidson's restrained vocal work and the somber tone of the story against the ethereal music production. (Matt Bond)
This is one of those amazingly powerful songs that,
depending on your mood, has the ability to reduce you to tears or make
you smile. Isn’t that the best kind of music though? Music that makes
you feel so strongly that you’re overcome with emotion. The answer is
yes. (Katie Langley)
#84. PUDDLES
by MKO
And I know I'm just one fish in the sea, But you're gonna get to know me.
After seeing them live and declaring myself a fan of MKO last year, the release of ‘Puddles' was a perfect piece to put in the giant puzzle of MKO. I say puzzle, because sometimes I’m not sure whether to refer to just Hannah Macklin as MKO or whether to consider MKO a trio or a band or a sound or a feeling. The thing is, MKO is probably all of these things and when she and they are creating these sounds and I am swaying along to them, I don’t even care who they are, I’m just lost in the stylishly smooth beats and Hannah’s effortlessly sweet vocals singing of messes and guesses and puzzles and puddles. (Jo Michelmore)
After a stellar 2013, we weren't sure if MKO would be gracing us with their musical presence in 2014. Luckily for us, these Brisbane babes aren't ones to rest on their laurels and we got treated to a couple of new numbers including this one, 'Puddles'. It's dreamy. Isn't it just the dreamiest? Hannah Macklin can do no wrong, her voice is a thing of wonder and I'm convinced this is her best performance to date. It might even be my favourite MKO song so far too. If their trend of one-upping themselves continues, I'm already fascinated about what comes next. (Matt Bond)
#83. JUST ONE NIGHT
by Julia Why?
Just give me, One night where I can't think.
Julia, why have I only just now heard this song?
Badoom-tish! Clearly I’m behind the times, but it’s better late than
never, right? I love me some rock, I love me some grunge, and this new
found love affair is definitely not going to be just a one night kind of
thing. (Katie Langley)
Bands like Julia Why? are the ones who make me wonder why I never went through with that high school fantasy of picking up my guitar, finding myself a denim clad band member or two and started playing gigs in venues I was too young to actually be allowed into. Why didn’t I do that Julia, why? I actually have a friend named Julia, so that isn't neccassarily just a ridiculous play on words or a rhetoric question. The clip for ‘Just One Night’ is all sorts of high school fun and the song is full of “na-na-na-na’s” so I can’t find anything not to love and well, this is our top 114 so I shouldn’t be finding things not to love, right? Julia Why? and your perfect pop punk. I demand more than one night, please and thank you. (Jo Michelmore)
#82. BUCK UP AND PAY THE REAPER
by Dear Plastic
I've been picking the pockets of strangers, Using what I found, to guess their names.
Dear Plastic's debut album, The Thieves Are Babes, was one of the best releases of the year and 'Buck Up and Pay the Reaper' was one of its greatest tracks. I was completely sold on it when the chorus hits and vocalist Scarlette Baccini starts howling lines about looking out for number one, smiling like a dreamer and bucking up to pay the reaper. It's grungey-vibes galore and I'm loving the quiet, atmospheric moments in the verses and the fuller sound as the band lets loose in the chorus. As for the video, the performances from the band members are great. And then it's kinda gross, but the song... the song is a delight. And it's not even our favourite Dear Plastic song of the year. #foreshadowing (Matt Bond)
Oh this one caused some controversy in the IMKOS office (don't be fooled, we actually don’t have an office, it's mostly just Matt and I sitting in track pants in front of laptops which are in front of TVs). Back in May, Nayt and I battled it out over whether we loved the clip or hated it (Nayt a little on the hate, me a little on the love, neither of us really committing to either emotion) but we both came to the conclusion that regardless of what we thought of the clip, it had made us realise we liked the band and I guess that’s the job of a clip anyway, is it? I don’t even know any more in this crazy minefield of a music industry I keep observing. I do know that ‘Buck Up And Pay The Reaper’ is a glorious piece of dark indie pop rock that deserves to be heard by a lot more people than just Nayt and I arguing over what to love and what to hate about milking potatoes. (Jo Michelmore)
#81. SOMEBODY'S TALKING
by The Preatures
Now don't make me reason, don't pretend, Reel me in so our love can begin again.
There’s a reason why 'Somebody’s Talking' has become
one of my favourite pre-work bus anthems – there’s a feel good vibe that
provides the perfect amount of hope and zest. It’s not an
I’ve-had-4-coffee’s-and-I’m-so-amped kind of rah rah song. It has a
quiet confidence that gives you a reassuring pat on the back to let you
know, “you got this.” (Katie Langley)
As infectious as last year's breakthrough single, 'Is This How You Feel?', this year's hit from The Preatures, 'Somebody's Talking' makes me want to dance like I'm on one of those 60s TV shows where the band's playing and all the teens are on stage with the band and just dancing around them. That's exactly how it makes me feel. But then I'd probably just be standing around like a creeper, staring at Isabella Manfredi because she's just the perfect front for a band and her voice is magical. Yep. (Matt Bond)
