Top 114 Songs of 2014, #10 - 1

Tkay Maidza, Little May + Thelma Plum!

#114 - 101

#100 - 91

#90 - 81

#80 - 71

#70 - 61

#60 - 51

#50 - 41

#40 - 31

#30 - 21

#20 - 11

#10. LAZARETTO

by Jack White





I'm so Detroit, I make it rise from the ashes...

There's cool and then there's Jack White cool. At this point, the man can do no wrong and this year's Lazaretto proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. He's come a long way from the alternative White Stripes days to become one of the biggest rock stars on the planet, tearing up the Glastonbury stage (figuratively and literally). He's at his very best on the title track for his second studio LP with some down and dirty guitar work that will have your hands in the air saying, "preach." Every word is a reminder that White is far cooler than you ever have any hope of being and he probably doesn't even know it. Dropping into Spanish, talking about God "herself" and being quarantined on the Isle of Man. There's too much goodness for one listen. I'll just have to keep on listening, won't I? (Matt Bond) 

Oh Jack. Oh sigh... (Jo Michelmore)

#9. FANCY

by Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX





First things first I'm the realest,
Drop this and let the whole world feel it... 

Every day I find more things to love about Iggy Azalea. Which is weird, because this time last year I would have been the first to painfully groan if I heard her name. I'm not going to do a 180 and pretend I loved anything released before this year. But I think I'm falling in love with Azalea as a person. Do you follow her Twitter account? Do it. She's great. A couple of days ago she found out people were claiming she was born a man named Cody. Instead of making a big deal, she just said she thinks she'd be better as a Liam. When a new Eminem track had lyrics about raping Iggy, she got responded with, "im bored of the old men threatening young women as entertainment trend and much more interested in the young women getting $ trend. zzz". And good on her. Young women have dominated the charts this year and Azalea played her part on the monster hits 'Problem', 'Black Widow' and, ba da bom... bom bom... 'Fancy'. There's been a lot of things I've loved about Iggy Azalea in 2014, but nothing comes close to the love I've got for 'Fancy'. Seven weeks at #1 in the US, Billboard's Song of the Summer 2014, a Record of the Year nomination for the upcoming Grammy Awards and the most streamed song of the year in America on Spotify. It's just a little bit fancy, yes? 'Fancy' hasn't just made Iggy Azalea into a house hold name, it's also done wonders for Charli XCX's stock in the music industry. Everything about the tracks equaled pop perfection; one of the best choruses of the year, I-G-G-Y showing she actually can rap with the best of them (while delivering ridiculous/amazing rhymes) and the brilliant Clueless inspired music video. These days, I really do think Iggy's the realest... and oh so fancy. (Matt Bond)  

First things first (you knew one of us was going to do that, right?) I haven’t always been the biggest fan of I-GG-Y. I never hated her, I just didn’t get her. Let’s not say that I get her any more now than 12 months ago, but I do get a catchy beat when I hear it. The subtle slight bass and off beat give a slow groove vibe, while Charli XCX sings the chorus with such a sing-song school yard feeling that is a little hard to get out of your head once it gets in there. I’m not really sure trashing hotels and mini bars is actually that fancy, but if Iggy says it is then maybe I’m just being old fashioned. This could be the Ice Ice Baby of this generation, after all, if half the world can rememeber the first couple of lines of that song “Alright stop. Collaborate and listen (mumble mumble mumble) ice ice baby, too cold” then maybe in 20 years time people might be chanting “first things first (mumble mumble mumble) I’m so fancy….” at each other in the same way and that wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. PS There is no fast lane from LA to Tokyo. Takes about 12 hours. Don’t always believe what you hear in rap. End. (Jo Michelmore)

#8. MY HEAD, MY HEART

by Hey Lady!





Push me to the limit, taking it all the way,
I can't focus, I can't feel my intuition. 

This is the best straight up rock and roll song of 2014. It's a non-stop sensory assault/delight that I have not been able to stop listening to since it first came across our radar at the end of September. It's made all the better that 'My Head, My Heart' is coming to us from Newcastle, from the most excellent Hey Lady! which is comprised of Jess Moxey and Stef Threadgate. Newcastle has seriously become one of our favourite places in Australia with all the incredible music coming out of it. Moxey and Threadgate might only be a two-piece act, but the full sound they're able to make with a guitar, a drum kit and their voice is huge. And amazing. And I want to keep on hearing more from Hey Lady! in 2015 and I want to hear 'My Head, My Heart' on the radio every day. And so should you. (Matt Bond)  

A couple of times on this countdown we’ve spoken about one of the biggest benefits of blogging, which is the constant introduction to new music. Our inbox is flooded with emails every day, sometimes from generic mailing lists asking us to listen to the latest blah from blah, sometimes from Mr and Mrs Pradesh who definitely have a million pound to give us if only we’ll give them our bank account details and sometimes, every now and then, we get emails that introduce us to music we can’t believe we didn’t know and we can’t believe we’re lucky enough to get sent to us. When this email landed in our account this year, I was hoping it was a pick up line for Matt or myself “Heeeeey ladeeee!” so I’m going to admit, I was slightly disappointed when it wasn’t. I moved on pretty quickly though, as I have a tendency to do from these things, because when I heard what Hey Lady actually meant, my head and my heart (boom tish!) immediately knew this wasn’t something to be disappointed about, this was gonna become one of my fave songs of the year. It’s a pretty simple equation; two girls plus guitars plus a little bit of attitude and throw in some feelings of 90s alternative/grungy rock and you come up with ‘My Head My Heart’. It’s assertive, it’s simple confidence and it’s as catchy as you can get. It’s also made its way into my head and my heart (bam! I’ve done it again!) in a big way and it’s not going away any time soon. (Jo Michelmore)

#7. VALKYRIE

by Curxes





I've never been patient, subtle or vacant,
When thinking of ways that could persuade... 

A little lesson for you, because you’re probably going to have some questions: Valkyrie is a female figure in old Norse mythology who would decide who would live and who would die in battle and yes, it’s also the name of the awesome song featuring at number 7 in our countdown. And for those of you who are not familiar with the name (why aren’t you reading this here blog more often?) Curxes are a musical act hailing from Brighton and it’s surrounds in the UK. Yes, they are very good aren’t they? Why do we like them so much? Because of their crazy time travelling ways, where they have this incredible talent of pulling together sounds that remind us of the past, especially some of the greats in what would have been known as cutting edge music from the 80s and throwing them into songs that sound like they should be made in the future. How do they do that, you ask? Well I’m not really sure, but I know Macaulay Hopwood has a massive amount of talent that he throws at guitars and synths and various other music making machines and he creates and mashes together sounds that make me want to dance and throw my head around and scream all at the same time. I also know Roberta Fidora has an incredibly powerful voice that makes me want to do similar things, but also makes me sit still and listen and wait for the “wow” that’s inevitably going to happen whenever she hits the notes I only ever dare to dream of hitting in my own lounge, in my car, at karaoke. A good example of this is ‘Valkyrie’. Go on, press play. Listen. It’s dark, it’s loud, it’s confronting and it’s fabulous. Dare you not to like. Best you like, because as we learnt in the beginning, otherwise old Norse Valkyrie could be watching and you don’t want a bad visit from her. Your homework? Google Curxes. Enjoy it all. You won’t regret it. (Jo Michelmore)

#6. CHANDELIER

by Sia





I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night,
Feel my tears as they dry... 

Sia this and Sia that and Sia songwriter extraordinaire, Sia Australian blah blah blah…the words about Sia this year have been endless…all of them also irrelevant really, once the world sat up and finally took some notice of her as her own pop superstar as opposed to being one of the many who stand behind the pop superstars, with the release of her performing her own song; ‘Chandelier’. Some people didn’t love it so much, claiming it sounded too much like (insert generic pop star name here), but that seemed like such a silly sentence to me, considering that Sia has written so many of the songs we’ve all come to know and love from (insert generic pop star name here), so doesn’t that mean they all sound like her and not the other way around? There could be a bazillion reasons why this was the one that hit the public’s general consciousness, but it’s obvious I’m no psycho-analyst type person, I just write on a blog. What I do know is that ‘Chandelier’ is an extraordinary piece of pop which makes you want to dance, sing and cry all at the same time. I’m a girl who loves a good lyric, so for me it’s probably those three things in the reverse order, but all the feelings are there. And I might be the only person in the world who thought the clip was all a bit #wankwankwank, but I could also be the only person in the world who thinks this is one of the most depressing and sad songs of the year…and that’s exactly why I love it so much. (Jo Michelmore)

There's a reason why 'Chandelier' became Sia Furler's most successful hit to date, sending her into Top 10's throughout the world. It's pretty simple really... this is one of the best pop songs you're going to hear. Ever. In your life. Every single artist that Sia has penned music for over the past couple of years would have killed to have 'Chandelier' added to their collection. All the pop stars that she hasn't written for would want it too. And let's be honest, there aren't many she hasn't written for. Furler was very smart to hang onto this one and she absolutely nailed it, especially when it comes to that massive chorus and her insane vocal performance. This is just excellent pop music. And I love pop music. (Matt Bond)  

#5. FAR FROM VIEW

by Jack Colwell and The Owls





And oh, let me down... far from view.

I just want you to do me a favour. If you’ve read some of the words on this countdown and haven’t hit play on something you hadn’t heard of yet, then if you don’t know the name Jack Colwell, just hit play now. It won’t take long, I promise, just a couple of minutes of your day, but they’ll be minutes that will change your musical year, right here at the very end of it. When you find out Jack Colwell is just a sweet guy from Australia, classically trained and unsigned to a major label, you’re going to be shocked. When you learn that he self-released his own EP in his teens you’re going to feel like an underachiever but when you listen, you’re going to wonder how someone like this hasn’t really come into your world until now. You’re going to let the sound of all the instruments that don’t normally make it into your collection of pop wash over you and you’re going to want more and more. Your heart is going to tremble a little at the sound of his so unique voice and you’re going to want him to never stop singing so you’re going to go back and hear that lyric again; “I feel two hands in the dark, but I feel nothing….” And after all of that, you’re hopefully going to visit his bandcamp page and thrown a $2 coin at his account, because that’s virtually nothing for something that changed your year. And then you’re going to take a breath and have a little sigh, because you’ve realised that everything in the world is a little better with Jack Colwell in it. And yes, you’re more than welcome. (Jo Michelmore) 

Jack Ignatius Colwell. Look, I made the middle name up, but I feel like it has to be something as distinguished and refined as 'Far From View'. So I'm going with Ignatius. 'Far From View' very quickly became one of my most loved tracks of 2014 with its use of cinematic strings, dramatic lyrics that paint a vivid picture and Colwell's magnetic presence as a singer. I still love the slow build at the beginning of the track that leads up to Colwell's entrance with an arresting line about his heart breaking in two and light shining through. It just keeps on getting better from there with Colwell getting to let loose as the track hits the home stretch and a confession of feeling nothing and my heart's just sorta breaking over here so let's stop talking about it for a second and let's just listen to the song again. Take a breath, listen to 'Far From View', fall in love with the music of Jack Colwell. P.s. the video is also one of the year's best. (Matt Bond)

#4. 90s MUSIC

by Kimbra





Some old song I know, won't get out of my head,
Though the feeling's gone, the love ain't disappeared... 

I waited so long for Kimbra’s second album to come out and it was one of those situations where I was so excited when it was being released I may have felt a little sick before I pressed play on that first listen. And when I say sick I mean sick in the best way, sick with excitement and nerves and anticipation. ‘90s Music’ was the first taste of new Kimbra, post Vows, post Gotye, post world-wide fame and superstardom and what a brave taste it was. It proved what we suspected all along, that Kimbra is not just a cookie cutter pop star, she’s a musician that is not afraid to push some boundaries, not afraid to be herself and not afraid of her own talent. With its unusual rhythms, samples and beats, it wasn’t McDonalds easy to eat and throw away pop, it was a little confronting, a little intimidating and a little exciting and it showed that she isn’t afraid of pushing some boundaries. Actually, I shall rephrase that, she doesn’t even know what the boundaries of pop are and that makes her one of the most exciting pop stars and musicians of 2014. (Jo Michelmore)

Kimbra Johnson, is there anything you can't do? If we go off her sophomore album, The Golden Echo, the answer is no. Kimbra can pull off any look, any genre... anything and everything. And she's just like us. You know how I know this? She loves 90s music! And I know this because she put a song out called '90s Music' where she name drops the likes of Nirvana, Mariah and TLC. So what I'm saying is, Kimbra and I are best friends. No, wait... that's not right. '90s Music' was an unexpected step in a truly experimental pop direction with a hip hop flair for an artist known for her jazzy vocal tones and quirky, vintage sounds. Was it a good move? Is it #4 on our top songs of the year list? Does that question answer the first question? Good. Now, to try and get this '90s Music' song out of my head... (Matt Bond)   

#3. DUST

by Little May





And I'm sinking into something that I wish I hadn't found...
Knee deep in the dust, knee deep in the dust. 

Each and every time I hear 'Dust' I get taken back to the first time I heard it. Which was sitting on that kinda uncomfortable pebble beach next to the pier in Brighton in the UK, watching the sunrise after a fantastic night. It only took that first listen for 'Dust' to become part of my life's soundtrack and I'll always be incredibly grateful to Little May for that. 'Dust' was the first new song we got to hear from Little May in 2014 and in my opinion, it's their best track so far. It breaks your heart and puts it back together, leaving you with a bit more hope and optimism than you might have had going in. It has a beautiful vocal performance from Liz Drummond and then there's also those Little May harmonies I was raving about when 'Bones' hit our countdown. There's more memorable lines than you can shake a stick at. And then there's the video which I don't want to spoil if you haven't seen it, but I'll just say it's ok to have a bit of a cry. Or a lot of a cry. Not that I would do such a thing... Yep. Little May have come such a long way in such a short time and we can't wait to see and hear what comes next. (Matt Bond) 

It’s hard to say any more about a band that Matt has said so much about and I’ve probably thought already. They have proven time and time again with each sound just how talented they are and they prove with every song that they have a little way of making my heart beat a little faster and sing a little louder every time I hear them. Liz Drummond, Hannah Field and Annie Hamilton; these are the names you need to remember, each as important as each other in the band, each bringing their own element of life to their sounds and each of those sounds have made their way into not only my 2014 playlist, but that special little place in the soundtrack of my life. ‘Dust’ made its way in there with its lullaby guitars and the lyric that ends which makes me want to hear it again to get to that ending a million times over; “And I missed you, I still miss you…” It’s so hard to say anything more or better than my fabulous fellow blogger Matt has already said, because quite simply, Little May are exactly as he described; “ridiculously good”. (Jo Michelmore)

#2. HOW MUCH DOES YOUR LOVE COST?

by Thelma Plum





Don't speak, you said I have your love,
But not how much it will cost. 

I know Thelma Plum’s debut EP Rosie like an old friend, I know all its ins and outs, it’s seen me though every mood, through a thousand ups and a thousand downs. It is who I turned to so much in the last year and it has never ever let me down. So when Thelma’s second EP Monsters was released this year, I wasn’t sure if we would become the same friends that Rosie and I had, but I needn’t have worried, it seems a friend of Thelma’s is a friend of mine and one of the best parts of our friendship? ‘How Much Does Your Love Cost?’ was the first taste of this friendship earlier this year and what an introduction it was. The twang of guitar, the whirlwind emotion of strings, the impressive percussion and there, above it all, Thelma’s voice; soft, sweet, gentle but powerful and striking, she has a way with words and a way with sound that is both comforting and confronting. Like all my best friends do of me, ‘How Much Does Your Love Cost?’ and all of Thelma’s music inspires me and comforts me and ultimately, I can’t ask more than that. (Jo Michelmore)

Another artist that built off a big 2013 to have a massive 2014 was Thelma Plum. 'How Much Does Your Love Cost?' is like an Ennio Morricone inspired pop romp that could only work with a singer that rocks an attitude like only Plum can. Released as the first single to be taken from the Monsters EP, 'HMDYLC' had all that attitude we came to love on tracks like 'Around Here' and 'Dollar', but no swears this time around. La di da, di da, di da da... (bleep) you? Instead, she's not afraid to declare she's, "the best thing you ever had, but you're too busy burning fires." And then you can just picture her muttering, "fuck you," under her breath. Anyway, Thelma Plum stepped up the excitement in a big way on 'HMDYLC'. It's one song I just can't seem to get sick of listening to, no matter how many times I hear it. We already knew that Thelma Plum was insanely talented. This just kicked it up another notch, which we didn't even know was possible. Let's hope there's a debut, full length album in 2015 so we can hear more. Please? (Matt Bond)

#1. U-HUH

by Tkay Maidza




So don't be near if you be low on the paper,
You can save it for later,
'Cause we don't tolerate broke behaviour. 

Can Tkay Maizda do anything wrong? Well, I’m no fortune teller, but I am a bit of a gambler and if I had to bet, I’d say no. Put all my cash on no. You’re only going to have to hear one of her tracks to know, but what is it that makes her so good? Is it the beats that call you from the floor that demand to be danced to? Is it the production and the smooth ways of synths and samples that twist their way around your brain and make you nod your head in every song? Is it the rhymes, Tkay’s way with words that are strong, forceful, not to be messed with but never threatening that make me love her so much? I really don’t know. I do know that Tkay has become such a feature in my world this year, for every sad song I adored there was Tkay, ready to make me smile for every broken heart there was a “chitty bang bang” and for every “uh” there was a “huh”. Bets on she’ll be in our 115 of 2015 next year? I bet yes. I’m no fortune teller, but I know with tracks like this she’s got a long, long career ahead of her and we look forward to dancing, nodding, stomping and singing with her for a long time to come. (Jo Michelmore)

Chitty bang bang, chitty bang bang, chitty bang bang, chitty bang bang. That's right, Tkay Maidza has chitty bang bang-ed it all the way to #1 and takes the title of Song of the Year - 2014! After leaving us wanting more by stomping like a brontosaurus last year, Tkay pulled out all the stops over the last twelve months to make sure we won't be forgetting the name Tkay Maidza anytime soon. There was the Switch Tape EP, which had two of our other fave songs of the year, 'Switch Lanes' and 'Finish Them'. And then there was 'U-Huh', which had us declaring Maidza the new Queen of Cool as she paved her own way with this unique blend of rap/hip hop/electronic/hipster approved pop goodness. When the opening beats of Tkay rang out at BIGSOUND Live, the entire crowd jumped in unison. One listen and it's ingrained in your psyche that this is a song you need to dance to. Just go with it. You might be dancing poorly and with minimal rhythm, but this is a song that demands to be danced to. Oh, and be prepared to start screaming out, "chitty bang bang," as loud as you can. That's a whole lot of fun too. I'm trying to resist the urge to go full blown fan gurl here, but why fight it? This is our song of the year! It's infectious, irresistible and the song that made us the most excited about what the future's going to bring for music. It made us beyond happy, it made us dance and it made us fans for life of one Tkay Victoria Maidza. The only direction is up for the Queen of Cool. U-Huh. (Matt Bond) 

Top 114 Songs of 2014, #20 - 11

Lykke Li, St Vincent, Grimes + Beyonce!

#114 - 101

#100 - 91

#90 - 81

#80 - 71

#70 - 61

#60 - 51

#50 - 41

#40 - 31

#30 - 21

#20. DIGITAL WITNESS

by St. Vincent





What's the point of doing anything?
This is no time for confessing. 

I'm sitting here watching the music video for 'Digital Witness' for what must be the 347th time and I still can't get over how ridiculously cool St. Vincent is. A total weirdo, yes, but it's that total weirdness and quirky nature that makes her the coolest. Annie Clark commits 100% to her performance and the 'art' of it all, which is what makes her such a fascinating, believable character. 2014 was St. Vincent's biggest year yet, with her self-titled, fourth studio album released to critical acclaim. NME even named it the album of the year. It's hard to disagree when you've got songs like 'Digital Witness', which like the performer herself is totally weird, highly quirky but ridiculously cool. The brassy sounds driving the piece along seem to get stuck in my head for days and days when I hear the track. An unexpected pop smash? Maybe. But you should always expect the unexpected with St. Vincent. (Matt Bond) 

#19. SUCKERPUNCH

by Kingswood





I feel the fire, your heart is deafening,
What have you done, my dear? 

Kingswood. They do that rock and roll thing exceptionally well, don't they? On their debut album, Microscopic Wars, they more than proved that the future of Australian rock is in safe hands with songs like 'Suckerpunch' available as supporting evidence to this fact. This is a balls to the wall, party starting rock anthem that will have you moshing around your living room like all the punters in the accompanying video. I can't get over how good Kingswood's dude harmonies are either. They make an already amazing song even more so. (Matt Bond) 


Here’s something special for you. It’s a piece of Australian rock that is all dirty guitars, strong vocals, driving drums and a whole lot of beard and hair. This is rock and roll and Australian rock music at its best. And for those of you who were more than a little upset at the thought Of Kingswood appearing so low in our countdown way back at number 107? Bam! Suckerpunched. (Jo Michelmore)

#18. EPIC DELAY

by Dear Plastic





Where ever we go,
I won't fall to sleep because there's no way to know. 

You've hopefully seen Dear Plastic pop up on this blog thing here over the past couple of years. Our lovely Lou checked out their EP last year, Nayt and Jo had a review/debate over the clip for the single 'Buck Up and Pay The Reaper' (which you read about earlier in the countdown) and I was completely blown away by their 2014 debut album, The Thieves Are Babes. I love it and it's definitely one of my favourite albums of the year. A permanent fixture on our weekly Top 25 since the album's release was this track, 'Epic Delay'. When you listen to it, I hope you understand why. It's a perfect three minutes and forty seconds of music in which Scarlette Baccini, Josh Moult, Danny Cox, Cory Mollison and Nathan Clark hold your heart very delicately in their hands, coming very close to the point of crushing it. Baccini's vocal performance is one of the finest of the year and you can't help but hurt for the heartbreak and loneliness that's coming across. I'm going to go listen again now. What? I've told you before, I'm a sucker for a sad song. (Matt Bond)  


And most the award for most controversial amongst us IMKOS bloggers this year goes to….Dear Plastic. But that song happened way back at number 82. Go back and read that. That was a good ten. We’re only at the top twenty and I’m already reminiscing, so I digress (sorry, I say that a lot. I digress a lot. This is a nasty cycle).  Melbournians Dear Plastic are a little fave of some of us here at IMKOS and while they seem to be labelled trip hop amongst some, I feel like that doesn’t do them justice. There’s more to their talent than one meek little genre, this is a band that are a little bit more than that, simultaneously a little dark and moody and then sometimes so cute I wanna grab them by the cheeks and go “you’re so cute!” (but I wouldn’t actually do that, that’s just weird). In our number 18 song ‘Epic Delay’, the power of singer Scarlette Baccini’s voice is completely unrecognized and unappreciated; when she really kicks in midway through I kinda think there’s an epic delay in the general public knowing who Dear Plastic are (see what I did there? I may have written too many reviews in the last few days. Apologies.) The end of all these words? I like Dear Plastic. (Jo Michelmore) 

#17. WATER FOUNTAIN

by tUnE-yArDs





I can't seem to feel it, I can't seem to feel it,
I can't seem to feel, I'll kneel,
I'll kneel, I'll kneel the cold steel. 

I still can’t comprehend how good this song is. Everything about it makes me happy. Ev-er-y-thing. It makes me smile in the biggest way with its quick fire words and singsong rhythm, which reminds me of all the good things from my childhood – the giggles with friends, the self-choreography before I was too embarrassed to dance, the ability to sing without fear of being ridiculed (although that fear never seemed to develop too much). I could get all technical about how impressive tUnE-yArDs are with minimal instruments and how much I love the harmonies and vocal gymnastics, but I don’t really want to, because what better review can you say than this song make me smile, every single time? (Jo Michelmore)

What's a tUnE-yArDs? I still don't really know, but I know it's the brainchild of Merrill Garbus and if 'Water Fountain' is anything to go by, you want to be best friends with her. I think life with Merrill would be a whole lot of fun and that's something I never thought I'd say about someone with a name like Merrill. 'Water Fountain' should have been a #1 hit around the world. It's head-scratching pop that you can't help but dance along to. There's lyrics about a two pound chicken tasting better with friends and there's a healthy appropriation of black culture on display. If 'All About That Bass' can be a #1 hit, why can't 'Water Fountain'? Not that 'All About That Bass' isn't alright and positive body image message blah blah blah... but you'd rather be dancing to 'Water Fountain'. The crazy gets ramped up throughout the song before things completely break down in a dance frenzy that you want to be a part of. So go be part of it. Now. (Matt Bond)  

#16. LOVE ME LIKE I'M NOT MADE OF STONE

by Lykke Li





Even though it hurts, even though it scars,
Love me when it storms, love me when I fall... 

So Matt has spoken about the ballad/love song of the year during this countdown, but if I had to name one for myself, this one could be it. We’ve already covered my strange psyche in this countdown, my comfort in depression, my happiness at the sad song and this one is the ultimate in that experience, having a moment with ones watering eyes and moving on…or pressing the repeat button because you can’t get enough of the perfection. Lykke’s almost trembling voice, full of emotion and betrayal is so affecting, just her and guitar putting their hearts on the line in the most innocent and daring of ways. If the oh so simple clip and the words “Even though it hurts, even though it scars, Love me when it storms, love me when I fall, Every time it breaks, every time its torn, Love me like I'm not made of stone” don’t give you goosebumps, then you might want to check yo self. Your heart could be made of stone. (Jo Michelmore)

We move from one of the most upbeat, exciting tracks of 2014 to one of the saddest, total downers of the year. Hopefully they sort of cancel each other out and your mood remains average. Not good, not bad... average. You're welcome. I say 'Love Me Like I'm Not Made Of Stone' is a bit of a downer, but really it's a beautiful piece of songwriting, expertly performed by Lykke Li. She's asking, in the form of a heartbreaking ballad, for the same thing everyone else wants; to be loved. How could you say no to her after listening to this? (Matt Bond) 

#15. DRUNK IN LOVE

by Beyonce ft. Jay-Z





Then I fill the tub up halfway then ride it with my surfboard, surfboard, surfboard,
Graining on that wood, graining, graining on that wood... 

Drank. Surfbort. Oh, Bey... you've done it again. Well, you and the eight other listed writers. One of which is Timbaland and now I know where the surfboard bit came from. 'Drunk In Love' sort of became a pop culture phenomenon after the release of Beyonce, teaming the superstar wife/husband pairing of Beyonce and Jay-Z for something new, something different. The new would be Beyonce's totally swag-tacular performance. The different would be one of Jay's laziest raps, but it's always nice to see these two crazy kids together. 'Drunk In Love' might not be one of the 'best' songs of the year, but it's one of the songs that defined the year. And when it comes on when you've been dranking... life = complete. (Matt Bond)


I think it’s really nice that Beyonce chose to feature the trophy she received for placing number 15 on the It’s My Kind Of Scene 2014 Countdown in her clip for ‘Drunk In Love’. Well, if we were to give out actual awards, who’s to say they wouldn’t look like that? They’d probably actually be A4 pieces of paper, with Matt and my handwriting scrawled in texta across them, but we’d draw a pretty picture too for extra special effect. I might even get the glue pen and some glitter out, if I was feeling extra crafty. Also extra crafty are Beyonce and Jay-Z, who seem to manage to like each other, be married and be able to work together too. Kudos to them. ‘Drunk In Love’ seems to naturally be the sequel to ‘Crazy In Love’, except this one is a little hotter, a little more mature, a little more swag than bounce and a little more hot than not. Beach scenes in clips are always hot. The reality of rolling around sand and water is generally far from hot in my opinion, but the slow groove, Beyonce’s growling voice and Jay-Z’s quirky but not awkward rap keeps my mind from reality, so it’s all ok. One more thing though, if this is the sequel, what will the third instalment be called? And is there a prequel; ‘You’re Alright But We’re Not In Love’? (Jo Michelmore)  

#14. CIRRHOSIS

by Our Man In Berlin




Just a little more time,
Just a bit of control. 

One of my live music highlights of 2014 would definitely be seeing these five boys from Perth play live in my hometown back in June. After loving them from a distance for what seemed like forever, it was such a pleasure to witness the amazing sounds they make being played in the actual flesh and to know that this wasn’t a trick or some kind of quirky magic, these guys were and definitely are as talented as I had hoped they were from hearing their recorded sounds. I fell in love with their EP is it right? this year too and that means it makes me really, really happy to say they feature in our top twenty songs of 2014. ‘Cirrhosis’ is an adventure in everything I love about this band; Trevor, Justin, Cain and Dan’s skills are shown off in every way, the restrained beats driving the song forward with the slightest  force, more like a gentle nudge and Hayden’s voice as beautiful as always, the feelings and soul never in doubt. He has a certain way of being angsty enough to be noticed, but gentle enough to be somehow comforting and hearing all of that is just inconceivable, in the best way. I hear there are brand new songs on the way from OMIB (facebook is a fountain of knowledge) and that makes me squeal a teeny bit. Can’t. Wait. (Jo Michelmore)

#13. SWITCH LANES

by Tkay Maidza





I don't know why they think we're alike,
When I win it's like I give them life. 

You didn't think you had seen the last of Tkay Maidza on this countdown, did you? Get out of town... there's always room for more Tkay. Her latest single, 'Switch Lanes' totally gave us life, but it's ok, I don't think Tkay and I are alike because she's a boss rapper, undeniably cool and a young lady. I'm only one of those things. Try to guess which one, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the answer. On 'Switch Lanes' we not only get to hear Maidza throw down those rapid fire rhymes like only she can, we also get to hear some of her serene vocal stylings. And we get to hear all this over some steel drum beats that make the track even more fun than it already is. We're hoping this blows up huge for our fave new rap superstar. And we're hoping to hear a debut album in 2015 too. Plz? Ah, and you're dying to know which of the three options makes me and Tkay alike. Yes... I am also a boss rapper. (Matt Bond)  

Every time she releases another song that little teenage part of me that isn’t so cynical and hardened about…everything…gets really excited and there’s a possibility I may have let out a little “YES!” when I first heard ‘Switch Lanes’ from the fabulous Tkay. I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Australian rap, but then Tkay comes along and makes me wonder why, because honestly, this is so good I’m not sure why all Aus rap doesn’t sound like this. Well, it doesn’t because not everyone can be this awesome. I suppose things might be kind of boring if they were. And then I’d just be saying ‘Switch Lanes’ was kind of average, which it’s so far from. It’s about as far from average as you can get. It’s extraordinary. (Jo Michelmore)

#12. GO

by Grimes ft. Blood Diamonds





And I'd like to think that we don't dream just to dream it off...

There were a lot of complaints from people on the interwebs about Grimes' new 'style' or whatever when 'Go' was released. Seriously, do that thing you should never do and look at the YouTube comments on the video. No, wait... don't do it. You don't need to torture yourself today. Anyway, there's people calling Grimes' Claire Boucher a sell out, calling 'Go' a terrible song and a lot of non-PG rated stuff too. Now, people are entitled to their opinion, especially when it comes to music because it's a very personal yada yada yada. Yep. You get where I'm going with all that. Anyway, my opinion is that the haters (gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate) are having a hipster #wankwankwank cry because Grimes didn't keep on releasing the same music as she did before. So what if she got a bit 'pop-ier' and took some tricks from the dubstep crowd? 'Go' is still a gorgeous piece of electronic music and it's one of the year's greatest songs. (Matt Bond) 

First up, let me say that Grimes is probably my least favourite name of an artist on this here countdown. It just is. You're going to have to accept that. Second up, let me say like Amy Shark’s ‘Spits On Girls’ back at number 94, I learnt my lesson and don’t judge books by covers, songs by title or artists by name anymore, which is lucky, because otherwise I might not have appreciated the work that is ‘Go’. It’s weird, starting perfectly pop, the sweet vocal, the mild synths lulling you into a sense of comfort and then suddenly we turn all a bit dubstep and I can’t ever imagine Rihanna doing this the justice it deserves, so I’m actually really glad she didn’t take the song that was written for her. I'm also really glad of my whole non-judgmental philosophy these days. Unless I'm judging just how good Grimes is, which is really, really good. (Jo Michelmore)

#11. YOUNG IN LOVE

by Thelma Plum





'Cause we once were in love,
And I once was all yours. 

There's no such thing as too much of 'Young In Love'. When Thelma Plum's Monsters EP came out in the middle of the year, I was traveling through Europe and had the song on repeat for weeks. When the video came out last month, I just sat there watching it over and over. And then that had me listening to the song on repeat again on my music listening contraption device. Also known as an iPhone. The move away from her acoustic sound to this electronic one (with production handled by M-Phazes) was the right move when you get a song like 'Young In Love' which benefits from the warm, digital touches that surround Plum's voice, on point as always. This track stands with last year's 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' as Plum's emotional gut-punch to the listener and I mean that in the best possible way. Beautiful in its ability to break your heart and put it back together all in one go, you won't forget 'Young In Love'. (Matt Bond) 

Have you ever been? Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t. If you have, you’ll know it. The beats, like your heart so heavy in your chest. The strings, like the never ending thoughts of that someone, gentle and sweet, strong and never ending. The keys, a constant but quiet reminder of what it was and is like. How Thelma Plum has the ability to take her heart out and lay it out for everyone to see in song is such a talent and so beyond what I’ve ever been able to face in my life, but I’m so glad she has the skills, because it’s her talent that makes facing your own existence so much easier. And if you haven’t been young in love, you only need to hit play once to know how it was, how it is and how it can be. (Jo Michelmore)

Top 114 Songs of 2014, #30 - 21

Jack Ladder, Lana Del Rey, The Griswolds + FKA Twigs!

#114 - 101

#100 - 91

#90 - 81

#80 - 71

#70 - 61

#60 - 51

#50 - 41

#40 - 31

#30. COME ON BACK THIS WAY

by Jack Ladder and The Dreamlanders





If tomorrow never comes, I wouldn't care at all.

If I have the radio on in the car, as opposed to one of those old CD things, it's because someone else is in the car with me and I can't handle their judgment of the likely depressing music I'm currently listening to. So the first time I heard 'Come On Back This Way' I was driving along with a friend and there's me screaming at her to, "Shazam the sh*t out of this!" And Shazam she did, even though an equal parts delightful/dour triple J presenter would say the track was by one Jack Ladder and The Dreamlanders right as the song ended. I guess the point (?) of this story is I'm glad I had the radio on that day, because I wouldn't have wanted to miss hearing 'Come On Back This Way', a song that I've loved just a little bit more with each listen to the point that, hey, here it is as one of the year's best tracks. The driving beat, Ladder's fantastic speak/sung qualities, the 'caught on the wrong side of the tracks' tale and, of course, the total budget video clip. There's a whole lot to love. (Matt Bond)


HashtagohmygodI’mnotsureIcancopewiththerestofthiscountdown. Seriously. When number 30 is this good, how good can the next twenty nine songs be? Quite good it seems. I told you, I know what the rest of them are and trust me, they’re good. No, I’m still not telling you what number 1 is. Right now, Jack Ladder and his dreamlanding friends. And here we have the third appearance from Sharon Van Etten, which means we should give Sharon some kind of honorary award, I think. (There’s a handmade certificate in the mail, Sharon) Jack takes us through his strange little world in ‘Come On Back This Way’, which is actually not that strange, after all, it’s just the story of a person who wants another person and that person isn’t reciprocating their affections and everything is so dark and depressing and realistic and poor and alone and a little bit Jarvis Cocker but about a thousand times better. This song is so goddamn depressing it makes me insanely happy and there’s a little sight into my psyche. Shut up. You don’t know me. (Jo Michelmore)

#29. COLOURS

by Big Smoke





'Cause I wanna dance, I want to dance with you.
And I want to see you smiling, when I'm smiling too. 

So in that last one where I said I couldn’t cope with how good this countdown was getting? Example number two. This song came into my world midway through the year and in the way things are when you meet your first love, I couldn’t imagine my world without it once it was here. It’s just so extraordinarily adorable, I was completely taken in by its charms, so simple, so cute, stripped back sounds and such a delightful little story all I wanted was for the person of little Adrian’s dreams to come running into his arms for the rest of eternity and everyone lived happily ever after etc. This doesn’t often happen in real life, so it’s really nice to imagine it when the sweetest songs like this one come along. (Jo Michelmore)


Romance in song form, thy name is 'Colours'. Look, I know I said that Jessie Ware's 'Say You Love Me' is the love ballad of the year, but if there was a best song that's actually about L-O-V-E (love), it's got to be this little ditty by Big Smoke. Adrian Slattery pours his heart out in the bestest, not-cheesiest way on a track that when I find my way back to it, I just can't stop listening. Listen. Repeat. Listen. Repeat. This continues for quite some time, but hopefully you get where I'm going here. A beautiful piece of songwriting and a truly memorably performance. We want to hear a lot more of this from Big Smoke very soon. (Matt Bond)

#28. TWO WEEKS

by FKA Twigs





I know it hurts,
You know, I'd put you first. 

I know someone who absolutely loves FKA Twigs. Like, absolutely LOVES FKA Twigs. I’d say it was to the point of pathetic, but then I don’t want to use a word like pathetic in the same sentence as FKA Twigs, because she’s anything but pathetic. She is like a breath of fresh air in an electronic landscape that’s getting overcrowded with similar sounding and sometimes average beats. She’s also an artist who knows who she is, makes the music she wants without apologies and takes no prisoners in her understated take-over of English electronica this year. That person I know who loves FKA-T is going to love me saying that. ‘Two Weeks’ is the simplest, sexiest song this genre and that country produced this year and also contains one of my favourite lyrics, ever. You’re going to have to guess what that line is. But let me just say, it’s a really, really good one. (Jo Michelmore) 


Oh my... this countdown just got awfully steamy and just a little bit dirrty. Does anyone else feel like they need a shower after listening to 'Two Weeks'? After a banner couple of years for British electronic artists, FKA Twigs proudly kept the flag flying with the Mercury Music Prize nominated killer debut, LP1. This sexy little encounter, 'Two Weeks', saw FKA Twigs, aka Thaliah Barnett, go from 'next big thing' to just 'big thing' with its fierce presentation of an artist demanding to be recognised and because she could do certain things to you better than someone else could. Ahem. All I'll say is I'm sure she can. Is that the lyric that's your favourite, Jo? It's like the non-angry, totally in control, sex as power, British electronic, inverted version of Alanis Morissette's 'You Outta Know'. Don't question how I look at things. (Matt Bond)

#27. BONES

by Little May





There was this boy I fell apart to... 

Look, I can't say for sure I can feel in my bones how Little May did, falling apart to a boy in the backseat of a car. What I can say with all certainty is that when I'm listening to Little May's music, the feeling in my bones is one of immense happiness. Liz Drummond, Hannah Field and Annie Hamilton built on their many successes in 2013 with the release of their debut, self-titled EP which featured 'Bones', a song that stands tall as one of the best pop releases of the year. And it really is a fantastic 'pop' song, which might seem a bit off given that we're usually throwing indie-folk-rock labels at Little May, but what is 'Bones' if not a brilliant pop song? It's got all the hallmarks of what make a memorable pop track with the added bonus of lyrics coming from some of the finest storytellers in the country and those beautiful Little May harmonies they're now renowned for. When I saw a write-up on Little May and 'Bones' on Billboard.com, I'm pretty sure I turned into that dancing lady emoji and then the smiley face with love heart eyes, but not the person... the cat. (Matt Bond)    

I love writing on this blog because I get to write about one of my true loves in life, music, and I get to do that with my friends. One of those friends and my fellow blogger Matt introduced me to Little May last year. It's well documented on our blog that I’m a sucker for the story telling song, just like him. I cried a little the first time I heard this song. Sometimes I still do. I never told Matt, or anyone else that, but essentially, since he introduced me to Little May, it’s his fault I cried. (Thanks, you’re a jerk Matt) But I cried because it reached into my life, into a part I don’t visit often and told the story of a portion of what makes me who I am today and it’s only the best life defining songs that do that. With its heart wrenching lyrics, interweaving guitars and sweet intricate melodies, it became one of my very favourite songs of this year, so I have to thank my fellow blogger and friend for that introduction. (Thanks. You’re a jerk, but you’re a great fellow-blogging-music-introducing friend, Matt!) This year, quite simply, my friends, Little May and 'Bones' are some of the (many) reasons I have loved writing on this blog. (Jo Michelmore)


At number 65 I marvelled at the ability of Our Man in Berlin to unite all of the It’s My Kind of Scene-rs. Well, guess what? Here’s another one of those rare and wonderful gems. While we spend our time arguing about who is for and against Kanye West and whether or not I could actually ‘make it’ as an international rap superstar, there’s no denying our love for Little May. Matt’s obsession knows no bounds; Jo has been recognised at the front of their show, and me… Well, I leave hash brown themed song titles on their Instagram account. While we may show our love in different ways, we all feel it in our bones. (Katie Langley)


My so called obsession falls outside the legal definition of stalking. What? (Matt Bond)

#26. SLOWBURN

by Howling Bells





I've got patience,

Patience it seems, ain't got time for me... 

It always seems like far too long between visits when we get to hear a little something-something new from Howling Bells, but we were in for a treat this year with the rocking and rolling 'Slowburn'. Easily one of our defining rock numbers of the year, 'Slowburn' shows us there's no signs of slowing down for Howling Bells and that Juanita Stein is still the most perfect front for a band in ever. I wouldn't blame you if you thought 'Slowburn' was actually a classic rock track from the late 60s/early 70s. It's not just good, it's THAT good. (Matt Bond)

#25. DEAR

by Jessie Frye





Slow motion lover, we die with no last words,
Here I am, grieving you tonight. 

Did I tell you I stumbled upon the music of Jessie Frye on The Wall Street Journal website? Yeah, it's true. The Wall Street Journal knows good music. And I know this, because they introduced me to one of our favourite new singers of the year, Jessie Frye, who hails from a place called Denton which is in the state of Texas in the U.S.A. I can't say I know much about Denton, but I know that "you don't mess with Texas" and I'm going to extend that to "you don't mess with Jessie Frye". On 'Dear' she is a bonafide rock star, absolutely owning the moment and backed up by roaring guitars and rocking drums. It was a standout moment on her 2014 album, Obsidian and if you're loving this (and why wouldn't you?) you should definitely go give that album a listen. (Matt Bond)  

The thing is, I live in Australia and although I’d be quite happy to travel almost anywhere in the world, I never really had a reason to go to Texas until this year. This year was the first time I heard the tremendous sounds of Jessie Frye who gave me every reason to want to fly all the way over a big ocean and visit her homeland. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not thinking of stalking, I just love the idea of knowing where these sounds came from, the huge chords and solid guitars, the driving percussion, the perfectly positioned keys and that voice, oh that voice! Everyone I know is aware of my secret not so secret dream of being an angry rock girl and ‘Dear’ is like all of those dreams rolled into one. And it’s a really angry, really awesome dream that one. (Jo Michelmore) 

#24. YOU ARE THE ONE

by SAFIA





Only one that makes me feel this crazy,
You are the one. 

Speaking of going places, I must have judged Canberra too quickly. I’ve been there a couple of times and while I enjoyed my stays, this is not the Canberra I found. Safia, hailing from our nation’s capital, give a really, really good name to what is often a harshly judged metropolis. ‘You Are The One’ is an upbeat little adventure, bright synths and quirky little beats and with its build from a tragic tale into a super bouncy little dance number it’s like if Australia had a Eurovision this would win and that’s everything electronic pop music should be. I might like Canberra, but I love Safia. (Jo Michelmore)

#23. WEST COAST

by Lana Del Rey





But you've got music, you've got the music in you,
Don't you? 

The thing I like about Lana Del Rey is that Lana Del Rey knows who Lana Del Rey is and she ain’t messing with the Lana Del Rey formula. While the song is almost split in two, with the typical breathy Lana cooing about alcohol and addiction and everything slightly tragic that Lana has a love of and then the ultra cruisey Lana kicks in channelling the sounds of Stevie Nicks in a not so subtle and strange way, but amongst all the sounds there at the heart is exactly what should be: Lana Del Rey being the dramatic Lana that she is. It may have been the only taste of Lana that we got this year, but for fans of Lana, it didn’t disappoint. (Jo Michelmore)


If there's one thing Lana Del Rey proved with her sophomore album, Ultraviolence, it's that she's got staying power. I hate to admit it, given my now crazy-fan level adoration of my floral headpiece adorned princess, that even I thought the success of Born To Die would be a one time thing. But I think she went out of her way to mix it up (at least a little) from what we had already heard and she stepped down a way more alternative track with songs like 'West Coast'. Thematically it might not be stepping outside its comfort zone, but the music and the more restrained vocals keep things interesting. Apparently what hasn't changed is her need to be all over some creepy, old dude in her music video. Perhaps she'll move away from that for album number 3. Perhaps not. As a final note, remember that time I got to go to Glastonbury this year? Well I did. And Del Rey's performance of 'West Coast' was a highlight, even if she was sort of just zombie walking around the stage with a durrie in her hand and no shoes on. (Matt Bond)

#22. ABCD

by Ngaiire





Tell the others, that I'm so sorry,
I had to leave. 

"We only die once, not twice." Sometimes I think that a song is actually too powerful for the masses to handle, which is why it sort of remains a hidden gem and doesn't break out to get the success it deserves. Like, if it got out and the whole world heard it, the outpouring of emotion would just be too much to handle. There'd be too many people in the world experiencing the beauty of such a stunning track and nothing would get done, the trains wouldn't run on time and so on and so forth. You're probably sitting there thinking I'm a crazy person, but I think it's just easier for me to think like that as opposed to accepting a song as amazing as Ngaiire's 'ABCD' just simply didn't get the attention it so richly deserved from a huge audience. I know I'm part of a small audience that will love this track forever, but at least I can genuinely say that I will love this song forever. (Matt Bond)


Ngaiire, Ngaiire, Ngaiire, oh how I wonder of your talent, your imagination, your way of being. How I wonder how you can be so talented and yet not the name on everyone’s lips when one speaks of talent in this country we share. How I wonder how much your heart must have felt to be able to sing so gorgeously, painfully, gloriously in what is possibly my favourite song of yours and how I wonder just where the inspiration for such a song visits, because if listening is this moving, then I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to create. Oh Ngaiire, how I could listen to this song a million times and it still wouldn’t be enough. (Jo Michelmore)

#21. BEWARE THE DOG

by The Griswolds





You hate so much and you're better off alone.

 

This is the face of Australian indie pop party rock in 2014 and what a charming little face it is. ‘Beware The Dog’; with all it’s lovely little “whoah’s!” and sing-a-long lines and cute little hooks and drums like that busker that has played in the same part of my city every single night for what seems like a hundred years, all of that and the punch your hand in the air carelessness of this song which hides its true meaning, its not so far underlying themes of friendship and addiction and lives lived and lives changed. The Griswolds are the face of Australian indie pop party rock and what a pleasant surprise, what an intelligent little face it is, hiding behind all that party pop charm. (Jo Michelmore)


The Griswolds' plans for world domination are coming along very nicely. They were busy teaching us to Be Impressive with album cuts like 'Beware The Dog' that make you want to head on down to the beach for a summer party. They're quietly doing their thing, building up a solid fan base in America and at home and given the fun qualities of their music, it's no wonder. What I've been loving about The Griswolds is they mask some dark material in the guise of upbeat, summer-time party music. Listening to the story can make you look at the song in a whole new light. And you can flip back and forth between those views at your leisure. It's smart that is. It's only up and up from here for The Griswolds. (Matt Bond)

Top 114 Songs of 2014, #40 - 31

Jessie Ware, Harts, I Know Leopard + Kimbra!

#114 - 101

#100 - 91

#90 - 81

#80 - 71

#70 - 61

#60 - 51

#50 - 41

#40. RED AND BLUE

by Harts





Red and blue, here in my place,
The sad look upon my face. 

There’s a lot of hype surrounding the artist claiming our number 40 spot. A lot of it involves talk of Prince and what Prince thinks of Harts and the fact that Prince thinks anything of Harts at all (Prince likes Harts, just so you know). All of this hype is all well and good, but some cynical types might use the words of Public Enemy in the late 80s; “don’t believe the hype”. I may often be cynical, but that saying doesn’t apply here. Harts deserves all the hype and more. While his previous singles were all funk and disco and dance driven goodness, ‘Red And Blue’ gave us Harts from a different perspective, all dirty guitar and gravely voice, proving a boy who knows his funk can also be really good friends with the blues. I love this track as I do Harts himself and this is one of those rare cases where the hype is well deserved. The hype? Believe it! (Jo Michelmore)

We love some sexy, funk-infused guitar work around these parts and Harts continues to deliver all that and more in spades. 'Red and Blue', taken from the (incredible) debut album Daydreamer, took very little time to win us over with the heavy, bluesy vibes and Harts' charismatic vocal performance. It really is little wonder that Prince is such a huge fan. (Matt Bond)

#39. SHORT TERM PLAN

by Michelle Xen





Struggle 'gainst the power and the bland of the white bread man.

Michelle Xen is a quiet achiever. I hope that doesn't come across as condescending, as that's really not what I'm going for here. Xen is an artist that keeps putting out quality track after quality track, often without the attention she really deserves, but she keeps on keeping on. Which makes me positive that it's a case of 'when' not 'if' for Michelle Xen. I mean, you've got a track like 'Short Term Plan' that completely grabs you from beginning to end in a way that only the most perfect pop tracks do. So I'm just here thinking, this should be huge. Why isn't this huge? This has got to be huge. Because it's a huge, monster hit just waiting to happen. And I've got a sneaky suspicion that Xen will have a few more of those up her sleeve when she releases her 2015 EP, DYNAMIC$ of DI$OBEDIENCE. (Matt Bond)

#38. HOUSE OF CARDS

by Holy Holy





Out here I can taste the salt,
It's in the air. 

More music goodness coming to us from Brisbane and this time it's thanks to Holy Holy. We checked in with them earlier in the countdown with the track 'History' and now we're lucky enough to say, "hey, what's up?" to them again with the just a little bit more amazing (in my humble opinion) song, 'House of Cards'. The partnership between Timothy Carroll and Oscar Dawson has seen them find a niche in the sort of nu-folk scene that can't be emulated. Carroll's voice is too distinct, Dawson's guitar work too ingrained in the performer. And the sound, bolstered by Ryan Strathie and Graham Ritchie, finds Holy Holy a unique, awesome outfit that has a very bright future ahead. (Matt Bond)

I said it back in March, Imma say it again now, I love a good driving song. It’s those twanging guitars that bring it on, the picture of the open road to everywhere but here and they continue all the way through, taking me on a journey of adoration of this band that I’m not likely to get over any time soon. Timothy Carroll has one of the strongest and one of my favourite voices in Australian music and Oscar Dawson has one of the most attractive faces in Australian music…I mean, is one of the greatest guitarist in Australian music (well, both of those things are true, shut up) so you stick them together and Holy Holy is a magical combination. The country-twinge and the rock feel of ‘House Of Cards’ builds to a point of drama that makes you want to experience it all again once it’s done…and yes, that’s something I’ve done over and over and over again this year. (Jo Michelmore)

#37. NEW SKIN

by Torres





Lay off me would ya,
I'm just trying to take this new skin for a spin. 

Can you believe that Torres is only 23 years old? I couldn't when I first read it and after listening to 'New Skin'. I was thinking... but, you're like a wise, sage storyteller that's lived a full life and you've got all these lessons to teach and knowledge to impart on your listeners. Then when you're listening to her sing about being a tired woman and not yet quite being 23 you feel like giving her a hug and quietly letting her know that feeling's not going to be going away anytime soon. Which creates this complex relationship between artist and listener where you're left wondering who's got their shit sorted. Unless you're younger, in your teens or something. If that's the case, um, life will always be awesome and you feel better the older you get about everything. Ha! Anyway, 'New Skin' features some instrumental back-up from two other acts that have already places on our countdown this year, Sharon Van Etten and The War on Drugs. Along with Torres' Mackenzie Scott, that could be the most amazingly depressing collection of indie musicians together in a room, drinking whiskey and writing songs like 'New Skin'. Oh and the answer to that question about who's got their shit sorted... the listener or the artist? The answer is no one. (Matt Bond)


Well well well, here we have a song that features two other acts who’ve already appeared in this countdown so this countdown is getting all sorts of creepy now, isn’t it? Is it? I don’t know. I do know that Torres delivered an emotional roller coaster with ‘New Skin’, the smoky vocals grabbing one by the throat and the wall of instruments creating such intense feelings of desperation and hidden power that it’s a song you need to hear numerous times to really, truly appreciate, without wanting to do something semi dramatic, like run onto the street and kick a bus stop or go to a bar and drink until you dial an ex under the influence. Don’t do that kids. And have you figured out who the other acts are? Sharon Van Etten who broke our hearts at number 57 and The War On Drugs who rocked us at number 55, that’s who. Stick ‘em together and look what happens at Number 37. Goodness. That’s what. (Jo Michelmore) 

#36. GET A LITTLE MORE

by Holly Who





In this crazy world, that we try to survive,
Hear people say all the time, can we get back to that simple life. 

And the surprise of the year goes to…..Holly Who. This certainly wasn’t what I was expecting to hear from the traditionally rock epicentre of regional NSW, but what a beautiful surprise it was! Soul soul soul, rnb, a little bit bluesy and a whole lot more soul, Holly Who gave us a song that could be at home in a collection from somewhere in the soul heartland of the 60s and sits just perfectly in our countdown of 2014. I’m hoping they sit somewhere in the 115 of 2015 as well. (Jo Michelmore)

Newcastle is where it's at. We've been loving so many acts to come out of Silverchair's hometown in 2014 and one of our absolute favourites has been Holly Who. You might be sitting there asking yourself, "Holly who?" You might think you're hilarious. I might have made a similar lame joke when a lovely email from the band found its way to us. And then I listened to 'Get A Little More' and wanted to make sure I knew a whole lot more about this soulful, rocking and rolling outfit. They're definitely owning that 'soulful' definition, but 'Get A Little More' is also a whole lot of fun and I actually mean fun, like you will have a good time with this music. You'll want to dance, sing along and have FUN. And really, if anything seems to have been misplaced in music in 2014, it's fun. Holly Who and their revival sounds are bringing it back and we are all for that. You should be too. (Matt Bond)

#35. KING AND CROSS

by Asgeir





Death cannot take hold,
If I can keep momentum. 

The beautiful Lou who used to write with us here on this little blog was a big, big fan of Asgeir (and when I say was, I mean probably still is) and I can understand why she loved him so much. With the press of play his smooth sounds glide in an out of your atmosphere, sometimes tapping you on the face, sometimes resting on your shoulder just reminding you they are there. While I (mostly) have no idea what he’s singing, the gentle rhythms of ‘King And Cross’ build to a nice beat that induces a head nod, a sway and a hum along, all the while distracting me from trying to remember how to pronounce his name. One day I’ll learn Icelandic. Until then, Asgeir will keep me company. (Jo Michelmore)

 
Iceland. Known for its mountainous regions, lack of an army, Bjork and now Asgeir. One in ten Icelandians reportedly own a copy of Asgeir's native language debut, which was subsequently recorded in English as In The Silence. A wise move for anyone with global ambitions that saw him garner support from triple J in Australia and exposure to a whole bunch of new fans that fell for tracks like 'King and Cross'. The video definitely has that "classic" Icelandic quirkiness to it, don't it? Maybe Asgeir and Bjork are more alike than I originally thought. But the song... 'King and Cross'. It's just really great indie pop that I've been getting more and more into all year. Hopefully this is just the start of a long and successful career for Asgeir. (Matt Bond)

#34. MY HEART IS A WHEEL

by Megan Washington

My heart is a lonely hunter...

Speaking of great indie pop music, we've got Megan Washington's 'My Heart Is A Wheel' and it's more than just great, it's an amazing little slice of 80s by way of 2014 deliciousness. It's another one of those tracks that if I heard someone say they didn't like it, I would have no choice but to throw whatever 'shade' is via an extremely disapproving sideways glance. A little something like this...

... just a little more fierce. And from a much older male. Do you get where I'm going with this? 'My Heart Is A Wheel' is way too good for me to deal with anyone not liking it. That is all. (Matt Bond)

Well hello again there Megan, isn’t this a nice surprise? Not really, I’ve seen the whole countdown. I decided on some of it. I even know what’s number one. I’m not telling you, yet. Nice try though. (Sorry Megan it’s not you. Spoiler alert?) ‘My Heart Is A Wheel’ was the third single from Megan’s sophomore album There There and like much of that album it’s another flawless little pop song; another visit to the 80s with quick beats and a film clip full of pinks and reds and guns and ice cream and something about her heart being a wheel (I actually have no idea what all of this means, unless you want me to get all wanky and discuss symbolism and other boring things, however, this is pop music, so let’s not) but this all makes me angry about the fact that when I start typing ‘Megan’ into google to the name ‘Trainor’ comes up first instead of ‘Washington’. Why don’t more people appreciate Megan Washington? I don’t know but we do. (Jo Michelmore)

#33. MIRACLE

by Kimbra





But from the moment I met ya,
I ran into fate, I ran into a brighter day. 

I must confess that I am only very new to the Kimbra appreciation society. Is it a thing? Well, I guess it is now. The Presidents of this association would definitely be Matt and Jo, long-time supporters and lovers of Kimbra. I’m at a loss as to really explain how I’ve taken so long to join this elite group. I could offer some suggestions, like the fact that I spend most of my time on the Internet searching for luscious beards. In any event, I’m up to speed now, which is nothing short of a miracle. Badoom-tish. (Katie Langley)


Yep, I’ll quite happily put myself at close to the top of the Kimbra fan list along with Matt, especially when she sings songs like this and makes clips like the one she made for ‘Miracle’. Along with her deliciously charming vocals, it’s like the hand of disco came down (from wherever the hand of disco lives) and tapped her gently on the forehead, which gave her magical powers to create the catchiest of disco-dance-pop-rnb anthems and the hand of style came along (from wherever the hand of style lives, somewhere near my place) and tapped her on the shoulder and said, yes, you are doing fine, here have this super cute red outfit and matching backpack. Watching her bounce around the street to one of the bounciest tracks of the year has been a highlight of my fandom and made me think; I wonder if she’s this cute all the time? I don’t know, but I imagine so. (Jo Michelmore)


Kimbra Johnson... is there anything she can't do? Look, I'm sure there's maybe one or two things she can't do, but when it comes to making the bestest music around, there's no stopping her. 'Miracle' was a track from Kimbra's mind-blowing second album The Golden Echo that took no time to ease into. There was only love. Oh, so much love. Riding a Jackson 5-ish wave of joy, Kimbra sets out to wash all of your worries away with one of the happiest tracks of 2014. It's way more happy than that other track that topped the charts that was supposed to make you happy and kind of did the opposite. Just take a look at that smile at the start of the 'Miracle' music video. Pure. Happiness. Don't fight it, just go with it. (Matt Bond) 

#32. HOLD THIS TIGHT

by I Know Leopard





All my friends and I,
We own the night... 

While we all struggle to find and keep our one perfect soul mate and get along with our respective families, it’s the family we choose that generally means much more than a lot of us give them credit for. That family is made up of your friends, the ones who can see you in your pjs, unwashed and unfed, the ones who you can insult without a single loss of love, the ones who share your love of whatever comfort food it is you choose, the ones who share a bazillion in jokes and references, the ones you can sing along to crappy pop songs, the ones who you'll be hiding with when the zombocalypse begins and most importantly the ones you can call in the middle of the night when your world is crashing down. They’re the people who will follow you through all stages of your life yet are so often overlooked, but are the most important to your existence. So when a song like I Know Leopard's ‘Hold This Tight’ comes along with its drifting keys and layered guitars and gentle vocals that celebrate those special relationships, of course I’m gonna like it. In fact, I’m not gonna like it, I’m gonna love it, just like I love my friends. Lots. (Jo Michelmore)

As "writer" type people, we tend to repeat ourselves every now and then and maybe use certain words more than we should. One of the words I drop like it's hot, is 'dreamy'. It's just that there's a lot of music coming out, particularly from Australia, that's oh so flipping dreamy. And seriously, it doesn't get more dreamy than 'Hold This Tight' from Sydney-based five-piece, I Know Leopard.  The music? Dreamy. Luke O'Loughlin's vocals? Dreamy. Even the video is shot in such a dreamy haze that you can't help but scream, "DREAMY!" So it's all very dreamy. I wouldn't have it any other way. Would you? (Matt Bond)

#31. SAY YOU LOVE ME

by Jessie Ware





'Cause I don't wanna fall in love,
If you don't want to try... 

I'll try keep this one short and sweet... the love ballad of the year. No doubt about it. Disclaimer, it doesn't have to be a happy love story for a song to be the love ballad of the year. (Matt Bond)


“Say you love me, to my face” – oh my. Way to start a song Jessie Ware. I can’t get enough of this song. It’s like a screaming whisper, a desperate quiet demand for attention and when it builds to that spot just after three minutes where the choir kicks in, all I wanna do is learn every single word and sing sing sing with a whole bunch of people or alternatively, become a pop star myself so I can make other people feel that way. The latter is probably not going to happen any time soon, so perhaps I should look at the choir option. Either way, this is a pop song that gets me in that great place that the power ballads of the 80s and 90s do, even though it actually doesn't sound like a power ballad of the 80s or 90s. I’m just rambling now, but that’s just because I’m a big fan and words are hard when you like something so much. Oh Jessie, I’ll tell you I love you. I love you. There you go. (Jo Michelmore)