2014 Scene Awards - Video of the Year

We now return to your regularly scheduled programming... with the 5th annual Scene Awards! Yeah, we don't even know how we've done up five of these bad boys. We've got all the big names performing and presenting and by that I mean we don't... because we're just a blog. This isn't televised. And there's no like, statue or physical award or anything like that. We say we'll post out certificates to the winners, but we don't. But that doesn't make them the big winners that they are. We're sticking to the same awards as last year, so that means up until the end of 2014 we'll be telling you about our favourite Video of the Year (that's today!), Best New Artist, Australian Artist of the Year, EP of the Year, Group of the Year, Man of the Year, Woman of the Year and Album of the Year. Will Queen Tay slay? Probs not. But maybe, who knows these days? Stick around to find out! Now... let's go all "classic" MTV and talk about music videos...

VIDEO OF THE YEAR:

#4. Far From View

by Jack Colwell and The Owls

Directed by Brian Fairbairn and Karl Eccleston

"A sweeping and nostalgic story about a teenage girl's sexual awakening on prom night." Themes of shame and regret amongst a somewhat 80s inspired clip. A dramatic, atmospheric clip that not only goes with the song, but makes the listening experience even better. Jack Colwell's music video for 'Far From View' was definitely one of the year's best and it blows my mind that something of this quality is coming to us from an emerging, unsigned, Australian artist. It also blows my mind that the YouTube view count is sitting around 5800 when it should be something like 5 800 000, but that's a gripe for another time and doesn't stop Brian and Karl's video for 'Far From View' being one of the absolute best clips of 2014. (Matt Bond)

#3. Frameless 

by Hudson and Troop

Directed by Darcy Prendergast and Andrew Goldsmith (Oh Yeah Wow)

I have an interesting relationship with the music video. It takes a special one for me to notice, because if they’re playing, I’m probably more likely listening to the lyrics, tapping to the beat or harmonising with the tune. For me, it’s generally all about the sound, which is what makes the start of Hudson and Troop’s clip for ‘Frameless’ so fascinating to me. A big blue monster, wandering the street, communicating in a way completely unexpected in a music video – sign language. You know, the way hearing impaired people communicate, with a gentle flurry of hands and gestures that most of us don’t and won’t ever know. A secret language for those lucky enough to speak it and a language not often associated with such an aural medium as music. 

The sign language led into a story of a broken heart, a lonely soul, an empty life and a path all too familiar, a dead end job, some empty streets, an outburst of heartache which lead into the words that repeat at the end of the song “yeah this love it aches for more”. All of the images so striking in their uniqueness, so perfectly matched to the emotion of the song in the strangest way. The creators, Oh Yeah Wow, have put together such striking images that remind me just how powerful the visual medium can be when matched with just as passionate sounds and it’s clips like this that make me want to watch some more. Those moving images, in combination with the amazing talent of Hudson and Troop, have managed to do exactly as is described in one of my favourite songs of 2014; “capturing all the light as it bends” and in doing so, have created one of my favourite clips of the year to go with that incredible song. (Jo Michelmore)

Runner-Up: I'm A Fantastic Wreck

by Montaigne

Directed by Guy Franklin

A little bit deranged, but deserving of all of our love. The video for Montaigne's 'I'm A Fantastic Wreck' beautifully lays some hand-drawn animation and computer generated trickery (yes, that's the technical term) over an arresting performance from our leading lady. I've never been great at interpreting, well, anything... but I took what happens after the opening reveal with the animation to represent that wish for someone to actually see and understand all of those thoughts that are constantly running through your (or in this case, Montaigne's) head. You can take it as something quite deep that matches the content of 'I'm A Fantastic Wreck', or you can enjoy it as a visual companion that matches the quirkiness of the music. Guy Franklin knows a little something about directing clips like this that make a big impression, like Kimbra's 'Settle Down' and 'Cameo Lover'. 'I'm A Fantastic Wreck' might be his most "simple" effort yet, but it might just be his best. Perfectly suited to the song, we'll be loving this one for a long time to come. (Matt Bond) 

WINNER: It's Alright

by Fractures

Directed by Matthew Chuang

Even though I adore it, I’ve been putting off writing about this clip. I’ve been so unsure as to how I can do it justice with simple words. How do I describe something that almost brings me to tears with every play and how do I describe something so intense, so painful and so beautiful all at once? Where do I start in the description of a journey that most of us will never have to make, but lots of us already have in our own ways?

I have watched it over and over and thought about how I shall write about the story of a man, returning to his home town of Pripyat, Chernobyl. I shall write a historical piece about what happened there more than twenty years ago, about how many people’s lives were lost and how many lifestyles were left behind and I will go into a detailed explanation of the fallout, how and why and what the social effect was and has been since. Then I will write about the clip itself, the sights and endless shots of destruction and abandonment, buildings bare, walls and windows destroyed, the representation of what those buildings mean and what they mean to the lone man wandering and what they mean to me, half a world away with the vaguest idea of what it is actually like to have lost everything and almost nothing at the same time.

I would type all of those words and maybe someone would read them but none of them would mean a thing. Because words don’t mean that much when the art is this powerful. I adore this clip and this song and I adore them on both a very basic and a very complex emotional level, so words are really irrelevant. I adore it because of it's joy and it's pain and I adore it because with all those images and all of our experiences, no matter how much it hurts, there are always the words in this delicate song that we all need once in a while; “It’s alright, it’s alright”. (Jo Michelmore)

2013 Winner:

'The Bed Song' by Amanda Palmer and The Grand Theft Orchestra

Runner-Up: 'You Are New' by The Trouble With Templeton

2012 Winner:

'Bad Girls' by M.I.A

Runner-Up: 'Hey Jane' by Spiritualized

2011 Winner:

'Lonely Boy' by The Black Keys

Runner-Up: 'Somebody That I Used To Know' by Gotye ft. Kimbra

2010 Winner:

'Islands' by The xx  

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)