The Last 5 Years, #10 - 1

Texas Tea, Thelma Plum, Tkay Maidza + Kimbra!

Well, we're now five years and one month old as we arrive at the end of our special 5th birthday countdown, celebrating our favourite songs from when we started It's My Kind of Scene to now. Hopefully it's been as fun of a walk down recent memory lane for you as it's been for us! We'll be returning to our regularly scheduled programming after this, so expect to have some album, song and video reviews coming your way, as well as the always amazing K-Tizzle Sizzle, Jo's A-Z of the 80s and our weekly Top 25. Thanks for sticking around and, as always, enjoy!

100 - 91

90 - 81

80 - 71

70 - 61

60 - 51

50 - 41

40 - 31

30 - 21

20 - 11

#10. BAD GIRLS

by M.I.A





Live fast, die young
Bad girls do it well. 

Is there a more impressive moment in any music video than the shot of M.I.A casually filing her nails as she sits in the window of that speeding car on two wheels? The whole video is full of impressive shots, but that one takes the cake. But it's better than just your standard cake, you know? It takes the ice-cream cake. Enough about the video though, we're here for the song and what makes it one of our  favourites of the past five years. We got a tease of what to expect from 'Bad Girls' when M.I.A dropped her explosive Vicki Leekx mixtape in 2010, with the full brilliance of the track following in early 2012. It's undeniably cool, oh so very sexy and packs a hook as catchy as any of your fave radio jams. I'm not really sure what 'swagga' means, but I'm pretty sure 'Bad Girls' has it. M.I.A definitely has it, whatever it is. After a rough couple of years in the media and getting scolded for using the middle finger during Madonna's Super Bowl performance of 'Give Me All Your Love' (a gesture hardly as offensive as the song itself), 'Bad Girls' was what we'd call M.I.A's return to form if she had ever lost her incredible form as an artist in the first place. Still her best track released thus far and it's miles ahead of the lol drugs-ish-ness of 'Paper Planes'. (Matt Bond)

#9. LOVE INTERRUPTION
by Jack White





I want love to walk right up and bite me
Grab a hold of me and fight me
Leave me dying on the ground. 

Jack. White. I love him so much his name requires those dramatic pauses. For me, one of those artists that has found themselves a special little place in my musical heart and soundtrack to life; his ever greasy hair, his ever snarly glare, his love of things from the past and the wicked way he has with those guitars of his will probably always keep me captivated. While I find it difficult to know which material to love most, this track, from his 2013 debut solo release Blunderbuss, will probably always be my favourite. Whether it be because it was the first taste of Mr White as a solo artist, whether it is those subtle keys holding everything together, whether it be those heart wrenchingly fabulous vocals of Ruby Amanfo or Jack crooning with the best of them about wanting love to “walk right up and bite me”; whatever it is, there’s a something in this song that I can’t deny. Like all the songs I love best, it only takes a couple of notes and my heart skips a beat and it only takes the mention of his name for me to utter those words that have become synonymous with this blog and Jack White…oh Jack, oh sigh. (Jo Michelmore)

#8. HOME
by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros





Laugh until we think we'll die, barefoot on a summer night
Never could be sweeter than with you. 

"Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my ma and pa, not the way that I do love you." How can you not love the folky goodness that is 'Home'? Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' Alex Ebert and Jade Castrinos (now a former member of the group) trade lines back and forth that probably would have been super cheesy if anyone else was delivering them. But Ebert and Castrinos have a genuine sweetness in their delivery that makes you think, maybe these crazy kids could really give that crazy little thing called love a real shot. They pull off whistling, an extended lovey-dovey-talky segment and a whole lot of vocal twang in such a stylish fashion that you don't even think twice about how so many bizarre elements can come together to create one of your most loved songs. It's simply music designed to make you happy and bring some joy into your life. And there's nothing wrong with that. (Matt Bond)

#7. THE BED SONG

by Amanda Palmer and The Grand Theft Orchestra





And I lay there wondering, what is the matter?
Is this a matter of worse or of better? 

There is one thing for sure that I can tell you and that is that Matt and my mutual love of Amanda Palmer has been well documented over the past five years, both of us have not been afraid to wear our love of AFP on our sleeves, both here on this blog and in real life. There’s a reason we wear that love on both those sleeves and for me, ‘The Bed Song’ is probably the best example of why. Because there are artists that write great songs, there are artists that make me smile, there are artists that make me dance, there are artists that make me cry, there are artists that make me laugh, there are artists that make me think, there are artists that challenge me and there are artists that move me. When I wrote about ‘The Bed Song’ in our Top 112 songs of 2012, I said I could count the amount of times I had listened to it, because it was a song that affected me so much, I couldn’t listen to it too many times. I can say the same thing now, because it’s a song that is more than notes and words, it’s more than Amanda Palmer and The Grand Theft Orchestra, it’s more than just a part of the soundtrack to my life. It is the same now as it was then; a song that changed my life and like I said in 2012, three years later, the sentiment is exactly the same…” What I can’t tell you is how much I love this song, or what it means to me, because sometimes, words are just not enough. What I can tell you is that on days when all is too much, when there is nothing else; songs like this are the reason that music means the world to me.” (Jo Michelmore)

#6. SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW

by Gotye and Kimbra





But I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say. 

Ok, so I really love this song. I have to say that first before you think I don't, because now I'm going to tell you that I really don't want to write anything about 'Somebody That I Used To Know'. I'm still feeling a bit 'Somebody That I Used To Know'-ed out and it's been four years since it was released. It was EVERYWHERE for two years. Every single radio station. Every shopping centre. Every music channel. Topping charts around the world. Coming in as our #1 song of 2011. Topping the Hottest 100. Winning Grammys. And there was a very good reason for all of its success, which is 'Somebody That I Used To Know' is one of the best songs ever written and performed. I, like most of the world, was obsessed with it, listening to it over and over again. I still really love this song. But that doesn't mean that if it comes on the radio today I don't have to change the station. We just need some time apart so that when I come back to it a couple of years down the line I can greet it with open arms as that song that I used to know and love. We couldn't leave it off this list though. (Matt Bond)

#5. 1000 SUNDOWNS

by Emma Louise





And on these summer nights when the weather's right
I miss him by my side
Oh, by my side. 

We all have days to live, we all have moments of our own and moments of each others and we all have our own tales to tell. We all have our own heartbreaks, our own futures and our own pasts. What we don’t all have is the ability to turn those tales into song, turn those moments into words and turn those days into notes. We don’t all have the ability to make strangers cry in darkened rooms, in cars, in headphones with just our voice and our words and we don’t all have the ability to take a persons breath away with our thoughts. We all have our own journeys and we all have our own scars but we don’t all have a way of sharing those with everyone. We may not all be lucky enough to have 1000 sundowns, but we are all lucky enough to dream of them. We may not all be lucky enough to know just how talented Emma Louise is, but when we hear songs like '1000 Sundowns', those of us who do know of her talent are really, really thankful. (Jo Michelmore)

#4. 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. 

Easily the most fun one can have in three and a half minutes, Tkay Maidza's 'U-Huh' marked a turning point for Australian rap music. As the Adelaide dynamo lays down rapid-fire lines and chitty-bang-bangs her way to the chorus, you realise we've got a world class talent on our hands creating accessible rap music that can compete with the best of them. Released last year, 'U-Huh' would dominate our weekly Top 25 on its way to securing #1 on our 2014 songs of the year countdown. It's been almost twelve months since we first heard one of our absolute favourite tracks and seeing Tkay Maidza's rise in the industry since then has been most excellent. She's released a slew of boss jams, built a stellar reputation as a live performer, courted overseas attention and so much more. And she's done it all in her own Tkay style that we all love. While we were more than happy to stomp our feet like brontosauruses upon her debut, it was the epic chitty-bang-bang-ness of 'U-Huh' that secured Tkay Maidza a permanent position in our music lovin' hearts. (Matt Bond)

#3. CAMEO LOVER
by Kimbra





When everyday's like talking in your sleep!
Love is like a silhouette in dreams! 

I’m not sure anyone knew what they were listening to when they first heard the sweet, sweet sounds of Kimbra’s voice and those completely danceable beats of ‘Cameo Lover’. I’m not sure anyone knew where those beats were going to lead and I’m not sure even Kimbra herself knew where she would be only a few years later. I’m not sure I can listen to it without being transported straight back to each Kimbra gig I’ve seen, each time I’ve danced and each time I’ve sung along to a song that is as so damn sweet and catchy today as it was four years ago. I’m not sure anyone really understood the talent Kimbra possessed when they heard what I think will always be one of the cutest pop songs written, not just in the last five years but possibly, dare I say it, ever? I’m not sure I will ever hear it without smiling, because the cutest pop songs ever will always be the cutest pop songs ever, that’s the beauty of pop. I’m not sure Kimbra will always be a pop singer, because with a basis of songs like those from her debut album Vows and her sophomore The Golden Echo, she’s proven herself as a songwriter not afraid to go places. I’m not sure I’ll ever love any of her songs as much as ‘Cameo Lover’, but I’m willing to keep listening and follow wherever she goes. (Jo Michelmore)

#2. HEART SAYS YES (HEAD SAYS NO)
by Texas Tea




That head says don't you be a fool
That heart, breaking every rule... 

Tea Bags for life! Yep. Lady Gaga has her Little Monsters, Katy Perry has the abomination of grammar fan group that is the Katy Kats and Brisbane's own Texas Tea have their Tea Bags. And we're big Tea Bags. As is often the case with songs we fall head over heels in love with, 'Heart Says Yes (Head Says No) found its way to our G-mail E-mail with an announcement that Texas Tea would be playing a show the following week at the Brisbane's Black Bear Lodge. One listen of the track and plans for the following Friday were scrapped in favour of spending some time listening to Kate Jacobson and Ben Dougherty. Doing so was one of my wiser decisions. Jacobson's soaring vocals and Dougherty's bluesy nature completely won us over. I may have even busted out some jig like dance to the closing number, 'Heart Says Yes (Head Says No)'. Yes, it was amazing. The song was pretty good too. We named it our song of the year in 2012 and Texas Tea still display that title proudly on their Facebook page. Nothing that has come out of this little blog makes me happier. Discovering the sounds of Texas Tea made us want to hear more from Brisbane's independent music scene, encouraged us to head out to gigs featuring local artists we hadn't heard before and introduced us to not only one of our most loved songs of the past five years, but also one of our favourite acts in music. Like I said at the start, Tea Bags for life! (Matt Bond)

#1. BREATHE IN BREATHE OUT
by Thelma Plum





I hope you know this time's for good
Wouldn't come back now even if I could. 

There’s a theme that has run throughout this countdown and there is a theme that runs throughout this blog. It may not be completely obvious, and it’s not completely on purpose, but it’s there. When Matt first started It’s My Kind Of Scene all those years ago, I’m not sure he imagined he’d still be writing all these years later. When he first asked me to write something for IMKOS, I never dreamt I would be still sitting at my computer years later typing away, day and night. I never knew I would scribble blog post ideas on scraps of paper and transfer the thoughts to blogger in the middle of the night. I didn’t know I would type entire posts on my phone while on trains and buses travelling across Europe, I didn’t imagine I would write gig reviews on planes after three hours sleep and I didn’t know I would spend coffee breaks at my day job pressing publish on posts and sharing things on social media while I should have been emailing colleagues. I didn’t know I would make new friends and include old ones on this blogging journey and I didn’t know that some posts would take hours, some posts would be read by two or three and others would be read by thousands. I didn’t know that sometimes the very artists I wrote about would read my words and share them with their worlds and I didn’t know how much that would mean to me. I didn’t know that my words could mean anything to anyone but Matt and I. I didn’t know that some days I would need this blog more than it needed me, to keep my mind from things that my mind needed keeping from and most of all; I didn’t know how much it would change my life.


But essentially, it’s not the blog that has changed anything, but the very thing we write about. It’s the music we have discovered, the experiences shared and the songs we have felt something about that have made our lives that much richer for having, for knowing and for sharing with others. It’s not how many readers we have (although we love every one of you), it’s not how many words we’ve typed; it’s the music that matters.


That little unintentional theme is our love of music, our adoration of something that makes us laugh and dance and sing and smile and cry, something that makes us who we are and something that means the world to both of us. So when placing songs in our countdown, although almost all of them could have been number one, it wasn’t a hard decision who to put there, because Thelma Plum has been an artist that has done all of those things, her music meaning the world and some songs sometimes knowing us better than we know ourselves. Music is like that sometimes and we are so lucky to be able to share that music on this little blog of ours, five years after the very first post. Here’s to another five years sharing music we love with readers we like a lot too. (Jo Michelmore)

Top 25 - 3 May, 2015

Curxes, Avec Sans, Colornoise + Brandon Flowers!

1. Jeremy Neale ft. Phoebe Imhoff - Hold On Together





2. Curxes - What You Want (NEW)





3. Avec Sans - Resonate (NEW)





4. Violet - Ivory





5. Florence + The Machine - Ship To Wreck





6. Gin Wigmore - New Rush





7. Gang Of Youths - Radioface (NEW)





8. Bright Spark - Head In The Sand





9. Clare Maguire - Dream Big





10. Sia - Big Girls Cry





11. The Colour Code - It's Up To Me





12. Colornoise - Amalie (NEW)





13. MS MR - Painted





14. Ainslie Wills - Hawaii (NEW)





15. Crystal Castles - Frail (NEW)





16. The Kite String Tangle x Dustin Tebbutt - Illuminate





17. Torres - Cowboy Guilt





18. Patrick James - California Song (NEW)





19. Holy Holy - You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog





20. Shelley Segal - Sidelined





21. Brandon Flowers - Lonely Town (NEW)





22. JOY. - Weather





23. Rihanna - American Oxygen





24. Tame Impala - Disciples (NEW)





25. The Stiffys - Kissy Kissy

The Last 5 Years - 20 -11

Lorde, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Azealia Banks and Florence + The Machine!

#100 - 91

#90 - 81

#80 - 71

#70 - 61

#60 - 51

#50 - 41

#40 - 31

#30 - 21

#20. DESPAIR

by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Through the darkness and the light

Some sun has got to rise.

It's music and I love it. It's one of my very favourite songs of 2013 and one of my very favourite songs of ever. It’s despair but it’s relief. It’s like a message from somewhere nice, a reassuring text from someone you haven’t heard form in a long time. It’s like a phone call at 3am, it’s like the warm feeling from a shot of whiskey and the warm comfort from a cup of tea. It’s like a hug from your best friend and a smile from a stranger. It’s all of the rain in winter and all of the sun in summer and it’s all of the broken hearted and all of the sweetest of moments and it’s agony and contentment and it’s desperation and delight. It’s every lesson learnt and all the ones to come and it’s everything I need and nothing I can live without and it’s one of my favourite bands and it’s one of my favourite songs and it’s my sun and your sun and it's six and a half minutes and it’s only a moment in time. But that moment is mine. (Jo Michelmore)

#19. AT HOME
by Crystal Fighters





I left alone. I left the world I was running
To be by your side I was dying
Alone by your side I was flying. 

*Flashback* London, 2011. I'm offered a spare ticket to go see this hot, up and coming band called Crystal Fighters. "I love Crystal Castles," says Matt Bond. "I said Crystal Fighters," says blonde friend. "I love Crystal Castles," says Matt Bond. And around and around we go. But along I went to Shepherd's Bush and the O2 Empire to not see Crystal Castles and instead see Crystal Fighters and I was blown away. The energy in their performance was phenomenal, the crowd was forming fight circles (I'm assuming taking the bands name too literally in combination with their own meth addictions) and I was left in love with my favourite new band. I believe they ended their set with 'At Home' and I had to hook myself up to the nearest wi-fi (McDonald's) to download it straight after the show. The track remains incredibly complex, caught somewhere between happiness and sadness. Content with its lot in life, yet free spirited. Full of energy, but also somewhat defeated. It's also simply good music. 'At Home' is one of those tracks that keeps on getting better with each listen. (Matt Bond)

#18. EVEN THOUGH I'M A WOMAN

by Seeker Lover Keeper

 I'd be lying if I did not say

I love you more when I'm missing you

Ah yes, you know those songs that draw you right back into your past, to certain times and places? Seeker Lover Keeper have a way of doing that for me. Probably because I listened to their self-titled album more times than was reasonable for a few months there in 2011. Three of Australia’s most talented songwriters and singers in Holly Throsby, Sarah Blasko and Sally Seltmann formed a group responsible for some of the sweetest, soul-searching, catchy, sometimes heart-breaking and sometimes harrowing tales in the form of twelve songs that provided a real soundtrack for that year for me. There’s a little feeling in my stomach as soon as I hear those piano notes at the start of ‘Even Though I’m A Woman’ that is the same feeling when I heard four years ago, a feeling of bittersweet memory, of moments I loved and others I care not to visit again, but most of all, moments of wishing these three musicians would make Seeker Lover Keeper a thing of the future as well as the past. I’ll be happy to place them in my future soundtrack as well. (Jo Michelmore)

#17. Shake It Out 

by Florence + The Machine





Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments. 

At a time when empowering anthems were a dime a dozen, maybe it's a little bit weird that I always found myself perked up by a song that was essentially written to cure a hangover. But if I compare Florence + The Machine's 'Shake It Out' to some of those other "powerful" tracks it's really not a problem... and no, I don't have an alcohol problem. I'm high functioning. What? Released as the first official single from the stunning sophomore LP Ceremonials, 'Shake It Out' would find a special place in the hearts of many Florence fans. With the flawless vocal work of our flame-haired siren, the epic build to the finish and the fantastic imagery in the lyrics it's easy to understand why. Even when shaking off her demons (from a bottle, or not), Florence manages to sneak in some brilliant lines like, "And I am done with my graceless heart, so tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart." Graphic. Beautiful. That's so Florence and it's only a month until we get to hear her third album! (Matt Bond)

#16. 212

by Azealia Banks

I remember when you were 

The young new face but you do like to

Slumber don't you?

You know, I have vague recollections of a night in a club, about three years ago, this song coming on, someone squealing, grabbing me by the hand and dragging me to a dancefloor. The funny part is, I remember that happening more than once that night, because this song was so damn good it got played over and over and over each night for a while there. I loved it, let me say that again, I LOVED it and I wasn’t the only one. Azealia Banks was going to be the ‘next big thing’ and while I dare not ponder why she wasn’t, there’s no denying just how good this single was. Equally as fun as it was angsty, with a clip to match, Azealia recorded a song that still demands I move, still demands every line be heard and rapped along to appropriately and still demands as much attention now as it did on that dancefloor three years ago. (Jo Michelmore)

#15. How Much Does Your Love Cost?

by Thelma Plum





I'm not a soldier, not a fighter
But I will stand my ground. 

Speaking of songs that get better with each listen, here we've got 'How Much Does Your Love Cost?' from Thelma Plum's incredible 2014 EP, Monsters. I have to stop everything I'm doing when it comes on, which is making writing and listening to it an incredibly long process, but I don't care. I could listen to 'HMDYLC?' all day. From the opening cinematic guitars, calling to mind shootout scenes in Westerns or the scores of Tarantino films, to Plum's entrace, full of defiance and an attitude so full of win, you won't find anything to fault throughout the songs three minutes and fifty seconds running time. When it came in at #95 on the last Hottest 100, I thought they must have been running the countdown in reverse order by mistake. This song should have been EVERYWHERE. Oh well, it was for me. (Matt Bond)

#14. DUST

by Little May

When we were young

I watched you come undone

Having Little May appear again on this countdown is going to make us look a little obsessive, but I guess the thing is, if they didn’t write such striking tales and sing such incredible songs, then Matt and I wouldn’t relate to them so well. If those drums weren’t so telling, if the guitars weren’t so dramatic, if the keys weren’t so beautiful and if the voices weren’t so lovely than we wouldn’t have fallen in love with their tales over and over again. If their clips weren’t so tear jerking, I’d probably watch them over and over again too. ‘Dust’ is only one of many we’ve been obsessed about the last couple of years, but with tracks like theirs, that obsession is probably only going to get worse and definitely won’t be going away anytime soon. (Jo Michelmore)

#13. NOT IN LOVE

by Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith



 

And we were lovers, now we can't be friends
fascination ends, here we go again...

Waaaaay back in December 2009 I ran a little countdown of my favourite songs of the year. The #1 song of 2009 on that list was 'Not In Love'. I couldn't get enough of it. I had always said that if Crystal Castles released a song where you could actually understand what they were saying it would be the best. They obliged, even going that extra step further to impress me (clearly) by bringing in The Cure's Robert Smith for vocals. Five years later, I still can't get enough of it. Smith's voice against the darkness of Crystal Castles' brand of electronica is perfection. As one of the most emotive vocalists in music, Smith sells the heartbreak here like only a true professional can. Urgh, I'm going to be stuck listening to this for days. Which is actually a really good thing. So I have nothing to complain about. (Matt Bond)

#12. HAUNTED GOLD

by Curxes

 A murderous fear that I own
Is a thorn in your voice and your tone

I first heard Curxes almost exactly three years ago and back then I heard something I really, really liked. It was a little bit 80s, a little bit Siousxie Sioux, a little bit electronic, a little bit aggressive and awfully catchy. I really liked it. Now? I actually love it. I love it because I can hear little bits of growth in the things Roberta and Macaulay have released since, but everything that ‘Haunted Gold’ was, it still is. Quickfire beats, manic synths and a killer vocal with a homemade clip more intriguing and captivating than some of the biggest budget clips I’ve seen in the last three years, it’s a song that I’m still so glad I stumbled across because it’s still one of my favourite discoveries of the last five years. Also excited to know that Curxes are now a three piece and will be releasing an album this year. Here’s hoping the rest of the world discovers their magic too. (Jo Michelmore)

#11. ROYALS 

by Lorde





I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth in wedding rings in the movies. 

When Lorde released 'Royals', it was a game changing moment for the world's music charts. While Miley was twerking it for a bit of attention and Katy Perry was meowing more than roaring, Lorde was fending both off on a 9 week run at the top of the US Billboard Charts. She'd smack down the competition to win the Grammy for Song of the Year. She'd hit #2 on the triple J Hottest 100 (and I'll always say she should have been #1). She'd become the new Queen Bee of the younger generations. When it took out the #1 spot on our 2013 songs of the year countdown, I said something like... "‘Royals’ is the sound of disenfranchised youth who are taking a look at the world around them and realising life isn’t one big party. It’s not all, “first class, up in the sky,” and no one is going to be poppin’ bottles of champagne in your honour anytime soon. This isn’t a song for the 1%, it’s a realistic exploration of how silly the fantasy life that’s thrown in our face through music every day is." It wasn't a breath of fresh air. 'Royals' packed some gale force winds and made Lorde a star. (Matt Bond)

A to Z of the 80s - N is for 99 Problems

...But N Ain't One

by Jo Michelmore

Because this is the easiest letter I will ever write about; N. Performed by Nena, called 99 Luftballoons. The symmetry is beyond belief. Here, my friends, is the best pop song


not just of the 80s

 
not just starting with N


not just because it's from Europe


not just because it sounds like a pop song about balloons but like all the best pop songs has a hidden meaning...


...but it, quite simply, is the best pop song, ever written*.


I, like East Germany at the time it was written in 1983, will accept no argument.


Das Ende.

*In German. 

The Last 5 Years, #30 - 21

Sia, Arctic Monkeys, Montaigne + Robyn!

100 - 91

90 - 81

80 - 71

71 - 61

60 - 51

50 - 41

40 - 31

#30. ELEPHANT
by Tame Impala

 

He knows that you're dreaming about being loved by him

Too bad your chances are slim.

'Elephant' is my kind of Tame Impala. It's got those throwback vibes the kids all love. It's moderately trippy, but unlike most of their catalogue it doesn't make me shrug and want to dismiss it as music for druggies. I'm sure it goes great with acid, but I'll never know these sorts of things. Each to their own etc. etc. But when you've got the most infectious bluesy guitar riffs going on and borderline ridiculous/amazing lyrics about shaking your big, grey trunk for the hell of it you don't need any help with feeling the goodness of the music. Those guitar lines dominate the track and make you want to get up off your feet and shake it around. That can't just be me, right? The track might have been a little out of place on the ARIA Award winning Lonerism, but that doesn't mean it wasn't the best track on it. I'm hoping they sneak a little something like it onto their upcoming third LP, Currents. (Matt Bond)

#29. GO!

by Santigold

That means I'm really hot

I rap and make hits

And I'll never stop.

There is very little chance that I was going to dislike a song that involved one of my favourite women of…what shall we call it? Rock? Indie? Pop? Any of those; she’s Karen O, and also one of my favourite women of…what shall we call it? Electronica? Hip hop? Dance? Pop? Any of those; she’s Santigold and the two of them produced one of my favourite tracks of…let’s say this millennium, not just the last five years. There’s nothing not to love; Santigold’s typically confident sneer pushing itself in between manic beats driving the track right through to Karen O’s verse, as perfectly vicious as Karen O wants to be. When all of those talents met…what did I call it? Perfection. (Jo Michelmore)

#28. I'M A FANTASTIC WRECK
by Montaigne

And if nothing else can change me

And I am just this way then

Would you love me?

When songs work their way into your existence like they’ve been watching you, seeing what you’ve been doing and how you’ve been feeling, there’s a special something that happens. Sometimes it’s a tingle on the back of your neck, sometimes it’s a weakness in the back of your knees, sometimes its three minutes and sixteen seconds that lay themselves upon your shoulders and keep you warm on your darkest of days. When songs know who you are, when songs speak words that have been silently screaming from your heart and when songs understand your journey, they place themselves in your consciousness and they don’t let go. When songs expose your weakness and when songs accept your flaws, they become you for a little while. They become everything you need to make everything alright and when songs like Montaigne’s come along, everything may not be alright, but everything is a little easier, and that’s exactly and everything ‘I’m A Fanstastic Wreck’ is. (Jo Michelmore)

#27. JOSIE

by Go Violets

 

If you ever feel so sad

If you ever feel so bad

You can come to me

Every night of the week.

I know they only broke up last year, but reunions are all the rage and if there's one band that should get back together and make sweet, sweet music again it's Go Violets. Alright, it's probably not going to happen because they've all moved on to new projects. One can dream though... because Go Violets gave us tracks like 'Josie' and it was all very 90s rock and catchy lyrics like, "this is not the end or as the Spanish would say fin." You wish you wrote lyrics like that. Oh well, these four gals from Brisbane gave us what will be one of our all time faves in 'Josie' and we'll always be thankful for that. But yeah, if they do want to get back together and release a totally awesome album full of 'Josie' like hits, that would work for us too. (Matt Bond)

#26. Q.U.E.E.N.

by Janelle Monae

 

And am I weird to dance alone late at night?

And is it true we're all insane?

"It's hard to stop rebels that time travel." I've loved everything about 'Q.U.E.E.N.' from the first time I saw its emotion picture. I love that Janelle Monae calls her videos emotion pictures. How could you not love everything about Janelle Monae? Her music is chock full with messages of self empowerment masked within funky beats and soulful vocal performances. And nothing's delivered in quite the way 'Q.U.E.E.N.' did back in 2013. It's the 'Shake It Off' before 'Shake It Off' was ever a thing, not that empowering anthems are anything new, but when Janelle Monae does it, it's just better because it feels a whole lot more genuine. And she brought Erykah Badu along to the party... so that definitely works in her favour. Badu's segment is too much fun and leads into a political Monae rap that you won't soon forget. One of the best tracks of the past five years? One of the best tracks of ever. (Matt Bond)

#25. DANCING ON MY OWN

by Robyn

Somebody said you got a new friend

Does she love you better than I can?

Swedish pop sensation, Robyn. Is there anything she can't do? Her love for sad disco songs led her to writing 'Dancing On My Own' and while I never thought I'd love someone with a deep love of sad disco songs, stranger things have happened. Because I've got a lot of love for Robyn and it really started with this track. Sure, she'd been kicking around since the 90s, asking us to show her love and her reinvention to electro-pop Queen began with 'Be Mine', but 'Dancing On My Own' was Robyn securing her status as one of the best pop acts in the world. Maybe even the best. An argument could be made is all I'm saying. It feels like forever since the release of her Body Talk series. I know, we got the Royksopp colab EP last year. But I wants some new Robyn goodness. Don't we all? (Matt Bond)

 

#24. DO I WANNA KNOW

by Arctic Monkeys

There's this tune I found that makes me think of you somehow

When I play it on repeat.

I’m not sure how to phrase this. I mean, how do you put into words the mouth open deep breath exhale type thing that happens when you hear those drums of Matt Helder’s at the beginning of this track, because you know the rootsy guitars and voice of Alex Turner are going to kick in seconds later? I don’t know, but I do know that the exhale happens every time I press play the lyrics begin; “have you got colour in your cheeks?” and why yes Alex, I do, because this song is so damn sexy. I thought it the very first time I heard it and I hear it every single time I listen. There’s just no other way to say it. That mouth open deep breath exhale thing I was trying to describe is caused by that one word, which is everything ‘Do I Wanna Know’ is. It’s awesome, it’s rock, it’s guitars and snarling vocals and it is  great and it was great, but most of all it’s that one word; it’s hot. (Jo Michelmore)

#23. IS THIS HOW YOU FEEL?

by The Preatures

Bright lights

Feel alright

I'm gonna see her again tonight.

Here we go, come with me on another ride where I tell you how much I love all things vintage, because that’s probably one theme that has come up again and again and again over the last five years. Well, it’s true. Like I’ve said before, I was raised on a diet of all genres of all music from all decades, which means when bands like The Preatures release songs like ‘Is This How You Feel?’ I have an automatic attraction to them. The 60s groove would have sat perfectly well in the 60s as it did in 2013 and now that we’re talking about it, see how good it still sounds now, in 2015? Yep, you’ll be hearing it again and again and again over the next five years, so get used it. I love things old as much as I love things new which means I love songs like this and bands like The Preatures. (Jo Michelmore)

#22. CHANDELIER 

by Sia

Sun is up, I'm a mess

Gotta get out now, gotta run from this

Here comes the shame, here comes the shame.

Remember all those years we spent wishing and hoping that Sia would get the recognition she deserved for her talents? After the release of 'Chandelier' she's become one of the most celebrated acts in music. It's one of the best stories in pop. The hardworking artist that took some time off to write for the biggest names in music, who kept the best tracks she wrote for herself and then triumphantly stepped back into the spotlight (without showing her, uh, face or anything), becoming one of the biggest names in music. It's awesome and Sia deserves all of the success she's now enjoying. Who cares if she wants to hide behind wigs? We get amazing pop songs played on the radio. If the price of that is Sia hiding her (beautiful) face, so be it. (Matt Bond)

#21. FAR FROM VIEW
by Jack Colwell 

And the night shines through

And the night shines through...

We have written about so many amazing artists over the last five years, but there are certain names that come to mind when I think about this little blog of ours, because there are certain artists we’ve written about that have such a talent they’ve made a real impression on this little heart of mine. Certain musicians have managed to write songs that are not just strings and harmonies, not just words and sounds but intense feelings of heartache and voyages of despair, stories of hopelessness that have meant more than just another song to write about, but a journey of emotion with each and every listen, and that’s a journey we desperately hope someone else will love taking as much as we do. When artists like Jack Colwell and the Owls come into our lives, we write about them, because we love writing about music, but also in the hope we can introduce this kind of talent to one or two other people as well. If writing for all these years means only one thing, then I’d be happy if that one thing meant hearing an artist like Jack Colwell; and sharing songs like ‘Far From View’ makes the hours of sitting in front of my laptop, blogging with all of that little heart of mine, totally worthwhile. (Jo Michelmore)

Top 25 - 26 April, 2015

Gin Wigmore, Jeremy Neale, The Kite String Tangle + Dustin Tebbutt!

1. Florence + The Machine - Ship To Wreck (#1 for 3 weeks!)





2. Sia - Big Girls Cry (NEW)





3. Bright Spark - Head In The Sand





4. Gin Wigmore - New Rush (NEW)





5. Jeremy Neale ft. Phoebe Imhoff - Hold On Together (NEW)





6. Violet - Ivory (NEW)


 

7. The Colour Code - It's Up To Me





8. MS MR - Painted





9. Holy Holy - You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog





10. The Kite String Tangle and Dustin Tebbutt - Illuminate (NEW)





11. Rihanna - American Oxygen





12. Torres - Sprinter





13. Shelley Segal - Sidelined





14. Torres - Cowboy Guilt (NEW)





15. JOY. - Weather





16. Quintessential Doll ft. Clio Em - Thunder Gods





17. Japanese Wallpaper ft. Airling - Forces





18. The Stiffys - Kissy Kissy





19. Clare Maguire - Dream Big (NEW)





20. Young Wonder - Sweet Dreaming (NEW)





21. Morgan Bain - Why Don't You Stay





22. Forest Falls - Hounds





23. Heloise - This Is Home





24. The Radar Post - Nothing's Holding You Back





25. Tame Impala - 'Cause I'm A Man