A good week for the world 'Home'.
Caribou's 'Home' Is A Warm Return
Something both familiar and fresh.
REVIEW: St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, Melbourne
For a festival that started with the humblest of beginnings, in a Melbourne laneway, it's somewhat startling to see the event sold-out at $160. For the purpose of comparison, when Big Day Out raised its ticket prices to over $150 in 2012, the event failed to sell-out and forced organisers to offer two for one tickets in Sydney. So why does it work for Laneway? Probably because punters can see the heart that goes into the festival. Each year the lineup makes total sense, the venues are carefully picked and the experience is paramount. This year was arguably the festival's greatest lineup, justifying every dollar of that $160.
If we're going to chatter on a little more about the excellent lineup, might we add that at 3pm the Footscray venue was almost packed, a testament to both the festival and Aussie artist Andy Bull who pulled an excitable crowd. Despite the blaring sunlight, Bull captivated with his collection of melodically on-point tunes. Baby I Am Nobody Now proved early on his heighty vocal-chops while a cover of Everybody Wants To Rule The World kicked the crowd into full-gear. He may have been one of the more no-frills performers of the day, but with his keyboard at his side, he delivered perky renditions of Talk Too Much and Keep On Running.
A performer who captured the energy of Laneway perfectly was Chicago's Vic Mensa who hyped the crowd into an absolute frenzy. Almost ignoring the blazing heat, Mensa's DJ hyped the crowd up so much that by the time the rapper entered the stage they were bouncing off each other to every shuddering beat. Without an album to his name, Mensa easily entertained full the whole set traversing both traditional hip-hop and electronic styles. It takes an impressive rapper to effortlessly open a set with Wimmie Nah and finish it with Down On My Luck despite their obvious stylistic differences. Mensa was an absolute warrior on stage thrashing around the microphone stand, launching into the crowd and climbing on stage scaffolding. Never was there a dull moment, event when he took some time to showcase his vocals on slow-tempo numbers. The response to Drive Me Crazy which is all of a week old proved just how dedicated the crowd was.
Sneakers were aplenty this year, both as a fashion statement and a measure of practicality. The Footscray site is beautiful but spread out and making it to the main stage directly after an act proved to be a workout. It's why we only caught the end of the charismatic Mac Demarco, floundering about on the main stage. Thankfully, we were given a little more time to return to see his Mum, Annie Demarco, introduce British band Jungle like a pro. Jungle were last here for Splendour In the Grass but their on stage entourage was noticeably bigger this time around. The leading duo were dressed in a baseball outfit and an ARMY uniform, ready to bring the funk.
And bring the funk, they did. With the extra band mates they were able to deliver a far more instrumentals-dense set, that added just that little bit more gusto to their performance. It's nice to see a band that's been touring for so long still show signs of joy and as such it was heartwarming to see Tom and Josh look to each other and smile when they realised just how far back the crowd stretched. Busy Earnin' was the highlight of a brilliant set, largely thanks to a guest appearance by Vic Mensa who prolonged the song's end and made us realise that we'd be happy for him to add a verse to every song today.
From one Brit to another, the crowd waded towards the main stage for FKA twigs. There had been murmurings for the Laneway's previous that twigs was the one to see and it seemed those Chinese whispers had spread as a massive crowd turned out. As three (!!!) drummers took to the stage it was pretty clear that this one was going to be a rib cage shaker and it turned out to be exactly that. Twigs is probably the only solo performer who could've weathered the shuddering beats and somehow come out as the centre of attention. Her ethereal, slight vocals pierced above all else as she stalked around the stage like a beast searching its prey. The way she moves to the, mostly irregular, beats is utterly mesmerising. She understands fluidity in a way no other does. She hits accents with hearty force and in between moves like a gust of wind over water, extending limbs beyond the impossible. All of this comes together most evidently on Pendulum where she acts as if the drum stick is within her body, beating her around the stage. As she ends on Two Weeks, it all comes together. The voice sounds crystalline, the instrumental is full-bodied and she dances like a pop star who actually understands the artistic power of movement. Quite frankly it's hard to remember a performer like twigs. She's not weird, her friendly encounters with the crowd prove that, but she's got a sharply artistic mind which she conceives with perfection.
When the sun goes down at Laneway there's always a strong sense that shit's about to get real. And when you're standing front-row at Caribou where the entire band is illuminated and the bass is shuddering through every inch of your body, nothing could be more true. Dan Snaith aka. Caribou was one of the older members of the lineup, but he's as relevant as ever. His set melded together warm melodies with hard-hitting bass and forceful synths making his performance one of the more profound of the day. Set opener Our Love kicked the dance-vibes into gear while a mid set drop of Odessa raised thousands of arms in the air. He focused more on his most recent record Our Love more than anything else but nobody cared. The record is a knock-out and nothing proved it more than when he added an extra chorus to Can't Do Without You and knocked the crowd-over with a rush of the most textured yet abrasive synths you've every heard.
Caribou was always going to be hard to beat but if anybody was going to do it it's Annie Clarke, better known as St. Vincent. A little like twigs, Clarke is otherworldly. As she enters the stage all her movements are clean yet a little alien. She shuffles about the stage as if she's on a conveyer belt on Mars and also moves her arms about in a robotic yet beautiful motion. Essentially her songs operate in the realms of pop but live she brings a real rock grunt to them. She absolutely shreds on the guitar and despite her crisp look, she gets down and gets to work. It's never more evident than on Birth In Reverse where she marries pop synths with a growling guitar, fusing for a massive chorus. Her voice is also crystalline for the entirety of the performance making quieter numbers like Cheerleader captivating. She deserved every bit of the Grammy she won today even if she herself couldn't give a toss.
Running down the hill to catch the final moments of American BANKS, we were immediately hit by a flurry of smoke and lights in which she waded around in her dark gown. There were rumours that she only wanted photographers to take photos of her left side and as such photographers were blocked from shooting from a certain side of the stage. She's definitely got the songs, as brilliant closer Beggin' For Thread proved, but the whole thing felt a little measured. That's why it was so good to hear her let loose and say "Melbourne, this has been one of the best fucking shows of my life".
On that point, BANKS' sentiment was one that many of the acts echoed. Many were overwhelmed by not only the size of the crowd but the palpable energy which occupied every space of the festival. There was barely any rogue behaviour, rather just 12,000 plus who appreciated good music and showed their appreciation respectfully. Every year Laneway reminds us why festivals aren't dead. They just need to be treated and attended with love.
GALLERY: St. Jerome's Laneway Festival Melbourne
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Stream Caribou & Zola Jesus's albums in their entirety
Dan Snaith made a stunning follow-up from his 2010 album, Swim, with Can't Do Without You, the first single from his fourth album under his Caribou moniker. The Canadian producer also had us swooning with the slow burner title track, Our Love, whetting our appetites even more for the release of his forthcoming album. Snaith stated in a recent interview regarding Our Love:
"The whole thing is a kind of reflection on love and my life and the life of people close to me for the happier moments and the more melancholic moments...its different from previous Caribou records people might have been following."
Our Love is out 3 October through Warp Records and Inertia but in the meantime, you can stream it exclusively via iTunes Radio. And we highly recommend you do.
Zola Jesus has also provided exclusive access to her forthcoming album, Taiga. Releasing the equally grandiose Go (Blank Sea) and Dangerous Days, you can expect more of the anthemic melodies and throbbing beats from the rest of the album. Zola has said of Taiga:
“The music on the record is massive, with big brass and beats, crystal clear vocals…It’s the most accessible music I’ve ever made, but also the most earnest and passionate. I gave everything for this record, more than ever before.”
Taiga is out 3 October via Create/Control and Mute but can be streamed through NME starting from...right now.
First Impressions: Taylor Swift, The Drums, Les Sins + more
First Impressions is an interns roundtable review of songs on first (or second) listen. Each week we each review six new songs from the week passed, each giving them a score out of five and awarding one our pick of the week.
Taylor Swift- Shake It Off
Hannah: I was a little M.I.A when this song dropped last week and promptly broke the twittersphere. While I knew that Earl Sweatshirt put his always relevant 2 cents in and called out a pancake-assed Tay Tay for being "inherently offensive" in her efforts to "exacerbate racial stereotypes," and I caught glimpses of the video as it made its way around every morning show in this galaxy and the next, I've somehow managed to avoid listening to it until now. While I may be a little late to the party, this is a tongue-in-cheek “fuck you” like only Tay Tay could deliver and quite frankly, closet Swift fan I am, I love it. While the message is overt (shake it off was it?), her latest release heralds, in a much more subtle manner, a mature departure from her previous album. The beat is up, the brass is in and the octave a little less squeaky-girl-next-door and a little more I-might-surprise-you-yet. Yeah Taylor! 3.6
Sam: Unlike Hannah, I’m not a Tay Tay fan. Until now, I’ve found her to be alarmingly self-obsessed and overwhelmingly whiney. This, however, is a massive win. She’s not afraid to be dorky or 100% pop and the result of that is she comes off as a far more likeable artist. Max Martin’s inclusion of brass is perfect and the rap, as ridiculous as it is, is perfect. 4
Bianca: I have been in two minds about this little ditty all week. On one hand, this is a pop ballad that is catchy and purposefully kitschy in every single way; it stands as an expert transition from country to pop. However, it is for those same reasons that every fiber of my being is telling me to dislike it: the cheesy lyrics, Tay Tay's attempts at acting 'dorky' in the video, the tired joke of impersonating other musicians, the spoken word/rap...I’m going to have to go ahead with the latter. In short, all aspects of why I object to it outlined here (in a blog aimed at promoting the exact opposite). 3
Lizzie: This is not the first time I have heard Shake it off, admittedly. Every single ounce of me wants to not like it, not dance to it and not have it stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Alas, this is exactly what happened and this will continue to happen. Well played Taylor, you got me this time! 4
[embed width="750" height="415"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM[/embed]Caribou- Our Love
Hannah: This is yet another example of Caribou's flawless production. A bass heavy gurgle pulsing endlessly beneath a tapestry of vocal samples that expertly crescendo to a place of synth, snare, strings, rockets, 3am and deep house. I love a slow burn and Caribou's restraint here delivers exactly that. 4 Hannah’s Pick
Sam: This is very much in the same vein as Can’t Do Without You in terms of song structure. Thankfully I was a huge fan of Can’t Do Without You and I am of this one too. Personally, I’m a bigger fan of the latter parts of the song. The bassline melts my ears and the beat injects some much-needed energy into it. 3.5
Bianca: Caribou has once again perfected the art of delicacy. Gently placing subtle layer upon layer of heavenly vocals, defiant drum kicks, string synths and dat throbbing bassline, if completing a Buzzfeed ‘Which French dessert are you?’ quiz, Our Love would be a mille-feuille. 4 Bianca's Pick
Lizzie: It’s just so gloriously minimal. Caribou does not have to try hard to produce a track that you instantly fall in love with. The start goes against every EDM banging bone in my body and I’m happy to admit it. Then violins just sneak up on you and tickle your ears - and when you think it’s almost over, 3 mins 22 hits and you are up and at it again. 4
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/caribouband/our-love[/soundcloud]
Shannon Saunders- Sheets
Hannah: Sheets is a melting pot for everything good that's happening at the collision of pop and electronic music right now. To that avail, it's a good song but not a great song. It shows Saunders has a great ear for a great sound but hasn't quite found her sound. When she does, I'm sure it'll be killer but for now it's just a little done. 3
Sam: I always love a healthy slice of understated electro-pop which probably explains my feelings towards this song. Saunders doesn’t need to exaggerate vocally in Sheets, rather letting the delectable melody hook you in. I feel like she’s a mini- Ellie Goulding in the making. 3
Bianca: Doughy, cooing female voices have never really sat well with me but in this case, Saunders’ has been diffused well into the synths and bassline which pleasantly prevent this track from verging into dangerous pop territory. 2.5
Lizzie: Right off the bat, you are drawn into her unique girly sound. Then the backbeat comes in as a beautiful compliment. It is exactly the pop song I feel like listening to right now. 4 Lizzie’s Pick
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/shannonsaunders/sheets[/soundcloud]
Run The Jewels- Blockbuster Night P.1
Hannah: Did he just rhyme oodles with noodles? I'm out. 2
Sam: Run The Jewels’ debut cut through in all the right places with aggressive raps and organic yet affecting beats and the same happens here. It feels removed from the current hip-hop climate ditching pop hooks and electronic stylings for something that just goes hard. It’s only a short one but it’s long enough to know that RTJ2 is going to be fierce. 4
Bianca: The grungey guitar, heavy lyrics, and general bloated sound of this track are of a nature that usually would not gel with me. But I’m feeling a bit badass tonight so I’mma just go ahead and leave a 3.5 right here while I go do some badass shit like not wait for my English Breakfast tea bag to infuse for the recommended 3-5 minutes.
Lizzie: I just feel angry after this song. My muscles are tightening and my face is getting wrinkled. Where’s my punching bag!? 2.5
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/massappealrecs/rtj-blockbuster-night-part-1[/soundcloud]
The Drums- I Can’t Pretend
Hannah: This is light and dreamy and some serious road trip music, but I'm over the whole wasted youth sound and the latest offering from The Drums falls irrevocably into that category. Cheer up. 2
Sam: I liked Magic Mountain when I first heard it but it’s since escaped my mind. Of course, this is once again a First Impression of the song but I have a feeling its fate might be different. I do agree with Hannah regarding the wasted youth sound but I’ve always felt The Drums pushed the envelope a little further. They are a band who have always been very aware of the aesthetic they want to give off and as such never sound lazy. I Can’t Pretend revels in woozy vocals and reverb-soaked instruments and is hopefully a good sign of what is to come on Encyclopedia. 3.5
Bianca: The Drums have personally always treaded on that fine line between being pleasantly whimsical and being tediously whiney; there’s only so much reflection and melancholy I can handle. In I Can't Pretend, while still staying true to their signature nostalgia, they've also experimented into more assertive territory with electric glitches and jangly guitars. Let's hope their Encyclopedia continues along this focus. 3.5
Lizzie: This just screams youth and summertime nostalgia. I feel like packing my bags and heading down the coast for a mid-week escape. That, or just locking myself away and watching the entire OC box set again. 3
[embed width="750" height="415"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzuobjUuxAQ[/embed]Les Sins- Bother
Hannah: If Taylor's appearance in this weeks First Impressions' is a 'fuck you,' then this is Budnick's 'fuck off.' With an album out on November 4th under Les Sins and Toro y Moi continuing to pump out tracks, "don't bother me, I'm working" is right! This is a house beat with just the right about of hip-hop influence running alongside an infectious vocal sample. While I'm not entirely sold on the detour via the frilly electronic explosion featured on the second half of the track, I'm excited for the rest of the album to drop 3
Sam: This is the track I’ve come back to time and time again this week. It’s a tune for those pumping it through the work day and sweating it out on the dancefloor and perfectly caters to day and nighttime crowds. I’d place myself in the latter category and can happily say this one would make me work for my next drink. The beat pumps the blood, the vocal-sample creates the groove and the final minute is a hands-in-the-air triumph. Damn, damn, damn, I love this. 4.5 Sam’s Pick
Bianca: Don’t bother me, I’m twerkin’. 3.5
Lizzie: This is a snazzy little jam isn’t it? It really has that I don’t give a fuck vibe, the samples in the background however, are terribly distracting. The close is a psychedelic surprise, an interesting end to an even more interesting song - nothing makes sense, but together it all kinda works. It’s weird how it all comes together nicely. 3.5
[embed width="750" height="415"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyScqu7jEMc[/embed]
10 Songs You Need To Hear This Week
As if by magic, the working week is once again drawing to a close and we’ve been blessed with a whole bunch of new music. Nobody has time to sift through the gallons of crap music that comes through SoundCloud but we’ve decided to take some time out of learning the rap part of Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off to deliver you the best this week. For convenience, we’ve put them below with a little bit of banter in case you fancy a bit of a read.
Les Sins- Brother
“Don’t bother me I’m working” is the hook that swirls around on the debut from Tory Y Moi’s dance projects, Les Sins. Working can mean many things. At a desk, on a construction site and of course, on the dancefloor. The latter is the most applicable to that one. Fuzzy synths and a four-to-the-floor beat command you to sweat it out and get to work. C’mon now, move that ass.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/company-record-label/lessinsbother[/soundcloud]
Taylor Swift- Shake It Off
Tay Tay caused quite a stir this week when she unleashed a new tune, video and details of a new album 1989. Shake It Off is the first single from that album which is sure to be a pop monster. It’s highly unlikely that you haven’t already heard that but in case you’re one of those people who are still sinking their teeth into Adele’s 21 we’ve attached the song below in a visual form. Go into the weekend, shaking off all the haters. Those miserable sods.
Caribou shares the title track from the forthcoming, 'Our Love'
It feels like it's been a long and painful wait since Caribou dropped the delicious first track, Can't Do Without You, from his forthcoming album Our Love. Today he's put an end to that pain by releasing the title track from the new record, Our Love. In the same lane as Can't Do Without You, it's a subdued, mellow-burner that utilises delicate vocals before bursting into a club-ready beat. The producer has a knack for chosing how long to hold a song back before releasing it into its full potential and he demonstrates that expertly here. Really it's just another reason to pick up the new record when it's released on 3 October in Aus.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/caribouband/our-love[/soundcloud]
Top 20 Songs of 2014 (So Far)
2014 has been full of highlights so far. Kimye finally married, Solange threw a punch at Jay Z, Lana Del Rey found favour with the critics and Kylie Minogue joined The Voice. Yep, 2014 is making memories one-by-one and to celebrate we’ve put together our Top 20 Songs of the year to date. Call it a soundtrack to the trials and tribulations of months passed and a cheers to the months ahead.
Together we sat down, fought, laughed and cried over our favourite songs of the year. What is immediately apparent is that 2014 has been a year for new artists. Four of our top five artists only released their debut this year and three of the Top 20 are yet to release an album. While many of us had to forego personal favourites in the name of democracy, we’ve attached them for the aural pleasure on the next page.
Scroll below and read our spiel about how each song appeased our little ears in the first half of 2014 or head right to the bottom for our custom-made Top 20 Soundcloud playlist.
20 Pharrell - Hunter
Of all the songs we could have pulled from Pharrell’s 2014 release Girl, why did we pick Hunter? This song makes you want to hit the town on a Saturday night. In the signature Pharrell Williams style, it offers up a slow blues and catchy swagger brimming with confidence. From the moment we all heard this track, we were hooked.That infectious guitar line that has been stamped across Pharrell’s tracks since Get Lucky is in its purest form here. It’s a song for those on the prowl- stalking around, chest puffed, Saturday Night Fever style.
- Lizzie
19 St Vincent - Digital Witness
19 St Vincent - Digital WitnessA pop song centred around brass. St. Vincent has never been one to follow trends and yet again she’s carved a masterpiece from the oddest of stones. Digital Witness is an extension of the chapter started between her and David Byrne but introduces a new-found attitude that permeates her self-titled album. Upon the album’s release, Annie Clarke said “I wanted to make a party record you could play at a funeral”. Digital Witness is an apparent critique of people’s need to document everything rather than experience. She told Under The Radar “I wrote a will not too long ago, and in it I wrote 'When I die, I want you to scatter my ashes in the Internet”. No doubt this song will accompany that.
- Sam
18 James Vincent McMorrow - Gold
18 James Vincent McMorrow - GoldJames Vincent McMorrow’s Post Tropical was one of the more surprising releases of the year. After a pretty mundane debut, Post Tropical was a spectacular melting pot of genres from hip-hop to folk and pop. Gold is the centrepiece of that album. The brass instrumentation shines through amongst his flawless falsetto. The staccato in the second chorus rings like a military-call leading the song into a powerful crescendo. Stunning.
- Bianca
17 Röyksopp + Robyn - Do It Again
17 Everyone knows the feeling. The wines flow, the music throbs and bed doesn’t beckon until sunlight. The aftermath is never fun yet it never deters. Do It Again is the perfect anthem for early-morning club dwellers. It’s got a thumping bass-line, lush synths and an uber-melodic bridge that couldn’t be by anyone else but Robyn. The Swedes are yet to screw anything up, ever, so three of them together could only mean good things. The lyrics are almost pain-stakingly obvious but such is the song’s charm. It worked for Daft Punk (One More Time) and it works again here. No need to think about when the drop is. Like a valiant host, Robyn tells you and then unleashes a mighty chorus. The marriage between pop and electronica has never been more glorious.
- Sam
16 Porter Robinson - Lionhearted
16 Crowned ‘The Hottest Record in the World Right Now,’ by BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe, Lionhearted, offers up something completely different to Porter’s usual heavy EDM thumpers. For those who call themselves die-hard Porter Robinson fans, you may not warm to the new sonic territory he is breaking. However, the interns felt that as one of our “Rebels of EDM", this incredibly talented 21-year old has stepped up to the plate as an exciting artist to watch in 2014. His hotly-anticipated Worlds album is set to be released on August 12, until then, this electro house anthem teamed with Swedish indie-pop band Urbane Cone, offers up a reborn sound peppered with playful melodies, atmospheric vocals and a dancey sentiment.
- Lizzie
15 Glass Animals - Gooey
15 The Alt-J of 2014 had something more to offer- an RnB-inspired swagger that reached under the skin and slid along with its icky lyrics.The title of the track is perhaps the most pertinent depiction of its slippery melody. The mention of perfume, pooh bear and peanut butter further contribute to making this song the most slinky piece of matter since flubber.
- Bianca
14 Jessie Ware - Tough Love
14 Jessie Ware - Tough LoveWhile Devotion was brilliant, the question was always what Jessie Ware would do next. It turns out all she needed to make was the subtlest of changes. In Tough Love, she reaches for the heights of her vocal range taking us to territory she's never explored before. With the help of Two Inch Punch and Benny Blanco, she's delivered a song that ebbs and flows with the most subtle of dynamics. The flurry of synths that greet the second chorus are the perfect climax to a song that could've easily flatlined without the right care.
- Sam
13 Sia - Chandelier
13 Sia - ChandelierBeyond having one of the most brilliant visual marketing campaigns this year, Chandelier is an absolute tune. The RnB-tinted verses suggest that Sia had the intention of writing a hit for Rihanna but the chorus crushes that belief. There ain’t no way Rihanna could scale the vocal heights that Sia hits in the chorus' main hook. It’s a song to drink to, a sequel to R.Kelly’s I Believe I Can Fly and a statement that cements Sia as one of the best pop writers in the game. As far as a pop song goes, that’s three ticks.
- Bianca
12 Lana Del Rey - West Coast (Zhu Remix)
12 No one has polarized the interns’ opinions more than Lana Del Rey - as an artist, as performer and as a person. However, on the eve of Del Rey’s new album, Zhu slapped down this baby with impeccable timing, doing her work justice and much, much more. The signature Del Rey nostalgia is replaced with the punchy thump of percussion, killer chopped vocals and effortless hypnotic 3am house energy. While the song remains sultry, oozing sex, sex and more sex – it brings about an overwhelming power to make you want to dance uncontrollably in a club.
- Lizzie
11 Chromeo - Old 45s
11 C’mon, how could you not enjoy this song. It’s catchy, evocative, totally nostalgic for an era we had absolutely nothing to do with and just a good old bundle of fun. I dare you NOT to dance to this baby.
- Hannah
10 Zeds Dead - Lost You (feat. Twin Shadow)
10 In our ‘First Impressions’ back in May, we struggled to say a nice thing about this track. look how the turntables have turned. Canadian bass producers Zeds Dead have snuck into our Top 10 with their track Lost You, a nifty collaboration with Twin Shadow and D’Angelo Lacy. This Mad Decent release is just another example of how versatile and ambitious their catalogue of music has become. With the rubbery sound and colourful trippy video to compliment this house anthem, directed by Grandson & Son, prepare to be taken on a psychedelic trip of sonic creativity.
- Lizzie
9 How To Dress Well - Repeat Pleasure
9 It's true- RnB has been revitalised in a big way. The issue with that is the genre quickly gets crowded with mediocrity. That's why Tom Krell's Repeat Pleasure is such a triumph. His falsetto is flawless while the songs subtle guitar and light-as-a-feather beat allow the melody to be the hero. It's a touch of Ashanti with a little bit of Baby Face and a hint of Mariah. He keeps it tasteful by putting his own nuanced touches on it. The name doesn't lie. This one has truly been a repeat pleasure.
- Sam
8 Jamie xx - Sleep Sound
8 This is a hazy pink sunset dancing on a darkening ocean just as much as it is first light come morning. It’s with you for the long haul and will see you the whole night through. That vocal sample and RnB edge is an absolute killer combination. Everything Jamie xx touches is pure gold and this is no different.
- Hannah
7 Little Dragon - Pretty Girls
7 When I first heard Frank Ocean’s Lost last year, I was certain, and let’s be honest, I am still certain, he’d written it exclusively for me. While I don’t have “double D, big full breasts,” I do have a tendency to get “lost in the thrill of it all” and trains and I just don’t get on. Similarly, when I first heard Pretty Girls, it spoke directly to the escapist in me and perfectly crystalised that vulnerable, quivering moment before you grab the bare essentials, cut all ties and dare to run without looking back for fear of getting stuck.
- Hannah
6 La Roux - Uptight Downtown
6 La Roux - Uptight DowntownThe song that made us all realise we’d actually missed this loveable red head. Uptight Downtown is La Roux saying “Yeah I’ve been gone five years, but a pop song is a pop song and I write a damn good pop song”. Throughout, she strategically places bits and pieces that lure you straight to the dancefloor- the lyric “move, move, move”, the carnivale synth and the Bowie-like guitar riff. A 70s-tinged, spot of brilliance.
- Bianca
5 Chrome Sparks - Goddess
5 This song elicits such a strong visceral response. It’s otherworldly in its ability to capture every inch of your mind, body and spirit and take you, full throttle on an intergalactic journey to destinations unknown, before nursing you gently back to earth. It’s rich, dynamic and full of texture and stardust twinkle.
- Hannah
4 Chet Faker - 1998
4 Chet Faker - 1998This song is everything we’ve come to know and love from our bearded mate, Chet Faker; undeniably smooth and incredibly sexy. I get a little more “swagger” in my walk every time shuffle pulls this gem out... And by shuffle I really mean it’s on repeat. It’s got the right amount of pulse and bounce to keep you moving the whole way home. And that brief moment where you think he’s finally done wondering why you’re no longer “in a circle” before coming back for round two? WOW.
- Hannah
3 Caribou - Can't Do Without You
3 We really cannot do without you in our top three Caribou. This track was an instant hit with the interns. Described as the “ninja song” - a song where you think you’ve heard all there is to hear and then all of a sudden (WHAM!), you are hit with a new crystalline layer of sounds. The killer vocal sample kicks, a quiet motif of synth and drums, and an epic crescendo that swells up in the final minute, Can’t Do Without You, leaves you with a climatic eargasm.
- Lizzie
2 BANKS - Drowning
Without an album to her name, BANKS' is the success story of 2014. From Waiting Game to Goddess to Brain, she's fired out brooding brilliance one after another. Drowning is the standout release from her so far. The lyrics are cold ("you try to hide I can see that you don't need me") yet the skittering vocal samples and the depths of BANKS' vocals are warm and encapsulating. As far as new artists go, you don't get many so confident and self-assured in the early moments of their career. What a class act.
- Sam
1 Jungle - Busy Earnin'
Before embarking on the strenuous journey of the Top 20, the interns knew that it would take something special to earn the top spot of the best song of (half) the year. So what was it about this newly-established UK band that inspired us to make this song our work motto? Mantra, if you will?
This track has something for everyone; polished hip-hop, a touch of dance and a hell of a lotta funk. Its underlying message of ‘busy earnin’’ has an almost dark undertone, evoking the mundanity of life while gloriously juxtaposing this thought with a disco dancefloor-inspired celebration of soul - it’s the Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! It’s off to work we go of the modern age. You may “never have things for a normal life” and think that “all your time is used, busy earnin’” but you’ve just got to keep on truckin’, keep moving forward. And this track has the ability to inspire you to do just that; get up, move, keep going through the motions of life. The lyrics mirror the monotonous reality of eating, sleeping, working, and repeating (the grown-up version of Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat) but, with the assistance of a funky bassline, rhythmic falsetto and shining synths, it shows that it ain’t all that bad and sometimes all you need to do is live life to the fullest and, most importantly, get on that dancefloor and shake dat booty.
- Bianca
Top 20 Songs of 2014 (So Far)
2014 has been full of highlights so far. Kimye finally married, Solange threw a punch at Jay Z, Lana Del Rey found favour with the critics and Kylie Minogue joined The Voice. Yep, 2014 is making memories one-by-one and to celebrate we’ve put together our Top 20 Songs of the year to date. Call it a soundtrack to the trials and tribulations of months passed and a cheers to the months ahead.
Together we sat down, fought, laughed and cried over our favourite songs of the year. What is immediately apparent is that 2014 has been a year for new artists. Four of our top five artists only released their debut this year and three of the Top 20 are yet to release an album. While many of us had to forego personal favourites in the name of democracy, we’ve attached them for the aural pleasure on the next page.
Hover over the images below and click to scroll down and read our spiel about how each song appeased our little ears in the first half of 2014 or head to the very bottom for our custom-made Top 20 Soundcloud playlist.
20 Pharrell - Hunter
Of all the songs we could have pulled from Pharrell’s 2014 release Girl, why did we pick Hunter? This song makes you want to hit the town on a Saturday night. In the signature Pharrell Williams style, it offers up a slow blues and catchy swagger brimming with confidence. From the moment we all heard this track, we were hooked.That infectious guitar line that has been stamped across Pharrell’s tracks since Get Lucky is in its purest form here. It’s a song for those on the prowl- stalking around, chest puffed, Saturday Night Fever style.
- Lizzie
19 St Vincent - Digital Witness
A pop song centred around brass. St. Vincent has never been one to follow trends and yet again she’s carved a masterpiece from the oddest of stones. Digital Witness is an extension of the chapter started between her and David Byrne but introduces a new-found attitude that permeates her self-titled album. Upon the album’s release, Annie Clarke said “I wanted to make a party record you could play at a funeral”. Digital Witness is an apparent critique of people’s need to document everything rather than experience. She told Under The Radar “I wrote a will not too long ago, and in it I wrote 'When I die, I want you to scatter my ashes in the Internet”. No doubt this song will accompany that.
- Sam
18 James Vincent McMorrow - Gold
James Vincent McMorrow’s Post Tropical was one of the more surprising releases of the year. After a pretty mundane debut, Post Tropical was a spectacular melting pot of genres from hip-hop to folk and pop. Gold is the centrepiece of that album. The brass instrumentation shines through amongst his flawless falsetto. The staccato in the second chorus rings like a military-call leading the song into a powerful crescendo. Stunning.
- Bianca
17 Röyksopp + Robyn - Do It Again
Everyone knows the feeling. The wines flow, the music throbs and bed doesn’t beckon until sunlight. The aftermath is never fun yet it never deters. Do It Again is the perfect anthem for early-morning club dwellers. It’s got a thumping bass-line, lush synths and an uber-melodic bridge that couldn’t be by anyone else but Robyn. The Swedes are yet to screw anything up, ever, so three of them together could only mean good things. The lyrics are almost pain-stakingly obvious but such is the song’s charm. It worked for Daft Punk (One More Time) and it works again here. No need to think about when the drop is. Like a valiant host, Robyn tells you and then unleashes a mighty chorus. The marriage between pop and electronica has never been more glorious.
- Sam
16 Porter Robinson - Lionhearted
Crowned ‘The Hottest Record in the World Right Now,’ by BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe, Lionhearted, offers up something completely different to Porter’s usual heavy EDM thumpers. For those who call themselves die-hard Porter Robinson fans, you may not warm to the new sonic territory he is breaking. However, the interns felt that as one of our “Rebels of EDM", this incredibly talented 21-year old has stepped up to the plate as an exciting artist to watch in 2014. His hotly-anticipated Worlds album is set to be released on August 12, until then, this electro house anthem teamed with Swedish indie-pop band Urbane Cone, offers up a reborn sound peppered with playful melodies, atmospheric vocals and a dancey sentiment.
- Lizzie
15 Glass Animals - Gooey
The Alt-J of 2014 had something more to offer- an RnB-inspired swagger that reached under the skin and slid along with its icky lyrics.The title of the track is perhaps the most pertinent depiction of its slippery melody. The mention of perfume, pooh bear and peanut butter further contribute to making this song the most slinky piece of matter since flubber.
- Bianca
14 Jessie Ware - Tough Love
While Devotion was brilliant, the question was always what Jessie Ware would do next. It turns out all she needed to make was the subtlest of changes. In Tough Love, she reaches for the heights of her vocal range taking us to territory she's never explored before. With the help of Two Inch Punch and Benny Blanco, she's delivered a song that ebbs and flows with the most subtle of dynamics. The flurry of synths that greet the second chorus are the perfect climax to a song that could've easily flatlined without the right care.
- Sam
13 Sia - Chandelier
Beyond having one of the most brilliant visual marketing campaigns this year, Chandelier is an absolute tune. The RnB-tinted verses suggest that Sia had the intention of writing a hit for Rihanna but the chorus crushes that belief. There ain’t no way Rihanna could scale the vocal heights that Sia hits in the chorus' main hook. It’s a song to drink to, a sequel to R.Kelly’s I Believe I Can Fly and a statement that cements Sia as one of the best pop writers in the game. As far as a pop song goes, that’s three ticks.
- Bianca
12 Lana Del Rey - West Coast (Zhu Remix)
No one has polarized the interns’ opinions more than Lana Del Rey - as an artist, as performer and as a person. However, on the eve of Del Rey’s new album, Zhu slapped down this baby with impeccable timing, doing her work justice and much, much more. The signature Del Rey nostalgia is replaced with the punchy thump of percussion, killer chopped vocals and effortless hypnotic 3am house energy. While the song remains sultry, oozing sex, sex and more sex – it brings about an overwhelming power to make you want to dance uncontrollably in a club.
- Lizzie
11 Chromeo - Old 45s
C’mon, how could you not enjoy this song. It’s catchy, evocative, totally nostalgic for an era we had absolutely nothing to do with and just a good old bundle of fun. I dare you NOT to dance to this baby.
- Hannah
10 Zeds Dead - Lost You (feat. Twin Shadow)
In our ‘First Impressions’ back in May, we struggled to say a nice thing about this track. look how the turntables have turned. Canadian bass producers Zeds Dead have snuck into our Top 10 with their track Lost You, a nifty collaboration with Twin Shadow and D’Angelo Lacy. This Mad Decent release is just another example of how versatile and ambitious their catalogue of music has become. With the rubbery sound and colourful trippy video to compliment this house anthem, directed by Grandson & Son, prepare to be taken on a psychedelic trip of sonic creativity.
- Lizzie
9 How To Dress Well - Repeat Pleasure
It's true- RnB has been revitalised in a big way. The issue with that is the genre quickly gets crowded with mediocrity. That's why Tom Krell's Repeat Pleasure is such a triumph. His falsetto is flawless while the songs subtle guitar and light-as-a-feather beat allow the melody to be the hero. It's a touch of Ashanti with a little bit of Baby Face and a hint of Mariah. He keeps it tasteful by putting his own nuanced touches on it. The name doesn't lie. This one has truly been a repeat pleasure.
- Sam
8 Jamie xx - Sleep Sound
This is a hazy pink sunset dancing on a darkening ocean just as much as it is first light breaking come morning. It’s with you for the long haul and will see you the whole night through. That vocal sample and RnB edge is an absolute killer combination. Everything Jamie xx touches is pure gold and this is no different.
- Hannah
7 Little Dragon - Pretty Girls
When I first heard Frank Ocean’s Lost last year, I was certain, and let’s be honest, I am still certain, he’d written it exclusively for me. While I don’t have “double D, big full breasts,” I do have a tendency to get “lost in the thrill of it all” and trains and I just don’t get on. Similarly, when I first heard Pretty Girls, it spoke directly to the escapist in me and perfectly crystalised that vulnerable, quivering moment before you grab the bare essentials, cut all ties and dare to run without looking back for fear of getting stuck.
- Hannah
6 La Roux - Uptight Downtown
The song that made us all realise we’d actually missed this loveable red head. Uptight Downtown is La Roux saying “Yeah I’ve been gone five years, but a pop song is a pop song and I write a damn good pop song”. Throughout, she strategically places bits and pieces that lure you straight to the dancefloor- the lyric “move, move, move”, the carnivale synth and the Bowie-like guitar riff. A 70s-tinged, spot of brilliance.
- Bianca
5 Chrome Sparks - Goddess
This song elicits such a strong visceral response. It’s otherworldly in its ability to capture every inch of your mind, body and spirit and take you, full throttle on an intergalactic journey to destinations unknown, before nursing you gently back to earth. It’s rich, dynamic and full of texture and stardust twinkle.
- Hannah
4 Chet Faker - 1998
This song is everything we’ve come to know and love from our bearded mate, Chet Faker; undeniably smooth and incredibly sexy. I get a little more “swagger” in my walk every time shuffle pulls this gem out... And by shuffle I really mean it’s on repeat. It’s got the right amount of pulse and bounce to keep you moving the whole way home. And that brief moment where you think he’s finally done wondering why you’re no longer “in a circle” before coming back for round two? WOW.
- Hannah
3 Caribou - Can't Do Without You
We really cannot do without you in our top three Caribou. This track was an instant hit with the interns. Described as the “ninja song” - a song where you think you’ve heard all there is to hear and then all of a sudden (WHAM!), you are hit with a new crystalline layer of sounds. The killer vocal sample kicks, a quiet motif of synth and drums, and an epic crescendo that swells up in the final minute, Can’t Do Without You, leaves you with a climatic eargasm.
- Lizzie
2 BANKS - Drowning
Without an album to her name, BANKS' is the success story of 2014. From Waiting Game to Goddess to Brain, she's fired out brooding brilliance one after another. Drowning is the standout release from her so far. The lyrics are cold ("you try to hide I can see that you don't need me") yet the skittering vocal samples and the depths of BANKS' vocals are warm and encapsulating. As far as new artists go, you don't get many so confident and self-assured in the early moments of their career. What a class act.
- Sam
1 Jungle - Busy Earnin'
Before embarking on the strenuous journey of the Top 20, the interns knew that it would take something special to earn the top spot of the best song of (half) the year. So what was it about this newly-established UK band that inspired us to make this song our work motto? Mantra, if you will?
This track has something for everyone; polished hip-hop, a touch of dance and a hell of a lotta funk. Its underlying message of ‘busy earnin’’ has an almost dark undertone, evoking the mundanity of life while gloriously juxtaposing this thought with a disco dancefloor-inspired celebration of soul - it’s the Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! It’s off to work we go of the modern age. You may “never have things for a normal life” and think that “all your time is used, busy earnin’” but you’ve just got to keep on truckin’, keep moving forward. And this track has the ability to inspire you to do just that; get up, move, keep going through the motions of life. The lyrics mirror the monotonous reality of eating, sleeping, working, and repeating (the grown-up version of Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat) but, with the assistance of a funky bassline, rhythmic falsetto and shining synths, it shows that it ain’t all that bad and sometimes all you need to do is live life to the fullest and, most importantly, get on that dancefloor and shake dat booty.
- Bianca
First Impressions 10 June
Here are six songs that we kept in our company over the long weekend. While some were pleasant, others came armed with expletives and harsh beats. We reviewed them at the end of the weekend, taking particular note of their willingness to please the ears and their likeness to snozberries.
AG Cook- Beautiful
Sam: PC Music just sounds so futuristic and inhuman that it's hard to attach yourself with. I think I've finally come around to it. Beautiful is so kitsch yet so melodic and lolly-like. It's something new and I'm loving it. 4
Hannah: This is what happens when some seriously great production goes full throttle towards those shimmery, euphoric, highs we came to know and love during the happy house wave. It really hits its stride around the 1:20 mark, and from there on in it’s all rainbow coloured streets and snozberries that ACTUALLY taste like snozberries. #PLUR 3.5
Bianca:
2.5
Lizzie: I feel like I just stepped out of an episode of Rugrats. When the song thickens at 1:20 seconds, it’s really hard not to bounce along. However, I’m still not sold on the whole Hello Kitty sound - its a very very new sound to my ears. 3
[soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/pcmus/beautiful[/soundcloud]
Caribou- Can't Do Without You
Sam: I'm still not really over Odessa so it's hard to accept that something new has come along. In saying that Can't Do Without You is a grower and that climax at the end is well worth the wait. The vocal sample is also a total winner too. 4
Hannah: This is what I like to call a ninja song. See, you think you’ve heard all there is to hear and then all of a sudden some new crystalline layer creeps in so perfectly you begin to wonder if it wasn’t there all along. The climax is epic. The fade out is insane. The vocal sample is too too smooth. Caribou I’m glad you’re back. Ninja’d. 4 Hannah's pick
Bianca: I was so ready for another Odessa-style poppy track from Dan Snaith but certainly was not disappointed in its more relaxed successor. Can’t Do Without You is a slow-burner with a satisfying climax, topped off by a lovely vocal surprise at the end. Snaith’s Album Our Love is due out in three long months’ time so I guess I’ll just have to listen to this on repeat until then. 4 Bianca’s pick
Lizzie: Please excuse me while I just go eargasm. The climax of this song is unnervingly good. I’m left a little hot and flustered. 4 Lizzie’s pick
[soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/caribouband/cant-do-without-you[/soundcloud]
Drake- O to 100
Sam: Drake says it best when he raps "Fuck being on that chill shit". He's become a bit melancholic lately and it's good to hear him rapping hell for leather again. And then he flips to The Catch Up and we get lush synths and a melodic Drake that proves he can swap between the two effortlessly. Kanye and Future are really the only other two rappers that can do that. 3.5
Hannah: Drake, I’mma let you finish but, James fucking Blake. 3.5
Bianca: Something, something n***a. Something, something bitches. Hold up, James Blake? This song really went from 0-100 real quick. Real fucking quick. 4
Lizzie: Could not stand to listen past the first 30 seconds of this track, but I obliged. I should probably get some medal or something. This song is painful. 1
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