5 4 3 2 1…. GO!
Well I hope you’ve all had your thinking caps on for the last few days, because today is the first of two list days here on Song, by Toad. This week the Friday Five is going to be your chance to list your five favourite songs of the year. On the off-chance that enough people do actually vote for the same songs I will then add them up at the end and award some sort of Toadly Prize of Music Achievement to the winners.
And if you all vote for completely different things then I just won’t bother.
The five I’ve listed below are actually five songs which are not in my Festive Fifty, and looking at them I find myself with the inescapable feeling that this might be because in some important way my Festive Fifty is wrong, somehow, because they are all brilliant songs.
Anyhow, as times to de-lurk go, this should be ideal. No wit or humour required, just chip in with the five songs released this year which have moved you the most. And encourage your friends to vote as well – the more people chip in the more meaningful the results become.
Next week we’ll be doing the same with albums, so get head-scratching for that one as well, and then I’ll stop being so demanding and go back to my usual job of trying my very best to keep you entertained of an afternoon with minimal participation required. I hope you actually find these things some fun, and don’t think it’s a bit like that terrible moment when a comedian looks around the auditorium and asks for a volunteer.
And so, without further ado, your five favourite songs of 2009 are…
The Builders & the Butchers – Barcelona
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Samantha Crain – Long Division
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Jason Lytle – Flying Thru Canyons
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The Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin
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Found – Let Fidelity Break
This was nearly changed to the Toad Session version of Mullokian at the
last minute, but then I remembered the “..look in every seedy corner, look
in every …nook” bit. I just think all the usual Found ingredients have been turned up to 11 on this track; the unconventional electronica, the wry wit, the dirty rock n’ roll and the irresistible groove. Classic stuff.
Broken Records – Nearly Home
There are loads of songs I love on Until The Earth Begins To Part, but with one or two of them I think I secretly prefer the earlier demo recordings to the finished articles that made it onto the album. I can be weird like that. This song, however, just get seems to get better with each listen and each
performance. It really is a bit special.
Meursault – William Henry Miller pt. 1
I’m voting for the acoustic version off the Nothing Broke EP here, but
shhh! Don’t tell Neil!
King Creosote – No One Had It Better
This was nearly going to be Camels Swapped For Wives, which is arguably the
more complete, well-crafted song, but this one has such an irresistible vibe
and just sounds and feels like Homegame.
Withered Hand – Joy
Sometimes songs just get it right, don’t they? I nearly voted for the utterly captivating live version of Love In The Time Of Ecstacy they performed at Homegame, but this song captures and celebrates the local ‘doing-it-together’ vibe perfectly. It’s an absolute triumph if you ask me. Brilliant.
Virgin Of The Birds – Ilona, You Should Still Be My Vampire Attendant
This song is completely bonkers, but has a really warm and seductive tone
to it at the same time. I just fell in love with it the moment it started first time I heard it.
Found – Mullokian (Toad Session)
Ah, fuck it.
1. The Low Anthem — Champion Angel
2. Haruko — The Mountain Adventure
3. The Twilight Sad — I Became A Prostitute
4. Mumford & Sons — Thistle and Weeds
5. My Laundry Life — Sons and Guns
Eat my five, C&B!
Second place is the first of the losers!
Fuckface.
J’accuse! You clearly composed that tome days in advance and then set up your computer to shoot it into the comment queue the very second Matthew put this up. J’accuse!
Also, what’s with including 7 songs in your top 5? Five! Dylan. Five!
I was thinking of putting up my top 10 songs of the year but in the end I couldn’t narrow it down. So here’s the top 5 I’ve played to death recently…
1. Stornoway – Zorbing
2. King Creosote – Coat On By
3. The Hidden Cameras – Walk On
4. The Xcerts – Nightschool
5. Meursault – Nothing Broke
How the fuck am I not first to comment on my own bloody post! What a fool.
You two are a pair of fucking idiots.
Hi Kowalskiy – welcome to the madness!
Dylan, C&B has a point. Which five am I counting?
I did no such thing C&B, the fucked-up formatting is pure coincidence and nothing to do with copy-and-pasting it out of notepad!
They’re not in any particular order.
Sir. As the first person to have posted a response that actually complies with the rules, I take exception to your characterization of me as a “fucking idiot.” That you proved unable to unlock your hands from your crabbed organ of benevolence quickly enough to post a timely response is hardly cause to engage in ad hominem attacks.
Yeah, speaking of rules, when did the rules stop applying to Matthew?!
Dirty Projectors – Stillness is the Move
eagleowl – Sleep The Winter
Tune-Yards – Sunlight
The xx – Infinity
Royksopp – Tricky Tricky
No particular order, though I think Stillness is the Move is my fave of the year. I thought that this would help me with my own list, but it’s impossible. I expect when I get round to posting mine, it’ll be different from this.
Also – look Edinburgh people! I’ve got an Edinburgh band in there!
Dylan, it’s not called the Friday Sevens, is it. Behave.
Slim Twig – Young Hussies
Your Twenties – Annie
Stornoway – Zorbing
Florence and the Machine – My Boy Builds Coffins
Meursault – The Furnace
you fuckers are always fighting on here….brilliant.
Ok here’s mine…
1. Eagleowl – Sleep The Wintertide
2. The Phantom Band – Island
3. Akron/Family – River
4. The Twilight Sad – I became a prostitute
5. Noah & The Whale – first days of spring
I can’t reeeeeally say for sure what my top five favorite songs of the year are. I’ve not bought that many albums this year, most of the music I’ve been listening to recently has been catching up on stuff from a couple of years ago, a lot of them are stuff that friends have done that don’t really have a proper release yet, etc etc. But here are five that stand out.
Narissa, I Won’t by Hexicon
No Cigarettes by Withered Hand (the EP version, obv)
Another Day No. 2 by Ryland Bouchard
A Spirit Harness by Boduf Songs
William Henry Miller pt. 1 by Meursault
Isn’t nepotism wonderful?
That should of course be Coast On By.
Looking good for Stornoway so far!
Dylan, fuck off, mine are a fucking secret until next week. Or the ones in the post.
People may think that The Daily Growl is showing great sophistication by being a London blogger picking Ediburgh bands, but it’s actually much more shocking than that.
He’s Glaswegian.
I’ve a feeling I may out of kilter
1) 18 -Akira the Don
2) Bows in Your Arms – The Young Republic
3) Love in the Time of Ecstasy – Withered Hand
4) Violet Eyes – My Gold Mask (it’s on free download still)
5) Questing not Coasting – Maximo Park
with thanks to Tart for number 4.
my moneys on eagleowl or meursault so far…..
Matthew if you would send my ‘Meersalt’ album before xmas I’ll vote for William Henry Miller Part 1 as well.
I’m having a party and I’d like to annoy the outlaws with electronic folk…ta
now now boys its only a bit of fun ! isn’t it?
so I decided to just go for singles and ep’s i’ve heard this year instead of any song (otherwise the few remaining brain cells I have couldn’t cope)
so here goes
1 – withered hand – no cigarettes off the your not alone ep
2- sparrow and the workshop – devil song
3- meursault – William Henry Miller pt 1, although I also liked nothing broke very much
4- Eagle owl – sleep the winter (i know its not out yet but it’s on there myspace and mighty fine it is too)
5- panda su – eric is dead (anyone who hasn’t heard panda su should check her out tonight at the roxy gig ) of the sticks and bricks ep
mention should also go to I LIKE TRAINS who released a really nice single sea of regrets, Jess Bryant whos Dusk ep is really nice and Her Name is Calla who brought out a nice single called blood promise this year (watch out for them next year the’re fucking ace)
1. Ring Me, Elise – Dag for Dag
2. Harum Scarum – Joe Gideon and the Shark
3. Sparrow And The Workshop – I Will Break You
4. Withered Hand – No Cigarettes
5. Wild Beasts – We’ve Still got the Taste Dancing On Our Tongues.
Don’t know if it’ll give them any points, but Wllm HM Part I by Meursault and Oh My God! Charlie Darwin by Low Anthem also get a nod. Also Consolation Prize by Noiserv – his was genuinely one of my gigs of the year, it felt like a real priviledge to see them with about 8 other people at the Wee Red.
I also award myself five points for being pissed already.
I also award myself five points for being pissed already.
Good work! The sun hasn’t even passed the yard arm yet!
After bemoaning not paying enough attention to new music this year my five are:
1. The National – So Far Around The Bend
By a country mile the song I’ve listened to and enjoyed the most this year. Absurdly simple chords and melody with Nico Muhly’s mental orchestral arrangement over the top! And it has the most prophetic lyric of the year too “praying for Pavement to get back together” – see, you need to thank these people!
2. Sparrow & The Workshop – Into The Wild
No matter what faffing around we were doing getting ready before our set on the June tour I always made sure I caught this one in Sparrows’ set every night. Properly menacing and the instrumental breakdown at the end is awesome!
3. Noisettes – Never Forget You
After constant exposure to this via Radio 2 in the van all summer I’ve come to the conclusion this is pure soul-pop gold.
4. Eels – Prizefighter
Long-time Eels devotee. Not my favourite album at all but I do love how all the vocals are peaking like on The Stooges “Raw Power” and this is the best example with the howl at the start.
5. Jesus H. Foxx – Oh Messy Life
Love the harmonies and the background noises. Short and to the point!
And thanks Dylan, that’s very sweet of you!
Yes, some Wild Beasts live at last. I am surprised at myself for it, but I really like that album.
neck n neck with t’hand, t’owl and t’sault…..
1. Don’t waste time doing things you hate – And So I Watch You From Afar
2. Eric Is Dead – Panda Su
3. Halloween – French Wives
4. Father – Beerjacket
5. Tonic Sine – Skin Is Static
6. Mortigo Tempo – Campfires In Winter
7. I Will Break You – Sparrow And The Workshop
8. Pain In The Heart – Be A Familiar
9. Animal Dance Party – Morgue Party Candidate
10. Antlers – Trapped In Kansas
I just couldn’t pick 5 so I had to have ten!!! Best live bands I have seen this year would be Arca Felix, Hey Vampires, Bronto Skylift, Julia And The Doogans and the winners, by some distance, And So I Watch You From Afar…..
From now on I am just going to count the first five people list, irrespective of how many they write down.
Except for Sean, because that would mean leaving off Sparrow and the Workshop, which is not going to happen.
I clearly haven’t quite grasped the concept of tactical voting.
Is there an Island somewhere with just Sean and lots of secret bands on it?
Yes, it’s called Glasgow.
Fuck. I was just about to reply exactly the same thing.
That’s the most depressing thing that’s ever happened.
Where has my life gone?
Thanks for that, it’s tricky being English on here somedays
More to the point, what happened to your sense of humour? You used to be the wittiest commenter on the site, now you’re reduced to being not quite quick enough with the kind of joke I might make.
Everyone read this and forget the above exchange ever happened.
fuck fuck fuck fuck fuckity fuck
this is way too hard to narrow down, here’s soem random songs that I’ve enjoyed
1. KC – Camels swapped for wives
2. Withered Hand – No cigarettes (the one off that there EP he put out)
3. The Phantom Band – The Howling
4. De Rosa – Pest
5. Randan Discotheque – Daily Record May 18th 1993
Jennifer & Julia, The Clientele – another song I love from Britain’s most ignored band
Girls, Animal Collective – love the sentiment, nicely delivered
Tugboat, X Lion Tamer – yeah it’s a cover, I love it, sue me
Broken Heart, Broken Home, Sparrow + the Workshop – musically this is probably the silly song on the record, but I love the vocal
One Morning, Grant Lee Phillips – I’ve always loved his stuff, but I had thought his best work was behind him, on the strength of this, maybe I was wrong
Once again, Bart wins thread.
Fucker.
1. arming eritrea – future of the left
2. fuse – hudson mohawke
3. ledmonton – clues
4. religious songs – withered hang
5. paparazzi – lady gaga
Christ this is hard.
1. At least I’ve got friends – Eek! Bandits
2. Hard On – Withered Hand
3. I Will break you – Sparrow & the Workshop
4. My First Soul – Auld Lang Syne
5. William Henry Miller Pt 1 – Meursault
Nice list Bart! Particularly like B.E.E.F.D.I.S.C.O. But for pure geekiness number 42. Bingo Handjob is a real-ish one. Apparently used by REM when doing secret gigs.
FUCK
1. Withered Hand – No Cigarettes
2. The National – So Far Around The Bend (totally with Ian on this, brilliant song)
3. J Tillman – Age Of Man
4. The Builders and The Butchers – Golden and Green
5. Wilco – Bull Black Nova
Ian, my pleasure, and may I compliment you on your selections too?
I was just actually going to say REM used Bingo Handjob for secret gigs on the Out Of Time tour.
Hammock Of Shit might just be genius though!
if i are scientist is pissed already it doesn’t bode well for her getting to the Roxy tonight !!! but good work anyway.
nice find bart !
The Grit Bins? Love that one – there’s a wealth of great band names in street furniture.
Maybe Ian actually wins the thread for sheer Unparallelled Excellence in Geekery.
My top 5
1. Peter Parker ‘Swallow the Rocket.’
2. The Big Pink ‘Velvet.’
3. Mono ‘Everlasting Light.’
4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs ‘Zero.’
5. Telefon Tel Aviv ‘The Birds.’
I know…only one Scottish band. How dare I etc. etc..
If anyone cares enough, the full Festive Fifty is here at http://17seconds.co.uk/blog/2009/12/03/17-seconds-festive-fifty-2009/
(…oh, and 19 of my 50 are by scottish acts)
Here’s five that have been stuck on repeat this year:
1. Camels Swapped For Wives – King Creosote
2. Last Dance – The Raveonettes
3. Winter Home Disco – The Pictish Trail
4. New Dawn – Withered Hand
5. Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons / Red Travellin’ Socks – Malcy Walcy
Bubbling under are Meursault, Panda Su, The Big Pink, The Phantom Band, Slow Club, Frabbits, and about a hundred others.
Withered Hand looking very very healthy indeed so far. And richly deserved too.
Ah balls, I forgot to give it any thought, so now it needs to be random.
1. Mitchell Museum – Tiger Heartbeat
2. Kid Canaveral – Stretching the Line
3. Peter Parker – Swallow the Rockets
4. Bronto Skylift – Cobblepot
5. Trapped In Kansas – The Idiot
1. No Cigarettes – Withered Hand (EP version)
2. The Party – St. Vincent
3. Stillness is the Move – Dirty Projectors
4. The Man Who Took On Love (And Won) – The Low Miffs and Malcolm Ross
5. Southern Point – Grizzly Bear
there’s a few mentions for trapped in kansas. is this the same biffy aping quartet from ayr that aren’t very…. good…?
To Yashin: thanks for picking X-Lion Tamer -much appreciated, from all at 17 Seconds Records
Martin, I have to confess that Trapped in Kansas have never really captured my imagination either. But then, I never listened that carefully, so I’m starting to think it might be time I gave them another go. Mind you, no-one can like everything of course.
Alright, in no particular order today I’ll roll with:
Low Anthem : Champion Angel
Dan Mangan : Basket
The-Dream : Rocking that Shit
Sparrow and the Workshop : The Gun
El Perro Del Mar : Change of Heart
I love list season though, this is basically where I discover the best songs of the year. And in a moment of musical geekery I made a spotify playlist.
http://open.spotify.com/user/rustopher/playlist/5xHJBG5D5q51v0oIaPGcb3
Turns out I like RnB.
1) Meursault – William Henry Miller pt 1 (From the EP ‘Nothing Broke’)
2) Withered Hand – Religious Songs (from Good News)
3) The Twilight Sad – Cold Days From the Birdhouse (From ‘Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters’
4) Jocasta Sleeps – I am a Fin
5) Biffy Clyro – With Aplomb…
N.B – You might think I’m a pretentious cunt including the albums, but those three tracks are on other albums/EPs/Singles. Then again, you might think I’m pretentious for including a N.B…
I can’t do this, it’s tooooooooooo HARD! (said the actress to the bishop…)
Oh OK, off the top of my head at this exact moment in time then….
Stillness is the Move – Dirty Projectors
Summertime Clothes – Animal Collective
Lucky Gilchrist – The Unthanks
You Are The Blood – Sufjan Stevens
Let Fidelity Break – Found
Five is not nearly enough.
Cold Days From the Birdhouse? Was that on some sort of b-side or compilation this year?
1) Mumford and Sons – Dust Bowl Dance
2) Sparrow and the Workshop – I will Break You
3) Mersault – Henry Miller Pt1
4) My First Tooth – Honesty Honesty
5) Souad Massi – Hagda Wala Akter
See, I posted mine before reading everyone elses in the name of science and now, after going back I’m just pissed off. Felice Brothers, Withered Hand…
Bugger begger bugger
So I’ve been very unfair here. I’m not a huge fan of the Avett Brothers or My Laundry Life. Yet I get more excited about I and I Love you and Sons and Guns showing up on my stereo than just about any other song. But because I don’t like the band as much as the ones in my five they got bumped. Shame.
Also, living in America and only getting to this list when everyone is in the pub leads to three post madness.
Come on Tart where the fuck are you?
This was a very handy exercise that forced me to really put some order in my favorites.
1. No You Girls – Franz Ferdinand (and everything else on Tonight)
2. Hearing Damage – Thom Yorke
3. I Live a Lot of Places – Woodpigeon
4. Now’s the Only Time I Know – Fever Ray
5. Kabukimono – Rainbow Arabia
The debut albums by Fever Ray, Woodpigeon, and Rainbow Arabia are nearly flawless, IMHO. I love my next five nearly as much as these, and they come from wonderful albums as well.
Three-post Mentalism, I think you’ll find. And we’re still an hour away from beer o’clock yet (except, was it I Are Scientist, above, who was plastered by noon and is probably snoring away in a quiet corner of the lab by now).
I and Love and You does suffer from being on a weak album, but as an individual song it is amazingly good.
Pub…………..in fact Christmas party
I’m either further away from the pub than I thought because I forgot I’m going to London with work on Monday so I have to take my laptops home before I can go anywhere a pub.
I’ve got my camera with me too because I was planning on going straight out, but I could have left that home.
Grrrr! Arghh!
Lucky fuckers.
My comment makes sense?
See? This is what happens when I’m deprived of beer!
Dylan, that was One-post Mentalism.
Must. Have. Beer.
It’s 11:31am here, and I have to work until 9:30pm Dylan. But I really couldn’t agree more.
With your last post that is.
I have no idea what the mental one above it was about.
1. Meursault- Nothing broke (could’ve been any song off that there EP, but the first 10 seconds of this win it)
2. Yo La Tengo- Periodically Triple or Double (makes my neck do something dead funky).
3. Steve Earle- Lungs (with thanks to the inverness record shop guy who thrust this at me everytime I walked in)
4. LoveStopRepeat- In an aeroplane over the sea (oh fuck yes)
5. Withered Hand- Oldsmobile Car (again, don’t really want to have to choose, but there we are).
It’s been more of a year for music consolidation than discovery for me. Now i’m out of the Highlands, next year’s music is very likely to be more exciting, but probably not as pleasant.
Well for FUCK’S SAKE! Why doesn’t somebody ring me when something important happens over here instead of the usual “my dick is bigger than your record collection” nonsense?
1. Love in the Time of Ecstasy – Withered Hand (long live Dan Willson xo)
2. Snake – One Hundred Hurricanes (ladies, listen to this boy wail! omg!, and the guitar is gorgeous on this)
3. White Blank Page – Mumford & Sons
4. William Henry Miller Pt. 1 – Meursault
5. I Became a Prostitute – Twilight Sad
now… you tell me why only one of my top five is an American artist. Gah… you people!!!
hope you’re good and drunk by now, xox
And is it really necessary for me to point out, once again, that although I adore the Low Anthem, (really) their record is a 2008 release. What came out in 2009 is a re-release on a label which simply re-issued the record which the band put out the year before. Can that really be counted on this year’s end of lists? I would argue no.
rachael dadd – what will be (from ‘after the ant fight’)
andy skellam – waiting patiently (self titled, i think)
this is the kit- two wooden spoons (from ‘krullebol)
the hand – and fold (from ‘berries from the rubble’)
withered hand- love in the time of ecstasy
my heart belongs in bristol.
sorry.. “love in the time of ecstaCy”
and Cogstar, thank you! you’re a star, darling xoxo
So we have a transplanted Bristolian, an a couple of Americans with the listening habits of Scots…
Funnily enough, three-quarters of the albums on my Best of the Decade list are by American bands.
Tart, I accept that about the Low Anthem, but given they aren’t going to figure on any of my lists it’s not an enormous deal
Unlike my record collection, which is much bigger than your dick. Oh, er, hang on…
Man, people here have such similar taste. I’m going to expand upon all this a bit.
1. Phoenix – “Lisztomania” (hype deserved. one of the catchiest songs I’ve ever heard)
2. Florence + The Machine – “Cosmic Love”
3. Mumford & Sons – “I Gave You All”
4. Evening Magazine – “On The Corner”
5. Wakey!Wakey! – “War Sweater”
1 Kurt Vonnegut & Dave Soldier: “Nice Very Nice”
2 Vienna Teng: “Grandmother Song”
3 Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears: “Get Yo’ Shit”
4 Sonos: “White Winter Hymnal”
5 Great Northern: “Fingers”
These are the 5 I have listened to the most this year (that are actually 2009 songs)
1. Love in the Time of HPV – Andrew Jackson Jihad
2. Northeast Kingdom – Sarah Winchester
3. Revenge – The Flaming lips/Dangermouse/Sparklehorse
4. So far around the bend – The National
5. It’s Not Impossible – Jeffrey Lewis and The Junkyard.
Go ahead and judge me.
Having now read the rest – Withered hand is winning by miles, and everyone loves Scotland.
Ian and Euan clearly have superior music taste.
Also, Bart, yes Another Day # 2 is a good song, if slightly Morrisseyish in sentiment – is Ryland Bouchard the guy that did the thing with the robots?
Tart, I wanted to put White Blank Page, which may be my song of the decade, but I think of it as being from before this year.
Released on EP last year, released on LP this year. Ooooh. Moral dilemma!
the robot ate me.
Or him.
Or something.
The link was to a live version, which is the only one I could find online, but the album version is immense.
Seeds is a fucking great album.
It also shits on everything Morrisey has ever done.
Yes, including the Smiths.
I’m feeling controversial today.
1. Darkened Cinema – Vomit in my Popcorn
2. Manchester Rugby Club – French Brunch
3. Prince Albert – What’s That Jangling Sound?
4. The Gravediggers – I dig them
5. So far around the bend
Love the blog. This is the first time I post here.
1. Gimme Sympathy – Metric
2. Uprising – Muse
3. I Am Nothing – Withered Hand
4. Contour and Context – Brown Recluse
5. 1, 2, 3 Goodbye – Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Depends which version of White Blank Page you prefer, Ben. They are strikingly different.
I much prefer the 2008 version, otherwise it would have been in my five alongside the other seven.
She’s been feeling pretty bad about life, about living…
YES, PEEJ
But what does time mean, really? It’s just a false construct, imposed by vain man on the infinite cosmos. Tomorrow is yesterday, and today even more so. Q.E.D.
Also, Champion Angel is a cracking tune, and I just don’t have the heart to leave it out.
Dylan – a couple of the local bands suffered a bit for that in my Festive 50 – Broken Records, Sparrow and Withered Hand all had songs which I absolutely love, but which have already appeared on previous years’ lists in earlier incarnations. With Sparrow it’s kind of cheating, because this is the first year they have released anything, but I listed their demos last year and consequently didn’t want to list them again.
C&B, you’re a not-all-that-close second to Tart on that one.
Although, would that have barred the Young Republic from having anything from 12 Tales From Winter City in anyone’s lists because all those songs have been released before. I think it still counts, it’s still essentially the same release, sure, but had it not been for that second release then hardly anyone here would have heard of them.
Besides, Charlie Darwin was released this year on a single by End of the Road Records.
Javier – nice of you to say hello. And nice to see someone finally mentioning Elvis Perkins. Everyone else’s five are wrong by virtue of that omission, so yours is the first valid entry today.
Matthew, why are you an hour ahead?!
“there’s a few mentions for trapped in kansas. is this the same biffy aping quartet from ayr that aren’t very…. good…?”
Could you even be any more wrong? Biffy aping? I recommend a second listen at least
Touche Dylan.
The 2008 version is considerably better. I can stand by my five.
1. Japandroids – “Sovereignty”
2. Fuck Buttons – “Flight of the Feathered Serpent
3. Copy Haho – “This Retro Decade”
4. Meursault – “Nothing Broke”
5. The Antlers – “Bear”
Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper – Goonies are Good Enough
Just the two.
Well you had me worried there about M&S but now that I know they are different versions I shall sleep tonight. The thing with the Low Anthem is that it is the same exact record.
It’s -3C here and I’m typing this on my phone. In an alley. That’s how much I love you all xoxo
Long time reader, first time commenter.
1. Camera Obscura – Honey In The Sun
Such a feel-good song.
2. Noah And The Whale – The First Days Of Spring
Beautiful.
3. There Will Be Fireworks – Foreign Thoughts
Great Song. Great Album.
4. The Marder – If The West Apologised To The East
Off their Albini-produced EP, it’s so sinister
5. Jeffrey Lewis And The Junkyard – The Upside-Down Cross
A toss up between this and slogans but this narrowly pips it.
Oh and yay for the Antlers because those songs are amazing!!
Withered Hand and Maarsehole get my vote. Although it’s for having no talent whatsoeva award of the year!!! Matt gets my Who’s the biggest deaf twat of year award. Have you guys missed me?
i agree adolph, i’d pay good money to see you take over toad enterprises. shape them up and kick out all the dead dross, good for you.
oh adolph’s comment has been scrubbed, nazi!
This is tough, since I’m always behind. Most of the stuff I like from this year was actually released in 2008. Well, that helped to narrow things down.
Charlie Darwin – The Low Anthem
Rain Roll In – Eilen Jewel
The Mountain – Heartless Bastards
Shampoo – Elvis Perkins in Dearland
The Ghost – Deer Tick
Blimey-there are people on here that arn’t the usual bunch of commentors. Like me.
1. Andrew Weatherall Walk Of Shame
2. The Horrors Who Can Say?
3. Roland S Howard Pop Crimes
4. Fuck Buttons Olympians
5. Kid Congo Powers Rare As The Yeti
No Henry it wasn’t scrubbed, but my splendid Internet Looney Radar requires me to approve all comments by certified mentalists, so it was held up for a while. I’m quite picky about my mentalists, but you two are genuinely first rate so I am delighted to welcome you back. Happy Christmas!
Incidentally, Adolph & Henry, who are you voting for exactly? There are rules on the Friday Fives, even for trolls.
Sorry Matthew – those were actually my responses to last week’s five, and not a list of songs.
Just a wee joke, (with a nod to Bart’s link earlier).
Apparently Trapped in Kansas are quite a divisive bunch, as this evening I got an email calling me a cunt for liking them. My first hate email ever, I’m dead proud.
Ooops, sorry Peej, missed that entirely. I can only really surf the net on my iPhone at work these days, which isn’t all that easy with big long comment threads. I apologise for missing your moment of comic genius and making you explain it, which always rather takes the fun out of these things.
Jim, wait until you get Adolph Crosby (and his friend Henry, who coincidentally has the exact same IP address) then you’ll really know you’ve arrived. Actually I don’t hate Trapped in Kansas at all, and I never meant to imply that I did. I remember they played over here (at the Electric Circus with There Will be Fireworks, I think, but I’m not sure) and I had a quick listen to their MySpace before the gig, but that’s all the listening I’ve done.
So really I’m in no position to say anything at all about them except that I don’t really know their music that well. After all these recommendations I will give them a proper listen in the very near future though.
1. Religious Songs – Withered Hand
2. Two – Antlers
3. William Henry Miller Pt. 1 – Meursault
4. Love In The Time Of Ecstasy – Withered Hand
5. White Blank Page – Mumford & Sons
Yes… I have artist double ups. I am not a purist, but I love both WH songs and so I just don’t care.
Not that I want to imply that you aren’t a cunt of course.
Oh, I meant to say that I like the EP version of ‘Religious Songs’ better than the album version. It’s less polished.
And really, ‘No Cigarettes’ should be in there somewhere too, but I guess putting three tracks by the same artist in my top 5 would kinda defeat the purpose of having a top 5 in the first place.
Oh, and Tart, you’re right about The Low Anthem. I wanted it in my FF but left it out for the obvious reason that it was released in 2008. Silly of me, I know.
So I’m guessing you kinda like Withered Hand?
Actually, I think all the EP versions sound better than the album versions. Doesn’t mean I think the album sounds bad at all of course, because it really doesn’t, just not quite as true to the music.
Yes – the tracks I heard before buying the album were all EP versions and I got to know them so well that the more polished versions on the album gave me a bit of a jolt. I don’t mean to say that the album has that really slick over-produced feeling, because it definitely doesn’t, but it is a little more fleshed out in parts and I kinda like the more rough and ready versions of the EP stuff.
Matthew, no one has ever implied I’m not a cunt, if they did it would be lies.
Anyway, I’m fine with people not liking what I like, none of my pals like what I listen to either, which is why I’m always at gigs on my lonesome.
I only got the Withered Hand album about a week ago, so it hasn’t properly sank in yet.
I do that a lot too. That way if it actually is shit, which when you’re into new music is not all that unlikely, then you aren’t responsible for ruining anyone else’s evening.
No Cigarettes – Withered Hand
WHMpt1 – Meursault
Work Is Done – Navigator
Sigh No More – Mumford & Sons
Summons – Mount Eerie
…I think.
Yay, I was wondering where you’d got to. Good five, too.
Glad to know I’m missed. Merci.
Blimey…this is impossible. I’ll take five from goodness knows how many….
Skyscraper – Julian Plenti
The Girl and the Robot – Royksopp
Dull Life – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
My Maudlin Career – Camera Obscura
Lille – Lisa Hannigan
Skyscraper – nice one.
i would like to point out, at thise stage, that it was not me who called jim a cunt for liking trapped in kansas.
i wouldn’t behave like that
I think we should all call Jim a cunt. Especially you, and particularly because he likes Trapped in Kansas.
Fuckin’ Jim, the cunt.
Shite. Completely forgot about Camera Obscura. Can I have a 6th? Away With Murder is gorgeous.
Anyone else think the way Tracyanne Campbell pronounces ‘murder’ is completely knee buckling? I’m in love with that woman.
1. Little Lion Man; Mumford & Sons,
2. Two Weeks; Grizzly Bear,
3. I Love You; Esser (album version),
4. Ides; frYars (album version),
5. Drowning Men; Fanfarlo,
I’m sure I’ll wake up in a cold sweat tonight when I remember all the other great tracks I should have included. And check it out – no scotch bands in my top five! though Red Candle Bulb, Religious Songs, and Nearly Home are my 6, 7, and 8…
Fever Ray – When I grow up
The Low Anthem – champion angel
Phantom Band- folk song oblivion
Mumford & Sons – little lion man
French Wives – Halloween
I’m in Melbourne ya cunts
Oh no… Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear is a damn good call. a 7th?
aw crap, I forgot My Latest Novel’s All in All in All is All… and Dirty Projectors’ Knotty Pine… damn 2009 for having more than 5 equally amazing tracks!
…and Some Time Around Midnight, by Airborne Toxic Event (good song by otherwise crap band) and some of the Ladyhawke stuff (probably Delirium )…
the cold sweats begin.
Well every time I look at the songs I left off my fifty I realise how wrong my fifty is. Then I change it, look at the songs I left off and once again realise that it is wrong. Repeat ad infinitum.
Chutters, try a spot of John Duval’s Entity – quite decent red.
Will do, but after last night, I’m feeling a little broken!
1. Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear
2. A Good Reason – Broken Records
3. Brothersport – Animal Collective
4. William Henry Miller Pt 1 – Meursault
5. The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of the Future – Los Campesinos
I’m so glad I did one of my semi-regular delurks this week.
Erm, yeah. Sorry about that. We’re all cunts here, mostly. Sorry.
No worries Matthew, if I couldn’t take being a cunt I’d have had to leave Paisley at birth. Although, frankly, I wish I had.
That was meant to be “being called a cunt”, but either way works really.
p.s. after liking winter winds, i have since discovered the rest of the mumford and sons albums to be poor. martinmoog – everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but sparse and lazy comparisons do not go to down especially well, particularly when one has expressed a inclination towards lady gaga
I used to play football in the Paisley & Govan Amateur League Premier Division as a pale, skinny seventeen year old English student in Glasgow. The other teams were mostly released from prison for the afternoon to play the match.
That was fun.
p.p.s forgive my drunken commentary – that should read “lazy comparisons do not go down especially well, particularly when one has expressed an inclination towards Lady Gaga.”
yeah I’ve changed my mind….its now between Massive Piss Hoover and Sex Rusk……
So what happens if some band comes out with a really great tune in the next three weeks? Will it be a best of 2010, or are they just fucked?
If the Low Anthem is disqualified, then so is Sons and Guns (my number 5), which came out as a single on Cloudberry Records in late 2008. If compelled to adopt two substitute tracks, they would be False River by A.A. Bondy and Nothing Broke by some obscure outfit from Edensborough.
Eedin-burg. Don’t worry about those fannies. The 2008 release thing is nit-picking, particularly with indie releases, which are frequently released by band, small label and big label in the space of a year or two.
Ali – yeah, no-one likes drunken fuckers on this site, as you can tell! And anyone who likes Lady Gaga and is prepared to say it here must be prepared for the mockery which is bound to come his way!
Like I said, Edrensburrow.
And where the fuck is DC?
Haha. DC was a prick about the Metalcast, I told him to fuck off, and he’s not been heard from since. Maybe busy, maybe sulking, I’ve no idea.
Jesus toad, how to win friends…..
Tsk tsk tsk. That’s a damn shame. I’ve just gone back and read the Metalcast comment thread, though, and I see what you mean. Odd, like.
It was a really odd comment. Not sure where it came from, really, either, because it was rather out of the blue. Maybe just over-tired, as Dylan suggested.
Jesus son, it was all over by ’51. Big Red Bonker’s last cut was the last note to be real. Music was dead by the time Elvis came around, just face it and give us all a rest. I’d like you to start thinking about other things now and talk only about them on your blog. I think there’s more to you than just this crazy posh guy who likes totally rotten music. It’s just pointless going on about these bands who are unknown for the simple reason, they’re totally shit. I therefore suggest for the benefit of all, you pack it all in. Talk about something else, ban music completely. The Taliban got that right at least. Be brave and get it out your life or it will ruin you for good. Stop listening to music because it’s totally fucking dead and is making us all into robots. There’s special micro metal bits that fly out of your stereo or ipod into your eardrums and make you dumb. Wise right up sucker, time’s never been there to change in the first place. you dig, pig?
1. The xx vs. Florence and The Machine – “You Got The Love”
2. London Elektricity – “Just One Second”
3. A Camp – “Love Has Left The Room”
4. Great Lake Swimmers – “Everything Is Moving So Fast”
5. Nitin Sawhney – “Ek Jaan” (feat Reena Bhadwaj)
–
6. Campfires & Battlefields – “Unlock Your Hands From Your Crabbed Organ of Benevolence”
“Jesus son, it was all over by ‘51. Big Red Bonker’s last cut was the last note to be real. Music was dead by the time Elvis came around, just face it and give us all a rest. I’d like you to start thinking about other things now and talk only about them on your blog. I think there’s more to you than just this crazy posh guy who likes totally rotten music. It’s just pointless going on about these bands who are unknown for the simple reason, they’re totally shit. I therefore suggest for the benefit of all, you pack it all in. Talk about something else, ban music completely. The Taliban got that right at least. Be brave and get it out your life or it will ruin you for good. Stop listening to music because it’s totally fucking dead and is making us all into robots. There’s special micro metal bits that fly out of your stereo or ipod into your eardrums and make you dumb. Wise right up sucker, time’s never been there to change in the first place. you dig, pig?”-
Hahaha….I can’t tell if this chap is deranged or just an unspeakable cunt….I’ve decided to do my fives based on who I think our troll might be…
1. Matthews long lost brother who his parents secretly raised in the woods as an experiment.
2. Santa
3. Bart’s beard…seeking it’s untimely revenge. (why do you shun me father!!!!)
4. DC
5. just a cunt
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I don’t really listen to anything any more (or write anything other than on a Friday, alright, a Saturday, on here) and have reverted to my 1990s self. I could do a top five cheeses of the year more easily than top five songs, unless I’m allowed to do what I did last year for you and write a review of the year that had nothing to do with music in the year, which you quite properly didn’t post.
But I know my rules!
came on to comment and to finally de-lurk and found there is another ali, now i’m confused
hard to choose five songs from a strong year, plus i change my mind most of the time, but on a slow rainy saturday the list looks something like this;
dirty projectors – two doves
the antlers – bear
opluss – the fox
grizzly bear – (ummm, hard to choose)
meursault – crooked son
the animal theme looked so nice until the end there. oh and monsters of folk – EVERY single track….
1. chet – the night, the night
2. richard hawley – remorse code
3. the antlers – two
4. loney, dear – summers
5. a camp – love has left the room
a puzzling note regarding ‘the night, the night’: there are 70 seconds of brilliance in this song (roughly between the 1:35 and 2:46 mark); the rest i can do without (too much unnecessary falsetto). those 70 seconds, though, were happily stuck in my head for weeks.
i like your blog. greetings from nashville.
Hello Carl and Ali, thanks for chipping in.
Adam, I was waiting for your five to close the voting and that’s all you’ve got for me? Ah, well, at least accept special dispensation to write down the five songs you’ve been listening to most this year then.
And I am going to go out on a limb here, but I don’t think Henry Winkleyton is a full on, proper troll. There’s a little too much amusement in the abuse and not enough barely contained hostility. Also, proper trolls tend to get themselves into such a state of excitement that they over-format their stuff and add loads of capitals and unnecessary punctuation, which isn’t happening here either, so I am going to say either this is a fairly reasonable person trying to get out, or someone on whom I should be calling Poe, because it smacks more of a wind-up than genuine trolling.
Henry, you have come to a blog about new and emerging music to complain that I talk too much about new and emerging music. Do you go to the BBC News Desk and complain that they should include more comedy skits? Or more news from the Second World War because it was much more interesting back then?
Of course, loads of these bands simply won’t cut it, will only manage a little bit of interesting material and then will never be heard of again. I wouldn’t disagree with you for a second – lots of people can generate a few good ideas, but very few have enough to sustain a whole career, but that doesn’t negate the fun in trying.
Besides, its being futile and pointless hasn’t stopped you leaving random comments on blogs, now, has it?
Yey! It’s Saturday and the fives are still in full flow! Although voting has officially stopped it doesn’t matter because mine won’t effect it in the slightest.
I am confused however by I Are Scientist posting her fives after we were already half an hour into Christmas Dinner. I smell a rat, and I think he’s a very nice archaelogist called Wilf. Big cheat.
I am generally nowhere near as obscure in my tastes as the rest of you and have also totally lost track of what has been released as singles this year, so these are just five songs that I have liked a lot since January.
1. My Latest Novel: All In All In All Is All
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Softshock
3. Bat For Lashes: Siren Song
4. Animal Collective: My Girls
5. Fuck Buttons: Surf Solar
I now feel like I really don’t belong here at all!
okay, for proper….
the leg- switches (this wins by a mile)
yusuf azak- the key underground
navigator- work is done
casiotone for the painfully alone- man o’war
animal collective- in the flowers
feel like I’m not really aloud to include WH in my list for obvious reasons but ‘no cigarettes’ would be up there otherwise.
no eagleowl either but thats only because I don’t have a ‘hardcopy’ of it yet so it’s not been properly digested and only listened to through myspace on shitty macbook speakers.
I really missed Adolph Crosby, his friend Henry seems nice too.
Lovely couple of rabid lunatics, really lovely. We should have them round more often.
Mr Bear’s five is a late contender for comment of the year.
This one or the first one?
Matthew’s posh blog suddenly turned into an episode of The Young Ones.
lady gaga has tunes. only two or three, but definite tunes.
Obviously I meant Mr Bear’s earlier joking five as a contender for comment of the year.
His real five is pretty fucking dull by comparison.
Dev, yes, keep this sort of nonsense and it might actually end up worth reading one of these days.
MartinMoog – that’s as may be, but surely you know better than to say that out loud and not have the piss ripped. Come on, man, it’s dreary white boy indie or nothing around these parts.
Dylan – yeah, I thought his actual five were a bit disappointing too. What a dull fellow.
Lady Gaga has a cock too, or so I heard.
this is a copy of a verYYY angry letter i sent just the other day.
Dear Crimedesk,
I am writing to you to complain about the news….. It’s really shit now cause everything’s been done and you’re just repeating yourselves endlessly. OMG!!!!! Everything you tell us to make falls apart – nuclear shelter from old Kensitas Club coupons, getting fucking real!!!!!!!!!! FUCK SQUARED!!!! I’M getting disorientated with all this old stuff, it’s getting me DRenched in it’s mUrky mmmmuddd???!!? please replace all this muck with 24 hr camera footage of that fat tory guy with the crazy white hair Boris? something? -something…probably!!!! Never Know it may get the sCUm off the streets for good. No resT until we Rid this land of old bad and look forward to the new good. yours, h winkleYton.
there you are mister, it’s not just bad music i’m after.
Dylan – Adolph thinks your a little deaf twat and so do i. I”M A REEaly big cunt so don’t get too slimey, tiny!!!!
dylan – i’ve heard about that lady gaga penis thing too. a friend’s girlfriend is obsessed with finding out if it’s true, and has been on a youtube hunt for footage that would prove it. so far, she’s come up with dick all.
no cock, no tunes.
In no order
De Rosa – It Helps To See You Hurt
We Were Promised Jetpacks – Keeping Warm
The Phantom Band – Crocodile
TV21 – Forever 22
Mitchell Museum – Tiger Heartbeat
There should be stuff in there from Lord Cut-glass – Lord Cut-glass and Lucas Renney – Strange Glory but the records are so consistently great that there’s just not a stand-out on either.
In no particular order…
“In The Flowers” – Animal Collective
“Folk Song Oblivion” – Phantom Band
“Trains” – Johnny Flynn
“When I Grow Up” – Fever Ray
“Passionate Introverts (Dinosaurs)” – A Sunny Day in Glasgow
I’d have put “Winter Home Disco” in there too if it hadn’t come out last year.
Like most others, I would probably come up with a completely different top five tomorrow, eg:
Screaming Laptop “She’s Lost Control-Alt-Delete”
Meridian Turnpike “Stanchion Wholesalers”
Skonto Riga “Last night a DJ tore my tux”
Slow Motion Riot “Well Hilaire There (Prince Vince mix)”
Testos Te Rosa “Lady or Gaga”
Ah I forgot about “Tiger Heartbeat”: definitely MM’s finest moment.
Heheh. “Fuck squared”. I’m going to use that..
Okay… this is a five songs I like an awful lot at the moment…
1. Head of Femur – Eliot Gould Is In California Split (for nostalgia, as it was one of the first songs I ever listened to online)
2. The Wannadies – That’s All (it’s lovely)
3. The Magnetic Fields – Nothing Matters When We’re Dancing (it’s lovely)
4. Love – A House Is Not A Motel (after Ed mentioned Love on his thirty three and a third thing I went back and listened to forever changes quite a lot)
5. Battle – Tendency (‘I know I dance like a drunken arse…’)
The only way I managed to vote for a reasonable number of songs in the contrast festive fifty was to do what you told us to.
Will someone give Henry a hug? Poor little lamb seems really unhappy.
Cold Days was on the ‘Here It Never Snowed, Afterwards it Did’ EP.
But I think I’ve gotten myself confused.. Was it JUST tracks from this year?
Yes. Except for me
Glad to see some mentions for Panda Su here too, the EP is ace, also Low Fidelity Break by Found (I know none of these count any more, but 5 is very hard, then again, if I only had to pick 10 I’d struggle to do less than 15..)
As a few bands have more than one song represented, it’ll be interesting* to see what band comes out on top, not just which precise song.
And Becky, it definitely was me earlier – I think the clock is wrong or something as I deffo posted between coffee-time drinking and lunchtime-drinking (or, more precisely, in-car-on-way-to-restaurant-drinking.) Managed to carry on drinking through the evening as well, which I’m quite proud of (one should have goals in life I feel) – I usually have to go home for a nap by about tea-time.
(*Moderately so. Perhaps we could have some nice graphs, including error bars, standard deviation, and an appreciation of the correct statistical approaches, obv)
Hmm… cheat or time travel?! Either way I think I need some of what you’re having Scientist! 12 hours or epic drinking felt fine yesterday, but today it is a whole world of pain. My frail PhD riddled body can’t do this anymore!
The clock on the site hasn’t been adjusted for daylight savings yet.
I’m convinced I’m the only living organism
in the known universe who thinks Forever Changes by Love is shit.
The mould growing on the tiles in the bathroom give it five star reviews. I don’t get it.
I am partied all to pieces.
It’s a first, I agree with Dylan………..I posted virtually the same thing on Ed’s blog a few weeks ago. Be prepared for some ag Dylan as the locals don’t like you having a go against their man.
An Matthew stop being a soft arse you have to make it through next weekend….I got the Cd’s thanks and they are a bit special.
Quite liked that Samantha Crain – thanks!
Thanks for all the support for ‘Trapped in Kansas’
we do read blogs from time to time so all the support is greatly appreciated!
to mathew we haven’t played at the electric circus or with there will be fireworks, so it must be someone else your thinking off
also if someone happens to like us then great fantastic we love your support, it’s what keeps us going, and likewise if someone hates us, great, then at least your entitled to your opinion…..how would that person feel if he/she suddenly received e-mails from people calling them a c*** because they liked ‘such and such’….it’s not a very mature thing to do at the end of the day….we’ve never been a band that is going to appeal to the mass market, we’ve always know this, that is why we’re thankfull to every who writes nice things or goes to our gigs…
in future perhaps not reading jim’s blog or not listening to our music….rathering than resort to playground behaviour!
anyway while i’m here my favourite tracks of 2009:
5. The Antlers – Bear
4. Frightened Rabbit – Swin until your can’t see land
3. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
2. The Twilight Sad – I became a Prostitue
1. Dananananaykroyd – Infinity Milk
Yeah, the cunt email was quite funny. Poor old Jim seemed a little shocked, but it’s happened to me once or twice as well. Probably best just to treat it as part of the entertainment and move on.
I think the attitude you have is spot on – I think we all have to bear in mind that while we might find our audience somewhere, basically most of what we do or talk about at gigs or on blogs or wherever is going to be limited in how big in can get simply because it isn’t an entirely a mass-market thing.
This doesn’t mean it won’t or can’t happen, but I think we need to be aware that a lot of the time it probably won’t, and that shouldn’t reflect on anyone’s perception of success. That goes for this site as much as it goes for any of the bands