Top 10 singles of 2013

  here are my Top 10 singles of 2013.

  and yes I know it's took me 8 months to do it. but I lost 
  a lot of motivation to do blog stuff lately. having said that, 
  doing this has reminded me how much I enjoy the whole
  process. so thanks to Stu + Dandy for the motivation/kick 
  up the backside.

  some choices might surprise a few people. but if you know 
  me just a little bit, you will already know my music taste 
  is pretty varied ;)

  oh yeah, and don't expect my album choices to be anything 
  like this(!) pop may rule the single choices but indie always
  rules the albums. weird? probably ... but that is just the 
  kinda guy I am!!

  let me know if you like any of these songs ... 
  what were your favourite singles of last year?
  let me know in the comments section below

  ps/ and I know Stu is rolling his eyes already just at #10  
  ... let alone 9 !!! ;)

#10 - Applause - Lady Gaga



   this was a weird one. unlike previous lead-off singles Bad 
   Romance/Born This Way that hadn't impressed me much 
   on first listen, but then had a complete turn-around. this 
   never really reached those heights. though I did actually
   start to really like it: it's almost un-pop song like structure 
   with the clipped vocal delivery and sparse beats, and the
   whole idea of a non-anthem used as an anthem.
 
#9 - Work Bitch - Britney Spears



   in which Britney sounds like she's stumbled into an underground
   german club and barked some commands over the most repetitive 
   (and goddamn perfect beat) ever. it's gets interesting at 2.45 when 
   it goes all trance-y, and touches on the one thing that always made
   trance so special, the feeling of euphoria and emotion.

   and the part at 3.12 is the sound of Britney destroying everything 
   Beyonce has achieved in the past 10 years ... in 15 seconds flat.

#8 - Flatline - MKS



   ' I know what I face. The silence is deafening. I know crying through
    pain won't make it right '

   one reunion off my list. and one I never EVER expected to see.
   this warms my heart. for real. that the original Sugababes got
   back together, as friends, and a band, after everything that had
   happened ... made this song, looked happy and looked like they 
   were thoroughly enjoying every second of it, makes you realise 
   that perhaps there is a place for optimism in the world.

   the song should have been a #1. it sold about 5 copies. 
   I wonder if that crap woman from Harvest did the promotion?

  #7 - The Apple - VV Brown

 

   ' Hold my soul now, Inside your box, Make me loose, Psychological locks '

    now this was a surprise. I already liked VV Brown and had bought
    her first album (on the back of Shark in the water) ... but I was not
    expecting this hypnotic, beat-heavy Grace Jones-like track when
    I watched the above on Jools Holland last October ... it took me 
    approximtately 10 seconds to know I would be buying the album.
    and I did.

#6 - Glitterbombed - Charlotte Church

    'When I talk, And your words fall out, They’ve got silver on the edge, 
     Hang shining in the air'
   
   yes this is Charlotte Church. her of 12 year old Voice of an angel
   fame. yes, it is amazing and sounds like Bjork and every other 
   female artist I love.
   
   and yes I was blown *utterly* away when I watched the above.
   I wish every artist had this self belief to just do what they like and
   not care about convention. just follow their heart. no scrub that, 
   I wish that *everyone* just went and did that, myself included.

   all you need is total self-belief ... this 3 minutes shows you that.
 
#5 - Little Me - Little Mix



   ' You can be beautiful, wonderful, anything you want to be '

   if there is one thing I love in music. it is when a song has a real
   message. I love that 12 year olds are hearing stuff like this in 
   amongst all the s*** out there ... what music should be about. 

   sounding like classic En Vogue and following in the footsteps of 
   R&B empowerment ballads such as Sugababes’ "Ugly" Destiny’s 
   Child’s "Survivor" and Christina Aguilera’s "Beautiful" it doesn't
   really get any better than this.

   ' Wish I could somehow go back in time and maybe listen to 
     my own advice' 

#4 - When I was your girl - Alison Moyet

 

   ' I'd put on every coat. To wear the weather down. But even in the sun. 
     You said you tasted rain. I watched you unfurl. You held on to me '

   *this* is how to make a comeback. I knew Alison had a new record 
   coming out. but I kind of expected it to be more soulful bluesy stuff.
   then I saw the above performance. 

    mouth. 
    dropped. 
    open.

    I swear in May 2013. I listened to this about 500,000 times in 2 days.
    no lie. I do this with every song I like. does anyone else? ... just me?

    I was (and still am) slightly obsessed with the whole torch song/kd lang 
    feel it has to it ... the verses, with that urging driving beat REALLY GET
    TO ME ... my favourite parts of the whole song. and the words ... the 
    ones above alone ... geez

   ' Into corners sweep our rage ... I would never leave you crying '

 #3 - Hearts Like Ours - The Naked and Famous 



   ' There's a fear that won't subside ... Of all the things I'll never do '

   July 2013.
   it's funny ... just when you need a band the most. they come back.
   this appeared exactly at the time I needed to hear a song like this.
   it soundtracked my days. I listened to it on a loop.
   
   the best thing was when I first heard it, I didn't really know who
   it was until the end. the image change completely threw me ... 
   but the sound was so familiar ... just couldn't quite place it. so 
   glad I couldn't, because that moment when the name popped 
   up at the very end as I watched MTV was an amazing, amazing 
   moment.

   regarding the video. I.have.no.words.

   I am in love with every other frame, and just want to pause it and
   look for 30 seconds, and just take in the beauty.

  ' could we try to reinvent. feed the head with common sense ' 
  ' leave this place behind, in silence. and the weight we find inside us '

#2 - Snow - Frida Sundermo



   ' I've never been this far away from you my friend, I need you here '

   this always used to be on at the gym, at first I thought it was Robyn.
   and for ages I had no idea who it was, as no name/song title ever 
   came up. then I found out who it was, watched it properly on yotube 
   and properly fell in love with it.

   this is exactly my kind of song .... desolate, with delicate beats
   quietly euphoric ... and utterly beautiful.

  'I'm alone ... surrounded by the snow'

#1 - Another Love - Tom Odell

   
   ' I wanna sing a song, That'd be just ours, And I wanna cry,
    I wanna fall in love '

   I know it's probably not cool/cred. and is not even remotely 
   indie. I don't care.

   this is my favourite song of last year. I have only listened to 
   it once since buying it. why? because I have to have one song 
   that I don't know inside out ... every nuance and inflection, 
   every chord change. I want to try and hold onto that feeling 
   that you get when you hear a song for the first time ... that 
   rush you get, of thinking this song will change your life and 
   wondering how you could have ever got by without knowing 
   it ... having it in your life.

   I knew this was going to be important to me when I heard 
   snippets of it around the time it was released. but I resisted 
   listening to it in full because I wanted to save it for when I 
   really needed it the most. I bought it in December time last 
   year and listened to it on the way to the Gym. what struck 
   me was the anger and overwrought emotion that came in at 
   the end. just blew me away. this song I already liked, was 
   now affecting me on a whole other level.

   I just listened to it for the 2nd time.  I lasted 8 seconds before 
   tearing up ... and at 1.20 a tear fell down.

   I can't explain. when I hear this, it's like I need it more than 
   any other song ever released. I guess it's why music means so 
   much to me and why I place so much importance in the power 
   of music.

   ** oh yeah, I have now listened to it a lot more than 2 times.