BBC radio 6 Music is celebrating 10 years (actually nearly 11 by now) as a radio station by asking people to choose their favourite song from a list compiled by staff and presenters from March 2002 to the end of 2012. Interesting idea. You can vote here.
My own shortlist (from the shortlist) is....
Coldplay - Clocks (from the best Coldplay album, back when they knew how to write songs)
Elbow - One Day Like This (as long as it's the album version and not the shorter single)
Fleet Foxes - Mykonos
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out (the best song they've made and still wonderful)
Johnny Cash - Hurt (a heartfelt rendition of the Trent Reznor masterpiece by a timeless genius)
The Killers - Mr Brightside (one of my favourite mood-lifting songs)
Kings Of Leon - Molly's Chambers (the only KOL song I like - and a great pop song)
Laura Marling - Sophia
LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends (not as great as Losing My Edge or the Pretentious version of Yeah but still great)
Midnight City - M83
Mumford & Sons - The Cave (between this and Little Lion Man)
The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio (as close to perfect as it gets)
Noah & The Whale - Five Years Time (for Laura - and because it's more perfect pop)
Richard Hawley - Tonight The Streets Are Ours (sublime)
Sigur Ros - Hoppipola (uplifting, mesmerising and beautiful - one of my Desert Island Discs)
The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (awesome)
There is no Bat For Lashes as Daniel is better than the more recent Laura. No Black Keys as I Got Mine is better than Lonely Boy. Later Florence & The Machine is better than anything from Lungs, i.e. What The Water Gave Me. Likewise Goldfrapp has to be A&E over Strict Machine. Kasabian should be from the début or Empire instead of Fire and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds should be Breathless or I Call Upon The Author or Hiding All Away and Gold Lion is the quintessential Yeah Yeah Yeah's song.
And too many bands and artists missing to mention. Death Cab For Cutie, to mention one.
I voted for Sigur Ros but could have gone for The Killers, The National or Laura Marling.
I've never been a huge David Bowie fan but at the risk of jumping on an already packed bandwagon, this new single, accompanied by a 'creepy' surreal video which isn't quite as odd as it could have been, is rather magnificent. You can see it all here.
This is Bowie's first new song in ten years and this nostalgia trip back to Berlin grows into a cinematic work of genius, subtle and unassuming with a delicate vocal contrasted with huge orchestral music.
The winner of the BBC Sound of 2013 is LA sister trio HAIM. Great to see a band winning (so many solo artists have topped the shortlist in recent years) and such a strong female-oriented line-up. The top five are:
HAIM
AlunaGeorge
Angel Haze
Laura Mvula
CHVRCHES
HAIM create a combination of retro-80s pop rhythms, a bit of R&B and plenty of big guitars. There are definitely echoes of 'Tango In The Night' era Fleetwood Mac on big single Don't Save Me...
The BBC Sound of 2013 longlist has been published. The artists are:
A*M*E
AlunaGeorge
Angel Haze
Arlissa
CHVRCHES
HAIM
King Krule
Kodaline
Laura Mvula
Little Green Cars
Palma Violets
Peace
Savages
The Weeknd
Tom Odell
The five artist shortlist is being announced a day at a time and the first in the top five are Glasgow electro-pop trio CHVRCHES. Number four in the shortlist is Birmingham's Laura Mvula. Seeing the longlist for the first time, the immediate stand-out artists based on what I heard in 2012 are AlunaGeorge, Kodaline, Palma Violets, Savages and Tom Odell.
The electronic-infused garage-soul of AlunaGeorge, aka Aluna and er... George, from London is slightly quirky and interesting. Single Your Drums is both compelling and annoying while You Know You Like It is better. The juxtaposition of styles is a great concept.
Kodaline is a quartet from Dublin, with the gorgeous vocals of Stephen Garrigan, who released their début eponymous EP this year including the psychedelic ballad Lose Your Mind. Influences are easy to hear, from The Beatles to Radiohead but Kodaline immediately sound like a band destined for big things. There is also a bit of Dry The River (on the stirring Pray) which is no bad thing.
Palma Violets, a furious and frustrated quartet from London caught my attention on Later... with Jools when they performed Tom The Drum - a complete shambles of a performance but with raw intensity and plenty of passion, and just a bit of retro guitars. Another band who need songs and a strong début album.
Savages, another London four-piece are more rooted in the dark electronica of the 80s and recently followed Flying To Berlin/Husbands with the live EP I Am Here while Tom Odell, again based in London, is the strongest of the five with an impressive début Songs From Another Love, backed up with a heartbreaking vocal and emotive piano.
As for CHVRCHES, they certainly deserve a place in the top 5 - vibrant keyboards and Lauren Mayberry's chirpy pop vocals make The Mother We Share a great single and the live performance of We Sink (at Maida Vale for the BBC) shows that electronic music is not all pre-constructed and a great example of a band embracing technology within the excitement of a gig. You can see it here...
Laura Mvula has found a wonderful combination of narrative song writing,
clear vocals and soulful instrumentation, delicate at times then softly
explosive. She talks on the BBC website about her love of voice and piano, simple arrangements and intimate stories.
As for the rest, self-confident 18 year old A*M*E, who recently signed to Gary Barlow's label, really needs Barlow to write her some decent songs if Play The Game Boy is anything to go by. That said, her clear (if over-produced) vocals, attitude and swagger is out there. Angel Haze is likely to go far - a no-nonsense female rapper from New York while Arlissa's only work to date is a duet with Nas which is like an upbeat take on Dido and Eminem.
Haim comprise three sisters from LA who have gone 'solo' from their family band - and an interesting mix of R&B influenced vocals, pop rhythms and sublime guitars, while another young Londoner, King Krule (previously Zoo Kid) really sounds like he doesn't want to be singing - think a morose angst-ridden Billy Bragg, if that's possible.
The final three of the BBC Sound Of 2013 longlist are another Dublin band Little Green Cars - like Mumford & Sons with big guitars, Peace - Birmingham's answer to the stutter-rock of Foals or Friendly Fires, and Toronto's The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) whose début album of 'mixtapes' Trilogy yields the largest body of work (occasionally brilliant but often dull and anonymous R&B) for any artist on the longlist.
The end of the year chart is here! A strong finish with some great new albums from Julia Holter, Martin Rossiter, Melody's Echo Chamber, Willy Mason, The Unthanks (again), The Staves, Green Day (again, again, again!), James Iha, Pond and Singing Adams.
Dry The River were the early contenders for best album of the year and it was never bettered. Mumford & Sons, Jake Bugg, Sigur Ros and First Aid Kit forming the impressive top 5.
Shallow Bed by Dry The River
Babel by Mumford & Sons
Jake Bugg by Jake Bugg
Valtari by Sigur Ros
The Lion's Roar by First Aid Kit
Sugaring Season by Beth Orton
Carry On by Willy Mason
Bloom by Beach House
Traces by Karine Polwart
Ssss by Vcmg
The Defenestration of St Martin
The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind by Ben Folds Five
The Haunted Man By Bat For Lashes
Company by Andy Burrows
Look To The Sky by James Iha
Psychedelic Pill by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Generation Freakshow by Feeder
Celebration Rock by Japandroids
The 2nd Law by Muse
Cut The World by Antony & The Johnsons
Oshin by Diiv
Silver Age by Bob Mould
Electric Cables by Lightships
New Wild Everywhere by Great Lake Swimmers
Standing At The Sky's Edge by Richard Hawley
The Ghost In Daylight by Gravenhurst
Born And Raised by John Mayer
Coexist by The xx
Sun by Cat Power
Strangeland by Keane
Do The Struggle by Franz Nicolay
¡Tre!by Green Day
Lost Songs by And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
A Conversation Well Rehearsed by The Birthday Suit
An Awesome Wave by Alt-J
The Blossom Chronicles by Philter
Battle Born by The Killers
Sweet Heart Sweet Light by Spiritualized
Moves by Singing Adams
Ghostory by School of Seven Bells
Charmer by Aimee Mann
¡Uno!by Green Day
Dead & Born & Grown by The Staves
Like Drawing Blood by Gotye
Observator by The Raveonettes
Now For Plan A by The Tragically Hip
III by Crystal Castles
Songs From The Shipyards by The Unthanks
Race The Loser by Lau
Southern Air by Yellowcard
Dead End Kings by Katatonia
Banga by Patti Smith
Instinct by Niki And The Dove
Human Again by Ingrid Michaelson
Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Privateering by Mark Knopfler
The Unthanks with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band by The Unthanks
20 by Kate Rusby
Close Up, Vol. 4 - Songs Of Family by Suzanne Vega
Even On The Worst Nights by Mixtapes
Koi No Yokan by Defones
Unknown Rooms by Chelsea Wolfe
Oceania by Smashing Pumpkins
Blood Speaks by Smoke Fairies
Handwritten by The Gaslight Anthem
Beard Wives Denim by Pond
Forward/Return by The Album Leaf
Stardust by Lena
The Light The Dead Can See by Soulsavers
Hello Hum by Wintersleep
Sounds From Nowheresville by The Ting Tings
Lonerism by Tame Impala
Allah-Las by Allah-Las
Mutual Friends by Boy
Devotion by Jessie Ware
Ekstasis by Julia Holter
Would You Stay by Steffaloo
Moth by Exlovers
Tramp by Sharon Van Etten
KU:PALM by Photek
WIXIW by Liars
My Head Is An Animal by Of Monsters And Men
Young Man In America by Anais Mitchell
Given To The Wild by The Maccabees
The Sister by Marissa Nadler
Americana by Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Unearth by Grasscut
Little Broken Hearts by Norah Jones
Gold Dust by Tori Amos and Jules Buckley
King Animal by Soundgarden
Melody's Echo Chamber by Melody's Echo Chamber
Hot Cakes by The Darkness
Synthetica by Metric
Words And Music by Saint Etienne
Wonky by Orbital
Crown And Treaty by Sweet Billy Pilgrim
Shrines by Purity Ring
Internal Logic by Grass Widow
¡Dos!by Green Day
Here Come The Bombs by Gaz Coombes
Tough Love by Pulled Apart by Horses
Interstellar by Frankie Rose
New Relics by Errors
An Omen EP by How To Destroy Angels
Dead In The Boot by Elbow
Wild Peace by Echo Lake
Dub Egg by The Young
Born Villain by Marilyn Manson
Let It Break by Gemma Hayes
Life Is Good by Nas
Living Things by Linkin Park
Beacon by Two Door Cinema Club
Oh No I Love You by Tim Burgess
Underwater Sunshine by Counting Crows
Manifest! by Friends
Clear Moon by Mount Eerie
Tree Bursts In Snow by Admiral Fallow
Human Don't Be Angry by Human Don't Be Angry
The Family Tree: The Roots by Radical Face
Weapons by Lostprophets
Blues Funeral by Mark Lanegan Band
A Monument by Tu Fawning
Aufheben by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Have Some Faith In Magic by Errors
Hello Cruel World by Gretchen Peters
Voyageur by Kathleen Edwards
Pale Fire by El Perro Del Mar
Long Live The Struggle by The King Blues
Fossil Of Girl by Sarah Donner
Blunderbuss by Jack White
Here I Am by Oli Brown
Spirits by Plankton Wat
Visions by Grimes
Come Home To Mama by Martha Wainwright
Tales From The Barrel House by Seth Lakeman
Dark Black by Kristina Train
The Temper Trap by The Temper Trap
¿Which Side Are You On? by Ani Difranco
Eighty One by Yppah
Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen
First Serve by De La Soul's Plug 1 and Plug 2
Kin Con by Alex Winston
Gossamer by Passion Pit
The Afterman: Ascension by Coheed and Cambria
Siberia by LIGHTS
Ocean Roar by Mount Eerie
Europe by Allo Darlin'
North by Matchbox Twenty
The Something Rain by Tindersticks
Something by Chairlift
The House That Jack Built by Jesca Hoop
Mirage Rock by Band Of Horses
The Savage Heart by The Jim Jones Revue
Who Needs Who by Dark Dark Dark
Anxiety by Ladyhawke
Fear Fun by Father John Misty
Transcendental Youth by The Mountain Goats
Fragrant World by Yeasayer
Shields by Grizzly Bear
California 37 by Train
Break It Yourself by Andrew Bird
Reign Of Terror by Sleigh Bells
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping
Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do by Fiona Apple
