Merry Christmas to all my readers (a very small number I suppose). Well, for the next five days including today, I will be doing a feature 50 Favourite Songs of 2009. It will be divided into 5 parts, 10 songs for each day. Why I'm not doing a ranked list - it's because I don't think I have that discerning a ear yet to rank the songs, and personally for me, good music is good music, there's no real need to rank them. Besides, it's gonna be a real huge headache trying to rank 50 songs, and the best ones at that, what with all the good music dropped this year. So, the 50 songs listed in this feature are my favourite songs for 2009, and are in no particular order.
Thought to self: To actually just fit 50 songs is gonna be crazy, I mean, I don't even know where to start. Gotta thank my procrastinating self, I knew I should have started earlier.
Muse - Resistance
The almost title track of the album, immediately reminded me of 2006's Starlight from "Black Holes and Revelations". The short piano-infused intro bears slight resemblance, and that chorus of "it could be wrong, could be wrong...." mildly reminiscent of "hold you in my arms/i just wanted to hold/you in my arms". A balladic rock anthem taking it's place amongst my Muse favourites such as Time Is Runnng Out, Starlight, Map of the Problematique, Knights of Cydonia amongst others.
official, myspace, last.fm
Kings of Convenience - Boat Behind
How is anyone not to enjoy their brand of laid back acoustic songs that totally lull you into singing along and feeling so good? Well, that's this Norwegian duo for you.
official, myspace, last.fm
Animal Collective - My Girls
My Girls is almost a compendium of sounds that can be used from the synths. Ok, it's an exaggeration, but clearly, a myriad of electronic sounds can be heard in the song at any point in time. Psychedelic euphoria at best, electronic noise at worst, much has been said of AC's much vaunted single from "Merriweather Post Pavillion". However, I believe that detractors are far too few and in between, and with a well produced song as such, it's not hard to see why. Approaching new grounds and yet retaining some elements of old, this will clearly remain a favourite for the years to come.
official, myspace, last.fm
Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
Four of them looking goody-two-shoes, glowing even brighter than the early morning sun. Before long, sparks are flying and their heads catch fire. The same can be said of the song, hot out of the studio, the album leaked amid the hype surrounding "Veckatimest". The song building up gently with the keyboard and some choir-like vocals. Sounding almost like a church-choir, the song seems to be crawling out from under it's shelter, stretching well and good before hitting the ground running. It's apt that when they start off with a lilting "whoa-oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh", they hit their stride midway with "whoa-oh-whoa-oh-whoa-oh", the fragmented phrases Ed Droste sings of distance and love, fall in place nicely; like the end where their heads burst into fire, one can bask in the song's full aural glory.
official, myspace, last.fm
Reverie Sound Revue - Walking Around Waiting Downtown
A really fantastic song set to a poor video. I mean, a very fast-forwarded Harry Potter? Lisa's well toned voice sings of something most people do everyday, literally of walking around and waiting downtown. A suitably paced song filled with ambient sounds, they do not feel like they're rushing through anything, taking their time with the song, walking and waiting. RSR have a delight that never fails to set one in a good contemplative mood.
official, myspace, last.fm
Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (feat. Beth Ditto)
When you have a song featuring Beth Ditto of Gossip, you know you're gonna have a song with solid vocals that's not going to let you down. Someone of her stature with
a duo who are known for their heavily stylised tracks, you can immediately turn up the dial and start grooving. SMD's background arrangements are nearly outdone by her vocals, but with deadly hooks like that, they go head to head with each other; at times competing yet complementing each other, it's one pretty good dance song.
official, myspace, last.fm
The Black Atlantic - Madagascar
This little known group hailing from Groningen, Netherlands leaves us wanting more with a pleasant, affectionate track titled Madagascar. I've not been to Madagascar, but if this song embodies what this country is about, I can perfectly envision a quaint country with so many little things to love. A particular line in this acoustic number keeps returning to me, because it seems so apt "whether man needs the lie like air to survive". I would like to pose this question to myself, but I think I wouldn't be able to find an answer.
official, myspace, last.fm
The Polyamorous Affair - New York City
The track in question is New York City pulled from their album "Bolshevik Disco", so click "full track" and then the play button at the top right hand box. Reminiscent of retro disco, complete with thumping electronic synths, this is pure decadence and lush melodies, nothing short of what you'd expect from glam-pop harkening from the 70s and 80s. They generally have quite short songs, ranging from 2:30 to 3:30, but this is slightly longer at 4:01. Escape into a world of fantasies and soak up the "inspired dance beats of Giorgio Moroder and the raw sexuality of Serge Gainsbourg’s collaborations with vixens, Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot, plus a twist of Marc Bolan-esque hooks and Goldfrapp’s technological pagan naturist ways." (as said on last.fm) This husband and wife duo(remember Handsome Furs) are definitely one to keep on your playlist and radar. Why this seems so familiar is because it was from my previous post and I just cut and paste. Sorry for being a little lazy. Hah.
official, myspace, last.fm
Inch Chua - Devotion in Reality
This is actually a link to her official page where you can do a download of the lovely EP of which this track is part of. And shoot me, but I'm reusing the write up of this song from an older post again, partly cause I've got no time, and there's really way too much to write.
Devotion In Reality delves deep into her past, musing about lost love. Of (broken) promises and heartbreak, you realise that this album could be about personal experiences. Well paced, with what sounds like a xylophone(?) in the background, the song slowly introduces you into her world, where the lack of lyrics mid song coincide with the opening to the door into that cosy, intimate world of hers and moves on, as if she's showing you around this wonderful place. I'm reminded of The Little Prince written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, where the title character lives in a really tiny world (actually an asteroid), which is just about as big a house could be.
Listening to it again has made me realise this could be actually a very nice song to listen to if you're all alone on this Christmas where it's supposed to be a day of joy, love and giving.
official, purevolume, last.fm
Au Revoir Simone - Shadows
An emotional song which sees the trio going on about a break up, and how it affects both parties. The keyboards and synths are but only partners in crime in this intimate song. The dulcet yet at times appealingly flat sound of Erika's voice (I think) makes me want so much more.
official, myspace, last.fm
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