The 30 Best Songs of 2009

Ok so a week into 2010 is a bit late for a “best of 2009” post but any regular readers (are there any?) will know i’ve had problems with hard-drives, my internet connection, my laptop in general and more recently some other stuff has came up that has prevented regular posting recently.

But back to the post..

Deciding on the songs and the order of them for this Top 30 was a hard decision (the Top 30 albums was even harder, post that at the weekend) to make. Basically there were only one rule when picking the list. The rule was that a band can not feature more than once in the list. If that rule wasn’t made then i’d have had the full APTBS album in there, shit, i’ve just gave away the identity of my album of the year haven’t i?

Apart from that it was pretty simple. 30 slots and hundreds of songs. Pick the best.

Remember though, having a song in the Top 30 songs doesn’t automatically mean that the artists will be in the Top 30 album countdown as well. Take for example Yes Giantess, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool and Stuck In The Sound. In the case of YG and OELSP they won’t make the Top albums cos they don’t have one out yet and in the case of Stuck In The Sound its because their album just wasn’t good enough (imo) to be in the Top 30. The song i included here however “Zapruder” is pure shoegaze genius. There’s also the other side of the coin. Bands like The Prodigy, MSTRKRFT and many more brought up absolute brilliant albums in 2009 but even though their albums as a collective were amazing, none of the individual tracks managed to make it into the Top 30 songs.

Sorry i’m not very good at trying to get my point across. I think i might just be trying to justify the fact that i had to leave some amazing songs out of the Top 30. I would have made a Top 500 if i had the time!

So away from the mumbled jibberish that i just wrote, here is the list in countdown style 30 to Number 1

SOMEONE’S IN THE WOLF TOP 30 SONGS OF 2009

30. Erol Alkan & Boys Noize – Death Suite (Bobermann Remix)
29. Paper Planes – Permanent Marker
28.  Ou Est Le Swimming Pool – Dance The Way I Feel
27. Freeland – Borderline
26. Nathan Fake – Basic Mountain
25. Stuck In The Sound – Zapruder
24.  Mew – Introducing Palace Players
23. Tigers That Talked – Artificial Clouds
22. The XX – Night Time
21. Yes Giantess – Tuff N Stuff
20. Bat For Lashes – Daniel
19. Miike Snow – Animal
18. Russian Circles – Malko
17. IAMX – I Am Terrified
16.  Maybeshewill – Co-Conspirators
15. Them Crooked Vultures – New Fang
14. The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition (re-release)
13. Japandroids – Wet Hair
12.  Tape Deck Mountain – Ghost Colony
11. Crocodiles – I Wanna Kill
10.  A Place To Bury Strangers – In Your Heart
9. The Tupolev Ghost – Diagrams
8.  Moderat – A New Error
7. Ex Lovers – You Forget So Easily
6. The Big Pink – Velvet
5. Cougar – Florida Logic
4. Zaza – Sooner Or Later
3. Lymbyc Systym – Ghost Clock
2. Passion Pit – Moths Wings

And the winner of Track of 2009 goes to

1. Ex Libras – Radar

Instead of making all these tracks available individually i’ve  put them all in a ZipFile for anybody who wishes to download the list. The songs have been numbered so they should play in the correct order.

Download it here:
http://www.4shared.com/file/190954768/e192dfa6/best_of_2009.html

Once again sorry for the delay.

S.I.T Wolf  X

While Our Blood’s Still Young…..

After spending months looking forward to it…..the date finally arrived last night. The Temper Trap live in King Tuts.

The gig itself was amazing, all that was to be expected and more, it was drenched in melodies and catchy choruses. The band have toured the UK extensively since early spring and with the release of their debut album they boast an impressive array of songs which translate absolutely brilliant live. They threw themselves into the gig last night as if it was there last, they hit every note and beat with everything they had and made sure they kept the crowd involved but thats not all the Temper Trap are about. They bring people together in a way that only certain bands can. With their lyrics. From the first chord of the night until the last drumbeat fell everybody in the packed King Tuts sang along to every word of every song. I woke this morning to find that i’ve practically lost my voice from singing all throughout last night. Looking around the venue there were guys with arms over each others shoulders, couples with arms around each others waists, drunk people randomly hugging other drunk people and singing along even though they might not know the words. The Temper Trap are very much a band for friends. They inspire the “I love you, man” feeling inside most people. In short they make everybody feel good. And its all with the power of words and the delivery of the vocals. Temper Trap frontman Dougy has a very powerful, touching, unique voice and i have actually known it to reduce people to tears….ahem, Lisa……

MP3s
———————–

The Temper Trap – Love Lost

The Temper Trap – Science Of Fear

The Temper Trap – Down River

As always, feel free to download the songs but please support the Temper Trap by buying the album, merch and going to the gigs etc

The band shot a new video for “Sweet Disposition” when they released it as a single in the UK recently but this is the original video from October 2008.  It’s still my favourite song of theirs because it encompasses so many emotions and atmospherics into one song.

Personally, i think the song and lyrics are about living for the moment but also about being able to share that moment with someone else. Hence the reason i think the song brings people together. If that makes sense? Or am i just rambling?

Anyway…

sweet disposition
never too soon
oh reckless abandon
like no one’s
watching you

a moment, a love
a dream aloud
a kiss, a cry
our rights, our wrongs
a moment, a love
a dream aloud
a moment, a love
a dream aloud

so stay there
cause i’ll be comin over
and while our bloods still young
it’s so young
it runs
and we won’t stop til it’s over
won’t stop to surrender

songs of desperation
i played them for you
a moment, a love
a dream aloud
a kiss, a cry
our rights, our wrongs
a moment, a love
a dream, aloud
a moment, a love
a dream aloud

so stay there
cause i’ll be comin over
and while our bloods still young
it’s so young
it runs
and we won’t stop til it’s over
won’t stop to surrender

S.I.T Wolf X

T In The Park Review (Part 2) – The NEW(ish) Aural Delights

Ok after much delay (been busy at work recently) i’ve finally gotten round to my feelings on the 5 best new-ish artist/bands at T in the Park 2009.

1. THE TEMPER TRAP
First band up are the Temper Trap, i first heard them back in December 2008 and have been going on about them ever since (i mentioned them in my Tips for 2009 blog back in February too).  Sweet Disposition was the song that caught my attention originally and then i looked up a few other tracks. Namely Peter Parker and Science of Fear. But it wasn’t until i managed to get a hold of the album that i could really appreciate them….. or so i thought. The experience of seeing them live was easily one of the highlights of this years festival. And the song “Fader” easily wins title of Feel Good Hit of The Summer.

MP3: The Temper Trap – Fader

2. THE BIG PINK
Next up is The Big Pink, a noisy duo who have been compared sound wise to  The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and countless other “shoegaze” bands. And although the walls of noise they create are a fair comparison, the Big Pink still manage to create a different structure by using beats that will remind the listener more of an industrial sound rather than dreamy noise pop. This may have something to do with the fact that Robin Furze was a founder member of noise merchants Panic DHH and also done time as a guitarist with punk-electronic legend Alec Empire. Meanwhile the other member of Big Pink, Milo Cordell, just happens to be the son of a 60’s pop producer. Milo also runs the Merok record label which has released a load of  material from disco-punk orientated bands including  the Klaxons. Mix these two guys together and you get the ethereal sounds of The Big Pink. Loud and straight to the point but strangely quiet and distant at the same time.

MP3: The Big Pink – Velvet

3. UNICORN KID
Olly Sabin, otherwise known as Unicorn Kid made his first appearnce at T in the Park this year. Hiding behind his trademark Lion Hat (they’ll be the next big fasion accessory soon, even i have one!) he manages to somehow throw out bleeps and blips through his speakers and meld them into the catchiest melodies of the year so far. He has rode a wave of publicity this summer following numerous appearances on Radio 1 and Xfm and also his own headling tour which culminated at Balado. The demand for this 17 year old from Edinburgh is huge at the moment. What started out as hype has evolved into absolutely massive stadium sized songs. Unicorn Kid is definitely one for the future. Listen and justify the hype for yourself.

MP3: Unicorn Kid – Lion Hat

4. DANANANANAKROYD
Possibly the weirdest name, no wait, DEFINITELY the weirdest name to appear on this blog (so far) is Dananananakroyd. Trying saying that whilst under the influence. They are a six piece (formerly 9 piece!) from Glasgow. Their music is just as strange as their name. Due to the nature of the screamed vocals they have often been put in the “Post Hardcore” genre. I hate labelling bands into genres. To me Dananananakroyd are more pop music but just in an unconventional sense. There are a more few songs on their debut album “Hey Everyone!” that could be deemed “radio friendly” though. But not in the sense of being radio friendly like “Nickel-fucking shite-back”.  The band have gained notoriety and a cult following through touring constantly and they were certainly a sight to see and hear at T in the Park. Random Fact: Ex-drummer Laura is married to Futureheads frontman Barry Hyde!

MP3: Dananananakroyd – Pink Sabbath

5. WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS
Lastly we come to a band who are tipped for big things in the very near future. We Were Promised Jetpacks are 4 Edinburgh school friends who formed a few years after the turn of the milennium in 2003. They sing songs of lost love and despair in their own accents. Remind you of anybody? Glasvegas maybe? Well, this 4 piece sound nothing like Glasvegas, there’s no ungodly distortion, no smokey stages, no sunglasses indoors. Just raw emotion and menacingly plucked guitars. Everybody wants a piece of this band at the moment. And this has been solidified by the fact that the boys will be spending the rest of their summer and most of September playing Germany followed by a massive US tour with fellow Scottish bands Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad.

MP3: We Were Promised Jetpacks – Moving Clocks Run Slow

Honourable mentions for new bands that i heard at T in the Park also go to Broken Records, The Phantom Band, Delphic, Pulled Apart By Horses and finally a band who more than match Dananananakroyd on the name front….The Seal Cub Clubbing Club.

Top 10 Performances of the Weekend
————————————————
1. The Temper Trap @ the T Break Stage on the Friday
2. Mogwai @ King Tuts Wah Wah Tent on the Sunday
3. The Big Pink @ the T Break Stage on the Sunday
4. M83 @ King Tuts Wah Wah Tent on the Saturday
5. Nine Inch Nails @ the Radio 1/NME stage on the Saturday
6. TV On The Radio @ King Tuts Wah Wah Tent on the Sunday
7. Unicorn Kid @ The BBC Introducing Stage on the Saturday
8. Foals @ King Tuts Wah Wah Tent on the Saturday
9. We Were Promised Jetpacks @ the T Break Stage on the Sunday
10. Dananananakroyd @ The BBC Introducing Stage on the Sunday

And that was T in the Park 2009

S.I.T Wolf x

ViCiOuScOuNtErPoPeRoSiOn

ViciousCounterPopErosion is the first mixtape i made. It contains remixes and edits of songs that i’ve done and also some of my favourite songs that i’ve maybe just tweaked a little by adding a beat , dub, sample, loop or a break and so on.

The mix also contains some out-takes from some of my favourite films (i’ll let you see if you can spot them yourself) and part of a Barack Obama speech (i thought it fitted nicely between two certain songs/themes).

ViciousCounterPopErosion is pretty heavy/loud/fast paced the whole way through so at the end i thought i’d stop the noise dead in its tracks and bring the level down a notch or two with one of my favourite new bands The Temper Trap. Very different from the rest of the mix, some might say too different but i thought it was the ideal way to finish the last 4 minutes.

I recorded and mixed the collection all in one go, it lasts about 1 hour 18 mins (short enough to fit on to a standard CD), all the songs meld into each other. Unfortunately i don’t have the software or know how to make the file into a ZIPfile/folder. Sorry. Just means you’ll have to listen to the mix the whole way through!….or skip it to a certain song, i suppose. Up to yourself.

MP3: ViciousCounterPopErosion (Mixtape)

To download: right click and save target as
To just listen: click once and file will open on its own page, then hover over and play using the flash player, allow the file a few seconds to load. Don’t be impatient!

ViciousCounterPopErosion Tracklisting

1. Death From Above 1979 – Romantic Rights (Someoone’s In The Wolf Remix)
2. The Faint – The Geeks Were Right (Someone’s In The Wolf Edit)
3. The Gorecki/O.Vision – Wrists (Someone’s In The Wolf Extended Remix Version)
4. Shy Child – Drop The Phone
5. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit/Alavi Version (Someone’s In The Wolf Remix)
6. Primal Scream – Miss Lucifer (Someone’s In The Wolf Short Edit)
7. The Presets (Someone’s In The Wolf Remix)
8. Justice – Waters Of Nazareth (Someone’s In The Wolf Short Edit)
9. PNAU – Wild Strawberries
10. Does It Offend You, Yeah – We Are Rockstars (Someone’s In The Wolf Edit)
11. The Illuminoids – Le Disko vs Get It On
12. We Are Wolves – Fight And Kiss
13. The Faint – Dropkick The Punks (Someone’s In The Wolf Remix)
14. Heads We Dance – The Human Touch (Someone’s In The Wolf Edit)
15. Shiny Toy Guns – Ricochet (Someone’s In The Wolf Edit)
16. Tears For Fear vs DMX – Shout Who We Be
17. Barack Obama Speech
18. Frontline Assembly – Beneath The Rubble (Someone’s In The Wolf Remix)
19. The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

Mp3’s usually only stay on WordPress blogs for around 4 months or so. So if you find that if at any time you can’t download the mixtape directly from this page then go to http://www.mediafire.com/?1fyyanxepyh and you’ll be able to download for free at anytime.

ViciousCounterPopErosion Artwork/Cover:

S.I.T Wolf x

THE MONDAY LIST #1: The Top 5 Tips For 2009

I know the back end of February is a bit late to be giving my top tips for 2009 but seeing as i only started this blog a week ago i think its fair enough. No?

Anyways, charging on….

1. EMPIRE OF THE SUN

Empire of the Sun are an Australian duo made up of Luke Steele (Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore (PNAU). I suppose you could call them a supergroup if you want. They have been compared soundwise to MGMT. Personally i think that they have their own sound. Influenced by the 80’s? Yes. An ear for melody? Yeah. A gleaming voice and catchy synths? Yup. But i wouldn’t go as far to say they sound like MGMT, although there are worse bands to be compared to. And i definitely think Empire of the Sun will have the same amount of success that the Brooklyn duo enjoyed in 2008. Judge for yourself…

MP3: Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream

2. THE TEMPER TRAP

The Temper Trap are another Australian band on the up. The country seems to have been giving the music industry a constant stream of talent over the last 4 or 5 years (look out for a future post dedicated to past, present and future Australian music) and The Temper Trap are just one of many new bands making waves both in their homeland and across the waters in the UK and US. The band have only released a handful of songs so far, with Sweet Disposition being the most noticeable. The song has been featured on the movie trailer for upcoming film “500 Days of Summer”, bringing the group more publicity in the process. Their star should rise even more once they’ve performed at the well respected SXSW festival in Texas in mid March. The festival is known for showcasing new talent and The Temper Trap are certainly a talent worth hearing.

MP3: The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

3. RED LIGHT COMPANY

Well, after two Australian bands at the top its time to give a shout out to a homegrown band….kinda. The line up of Red Light Company could be the start of a joke. Ever heard the one about the Englishman, the Welsh guy, the Scottish guy, the English-Kiwi-Australian and the American? Nah, me neither. But thats exactly what RLC consist of. They were launched to a good bit of fame thanks to their third single “Scheme Eugene”, which received a lot of airplay from Radio 1 and eventually hit #69 in the charts. Not bad considering the amount of guff filling the charts these days. Their first two singles “With Lights Out” and “Meccano” aren’t half bad either. The band embark on an eight date UK tour on the 7th of March in support of their debut album “Fine Fascination” which is released on the 2nd of March. Expect big things from Red Light Company before 2009 is over.

MP3: Red Light Company – Scheme Eugene

4. JAMES YUILL

James Yuill is anything but a newcomer, he’s been bleeding electronics into his folk tinged music since 2005. But i just think that 2009 will be a big year for London based East Sussex native. He’s been likened to and even compared himself to The Postal Service, whose album “Give Up” is a clear influence on the two albums Yuill has released so far. Although James himself is sometimes credited as a pioneer of “folktronica” and few would argue with that. His 2007 album “Turning Down Water For Air” is criminally under-rated and is one of the constants on my IPod. James Yuills “Post War Years and Wave Mahines Tour” kicks off on the 25 February and i will definitely be taking in his show at King Tuts in Glasgow on the 1st March. I get the feeling he needs to be seen live to be truly apprecited. If he’s playing near you…go. If anything James Yuill DESERVES to get a big break this year.

MP3: James Yuill – Left Handed Girl

5. DINOSAUR PILE UP

Dinosaur Pile Up first came to  my attention last  November when i seen them supporting The Kills at Oran Mor in Glasgow. The Leeds band almost brought the place down with the sheer volume of their short but sharp set. I swear the walls were vibrating, my Jack D + Coke was shaking like the glass of water in the famous Jurassic Park scene ( i swear thats not a pun or anything on their name!) and me and my friend Elaine couldn’t hear ourselves or each other talk over the noise. They were really really loud but in a good way. They reminded me a lot of QOTSA, my favourite band of all time. There was a few of their songs that caught my ear more than others but i’ve honestly yet to hear a bad song they’ve done. Long may that continue. If Dinosaur Pile Up keep gigging and recording tunes at the pace and level that they have so far then it surely won’t be long before they get tyrannosauras-ly big (apologies for the pun). Just make sure you play them at full volume

MP3: Dinosaur Pile Up – My Rock N Roll

Kali Nichta

S.I.T Wolf x