Tagged: Lorde
THE WEEKENDER
USA Today’s “Five Australian acts you need to know now”
Australian music seems to be somewhat of a hip thing these days. USA Today is amongst the largest newspapers in the US, and they have just named five Aussie acts that are breaking ground over there right now. It’s a wide range of genres – teenage boy band 5 Seconds of Summer, triple j Hottest 100 chart topper Vance Joy, rapper Iggy Azalea, folk rock five-piece Boy and Bear, and Perth rock group Birds of Tokyo. It’s exciting that Australian music is getting the recognition it deserves on the world stage. In this separate article on why Australian music is so suddenly hot, Shazam’s head of music Peter Szabo quotes, “They embrace the idea of breaking music first. They’re very open to new music and love new technology. They love being on the leading edge.” No worries, Peter!
Blasting Music Journalism
There has been a bit of a heated debate recently between music critics and artists. Of course, these two parties are naturally frenemies (sorry for going all Gossip Girl on you), and one can’t live without the other.
In an interview with Music Feeds last month, The Jezabels’ frontwoman Hayley Mary shared her thoughts on music critics. She believes “there is too much hatred in the world to have a job that is based on writing off what other people try and do…Clearly it’s not for you, so you’re communicating something that’s not that helpful to someone who might potentially like it, or not like it. It’s just hate, and gushing is similarly as uninformative and not helpful.”
Lorde also recently voiced her opinion on reviewers on her Tumblr taking Complex Music’s review of Iggy Azalea‘s The New Classic as inspiration, “have a stance on an artist and stick to it. don’t act like you respect them then throw them under the bus.”
In response to this, Complex Music wrote a pretty interesting defence. It states “Giving someone a bad review basically boils down to thinking someone our audience is interested in didn’t make a very good record…Lorde declaring “have a stance on an artist and stick to it” is a bizarre notion for an organization like Complex, which is to say bizarre for any media organization that claims to have any journalistic integrity. No one should stick to their opinion when new facts (possibly in the form of new music) are made available that can alter your views. Art and artistry are fluid things.”
At art felicis, we tend to agree with Complex’s view. However, you’ll more often than not find positive reviews of artists here, because we review what we think deserves to be shared!
Lorde – Tennis Court (Flume Remix)
Can anyone stop these young powerhouse artists? In what the internet is dubbing “Florde”, our fave boi Flume and gal Lorde have teamed up to create this fantastic remix of “Tennis Court” from Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine.
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard any original Flume sounds as he’s been touring extensively. He’s left Lorde’s vocals relatively untouched on this remix but layered the originally simple song with classic Flume synths and beats. The result is reminiscent of dfloor filler “Holdin On” from his debut album. It certainly had me dancing solo in my bedroom when I first heard it.
He dropped this previously unreleased 6-minute track in his Coachella set last week, and it’s only just been handed over to the hungry crowds of the internet yesterday.
Lorde was set to start her Australian tour on the 24th of April in Melbourne, but due to illness after Coachella, she’s had to postpone the tour until later on in the year.
THE BREAKDOWN:
Hometown: Flume – Sydney, Australia; Lorde – Auckland, New Zealand.
Sounds like: I’m sorry for this substandard answer but this legit just sounds like Flume.
Say what? Universal Music signed Lorde when she was just 13 years old. They clearly knew what was up.
Exclusively and pretentiously handpicked just for you, by Jane.
Lana Del Rey – Meet Me In The Pale Moonlight
Enough with the Cedric Gervais remixes already! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good remix here and there. But when you get rid of the sweeping strings from “Young and Beautiful” and the melodramatic guitar from “Summertime Sadness”, you’re left with a trashy dance remix, devoid of the emotion that make the original tracks so memorable.
“Meet Me In The Pale Moonlight” is a track that has recently surfaced. No dance remix yet! Though fans and publications have assumed that the track will be featured on Lana’s upcoming studio album, Ultraviolence, she has confirmed that the track was actually recorded four years ago, will not appear on the album, and that the lead single is titled “West Coast”. Ultraviolence is set to release on 1 May.
The song has an eerie disco-funk vibe, with signature strings and Lana’s high-pitched coy vocals, akin to “Off To The Races” and “Lolita”. According to an interview with radio.com last year, Lana has felt discouraged with the production of Ultraviolence, due to numerous song leaks.
“To be honest, what really happened was, three years ago somebody remotely accessed my hard drive, so even songs I’ve never emailed to myself [were accessed]… There were hundreds of them,” Lana said.
It’s likely that “Meet Me In The Pale Moonlight” was one of these songs, and that Lana was not behind the surfacing. Nevertheless, it’s a cheeky song, an interesting example of her earlier musical style, and evokes nostalgia for a small-town American love affair, that a subsequent remix will hopefully not take away. Enjoy!
THE BREAKDOWN:
Hometown: Lake Placid, New York, United States.
Latest album: Born To Die: The Paradise Edition EP, released 9 November 2012.
Sounds like: Banks, Lorde, and Birdy.
Say what? Born Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, she has stylised herself as Sparkle Jump Rope Queen, Lizzy Grant, Lana Rey Del Mar, Lana Del Ray and May Jailer, before settling on Lana Del Rey as her official stage name.
Ciao ciao, Arianna
Just A Gent – Fortaque
Musicians seem to start out younger and younger these days. Just as Lorde was only 16 when Royals was released, we now have a new name to keep an eye out for. Jacob Grant, aka Just A Gent, is making waves with his work in the LoveStep and LoveTrap genre. This Newcastle DJ is building in popularity and gaining recognition for his remixes of American Authors’ “Best Day of My Life” and more recently remixing Bel Hair’s “Kiss the Devil”. What So Not has also recently predicted him to be “one of the next big things”. All, of course, at the tender age of 16.
His latest original track, “Fortaque”, starts with a beautiful soothing piano melody, that then turns into a synth beat overlaid with driving violins. Just A Gent manages to straddle a strong beat while also providing a floating melody, making for some great dance beats. If you like your dance beats a little more melodic and sensual, this track is highly recommended. Don’t forget to check out his other remixes, and keep an eye on this youngster.
THE BREAKDOWN:
Hometown: Newcastle, Australia
Sounds like: Ryan Hemsworth, Wave Racer
Say what? Just A Gent started out producing thanks to software from a Nutri-Grain box – just like Flume. Who knew cereal could lead to amazing music?
Happy Listening!
– Amelia
THE WEEKENDER
Victorian Live Music Scene
This week, Music Victoria has released a report on regional live music with the finding that the regional live music scene is worth $276.2 million to Victoria’s economy. The report was compiled in collaboration with NMIT, RMIT, Box Hill Institute, Victoria University and JMC Academy.
In more unfortunate news, it has been announce that the closure of well-loved Melbourne CBD venue The Palace Theatre will go ahead. The venue has been around since 1860 and the lease is set to expire at the end of May.
Profanity in Rap Music Since 1985
via Best Tickets Blog
Statistics might not have the sexiest reputation, but Best Tickets Blog, a blog reporting on sporting and entertainment data, writes up some pretty interesting posts and comes up with great data visualisations. Most recently, they’ve delved into the world of rap lyrics and profanities, specifically looking at popular hip hop albums from 1985 – 2013. It’s an amusing read and you can see the full article here. We’ve also cut and pasted some of the most interesting facts they’ve come up with for your convenience.
- The albums Best Tickets put to the test on average had 218 uses of profanity
- An examination of 2,295 songs had an average of 13.76 instances of profanity
- Too $hort’s aptly named album Raw, Uncut and X-Rated takes the prize of most profanities per song with the use of the word “bitch” 128 times – that’s 25 “bitches” per song
- 2001 was the highest year for CWPS (or cuss words per song) with a rate of 22.66 due to these albums: Pain is Love – Ja Rule, Stillmatic – Nas, The Blueprint – Jay-Z, Until the End of Time – Tupac, Word of Mouf – Ludacris
via Best Tickets Blog
Australian Touring News
via SAFIA Facebook
Here at art felicis, we love Canberra trio SAFIA so we’re pretty impressed that they’ve been chosen to support 17-year old music royalty Lorde when she tours Australia nationally at the end of April. As if you needed any more excuse to hit up this concert. Melbourne and Sydney have already sold out, new shows have been added and tickets are flying.
Kanye West’s anticipated Australian tour was set to occur in May, but due to work on his new album, he’s postponed the dates to September. Hey, you can’t stop a self-proclaimed creative genius in the middle of his process. Check out the new dates here.
THE WEEKENDER
via Lollapalooza Flickr
Lollapalooza Lineup
The lineup for famous Chicago music festival Lollapalooza has been announced this week and it’s a bit epic. It features a huge range of genres catering to a variety of musical tastes, from Skrillex, to Eminem, to Lorde. This year’s lineup also showcases plenty of homegrown talent, including Flume, Cut/Copy, The Temper Trap, Jagwar Ma, Courtney Barnett and Anna Lunoe. Australian music looks set to continue growing its international presence.
It’s all happening on the 1st to the 3rd of August, and tickets to this much-coveted festival have completely sold out.
House Party on triple j
From NLV to KLP – one of art felicis’ favourite acts Nina Las Vegas is stepping down from her long-term role as House Party presenter on triple j’s Saturday night dance music show to travel, and will return as a resident Mix Up Exclusives DJ towards the middle of the year. To take her place is Sydney DJ Kristy Lee Peters, or KLP. Nina Las Vegas presented her final show last Saturday night, and KLP will start her triple j career on the 5th of April. She’s got some big shoes (or in NLV’s case, awesome outfits!) to fill.
Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin
via Wu-Tang Facebook
Only an act that’s been around as long as Wu-Tang has can potentially pull this one off – they’re preparing to release a double album but with only one copy produced. It’s akin to a piece of artwork, with RZA comparing it to a “specter of an Egyptian king”, and they’re treating it just like that, with plans to tour the album through museums, galleries and festivals. Fans can pay to listen to it, and then the hip hop crew will sell the one copy for a figure in the millions after the tour.
In an interview with Forbes, Cilvaringz states, “I know it sounds crazy. It might totally flop, and we might be completely ridiculed. But the essence and core of our ideas is to inspire creation and originality and debate, and save the music album from dying.” You gotta give them credit for such an original concept.
Hoodlem – Old Friend
The Internet is great for anonymity, but thankfully Hoodlem have chosen to use it for good, providing us with some great soulful electronic tracks. From what little information can be found online, this is a relatively new duo from inner-city Melbourne. They first appeared on the scene (on Soundcloud and Facebook at least) in June/July 2013 with “Through”, which received a decent amount of love from the blogosphere in Australia and internationally.
You can see their popularity increasing, as “Old Friend” has already racked up over 120,000 plays on Soundcloud in 20 days – far more than their previous two tracks. Their next gig is out of the country at Canadian Music Week in May, sharing the stage with City and Colour, Ellie Goulding, and fellow Melbournians Oscar Key Sung and Elizabeth Rose.
Their latest track “Old Friend” strips it back. With a haunting vocal start, this track keeps the minimalist feel with hand claps, simple percussive beats and a simple guitar melody. Interspersed throughout comes a smattering of warped sounds, exploring a more electronic sound, all produced tightly together.
THE BREAKDOWN:
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Sounds like: Lorde, Jai Paul
Say what? They’re playing in Canada in May, but despite calling Melbourne their hometown, they have yet to play a gig here. Perhaps a reflection of the love they’ve received from many blogs in the US and Canada?
Happy Listening!
– Amelia
The Kite String Tangle – Northcote Social Club
You’re probably pretty sick of me banging on about this guy, but fuck that, I can’t get enough. We went and caught the second Melbourne show of The Kite String Tangle‘s national tour, and it did not help my addiction. As he proudly told the crowd at his second Melbourne show, he has sold out every single ticket of his 12 date national headline tour (including 4 Melbourne shows – where he’s obviously got a large fan base) with only a handful of original songs on his Soundcloud and no EP to speak of. Danny Harley hails from Brisbane and started his journey as The Kite String Tangle back in May 2012. His music is best described as ambient and ethereal electronic, with plenty of cool beats, sample usage and vocal layering.
It was a busy crowd in the intimate setting of the Northcote Social Club. The Kite String Tangle had strived to create an atmospheric setup with a fog machine that seemed to continuously run right throughout his set. In lieu of the lasers and flashing lights that are usually seen at electronic music gigs, Harley instead used old-school light bulbs and fluorescent lighting to put on a lightshow and decorate his stage. Add in his mop of curly, half-shaven head, tightly buttoned shirt, and where else could we be but Northcote?
Straight from the start, it was obvious how multi-talented he is. He was constantly switching between all his equipment and instruments as well as supplying the vocals in every song. It was perhaps slightly difficult for the audience to really engage with all of The Kite String Tangle’s original music as he has only released a limited amount of music available to the public; however, it wasn’t hard to get into the great music regardless, particularly as he definitely made an effort to keep it entertaining. On the second song he played, “What If”, and on one of the last songs called “The Words”, he put on a show by expressively and almost theatrically smashing it out on the electronic drum kit. He also struck a perfect balance between performing the music and interacting with the crowd.
A highlight was definitely his sultry cover of Lorde‘s “Tennis Court”. Both he and the crowd got into it and there was quite an endearing moment when in unison, the audience provided the back up vocals and sung back the echoing “yeah”. At one stage he did mention that it “seems fuller than it did the last two nights…and rowdier”. Perhaps due to it being a Monday night, when all the uni students come out to play? Another highlight was a fun duet with Back Back Forward Punch‘s singer Laura Boland halfway through his set. He told the crowd that he created this song with a girl from his hometown Brisbane, but is getting a different girl to sing it in every state for this national tour. The introduction of a different set of vocals definitely gave the set more variety and kept it exciting.
Towards the end, he roused the audience by playing one of his more famous tunes “Commotion”, but it was nothing in comparison to the excitement when he ended the show with “Given the Chance” (my favourite song of 2013). This track needed no introduction; it came in at an impressive 19 on the Triple J’s Hottest 100 last year and is definitely the one that launched him from the unknown into where he is now.
THE BREAKDOWN:
Hometown: Brisbane, Australia.
Upcoming EP: He mentioned we can look forward to an EP being released around April.
Sounds like: Chet Faker, Mount Kimbie, Active Child.
Say what? Danny Harley started out studying a Bachelor of Popular Music in Brisbane with a focus on jazz.
An edited version of this article was first published on SYN Reviews.
Exclusively and pretentiously handpicked just for you, by Jane.
Nina Las Vegas Presents Review
As we promised earlier, last Thursday 13th Feb we helped Nina kick off her Nina Las Vegas Presents tour at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. We were quite fashionably late, so the party was already well and truly started by the time we got there, catching the very end of Cosmo’s Midnight.
When Emoh Instead (one half of What So Not) came onto the decks, he continued the party vibe, giving us some great What So Not tracks like their remix of Major Lazer’s “Get Free” and their own “Jaguar” track, which features some huge bass beats you just can’t help but get into. He also treated us to some of his pal Flume’s tracks, like his remix of “Hyperparadise” and “Drop the Game” with Chet Faker. This set was one huge party, with fellow performer Tkay Maidza (who gave us “Brontosaurus“) coming onto the mic to rap, bringing a more ghetto vibe to the otherwise dancey bass beats. Nina also featured on the stage and the mic, introducing a big cardboard cut out of Emoh’s face to the crowd. As much fun as his set was, Emoh’s cardboard doppelganger did not fare so well as the night went on.
We just reviewed him at St Kilda Festival, but living up to my expectations of having a big year in 2014, Wave Racer also performed at NLV Presents. He graced us with his new single “Streamers“, and also played a great remix of Justin Timberlake’s “My love”. Things got a little crazy when he played his amazing remix of Flight Facilities’ “Stand Still”, but as expected that was nothing compared to when he played his breakout track “Rock U Tonite”.
Closing out the night was the woman who made this whole night possible, and one of our favourites, Nina herself. As per usual, she smashed out a great second set with great tracks like Disclosure’s “When A Fire Starts To Burn”, and Motez’ “Gas Pedal”. She also played T-Pain’s remix of Lorde’s hit “Royals”, which I have to admit really confused me as I tried but failed to sing along. There were some slight mishaps, with an unexpected song change, and accidentally playing “I Love It”. Nina recovered though, instead playing “Eat.Sleep.Rave.Repeat”. She wrapped up the night with (for me at least) the best possible song choice – Cashmere Cat’s remix of Miguel’s “Do You”. Nina rarely does wrong in our eyes, and NLV Presents was no exception. If you haven’t yet got tickets to her other dates across Australia, go out now. We’re looking forward to her next set of parties.
kthxbai
– Amelia
St Jerome’s Laneway Festival – Wrap-up Pt. 2
Missed part 1? Click here to have a read!
Following on from CHVRCHES on the Dean Turner Stage was another of my favourite bands from 2013, the three incredibly popular sisters from Los Angeles, HAIM. After the 30 minute lull between sets, they had no problem bringing the energy straight back, rocking the crowd with hit song “Falling”. If you hadn’t seen HAIM live before, like me, the first thing you would have noticed was Este Haim’s facial expressions while she plays the bass. Words cannot describe the expression but if you Google search ‘Este Haim bass face’, you’ll see what I mean.
They followed up with “If I Could Change Your Mind”, after which Alana Haim announced to the crowd that we were the freakiest they’d ever played for. An interesting compliment, to say the least, but it also had a subtle hint of irony to it as she grabbed a maraca and went medieval on the drums to start their next song, a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well”. After the cover, they played more from their hit album, Days Are Gone, including “My Song 5” and “Running If You Call My Name” with popular hit “Don’t Save Me” generating the biggest response in between.
Between songs, Este and a fan in the crowd had a bit of a moment when he yelled out “We love Este!” and she decided to respond. It turned out that he had made a singlet with her face and name on it, which she thought was simply amazing. Better yet, he asked if she wanted it, threw it to the stage, and she wore it for the rest of the set. It seemed that HAIM could do no wrong with the crowd buying into absolutely everything they said or did. When they deviated from their setlist to have a improv jam sesh, going ape on the drums and shredding away like they used to do in the living room at home (or so we were told), it must have filled the entire west side of Melbourne with an insane energy that I had never felt in my life.
Finally, they played more popular hits including “Forever” and “The Wire” before finishing off with “Let Me Go”. It was, without a doubt, the most exciting and most spirited set of the day and, quite frankly, it was probably the best too. If you haven’t seen HAIM live yet, I could not recommend it more highly!
Aside from the incredibly shiny outfits of her backing musicians, the first thing to notice about Ella Yelich-O’Connor was her stage presence. The 17 year old from Auckland presented herself more like a seasoned veteran of the music scene than a teenager just starting out. I guess that’s the confidence you get when you win two Grammy Awards and have the number two song in Triple J’s Hottest 100. She didn’t waste any time, either, starting with big hit “Tennis Court” and following with another popular song, “Buzzcut Season”, which was written for days just like the scorcher we were having in Melbourne.
A song from the extended version of her album, “Swingin Party”, followed before Lorde played a cover of her friend Ryan’s (Son Lux) song, “Easy”. She seemed to get into the cover more than any of her own songs (not that she wasn’t full of energy for them too), dancing in a way that only Lorde can and really exciting a crowd that, for the majority at least, had never heard the song before. The excitement peaked at the right time with her Grammy Award winning hit, “Royals”, next on the setlist, leading to the entire crowd singing along to every word in a similar fashion to Vance Joy’s “Riptide”.
Two more popular songs, “400 Lux” and “Team” were next on the agenda but it was her introduction to the following song, “Ribs”, that really won the crowd over. “I wrote this song just for you,” she told us, telling the story of her experience at the Auckland Laneway Festival and wanting to write a song that could embody everything that the festival is about. She finished with “A World Alone” but, before she played, she made sure to remind the crowd of how good a day we were having by asking if we’d seen CHVRCHES and HAIM because “I like them”.
The thing I will remember most about Lorde’s performance was her dancing, her insane ability to almost contort her body to the beat, and the ridiculous confidence and stage presence from a humble 17 year old from Auckland. It was truly a set to remember.
After Lorde had finished her set, a lot of the crowd dissipated to see other popular acts, such as Scottish group Frightened Rabbit. Despite the crowd thinning, it was still absolutely packed to see the popular Sydney group, The Jezabels. Frontwoman, Hayley Mary, immediately garnered the attention of the remaining punters as she appeared on stage in an incredibly tight and shiny one-piece, thanked us for staying around, and got straight into a song from the new album, “Time to Dance”.
With their new album, The Brink, having been released the day before, the setlist required a delicate balance of new and old. Although new songs such as “Beat to Beat” and “Look of Love” received deserved praise, it was the older favourites that really got the crowd dancing. Even the least hardcore of fans were dancing and singing along to “Endless Summer”, the hit that made the top 10 in 2011’s Hottest 100.
Songs from their third EP titled Dark Storm, “A Little Piece” and the title track, had fans excited but it was clear that the songs from their second EP, She’s So Hard, were stealing the show. A highlight of the set was definitely “Easy to Love”, showing off Hayley’s phenomenal vocal talents while engaging the crowd. With two songs left, they played the first single from the new album, “The End”. Having already received a lot of airtime since its release and carrying that popular Jezabels sound, it was definitely the most successful of their new songs and even had the entire audience singing along to the upbeat chorus.
With an incredible set and an incredible day coming to an end, The Jezabels could not have finished on a better note than playing a superbly energetic rendition of another hit, “Hurt Me”. Despite aching feet and backs of all those in attendance, the performance demanded jumping and dancing and the crowd delivered. It was the perfect end to a day of fantastic sunshine and amazing music.
Huggett out.
Autre Ne Veut, Cashmere Cat, Youth Lagoon
While it was easy to forget there were other stages aside from Dean Turner at Laneway, there were a whole heap of other artists pumping out jams under the hot summer sun. The Red Bull/Future Classic stage featured Autre Ne Veut (too early in the day!) who brought along a female singer and drummer helping him recreate favourites from his album Anxiety. There were some great bass beats underlaying the main man’s dreamy, floating vocals.
Another favourite of our’s that graced the Red Bull stage was Cashmere Cat. He opened with “Kiss Kiss”, a favourite from his debut EP Mirror Maru. Cashmere Cat is a fan of mixing hip hop/rap with a more electronic, trap sound, and treated us to lots of good drops throughout his set. A good example of this was his recent collaboration with Ludacris, Wiz Khalifa and Jeremih on new song “Party Girls“. Smoke was even released towards the end (trying to recreate the club feel, perhaps?), enhancing the laser lighting. I must admit, it was a bit strange to be dancing along to Cashmere Cat under the bright sun, but when you hear beats like that, you can’t really do anything else. But naturally, there was no other way to end the set other than with his much-loved remix of Miguel’s “Do You…”
We managed to make it to one other stage, which was to catch some of Youth Lagoon at the River Stage. They appeared to be a popular choice to relax to, with lots of people sitting on the grass, or willing to swap viewing space for shade. The atmosphere was really laidback, not at all like most of the festivals we’d been to, but it was perfect for the weather that day, with the chill tunes transporting you away in the heat haze.
kthxbai
– Amelia
Florrie – Live A Little
Happy Hottest 100! Congratulations to Vance Joy, Lorde, and Daft Punk for snagging the top 3 places. Triple J have posted a full list of the countdown online if you missed anything, and if you tune in today, you can catch the Hottest 200 and see which of your top picks just missed the cut.
In Triple J fashion, we’re bringing you an ‘unearthed’ artist all the way from England. Florrie is an unsigned singer, songwriter, drummer and guitarist with three self released EPs under her belt and a cult following within the online music community. Describing her style as “kind of a sixties, organic feel merged with modern pop beats and electronics”, Florrie is definitely one to watch for in 2014.
“Live A Little” is a track that was used for a Sony Electronics headphones campaign last year after Florrie’s “Shot You Down” music video was spotted by a few employees at Sony Consumer Electronics in Japan. Though only a 30 second film for the campaign was needed, the full music video and track was released on her YouTube channel as a ‘thank you’ to her fans for their ongoing support.
The song has more of a rock-pop feel than her earlier electro-pop EPs. Starting off with Florrie on the drums, the video layers several other Florries marching around with tambourines, trumpets, and electric guitars, with Sony’s earphones bouncing playfully around her neck. Exuding a kind of rock-star-Kate Moss vibe, “Live A Little” is catchy, danceable, and a sweet little taster of her upcoming 20-track debut album. Keep your ears peeled!
THE BREAKDOWN:
Hometown: Bristol, England.
Latest EP: Late, released 31 May 2012.
Sounds like: Oh Land and Ladyhawke.
Say what? Florrie started off as the in-house drummer for Xenomania, a songwriting and production team, and drummed on a number of hits by Girls Aloud, Pet Shop Boys, and Kylie Minogue.
Ciao ciao, Arianna
OUR HOTTEST 100 PICKS
art felicis is back from summer holidays! We’re incredibly keen to get into a new year of music in 2014 but first we gotta look back on the year that was.
Australia Day is one of my favourite holidays and not just because of the very pleasing amount of BBQing and drinking that goes on, but because of a little thing called the Triple J’s Hottest 100. Bring on the annual tedious shortlist narrowing. Having just recently narrowed mine from 60-something songs to the measly 10, I feel your pain.
See below for some of our personal faves from 2013, including what we think will do well and what we want to do well.
The Kite String Tangle – Given The Chance
We reviewed this song when it first came out here. There’s just something about it that gets me every time. The soothing vocals, the beautiful keyboard, the hopeless romantic lyrics. Cannot get enough. This is my number 1 pick and I hope it gets a deserving spot on the countdown.
Bleeding Knees Club – Feel
This one is perhaps a little left of centre and it may not even make an appearance, but I want to share it because it reminds me so much of my early teenage angst-y self that wouldn’t stop listening to pop-punk-garage-rock music. Though it hasn’t completely reawakened my old music tastes, it’s such a fun song that encompasses the best elements of that mid-2000s emo phase.
Dillon Francis – Without You ft. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
To me this song is pretty much all about that fantastic drop. It’s one of best, most clean drops I’ve ever heard. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs seemingly can do no wrong. I predict you’ll hear it in the earlier half of the countdown.
Daft Punk – Get Lucky
This is surely a top 10 candidate. When I first heard it, I wasn’t particularly impressed, especially after all the hype surrounding Random Access Memories. However, I’ve since developed a personal love for it. It’s Daft Punk at their most simple best and they’ve proven it through creating this massive crossover hit. I think this song will resonate with a lot of people as one of the sounds that defined 2013.
Disclosure – You & Me (Flume Remix)
There are so many songs to choose from Disclosure’s album Settle, from “When a Fire Starts to Burn”, “F for You”, and “White Noise” (if you don’t remember the album, we reviewed it here). Although I wasn’t sure how I felt about this remix when I first heard it, I’ve since fallen pretty hard for it. A combination of two of my favourite acts of the year – what more could I ask for?
Wave Racer – Rock U Tonite
Probably not the top contender for the top 10, but still one of my favourite songs for 2013. Wave Racer was one of my picks for acts to watch out for in 2014, and that was largely due to this song. The glitchy-pop tunes of this song mean I just can’t get enough it.
Flight Facilities – Stand Still (feat. Micky Green)
Released relatively late in the year, this song sounds like happy summer days (we reviewed this one too). This song has been receiving decent airplay since its release, so I expect it to do fairly well in the Hottest 100.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Sacrilege
I don’t recall hearing this on the radio all that often, so I’m not sure how well this will fair in the Hottest 100. “Sacrilege” was the first single released from the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s latest album Mosquito, released in the earlier half of the year. But I think this is one damn catchy song, and who doesn’t love a bit of gospel choir?
Haim – If I Could Change Your Mind
The release of Haim’s debut album, Days Are Gone, in September last year, landed the band nine nominations in the Hottest 100 and a review from us here. Though “The Wire”, Haim’s most commercially successful single, is likely to earn a high place on the list, “If I Could Change Your Mind” with its 80s pop chords and Danielle’s effortless vocals, is my top pick from this fresh trio.
Lily Allen – Hard Out Here
Singles released in the latter half of the year tend to rank high in the Hottest 100, as its constant airplay remains fresh in voters’ minds. “Hard Out Here” was released mid-November and is a strong and satirical feminist anthem from the very cheeky and witty Lily Allen, and we reviewed her here. Welcome back!
Lorde – Buzzcut Season
Though “Royals” and “Tennis Court” are the obvious choices for the Top 10, “Buzzcut Season” is my favourite from Lorde’s debut album, Pure Heroine. Fusing tropical music with a melancholy piano melody, Lorde’s lyrics about escapism and ignorance is both haunting and beautiful.
The Preatures – Is This How You Feel?
This rock and roll band from Sydney channel Stevie Nicks with their psychedelic and energetic single, “Is This How You Feel?”. With a nod to 70s power pop, Isabella “Izzi” Manfredi’s soulful vocals and Jack Mofitt’s lead guitar makes for a highly addictive retro track.
Haim – The Wire
This anthemic hit has all the credentials to see it fly up into the top 10: the foot bopping beat, catchy tune, and bad-ass-yet-sweet vocals. The harmonies in the final chorus are angelic, orgasmic even. I have high hopes for this one, and I’m sure we’ll also be hearing a few other Haim tunes come Australia Day.
Naughty Boy– La La La ft. Sam Smith
Naughty Boy may just be the only artist in the world funded to fame by a Deal or No Deal win, and his sound is equally as unique as his musically beginnings. This feel good track is sure to make an appearance on this year’s countdown.
Bastille – Pompeii
This one was a huge contender from 2013, and saw Bastille break out from covers to their own new stuff. Its catchy uplifting chorus has melted our hearts throughout the year. The fact that it was released quite early in the year may hinder its chances, but having been a long-term Bastille fan, I’m hoping the voters of the world haven’t forgotten about this little gem just yet.
Lorde – Royals
It’ll be no surprise when the latter half of the countdown is crammed full of Lorde, as 2013 really has been her year. This song, along with Tennis Court, really needs no further explanation. Check out our full review of Pure Heroine here.
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