Here's the first instalment in my Festive 50, inspired by John Peel's listener chart of the same name. It consists of my 50 favourite songs of the year. To qualify, I have to have listened to the track for the first time this year. It doesn't matter if it was released years ago. To keep things vaguely varied, I've only allowed myself one track from each album I've bought. The tracks are labelled with the track name, artist and finally, the album title. So here we go, and with great predictability let's kick off with number 50.
50. Let England Shake - PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
There is a rule of thumb that there is one good song on every PJ Harvey album. Only just on this one. The worst album she’s done with far too many repetitions of the word ‘England’. Total dirge.
49. Sombrero - Cheese People - Well Well Well
Free download from Last.fm. Cheese by name, cheesy by nature. Russian cheese at that. Enough said.
48. Summer Nights - Florrie - Introduction
Free download from Last.fm. Cheap and cheerful. That’s the best way to describe this one.
47. Fragments - Bob Holroyd - Afterglow
Minimalist and full of emotion. Strings always have that effect on me. One track like this is good, a whole album is pushing it.
46. Shine - Younger Brother - Vaccine
I still haven’t got over the disappointment I felt when I heard this album. I had to restrain myself from making this number 50 just out of spite. This track is okayish. At best. Easy listening at its worst.
45. Smile - Maya-Rose - Maya-Rose
Free download from Last.fm. Maya-Rose is a 16 year old from South Africa and this song has the dubious honour of being one of the only songs that I play at work that other people actually like. Some of her other stuff on Last.fm is very rough around the edges to say the least.
44. Em Construção - Zander - Em Construção
Free download from Last.fm. Can’t find out much about these guys but they sound distinctly similar to Noção de Nada. Quite enjoyable in a not completely fantastic kind of way.
43. The Hand That Feeds (Black and Hollow Mix) - Halo33 - NIN Remixes
Free download from Last.fm. I’ve got a suspicion that I’ve heard another version of this before but I can’t remember where from. This mix is quite enjoyable. It’s been a while since I’ve listen to any NIN. I might have to investigate further next year...
42. The Hill Of Thieves - Lament For Johnny - Cara Dillon - Live At The Grand Opera House
Doccortex had a Cara Dillon song as his number one a couple of years ago, so when I saw I could download this for free from the Society of Sound, I thought I’d give it a go (you have to buy some B&W speakers to get three free albums, so it’s not strictly free). I can’t say I’m massively keen but I like the ending to this one.
41. Dust Bowl Dance - Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
This album was lent to me and I can’t say that I was looking forward to it from the look of them on the front cover. Initial listenings proved me correct. I ranted for ages. But I gave it a chance and I actually started to quite like it. This one's the best because it builds throughout and I like the line about 'going out back and getting your gun'.
There you go then. That's the chaff over with. Join us again tomorrow for 40 to 31.
evlkeith
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