22 Songs For 2023
1. Today (Can't Help But Cry) - Greta Hanlyn. Sounds like Lush and The Heart-Throbs and all those early '90s dreampop bands that got eaten up by Britpop.
2. The Ick - Panic Shack. Saw these at the first gig (festival) of the year (Rockaway Beach). I like the uncompromising attitude of the singer: you shush her in the cinema, you put the milk in first - you're out, mate.
3. Edge Of The Edge - Panda Bear and Sonic Boom. I didn't see these at Rockaway Beach as anything on after 10 p.m. was too late for me, but I really like this west coast-influenced psych-pop.
4. The Disco - TRRUUCES. "You say you love me but then you don't answer the phone! Saturday night at the disco, you're dancing alone".
5. Complete Me - Django Django and Self Esteem. Ms RL Taylor took a break from her pop career this year to launch herself into light entertainment and the west end stage, so I'll take this disco crumb from her talented table.
6. Force 10 From Navarone - Sleaford Mods feat. Florence from Dry Cleaning. Another collab, with Florence's laconic tones going head to head with Sleaford Mods' more aggressive vocal stylings.
7. Literary Mind - Sprints. I could've swore this was Fontaines DC but it was another Dublin City band.
8. Isn't It Great To Be Alive - Spearmint. I think it was at this point of my recovery year that I realised that yes, yes it was. "I can't come to terms with ordinary life again now".
9. Cha Cha Cha - Kaarija. It was a stellar year for Eurovision with this being the goth-techno-disco cream of the crop (top). Surely the only Eurovision entry ever to riff off the Human Caterpillar.
10. Who The Hell Is Edgar - Teya and Selena. In which some Austrian pop-girls sing the joys of Edgar Allen Poe. Austrians!
11. Because Of You - Gustaph. This could've been a Euro-contender had Sweden not barged in. I liked its early '90s handbag house vibes.
12. Feeling Called Love - Pulp. We went to Pulp's big show at Finsbury Park and oddly, this was the one I was humming for days afterwards.
13.Talkin' To Myself - Sarah Shook and The Disarmers. Some years ago, song that were on adverts - from Ben E King to Flat Eric - became hits. This wasn't on an advert, but was the theme tune to Patricia Arquette PI vehicle, High Desert. I really like its country-folk ambience.
14. In Spite Of Ourselves - Viagra Boys. Coming off like a fucked up Moldy Peaches, this is the dirrrty remix version.
15. Time For You - Cable Ties. "I've got no time - but I got time for YOU".
16. Whole Wide World - Wreckless Eric. We Saw Mr Wreckless at the (return of) the Clerkenwell festival and he did his hit! It was really great.
17. For No-one For Now - Lael Neale. Swoonworthy
18 Which Of The Pickwick Triplets Did It? - Only Murders In The Building Cast. Similar to Sarah Snook, i got this from a TV show but it's so insanely Broadway-catchy.
19. We Came To Smash - Martin Solveig. I very much enjoyed all of the cycling grand tours this year - the epic battles of Geraint vs Roglic, Pog vs Jonas, Kuss versus the rest of his team, and this song exemplifies Jumbop Visma's mindset.
20. Pip Blom - Is This Love. I liked Pip Blom version 1, which was twee indie pop, but i like version 2 even better
21. CSS - Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above. Yes, let's.
22. Ho Ho Ho - Teya and Selena. The same song as before but Xmassy!
Spotify link:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5CyTdyDrEnhFiskFukqfGT?si=aa9b1dd574a44f00
This also features an in memoriam section, which sadly gets longer every year: Anita Pointer, Tom Verlaine, Bert Bacharach, Tina Turner, Andy Rourke, Astrud Gilberto, Sinead O'Connor, Shane Macgowan, Trugoy the Dove, Ruth Miller from Po!
2. The Ick - Panic Shack. Saw these at the first gig (festival) of the year (Rockaway Beach). I like the uncompromising attitude of the singer: you shush her in the cinema, you put the milk in first - you're out, mate.
3. Edge Of The Edge - Panda Bear and Sonic Boom. I didn't see these at Rockaway Beach as anything on after 10 p.m. was too late for me, but I really like this west coast-influenced psych-pop.
4. The Disco - TRRUUCES. "You say you love me but then you don't answer the phone! Saturday night at the disco, you're dancing alone".
5. Complete Me - Django Django and Self Esteem. Ms RL Taylor took a break from her pop career this year to launch herself into light entertainment and the west end stage, so I'll take this disco crumb from her talented table.
6. Force 10 From Navarone - Sleaford Mods feat. Florence from Dry Cleaning. Another collab, with Florence's laconic tones going head to head with Sleaford Mods' more aggressive vocal stylings.
7. Literary Mind - Sprints. I could've swore this was Fontaines DC but it was another Dublin City band.
8. Isn't It Great To Be Alive - Spearmint. I think it was at this point of my recovery year that I realised that yes, yes it was. "I can't come to terms with ordinary life again now".
9. Cha Cha Cha - Kaarija. It was a stellar year for Eurovision with this being the goth-techno-disco cream of the crop (top). Surely the only Eurovision entry ever to riff off the Human Caterpillar.
10. Who The Hell Is Edgar - Teya and Selena. In which some Austrian pop-girls sing the joys of Edgar Allen Poe. Austrians!
11. Because Of You - Gustaph. This could've been a Euro-contender had Sweden not barged in. I liked its early '90s handbag house vibes.
12. Feeling Called Love - Pulp. We went to Pulp's big show at Finsbury Park and oddly, this was the one I was humming for days afterwards.
13.Talkin' To Myself - Sarah Shook and The Disarmers. Some years ago, song that were on adverts - from Ben E King to Flat Eric - became hits. This wasn't on an advert, but was the theme tune to Patricia Arquette PI vehicle, High Desert. I really like its country-folk ambience.
14. In Spite Of Ourselves - Viagra Boys. Coming off like a fucked up Moldy Peaches, this is the dirrrty remix version.
15. Time For You - Cable Ties. "I've got no time - but I got time for YOU".
16. Whole Wide World - Wreckless Eric. We Saw Mr Wreckless at the (return of) the Clerkenwell festival and he did his hit! It was really great.
17. For No-one For Now - Lael Neale. Swoonworthy
18 Which Of The Pickwick Triplets Did It? - Only Murders In The Building Cast. Similar to Sarah Snook, i got this from a TV show but it's so insanely Broadway-catchy.
19. We Came To Smash - Martin Solveig. I very much enjoyed all of the cycling grand tours this year - the epic battles of Geraint vs Roglic, Pog vs Jonas, Kuss versus the rest of his team, and this song exemplifies Jumbop Visma's mindset.
20. Pip Blom - Is This Love. I liked Pip Blom version 1, which was twee indie pop, but i like version 2 even better
21. CSS - Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above. Yes, let's.
22. Ho Ho Ho - Teya and Selena. The same song as before but Xmassy!
Spotify link:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5CyTdyDrEnhFiskFukqfGT?si=aa9b1dd574a44f00
This also features an in memoriam section, which sadly gets longer every year: Anita Pointer, Tom Verlaine, Bert Bacharach, Tina Turner, Andy Rourke, Astrud Gilberto, Sinead O'Connor, Shane Macgowan, Trugoy the Dove, Ruth Miller from Po!