Twenty Recurrant Songs
Twenty Songs, 9th April 2006
A return to form for the list this week, with actual songs that we've loved this week - and really loved - being listed as they appeared, not just as we think they appeared. A pretty unvaried selection but that's what happens when you buy albums and singles by a small group of artists I guess.
At the bottom, thanks entirely to their most recent video, the really rather good The View From The Afternoon by Arctic Monkeys, which we hope is released on DVD format, or at least Enhanced CD. Also down there is the Hot Chip Remix of Battle's Tendency although, as time has gone on our opinion of it has veered quite dramatically left and right. Who knows eh? We're not sold on Hot Chip although we know that puts us in the minority, even outside MTV2 and NME circles. Field Music should, really, be in the chart every week but alas they won't be, ever, because they aren't nearly prolific enough. However whenever we spend a bit of time with their music they get some Twenty time. Bless 'em. I'm Tired is actually the vinyl b-side to If Only The Moon Were Up and we re-recorded it this week and so have a much better copy to listen to, hence it's inclusion here for probably the first time.
Fifty Weapons is on the list because that song is still great, even if we don't know exactly what it's called (is it #001 by Fifty Weapons or is it Fifty Weapons #001 by an unknown artists?) and Asaviour creeps into the chart on the back of his newly released album, which we hope to spend a lot more time with this week. Editors are in there because, like Field Music they probably should be ever week. Unlike Field Music though they release enough songs to actually be in the chart ever week, this time featuring with 7" b-side Someone Says in its lovely acoustic glory.
As we get into the top ten we start to see the first bits of repetition. Test Icicles grime excursions get them a recall, albeit a good five places lower than last week (which, given the movement in this weeks chart is pretty good going still). Blood Red Shoes get their second appearance with Meet Me At Eight (the occasionally overlooked b-side to Stitch Me Back) propping up the chart at twenty and the still excellent sounding Bless His Heart up at nine. Semifinalists have another good showing on the back of their last single, with their current one yet to chart. Maybe next week? Elsewhere Tera:Tora are in at seven with a bullet, only the second song of theirs we've heard. Did you know they're made up of former Murder Of Rosa Luxemburg members? That bodes well, eh?
Also up there, scratching at the top five is Maps, one of our favourite artists whose song tally quadrupled this week with a bumper package of 7", CD downloads all falling through our door last week. So far we've only managed to really listen to one song so expect to see more of him next week too.
Meanwhile, the two highest debut charting positions this week come from Autolux, at four, although we've had a while to get into Blanket as it not only appears on their album, which we acquired this week, but also on last year's Full Time Hobby EP1. However it is an excellent track from a band with hidden depths so credit where it's due. However the real surprise package of the week was GoodBooks who we saw a video for on MTV2 the Thursday, once, and were buying the single for by Saturday. We've only really listened to it a few times but my word it's a beauty. It's only an admin decision that kept their b-side off this chart, too.
Finally, the top three are familar looking things. Help She Can't Swim keep their place although last week we also go their latest single so we'll be able to evaluate that in the shadow of this behemoth too and thus get a better idea of the forthcoming album. Yeah Yeah Yeahs second appearance in this month's chart is the still amazing Bang which soothed our aching hearts after the disappointment that was Show Your Bones.
Which leaves us with this week's number one, easily the most popular song in this week's twenty and possibly the most popular we've ever featured in a chart. What people forget though, is that just because popular music influences the definition of pop it doesn't mean popular music is just pop. In the case of Daft Punk, who appear this week a whopping three times (again, could easily have been more), it's a case of truly brilliant music dragging people away from their usual vacuous leanings and letting a little slice of genius into their lives. Around The World, a fantastic song before the hypnotic Gondry video, deserves a place in everyone's hearts and CD collections. We give it this month's top spot as an apology for it taking us so long to include it in ours.
A return to form for the list this week, with actual songs that we've loved this week - and really loved - being listed as they appeared, not just as we think they appeared. A pretty unvaried selection but that's what happens when you buy albums and singles by a small group of artists I guess.
At the bottom, thanks entirely to their most recent video, the really rather good The View From The Afternoon by Arctic Monkeys, which we hope is released on DVD format, or at least Enhanced CD. Also down there is the Hot Chip Remix of Battle's Tendency although, as time has gone on our opinion of it has veered quite dramatically left and right. Who knows eh? We're not sold on Hot Chip although we know that puts us in the minority, even outside MTV2 and NME circles. Field Music should, really, be in the chart every week but alas they won't be, ever, because they aren't nearly prolific enough. However whenever we spend a bit of time with their music they get some Twenty time. Bless 'em. I'm Tired is actually the vinyl b-side to If Only The Moon Were Up and we re-recorded it this week and so have a much better copy to listen to, hence it's inclusion here for probably the first time.
Fifty Weapons is on the list because that song is still great, even if we don't know exactly what it's called (is it #001 by Fifty Weapons or is it Fifty Weapons #001 by an unknown artists?) and Asaviour creeps into the chart on the back of his newly released album, which we hope to spend a lot more time with this week. Editors are in there because, like Field Music they probably should be ever week. Unlike Field Music though they release enough songs to actually be in the chart ever week, this time featuring with 7" b-side Someone Says in its lovely acoustic glory.
As we get into the top ten we start to see the first bits of repetition. Test Icicles grime excursions get them a recall, albeit a good five places lower than last week (which, given the movement in this weeks chart is pretty good going still). Blood Red Shoes get their second appearance with Meet Me At Eight (the occasionally overlooked b-side to Stitch Me Back) propping up the chart at twenty and the still excellent sounding Bless His Heart up at nine. Semifinalists have another good showing on the back of their last single, with their current one yet to chart. Maybe next week? Elsewhere Tera:Tora are in at seven with a bullet, only the second song of theirs we've heard. Did you know they're made up of former Murder Of Rosa Luxemburg members? That bodes well, eh?
Also up there, scratching at the top five is Maps, one of our favourite artists whose song tally quadrupled this week with a bumper package of 7", CD downloads all falling through our door last week. So far we've only managed to really listen to one song so expect to see more of him next week too.
Meanwhile, the two highest debut charting positions this week come from Autolux, at four, although we've had a while to get into Blanket as it not only appears on their album, which we acquired this week, but also on last year's Full Time Hobby EP1. However it is an excellent track from a band with hidden depths so credit where it's due. However the real surprise package of the week was GoodBooks who we saw a video for on MTV2 the Thursday, once, and were buying the single for by Saturday. We've only really listened to it a few times but my word it's a beauty. It's only an admin decision that kept their b-side off this chart, too.
Finally, the top three are familar looking things. Help She Can't Swim keep their place although last week we also go their latest single so we'll be able to evaluate that in the shadow of this behemoth too and thus get a better idea of the forthcoming album. Yeah Yeah Yeahs second appearance in this month's chart is the still amazing Bang which soothed our aching hearts after the disappointment that was Show Your Bones.
Which leaves us with this week's number one, easily the most popular song in this week's twenty and possibly the most popular we've ever featured in a chart. What people forget though, is that just because popular music influences the definition of pop it doesn't mean popular music is just pop. In the case of Daft Punk, who appear this week a whopping three times (again, could easily have been more), it's a case of truly brilliant music dragging people away from their usual vacuous leanings and letting a little slice of genius into their lives. Around The World, a fantastic song before the hypnotic Gondry video, deserves a place in everyone's hearts and CD collections. We give it this month's top spot as an apology for it taking us so long to include it in ours.