Thursday 26 December 2013

Tracks Of 2013 - Andy's List

Article by andy@thesoundofconfusion.com

                             Will this track make the list?? No, no it wont.


Good Morning Ladies; Gentleman; Martians; High-end bespoke robots; and Cartoon Characters!

May I warmly welcome you all to the 5th annual, ‘Sound Of Confusion Scotland Correspondent Picks His 25 Tracks Of The Year’ post! *applause please*. Over the course of its online maturation, The Sound Of Confusion has grown significantly in both its appeal and influence and this is an upward trend that permeates right through each article that is posted on the site...everything that is except my list, which has seen interest levels plummet from its heady heyday!

Yes back in the glory year of 2009 there were at least three actual people who expressed a passing indifference toward my scintillating selection, however for reasons unknown (probably the credit crunch!) to this correspondent that figure has steadily dwindled to a point that this post already now appears to be attracting a view count of negative five!! None the less, well aware that it gives me a welcome break from trying to build elastic band balls, Kev has thoughtfully insisted we continue with tradition and publish my picks of the best tunes that have graced my gramophone* in the last twelve months.

Same stipulation as ever, just one track per band or artist. On we roll..

*I don't really have a gramophone, I wouldn't know how to work it.


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THE LIST


1) Dive - Dumb: The Midlands is booming with bands unafraid to let their guitars do the talking, and as introductions go, none spoke more purposefully than this slice of British indie rock at its exhilarating best.



Dumb Website




2) Summertime In My Heart - The Electric Soft Parade: Still criminally underappreciated, the brothers White showcased once again that no one does wide eyed, sunshine filled, melody better, on a perfect anthem for summer.


The Electric Soft Parade Website




3) Picture Show – Lanterns On The Lake: It’s tough up north so the saying goes - well let’s keep it that way if it’s going to inspire breathy, beguiling, piano ballads of this ilk.


Lanterns On The Lake Website




4) Real Love – Memory Tapes: Never bereft of imagination or a willingness to push tunes off at a tangent, this year it was one of Dayve Hawke’s more straight forward compositions that shone, with a funky mix of light and dark moods recalling the club records that ushered in the 1990’s.



Memory Tapes Facebook




5) LNOE – The High Wire: Let’s not shy away from it, yes this track probably owes a sizable debt to a couple of tracks from Mercury Rev’s ‘Deserter Songs’, but so what because it’s great! If this really was the last night on earth, I’d be happy to bow out with this booming from the stereo.


The High Wire Facebook




6) One Of These Days – Gaz Coombes Presents: He of synonymous with sideburns fame, does a super job of grassing up his innermost thoughts and emotions, over a Lennon-esque, delicately orchestral, slow burner.


Gaz Coombes Website




7) Carry Me – Bombay Bicycle Club: It’s one of life’s intrinsic truisms that I just don’t like Bombay Bicycle Club’s music! I think that arrangement suits all parties well, easy peasy...so why did they have to go and screw up everything by making murky percussive electro that’s right up my street. Don’t do it again or we might fall out!


Bombay Bicycle Club Website




8) Telephone – Alpaca Sports: Log on to Facebook and you’ll doubtless find a picture of a fluffy kitten, peeping out from under a furry rug, while wearing a pink bow and hugging a hamster – this jangle meets indie-pop three minute jaunt is even more gentle and twee than that image...and all the better for it! *pats the song*


Alpaca Sports Website




9) Jade Vine – LACED: Back to Birmingham we go for another debut single, that though difficult to pin falls somewhere in the territory between shoegaze and grunge, Regardless of the label you want to use this is brooding, powerful and immensely promising.



LACED Facebook





10) The Lovers’ Suicide – The Bilinda Butchers: A top 10 just wouldn’t feel right anymore without an entry from the San Francisco dream pop duo would it! They make the grade for the third year running, with this hazy and chiming guitar anthem inspired by the contents of a fine piece of Japanese poetry.



The Bilinda Butchers Website

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11) Sun Kissed Bliss - Splashh
12) Paper Heart – Chloe Howl
13) Milk and Black Spiders - Foals
14) Gold - JAWS
15) Desired Affect – Atom Tree
16) Seafood – Beaty Heart
17) I Had A Vision Last Night – Storms
18) Brain – Black Onassis
19) Winter – Daughter
20) Free Your Mind – Cut Copy
21) S.O.S in Bel Air – Phoenix
22) Canoe – Small Black
23) Fireside – Arctic Monkeys
24) Ineptitude, Dude! – Love Dance
25) Confusion – Little Boots


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Done for another year. Thank you for reading team, and may you each have a great 2014, filled with plenty of top notch music. All the best.





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