11/ Foals - Providence
Continuing on the dirty abrasive style of 'Inhaler', Foals showed the world their grittier and animalistic side, once again perforating typecasting in a third album that is completely distinct to their two previous efforts. Heavy, unadulterated and a song that is seemingly out of control by the end, Foals always manage to maintain a tightness to their sound, an important feat especially for Yannis Phillipakis's live antics. The soundtrack to your personal 'Helter Skelter', it's an apocalyptic track which beats you mercilessly and makes you ask for more.
10/ D. Ramirez & Cevin Fisher - Restless (Camelphat Remix)
Funky, cocky and just purely entertaining, it's not one of the most innovative or transcendent remixes ever made, but definitely one of the coolest. Camelphat has really taken a shine to the original lyrics, speaking of the restlessness one's feels when they hear the perfect song, he has managed to translate it perfectly. Deep house, techno or italo dance, whatever you want to call it, it doesn't matter, as long you understand it's core message and appreciate it's pure musicality, it's a song that anyone can enjoy. An ode to being a music fan, all it asks you to do is to listen and celebrate the music.
9/ Foals - Milk & Black Spiders
You've probably noticed but I'm quite biased towards Foals, and whilst I do try to be as objective as possible, as a fan I can't help but favour them over others. Unlike 'Providence', this is a side of Foals returning to 'Total Life Forever', emotional, ecstatic and slightly confusing, its wave after wave of reverberated guitars, layered over a string section with a rolling drum line. It's what Foals do best, building on a regular pattern until they reach a new heigh of sound that sends chills down your spine until you are simply transfixed even after the song is over.
8/ Tyler, The Creator - Rusty (feat. Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt)
Wu-Tang Clan beats, menacing lyrics and inevitably incredible collaborations, it's not only one of Tyler's best efforts on his new album, but it's one of those where you know Domo and Earl saved up some of their best lyrics for. Lyrically, it seems to break down everything wrong in the contemporary music industry, societal attitudes towards his own person and his own troublesome relationship with his fans, who according to Tyler, ask too much of him. They played this live on David Letterman and it was definitely one of the show's musical highlights this year and a reminder to anyone who'd forgotten, that basically Odd Future are not to be fucked with. Interestingly, Earl's verse came before Tyler's and I think this was a strategically valid move as the latter's lyrics lose a sense of their intensity by not being the final utterances of the song. It also featured some of amazing entertaining back up dancing from Earl and Tyler by the way.
7/ Queenie - And Every
Back when Eton Messy actually showcased regularly good music, it was an exciting moment whenever they put out new music, but now those days are past (I'm going to an article at some point about this). One of the highlights however of this bygone era was Queenie's enthralling 'And Every'. It's pure tribalism, where man or woman helplessly loses control to this song and cannot prevent themselves from expressing themselves in the most animalistic of manners. It's a truly wondrous sight which on it's own is proof of Darwin's evolution theory. I know it's a cliche but words really can't describe the feeling one gets when hearing the drop, you just need to experience yourself.
6/ Peace - Follow Baby
My list last year included Peace's track '1998' which for me was the best song I heard all year. Last year alone, you could hear the vast potential they had in them and they failed to disappoint with their debut album, especially the scorcher track 'Follow Baby'. Nirvana-esque with a tinge of Stone Roses and their own personal touches, Peace wear their influences on their sleeves quite clearly yet they make each track their own. One of the only new bands that I feel have kept indie alive this year, they're a promising band that keep on giving and definitely one of those bands to not recycle their sound continuously whilst constantly showing new and more interesting facets to their style.
5/ Flume - Left Alone feat. Chet Faker
With the influence of remixes gradually taking more and more importance in today's music scene, it is often quite rare that an original is able to hold a strong face against potential remixes. 'Left Alone' is one of those tracks, in which Flume has been remixed this year alone by the likes of Ta-ku and Baauer. The original is an eargasmic rhythmic symphony, filled with resonant vocal harmonies and 80's synths, creating one of the most interesting collaborations between some of Australia's rising stars. Flume is riding high and will surely create an even bigger wave in the electronic scene next year.
4/ Tyler, The Creator - Ifhy feat. Pharrell
Tyler has always been an emotional guy yet is one of the people who doesn't like to admit it and even when he is, refutes it as just being 'emo'. In 'Ifhy' he demonstrates his fine ability in juxtaposing between gore and well, sensitivity. Admitting his love for a girl, he nevertheless reveals his potential violent side when she rejects him. Unlike his earlier more immature material, he has got a greater control over his lyrics and is not just schoolboy-ish love of gore for gore sake. It's the perfect answer to his concerns in 'Rusty' in which some fans want him to further this more malevolent force whilst others praise his more compassionate ego summed up perfectly with the chorus's 'I fucking hate you, but I love you'.
3/ Coasts - Oceans
I feel slightly hypocritical for previously saying there was a lack of good modern indie and then placing Coasts in third position but this is an exception. Not as heavy as many of their contemporaries, Coasts nevertheless attain a gargantuan level of intensity in their lead single 'Oceans'. A fitting title, it begins off in brooding manner before reaching its tempest-like climax in a suitably epic manner. An anthem for the modern generation, Coasts have written that feel-good unifying song that bands usually take years in the making. Despite it's music video looking like a mix between hipster paradise and a Topman advert, 'Oceans' is a grandiose effort for a band who've only released one EP. In a similar position to Peace last year, their debut album has a lot to promise and is a record that I'm positive will reinvigorate the indie scene.
2/ Foals - Moon
Once again I'd like to apologize for the amount of Foals in the top 10, but then again it wouldn't be at top 10 without Foals. Arguably their magnum opus is 'Spanish Sahara' and once a band release such an odyssey of a song, it's slightly difficult to follow up on. Yet somehow but still unsurprisingly so, Foals have managed it once again. The closing track on 'Holy Fire', 'Moon' is a tranquil but powerful excursion into human emotion, stripped down and to the bone expression of those thoughts that keep you awake at night. Ambient is not a suitable description, as it implies its sole purpose is chill-out music, but this is much more than that. A powerhouse of a song, its lyrical ambiguity combined with its sonic intensity create an almost undefinable relationship between listener and song. However, its most powerful quality is its transcendence and for a song to keep you motionless and quiet for its entirety is quite an accomplishment.
1/ Mount Kimbie - Made To Stray
It feels almost pointless writing a whole list of what you consider the best songs of the year when you reach the last one, because this one beat all of them so in a sense you could just say this is the best song without writing about any other ones. Additionally, if no agrees me with this choice then my whole list is also futile, but one a whole different angle. In any case, there are many reasons for this song to be considered the best of the year and my sidetracking will end now. From this song alone, it has lead me to explore Mount Kimbie's entire back catalogue and one track has never had that kind of influence on me before. A pulsating beat which morphs into a multitude of sounds, across a whole spectrum of heavily layered reverb to thin and brittle. It's a gradual buildup to clarity, with the song ridden with a smog like layer that doesn't clear up until near the end. Whilst they have sung in the past, the new album features a heavier presence of voices, giving the song a more personalized and human touch. I've seen Mount Kimbie twice this year, and the general atmosphere that changes when this song comes on is incredible. They were especially good at closing this year's Reading Festival, a suitable send-off reflecting the haziness that encompasses many of its memories. One of the most innovative and original groups out there at the moment, 'Made To Stray' epitomizes their phenomenal musicality and understanding of changing musical trends, in which they most likely be at the forefront for many years.
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