Here's what the world has been waiting for - our respective top ten tracks (which together makes 20! Clever, huh?)
We've each contributed our best songs for the year and offered judgements on each other's submissions. Feel free to do the same in the comments section!
The Moose's top ten
The only place – Best Coast
This should used in a tourist campaign by every coastal town, ever. It’s fitting that this song should be released in the year I move back to my hometown by the seaside, because it's about loving California California is probably my favourite place outside of Australia
Schnitzel: Moose knows how much I love this song. It's catchy, it paints a wonderful picture of contentment and solidarity with your hometown (which had special meaning for me too, as Mrs Schnitzel and I moved back to Newcastle after a three-year stint in Canberra
Apocalypse dreams – Tame Impala
“Everything is Changing”. My favourite track from Tame Impala’s new album Lonerism, is a little more textured than anything off 2010's Innespeaker – and that’s saying something. Introducing crashing piano, driving drums and bass and dreamy vocals, this track focuses less on the guitar and more on the whole mix. It’s a flowing track with an epic fade out that sounds like the soundtrack to an unsettling early 80s film.
Schnitzel: Definitely one of my favourites of this album. To me, it offers a snapshot of everything Kevin Parker has put together for Lonerism and everything he's improved upon since Innerspeaker. Very dreamy and cosmic, it's gotten me through quite a few stinking hot days in the office.
I cherish the heartbreak more than the love that I lost –Crybaby
I was lucky enough to go to London
Schnitzel: This song manages to strike a balance between despair and melody in a way that many have tried, where some have succeeded and where the Smiths excelled. Danny Coughlan does it well, his wounded croon is supported well by his acoustic guitar, and he manages to pay homage to Morrissey without sounding like a cheap imitation
Starships – Nicki Minaj
Everyone seems to focus on Lady Gaga as so eccentric, but it seems like a well executed attempt to be edgy. Nicki Minaj, on the other hand, seems a little nuts. Minaj seems so comfortable in this strange barbie doll with weird wigs and ass implants image that you believe it, and it makes me feel better about what I am about to say… Starships is the hook of the year – no question. Try and get this thing out of your head. Great production too – as a promos producer who strives to keep things fresh this track pricks my ears up, but is simply a whole lot of fun. If I still hit the clubs, I would want this song on 24/7.
Schnitzel: This was a song I wasn't sure I'd heard when I first started hearing people talk about it, and then I realised that I had - in just about every ladies clothing store I'd ventured into searching for the 'boyfriend/husband chair' while Mrs Schnitzel went browsing. I'm not really a fan, but credit where credit is due - it's catchy as hell, Minaj brings in some funky House sounds and turns out a vaguely late 1990s/early 2000s dance-pop anthem.
Everybody talks – Neon Trees
This band doesn’t seem to have hit it big in Australia
Schnitzel: I agree on the 'too rock and yet too pop' statement. This track sits in that bermuda triangle where potentially great bands and songs end up disappearing into obscurity. I hope it doesn't happen here. To my mind, 'Everybody talks' is high energy, harmony-laden alt-pop that puts a spring in your step with hooks that get stuck in your head for hours.
Steam – Deep Sea Arcade
For the longest time I could not get this chorus out of my head, a catchy as hell vocal hook mirroring the melody of a catchy as hell riff. A little bit 1960s guitar pop, a little bit 1990s britpop – this Sydney
Schnitzel: A gem from earlier in the year, a good summer tune to enjoy afternoon beers to. Features a very cheeky film clip (BAM).
I got burned – The Bamboos (feat. Tim Rogers)
I’ve always wanted Tim Rogers to have a big hit with the current Triple J crowd, and when I saw him on stage with the Bamboos at this year’s Homebake, I couldn’twipe the smile from my face. Facing a very different crowd to his solo set, Mr Rogers entered the stage in an oversize golden suit jacket and left sweaty andshirtless having won over a huge crowd, many of whom seemed unfamiliar with his cocky stage presence. The Bamboos are an excellent live band, laying down a great 1970s groove and crisp horns for an excellent vocal from Tim – who's the kind of artist you trust to take you somewhere great, no matter which direction he’s heading. Sounds a little like ‘Miss you’ by the Rolling Stones, when I think about it.
I’ve always wanted Tim Rogers to have a big hit with the current Triple J crowd, and when I saw him on stage with the Bamboos at this year’s Homebake, I couldn’twipe the smile from my face. Facing a very different crowd to his solo set, Mr Rogers entered the stage in an oversize golden suit jacket and left sweaty andshirtless having won over a huge crowd, many of whom seemed unfamiliar with his cocky stage presence. The Bamboos are an excellent live band, laying down a great 1970s groove and crisp horns for an excellent vocal from Tim – who's the kind of artist you trust to take you somewhere great, no matter which direction he’s heading. Sounds a little like ‘Miss you’ by the Rolling Stones, when I think about it.
Schnitzel: It's a little embarrassing how long it took me to fall in love with this track… but since I did I haven't been able to play it enough. It's extremely funky, and Rogers
I’m shakin' – Jack White
I hadn’t given this album too much time after not really liking the first couple of tracks released, but when a mate of mine had the album playing in the background one evening some months back, this song jumped right out. What a great lick! It's funky, crunchy, it’s got soul and a great vocal. A little fifties and very Jack White. Much like ‘I got burned’ - I can’t help but boogie when I hear it.
Schnitzel: This is the gateway track that made me fall in love with Blunderbuss and it features White in full bluesy freak out mode. A brilliant vocal and one of the most memorable guitar riffs of the year. Brilliant stuff, and definitely boogie-worthy.
The Swan – Cheatahs
The Cheatahs are a London-
Schnitzel: I'm a fan of this song, too. Churns along with a lo-fi guitar riff which is kind of indie-grungy (think Sonic Youth meets the Pixies) and a great vocal. Another good choice!
Thank you for breaking my heart – Ben Folds Five
I did think – before I heard the first single – that a Ben Folds Five reunion would be purely sentimental, a great band but nothing Ben couldn’t do with hissolo band. But their new album is something special, and has a sound I haven’t heard since BF5 split. 'Do it anyway' and 'Draw a crowd' are excellent singles, but this album closer is an absolute showstopper. Like 'Evaporated' (and like its title suggests), it is a heartbreaking song. Paced and measured, building to a peak and then dropping right back without ever taking it too far. Breaking your heart in a ballad without ever getting schmaltzy is a difficult thing to do, but BF5 has done it.
Schnitzel: What a stunning way for BF5 to finish up their newest album – a sudden punch to the heart and a kick to the grief bone. After the nine tracks that precede it, this track is a reminder of how adept Ben Folds is at condensing heartbreak into less than five minutes of pop mastery.
Schnitzel's top ten
Fence sitter – Ball Park
What a way to open their second album! It's everything that was great about Happiness and surrounding suburbs with a little more polish. It's new but familiar, it's got that happy, blissed out summer feel to it, and makes me wish I was sitting outside drinking a beer with friends rather than typing at this computer. Most of Ball Park Music's songs are tyed up with memories of roadtrips and long weekends with friends (and because of that, they make me instantly happy); but it's not just the fond memory thing that makes me love this song. It's infectiously happy and a little bit obnoxious. I love these dudes and I love this song.
Moose: I find it odd that you find this song infectiously happy, because I find it sounds really sinister. I haven’t much gotten into BPM’s second album… mainly because the thing I liked about the first was its Weezer-esque sense of humour, quirky lyrics and melodic guitar work, whereas this is more on the serious side. Still – can’t deny it’s a good song and they are a great band.
Draw a crowd – Ben Folds Five
It took me a few listens to warm up to this album, but this song was an instant winner for me (and first played for me by you, Moose, on a drive between our residences). It's got that energetic piano/fuzzy bass/high hat-heavy sound that is oh-so-BF5, it's a bit cheeky, it's damn catchy, and most people I know still aren't too sure they're hearing the lyrics right. Great fun.
Moose: This would have been on my top ten if the album closer wasn’t so damn fine. A great song with a fantastic piano and bass groove and cheeky lyrics – very Ben. I feel it’s about hipsters, but I may be wrong.
My man – Oh Mercy
My journey with Oh Mercy's Deep Heat may have been long and winding, but I've always thought this track was awesome. A great vocal and intriguing lyrical perspective from Alexander Gow, bass-funk-perfection from Eliza Lam, and a dirty saxophone to top it all off. The recent Sarah Blasko cover is a gem aswell.
Moose: Schnitzel knows my feelings on this whole album well – I fell in love with the first two records (Great Barrier Grief was my top album of 2011) – but this album was a complete change in direction. A Roxy Music-sleaze funk-80s Rolling Stones-mess of influences… while it's done really well, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. And the fact this sounds like ‘Love is the Drug’ by Roxy music just makes me steer clear. They are still a great band, but of all the directions they could havetaken, they took one I just couldn’t follow.
Storms – Best Coast
I hear so much Bethany Cosentino hate on the interwebs (ranging from "she's so out of tune" to simply "fuck off"), and I really don't get it. I think she's got a great voice, writes fantastic surf pop tunes and is a Looker to boot. The only place is one of my favourite albums for this year, and picking a favourite is very tough. This was included on the Australian release of the album only, and is simply amazing. Cosentino takes the quiet dispair of the Fleetwood Mac classic and gives us something raw and powerful. In just over four minutes, she shows us how much she loves and takes inspiration from Stevie Nicks, and demonstrates her ability to take a classic and beloved song and make it her own. She doesn't change too much about the song, but it's beautiful, it's tragic and I love it.
Moose: I love the new Best Coast New Zealand
R U mine? – Arctic Monkeys
R U mine? – Arctic Monkeys
I was late to the 'Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not' party, but when I finally arrived, I ended up staying longer than most other people did. That album was on repeat for a long time (much to the chagrin of Mrs. Schnitzel and anyone else who hung around me at the time). After that, the Arctic Monkeys slipped off my radar. This track brought them back with a vengeance, though. The fuzzed out funky bass and the sweet guitar riff work brilliantly with Alex Turner's trademark Sheffieidian sneer. For me, this is a return to form. I'm looking forward to the new album next year.
Moose: I object to the term return to form – I’m not a fan of this band, but I loved the album that preceded this single (Suck it and See). It was excellently written and well produced, and it made me really like these guys, and I think their Josh Homme produced album Humbug was really under rated. This is a little less melodic than the stuff from Suck it and See but it's not bad, I like these guys more with everything they do – they’re moving away from bratty and into a band of risk takers (arguable I know), which is always good.
Teenage icon – The Vaccines
What did you expect from the Vaccines? is one of my favourite albums from 2011. While (in Moose's words, though I agree) it seemed with Come of age the Vaccines said "take everything good about the last album and bin it!", this song retains that obnoxious energy. It's a great track, and I quite enjoy singing it to my four month old daughter… keeps her from getting a big head.
Moose: They played this at the Big Day Out at the beginning of the year and I thought this album is going to be AWESOME! But (and I’m noticing a trend as I write these notes) the album was inconsistent, and its production lacked the energy and melody of the first record. Still – a great song, a great chorus.
Boy division – My Chemical Romance
Moose recently asked me where My Chemical Romance were going to go after their last album, Danger Days: the true lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. While I still don't have an answer for that, this track offers a possible hint. Recorded and then abandoned in favour of the tracks that would make up Danger Days, ‘Boy Division’ is a more polished return tothe I brought you my bullets, you brought me your love and Three cheers forsweet revenge eras, with MCR once again combining death and violence-laden fiction with strong rock guitar and the increasingly proficient vocal performances of front man Gerard Way. Good ol' fashioned "what if Morrissey were in the Misfits?" fun.
Moose: I like this… it's really tight, loud and a nice mix of some intricate guitar work with power chords and a nice chorus. Not as good as anything on The Black Parade, but I feel a lot of that album was not achievable live. So while less ambitious – I like that this is a little more realistic for a live band. It worries me though, that after their huge peak in popularity their audience didn’t seem to follow on to the next album. Possibly caught up in the emo fad?
Don't wanna grow up anymore – Bob Evans
I'm so very excited for more Bob Evans in 2013. I remember walking to the shops after one of the first nights I spent at my (now wife, then) girlfriend's flat, hungover as all hell, and wondering who Bob Evans was when she picked up a copy of Suburban Songbook. This song is classic Bob, but that's just fine, because the Jebadiah frontman does it so well.
Moose: Bob’s next album is likely to be my 2013 album of the year, but for now, this is a great song. It should have been in my top ten but just got bumped. It’s a nice progression for Kevin Mitchell, upbeat yet melancholy, great hooks and harmonys and a really cool jumbled synth intro. LOVE IT.
We take care of our own – Bruce Springsteen
While it could be said that Springsteen's best work is behind him, this song (and, indeed, the whole album) challenges this common assertion. It doesn't matter how old or rich he gets; he still sounds like a young, financially-poor-but-love-rich everyman. With this song, he appeals to solidarity and the humanistic desire to do good, to help others, and to be part of something bigger. It's political without labouring the point, and there's a gorgeous Americana
Moose: Like Morrissey, Springsteen is one of those artists who has never lost their relevance. This track is so consistent with his early work, and what he stands for musically and politically. I’m a casual fan of the Boss, but it's hard not to respect him. And this has a great little xylophone hook, and nice big drums that keep it chugging along nicely.
Some nights – fun.
There's a lot to like about this band, and there's a lot to like about this song. It smacks of Queen to me, or Simon and Garfunkel if they went all stadium rock. There's a chorus you can't help but sing along to, the drums give a rousing marching band feel and the whole track goes so close to cliché without tipping over the edge that it's brilliant. I predict that of the current generation of indie kids, some will view this song is the high water mark - the best it will get - while others will view it as the moment where it all just became too mainstream. To the latter I say: pop is not a dirty word.
There's a lot to like about this band, and there's a lot to like about this song. It smacks of Queen to me, or Simon and Garfunkel if they went all stadium rock. There's a chorus you can't help but sing along to, the drums give a rousing marching band feel and the whole track goes so close to cliché without tipping over the edge that it's brilliant. I predict that of the current generation of indie kids, some will view this song is the high water mark - the best it will get - while others will view it as the moment where it all just became too mainstream. To the latter I say: pop is not a dirty word.
Moose: Lead singer Nate Ruess was previously in a band called the Format – who had some pretty damn great songs (try 'Oceans'). They split and he put together Fun, whose first album was sort of a continuation of the Format, just (in my opinion) a little more varied in instrumentation. And the single from that album, 'All the pretty girls', is an amazing track. But it wasn’t until he put down the guitar that they really hit it big. This song is, as you said, very Queen, but also very ELO and takes influences frommodern R&B/Hip Hop. Originality is over rated, modern originality is the ability to combine and filter your influences to create something new, and this track sounds fresh and new, has movements and makes great use of auto tune. An all round powerhouse track.
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