SYSTEM DISRUPTOR'S TOP 50 SONGS of 2013

In the first year of the Lorde, it was hard to ignore her, especially living in New Zealand.  Hard to ignore her as she became the first solo New Zealand artist to top the US charts. Hard to ignore her as mass saturation of her every move, every lunch she shared, every comment she made was news. Mention of her youth, her canny sense of riding the wave of a backlash against capitalism. Everything she did was acknowledged to the point where I was bored of Lorde. I tried to not like her songs but Royals was something that I couldn’t shake so it made this list. 

Looking down the list, I noticed that there were quite a few songs by artists who I would describe as post-grunge-the likes of Coliseum and Roomrunner. Fitting in that this year saw both the 20^th anniversary reissue of In Utero and Nirvana’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There’s also an appearance by Pearl Jam, who released another pretty underwhelming album with one decent  in Mind Your Manners. 

Kanye West and Vampire Weekend were the only two acts to have two songs to feature on the list. In Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend made my year’s favourite album. I’ve always been a Vampire Weekend fan-boy and I’ve been a bit bemused by some of the backlash directed against them. Modern Vampires of the City doesn’t have any immediate songs but it has a collection of great songs, signaling a more mature but not more boring album. Yeesus by Kanye West has left me divided-I like a number of songs on it but as a whole, I can’t say it’s a great album, certainly not in the league of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Kanye has never been a great lyricist or even a great rapper but he does make interesting compelling music. He might be impatient for croissants but he remains music’s most vital artist

Shabba- A$AP Ferg feat A$AP Rocky           

The Way We Fall-Alela Diane

Invisible-Annie

Reflecktor- Arcade Fire

Do I Wanna Know?- Arctic Mondays

Control- Big Sean

You're Not Good Enough- Blood Orange

New Seeds- Boards of Canada

Fuzzbang- Coliseum                       

Avant Gardener- Courtney Barrett                                   

Get Lucky ft. Pharrell Williams-Daft Punk           

Lonely- Danny Brown           

Love is Lost-James Murphy remix- David Bowie                       

Sunday (ft Frank Ocean)- Earl Sweatshop                                               

No Religion (ft.The Underachievers)- Flatbush Zombies                                   

Primetime (feat. Miguel)- Janelle Monáe                       

Open Eye Signal- Jon Hopkins                                   

Black Skinhead- Kanye West           

New Slaves- Kanye West           

Banana Clipper feat. Big Boi- Killer Mike/El-P                                               

Full Of Fire- The Knife           

Wakin On A Pretty Day- Kurt Vile           

Royals- Lorde           

Weight- Mikal Cronin                                               

Only Tomorrow- My Bloody Valentine           

Graceless- The National                                                           

Higgs Boson Blues- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds                                                

Tide Waits for No Man- Nikita the Spooky and a Circus of Men           

Stoned and Starving- Parquet Courts                                               

Mind Your Manners- Pearl Jam           

Entertainment- Phoenix                       

The Captain- The Phoenix Foundation           

Song for Zula- Phosphorescent           

Nosetalgia (ft. Kendrick Lamar)- Pusha T                                               

Cat & Mouse- Radkey                                               

Blurred Lines ft. T.I., Pharrell-Robin Thicke                                               

Weird- Roomrunner                                               

She Will- Savages           

Tiger Tank- Speedy Ortiz                                               

Toe Cutter-Thumb Buster- Thee Oh Sees                                               

Strandbar (Disko Version)- Todd Terje                                               

South Paw-Tomahawk           

Does It- Tricky           

Mercy- TV On The Radio                                               

So Good At Being In Trouble- Unknown Mortal Orchestra           

Diane Young- Vampire Weekend           

Ya Hey- Vampire Weekend           

Harlem Roses- Vinny Cha$e           

Byegone- Volcano Choir                                               

One- Yamantaka/Sonic Titan                                                

SYSTEM DISRUPTED'S FAVOURITE SONGS OF 2012

Time for the 3^rd annual System has been disrupted favourite songs of 2012. I’ve limited it to one song per artist, (although a couple of people sneak onto the list twice as featured artists) which proved tough for artists like Killer Mike and Frank Ocean, who were responsible for my two favourite albums of the year. At the moment, the tracks featured on this list by these artists are my favourite but if you asked me last week what my favourite track was, they could easily been replaced by other tracks from these two standout albums. Some of these tracks were under-exposed, others like Gangnam Style couldn’t be avoided. I'm just pleased that I don't live in Korea anymore, otherwise I would have had to learn that dance for sure. Anyway, here's my 50 favourite songs (not necessarily the best) in alphabetical order.

A$AP Rocky - Goldie

Aaradhna-Wake Up

Amadou and Mariam ft Santigold- Dougou Badia

Amanda Palmer-Melody Dean

Angel Haze-New York

Anna Meredith-Nautilus

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti-Baby

Azealia Banks-212

Bat for Lashes- Laura

Beach House-Myth

The Black Seeds-Out of Light

Blood Diamonds ft Grimes-Phone Sex

Cat Power-Ruin

Repeating The Circle- Ceremony                                               

Get Got- Death Grips           

Life's a Beach- Django Django           

The Full Retard- El-P           

Anything Could Happen- Ellie Golding                       

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings- Father John Misty

Cheap Beer- FiDLAR           

 Gendjer2- Filastine                                   

Every Single Night- Fiona Apple                                               

Pyramids- Frank Ocean  

Frank Ocean: responsible for one of the best albums of the year.

Oblivion- Grimes           

Forever- Haim                                               

Lightning Bolt - Jake Bugg

The House That Heaven Built- Japandroids           

Mercy- Kanye West ft. Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz            

Backstreet Freestyle- Kendrick Lamar           

Untitled (feat. Scar)- Killer Mike       

Killer Mike had a critical breakthrough with RAP Music.

    

No 1 Against the Rush- Liars

Monoliths- Lotus Plaza

Brains - Lower Dens           

Get Free- Major Lazer

Oldie- Odd Future

Getaway Tonight- Opossum

Best Of Friends- Palma Violets

Take a Walk-Passion Pit                       

Follow Baby- Peace                                               

Ill Manors- Plan B                                               

Gangnam Style- Psy                       

Baddest Man Alive- RZA ft the Black Keys                       

Disparate Youth- Santigold           

Husbands- Savages           

Hey Jane- Spiritualized           

Feels Like We Only Go Backwards- Tame Impala

Kiss Me Dudely- Torche

Ty Seagall Band- I Bought My Eyes

YN Rich Kids: Dub this styes.

Hot Cheetos & Takis- YN Rich Kids                       

Ima Read- Zebra Katz                       

My Top 50 songs of 2011

Like every self-respecting blogger, time for my best of list of the year.

I generally lack the dedication, attention or time to listen to a whole album now (my favourite album was a re-issue of an 1989 album from Pretty Wicked Head, the only band to ever sign to a major label from my home-town, the only albums I listened to a lot being the Weeknd and PJ Harvey's) so it would be disingenuous to make a list of my favourite albums. Instead, here’s 50 of my favourite songs of 2011, some cringe-worthy, like the Selena Gomez song that got trapped in my psyche by my wife overplaying it  in the car and at home (at least, I can be thankful that her Justin Bieber fetish didn't break me down). Most of the other songs are cherry-picked from web-sites and albums. The only artist to appear twice is Lana Del Rey- I couldn’t separate her two entries and the backlash against her (she was a failed pop singer called Lizzy Grant who changed her name as well as her lips in order to succeed) failed to deter me from her charms. There's a home-town bias (three of the fifty are by New Zealand artists) and a notable, almost complete lack of heavy tracks (only a track from Liturgy who have been nailed hard by their scene as sell-outs) and a preponderance of female singers (like the aforementioned Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, Lykke Li and PJ Harvey to name a few). Maybe I’m getting melancholic in my old age.

Here's my list (in alphabetical order by song-title)

A.D.H.D - Kendrick Lamar                             

Abducted  -  Cults                                      

A Part of Me  -  The Adults                        

Belong  -  The Pains of Being Pure at Heart                                          

Bizness  -  TunE-yArDs                                        

Blue Jeans  -  Lana Del Rey                            

Lana Del Rey:only artist to have two entries.

Bones  -  Male Bonding           

California  -  EMA                                               

Cold Feet  -  Liam Finn           

Countdown  -  Beyonce

Dirt  -  WU LYF                                               

Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair  -  Arctic Monkeys           

Don’t Play No Game That I Can't Win  -  Beastie Boys (ft. Santigold)

Far Nearer  -  Jamie XX                       

FFunny Frends  -  Unknown Mortal Orchestra                                   

Freaks And Geeks  -  Childish Gambino                                   

Generation  -  Liturgy

Liturgy: Band under attack.

Get Away  -  Yuck

Gucci Gucci  -  Kreayshawn                                               

Holocene  -  Bon Iver           

I Don't Want Love  -  The Antlers           

I Follow Rivers  -  Lykke Li           

I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl  -  Wavves           

I'm God  -  Clams Casino                       

I’m On One  -  DJ Khaled Ft Lil Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross           

It's Real  -  Real Estate                       

Jesus Fever  -  Kurt Vile                                               

John  -  Lil Wayne (feat. Rick Ross)                       

Love You Like a Love Song  -  Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez: Horrific case of my taste being influenced by marital over-exposure.

Midnight City  -  M83                                   

Monopoly  -  Danny Brown                                   

My God  -  Pusha T           

Need You Now  -  Cut Copy           

No Church In The Wild  -  Jay-Z & Kanye West (feat. Frank Ocean)

Novacane  -  Frank Ocean           

Out Getting Ribs  -  Zoo Kid

Pumped Up Kicks   -  Foster the People

Pure Radio Cosplay  -  ....And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead

Rolling in the Deep  -  Adele           

She Found A Way Out  -  Cant           

Some Children (Ft Michael McDonald)  -  Holy Ghost!                                   

Street Halo [Hyperdub]  -  Burial                                               

Surgeon  -  St. Vincent           

The Last Huzzah  -  Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire ft. Despot, Das Racist,
Danny Brown and EL-P           

Video Games  -  Lana Del Ray                       

Vomit  -  Girls           

Wicked Games  -  The Weeknd            

Winter Beats  -  I Break Horses           

The Words That Maketh Murder  -  PJ Harvey           

Yonkers  -  Tyler, The Creator            

BEST MUSIC OF 2010- THE AGONY OF LIST MAKING

List making seems to be a universal response that we use to try and seek order in the randomness of life. Some lists order the mundane and the domestic. Others address deeper issues. The composition of such lists is thought to reflect on our personality and character, at least that’s what the more sensitive of us think. Below is a list of my 50 favourite songs of last year.

• Helicopter- Deer Hunter
• Fever Dreaming- No Age
• Spanish Sahara-Foals
• Living In America-Dom
• Answer To Yourself- Soft Pack
• Celestica- Crystal Castles
• Zebra- Beach House
• Power- Kanye West ft Dwele
• Infinity Guitars- Sleigh Bells
• Sun Hands- Local Natives
• Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)- Arcade Fire
• Slow- Twin Shadow
• Ambling Alp- Yeasayer
• Flash Delirium- MGMT
• Let’s Get Lost- Beck and Bat for Lashes
• All Of the Lights- Kanye West ft. everybody
• Stay Too Long- Plan B
• Solitude is Bliss- Tame Impala
• Weird Feelings- Male Bonding
• The Day- Curren$y (Ft Mos Def and Jay Electronica)
• Exhibit C- Jay Electronica
• Runaway-Kanye West ft Pusha T
• Shutterbug- Big Boi ft Cutty
• The High Road- Broken Bells
• I Can’t Write left Handed-The Roots and John Legend
• Juicy-r – Wait What
• Fuck You- Cee-Lo Green
• Odessa-Caribou
• Gonorrhea- Lil Wayne
• Troublemaker- The Koxx
• Haha Jk- Das Racist
• Everybody Knows- Kids of 88
• Me and the Devil- Gil Scott Heron
• Born Free- M.I.A
• We Want War- The New Puritans
• Young Blood-The Naked and Famous
• Round and Round-Ariel Pink
• All I Want- LCD Soundsystem
• Monster- Kanye West ft Justin Vernon, Rick Ross, Jay Z and Nicki Minaj.
• Go Outside-Cults
• The Girl and The Robot- Robyn ft Royksopp
• Giving Up The Gun- Vampire Weekend
• Nothing On We- Chiddy Bang
• Apply-Glasser
• Joker-Tron
• Cold War- Janelle Monae
• French! – Tyler the Creator ft Hodgy Beats
• Lil Freak-Usher ft Nicki Minaj
• Hard in Da Paint- Waka Flocka Flame ft Ciara
• Telephone- Lady Gaga ft Beyonce

Because lists such as these can be seen as insights into people, the compilation process takes careful consideration. First of all, how many of your guilty pleasures should make it? These are the songs that you love to hear or sing along to or accidentally leave on your iPOD so your wife finds them and plays them in the car all the time meaning that you can then tease her musical taste to the other passengers in the car while being able to enjoy the song without being the one who played it. Bit like having your cake and eating it to.The right number of these songs in the list is hard to define; a couple adds credibility to a list. It shows that you keep an open mind and will see greatness in music, even if it is mainstream trash that you wouldn’t usually touch. However, too many of these songs means you have moved away from being ironic to being wack. For example, Lady Gaga’s song is a guilty pleasure. Other years, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and even Miley Cyrus would have appeared on my end of year list. Having a couple of these songs are essential to any good, end of year, list.

Guilty as charged

Then you have to consider the hipster vote. Hipsters are that strange breed of people who malign mainstream society and proclaim themselves as alternative, only to conform so strongly to their non-conformity that they end up being more conformist than the groups they set themselves apart from. Hipsters dress the same, speak the same, read the same books and listen to the same music. Hipsters hate other hipsters who make bands and then proceed to get famous. I imagine that this is why many hipsters hate Vampire Weekend. Another band of hipsters is Kids of 88, a New Zealand band that all hipsters hate. A New Zealand newspaper carried a review of the Kids of 88 debut album Sugarpills that famously consisted purely of the definition of placebo and the placebo effect “something of no intrinsic remedial value that is used to appease or reassure another”. Nothing irritates hipsters more than a band who apes their favourite hipster bands. Justin Bieber gets less vitriol than bands like Kids of 88, who admittedly should get some grief for being pretentious posers. If you don’t get a hipster favourite band, let’s say Animal Collective, prepare yourself for the look, a roll of the eyes, as if to say yes you I knew you wouldn’t get, you’re too straight to understand where they are coming from. They might then say ‘it’s not something that you get straight away” or “listen to it, you might get it in 5 years time”. A hipster would never concede to another hipster that they didn’t understand or get something that other hipsters do. I call this the Kid A effect. Kid A (a record I do like a lot but only after repeat listens) was so out there, so different from OK Computer or anything else in the Radiohead catalogue, that on first lesson, the honest reaction for most people would have been WTF. Hipsters, on the other hand, would have professed instant gratification, even though they don’t get it. In this parable, Kid A serves as the clothes the Emperor wears in the story the Emperor’s new clothes. A hipster saying that he didn’t get Kid A or another such album would be paramount to a rugby head expressing a love for ballet or being outed as an avid reader of Jane Austin.

Didn't get it? It's OK, just admit it.

Then there are your favourite artists to add. I’ve always had a soft spot for Lil Wayne. I’m standing by him even after the cough syrup addiction, the prison term, the ridiculous rock album. Even though his first release post-prison wasn’t great, at least it hinted that he was getting back to his best form. So, one of his songs gets on my list. Then, you have to consider when is too many too many. I have four Kanye songs on this list. This could look like blind devotion to an artist but I don’t care. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was easily my favourite album last year, so four tracks aren’t out of place appearing on the list.

Talented Douchebag.

Some of these songs I only like certain parts. Like the New Puritans song. Most of it is overwrought, sub-prog rock underneath cliche over-synthesized robotic chanting. But there is grittiness to the song, reminding me of the angry guitars from Massive Attack’s Mezzanine album, that I really dig. Likewise, Kanye’s Monster. It’s got a good beat, but Kanye’s verse has some real clunkers (pussy in a sarcophagus??). Even Jay Z’s 16 bars plumbs the depth with his declaration of love being his Achilles heel. But it’s all irrelevant when Nicki Minaj, she of guest appearance and mixtape fame, trumps everyone. By the end of her verse, she leaves a twisted and torn beat. “You could be the King but watch the Queen conquer.” I listen to that song just for her verse.

Lists like this reflect a change in taste. 15 years ago, if I had made a list like this, I would guess that about 70% of the tracks would have been grungy, guitar driven hard rock. This list hardly has a hard rock song on it. It’s dominated by indie bands and hip-hop. I have a bit of a weakness at the moment for brash but clever hip-hop like Waka Flocka Flame. Misogynist rhymes that I would dislike if Eminem dropped them, I like in other rappers. I think this is because I think Eminem is crazy enough to one day carry through with his rap fantasies (although Gucci Mane is pretty out there, with his ice-cream tat and all). Songs have acquired different meanings along the way, different associations. When I hear ‘Who Loves The Sun’ by the Velvet Underground, I think of Perfume by Patrick Suskind. When I listen to Trinity Root’s song Sense and Cents, I think of a book about Gallipoli I was reading when that album was on high rotate on my stereo. Other songs affect me in unexpected ways; maybe I’m just getting more emotional in my advancing years.

Compiling a list seems like an easy task but it can be tiring with so many things to consider……………………………………………………………………