To round out all things musical for 2012, I've called on 4 pals with impossibly good taste to share their top ten songs of the past year. Teaser: Frank Ocean has quite the fan club. As the final post of this 5-part series, I'll even narrow down my top picks and try not to poach from everyone else's lists. Here it goes... Enjoy.
(James Brown, Brian Jones, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Photo courtesy of Awesome People Hanging Out Together)
First up is Paul Adams of Bang the Drum. I met Paul because he's married to Laura. And I love Laura. So I knew he had to be some mighty fine people. This became very clear during a shindig I threw last summer when Paul noticed someone messed with the carefully sequenced party playlist by skipping over two tracks -- Glen Campbell's Witchita Lineman and the Kinks' Waterloo Sunset, and cried party foul along with me.
PAUL'S TOP TEN (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER) FOR 2012:
Michael Kiwanuka - May This Be Love (Spotify exclusive track) - A special live treat where the music from his debut record was brought to life in ways the album perhaps didn't suggest. This Hendrix cover by Michael is beautiful and considered. There aren't many artists that could pull this off. I actually prefer Michael's version and like the fact that he picked a little known track to cover and make all his own. (Editor's note: Paul ran the spotify sessions where this track, among other gems, was recorded this past Fall).
Blur - Under The Westway - If there was any doubt that Damon Albarn is one of England's finest songwriters and Blur one of England's finest bands, this track, released to coincide with their headlining the Olympics Closing Ceremony in Hyde Park is classic blur. All the parts are there. The only downside is the band claimed this is it for new material from them. A shame when it's all clearly working so well...
Second single from their superb debut "Give You The Ghost". Two drums, bass, keys and haunting vocals. It's hard not to fall in love with this band, and if you see them live, that's it, you're theirs.
Calvin Harris ft. Example - We'll Be Coming Back
When it comes to pop music the year really did belong to Calvin Harris. The biggest songwriter of the year enjoyed hits with Ellie Goulding, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Florence Welch and this one with Example (amongst others). This isn't necessarily the best track on his album "18 Months", but I love Example too so decided on this one nails it with a 'two birds with one stone' approach.
Rudimental - Not Giving In
The bluesy vocals over piano that start the tune give you no idea where the track is going to go and when it kicks in with some proper UK urban flavor, the pay-off is well worthwhile. I particularly enjoy DJing this track.
Katy B - Got Paid (mix tape, free from her website)
Katy B is my absolute guilty pleasure. And she rocks live.
Jake Bugg - Simple As This
It's really tough to pick a track from his self-titled debut record as the standout highlght. The only thing I don't like about his record is the fact that 18 year olds have no business being this good. (I picked this track just coz it's about as different to Katy B as you can get, so if you're making a playlist this will fuck with people. Ha.)
Kendrick Lamar - Swimming Pools (Drank)
The state of Hip-Hop in 2012. Simple as that really.
So many good tracks on this record it's really hard to pick just one. Can we just opt for the album as a whole in place of one track? No? OK, well I picked this one because I love the tune but really love the lyric "My TV ain't HD that's too real".
Just glorious. A perfect first single proper, not counting their indie debut EP "Forever". from the LA band. If Haim aren't this biggest new band of 2013 I'll eat my hat. Well, maybe not, but I will be very surprised.
HEAR Paul's top ten tracks here (Spotify) minus the Jake Bugg and Katy B tracks, which you can sample here and here until they're available on Spotify. You can also check em out here (well 7 of them until iTunes gets it together).
