TOP 10 SONGS OF JANUARY 2013

10

"Move"

Mausi

A timelessly summery tune straight from the turn of the millennium, mainly thanks to an insanely uplifting, flailing synth lead. Remember Milky's "Just The Way You Are"? It's on par.

9

"No Problems"

Azealia Banks

Whilst Angel Haze's diss to Banks was kind of self-indulgent and overlong, we should be thankful she stirred the pot, because just desserts for Haze are served in the form of "No Problems", in which a rabid hip hop beat courtesy of Machinedrum serves as a platform for Banks at her calmest and most threatening at the same time.

8

"Deathwish"

Bebe Black

The La Roux-esque voice of Benga's "Icon" comes into her own with her debut single. First appearing on the free "Black Lion Sessions" EP last year, the organic and yearning songcraft "Deathwish" is so wonderfully performed by Black that it's hard to imagine it performed by any other singer, no mean feat for an artist's debut single.

7

"Turn Me Out"

Russ Chimes

Euphoric and life-affirming house in the vein of Tensnake, "Coma Cat" for 2013 if you will, this will serve as a highlight for many a summer festival.

6

"You (Ha Ha Ha)"

Charli XCX

GivePopAChance said...

"Taking on a quirky yet more-ish Gold Panda beat, Charli XCX does very little over the top, but it ends up working perfectly... further proof that she is London's answer to Lana Del Rey."

5

"No Strings"

Chloe Howl

GivePopAChance said...

"The warm and fuzzy indie-synthpop of "No Strings" mimics the bassline from "Pumped Up Kicks" but brings it to a teenage house party, where she tells of a typical 17 year old's battle between lust and love."

4

"Life Size Ghosts (Catching Flies Remix)"

Mt Wolf

GivePopAChance said...

"Catching Flies' take of the track brings the track into darker territory, without sacrificing any of Mt Wolf's cloud-gazing magic."

3

"Can't Handle The Truth"

JoJo

JoJo is fast becoming the female Drake, her latest mixtape being an honest, experimental, catagorically-relaxed half hour, ending in this gorgeous and frank ditty to infidelity from the point of view of the cheater. Just as gorgeous as her cover/response to "Marvin's Room".

2

"In My Arms"

Fryars

GivePopAChange said... 

"The main hook of "In My Arms" jumps playfully into the air with Garratt's gentle falsetto, as a piano hook lumbers humbly in the background, with barely-awake house flair."

1

"Hey Now"

London Grammar

GivePopAChance said...

"London newbies London Grammar bring the year's first classic song, a song thats poignancy and beauty is timeless."

Fryars - In My Arms

Apparently, this is not Fryars', aka Ben Garratt's, first step out into the music industry according to NME magazine, though I'll be damned if I can find anything previous to this. Not that I would want to mind, as "In My Arms" and it's accompanying A-side "Love So Cold" are two haunting and seductive indiepops gems. The main hook of "In My Arms" jumps playfully into the air with Garratt's gentle falsetto, as a piano hook lumbers humbly in the background, with barely-awake house flair.

FOR FANS OF: Spiritualized, Metronomy, Friendly Fires 

Brooke Candy - Everybody Does

After a fairly anonymous feature on Charli XCX's Super Ultra mixtape, Brooke Candy's latest single does nothing if not demand your attention. A shuddering trap beat and a delirious arabian vocal loop carry Brooke's brattish flow. The swagger-ridden chorus is pure Kreayshawn, as are the fashion references, but unlike said sub-par hip hop doll, Brooke sounds like she means business. Rather than taunt and tease, she drops lines like "while you were trying on your Louboutins, I was grooving on your man's cock" and "while I'm on another planet, god damn I'm booking shows". It might be a beast of a beat, but Brooke Candy is at least 50% of the attraction here.

FOR FANS OF: Kreayshawn, Iggy Azalea

Charli XCX - You (Ha Ha Ha)

After a strong, yet overtly weird mixtape, Charli XCX's new single retains her mixtape's creepy underworld charm. Taking on a quirky yet more-ish Gold Panda beat, Charli XCX does very little over the top, but it ends up working perfectly. A drawling chorus of "you, you lied, ha ha ha, I was right" comes across as wry and smug as Charli ever has, with an effortlessly commanding vocal, further proof that she is London's answer to Lana Del Rey.

FOR FANS OF: Marina and the Diamonds, Alunageorge, Lana Del Rey

Chloe Howl - No Strings

17 year old Chloe Howl is the latest feisty teen girl popstar, with the chirp and adorability of Pixie Lott, but the sharp tongue and dry lyrics of Kate Nash. The warm and fuzzy indie-synthpop of "No Strings" mimics the bassline from "Pumped Up Kicks" but brings it to a teenage house party, where she tells of a typical 17 year old's battle between lust and love. Her voice shimmers with vulnerability but her words hit hard, with lines like "you don't even know if I'm the right sex do you?" and "let's put this to bed without crawling in your bed" taunting and raising many a suggestive eyebrow.

FOR FANS OF:  Pixie Lott, (old) Kate Nash, Foster The People

Dr Meaker - Skyfall (Adele Cover) (Me Darker Mix)

On the whole, Adele remixes have always made me cringe. The last place I want to hear the queen of heartbreak balladry is on the dancefloor. However, upcoming Drum'n'Dubstep fiends Dr Meaker, have managed to take one of Adele's most forlorn and melodramatic numbers, and with their harder Me Darker mix (an anagram of Dr Meaker, see that right there?) turn it into a tense, breakneck speed Drum and Bass track, with a killer drop on the chorus. "Let the sky fall" sounds despairing when Adele sings it on her original Bond theme, but here, it's positively euphoric.

FOR FANS OF: Rudimental, Pendulum, Sub Focus

Mt. Wolf - Life Size Ghosts (Catching Flies Remix)

The scarcely known Mt. Wolf released an ethereal gem in the fall of the year just gone, the haunting "Life Size Ghosts". If you've not heard it, The Original track is a must for anyone who is a fan of hauntingly atmospheric folk.

Featured on their debut EP, Catching Flies' take of the track brings the track into darker territory, without sacrificing any of Mt Wolf's cloud-gazing magic. Earthy, shuffling beats and cut and paste acoustics bring to mind Four Tet, and the transposed vocal still manages to sound organic and heartfelt through the heavy processing. It's eerier, but most definitely as effective as the original.

FOR FANS OF: Four Tet, James Blake, Fleet Foxes

London Grammar - Hey Now

As 2013 creeps in with a reflective sigh, London newbies London Grammar bring the year's first classic song, a song thats poignancy and beauty is timeless. Recalling the mid 90s days of trip hop, but with a freer, more airy agenda, singer Hannah (that's all we've got right now) has a deep, expressive voice with a heartbreaking sense of dynamics, beginning with a casually uttered "Hey Now", a throwaway, defeated greeting, that eventually becomes a yearning cry by the song's climax. A soothing rhodes carries the song behind when it is almost not there, before dubby drums pick up the tempo and Edge-esque guitars dart beautifully around like fireflies.

The photo that accompanies the song is a perfect image to represent it. A sunrise, or set, over a long road, one that leads into the city. "Hey Now" is a 3 minute and 27 second journey from the outside, at once shy and avoidant in nature, before unveiling secret desires and longings. For anyone who has dreams and hopes for the new year, this song is for, and about, them.

FOR FANS OF: Zero 7, Massive Attack, Portishead.