#85
Smallpools
'Dreaming'
This is a cool pop song that came up and took me by surprise earlier in twenty thirteen. They followed it with a really nice EP too. 'Dreaming' is bursting with a sunny disposition from the outset, it's a jam with such a defining hook that it will have you smiling and singing in no time at all. Its synth-heavy, it's catchy, it's awesome. A band to watch.
#84
Clubfeet ft. Chela
'Heartbreak'
"A short stab of heartbreak, won't get you through" is one of my favourite lyrics of the year. This Aussie made jam is slick, and features a great vocal from heard-her-more-than-you-think Chela too. It's a song that is hard to interpret for me. I love the straight-up indie-pop sound of it though. The verses are very short and sweet, before leading into that "oooohhhh" bit before that lyric at the beginning of this speel kicks in. Great track.
#83
Mika ft. Ariana Grande
'Popular Song'
This was featured on my list last year in its original form (featuring the female vocal of Priscilla Renae, very high at #34), however this remake came and went with little fanfare. I'm not sure why, it could have been huge IMO. Everyone is talking about Ariana Grande and how she could be the next Mariah etc., well I believe she holds her own here opposite one of the finest male voices in pop these days, Mika. It's an incredibly infectious, catchy concoction detailing how much someone can change from their high school days. It's a great, big budget film clip that accompanies the song too. It's much poppier and sped up than the original, presumedly to lure the U.S. market, but nonetheless just as good.
#82
Sky Ferreira
'24 Hours'
She's been threatening to break through for the past few years, and in 2013 Sky Ferreira finally released her debut LP. This, '24 Hours', is the best song on it. Again, a massive chorus thumps along in it's eighties inspired splendour, and she sings the shit out of it. I love the lite-rock feel of the whole thing, "I wish these 24 hours would never end" will go down as one of the best lines of 2013 for me too.
#81
Sub Focus ft. Alpines
'Tidal Wave'
I was never one for the dubstep sound. 'Bangarang' was great cos it was almost a trailblazer before everyone started aping the sound. This dubstep track isn't really a dubstep track if that makes sense, it's not mind-numbing for one, and has a great vocal from songwriter Catherine Pockson, one half of featured artist Alpines. With their album, Sub Focus know how to do non-painful dubstep and they do it very well, this is the best example of that. Plus you just don't hear "impasse" enough these days in music.
#80
Born Ruffians
'Dancing On The Edge Of Our Graves'
Born Ruffians received some attention this year via Triple J with their very good single, 'Needle'. It, however, is not as good as this thumping album track that comes, does it's thing, and then leaves. It's loud. It's infectious. It needs to be a single.
#79
Avril Lavigne
'Here's To Never Growing Up'
Just as I thought Avril's best years may have come and gone musically, she hits back with a straight up anthem celebrating youth, and tongue-in-cheekily letting people know that she is here and she is quite comfortable with not changing her winning formula, wailing about rebellion etc. whilst also aping Taylor Swift's equally excellent 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together'. I always thought that was a song Avril should have got her mits on but meh. This is the sound she's tried to master from the 'Complicated' get go.
#78
Sheppard
'Let Me Down Easy'
This is great feel good Aussie music right here. They've received an invite to showcase themselves and their sound at SXSW later in the year which is a pretty big deal. This song is nothing groundbreaking I know that, but it is so high on this list because I didn't realise how many times I played it this year and just how much I did like it until I started compiling. It's an easy listening delight and I still listen to it regularly...
#77
Mikky Ekko
'Kids'
He is going to be huge by year's end you reckon, I can just feel something special will happen on Mikky Ekko's debut album slated for relase at some point this year. It is one of my most anticipated. His contribution to the Hunger Games soundtrack is also stellar. This thumping slow builder is so catchy it makes me hurt, all without really selling out. He's straddling the line between mainstream and remaining cool with the cool kids... Great lyrics too.
#76
Tegan And Sara
'I Couldn't Be Your Friend'
And the songs continue to roll out from their just-so-good "Heartthrob" album. This is song #5 from the 7 all up, so maths freaks, that's two more to come. This, like most of the others, is delivered with so much heartfelt emotion. You can actually feel the pain in the vocals, and also another kick-ass chorus to tie it all together. #1 album in any other year...
#75
Taylor Henderson
'Borrow My Heart'
There's usually one decent song to come out of the X Factor per year. Last year it was Samantha Jade's excellent 'What You've Done To Me', and this year it's this. Taylor just puts the finger up at Mumford and Sons, and completely burgles their sound, perhaps only differing by making it a little more poppier than their increasingly downtrodden atmosphere and featuring a happier lyric. But alas, he suits this sound to a tee. What a great debut single, and like Jade's effort last year, it's a hit because it fits his sound and style as an artist to a perfectly.
#74
Empire Of The Sun
'Concert Pitch'
All the attention this year was on 'Alive', the first single to come out of their disappointing sophomore effort. But this album track takes what 'Alive' sounded like and ramps it up tenfold. The thing Empire Of The Sun do so well is that they make their songs sound so uniquely them, and this is them right from the word go. A massive chorus, echo-y vocals, and synth-overload that doesn't push the envelope to ear bleeding levels. It's big, flamboyant, sophisticated, its Empire Of The Sun actually.
#73
Gabrielle Aplin
'Please Don't Say You Love Me'
This was so high for so much of the year in my head. But drops because it really hasn't aged that well in the time since its release. It's still excellent don't get me wrong though. Her album was such a big disappointment for me, possibly one of the biggest of the year actually, but it did have it's moments. Her breathy, girly vocals suit this tender ballad really well. The lyrics are terrific as they weave their way through a song that says 'It's OK to be where we are in our relationship right now'. I thought it would be huge here in Aus, but alas it wasn't. Really mature stuff from the teenager.
#72
OneRepublic
'Something I Need'
OneRepublic enjoyed a resurgence in Aus in 2013. Not since 'Apologize' really, have they been so popular. Prolific Ryan Tedder is a master at songwriting as we all know, and quite often he does his best work for other artists. However he sometimes does write a real gem for his band, 'Something I Need' is brilliantly it. Backed in the chorus by a choir, it's a commanding love song that is a slow-build, then instant banger. I love the film clip too.
#71
Big Data
'Dangerous'
I wrote on my blog in August about this song. I love how it's about internet dating and/or security. The lyrics are so clever. And they are put together by one of the most infectious beats of the year, all tied up with a gigantic hook laden chorus. This is indie-pop at it's finest and I suspect it will rise in position when I re-evaluate my chart at the end of the year. All complete with a really good EP. Do yourself a favour and listen. A fun, dark pop song. Go figure.
Sorry about the wait between parts guys. It hopefully won't be that long between instalments from now on... Cheers!
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