It's 2013! This is a post about songs I enjoyed over the last year.
You're probably thinking 'what do you care about music, you just draw silly comics,' but listening to music is probably my number one thing to do whilst making those comics. And don't worry! I know that a lot of end-of-year lists often involve the writer just trying to score cool points... but I don't think I'll get cool points for this list. Mostly just because I'm a mess that has been wearing the same jumper for the last two weeks and I can't remember the last time anyone even suggested I might be hip and happening. Instead, this is just a nice list of nice songs that I've listened to a lot of this year. That means that might not have come out this year! But they're still on this list because I like them and probably spent a lot of time singing them whilst drawing... or at work... or in the shower.
So then, in no particular order...
Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together
Tay Tay has been on my radar since the brilliant 'You Belong With Me,' but unlike in the USA, anything before that wasn't a big deal over here. And if I'm speaking as an individual, anything after that wasn't a big deal either. 'Love Story' popped up in talent shows but the video was lame compared to YBWM. So when 'We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together' appeared with its catchy chorus, charming video and the best telephone interlude since Britney's 'Oops I Did It Again,' it was a great reminder for me to check out Ms. Swift's other songs. Songs I hadn't given much of a chance before... I'm really glad I did because she's got some cracking tunes! And some brilliant videos. Don't believe me? Check out the video for 'Mine.' It's a corker, full of the Swift-staples - a dreamboat, painful flashbacks, meaningful glances. PLUS! She followed this single up with 'I Knew You Were Trouble' - which featured the best 'does this count as dubstep?' moment in any pop song of 2012.
The Magnetic Fields - Quick!
I went to my first proper music festival this year - ATP! I've never fancied going to one before because I don't want to sleep in a tent surrounded by strangers - but that's not an issue at ATP because you get to sleep in chalets! Our one even had a dishwasher (that we didn't use)! I got to hang out with some of my lovely pals and see some lovely bands. Highlights for me were Joanna Newsom (twice!), Feathers and The Magnetic Fields. The latter had a new album out around that time so there were lots of new songs to familiarise myself with and this one - 'Quick' was the one that stood out the most. I went to see them play a full-length gig a few months afterwards and they were even better a second time round. Well done them!
Summer Camp - Better Off Without You
This wasn't released in 2012 but this song is so sassy that it's got enough sass to propel it into this blog post and into my heart. Seriously! So sassy! Unless I've just misunderstood the whole song and it's actually not sassy? Hmmmm. It's a possibility. Well, I'll go with my original sassy reading. A good portion of this year was spent feeling sorry for myself, only for this song to shuffle into my ears and then I'd be sassing it up as I told myself to stop being such a baby. Because I'm not a baby! I'm a sassy, independent dude, wearing a nice knitted jumper, listening to a sassy song with a great bassline. In your face everyone that was a dick to me!
Marina and the Diamonds - Lies
I'm using the acoustic version of this, even though the album version is the one I obsessed over. Why? Because I got pretty sad over the Summer after being stupidly optimistic (that'll teach me) and when everything didn't work out the way I was hoping it would, I fell headlong into whatever sad songs I could get my hands on. Ears on? And this version sounds extra sad. Hot off her then-new album, 'Lies' is the perfect song to have a good old wail to. Well, I didn't actually wail out loud but I did a lot of wailing in my mind whilst dramatically typing/drawing/walking. I'd like to say I'm over it all now but...yeah. Moving (dramatically) swiftly on...
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
I apologise to everyone and anyone that has been within a five metre radius of me during one of my 'Call Me Maybe' moments - which is just me singing random lines from one of the catchiest songs ever made, ever. Not even in order! A scrap of chorus will just blurb out of my mouth whilst I'm writing a script or on the bus or trying to find a bargain at the supermarket. It's the sort of song that I would have spent ages trying to record off the radio. But thankfully, I don't need to do that any more thanks to MP3s and the like! Ah! And the video! So good! Good work Carly Rae Jepsen! I hope you don't just fade away into pop obscurity! You deserve many more hits!
Loreen - Euphoria
This won the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. I don't need to say any more than that.
Willy Moon - Yeah Yeah
The Olympics were a pretty big deal in London and, surprisingly, I really enjoyed the whole thing (except for the closing ceremony). There was a lot of television coverage of everything and I'm pretty sure this song was used a fair few times in adverts and playbacks and the like. Even if it wasn't, for some reason it is tied to those crazy two weeks when everyone in London was being nice to each other and the trains ran on time and we all had something to talk about that wasn't the weather. I was lucky enough to get to see two Olympic events in the park! I think that was my first time at an actual sporting event and I can't believe I had so much fun. Good work Olympics! I miss you already (except for the closing ceremony)!
Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
This isn't a 2012 song but I finally got to see Robyn perform live this year! That's a pretty big deal since she released 'Show Me Love' when I was still buying Smash Hits and I was a big fan of that song. Then, next thing I know, she's putting out 'Konichiwa Bitches' and I'm going to nightclubs to dance to it! Time flies, eh? Robyn's live show was incredible. I didn't know what to expect but it still managed to blow my brains out of my head and then everyone danced around them like a creepy rave. I have no idea where she gets the energy from let alone some of those dance moves. Needless to say, I've added quite a few to my dance move lexicon. I bet you can't wait to see me do 'the Drunken Sailor,' 'the Saucy Granny,' or 'the Rise and Shine!' What's that? You *can* wait? We'll see about that!
Off the top of my head, those are my main songs. There are already contenders for the next batch! I've been listening to them all a lot, but not as much as the songs listed above. Still, I guess I can at least just put some videos down without adding a comment. Plus, it'll give you something to look forward to if I write another one of these...
Haim - Forever
They get bonus points for the dance routine
CHVRCHES - The Mother We Share
They get bonus points for being from Scotland
Bastille - Of The Night
They get bonus points for the dramatic man-wail
So yeah. I think that's it. I hope you found some nice songs to enjoy. Plus you might have a better idea of what sort of songs I enjoy now so feel free to suggest stuff for me to listen to!
Stay out of trouble
TWx
