New Artist Thursdays of 2013:

Link

Guilty Pleasures of 2013:

Link

Enjoy!!

/RjK

As promised, I have put together the 30 songs I enjoyed posting most this year in (rough) order. It was very challenging to do it and I would probably make a different list tomorrow. However, it is a good reflection of the music that moved me most last year.

As ever for me, it is a mixed list. Some old, some new and some things that I both discovered and re-discovered in 2013. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you had any big tunes that I missed.

Top 30 of 2013

1)  Andrew Ashong and Theo Parrish – Flowers   Based: London and Detroit  Released: 2012  In a nutshell: Languid and hypnotic

3) Chance the Rapper – Juice   Chicago | 2013 | Hip Hop with a fresh, funky slant

5) Slow Machete – The Ghost Bride   Pittsburgh and Haiti | 2012 | Haitian choirs and US beats collide in stunning fashion

6) Donnie and Joe Emerson – Baby   Fruitland, Washington | 1979 | A haunting soul ballad

7) The Underachievers – The Mahdi   Brooklyn, New York | 2013 | Relentless, youthful hip hop with a old school video

8) Mazzy Star – Cry, Cry   Santa Monica, California | 1996 | A re-discovered 90’s classic with wonderfully rich sound

9) Delegation – Oh Honey   UK | 1978 | Silky smooth disco dreamland

10) Hugh Masekela and Letta Mbula – Mahlalela   South Africa | 1966 | An incendiary call to arms

11) Jah Youssouf – M’Ami   Mali | 2011 | A subtle and pure African love song

12) Action Bronson and Roc Marciano – Pouches of Tuna   New York | 2012 | Simple hook and playful rhymes

13) The Valentinos – Sweeter than the day before   Cleveland, Ohio | 1966 | A classic slice of northern soul

14) The Majestic Arrows – I’ll never cry for another boy   ? | ? | What it lacks in polish it makes up for in pure magic

15) Clear Soul Forces – Get no better   Detroit | 2012 | Serene beat matched with some impressive lyrical dexterity

16) Tape Waves – Ready Now   Charleston, South Carolina | 2013 | Lo-fi, washed out sound

17) Joey Bada$$ – Snakes featuring T’nah   Brooklyn, New York | 2012 | Laid back rhymes over a classic J Dilla Beat

18) Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers – Why do fools fall in love?   Harlem, New York | 1956 | Joyous Doo Wop

19) Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba – Falani   Mali | 2010 | Otherworldly and enthralling

20) Memoryhouse – To the lighthouse   Ontario, Canada | 2010 | A charming “nostalgic bedroom project”

21) Them – Don’t look back   Belfast | 1964 | A youthful Van Morrison in top form covering John Lee Hooker

22) Liza Flume – Poison   Dublin, Ireland | 2013 | A fragile, looping sound creates something rather compelling

23) King Krule – Easy, Easy   London | 2013 | A voice and message more powerful that his boyish looks would suggest

24) Laura Welsh – Unravel   London | 2013 | A stripped back and simple pop song

25) Shy Girls – Under Attack   Portland, Oregon | 2013 | 90’s R’nB influenced sound

26) Prince – Controversy   Minnesota | 1981 | Prince is the funkiest man on the planet

27) How to dress well – Lover’s Start   Brooklyn, New York | 2010 | Just the ticket to calm a racing mind

28) Fela Kuti – Water No Get Enemy   Nigeria | 1975 | Classic Afrobeat from a member of world music royalty

29) Ciara – Body Party   Atlanta, Georgia | 2013 | I found myself inexplicably drawn to this classic pop tune. Solange for 2013?

30) James Vincent McMorrow – Cavalier   Dublin, Ireland | 2013 | Smouldering yet earthy

I also added a YouTube playlist here so you can listen to all 30 in row. Do let me know what you think…

/RjK

So a friend asked me to put together a playlist for his wedding party of Saturday. This task was one part fun, one part daunting.
The motif I went for was a raucous Trawl Through the Ages / Late 90’s School Disco / Early 2000’s University Night Out.
See the playlist below and do let me know what you think:

Wedding Playlist 28/12/2013

Opening
Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime
Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up

1960’s
Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, Delivered…
Jackie Wilson – Higher and higher
Fontella Bass – Rescue Me
The Beach Boys – Barbara Ann
Sam and Dave – I’m a soul man
Creedance Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising
Dion and The Belmonts – Runaround Sue
Martha Reeves and The Vandellas – Heatwave
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell – Ain’t no mountain high enough
Aretha Franklin – Respect
 
1970’s
Lynyrd Skynard – Sweet home Alabama
Maxine Nightingale – Right back where we started from
Bee Gees – Stayin Alive
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams
Jackson Five – ABC
Gloria Gaynor – I will survive
The Emotions – Best of my love
Prince – I wanna be your lover

1980’s
The Smiths – This Charming Man
Tears for Fears – Everybody wants to rule the world
Madonna – Holiday
The Police – Roxanne
Phil Collins – Easy Lover
Michael Jackson – Beat It
Cyndi Lauper – Girls just wanna have fun
Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now
Van Halen – Jump
Irene Cara – Fame
Blondie – Hanging on the telephone
The Jam – A town called Malice
Paul Simon – You can call me Al
Wham! – Wake me up before you go go
David Bowie – Modern Love

1990’s
Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack
Bran Van 3000 – Drinking in LA
The Source Featuring Candi Staton – You’ve got the love
Cornershop – Brimful of Asha (Fatboy Slim mix)
The White Stripes – Fell in love with a girl
Dropkick Murphys – Irish Drinking Song
Third Eye Blind – Semi Charmed Life
Kylie Minogue – Spinning Around
Destiny’s Child – Say my name
R.Kelly – Bump’n’Grind
Take That – Relight My Fire
Spice Girls – Wannabe
Hanson – MMMBop
Pulp – Common People
Oasis – Don’t look back in anger
Stereophonics – Pick a part that’s new
Amerie – One Thing
New Radicals – You get what you give

2000’s/Current
Outkast – Hey Ya
The Futureheads – Hounds of love
Alphabeat – Fascination
MGMT – Electric Feel
Jai Paul – BTSTU
Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
Solange – I decided
Kanye West – Touch the sky
Los Campesinos – You! Me! Dancing!
Beyonce – Crazy in love
Eve and Gwen Stephani – Let me blow ya mind
Rihanna – Umbrella
Kelis Millionaire – Millionaire
Daft Punk – Get lucky
Amy Winehouse – Valerie
Hot Chip – Over and Over
Fatboy Slim – Praise You
Doves – Black and White Town
The Killers – Mr.Brightside
Arctic Monkeys – I bet you look good on the dancefloor
The Libertines – Don’t look back into the sun
The Strokes – Last Nite
M83 – Midnight City

Finale
Village People – YMCA
Grease – Megamix
The Isley Brothers – Shout (Parts 1 and 2)
The Hues Corporation – Rock the boat
Survivor – Eye of the tiger
Bon Jovi – Living on a prayer
Journey – Don’t stop believing

/RjK