Press Club - 'Suburbia' live on The Set

A lively performance from Press Club on The Set. If you'd like to watch their live set from Stafford Redrum in August 2019, you can do so here.

The Regrettes “Poor Boy” [Live from The Fonda Theater in Hollywood]

It's worth putting up with the slightly wobbly camerawork in this live clip just to see a full 'Girls to the front' moment in action and, with any luck, it will not be the only time during this Fantasy Festival series that there will be reference made to that particular campaigning aspect of the live scene. I couldn't find the full Fonda Theater live show, but I have found for you the bands Paste Studios live session from 2019, which you can watch here.

Ibibio Sound Machine - Nyak Mien - Edge Sessions @Pickathon 2019 S06E04

This is the excellent Ibibio Sound Machine performing 'Nyak Mien' as part of Edge Sessions at Pickathon last year. You can watch their full live set from The Moroccan Lounge last July here.

Bat For Lashes - I Feel For You/Jasmine live Albert Hall, Manchester 24-...

This live footage of Bat For Lashes is taken from the Manchester date on last years tour of stripped down performances to promote the Lost Girls album. Accompanied by Laura Groves on keyboards, Natasha Khan turned in a spine tingling intimate performance. You can read my review of the gig over on Louder Than War.

While there are a number of films of full festival sets available on YouTube of Bat For Lashes, the most recent I could find are the 2016 sets from Glastonbury and Pitchfork Festival. I'm pretty sure I went with the Glastonbury set back in 2017 so, with that in mind, I'm linking this time to the Pitchfork festival set, which looks equally as good.

Songs of the year, number 1: Mallrat - Charlie

Grace Kathleen Elizabeth Shaw, aka Mallrat, hails from Brisbane. Although she's only released a few EP's, she supported Maggie Rogers on the European leg of her Heard It In A Past Life tour and seems set to see her profile rise over the next year. I haven't heard any of her other work but I was sold on 'Charlie' on the first listen. There's a real sense of guileless and ease about the song... it's not so much naive as unpolished, what with it's slightly wonky keyboard sound and all, but it's got a simple message to it and has an easy rough diamond charm that should see Shaw's sound travel far and wide.

Songs of the year, number 2: Florence + The Machine - Moderation

Some of my regular readers among the Flows and the Florence + The Machine Army may be slightly disappointed that I haven't given 'Moderation' the number 1 position, or that I haven't included either 'Haunted House' or 'Jenny of Oldstones' in this years list.

When I compile my end of year list, I have a series of rules. Number one of my rules is that I will only include one song per artist in my songs of the year list. Hence, in the case of Florence, I needed to choose between three equally bewitching songs and, ultimately, decide which of the three I felt was the most jaw dropping. 'Moderation', which sees Ms Welch firmly in soul girl territory, won it. I won't say too much about this song, as I wrote a whole blog post about it when it was released in early 2019 but, needless to say, it is a truly astonishing piece of work.

As for why it's not number one, all I can say is that this years end of year songs list has been very tight indeed and that the top three in particular could, in another light, be regarded as being of equal parity. I hope that makes you all feel better about it.

Songs of the year, number 3: Jade Bird - 17

While I personally found that Jade Bird's self titled debut album didn't live up to the (very) high expectations I had of it, there were a number of very strong songs on the album, including 'If I die', 'I get no joy' and this, '17'.

Bird's strength has always been her songwriting coupled with her voice, and in '17' what seems like a particularly pure of intent, simple song is given the space and delivery it needs to drive its powers home. A breathtaking song, which demonstrates just what she's capable of.

Songs of the year, number 4: Georgia - Started Out

The second of two songs in my list that were released in November 2018, Georgia's 'Started Out' was such a remarkable about face, sound wise, and such a joyous floor filler that it would be an absolute crime not to give it any recognition. Her profile has really risen this year, meaning album number two, when it arrives, will be getting a lot of attention.

Songs of the year, number 5: Miss June - Enemies

New Auckland band Miss June have spent 2019 releasing strong single after strong single, not to mention a pretty damn impeccable album of strong, riff led grungey punk anthems. 'Enemies', it's fair to say, was always going to be the song to stop you in your tracks. As calling cards go, it is a sonic assault on the senses that cannot be beaten and deserved much more airplay and attention than it received.

Songs of the year, number 6: Bat for Lashes - The Hunger

When Natasha Khan announced that her album, Lost Girls, was based around a fictional group of vampire biker girls from the desert, it's fair to say that she piqued my interest. Good things were expected and 'The Hunger' is a synthy brooding affair with a yearning, wistful tone. One of the standout tracks on a very fine album.

Songs of the year, number 7: Self Esteem - (Girl) Crush

Self Esteem's debut album, Compliments Please, was one of the most eagerly anticipated albums of the year. She didn't disappoint and, ahead of the albums release, 'Girl Crush' one one of a string of strong singles that proved to be absolute floor filling bangers while subtly subverting contemporary R&B flavoured pop. All hail our new pop queen.

Songs of the year, number 8: Kelsey Lu - Due West

This is one of two songs in my list that were released in November 2018 so, technically, it probably shouldn't be in this years list. But, because songs that are released in the final months of the year tend to be ignored at their time of release and, consequently, to lose out on recognition and accolades, I'm choosing to include the majestic 'Due West' in my list. It would be a crime to miss it out.

Songs of the year, number 9: Gazel - Rain is Coming

Because Gazel's Book of Souls is such a strong album, it was actually quite difficult to pin it down to one song when picking tracks out for my end of year list. 'The Night Concierge' and 'Walk on Land' would be equally strong candidates for songs of the year but, in the end, the sonic complexities and shifting mood landscape of 'Rain is Coming' is what did it for me. There really is no one else like Gazel Algan, and I'm hoping 2020 will be a great year for her.

Songs of the year, number 10: Billie Eilish - you should see me in a crown

I'll admit it, I was slow to appreciate the genius of Billie Eilish. Perhaps because I didn't listen closely enough on the first listen of her debut album, when we all fall asleep, where do we all go? Or maybe it was because I knew it wasn't music written for me, so therefore there was a get out clause if I didn't get it.

Then, the second time I listened to the album, I must have been in a different, or more receptive, mood because I suddenly felt like I got it.

'All the good girls go to hell' is another favourite, but the sheer creepy swagger of 'you should see me in a crown' wins for me every time.

Songs of the year, number 11: Hatchie — Stay With Me (Official Video)

With her debut album, Keepsake, Harriette Pilbeam (aka Hatchie) provided a strong contender for album of the summer. With it's sun kissed post shoegaze guitar work and strong melodies, the album was full of perfect indie pop singles. 'Stay with me' is a particularly fine example of one of these.

Songs of the year, number 12: Birch - Spelling Lessons

The elegant and enigmatic Birch released 'Spelling Lessons' early in 2019. It served as a taster for her debut album, femme.one, which was released in April. As is the case with the album's title track, the subtleties of her sound can sometimes mean that the message is missed, and it also means that she's an artist who needs to be properly listened to as her music doesn't provide an instant hit necessarily. She will definitely be one to watch in 2020.

Songs of the year, number 13: Miya Folick - Malibu Barbie

Following on from last years excellent debut album, Premonitions, 'Malibu Barbie' sees an evolution in  Miya's songwriting, with the bite of a song such as 'Deadbody' being tempered by elegant melodies and intricate but quiet guitar work. There's a subtlety here, but at the same time, she hasn't lost any of her anger. Album number two will be a treat I think.

Songs of the year, number 14: Siobhan Wilson - Unconquerable

A duet with Honeyblood's Stina Tweeddale, 'Unconquerable' features on Siobhan Wilson's 2019 album, The Departure. While The Departure reflected a more indie rock infused direction for Siobhan, in contrast to her folk beginnings, Stina was adjusting to doing Honeyblood solo. The two Scottish songwriters came together at a pivotal moment for both of them and the result is a song that is a hymn to female independence and for that, I salute them both.

You can listen to the album over on Bandcamp, as well as on Spotify.

Photo of a red squirrel by Vincent van Zalinge on Unsplash

Songs of the year, number 15: Kate Tempest - People's Faces (Streatham Version)

The album version of 'People's Faces' was given a re-working when Kate performed the track live for Maryanne Hobbs on 6music not long after the albums release. This stripped down, re-worked version proved very popular, was re-played across the station, and then released as the 'Streatham Version' of 'People's Faces'.

The stripped down treatment, and minimalistic piano chords gave what was already a strong track an anthemic quality that chimed well with how 2019 was panning out. A real song for our times.

Songs of the year, number 16: FKA twigs - Cellophane

Both the song, and it's accompanying video, created a very definite stir upon their release earlier this year but, on a personal level, I mainly encountered the song without its video and learnt to appreciate its glacial understated minimalism. This is a complex piece of electro balladry, fresh for the 21st century, utterly new, and utterly devastating in both mood and execution.