Fifteen songs to make you want to punch yourself in the face

Songs that are so good you wanna rip your hair out: a playlist
You know when a song makes you angry for no reason other than because it's so good? Those pieces of audio that compel you to slam your head into your desk. Yes, those. Here are fifteen of them.

1. Arctic Monkeys - The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
2. Temples - Colours To Life
3. The Vaccines - All In White
4. Girls - Hellhole Ratrace
5. Foals - Inhaler
6. Blood Orange - Bad Girls
7. Melody's Echo Chamber - I Follow You
8. Tame Impala - Mind Mischief
9. The Horrors - Oceans Burning
10. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - So Good At Being In Trouble
11. The Drums - Forever And Ever Amen
12. DIIV - Wait
13. Palma Violets - Best Of Friends
14. The Killers - Mr Brightside
15. Spector - Upset Boulevard

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(Illustration by Thuong Le)

Really good long songs perfect for people who prefer really good short songs

Long songs aren't really my thing. With snappy short songs like Wreckin' Bar by The Vaccines and Parquet Courts' Careers In Combat taking over my playlists, why should I bother with long songs? It takes a pretty special long song to win my heart. Firstly, what do I regard as a "long song?" We'll go with over 6:30. Here are some of my favourites that I actually have the patience to listen to all the way through:

The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea
The Horrors are the band to turn to for very good long songs. In the case of Sea Within A Sea, it's the last two minutes or so that just make it. That's what you're waiting for. The whole song builds up to that do do do do DO DO DO bit. It gives you chills doesn't it? Amazing. Obviously the whole song is pretty incredible but it's all about the last bit.

The Horrors - Oceans Burning
Similarly to Sea Within A Sea, the best bit of Oceans Burning is arguably the last bit. The whole thing is this swirly, luxurious build up to that bit that makes you think "oh my god man, The Horrors are the best band ever!" You're probably lying if you say this song hasn't made you even a bit #emotional and it is just the most perfect closer to the sophisticated swoosh of Skying.

Drenge - Let's Pretend
This is probably a great long song because it doesn't actually feel like it's that long. It feels like a few songs sandwiched together, keeping you interested the whole way through. The fact that it's also very good helps too.

Muse - Citizen Erased
I completely forgot all about this one until I was sifting through iTunes looking for any tracks I'd missed. This doesn't feel like seven minutes at all, courtesy of some whirring and pretty in your face guitars and some interesting lyrics. The last three minutes or so feels like some kind of rebirth or something I dunno man how else would you describe it

Girls - Hellhole Ratrace
This track KILLS. Arguably one of Girls' best songs, the one that makes everyone feel a lil' bit sad and like they should do more with their lives than sit in the dark listening to Girls illuminated only by the glow of their laptop screen. Owens' lyrics here are so fantastic that the length of the track becomes irrelevant. It could be four hours long and still be the most amazing song.SO COME ON COME ON COME ON COME ON AND DANCE WITH ME

Parquet Courts - He's Seeing Paths
Another track that doesn't feel as long as it is thanks to some cowbell and other funky sounds. The cowbell and the buzzer just makes this song.

MONEY - Goodnight London
None of Money's songs are particularly short, but Goodnight London is in fact the longest on debut The Shadow Of Heaven. Money are the best at making the most chilling, hauntingly beautiful songs and this is certainly no exception. Discussing New York and London, this track thrives on piano and eerie, amazing lyrics.

(Other honourable mentions include Spanish Sahara by Foals, Left Myself Behind by TOY and Colours Fade by Blood Red Shoes but I can't be bothered to write about any more)

Sweet tunes I can't stop listening to

The rate at which I update this blog is abysmal and I'm sorry but today I was feelin' pretty pumped to write a blog post so what better than a list of great songs (there are probably a fair few things better but this will suffice right)

Blood Red Shoes - Wretch (featuring Eoin Loveless and Ian Clement)
How amazing is this?! My initial reaction when I saw that this new Blood Red Shoes track (the B side to new single An Animal) was a Drenge collab was just "noooooooooooooo way." After several listens, I'm still pretty much the same. It's just so good I don't even know what to say

Puzzle - I'm Not One To Talk
Fletcher Shears' solo project Puzzle takes on a much synthier and more dancy sound in comparison to The Garden. This song is so funky and groovy and sounds a bit like one of the generic ringtones that comes on your phone. Not a bad thing. It's simple vocals and lyrics wise but the do do do do dooooo bit balances it out perfectly. (very technical term that)

Enjoy - Gold
Similarly, Wyatt Shears' solo project is pretty different from The Garden. Gold is pretty chilled but also pretty groovy like it kind of sounds like a Jaws track crossed with a DIIV one. A bit. Like, a tiny bit.

Say Lou Lou - Better In The Dark
This is just a really good pop song with some Icona Pop vibes. Icona Pop vibes are very good vibes. 

Gorgeous Bully - Stamp
Gorgeous Bully have been around longer than I thought and I'm pretty shocked I didn't hear about them sooner because they just feel like one of those bands that like, everyone likes. Stamp is probably my favourite track by them and it's just really COOL

Froth - General Education
I've always been one for checking out music used in runway shows (mainly because they are obviously a good walking speed and I feel important and cool when I walk and listen to them) and General Education by California based Froth is plucked straight from Saint Laurent Menswear FW14. Which was a really great show (as expected) btw/fyi. This is just one of those songs that makes you feel all like the sunglasses emoji when you listen to it.

These days you know I rarely leave the house

Just when I thought I couldn't be any more excited for the arrival of Drowners' debut album (ten days to go eeek!) a link to stream A Button On Your Blouse appears with a refresh of my timeline. I've already played the 30 second iTunes preview for this and the rest of the album to death (to be honest I'm surprised they haven't started charging me) so it's real exciting to hear the whole thing. A Button On Your Blouse is the longest Drowners track to date, and still only 3:13. Charming and sweet, but still in the upbeat, foot-tapping way that every Drowners song seems to be. Take a listen here on Spin.com and get all excited about the album release like me. I'm totally ready to sit next to my front door all day in anticipation for my copy to arrive.

Seventeen songs to make you feel like you're in an American high school movie

I don't wanna go to school I don't wanna take the call: A playlist

There are the perfect walking songs, then there are the perfect walking into school/college songs. The ones that make you feel like you're in a stereotypical American high school movie or TV show, walking in slow motion through the doors and down the corridors. I have spent many months testing songs in this situation to bring you this definitive compilation of fabulous tracks. (I haven't really)
Stick these on when you're walking around school or college for maximum movie vibes.

Tracks:

1. The Strokes - You Only Live Once
2. The Orwells - Who Needs You
3. SKATERS - Are We Just Doomed?
4. DIIV - Follow
5. Splashh - Vacation
6. Swim Deep - Francisco
7. Dom - Living In America
8. Temples - Colours To Life
9. Cults - We've Got It
10. Girls - Honey Bunny
11. Mac Demarco - Ode To Viceroy
12. Drenge - Backwaters
13. Tame Impala - Mind Mischief
14. Melody's Echo Chamber - I Follow You
15. Solange - Losing You
16. Foals - Inhaler
17. Parquet Courts - He's Seeing Paths

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(Image from digitaljournal.com)

The somewhat obligatory favourites of 2013 post: part two

Tracks time! I chose 40 favourites even though there were a fair few more, 2013 seems to have been a great year for individual songs, albums not so much. But you can read about my favourites here if you wish. I included a couple of my favourite videos too. Consider it a Christmas present.


Christopher Owens - New York City
Cults - I Can Hardly Make You Mine
Drenge - Bloodsports
Astral Pattern - Sitting In The Sun
Foals - Inhaler
Metronomy - I'm Aquarius
Let's set the scene. It is late 2013. After the absence of Metronomy at Reading/Leeds, (the band had played something like seven years in a row) everyone is left wondering what happened to them. A short clip of some "shoop doo doo aaahhhs" appears online, and the people continue to speculate. The first taste of Metronomy's fourth album "Love Letters" only adds to the theory that if you open a dictionary and look up "groovy" you will in fact just find a picture of Metronomy. 
Wild Smiles - Tangled Hair
Spector - Decade Of Decay
SKATERS - I Wanna Dance (But I Don't Know How)
Tripwires - Spacehopper
A dreamy, whirring title track from one of Reading's new(ish) bands(Also see Sundara Karma.)Never mind Spacehopper, this is a real head bopper. 
Parquet Courts - Stoned And Starving
JAWS - Gold
Crystal Fighters - You & I
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - So Good At Being In Trouble
MONEY - Goodnight London
Drowners - Long Hair
My absolute favourite track of the year, and quite possibly, ever. At just under two minutes long, it's tough not to hit repeat again and again. Carefree, catchy and charming. That may be a lot of Cs but this track gets an A* from me.
Best Coast - Fear Of My Identity
Temples - Colours To Life
White Lies - Big TV
Cults - So Far
Kanye West - Bound 2
CHVRCHES - The Mother We Share
Peace - Lovesick
Drenge - Face Like A Skull


This is the song that made me change my mind about Drenge, and the video is simple yet works pretty well, and I can't quite pinpoint why I like it so much.
Wavves - Sail To The Sun
Parquet Courts - You Got Me Wonderin' Now
Drowners - Luv, Hold Me Down
Palma Violets - Step Up For The Cool Cats
Superfood - Superfood
MS MR - Fantasy
Christopher Owens - Love Is In The Ear Of The Listener
Splashh - All I Wanna Do
I don't actually care that this came out in 2012, it had a re-release, making it acceptable to list it in my favourites of this year as well as last year. To be fair I would put it in my favourites of every year. Very fun to whistle to.
Swim Deep - She Changes The Weather
Foals - My Number
MONEY - Hold Me Forever
Palma Violets - 14
Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
White Lies - There Goes Our Love Again


There is something about really nice choreography that makes me want to like, cry. This is a prime example and every time I watch it I am just mesmerised by the routine and it makes me really want to take up dancing again.
The Orwells - Who Needs You
Icona Pop (ft. Charli XCX) - I Love It
That one you hate to love. Or love to hate. The brutal simplicity of lines like "I crashed my car into a bridge / I don't care I love it" almost make you want to adopt this way of thinking. Once you've played it a few times, you don't care and you do in fact, love it.

Look at us in New York City

Look at us in New York City: a playlist

I luuuuv New York. Even though I have never been there and it's my absolute dream to, it is one of my favourite cities, next to London, which luckily I don't live too far away from and can visit frequently. New York has thrown up a load of amazing bands and I decided to put together a collection of tracks from some cool bands / artists that are based in NYC. With some tracks about New York thrown in for good measure.

Did you know you can only have two tracks by the same artist or from the same album on 8tracks? I didn't until now.

Tracks:

1. The Strokes - New York City Cops
2. Parquet Courts - Master Of My Craft
3. SKATERS - I Wanna Dance (But I Don't Know How)
4. Drowners - Luv, Hold Me Down
5. Blood Orange - Bad Girls
6. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
7. Cults - Go Outside
8. DIIV - Past Lives
9. The Drums - Forever And Ever Amen
10. SKATERS - Deadbolt
11. Blood Orange - I'm Sorry We Lied
12. The Strokes - Hard To Explain
13. Parquet Courts - Stoned And Starving
14. Christopher Owens - New York City
15. The Drums - Best Friend
16. DIIV - Wait

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(Image from coach.com via Pinterest)