40. Wild Nothing - Golden Haze
This does exactly as it says on the tin - an utter, transcendant haze. This sounds like The Smiths gone zorbing into the fourth dimension. It opens fading in with an intricate Orange Juice-esque riff, and then the deep, melancholy vocals, Rourke-style bass and jingle-jangling synths kick in. Emanating nostalgia from the outset, this is bloody fantastic - a marvellously plangent, reverb-infused kick-up-the-bum to other Smiths-aspiring wannabes (*cough* The Drums). This wasn't on their debut album released this year, however, I would recommend all of the tunes on that record too.
39. Mount Kimbie - Mayor
'Mayor' is Track 10 off Kimbie's 'Crooks & Lovers' album - their clear and streamlined debut of innovative, clicky shenanigans. This, one of the highlights, rampages off the vinyl/plastic/mp3 file and awesome fusion of technical rhythms, clicks and pop synths which encompasses and sums up all of what their music is all about - sublime intricacy, seemingly effortless musicality and use of indistinguishable yelps from anonymous singers they've sampled. So, here's to Mount Kimbie and their thwacks of post-dubstep beauty - and let their longevity extend to beyond that of the duo's dubstep precedessors!
38. Kanye West - Power
This song conveys one thing West's outrageously perverse ego. Ever since his horrendous outburst during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at that awards ceremony last year, the egotistical hip hop protagonist has been at the fore- for god's sake, even the renowned rudeboy Barack Obama had something to say about him.
And it's this scrupulous intimidation and exposure to the limelight which has clearly had the most profound influence on his recording of the new material - this is for the good. In 'Power', his incrongrous yet innovative King Crimson sample oddly works and seemlessly flows the tune on - it all progressing with West's catchy, angular rhythms and pronged lyrics. The end result is awe-inspiring. As is the rest of his fifth album - a fabulous collection of collaborations and samples (take your pick from Aphex Twin, Bon Iver, Smokey Robinson...etc...).
Yesterday, on the day the album's release, he received Pitchfork's first '10.0' awarding since Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot hit the jackpot back in 2002 - though perhaps slightly over the top, this is at last true recognition of the man's faultness musical moves.
37. Familjen - Det Var Jag
Credible and trendy Swedish pop hasn't half flourished in the UK recently.
Whilst we've witnessed chart domination and rising cult followings for the likes of Miike Snow, The Radio Dept., Robyn, The Knife, Lykke Li and.... er... Eric Prydz, amongst many others, one band who ostensibly passed us by was Familjen. This could be down to their indirect, unpronouncable name and lyrics in native tongue, however, it could just be due to a lack of desire to make it over here, or a bad push on the marketing front. But that that's boring. The fact is Familjen, alias of Johan T Karlsson, is one great pop songwriter and deserves more credit.
36. Flying Lotus - Do the Astral Plane
Just the other day, I was left dumbfounded when I discovered supreme laptop-man Flying Lotus had 40,000 fans on facebook. I just had no idea he had such a following. But it's unsurprising, really, considering the brilliance of this year's 'Cosmogramma' album and its high-profile Thom Yorke collaboration.
That, however, is not the song which stuck the most with me. That honour in fact goes to '...Astral Plane', an astonishing work whose infectious human 'badom-badom's, 'oooo's and 'hahahah's domineer.
