Hello, Music Fans!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome to 2014!
Before Christmas, the Demon Music team were determined to get our content back on track, but since our timetables and lecturers had different ideas ahead of the Christmas break, we’ve opted to make it our New Years’ resolution instead! From here on in, we’re going to be bringing you oodles of reading material each week. We’ll be introducing a new ‘What’s On This Week’ feature to keep you up-to-date with the musical happenings around Leicester, as well as gig ticket news and festival updates!
Loved our old content? FEAR NOT! The Monday Playlist will be back online every Monday, and our friends over at Catalyst will be sharing their ‘This Week on Catalyst’ playlists with us every Thursday. Our ‘From The Archives’ reviews and ‘Monthly Music Highlights’ will also be back online once a month, so keep your peepers peeled!
Back to the present: to kick off the New Year, we’re looking back on 2013 by sharing our top tracks of the year. We can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store for our ears!
As always, your can follow our writers on the Twittersphere by clicking their Twitter handles below, as well as following our content uploads by searching the hashtag #DemonMusic.
‘Til next week,
Nicola x
Music Editor, demon-media.co.uk
P.S: You’ll need to download Spotify and grab yourself an account to access the playlist!
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1. ‘Pompeii’ – Bastille
Harry Dean (@harrydeansays) says: “This year was the year of Bastille! ‘Pompeii’ was released back in February of last year, and rocketed the group in to international fame! Followed up closely with the hit ‘Things We Lost In The Fire’ and more recently with their own mashup of a top 90’s classic, entitled ‘Of The Night’. The tone of main man Dan Smith’s voice is pure heaven, and I’ve been told that they’re great live too! No playlist regarding the ultimate songs of 2013 would be complete without Bastille!”
2. ‘We Can’t Stop’ – Miley Cyrus
Harry says: “It’s fair to say that Miley properly hit the headlines with a ‘We Can’t Stop’ last year. The former Disney pop-princess has gone and the claws were out, and boy was Miley out to show it. Controversial outfits, a wrecking ball and some interesting public performances was all it took for Miley to show her new attitude to music. I personally like the new Miley; she’s feisty and has some guts! Bring on 2014 and bring on even more Miley!”
3. ‘Hard Out Here’ – Lily Allen
Harry says: “Back in 2009 we all thought we’d seen the last of Lily Allen. She declined the opportunity to renew her recording contract, became a mother, and then disappeared. Three years on she revealed via Twitter that she was working in the studio on new material, before dropping the delightful Christmas-time cover of Keane’s ‘Somewhere Only We Know’. This was swiftly followed by the gutsy ‘Hard Out Here’, boasting classic Lily lyrics. Lily is very much back, and 2014 will be her year.”
4. ‘Let Her Go’ – Passenger
Natalie Whitehouse (@_natwhitehouse) says: “After busking and playing copious amounts of gigs for years to try and make it big Mike Rosenberg, who performs under the moniker of his previous band Passenger, finally got his much deserved break in 2013 with one of the songs of the summer; ‘Let Her Go’. Despite actually being released in the United States and Europe a year previously, the track shot Passenger to fame last year with its UK release, with emotional and easily relatable lyrics sung in Mike’s trademark voice. It’s easily up there as one of the best tracks of the year, by a man who deserves to be where he is – right at the top.”
5. ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ – Arctic Monkeys
Natalie says: “In one of the most anticipated albums of the year, the Sheffield quartet exceeded expectations when they released AM in September; a sexed-up, polished LP from one of Britain’s best bands. The opening track of AM, ‘Do I Wanna Know?’, is moody yet brilliant. The slow drum beat which kicks the song into life is joined by dazzling bass, and Alex Turner’s unmistakable brogue, forming one of the best tracks of 2013 from a band with a lot more still to offer.”
6. ‘Evolution’ – I See MONSTAS
Tom Elliott (@TomElliottUK) says: “After a little name change (formerly MONSTAS) I See MONSTAS released ‘Evolution’, which truly cemented their name among the latest and greatest drum and bass artists. Vocally remiscent of Chris Willis (that bloke what did songs with David Guetta), it’ll have anyone and everyone dancing along.”
7. ‘Clueless’ – Orla Gartland
Tom says: “The best pop song to come from 2013 for me. At only 18 years old, Ireland’s Orla Gartland has created one of the best pop EPs of all time. ‘Clueless’, which boasts lyrics that talk about an old friend, just hits the right spot time and time again.”
8. ‘Drunk In Love’ – Beyoncé
Sarah Seaton says: “Beyoncé never fails to disappoint. ‘Drunk In Love’ – from her newly released, self-titled visual album – centres around a low, sultry beat accompanied by her equally smooth vocals. This track is one for the fellas to nod their head to, whilst also being one for the girls to sing along to. Welcome back Queen B!”
9. ‘Opposite’ – Biffy Clyro
Ethan Williamson (@E523W) says: “Opposites was an early release in 2013, but managed to fight off all of the newcomers, never being knocked off my number one album spot. It was a rare double album where every track is as good as the one before it, and ‘Opposite’ is definitely worth a listen. This title(ish) track is my favourite from the album – an accolade it gains almost on the strength of its very first vocal.”
10. ‘Tell Tale Signs’ – Frank Turner
Ethan says: “I had an interesting relationship with Turner’s 2013 release, going from being initially disappointed to absolutely infatuated. Choosing only one song from the album – entitled Tape Deck Heart – is hard, but on reflection it could only be this. A bitter, reflective break-up track that’s both brutal and painful, but not without its own brand of hope in the final resolve. The final line of this song is, for reasons unknown to me, my favourite musical moment of 2013.”
11. ‘Mt. Washington’ – Local Natives
Ethan says: “I have always been a fan of cathartic, bittersweet depressing-in-a-good-way music. Local Natives are good at this. Very good. This track manages to mix this indescribable feeling with an almost immediately catchy hook. The entire album is brilliant, but this track is lifted very slightly above by its accessibility.”
12. ‘Royals’ – Lorde
Elliott Plevin (@elliottplev) says: “Despite being released in New Zealand in 2012, 2013 was definitely a good year for Lorde on UK shores. ‘Royals’ became a huge hit during the summer and her career has blown up since. The song has already been featured on a number of TV shows, most notably Made In Chelsea. She is known for her dreamy melodic sounds and poetic lyrics, and everyone can have a nice chill out to ‘Royals’.”
13. ‘Get Lucky’ – Daft Punk
Nicola Allen (@NicoClaireAllen) says: “Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated LP releases of 2013. Anything that Pharrell Williams touches turns to gold, and the ‘bots duet with him on summer hit ‘Get Lucky’ was no different. This electro-disco anthem quickly became a favourite with music fans across the globe, thanks to its addictive bass undertones courtesy of Nile Rodgers, and typically memorable Daft Punk choruses. Top British actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost loved the song so much that they covered it live on Capital FM’s Breakfast Show in their usual comedic fashion.”
14. ‘Treasure’ – Bruno Mars
Nicola says: “In the early half of 2013, I really got back into Bruno Mars – specifically his second album Unorthodox Jukebox. ‘Treasure’ was the third single from the record, release in May 2013, and is another delicious disco-infused anthem (anyone notice a pattern forming with my picks?) Bruno’s beautiful vocals entwine perfectly with the 70s style musicality, whilst the video provides suitably 70s visuals. For a good month and half, this was my jam, and it definitely got me ready for the summer holidays!”
If you have a couple more minutes to spare, why not check out some of our past content?
