So here we go again. Another year over means another 365 days (give or take) of musical output has to be recollected, distilled and ranked. I have something of a love/hate affair with these sort of lists because as much as I enjoy looking back on the treats the year has produced (and 2011 has delivered plenty) I find the decision process itself to be a difficult one. Songs have little personalities of their own and our view of them is constantly shifting according to time, occasion and place. A one-time classic quickly becomes jaded with repetitive plays, while a relatively recent discovery is still basking in the after glow of its emergence. On the whole however, I'm pretty confident that this batch of tracks are an accurate account of the year's best music according to my ears and these pages.
Unsurprisingly it is again dominated by the home-grown contingent - with 2011 besting a 2010 that was oft-defined as the best ever for Irish content. It's genuinely exciting to think that this time last year an artist like Moths was just messing about in his bedroom, making the tentative steps on songs that have now been blogged about the world over. As I trace the soundtrack to my 2011 what really excites me is the mound of great Irish music that I know I'll be writing about over the course of the next year. Anyhow, here's the first instalment with the final list to be completed in the coming days...
60) The Ambience Affair - 'Weeds'
The Ambience Affair - Weeds by statemagazine
59) No Monster Club – ‘Who Wants A Man'
Who Wants A Man by No Monster Club
58) The Eulogys - ‘Bouquets'
Bouquets by TheEulogys
57) Nouveonoise - 'Believe'
Nouveaunoise - Believe by nouveaunoise
56) Tracksuit Warrior – ‘Suit Up and GO’
03 Suit up and GO by Tracksuit Warrior
55) This Club – ‘I Won’t Worry’
I Won't Worry by This Club
54) Leaders Of Men – ‘Up Against The Wall’
Up Against The Wall by leadersofmen
53) Ghost Estates – ‘Paris'
Paris by GHOST ESTATES
52) British Sea Power –‘Mongk II’
British Sea Power - Mongk II by Brett Chapman
51) REID – ‘Genesis'
Genesis by REID
50) SOnance HOtel – ‘Living Is For Dreaming’
Living Is For Dreaming by sonancehotel
49) Patrick Wolf – ‘Time Of My Life’
Patrick Wolf - Time Of My Life by infinityyeah
48) The Vaccines – ‘Post Break Up Sex’
Post Break-Up Sex by The Vaccines
47) The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – ‘Heart In Your Heartbreak’
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Heart In Your Heartbreak by Slumberland Records
46) Bibio – ‘K Is For Kelson’
Bibio - K is for Kelson (taken from 'Mind Bokeh') by Warp Records
45) Millionyoung – ‘On and On'
MillionYoung - On On by DBF Music
44) We Are Losers – ‘Sunset Song’
We Are Losers - Sunset Song by i-con
43) The Minutes - 'Black Keys'
Black Keys by The Minutes
42) Oh Land - 'Sun Of A Gun'
Oh Land - Sun of a Gun by infinityyeah
41) Dogs – ‘Underbeats'
Underbeats by DOGS
