Don't Look Down

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2011
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - SHAKE IT OUT

I’m a sucker for big songs. The songs that dwarf others. The songs that tower like skyscrapers. And these are the type of songs that Florence Welch (for all the criticism regarding a lack of control with her singing voice) excels at performing.
Let’s not mince words here. ‘Shake It Out’ is a big, big fucking shout-from-the-rooftops, end-credits, teach-the-world-to-sing, move-you-to-tears-of-joy song. It makes no apologies for being so, and it doesn’t need to. Just enjoy it.

Oh, and if the opening links of this post gave it an aura of “wrap this long-ass series up already, Nick, jeez”, that’d be because it’s the penultimate one in this list.
There’s just one more song of 2011 I want to talk about. It’s not by Adele, and it isn’t by PJ Harvey. Come back tomorrow to find out what it is.

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2011
BEYONCÉ - 1+1

I just about lost my mind the first time I heard this song. And immediately played it five more times. And then raved about it on Facebook. Up until that point, I didn’t count myself as a Beyoncé fan. I thought ‘Crazy in Love’ was pretty cool, and the choreography in the ‘Single Ladies’ video was otherworldly, but that was the extent of my admiration. Apparently my heart had better ideas.
So, now, you can count me down as a Beyoncé fan, mostly thanks to this song kicking open a gate in my brain. And it might just do the same to you, if you let it. ‘1+1’ is different from her usual output, somewhere in-between ‘Purple Rain’ (seriously, just listen to that guitar solo at the end) and ‘I’ve Got Dreams to Remember’.

And for the more orthographically inclined of you, feel free to bookmark this for the purpose of copying the letter “é”.

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2011
LANA DEL REY - VIDEO GAMES

It’s the way of the Internet, I guess. Sometimes it’s just cool to hate something without actually experiencing it for yourself. Some people want to be seen as cool, so object to whatever thing it is as loudly as possible. No skin off my nose. Justin Bieber’s done me no harm. I like Juno. And I love Lana Del Rey.
All ranting aside, ‘Video Games’ was, and continues to be, a great song. Sometimes facts like that get lost in all the hubbub about “hipsters” and plastic surgery. That stuff doesn’t impact my opinion on the music, nor should it. End of discussion.

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2011
TYLER, THE CREATOR - YONKERS

Firstly, I’d be doing this song a disservice by not including a link to the video, so here you go.

Secondly, this song is a perfect example of what mainstream rap music (heck, mainstream music in general) has been missing: pure, unadulterated rage, Wu-Tang style. Of course, rage has never really been mainstream (aside from a couple of instances). Most people just listen to music to feel good, in the same way that most people just watch films as a way of relaxing for a couple of hours (there’s a reason why the Transformers movies make a shit-ton of money).
Tyler isn’t hear to make money, obviously, but by venting his spleen over some pretty tight beats, he’s endeared himself to the teens of the world (like Eminem before him).

I realise that the stuff I’m writing here might not be doing anything to persuade some of you to give his stuff a try but, frankly, if you’ve read this far into this post and haven’t even played the song yet, nothing I say will reach you, and you’d better mover on.
Come back tomorrow. I might have something more suited to you then.

Winner of this year’s ‘Best Fucking Poetry’ award
[Last year’s winner]

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2011
TUNE-YARDS - BIZNESS

Merrill Garbus knows something I don’t. She thinks and operates in ways similar to other current experimental pop acts (Animal Collective, for instance), but seems to inexplicably avoid the detractors that those acts attract. I can’t figure out why. Maybe it’s simply because she’s somehow more likable?

Anyway, I was dancing to whokill back in April, and I’m still dancing to it now. Longevity!

Winner of this year’s ‘Musical Sorcery’ award
[Last year’s winner]

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2011
DESTROYER - KAPUTT

Fun fact: In the early stages of writing Curly & Black (back when it was going to be slightly more serious, heavily pastel-shaded and closer to Miami Vice than Police Squad), I considered using this as the opening theme.
I’m glad I didn’t, and here’s why: when editing a film (particularly one that’s 24 minutes long), you’ll see and hear everything in it roughly six billion times. And most songs, after hearing them six billion times, don’t resonate the way they used to (some do, provided you leave them for a few years so you can clear your head).
As a result, I can still listen to this awesome piece of music free of any mental interference, which is nice.

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2011
LAURA MARLING - SOPHIA

Any artist that can perfectly replicate the sound of mid-Seventies Joni Mitchell, before segueing to the sound of late-Sixties Joni Mitchell gets an instant place on any Year Best list written by me. All other female singer-songwriters, take note.

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2011
FRIENDLY FIRES - HAWAIIAN AIR

Friendly Fires came back in a big, big way this year. This lead single is the only evidence you need, but I strongly suggest getting ahold of the rest of the album too.
Seriously, this was such a great second effort. So great, I actually became interested in the band beyond the couple of cool singles they released a few years ago. Kudos, Friendly Fires. You now have my attention.

Winner of this year’s ‘Play This Loud Or Not At All’ award.
[Last year’s winner]

Nick’s Favourite Music of 2011
JENS LEKMAN - AN ARGUMENT WITH MYSELF

Oh you’re so awesome Jens, but I think your musical geography skills might be a little off. See, you’ve written a song about Melbourne, but made it sound like, well, Rio de Janeiro.
But maybe I’m missing the point. The point being: I can’t stop dancing to a song that includes some pretty horrific analogous lyrics (“the backpackers are pouring out like a tidal wave of vomit”) and seems to deals with some heavy psychological stuff. Just like Jens’ other great songs, then.

This song can be freely downloaded from here.

Winner of this year’s ‘Funkiest Joint’ award
[Last year’s winner]