Best Songs of 2021 (Part Two …. 30- 20)#YCTR
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How are you supposed to make a list of anything? on a different day I would choose different songs in a different order but today is the day where I looked back at the YCTR Recommends playlist of 300 songs and tried to narrow it down to 40. So this is far from definitive counting down from 30-20 . Lists mean very little in the grand scheme of things but I thought it would be nice to reflect on my favourite tunes and give a wee shout-out to artists who brought a little bit of joy to my ears during this bin fire of a year.
Some of you may recognize Ember Quine as the grungey rock star of Woodwife but during the cocoon of lockdown she emerged as an electro goth butterfly. Her production on the only single so far ‘Babe’ may be a bit slower and sparser-sounding than the rest of her live set but it gives her pitch-perfect and dramatic vocals more space to shine. ‘Babe, it`s gonna get better’ she reassuringly sings and we all hope she is correct. I am very much looking forward to seeing more releases from this alias in 2022 and you can get a sneaky peak of what to expect from this live session she did for us earlier in the year here .
The only thing holding Gallus back from world domination is that the planet is obviously on fire. When normality returns I expect these guys to tour extensively and people everywhere to love it. A great band on record, even better in the flesh. Perfect indie-pop bangers with a post-punk edge perfectly poised over the listener and a timely release when needed to be administered. You will hopefully see them at South by South West in Texas as stage 1 of breaking America comes into fruition.
28. Poolhaus feat. Rowetta - ‘Feel the Rush’
One of the highlights of the year for You Call That Radio was Rowetta of Happy Mondays fame stopping by for a chat on our audio podcast which you can listen to here . was a great honour to get the craic with her and it coincided with this banger being released into the wild. A classic slice of rave culture that could get any dance floor bouncing with the trademark vocals of Rowetta sounding as powerful as ever, raising it up and literally making the listener feel the rush.
I played a set at Hidden Door festival earlier this year and was advised by the legend that is Roberta Pia (Grrl Crush/ Banana Sessions) that I HAD BETTER GO SEE GROVE . And boy was she right. I was absolutely blown away by the energy of the Bristolian-based duo. The crowd was in a dancey trance by a next-level performance and the variety of influences throughout their beats. Gritty, dark, LOUD! with an uncompromising vocal style and lyrical content. The crowd was blasted by bottled-up rage exploding alongside a therapeutic blast of endorphins. This was the standout track as the set came to a grand finale as the accent east coast audience combined with the southern cry of ‘off!off!off! off with their heads!’ . The Queer + Black EP is an instant classic. Go check it out and expect huge things from Grove in 2022.
36. Capitol 1212 feat. Earl 16- ‘Love Will Tear us Apart’
Probably The first and likely the last ever cover version that makes an end of year list. I like to focus on original music but that is exactly what this is. They have taken a Joy Division classic and created a new universe around it with crisp production, perfect structure, with a haunting vocal. It takes on a whole new life of its own with a dub backdrop and I have played it on vinyl a good few times this year as a happy alternative to watching the news.
35. Rubber Rose- ‘Worship the Crone’
Leeds-based Rubber Rose burst onto the scene this year wowing audiences up and down the country with their unique grungey indie-rock complemented by a pop sensibility of excellent songwriting. Mixing youthful energy with mature concepts, They also boast Scottish singer/ songwriter Josephine Sillars on keys. I would expect them to take the festival season by storm next year.
34. Declan Welsh & The Decadent West - ‘Talking to Myself’
The rise of these guys has been a sight to behold from my early meetings with them at open mic nights to a famous Deoch an Dorus festial performance, they certainly put the work in for years. However, it seems like by not playing gigs their stock grew in the absence of live shows. Before lockdown- playing the intimate poetry club at SWG3 to a game-changing performance at TRSMT this July which helped spearhead a sold-out SWG3 Galvinsers show later in 2021, there seems to be no stopping this meteoric rise. Declan is a master songwriter taking influences from all the greats and bringing it up to the modern-day. I can hear Arctic Monkeys, The View, and Pulp in the mix, and the occasional glimpse of Amazing Snakeheads in there too when they really got for it. One of Scotland’s great Indie-rock hopes which are also underlined by a razor-sharp ear for a great lyric, whilst being unafraid to tackle societal issues which sets them apart from many of their contemporaries.
33. Dry Cleaning- ‘Strong Feelings’
Florence Shaw has quickly become the narrator of 2021. Calm & composed spoken-word delivery while the rest of the world loses its head, she holds a mirror up to the unexpected, the ludicrous, and the frustrations of post-modern life. The whole band build on her words of wisdom and keep thing ever-changing and interesting. They have had a very succesful year and you can be sure it will just get wilder and stranger and louder from here on in.
32. VLURE- ‘Show Me How to Love Again’
I think the last gig I went to before last year’s lockdown was VLURE supporting the Murder Capital . I had big expectations after hearing about their infamous live shows and they delivered big time. A proper explosion of noise and a truly great frontman. They are post-punk at it`s most frantic, frightening, and loud. Underneath the anger you can hear the emotion, passion and poetry rippling underneath. 6 Music already loves them so hopefully they can get a good string of uninterrupted live dates behind them next year as they will blow pwople’s minds at home and abroad.
31. Little Simz feat. Obongjayar - ‘Point & Kill’
Little Simz has been killing it for a long time now and is finally get that mainstream international recognition she deserves. I am in awe of her wordplay, her depth of storytelling, and her live execution vocally. So many classics to choose from the ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ album that dropped earlier this year but there is something about ‘Point & Kill’ that just transcends almost anything I have heard for a long time. Obongjayar is the perfect foil for this absolute grade A banger of a track. The beat is on another level and the music video is a short film of much greatness. Check it out here if you haven’t already seen it for yourself.
30. Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5- ‘Ted Dancin’
The stand-out track from ‘The Difficult Number 2’ and one of the biggest earworms of the year. We had the guys play our YCTR live stream gig at Captureworks in the spring time at the height of lockdown. No audience was permitted that night but they still brought the usual fun and energy that entertained the sound crew, myself and hundreds of people tuned in on their internet. The next day, I woke up hungover with the song stuck in my head and Tam the Van took me back to the venue to return our backline and the song appeared on Sunny Govan FM . The song has followed me ever since. It now lives inside my head. For better or worse. Normally, for the better though and especially if it`s times like Lindisfarne Festival where they performed it to a packed tent of ted dancers. Love the horns especially on this track. The production is on point and John’s snarl of ‘I'm uncontrollably dancing now’ is iconic in a live setting. Watch a bit of their Captureworks gig here.
