1. Melkbelly: LCR
It’s fuzzy, it’s melodic, it’s punk, it’s pop, it’s DIY, it’s anarchic, it’s sing-along, it’s a mosh pit, it’s sunglasses indoors, it’s kind of sexy…I love this band and I love this song.
2. Working Men’s Club: Teeth
There is no doubt in my mind that this song would have been prime indie disco, dancefloor fodder had the country not been enduring a pandemic for the majority of the year.
3. Mr Gnome: Gold Edges
Like a psychedelic whirlwind, I’ve taken to doing my daily exericse to this song, it involves dancing madly around my room until my body inevitably reminds me that its been about a decade since I conducted in any cardiovascular acvitity whilst sober.
4. Big Joanie: Cranes in the Sky
This song sees the band seamlessly mix punk and a more atmospheric, post-rock sound in a way that I’ve never heard before. Gives me chills!
5. The Beths: Mars, the God of War
This is a melodic pop punk gem that reminds me of being a teenager. Everything about it perfect from it’s little breakdowns to the little guitar solo.
6. Soft Girls and Boys Club: Baby’s Got A New Shirt
I know everyone says this about all bands ever but truly this Nottingham based five piece are criminally underrated. This song off their new album Jeefy Hymns, combines Jarvis Cocker swagger with indie dream pop instrumentation.
7. Grawl!x: Epicene
This is a beautiful piece of modern alternative pop music. (Or pop for grown ups as I like to think of it). Behind the joyous instrumentation of this song lies dark lyrics that go far deeper that the music lets on. There is true artistry at work here and it is wonderful to listen to.
8. Pet Crow: One Whole Summer
This song reminds me a bit of The Bangles ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’ combined with early Slaves recordings and surf rock. I realise that description sounds utterly bonkers and probably shouldn’t work at all but it does and it’s brilliant.
9. Another; Country $$$$: Community Garden (album available on Bandcamp)
What’s a top ten list of songs of the year without at least one glitch-step album. This song is the soundtrack to those days of running images through Tiny JPG before adding them to a website to ensure that your site content doesn’t take 300 hours to load but it’s so twinkly that it makes you feel pretty whilst you’re doing it.
10. Sneaks: Sanity
This is a catchy post-punk/synth pop effort from Washington DC based musician Eva Moolchan. It’s a little bit Siouxsie Sioux and I just can’t shake the chorus out of my head.
Main photo of Melkbelly courtesy of Carpark Records
