The Music Note

I've been meaning to compile one of these lists for a while now. A selection of songs that were my personal favourites throughout 2013, all of which feature regularly on my day to day playlists, yet still sound as fresh and innovative as the moment I first heard them. In the near two years that I have been writing this blog, I have been fortunate enough to have discovered some fantastic music from both emerging and established bands, many of which are unsigned or on independent labels. The list below features a selection of these tracks, along with key songs from more mainstream and universally recognised bands - all in all, a delightfully random mix of good songs. 'Ain't Messin 'Round' - Gary Clark Jr. On 'Ain't Messin 'Round', bright horns and momentous grooves offset perfectly against Gary Clark Jr.'s soulfully raw vocals. A furiously addictive guitar solo provides further edge to the whole structural arrangement. The track may well be the ...

Last week, Everything Everything appeared on Later... with Jools Holland to perform a few songs from their current album Arc . The band played 'Cough Cough' and 'Kemosabe', both of which highlighted their penchant for interesting hooks and falsetto vocals, while tight musicianship and unison backing harmonies provided further proof of why they are such a unique and exciting band - both live and on record.

Having been a fan of Everything Everything since their 2010 debut  Man Alive , I'd wanted to see them live for quite some time, however, it was after hearing this   iTunes EP, that I knew they were a must see live band.  As part of the NME Awards Shows series, I was looking forward to seeing my first Everything Everything gig in the intimate nightclub venue that is Heaven in London. The band's signature sound of crazy hooks, off beat tempos and falsetto vocals were as present as ever throughout the hour long set, which comprised of an almost equal selection of tracks from both Man Alive and Arc .  Though the understated 'Undrowned' made for an unusual opener, the proceeding songs of 'Torso Of The Week' and 'Kemosabe' really kicked the set into action. "We're gonna play some party tunes now" announced lead vocalist Jonathan Higgs before launching into crowd favourites 'Schoolin'' and 'Photoshop Handsome', which perfec...

I've been listening to this album a lot recently.  I was unaware of its existence until last month when I stumbled upon it whilst browsing iTunes .  As a big fan of Everything Everything, I knew this EP - featuring nine of the original eleven tracks from their debut  Man Alive , played live at London's Roundhouse - was a must-have download. The best way to describe this EP would be to say that it's a 'louder' version of Man Alive .  If that's possible.  Crazy hooks, clashing synths, falsetto vocals and totally random lyrics - pretty much all of the qualities that made Man Alive  such a uniquely addictive debut - are all present here, just on an enhanced level.  From listening to the EP, it's clear that the band make for a great live act and though all the instrumentation is tight, the backing vocals are particularly impressive. I think the most noteworthy track here is 'NASA Is On Your Side'.  Jonathan Higg's lead vocals work beautifully...

Photoshop Handsome was the third single released from Everything Everything's addictive 2010 debut, Man Alive.   Falsetto vocals deliver random lyrics which are, at times incoherent and for the most part, don't make a whole lot of sense. However, this really doesn't matter as the music is so amazingly energetic and fast paced, there isn't much time to ponder over lyric meanings.  This, along with enthusiastic instrumentation, creates a track that is unique, adventurous and overall, a joy to listen to. "I will gain an extra life..."