The Devil's Festive Top 10

Well there goes another year and with a new one about to begin it's a good time to reflect another year over and a new one about to begin it's time to reflect on the year just gone and consider the top 10 tracks that rocked the Devil's world.

How will history judge the world of 2008? The beginning of the end of global capitalism with the world's financial system in meltdown? The historic election of a black president in America? The world turning a blind eye to Zimbabwe's collapse? The start of the transition from America to China as the world's major power? Those eternal under achievers Spain finally winning the world cup? Liverpool FC being top of the English Premier League as 2008 turns into 2009?

In the world of music it's been one of the least eventful the Devil can recall with the increasingly bland (yes Vampire Weekend I mean you!) leading the bland and no band or artist able to seize the zeitgeist.

Like the world economy the music scene took on the appearance of the early to mid 70s with the pastoral AOR of Fleet Foxes topping the Mojo and Uncut lists for 2008. Thank goodness for dedicated bloggers such as mp3 hugger, Burning World and Hits In The Car, defiantly independent labels such as Filthy Little Angels, Big Scary Monsters, Cherryade and magazines such as Artrocker who continue to promote and stray way beyond the mainstream to unearth brilliant bands pushing the boundaries and producing music that excites, intrigues, interests, provokes and suprises.

Which naturally brings us to the Devil's selection of the top 10 from the world beyond the beaten path. The tracks that soundtracked the Devil's past 12 months. The most interesting, esoteric, exciting and fascinating tracks of the past 12 months. In a year when the attention of the mainstream press in the UK shifted to America it's interesting that almost all of the tracks in the Devil's top 10 are by British groups. Is it too much to hope that the mainstream music press in the UK will look closer to home in 2009?

It's traditional to announce in reverse order but to hell with tradition we're starting with the Devil's favourite track of the year...

1. The Lovely Eggs - I Like Birds (But I Like Other Animals Too)


More infectious than a vial of rotavirus 'I Like Birds (But I Like Other Animals Too)' is a lo-fi Edward Learesque nursery rhyme that pitches it's tent in your brain and refuses to leave.

The best track of the year by a mile from a band that keep finding new ways to make me smile.

After three "cuck, cuckkoo, cuck cuckoo cuck cuckoo koo".

Check out the track at the Lovely Eggs myspace site

or check out the video...



2. Wild Beasts - The Devils Crayon


The best track on the Wild Beasts impressively original debut album and one of the only tracks that actually made the Devil's jaw drop in amazement in 2008. An ambitious, bold and challenging merger of the camp operatic stylings of Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley and the witty indie (windie anyone?) of The Smiths, 'The Devil's Crayon' is a left-field gem.

Check it out at the Wild Beasts myspace site.

or check out the video...



3. Fuck Dress - Suburban Nietzsche Freak

Intelligence is a rare commodity in a dumbed down world, true wit is even rarer. The confrontational Fuck Dress have both in abundance and bring them both to bear on the naggingly insistent alt punk assault of 'Suburban Nietzsche Freak'. Abrasive guitars, disinterested semi-spoken boy/girl vocals and a chorus that sticks to the brain like a superglued gecko.

Check the track out at the Fuck Dress myspace site.

Or check out the best video of the year (again!)...



4. The Brute Chorus - Chateau
Sounding like a curious hybrid of The Zutons, Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa The Brute Chorus' debut single 'Chateau' was in a genre of it's own. With intelligent lyrics, a stomping tune that sounds like it's been dragged from Virginia's Great Dismal Swamp all topped of with the weather beaten Nick Cave like growl of James Steel , ‘Chateau’ is a scary little ditty kinda like Little Red Riding Hood written by Wes Craven and was the freshest, most exciting debut since The Coral 'Skeleton Key'.

Check it out at The Brute Chorus myspace site.

5. Eux Autres - When I'm Up

'When I'm Up' is a feel good song in a year when we desperately needed to feel good. As breezy as a hurricane force backdraft and as light as lovers whisper it couldn't be more upbeat if it swallowed a Disney character on Christmas Day.

Check the track out here...

MP3 - Eux Autres - When I'm Up
Linked from Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records website.

Go visit Eux Autres here...

Eux Autres - Myspace // Website

6. Ice, Sea, Dead People - Hence Elvis

'Hence Elvis' is a discordant, fidgety fiendishly catchy blast of fractured, avant punk that's a witches brew of pre fame Nirvana and Liars first album, on a sugar rush.

Check the track out at the Ice, Sea, Dead People myspace site

Or check out the video...

7. Cut Off Your Hands - Turn Cold

With guitars that chime like they came out of the Marr museum and a vocal that sounds like lead singer Nick swallowed Morrissey whole the Stephen Street produced 'Turn Cold' could be a long lost Smiths track, yes it's that good.

Check it out here...

MP3 - Cut Off Your Hands - Turn Cold
Linked from Dailyrindblog.com with permission.

Go Visit Cut Off Your Hands here...

Cut Off Your Hands - Myspace // Website

8. Detox Cute & The Beauty Junkies - Alarm Bells bw Silent Night

'Alarm Bells bw Silent Night' is one of those rare beasts a christmas song that you can listen to all year round. It's a gorgeous, floating portion of bittersweet pop that drips with melancholy . It's lush, mellow and enthralling.

Check it out at the Detox Cute & The Beauty Junkies myspace site

Or check out the video...



9. The Stark Palace - Saw What Your Momma Did

'Saw What Your Momma Did' is a wierd and wonderful oddity that sounds like a Beefheart and Zappa inspired take on 'I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Claus' . It's a real gem beamed in from planet strange.

Check it out here...

MP3 - The Stark Palace - Saw What Your Momma Did
Linked direct from Sharkbatter Records with permission

Go Visit The Stark Palace here...

The Stark Palace - Myspace

10. David Cronenberg's Wife - My Best Friend's Going Out With A Girl I Like

'My Best Friend's Going Out With A Girl I Like' is the sound of the House Of Love if they took themselves less seriously. Dismissed by the NME as having a rubbish name and probably being an East Anglian goth band (way to go NME actually listening to the band before reviewing them is so passe much better to review them on the basis of what you assume they might sound like). The Devil listened, liked and considered it good enough to include in the top 10 tracks of the year.

Check the track out at David Cronenberg's Wife's myspace site

Or check out the video...



If you like this then check out these other tracks from David Cronenburg's Wife...

MP3 - David Cronenburg's Wife - Runaway Pram
MP3 - David Cronenburg's Wife - Coming To Your Hometown
Linked from the David Cronenburg's Wife website.

and hovering just outside the top 10 are 6 tracks that didn't quite make the top 10 for 2008 in no particular order.


The Poems - 10:15 On A Saturday Night

A beguiling trancey, soulful cover of the Cure classic '10:15 on a Saturday Night' which the Poems made sound like one of their own. This is the benchmark for any band considering a cover version.

Check the track out at the Poems myspace site


The Indelicates - Waiting For Pete Doherty To Die

'Waiting For Pete Doherty To Die' is a super sized slice of controversial cockney faux balladry which may have upset the dwindling band of dumbed down devotees of the tabloid's favourite indie car wreck not bright enough to read beyond the title.

Check the track out here...

MP3 - The Indelicates - Waiting For Pete Doherty To Die

For more visit the Indelicates myspace site.

The Little Philistines - Love Explodes

Schizophrenic alt-pop that's like Bloc Party letting their hair down.

Check it out at The Little Philistines myspace site

mrandmrsmays - Freak On


Like a Woolworth's (RIP) pick 'n mix of the best sounds in indie history 'Freak On' starts like a Cure track before morphing into a riot grrlesque chant with some Teardrop Explodes like trumpets as an added bonus, what's not to love?

Check the track out at the mrandmrsmays myspace site.

Girl In A Coma - Their Cell

They also recently debuted a new video for their brilliant track 'Their Cell' which sounds like the lovechild of Joan Jett and Radiohead!

Check the track out at the Girl In A Coma myspace site.

and finally a track that truly made the Devil cry...

Tommy Reilly - Mr Brightside

What is there to say about Tommy's cover of The Killers 'Mr Brightside' which was so good it brought the Devil and ex Blur guitarist Alex James to tears. Take a listen and if your heart doesn't melt then you're either Scrooge, a statue or dead!

Check the track out at...

Find out more at Tommy's myspace site.

2008 was the year that the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries (I'm not saying their behind the times but even their name sounds like it's covered in dust) increased their use of the blunt instrument that is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to force Blogger to indiscriminately remove perfectly legal posts from the sites of music lovers around the world the IFPI. Don't forget the IFPI represents companies that repeatedly repackage the same old tripe in different formats and spend millions on marketing to convince the gullible to part with their hard earned cash. The Devil respects the rights of artists to make a living from their work and will only publish tracks with the permission of the artists or their representatives. The Devil's wish for 2009 is for the IFPI to spend more time and money nurturing young talent and less effort on the pointless pursuit of bloggers like the Devil who's aim in life is to unearth unknown, unheard, unseen, unheralded and downright unbelievable artists who are the lifeblood of tomorrows music scene.

Have a prosperous, and independent 2009 love from the Devil