The Devil's Top 10 (ok 15) of 10

Where have the last 12 months gone? It only seems like yesterday that I was sitting down to consider the best tracks of 2009 and here I am again sifting through the profusion of songs that my lit up my ears during the year.

Despite the efforts of Simon Cowell to single-handedly destroy the music industry 2010 has been a great year for interesting, inventive and innovative music. It's been such a great year that it proved extremely difficult to select a top 10 (which is why it's actually a top 15 as there are five tracks at number 10!). There have been many tracks that in any other year would have been a shoe in for a top 10 spot that have missed out. Tracks like Joy-Rides amusing Fallesque 'Bishop of Suffolk', Paperfangs' 'Oh I Wandered', The Wind-Up Birds' 'There Will Always Be An England' and Ono Palindromes explosive 'James Dean'.

So here are the Devil's 15 favourite tracks from the underground, the tracks that soundtracked my 2010 and made the world a much better place in which to live. 15 tracks that you are highly unlikely to see elsewhere in the top 10s across the blogosphere.

1. What Would Jesus Drive – The Girls Are In Charge

The track of the year from one of the bands to watch in 2011. An electro glam rocker that sounds like someone turned The Ting Tings inside out and injected the remains with rocket fuel. One day all music will be this good.

Go visit the band's myspace site to hear the track or check out the video...



2. Twin Sister – All Around And Away We Go

Last year I predicted that that much maligned musical form D.I.S.C.O could be the musical phenomenon of 2010 and I was part right. While D.I.S.C.O was swamped by the omnipresent Witch House in 2010's genre wars the Devil's second favourite track of the year was the best indie disco makeover since Blondie ditched their leathers and headed for the dancefloor with Heart of Glass. If the 18 Carat Love Affair's mighty, majestic monster of a song 'Construct' was indie disco's John The Baptist then 'All Around And Away We Go' could well be it's Jesus equivalent.

Go shake your bootie to the Devil's second favourite track of the year...

MP3 - Twin Sister - All Around & Away We Go
This track is linked direct from the Twin Sister website and is therefore already freely available so please refrain from alleging infringement of copyright.

or check out the video...



3. Warpaint – Billie Holiday

Warpaint turned Mary Wells' 1964 hit 'My Guy' inside out until it sounded like the last lament of a bunny boiler. It tingled the spine like a massage from a snowman with cold hands. If there's a top 10 out there which doesn't include this it's not worth the paper it's not printed on.

Check out the track at the Warpaint myspace site or check out the band performing it live...



4. Achille Lauro – No Brakes


Biggest surprise of the year was the transformation of Achille Lauro from a weak Coldplay by numbers kind of band into a full bodied heart and soul band that blew me away. It was all down to the astounding 'No Brakes' which sounds like a chaingang performing in a gospel church. It was in a genre all of it's own, a genre so unique it doesn't even have a name.

Check out the track at the band's myspace site or take a look at the video of the band performing No Brakes live...



5. Everything Everything – Photoshop Handsome

In any other year Everything Everything's 'Photoshop Handsome' would probably have been number one of the year. It's a reflection of how good a year it's been that it just about scrapes into the top 5. It's the kind of intelligent indie rock that will hopefully make a return in 2011 after a short hiatus while the world went electro. It's poppy, it’s as catchy as a porcine based pandemic and it’s unique. It's the type of song that makes the daily grind feel a little less grinding. If Everything Everything aren't one of the bands of 2011 then I'll eat my laptop.

Check out the Soil In The Synth remix of Photoshop Handsome

Everything Everything - Photoshop Handsome (Soil In The Synth Remix) by EverythingEverything

and if you'd rather check out the original version that first excited the Devil and turned him onto the wonders of Everything Everything then here is the video...



6. Not Squares – Release The Bees

Irish punktonic trio Not Squares served up the longest track to make it into the Devil's top 10 of 2010. 'Release The Bees' is a frenzied seven and a half minute sensory assault that's more wired than a toddler group on red bull.

Check out Release the Bees courtesy of Teto Records and Souncloud...

Not Squares - Release the Bees by Teto Records

or check out the mind altering video...



7. Young Circles - Sharp Teeth

Sharp Teeth starts off like the great grandsons of Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club band tuning up before morphing into a Beckesque shuffle. It's bizarre, idiosyncratic, refreshingly original and worthy of a place in the Devil's top 10 of 2010.

Check it out...



8. Terror Bird - Shame Is On Your Side

'Shame Is On Your Side' is the missing link between The Supremes and The Pretenders at their poppiest. It's a huge song. It's pop so big it could consume the planet with a vocal performance that could stop traffic. It's the sort of performance that makes you glad to be alive. While the track was actually released about 2 years ago I unearthed it in 2010 and therefore it deserves it's place in the list of favourites for the year. The top 10 would be a poorer place without it.

Go check it out...

MP3 - Terror Bird - Shame Is On Your Side

9. Guildean Gang - Dennis Bergkamp

'Dennis Bergkamp' sounds like a less whimsical and ballsier Young Knives and, like most of the tracks in the Devil's top 10, it's original with a touch of off the wall eccentricity. If there was any justice in the world Cheryl Cole would be scanning groceries and the Guildean Gang would have been world wide mega stars. The band have subsequently changed their name and now ply their trade under the altogether more commonplace and homely Curtains.

Check out the video...



10= Gazelle Twin – Changelings

Brighton's Elizabeth Walling, aka Gazelle Twin is a dream weaver, a dealer in ambience. She channels the spirits of Portishead, Lamb and Fever Ray into a bewitching, beguiling brew that shivers the soul. She sounds like Enya getting in touch with her dark side.

The stunning Changelings, with its existential lyrics, dramatic symphonies and dark electronica is a chilling and beautiful, eerie and enchanting addition to the top 10 of 2010.

Go listen...

Gazelle Twin - Changelings by Cannonball_PR

10= Horse Guards Parade – Her Scabby Knees

The brilliantly titled Her Scabby Knees with it's haunting, ghostly echoes starts out with an ambition to become the 21st centuries Ghost Town before turning into a lilting, downbeat psych folk ode to the owner of the local abattoir. Every top 10 should have one.

Check it out...

MP3 - Horse Guards Parade - Her Scabby Knees

10= Hotbodies - Lollipop


Los Angeles kooky electro ensemble Hotbodies cooked up a storm with their first single 'Lollipop'. Starting off like an electro torch song it soon morphs into a Soulwax mainlining Ariel Pink ode to the world changing medicinal wonders of Lollipops. If it's casual refrain of 'Fuck yeah I got a lollipop, I don't give a fuck' doesn't take permanent residence in your brain you've probably been lobotomised.

Take a suck on Hotbodies Lollipop...

Lollipop by Hotbodies

10= Modern Witch – Measure Me For Size

Witch House was the underground genre of the blogosphere in 2010 and 2011 will surely be the year it goes mainstream. There are so many Witch House tracks to choose from but I plumped for Modern Witches' Measure Me For Size which sounded like The Normal dabbling in witchcraft. Although there were a number of better known tracks from the likes of Balam Acab or oOoOO it was Modern Witch who sounded the most revolutionary and completely bewitched this Devil with some of the most frightening video music combinations this side of the Saw horror franchise.

Check out Measure Me For Size...



10 = Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union

Power and glory combined need I say more?

Check out the video...



So that's it 15 brilliant tracks that show that it's not all x factorised karaoke and bump 'n grind over sexualised exploited nymphs. Dig deep in the undergrowth and you will be rewarded with nuggets of pure gold.

The Devil's wish for 2011 is for the smug smile to be wiped off Simon Cowell's face, for Cheryl Cole to disappear from the face of the earth and for Frankie Boyle to disappear up his unpleasant backside.