Elizabeth Morris is one of foursome Allo’, Darlin, an antipodean/anglo group who made waves earlier this year on foot of their gentle self-titled debut. We knew them (well, Liz at least) as her beautiful rendition of ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ made it onto our 2009 Christmas compilation. Seems the lass has an affiliation for this particular holiday as ‘Will You Please Spend New Years With Me?’ ably proves (it was those scorching Queensland Decembers that did it). This is as sparse as Allo, Darlin’ get yet for all the lack of ornamental detail it is as warm and inviting as a yuletide log. It also gives a good case for not following the herd and instead spending the change of the year with your love and a suite of Disney favourites. Fireworks will surely ensue whichever you choose. KD

Allo, Darlin' - Will You Please Spend New Years With Me?

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Allo Darlin'
Year: 2009

Hope you like our shapely (and I’m not referring to our ‘all the appearances of a fattened turkey without the feathers’ body) new design. Not a whole lot of difference from the way it looked before but it had been a couple of years since the last overhaul so it felt almost mandatory. Anyway, the bulk of what was for all intents and purposes a mad scramble around Ireland with tinsel and baby in tow has come to a halt and normality is returning. 2011 is going to bring fresh challenges as this blog is due to turn into a full time pursuit (along with other inventive meal winning endeavours). It is frightening the pants off me (were it not for my bloated hips they’d be flat on the floor) but in other ways this could potentially be a great experience. Anyroad, to kick start the new campaign here are our old friends (well aren’t everyone on Slumberland?) Black Tambourine with their 100% genuine retro classic ‘Dream Baby Dream’ (a Suicide cover). KD

Black Tambourine - Dream Baby Dream

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Black Tambourine
Year: 1991

There must be a thousand takes on ‘Little Drummer Boy’, the majority of which are pants but then you have exceptions like the Dandy Warhols ecstatic take. Nova Scotia band the Heavy Blinkers took a pithy view from a new perspective, that of the little boy through the eyes of Mary & Joseph. If that’s not interesting enough for you then Jenn Grant’s voice should be enough to swing it. This is the type of song I search all year for to sign off on before the Christmas break. It's perfect. Hope the next few days go well for you, we’re heading west through the snowfields to the land of midnight mass and midday drinking. Nollaig Shona! KD

The Heavy Blinkers - Silence Your Drum

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Heavy Blinkers
Year: 2009

37 hours of snow and already people here in Dublin are saying that Bing’s ‘White Christmas’ is giving them the chills. We are truly a funny sort, spend the whole year dreaming of a white one and then when it happens we’re complaining about leaky boots and slippy pedestrian thoroughfares. That gorgeous Guinness ad that used to send shivers down our spine is now doing exactly the same thing. No mind, here is a new entry in the classic crimbo collection from L.A. rockers Darker My Love. They wrote the song for a free Christmas album being pushed by of all things a big shop called Target. It ends up being totally wonderful, intensely happy and richly melodic, just perfect for a nation hung up on frozen fingertips and horses that should really be inside on subzero nights like this. Love you this time of the year. KD

Darker My Love - Snow Is Falling

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Darker My Love
Year: 2010

Besides Low’s ‘Just Like Christmas’ no contemporary festive number has hit me quite like Venice Is Sinking’s ‘The Grey Line’. Now while I like my December party numbers to be weighed down with sleigh bells as much as the next person there are times when the alternative can be just as satisfying. And what a heart filling distraction this song is, it’s completely perfect even before the trumpet kicks in at fade out and when it does I consistently fail to hold back on emotions not normally the preserve of a grown adult. It has so infected my pre Christmas psyche that I have resolved to feature the song henceforth on this blog for every year that it roams the web. So until we meet again in 12 months time thank you Daniel, Karolyn, Lucas, Jeremy, James and Aaron. By the way we're snowed in here again so looks like work is kaput early this year. Yippee. KD

Venice Is Sinking - The Grey Line

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Venice Is Sinking
Year: 2007

The now departed De Rosa from Glasgow were signed to Chemical Underground and like true nationalists never softened their brogue to bailout international ears. So it took a few go’s before lyrics could be deciphered and while it’s not exactly family friendly ‘Under the Stairs (Xmas Reverie)’ turned out not as stark as I’d originally imagined. Words aside this is a really nice tune, in keeping with the season it is all softly lit and open to mistimed handclaps if you're party to such admissions of jollity over the next few days. KD

De Rosa - Under the Stairs (Xmas Reverie)

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: De Rosa
Year: 2006

It’d be hard to score Sofia Talvik anything less than ten for her efforts to promote her own music. The Swedish singer has certainly got the internet down and uses each one of its promoing tools to the max. Now in somebody else’s boots this could turn as many away as it attracts but the ace up Talvik’s sleeve is her talent. From what I can gather she appears labelless which given her looks and undoubted gift for a pretty ditty is a bit odd. Not that I’m always completely enamoured with her output but periodically she hits the nail on the head. Like on last years Christmas single ‘Snowy White River’ which is a fragile and heartrending piece that’ll calm your head after 5 hours at the shops. Keep at it Sofia, it’s only a matter of time before they’ll be wrapped around your finger. KD

Sofia Talvik - Snowy White River

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Sofia Talvik
Year: 2009

By my reckoning Candy Claws are up to half a dozen in their campaign to write the most songs by any band containing snow in the title. Given that they are nestled at the foot of the snowy Colorado hills it probably isn’t all that surprising though. We ourselves spent a winter’s month in New Zealand and drew so much inspiration from that white topped landscape. ‘Snow Girl’ is something Ryan and Kay recorded last Christmas and is indicative of Candy Claws Mark I as opposed to the direction that they took on their forest treks this year. As ever the childlike innocence is effortlessly genuine and the softly frosted harmonies dispatched with the skill and finesse of one of the best acts in the world today. We love them so much and not just at Christmas. KD

Candy Claws - Snow Girl

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Candy Claws
Year: 2009

Really surprised myself with what finished on top, maybe hugger is maturing. For those who've missed the journey to this point | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 |

You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more info on each of the songs.



The rest of the story.....

No. 7 Washed Out - You'll See It
No. 8 School of Seven Bells - Babelonia
No. 9 Emily Jane White - Liza
No. 10 Kowalski - Get Back
No. 11 Four Tet - Plastic People
No. 12 The Phoenix Foundation - Buffalo
No. 13 Low Sea - Alex
No. 14 The Radio Dept. - The New Improved Hyprocrisy
No. 15 Chappo - Come Home
No. 16 Champagne Riot - Heart Stab
No. 17 The Gorgeous Colours - The Creatures Down Below
No. 18 Venice Is Sinking - Tugboat
No. 19 Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
No. 20 Gloria Cycles - Diplomatic Dining Cycles
No. 21 The Leisure Society - Inchworm
No. 22 The Coral - Walking In The Winter
No. 23 Hosannas - When We Were Young
No. 24 Beat Connection - In The Water
No. 25 Seaside Stars - Darlin'
No. 26 Stars & Sons - Untested, Untried
No. 27 Spirit Spine - Flashes
No. 28 Lower Dens - Hospice Gates
No. 29 Cotton Jones - Glorylight And Christie
No. 30 The Golden Filter - Hide Me
No. 31 Clean Equations - Haitian Noise Piece
No. 32 The Walkmen - Stranded
No. 33 Houses - Endless Spring
No. 34 Pantone247 - Maybe Tonight
No. 35 Coltrane Motion - I Forgot There Was A War On
No. 36 The Winks - Wildlife Of The Desert
No. 37 Jonsi - Go Do
No. 38 The Selfish Replicators - Strands
No. 39 Canoe - Three Birds
No. 40 Kill Krinkle Club - 59
No. 41 Common Loon - Mexico
No. 42 Rudely Interrupted - Close My Eyes

KD

The penultimate gathering of the coven of songs that filled our hearts this year, here's the story so far | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 |

Presenting our 12th to 7th fave songs of 2010.

You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more info on each of the songs.



The story so far.....

No. 13 Low Sea - Alex
No. 14 The Radio Dept. - The New Improved Hyprocrisy
No. 15 Chappo - Come Home
No. 16 Champagne Riot - Heart Stab
No. 17 The Gorgeous Colours - The Creatures Down Below
No. 18 Venice Is Sinking - Tugboat
No. 19 Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
No. 20 Gloria Cycles - Diplomatic Dining Cycles
No. 21 The Leisure Society - Inchworm
No. 22 The Coral - Walking In The Winter
No. 23 Hosannas - When We Were Young
No. 24 Beat Connection - In The Water
No. 25 Seaside Stars - Darlin'
No. 26 Stars & Sons - Untested, Untried
No. 27 Spirit Spine - Flashes
No. 28 Lower Dens - Hospice Gates
No. 29 Cotton Jones - Glorylight And Christie
No. 30 The Golden Filter - Hide Me
No. 31 Clean Equations - Haitian Noise Piece
No. 32 The Walkmen - Stranded
No. 33 Houses - Endless Spring
No. 34 Pantone247 - Maybe Tonight
No. 35 Coltrane Motion - I Forgot There Was A War On
No. 36 The Winks - Wildlife Of The Desert
No. 37 Jonsi - Go Do
No. 38 The Selfish Replicators - Strands
No. 39 Canoe - Three Birds
No. 40 Kill Krinkle Club - 59
No. 41 Common Loon - Mexico
No. 42 Rudely Interrupted - Close My Eyes

KD

Despite what you might think we don't know what number 1 will be ourselves! Catch up on what's been covered so far | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 |

Getting so close now, it's 18 to 13!

You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more info on each of the songs.



The story so far.....

No. 19 Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
No. 20 Gloria Cycles - Diplomatic Dining Cycles
No. 21 The Leisure Society - Inchworm
No. 22 The Coral - Walking In The Winter
No. 23 Hosannas - When We Were Young
No. 24 Beat Connection - In The Water
No. 25 Seaside Stars - Darlin'
No. 26 Stars & Sons - Untested, Untried
No. 27 Spirit Spine - Flashes
No. 28 Lower Dens - Hospice Gates
No. 29 Cotton Jones - Glorylight And Christie
No. 30 The Golden Filter - Hide Me
No. 31 Clean Equations - Haitian Noise Piece
No. 32 The Walkmen - Stranded
No. 33 Houses - Endless Spring
No. 34 Pantone247 - Maybe Tonight
No. 35 Coltrane Motion - I Forgot There Was A War On
No. 36 The Winks - Wildlife Of The Desert
No. 37 Jonsi - Go Do
No. 38 The Selfish Replicators - Strands
No. 39 Canoe - Three Birds
No. 40 Kill Krinkle Club - 59
No. 41 Common Loon - Mexico
No. 42 Rudely Interrupted - Close My Eyes

KD

We've reached the halfway stage in our best songs of 2010. If you've missed the countdown up to this point click away to | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 |

Let's here it for 24 to 19!

You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more info on each of the songs.



The story so far.....

No. 25 Seaside Stars - Darlin'
No. 26 Stars & Sons - Untested, Untried
No. 27 Spirit Spine - Flashes
No. 28 Lower Dens - Hospice Gates
No. 29 Cotton Jones - Glorylight And Christie
No. 30 The Golden Filter - Hide Me
No. 31 Clean Equations - Haitian Noise Piece
No. 32 The Walkmen - Stranded
No. 33 Houses - Endless Spring
No. 34 Pantone247 - Maybe Tonight
No. 35 Coltrane Motion - I Forgot There Was A War On
No. 36 The Winks - Wildlife Of The Desert
No. 37 Jonsi - Go Do
No. 38 The Selfish Replicators - Strands
No. 39 Canoe - Three Birds
No. 40 Kill Krinkle Club - 59
No. 41 Common Loon - Mexico
No. 42 Rudely Interrupted - Close My Eyes

KD

Part 3 of a 7 part epic on the road to this year's top song. The countdown to date (part 1 & part 2) can be found under the player.

Ladies and gentlemen may I present numbers 30 to 25.

You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more info on each of the songs.



The story so far.....

No. 31 Clean Equations - Haitian Noise Piece
No. 32 The Walkmen - Stranded
No. 33 Houses - Endless Spring
No. 34 Pantone247 - Maybe Tonight
No. 35 Coltrane Motion - I Forgot There Was A War On
No. 36 The Winks - Wildlife Of The Desert
No. 37 Jonsi - Go Do
No. 38 The Selfish Replicators - Strands
No. 39 Canoe - Three Birds
No. 40 Kill Krinkle Club - 59
No. 41 Common Loon - Mexico
No. 42 Rudely Interrupted - Close My Eyes

KD

Briefly sweeping aside that top song from 2010 countdownery I just wanted to mention that Christmas is not far away. That makes me very happy because it means lots of nice things happening all at once. Not least the opportunity to dance to songs that have been popping up since the year dot. Cosily familiar as all that is though it’s always nice to have new stuff to add to the canon of festive favourites. The Keys’ ‘Queuing Up For Christmas’ makes a good argument for inclusion, offering as it does their knowing way with retro sounding harmonies. The song came out as part of their Christmas EP, which was one of four that the Welsh lads put out last year. If you’ve come for something else then mid-table placings will be posted soon. KD

The Keys - Queuing Up For Christmas

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Keys
Year: 2009

Part 2 on our countdown to the best song of 2010 (as voted by me). The songs from part 1 can be found under the player.

Tonight it's the turn of numbers 36 to 31.

You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more info on each of the songs.



The story so far.....

No. 37 Jonsi - Go Do
No. 38 The Selfish Replicators - Strands
No. 39 Canoe - Three Birds
No. 40 Kill Krinkle Club - 59
No. 41 Common Loon - Mexico
No. 42 Rudely Interrupted - Close My Eyes

KD

In a shameless copycat tactic we’ve taken it upon ourselves to reveal our Top 42 songs of the year over the course of the next week as opposed to all in one go like the last 4 years. This year it made sense to leave Indiecater to one side and give the shoddiness of non-indiecaterland a chance to shine. All the other rules remain the same, only 1 song per artist and only songs that have appeared on mp3hugger throughout the year could make the cut. All told my gut feeling for 2010 was that is was a really lousy year for classic albums and the well of memorable tunes was also down on previous years. That said by whittling it down to our top 42 it measures up quite well.

Tonight we present numbers 42 to 37.

You'll find the player controls on the top left and click the info bottom on the bottom left for more info on each of the songs.



KD

I posted this a whole 5 years ago so figured it deserved a second airing given its redemptive powers at this time of year. Of course it made complete sense that power poppeteers Grandaddy record a Christmas song but who could have guessed that they’d make awkwardly long, imperfectly sown lyrics sound so ridiculously cute (don’t answer me)? ‘Alan Parsons In A Winter Wonderland’ appeared on one of the best contemporary festive collections called ‘It’s A Cool, Cool Christmas’ which fetches quite the pretty penny on ebay these days. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wish they reformed all within the space of the quickest 3 minutes ever. Lytle rarely sounded this large. KD

Grandaddy - Alan Parsons In A Winter Wonderland

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Jason Lytle
Year: 2000

It's ye auld hugger's first foray into the land of script writing so bear that in mind as your sharpen your virtual knives. Apt Red is an internet based programme by RTE (Irish national broadcaster) aimed at teenagers which is starting to branch out into music, or more precisely the music that can be sourced on the web. Anyway's a couple of week's ago they got in touch suggesting we put a script together for the show. The nice part was that they gave us complete editorial control so sorry Kings, Lady and West you'll have to look elsewhere for your airtime.

The finished product can be streamed below, see what you think. KD



More Info: Apt Red

Not sure what kept me from their door for so long, I mean I’d gotten serious prompts from someone I respect and yet I turned my cheek and chased the indie dragon elsewhere. Thankfully a rumble through a miscellaneous bunch of mp3’s set me on the right road and Pittsburgh’s Lohio are now painting a Technicolour (not sure whether to drop the U or not) canvass for my ears. This beaut is taken from their self-titled debut EP that came out last year (a newbie called ‘Family Tree’ has since dropped, more soon) and contains most of the ingredients of an indie pop classic. One such characteristic being that of salivation creation, in that the tune seems to end way too quickly and no amount of rambunctious repeat plays can sully its bright exterior. Joy to the world. KD

Lohio - Waiting For The End Of The Summertime

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Lohio
Year: 2009

Before it was turned into Japanese whale meat primalscreamremixed.com actually contained some cool remixes (undeniably not sanctioned) by the Glasgow band who trade under the name of Primal Scream. I visited on occasion but purely for the kicks supplied by the Screamadelica reimaginings. The band have never quite come close to replicating the magic of the grooves inherent in that release so it made my little ticker go pitter patter when news broke that they are to tour the album from start to finish. It was the occasion of Feile, in a soon to be redeveloped hurling field, in the early 90’s that I witnessed my favourite gig of all time. Bobby and Denise led the troops immaculately and even though the crowd had thinned to near baldness levels they still served up a quasi-religious level of devotion in the direction of the Glaswegian’s. Still get tingles thinking about it, not least for the positive effect it also had on my normally muck adoring chums of the time. Here is a neat little uplifting number that takes the normally sedate ‘Shine Like Stars’ and turns it into something altogether more bombastic. KD

Primal Scream - Shine Like Stars (Empire State Human Remix)

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Primal Scream (know what I mean?)
Year: 1991 & 2005

Seems I am incapable of extricating myself from the sound of Christmas or in this case from the songs whose natural habitat is forever blanketed in fluffy ice matter. ‘All The Things We Were Supposed To Be’ is really quite heartbreaking and is taken from Amy Bezunartea’s current album ‘Restaurant & Bars’. Being someone who has never picked up as much as a triangle I am obviously open to contradiction but it sounds like this song is composed purely of a voice and some sparse piano keys. Why then am I so teared up that a trip outside in the subzero could render my eyes as close to their teddy equivalent as to have our little bundle plucking them from my head with barely a second thought for the future footballing exploits of her dearest daddy. All told this is a pretty devastating piece of music. KD

Amy Bezunartea - All The Things We Were Supposed To Be

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Amy Bezunartea
Year: 2010

If you get a sense of the familiar then you are probably as big a Candy Claws fan as I. Like much of what happens on their Colorado label (Act So Big Forest, hello everyone!) interchangability among its roster of bands is a consistent theme so much so that Ocean Bump! often has vivid dreams of the sea life. Hardly surprising given the sweet nature of the people involved but it does give some credibility to a world hung up on budgets and bailouts. ‘A Day In December’ is not even close to being the best Christmas song ever written, in fact it is more a lullaby for baby’s bedtime than an actual tune, yet there is something so cherishable at work that is hard to dismiss. Picture a little one peering out a frosted window and glimpsing the first falling snow of her life and you will appreciate the innocence and wonder imagined by Ocean Bump! KD

Ocean Bump! - A Day In December

More Info: Official
Free Songs: Ocean Bump!
Year: 2009

As Christmas songs go it ain’t your normal snow blitz but then who wants to endlessly retread the same old jingles every year? So Boca Chica from Pittsburgh decided to kick some sawdust in Santa’s face and not even the beacon that is Rudolph could get him out of this scrape. ‘Not On Christmas Eve’ turns out to be mighty fine tune too, just like the 10 others that join it on our very own An Indiecater Christmas 2010. Someone has got to bring forth the music now that Spector is tied up for the foreseeable future. As always the album is streaming in full on Indiecater so see ya over there y’all. KD

Boca Chica - Not On Christmas Eve

More Boca Chica: Valentine EP
Buy Christmas Songs: An Indiecater Christmas 2010
Year: 2010

Is 2 great records enough to make a great band? The answer is quite simple really and it goes something like yes and no. Yes, Idlewild appeared to be onto something really special after their 2nd and 3rd (‘Hope Is Important’ & ‘100 Broken Windows’) releases announced an act unafraid of tearing strips off the walls in pursuit of the perfect melody. And no because since ‘100 Broken Windows’ they’ve increasing tarnished what was shaping up to be a distinguished legacy. God knows how you’d classify them at this stage, boring probably sums it up best. And this from a creative that wrote songs like ‘Quiet Crown’ which for a while (during a long sojourn in Bali) had us staring dewy eyed into the sinking evening sun. Still gives me tingles. KD

Idlewild - Quiet Crown

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Idlewild
Year: 2000

You’ve gotta credit Ohbijou for coming away from this cover of Wham’s sonic demigod with little or no eggnog on their faces (the slight drift into munchkin vocal early on excepted). It’s not that they’ve altered the piece that radically but by infusing it with their own quirks it gives ‘Last Christmas’ a new lease of life. The strings certainly add a touch of class but almost despite myself I keep drifting back to the land of Oz. Perhaps that is something Ohbijou are aiming for because they recently recorded a lullaby version of ‘Dear Prudence’ for the really sweet compilation ‘Sing Me To Sleep – Indie Lullabies’. All told a quiet success.

P.S. There is about a foot of snow outside our door here in Dublin so I feel no embarrassment whatsoever in admitting that I’m about to see if the fairy lights from last year are still working? Hooray. KD

Ohbijou - Last Christmas

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Ohbijou
Year: 2009