Warning: May Contain Indie

Symptoms include: whingeing, low production values, involuntary celibacy, minimal career prospects, second-hand clothes and an inescapable feeling that things will never be as good as they used to be.



Each year, I compile a CD of my favourite new songs and give copies to friends who just don’t buy that many new records. Their reasons for straying from the only true path vary – they may have kids who take up all their time and money; they may be captains of industry too stressed after the working day to seek out new sounds; or they may have decided that, actually, all the best records were made between 1966 and 1968, so why bother with what are bound to be pale imitations.

Responses to these compilations are similarly varied to the point of delusional:
“I can see why you like it…”
“Has music really not changed in the past 25 years?”
“I am now cool.”

Essentially, this mix is just a collection of suggestions and jumping-off points: some friends will find new bands to love; others may find their ennui justified. 2009 has been a particularly strong year for music – just like last year, in fact, and the year before that; people who describe certain years as being low in great musical output are people who simply don’t look hard enough. This year's gems are:

1. Cold Game – Myron & E and the Soul Investigators
2. In June – Summer Cats
3. Stay – Box Elders
4. Tell It In My Ear – Fergus & Geronimo
5. Record Shop - Help Stamp Out Loneliness
6. This Girl – Cookin’ on 3 Burners feat Kylie Auldist
7. Something’s Happening – Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
8. The Ills (instr) – Mayer Hawthorne
9. Miss Tierney – Wake The President
10. Dancing – Standard Fare
11. Hey Boy – Magic Kids
12. Meet You In The Rain – The Cavalcade
13. Heart Collector – Stolen Hearts
14. Nobody Makes My Girl Cry But Me – First Base
15. I Can’t Feel So Happy Now – Personal and the Pizzas
16. Old Folks – Real Estate
17. No Idea – Member of the Wedding
18. Broken Arm – The Shackles
19. Lust For Life – Girls
20. Chord – David Kilgour and Sam Hunt
21. I Am Nothing – Withered Hand
22. Contour and Context – Brown Recluse
23. Plots Are For Cemeteries – Bricolage
24. The Devil Gives Me Everything Except What I Want –
Willie West and the High Society Brothers

That mix represents 24 of the best songs of the year. There are many of equal quality that didn’t make the cut, either because I thought most recipients of the compilation would already have them or because I didn’t spend that much time compiling it. It’s just a bit of fun.