I’ll have half a dozen, thank you, or maybe even less

12. She’s Lost Control, Joy Division

Ever since I found out what brought JD to a grinding halt I’ve had a desire to momentarily become part of the “back to the future’ series so Doc can send me back in time to whisper in young Ian’s ear “it really does get better”, or, “this too shall pass” [insert appropriate reference], or “you really need to save the world from New Order, and this is your big moment”. Alas, this opportunity has yet to present itself, so instead I’m left enjoying the high points of this talented yet tortured young man’s career. On the plus side, it also means I’ve never had to exchange pleasantries with Michael J Fox so every negative situation has it’s up side. In this case, the upside for me comes in three words (albeit they include a contraction which could technically be counted as four) ‘she’s lost control’.

Because, quite frankly, I get it. I get the layers of instruments being controlled by the beat. I get ‘the confusion in her eyes’, and I really get what it’s like to feel completely out of control. The magic for me in this particular tune though is how controlled the vocals are the whole way through. She’s lost control, and not for the first time, but he’s standing by, in the middle of it, drowning in it and all the rest yet she’s lost control. Really, boys, has she?

13. Dickhead, Kate Nash

Subtle title, I know, but this is one smooth track that takes me straight to a crowded pub on a Friday night where I’m rolling my eyes at That person in the room. Sometimes that person is me.

This isn’t exactly a complex song, and Miss Nash won’t win any awards for having the best voice or lyrics or musical ability in the industry, and that’s what works for her. She is you, she’s me, she’s everyone who has ever had to Put Up With Shit from someone, and perhaps especially a significant other who is being, quite simply, A Dickhead. It’s not rocket science. It’s not fussy. There’s a few strings, backup humming, some clicking, and her in an open declaration. Brilliant therapy to sing along to quite loudly in the car too, by the way, if you’ve got a long drive ahead of you. Or the shower if you don’t have a car. Probably not the bath though, since baths are quite calming, unless they’re too cold, or too hot…

14. Jewel Box, Jeff Buckley

There is something I should declare right here and now. I am an Australian, and Jeff, for some reason, has captured the hearts of Australians more than any other nation. Album sales of Grace are higher per capita (how lame does that phrase sound when referring to music. And it might not even be completely accurate but I don’t have access to the net right now and I know this is pretty close to the mark anyway so I’m going to add to this to the ether of inaccurate information on the internet by leaving the statement in). So, in declaring my hand, I am providing forewarning that Jeff Buckley would probably most certainly not (oh I’m great at commitment, really!) feature in my top artists list, but I am a fan, and I have been biased by years of Triple J Radio listening, and this song is stunning.

It is also not his best song, and it’s from his unfinished album (which I know is now linked with BrAngelina via a motorcycle but I won’t waste too much time there for the dual reasons that it is an embarrassing ‘fact’ I wish was not taking up valuable space in my consciousness when I can’t even remember essential things like “I want” in another language; and it means I must have read a women’s magazine a little closer than I would like to admit somewhere along the line) ‘My Sweetheart the Drunk’ which is also not his best album (that would be the aforementioned Grace).

Now I have mentioned all the things which should exclude it from a list such as this, here are a few of the reasons why it is here.
1) the vocals and guitar are hauntingly unusual, faster than the lyrics would imply, and carry you on a journey you simply must go on
2) the mix of surreal metaphors and earnestness is captivating, and
3) “you left some stars in my belly” is a sensation I think we all want. Never mind the butterflies, let’s just go straight to the skies, nudge around in the universe, and find a few of the milky way’s best stars on offer, and put them right there, right in the middle of my belly. Yes please, uh huh, right there, I’ll have what she’s having, that’s just perfect.

And this is what this song makes me think of, every time, a handful of stars in my belly.

15. Paper Aeroplane, Angus and Julia Stone

It turns out that writing a list like this is significantly more challenging than first appears. Getting a mix of genres and eras and genders seemed so very important when I started out and then as it got bigger and fatter and well fed with Songs I Love, it began to dawn on me that … it’s full of Songs I Love which in turn makes it all a bit sameish, no matter how hard I tried to make it not so. Which brings me to the Stone siblings and their EP “Chocolate and Cigarettes”, a delightful way to spend an hour or so.

Paper Aeroplane is from that EP, and is a pleasant little ditty which I think stands out amongst the crowds of singer/songwriters clogging the airwaves at the moment. ‘Clogging’ may appear too harsh a word, and I by no means want to imply I’m not a fan of this genre as I have my fair share (and then some, probably) of the acoustic bunch. And the middle of the road is not a bad place to be sometimes, so it’s going to take the place of the middle of this list, and I’m going to paint the picture of a balcony, a bottle of red, and the afternoon sun for you too, just because I can. Or can't right now, to be more truthful.