The 2012 Streetlamp Festive Thirty

 It's Christmas time, the font colour has changed to red, and the other Streetlampers have been banished from the keyboard. All this adds up to just one thing - it's time for this year's Streetlamp Festive Thirty.
For anyone who hasn't been following this blog from the beginning, the basic idea is that the Streetlamp team get together for a trawl through the Streetlamp archive and bring you our combined favourite thirty pieces of music to feature on the blog this year. Considered for inclusion are all of those songs which have featured in an article, regardless of their date of release. This means that the list is not a narrow 'Best music of 2012' but is instead a 'Best of The Streetlamp 2012'.

With the Streetlamp now well into its third year, it has changed quite a bit since its inception and now features more political and cultural blog pieces rather than just being a straightforward music blog. That's not to say that we've been ignoring the music and, as far as I'm concerned, the great music featured on here has been the one constant that has tied the whole enterprise together, and each of the Streetlamp Festive Thirty lists is a graphic illustration of that fact. When I look at the range of artists included I think that it highlights how diverse the three of us are in taste and, I believe, this makes a great recipe for an interesting blog.

Anyway, without any further rambling, I will now, as tradition dictates, present to you

- in alphabetical order -

The 2012 Streetlamp Festive Thirty

A Copy of A Copy of A Copy - Captain of the Rant vs. Hair Explosion
And If - Stephen Harrison
Bed on a Ward - Wise Children
Blackwater Side - Anne Briggs
Chair - Big Deal
Chico - The Velveteens
Comics - Executive Legs
Deep In The Woods - Tennis
Easy Baby - La Luz
Espejo - Julio y Agosto
Fast and Frightening - Luise Pop
Frances - Father Sculptor
Graduation Time - The Refrigerator Cuties
Henry Rollins Don't Dance - Allo Darlin'
I Call You Up - The Tuts
Island Song - Ashley Eriksson
I Think I Like You Girlfriend More Than You - Bentcousin
Late Night Bikes - Capybara
Like One - Silkies
Noam Chomsky? - The Hinkley Veltones
Outside of a small circle of friends - Phil Ochs
Seafarer - Tennis
Separate - Colorform
Shame - The Refrigerator Cuties
Spooked - Niamh de Barra
Strange Ideas - Liechtenstein
Sunglasses in Winter - Bentcousin
The Cinema Bell - Land Lovers
The Pocket Orchestra's Death Song - Land Lovers
These Things Happen - Loki with Bill Breaks
 

That's a pretty awesome list of songs, I hope you'll agree. Interesting to see too that we've got quite a few bands with two entries in the list this year - Tennis, Land Lovers, The Refrigerator Cuties and Bentcousin all managing that feat. Well done to them.

So, that's this years Festive Thirty and now all that remains for me to say is; 
"Have a very merry Christmas, and see you all in 2013."


Ray

The 2011 Streetlamp Festive Thirty

Your attention, please! This is Ray speaking, which means that it's that time of the year again; that's right, the Streetlamp Festive Thirty! As is now customary, this gives me the chance to temporarily take over the blog and present to you the thirty outstanding tracks featured on the blog this year. Before I do so, I'd also like to give a short 'state of the nation' address:

"Seasons Greetings to all the readers and musicians who have made The Streetlamp blog what it is today. It's because of all of you, that we here at The Streetlamp are encouraged and inspired to keep this blog going, and hopefully to give something back in return to the music that we love, and which continues to shape our lives.

I was thinking to myself at the beginning of the year that, if we as blog writers were to encounter the same difficulties that bands go through in their own creative process, i.e. the creation of the 'difficult second album', then this would manifest as the 'difficult second year blog' for us.
Thankfully, we were in safe hands with those twin professors of obscure pop trivia, Gordon and Griff. Not only have they continued to delight and surprise me in scouring the globe and the annals of history to provide us with even more truly amazing music than they did last year, but, in addition to this, this year has seen an expansion of the blog in new and unpredictable directions. Last year, The Streetlamp was merely a music blog, this year Gordon and Griff have delved deeper into their own expansive hinterlands and covered visual arts, poetry, sculpture, film, and, of course, politics (although admittedly at times it's been like reading 'Marxism Today'!). I would personally like to thank both of them for bringing to light all the wondrous cultural phenomena that have not only expanded the blog but also my own knowledge. I look forward to further enlightenment next year."

OK, that's quite enough praise for those two for the time being, let's proceed to the issue at hand. The Streetlamp Festive Thirty presented its usual problems this year, i.e. so much good music, so few spaces available on the final list. As always, it has been a terrific struggle to settle on our final 30 songs. Without doubt, a few excellent bands had to be left out, which either Gordon or Griff would ideally have loved to have seen included, but I am a strict taskmaster and insist that only the very cream of the crop make the final list.

So, without any further preamble or self-congratulation, ladies and gentlemen,..it is my pleasure to finally present to you

- in alphabetical order -

The 2011 Streetlamp Festive Thirty

A Love Song To Evelyn McHale - Anton Rothschild


A Woman's Worth - ZuKrewe


Apples & Oranges - Olympic Swimmers


Baby's Fine - Alice Martineau


birds in a supermarket - Palms on Fire


Both Sides, Now – Syd Lane


Bouffant Headbutt - Shampoo


Don't Destroy Me - Golden


Don’t Look At Me (I Don’t Like It) - The Lovely Eggs


Dos Policías - Los Punsetes


Dream for Julie - Kaleidoscope


Farewell - Soda Shop


George & Tracy - Gaffa


Guadalajara - Doble Pletina


Hallam - The Spook School


Horo Bhodachain - The MacDonald Sisters


I Am (If You Are) - Murder Mystery


I Heard You Say - Vivian Girls


Let Her Go - Birdie


Lights In The Sky - The Moth & The Mirror


Love in December - Club 8


My Darling Grace - Berlinist


My Lonesome - Two Wounded Birds


Myself - Columbus and Crusoe


No Boys No Girls - First Fatal Kiss


Sorrow - Life Without Buildings


Strongmen & Acrobats - Laura Hocking & The Long Goodbye


Você Só Corre - Parallèles


Winter of Discontent - Stanley Odd


Year of the V-Neck - Elizabeth City State

Looking at that list what strikes me most is its sheer eclecticism. Gaelic girl singers from the 60s rub shoulders with modern, US, street, hip-hop; sensitive singer-songwriters vie with garage bands. All life is here, and pleasingly, there is a good strong Scottish contingent on the list too.

Now all that remains for me to say is; 'Have a very Merry Christmas, and see you in 2012.'


Ray

Gordon writes: Personally, I found this to be quite a strange year. I felt that we moved away from music to an extent and found ourselves writing and commenting on political issues and Socialist culture, but this was more through necessity of the times, rather than any pre-ordained plan that we had. Who knows what next year will bring and where we'll find the heart of the ~Streetlamp~ resting.
But this was still a good year for music, and I'm hoping for even better next year.
Have a good Christmas.
~Gordon~

The 2010 Streetlamp Festive Thirty

Do not adjust your monitors!

This is Ray speaking (If Streetlamp were The Marx Brothers , I would be Harpo)... and I find myself in the unusual position of wresting control of the blog and reluctantly taking centre stage tonight. Why so?... Well, in order to bring some order to proceedings here at Streetlamp HQ and to unveil (drum roll please, Gordon) the inaugural Streetlamp Festive Thirty.


It's a simple idea on the face of it; the three Streetlampers - Griff, Gordon and I - get together to have a pleasant trawl through the Streetlamp archive and bring you our combined favourite thirty pieces of music to feature on the Streetlamp this year. It should go without saying that this is hardly a new concept and, quite frankly like most of Gordon and Griff's ideas, is obviously stolen from the late, great John Peel . As in John's famous Festive Fifties of the past, we decided to consider for inclusion all of those songs which have featured on the blog this year, regardless of their date of release. This means that the list is decidedly not a narrow 'Best music of 2010' but should instead be thought of as a 'Best of The Streetlamp 2010'. I hope that makes sense.

Once the concept outlined above was agreed, I naturally assumed that it would be a simple matter for the three of us to get together around a lap-top in The Streetlamp drawing room, a well stoked fire crackling merrily in the grate and generous measures of fine port allocated to all. From there, we would soon find ourselves slipping gently into the warm embrace of fine music and convivial companionship. Well, that's how it was supposed to happen. Unfortunately, passions began to run high as Griff and Gordon argued, counter-argued, horse-traded and jockeyed for position, with no end in sight. As unofficial UN observer to proceedings (I have many hats to wear), I can certainly confirm that they're very passionate about the music they love. Eventually, by sheer effort of will, I managed to drink both of them under the table. Upon hearing loud snores and mutterings, I gathered the many crumpled and scored-out lists of songs from all surrounding flat surfaces and succeeded in putting together a Festive Thirty that should please everyone. Well, I hope it does when they sober up.


With my thirty songs in place, the next question to resolve was; in what order should they be placed? I knew this would be tricky, as the fiercest debate had raged around the coveted 'Number 1' slot. Just before passing out, Griff was still mumbling something about "The Flats by Mariel McCormack and Marie O Hara", while Gordon from beneath the table could be heard to mutter "If it's not Crass then I'm not playing" equally vehemently. Finally, I decided just to put them in alphabetical order. When Griff and Gordon come to, I can easily disarm them with an "art is not a contest, there's no place for league tables" argument.
.....So, ladies and gentlemen,..it is my pleasure to finally present to you

- in alphabetical order -

The 2010 Streetlamp Festive Thirty

Anorak City - Another Sunny Day
Armistice Day - The Cleaners From Venus
Back To High School - The Just Joans
Berkertex Bribe - Crass
Cuties - Little Punk
Dinah & The Beautiful Blue - Thomas Feiner & Anywhen
Fishermans Friend - Útidúr
Flashing Lights Have Ended Now - Foxes in Fiction
Going For Gold - Girls At Our Best
Goodbye Our Pastels Badges - Flipper's Guitar
Hey Boy,Your Oh So Sensitive – The Just Joans
In The Afternoon - The Revolving Paint Dream
In The Bleak Midwinter- The Innocence Mission
Isabella - Wild Honey
It’s Too Late - Rum Tum Tiddles
Lovely - Ralpheene
MarbleHead- Mittens
My Baby - Julia Stone
Now That You're Gone - Mellow Dramatic Avenue
Owllullaby- Cabinet of Natural Curiosities
Swine - Colorform
Swooky - mkf
The Colour of Black Is Black- Stephen Harrison
The Flats - Mariel McCormack & Marie O Hara
Think Big, Henry - Meg Hentges
We Could Be Pirates - Rum Tum Tiddles
Welcome Christmas - Love Spirals Down
W.H.A.L.E. - Kitten Pyramid
When My Darling Turns To Dust (Pt II and III) - Bad Braids
Wherever You Go - The Siddeleys

Merry Christmas and thanks for sticking with us throughout the year,

Ray


I suppose I should be grateful that we have Ray here to referee, or we might never have got this posted. It's still awful being forced to exclude some truly wonderful songs and excellent bands from the list though. I'm continuing to mourn the exclusion of Lady Lioness , Luna Moth , The Kat Cosm , The Felt Tips , Madame B , Nicely Dressed ... (Ray: that’s enough, Griff!) from this year’s list. There has been so much great music released from so many talented and friendly people that I could go on and on, but Ray is now standing over me menacingly with an empty port bottle raised above his head, so I'll quickly say thank you and Merry Christmas to you all, and note approvingly that we've at least managed to post a blog without mentioning Proust !

Griff
xx


As Marcel Proust once said "All our final decisions are made in a state of mind that is not going to last"; in this case, the state of mind being dulled by port excess. It has been such a pleasure to write about my favourite music this past year that in the cold light of day it doesn't really matter who, or what, has topped our Festive 30; I'm just glad to have contributed to what I feel is a rich and varied seam of music. To all the people who have followed our Blog and added their own views and comments, I cannot thank you all enough, so I'll just bow out by wishing you a Merry Christmas and hope that you'll continue with your very kind support. Or as Arthur Rimbaud would say....(WHACK!!!)....Ouch!!!!

~Gordon~