I always thought when I started this thing that I wouldn’t bother with “lame” things like lists of the top ten of the year and stuff like that, but now that we’ve reached the halfway point of the year, I feel the need to look back over just some of the fantastic music I’ve discovered since I started the blog. With that in mind, I now present my top ten songs of the year so far. Obviously this list isn’t perfect, and probably contains some 2005 songs too, but they are all ones that I’ve discovered this year. Seeing as all of these songs are so good, I’m not even going to try and rank them, so they are here in a nice and simple alphabetical order.

MP3 – Buried Beneath The Winter Frames (expired) (Prompts/Miscues)
Grandaddy-esque lo-fi rock from Billy Schuh’s Missouri band. This entire album is quickly becoming one of my favourites, and is perfectly represented by ‘Buried Beneath The Winter Frames’, an upbeat, distortion coated guitar song, topped off by Schuh’s abstract words and restrained voice.
The Foundry Field Recordings: Website || Myspace

MP3 I’m From Barcelona – We’re From Barcelona (expired) (Let Me Introduce My Friends)
Wonderfully cheerful music from the 29 band members that make up Sweden’s I’m From Barcelona. It’s all pretty non-sensical and silly, but boy can it brighten up a day. ‘Let Me Introduce My Friends’, their debut album, is full of numbers like this, and performed in such a way that it never becomes grating.
I’m From Barcelona: Website || Myspace

MP3 Jenny Owen Youngs – Fuck Was I (Batten The Hatches)
An insanely good songwriting talent from New York, with a voice that’s far more developed than her years would have you believe. Backed up with an impressive array of strings, ‘Fuck Was I’ is pretty much the ultimate regret song. If this girl hasn’t made it big in the next couple of years, something is very wrong in the world.
: Website || Myspace

MP3 – The Nicest Thing (expired)
I’m not sure what I can say about Kate Nash here that I haven’t said over the past couple of weeks. Simply one of the finest songwriters I have heard recently, backed up with a fantastic voice. Dodgy production aside, ‘The Nicest Thing’ is just a beautiful song.
Kate Nash: Myspace

MP3 – Coastlines Are Landmines (expired) (One State Two State)
‘One State Two State’ is about my favourite album that I’ve bought this year, and it still sounds entirely fresh several months on. The Light Footwork are a two-piece making simply great music. With lyrical skills similar to that of Malkmus and Beulah like melodies, these guys should be something big in the near future.
The Light Footwork: Website || Myspace

MP3 – Woke Up New (expired) (Get Lonely)
The prolific Mountain Goats are back once more with yet another album, and ‘Woke Up New’ is an excellent preview of what is hopefully to come. More restrained and introspective than ‘The Sunset Tree’, the song covers the period immediately after a break-up. As such, it isn’t the happiest songs, but the little observations give the song a realism not often found.
The Mountain Goats: Website

MP3 Nathan Asher & The Infantry – Turn Up The Faders (expired) (Sex Without Love)
New band Nathan Asher & The Infantry somehow managed to bridge the gap between Bright Eyes and Bruce Springsteen, combining shaky, uncertain vocals with flashes of hard rock and the odd piano breakdown. If these guys haven’t signed to a major label yet, it’ll be happening very soon.
Nathan Asher & The Infantry: Website || Myspace

MP3 – Keepsakes (expired)
A fantastic little band from Leeds who keep putting out demos that are getting better and better. ‘Keepsakes’ comes from the latest batch of these, and allows them to reach new heights, both musically and lyrically. One of the few British bands that I’m genuinely excited to hear more songs from.
Sky Larkin: Website || Myspace

MP3 Voxtrot – Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives (Mothers, Daughters, Sisters & Wives EP)
The songs on the ‘Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives’ EP never quite reach the brilliance that was ‘The Start Of Something’ from last years ‘Raised By Wolves’ EP, but they are still great songs. This title track is the best of them, a pounding number that brings together 80′s British rock with the sounds of the 60′s. Throw in Ramesh Srivastava’s voice and you have the perfect combination for success. I’ll put money on them being somewhere on The OC soundtrack in the next twelve months.
: Website || Myspace

MP3 The Young Republic – Modern Plays (Modern Plays)
are a nine-piece from Boston making some fantastic orchestral pop music. ‘Modern Plays’ is the title song from their latest release, a more abstract affair than their previous works, allowing them to pull away from the inevitable Belle & Sebastian comparisons a little. Oh, and did I mention that this why they are all still in college? They will go a very long way if they stick with this into the future.
The Young Republic: Website || Myspace

Other mid-year goodness..

Mike at Nothing But Green Lights has a 19 song mix of the best music from the first six months of year, including more Sky Larkin and Voxtrot, as well as some fantastic music that may be brand new to you.

Ryan at Good Hodgkins has posted up his seven essential albums of the year so far, including Belle & Sebastian, Figurines and Band of Horses.

Calum at Mocking Music has numbers 5-10 of his top ten albums of the year so far. Presumably the top five will be following soon, and there’s sure to be some good stuff in there.