The thing about having three white men vote on tracks is that, more often than not, other thin white men who write about their feelings rate highly. But this was a good year for introverted nerds who write about their feelings: for example, Drake dropped an album. We’ll run through the top ten below, but some highlights that sit outside it:

  • Local boy Oliver Tank made two dents in the top twenty
  • We managed to restrain Yonkers to a respectable 21
  • Watch The Throne went mercifully unrepresented in the higher ranks
  • tUnE-YaRds’ twitchiness split us, meaning she only managed a crest of 86 for Bizness
  • Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know missed the cut by four tracks. Soz bro.
  • Notable drops include: Wildfire at 70; I’ll Take Care of You at 56; and Blue Jeans down at 46.

Download the 100 here


1. Shuffle – Bombay Bicycle Club
This probably would have gotten a perfect 10, until Daniel admitted to having spent March through August sporting a chub about it and we all got just a bit ‘echhh’ about that.



2. The Wilhelm Scream – James Blake
We called scientists and they explained how this song was engineered to tickle the little bit of your spine that doctors target in epidurals.


3. Codex (Live) – Radiohead
Daniel and Nat almost had to drag Alex kicking and screaming into this, due to his long running conviction that Radiohead is just the sound of men crying. Turned out, even if that’s true, men crying was one of the best sounds of the year.


4. Perth – Bon Iver
Weirdly, this is actually about Perth, WA. Apparently being surrounded by mining money makes you write songs as fully textural and pretty as this one. Who knew?

5. Blue Cassette – Friendly Fires
Transcendant. Is there any other way of saying it?

6. Video Games – Lana Del Rey
For more about this track please see: all of the internet.


7. Holocene – Bon Iver
It’s incredibly difficult to describe the slow burn in this without making a food analogy; the build into the snares deserves some stupid monumental construction metaphor; the break down too. The refrain of “I could see for miles, miles, miles” is ambiguous; this is the sublimely constructed sound of male vulnerability. 


8. Hover Traps – Rustie
This song sounds like drugs discovered maths, and pure maths rated it into the top ten. You actually can’t argue with maths, or this. 

9. Flying Overseas – Theophilus London
We’re trying to think of when you like the soft derivative of a classic product more than the original. Having Theophilus as the only hip-hop represented in the top ten kinda seems like awarding Diet Coke over original. An undeniable jam, even if you really want Ferrari Boys to have been here instead.

10. We Bros (Single Version) – WU LYF
We didn’t really expect this to rate so highly, but then sometimes immensity just speaks for itself – its howling, orchestral self.

The final Ninety:

11. Motivation – Clams Casino
12. I Love You – Oliver Tank
13. Dust Bowl III – Other Lives
14. Falls Creek Boys Choir – James Blake & Bon Iver
15. Up All Night – Oliver Tank
16. Under Cover of Darkness – The Strokes
17. The Morning – The Weeknd
18. 212 – Azealia Banks
19. Last Night I Heard Everything In Slow Motion – Oliver Tank
20. Tamer Animals – Other Lives
21. Yonkers – Tyler, the Creator
22. I Heart U SO (Skream Remix) – Cassius
23. 2Night – Eric Prydz
24. Room to Breathe – Fred V & Grafix
25. Tongue Tied – Grouplove
26. A Case of You – James Blake
27. Midnight City – M83
28. Ultra Thizz – Rustie
29. Garden (Calibre Remix) – T.E.E.D.
30. I’m On One – DJ Khaled f. Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne
31. Hanging On – Active Child
32. It Feels Good to Be Around You – Air France
33. Live Those Days Tonight – Friendly Fires
34. It’s Real – Real Estate
35. Burned Out – The Field
36. Streets Tonight – Araabmuzik
37. Shell of Light (Shlohmo Remix) – Burial
38. Congratulations (Erol Alkan Remix) – MGMT
39. Kool On – The Roots
40. I Can’t Make You Love Me / Nick of Time – Bon Iver
41. Helena Beat – Foster The People
42. Novacane – Frank Ocean
43. Pala – Friendly Fires
44. See the Birds – Guerre
45. Otis – Kanye West & Jay Z
46. Blue Jeans – Lana Del Rey
47. Nasty – Nas
48. Cold Rain – Talib Kweli
49. Whirring – The Joy Formidable
50. One Time – The Roots
51. Wicked Games – The Weeknd
52. Calgary – Bon Iver
53. Killer Dope – DJ Quik
54. Speak of the Devil – Hermitude
55. Lindesfarne II – James Blake
56. I’ll Take Care of You – Jamie XX and Gil Scott-Heron
57. Intro – M83
58. Stomp – The Roots
59. People Never Change – Calibre
60. Thinking About You – Frank Ocean
61. BTSTU – Jai Paul
62. Gotta Have It – Kanye West & Jay Z
63. Niggas in Paris – Kanye West & Jay Z
64. Future Starts Slow – The Kills
65. Taken for a Fool – The Strokes
66. Jackson Pit – Xaphoon Jones
67. 15th and the 1st – Ferrari Boyz
68. Colours (Captain Cuts Remix) – Grouplove
69. All Nite – Rustie
70. Wildfire (Drake Remix) – SBTRKT
71. How Deep Is Your Love – The Rapture
72. Hinnom, TX – Bon Iver
73. Minnesote, WI – Bon Iver
74. Blue Sky – Common
75. You Know What I Mean – Cults
76. All Your Goodies Are Gone (Shigeto Remix) – Dennis Coffey
77. Peg O My Heart  - Dropkick Murphys f. Bruce Springsteen
78. Let Me Back In – Explosions in the Sky
79. Strawberry Swing – Frank Ocean
80. Hawaiian Air – Friendly Fires
81. Mystery – Hodgy Beats
82. Walking Far From Home – Iron & Wine
83. Machu Picchu – The Strokes
84. Bizness – Tuneyards
85. Second Song – TV On the Radio
86. Dirt – WU LYF
87. Shook Down – Yuck
88. Truth – Alexander Ebert
89. Wolves – Ben Howard
90. Luna – British Sea Power
91. Meteorites – London Elektricity
92. Lions Heart – Oscar + Martin
93. Lonely Boy – The Black Keys
94. Never Stop Loving You – 9th Wonder
95. Forget It – Blood Orange
96. Hitz – Chase & Status
97. Round of Applause – Waka Flocka Flame f. Drake
98. I Chase Rivers – Lykke Li
99. Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind (Erol Alkan Remix) – Tame Impala
100. Gold on the Ceiling – The Black Keys

Download the 100 here

New year, new fire.

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Pabst and Jazz – Asher Roth feat Hassani Kwess & Kenny Keys
One Time – The Roots feat Phonte & Dice Raw
Silly – Tree Woods
Streetz Tonight – Araabmuzik
Dreamers – Savior Adore (Xaphoon Jones Space Horn Remix)
Simple Song – The Shins
Pharaohs – SBTRKT
Jane Says (Live) – Jane’ Addiction
Keep On Loving Me – Onra
D.D. – The Weeknd
Liquorice – Azealia Banks
Last Night – Theophilus London
Back Of Your Neck – Howler
Superbad – Doctor P & Flux Pavilion
Lincoln – The Internet feat Left Brain & Mike G
Barry Horowitz – Action Bronson
Like Smoke – Amy Winehouse feat Nas
Liiines – Ghostpoet
Frayed – Hermitude
Calgary – Bon Iver (El_Txef_A Edit)
Open Eyes – The xx (Demo)

Grab it here

Here are my favourite long players in no particular order.

Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Does everything a follow up record should, expanding on the elements that made his debut so brillant with a few surprises tossed in for good mesure.


Kanye West & Jay-Z – Watch the Throne

After months of hype and bizarre listening parties this album dropped to severely split opinion. In no way was it as brilliant as the sum of it’s part, or My Dark Twisted Fantasy, but it’s pure bombast and killer singles made sure it got a thrashing at BW towers.


Oliver Tank – Dreams EP

Coming out of nowhere Sydney’s own Oliver Tank continued to add to label Yes Please’s brillant roster. The James Blake comparisons are expected but Oliver brings enough of his own to proceedings. Roll on the LP.


Friendly Fires – Pala

While not quite as revelatory as their debut, Pala saw FF exploring earlier rave sounds and flexing their percussive muscle.


Tune Yards – Who Kill

Stuttering in parts, melodic in others but never dull, Who Kill is a unique pop indie record.

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Less accessible than their debut, this is a sprawling multi-instrumental record that opens up over multiple listens.


James Blake – James Blake

Blending the choppy dance floor sounds with the singer-songwriter hidden within him James Blake lives up to the hype and further expands the British bass sound.



Drake – Take Care / Frank Ocean – Nostalgia / Ultra

These two records define a sound that came to fruition in 2011, a strange blend of soul, modern R’n'B and electronica. While some may find the self pity tedious, this is easily cancelled out by the inspired use of samples and killer hooks across both LP’s.


The Roots – Undun

Appearing near the end of the year, this is the Roots at their most conceptual. Striping away all the weighty themes and heavy handed videos this album shines as an amazing collection of beats and rhymes.


Other Lives – Tamer Animals

A brooding collection of folk indie gems in the vein of the National. Lost in the shuffle this year, don’t sleep.

Seasons blessings from all at BW.

Grab it now

So Good Today – Ben Westbeech
Gold On the Ceiling – The Black Keys
4Devil’s Word – Miike Snow
Modern Drift – Efterklang
Make My (feat Big K.R.I.T) – The Roots
Victory Laps – Doom Starks
Will You Stil Love Me Tomorrow – Amy Winehouse
Truth – Alexander
Bad Things (feat Freddie Gibbs) – Cults
Don’t Let It Get To You – ROSTAM
Ultra Thizz – Rustie
Anticipate (Netsky Remix) – Skream
On’n'On – Justice
Powa – TuneYards
Immigrant Song (feat Karen O) – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
You Already Knew – Black Star
Like The Way You Should (Mala Digital Mystikz Remix) – Lee Scratch Perry
808PM At the Beach – Fred Falke
Satellites – Cat Call
We Bros – WU LYF
Tessellate – Alt-J

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Something deep for the fringes.

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Babys (Moths Remix) – Bon Iver
Blood – The Middle East
Midnight City (Trentmoller Remix) – M83
Sweet Unrest – Apparat
Bronte – Gotye
Common Burn – Mazzy Star
It’s a Fire – Portishead
Party Life – Jay-Z
A Long Walk – Jill Scott
Come On Riding (Through the Cosmos) – DJ Shadow
Dreaming of You – Katalyst
People Never Change – Calibre
Notting Hill – Calibre
Racing in the Street – Bruce Springsteen
Something in the Way – Nirvana
Great Release – LCD Soundsystem
Paradise Circus – Massive Attack vs Burial

Grab it here

More jams for your earholes. Apologies about the .zip file but our file hosting is being troublesome.

Grab it here

Millionare – Kelis feat Andre 3000
Blue Sky – Common
Cyclic Love – Jonti
When The Fat Lady Sings – Wu-Tang & Jimi Hendrix
I’m His Girl – Friends
Lonely Boy – The Black Keys
Call Me (Tensnake Remix) – Mark E
Levels – Avicii
Getting Me Down – Blawan
Hover Traps – Rustie
N****s In Paris (Remix) – Jay-Z & Kanye West feat T.I.
The Vision (Remix) – Joker feat Jessie Ware & Freddie Gibbs
Steven McQueen – M83
Supersharpizzo – The Nextmen
The Gift – SpectraSoul
Garden – T.E.E.D (Calibre Remix)
Shake It Out (The Weeknd Remix) – Florence + the Machine
Thinking About You – Frank Ocean
Fireworks (Deadboy Slo Mo House Edit) – Drake feat. Alicia Keys
When You Were Mine – John Heart Jackie
Unchained Melody – Lykke Li

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This months slice of jams comes with a cheesy filling. Cut sick.

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Money Grabber – Fitz & The Tantrums
Speak of the Devil – Hermitude
Flashback (Jazzanova’s Breath Easy Mix) – Fat Freddy’s Drop
Cruel – St. Vincent
Howlin’ For You – The Black Keys
Insomniac Dreaming – A.Dd+
Pumped Up Kicks feat. Kendrick Lemar (DJ Reflex Remix) – Foster the People
212 – Azealia Banks
2Night – Eric Prydz
The White Flash feat. Thom Yorke – Modeselektor
All Nite – Rustie
Erland – Ted & Francis
Im On One (Dub) – Sinjin Hawke
Gotta Have It – Jay Z & Kanye West
Shake It Out – Florence + The Machine
Back in the Days – Joker
Motivation – Clams Casino
Summer Holiday – Wild Nothing
This Mess We’re In – PJ Harvey
Blue Jeans – Lana Del Rey
See the Birds – Guerre

Grab it here

There is too much good music around. Enjoy.

Get here

Skinny Love (Das Kapital Rerub) – Bon Iver
Ghetto Dreams – Common feat. Nas
Forget It – Blood Orange
If You Want It – TV Girl
The Joy – Jay-Z & Kanye West
Anywhere But Here – Shlohmo
Strangers in the Wind – Cut Copy
Indigo – Azari & Ill
Garden (Joe Goddard Remix) – Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
What the Water Gave Me – Florence + The Machine
Red Alert – CSS
Last Night I Heard Everything in Slow Motion – Oliver Tank
Fall Creek Boys Choir – James Blake & Bon Iver
Wicked Game – Beatrice
How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep – Bombay Bicycle Club
Dust Bowl III – Other Lives
Carolina – Girls

Get here

More bangers.

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Video Games – Lana Del Ray
Go Outside (Menahan Street Band Remix) – Cults
Otis – Jay-Z & Kanye West
How Can You Luv Me – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Volume – Hassan Mackey & Apollo Brown
Oops My Brothers – The Nextmen
Trouble on my Mind (feat. Tyler, The Creator) – Pusha T
Maniac – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Shook Down – Yuck
Tamer Animals – Other Lives
Wicked Game – Washed Out
A Case of You – James Blake
Is it Done – J Mascis
1979 – Smashing Pumpkins
It Feels Good to Be Around You – Air France
Locked – Fourtet
Shell of Light (Shlohmo Remix) – Burial

Get it here

Must be time for another BW mix. Something to cruise to.

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Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra) – Gotye
Helplessness Blues – Fleet Foxes
Summer Madness – Kool & the Gang
It’s Love – Jill Scott
Get Down – Nas
Smokestack Lightning – Howlin’ Wolf
Royal Mega – Black Milk
All Your Goodies Are Gone (feat. Mayer Hawthorne) – Dennis Coffey
Little by Little (Caribou Remix) – Radiohead
Ritual Union – Little Dragon
Lions Heart – Oscar & Martin
Watch Me Dance (feat. Roots Manunva) – Toddla T
Amor Fati – Washed Out
Midnight City – M83
It’s Real – Real Estate
Killin’ the Vibe (feat. Panda Bear) – Ducktails
Don’t Turns the Lights On – Mayer Hawthorne
Hanging On – Active Child
Codex (Live at the Basement) – Radiohead
I Can’t Make You Love Me/Nick of Time – Bon Iver

Grab it here

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