What I've been listening to this year

Now 2010 is just about finished, I thought I'd put together a list of my top songs of the year.

Not all of these were actually released this year (quite a few weren't in fact), but they've been new to me or rediscovered over the last few months.

These are my favourites out of what I've been listening to. So now you can listen to them too and pretend you're inside my brain. Or else just scoff at my poor taste.

25. Jumps The Fence - The BPA

I've no idea what this is all about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK6wbxCFIhw

24. Try This At Home - Frank Turner

Earnest guilty pleasure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66knvY3vxsA

23. Abdul Abulbul Amir - Frank Crumit

This was one of Lynn Barber's Desert Island Discs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6vyZ_q-TjA

22. California Gurls - Katy Perry

I can't help it. Sorry. I even like Snoop's rubbish rap. The video is horrible though

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMSepxmZQNg

21. Pop A Cap In Yo Ass - Ben Watt, Estelle

Much better than the title implies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3g0II40U24

20. Once - Diana Vickers

I think Cathy Dennis wrote this. Deserves more recognition. I am not in the slightest bit cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7K91hm29tA

19. Romance is Boring - Los Campesinos

Indie indie indie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebhVhkba3Xk

18. Stepfather Factory - El P

Can't decide if this is genius or very naff. Possibly a bit of both.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCSXMMF430w

17. Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour - Lonnie Donegan

It's Jeff's fault I've been listening to this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6bFTVi0hHs

16. 16 Tonnes - Tennesse Ernie Ford

This too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Joo90ZWrUkU

15. Let's Go Swimming - 'Allo Darlin'

Just the right side of too twee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWP9w02mWxE

14. Pass Out - Tinie Tempah

I've also been to Southampton and not Scunthorpe, so I identify

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzvGKas5RsU

13. Let's Go Surfing - The Drums

I've really got no desire to go surfing. I went on a stag do once where the "activity" was that we were all supposed to go surfing. I boycotted it and went to a jumble sale on my own instead. Then we went clubbing in Newquay. Newquay's an awful place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdyJUrEJD9U

12. Ambling Alp - Yeasayer

This reminds me of Eye of the Tiger, but possibly even better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6VatNuR_Uk

11. Round and Round - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

It's a grower.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiLqAu4s-_s

10. Younger Us - Japandroids

Not quite the best Japandroids song, but the one I've listened to most this year. Contains my favourite recent couplet: "Remember that night you were already in bed/Said fuck it got up and drank with me instead." Yes. Yes I do remember that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R2pZQ0eqs8

9. Undertow - Warpaint

This is great, but sadly the rest of their songs turned out to be a bit boring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMkqbY0oGKQ

8. Ageless Beauty - The Most Serence Republic

I know nothing about this. Can't even remember where I heard it. It's rather jolly though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHm1tkrK1iw

7. Scribble - Underworld

Apparently the new album wasn't that good, but you wouldn't know going by this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHs8LxPepKU

6. Smells Like Content - The Books

The sound of going for a walk at 5 in the morning when you've been awake all night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHNArEfBKdc

5. Daydream - Beach Fossils

I heard this song and thought it was good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_Yt2LcCqrk

4. Lisztomania - Phoenix

I nearly went off this when I found out the guy from Phoenix is going out with Sofia Coppola, which makes me a shallow and terrible person

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BJDNw7o6so

3. Bang Bang Bang - Mark Ronson

Infinitely better than all that Amy Winehouse 60s Zutons nonsense he was messing around with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzE5dS6fnFk

2. Swoon - The Chemical Brothers

I don't even particularly like Chemical Brothers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCp_3zw-CxA

1. MTFU - Napoleon IIIrd

Whoosh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aeG6EEtdoA

Applicants Gig at 229. An Afterword.

It has been quite a fun-filled week. Applicants got to play at 229 on Wednesday with Mat Motte formerly from Mower headlining. Paul was beside himself with delight, as he is a big Mower fan. So in good Applicants style, here is the picture to document such an event. The gig went down well & i managed not to spill anything (this time). We had to cut our set short to fit in all the bands, but that was fun & i managed to get one of my science lecturers, Dr. Curley to come down! that was a definite highlight for me & it seemed like he really enjoyed it (Thanks Dr. Curley). Mat Motte managed to surprise the audience by stripping off to nothing but his boxer-shorts, from full-attire of a suit complete with suspenders, a top-hat and briefcase. The move into semi-nudity, reminded me of when Applicants toured & played in someone's basement in Brighton, where Fidel, managed to manifest the same happening, although went all the way, by removing his pants (it was quite hot in the basement).

Anyway, thanks to everyone for coming down & i'm off to uni to put my bacteria in the incubator now. Grow my pretties, grow & fluoresce!

x x

jeff

Badly recorded intro to new song

- which we're going to be playing at the Wilmington this Saturday.

Mystery Guest Intro by adamboult

From the Halloween Archive of Applicants

I guess I missed spring cleaning, as it's autumn now, but no matter, I still pressed on & decided to clear up my cable drawer. Rubber bands courtesy of the Royal Mail at the ready, I set out to detangle the web of cables that inevitable gets tangled, no matter how hard you try to maintain its neat presence. I had no idea what some of the cables were for,they were missing their limbs which gave them a purpose, so sadly, I had to amputate them from the drawer & into the inevitable black hole bin bag it went. Au revoir dear cables! I did enjoy your connectivity of power.

Anyway, I found a digital camera which I was not aware that I had. Proceeding to find the rest of the "set" I managed to find a cable in which to connect it to my computer. It was a treasure trove of old memories of existences pas

t. A portion of which were these Applicants Halloween pictures of when we were such bright, young, things.

Adam was of course celebrating in a more civilized manner, some whiskey, and a good old chin wag with chums. Right Adam? If you could add your halloween costume to this post, as a post-post-comparison?

I do vaguely remember that the paint we used was messy & that it was a gig we did at the Russian bar. I proceeded to stupidly wear REAL ballet slippers (forgot about broken glass on London streets), not to mention an enormous authentic ballet tutu (which is archived up storage somewhere). It was a good gig. Although I think it was very chaotic & I completely forgot the lyrics to "in the drink". I think. The funny thing was that I didn't have many things to sing or shout back in the day, so it was pretty

stupid of me to forget a couple of lines. I blame it on the drink. Although I somehow now remember that maybe we celebrated Halloween twice?

The other pictures depict us heading back to London at a rest-stop on the motorway. Notice the tired faces.

Hope you enjoy the pictures & maybe it will give you some inspiration for this one coming!

x x

jeff

Jeff Meets Adam Ant

& who'd have thought that working would bring such a meeting together?

I was working tonight at the Haunch of Venison Punk in Pictures exhibition which was curated by Toby Mott. My instructions were, to stand by the door & tell people that they weren't allowed to bring their drinks in (any drinks). I was wearing a topshop dress (underneath the polka-dotty shirt) as I was required to wear black, I didn't have time to go home today. I kept the tag on for a quick return tomorrow (not sure I really liked it). Reading that back, the last line sure made me sound like a wet-napkin, unless you like wet-napkins. I'm not so sure about them myself. Depends on how moist they are I guess. Not the dubious moist.

Floods of people, much more than I expected, for me & another guy working. The large amount of bodies, created a very humid environment, which was not welcome to many & definitely not to me. I don't think I do very well in humid-heat. Got comments in the tune of, "That's not very punk is it?" from people in pin-stripes & work suits. Horse & Hound types en masse crowded the gallery & desperate to regale their tales of when they remembered punk & so-and-so & who-and-who. I didn't understand the no-drink rule, as they were all posters on the walls behind plastic sleeves & fanzines under glass observation tables.

Anyway, it was crowded, hot & very busy this time around. People were faced with the dilemma of whether to leave their drink on a rather full & complicatedly messy table, or to chug their beer they just got from the bar & risk the ever crude after-burp which inevitably comes when chugging a high volume of a carbonated beverage, not to mention the heavy-full feeling, which isn't very welcome at any time (to me).

Adam Ant entered into the melee & I tried to tell him about bringing his drink into the gallery. Toby Mott then stepped in & said "he's alright, he's with me. he's the exception." Well I guess he was then.

He milled around for a while & during the last hour or so, I decided to ask him for a picture. He was really nice & then when he left he grabbed my hand, gave it a squeeze & said "nice to meet you".

Okay, so it wasn't the best anecdote ever. I mean, breezing past Mugabe in a chemist was, I have to say was slightly more exciting? but oh well, can't win them all I guess; but he was a Prince Charming.

Thanks Adam Ant it was very nice to meet you too.

Another nice review for Escape from Kraken Castle

From UK Music Review

"Overall, Applicants are going to completely blow your mind with ‘Escape from Kraken Castle’. Genre tampering usually results in a mismatched disaster but Applicants seems to be one of the only bands who managed to play electro and rock against each other, with both sounds coming out as winners. ‘Escape from…’ demonstrates an achingly fresh, blindingly addictive sound that is going to violently blow the top off the music industry."

More here!

Applicants doing Shed Seven

Making a video for Evelyn Waugh

We went to Wolverhampton

They spelt the band name wrong here:

This is Bad Apes, one of the other bands who were playing:

(longer video here.)

On the way home we had a brief stop at Watford Gap services:

And here's Jeff enjoying some Lonnie Donegan on our way out of Wolverhampton:

Escape from Kraken Castle OUT NOW!!!!

Get your copy here!!!

http://tigertrap.greedbag.com/buy/escape-from-kraken-castle/

NME review!

We just might be bona-fide geniuses - 8/10!!!

Applicants Album Launch TOMORROW!!

well, it's here! it's really happening, after a good review from NME, it seems that tomorrow the album launch will be a brilliant one! I have been so so excited these past few days & I don't think it's just because the weather is starting to get reasonable.

my seratonin levels are up & am really excited to see what happens with album number two!

the wind is blowing sun-luminous leaves outside my window....think it's the wind of change finally billowing applicants' sails into full view! all hands on deck!

x x

jeff

Coffee!

During last weeks Record Store Day everyone went mad for vinyl for a morning. As it was a Saturday and we had gone out the night before to see Gum Takes Tooth I was in no way able to get to a shop early enough to buy any of the amazing limited specials that had been put out.

By the time I turned up pretty much everything was back to normal but there were still so many gems to find. Even though my record player is too fast, i think it plays things at about 35 and 48 so everything sounds a bit funny, its still such a lovely sound and of course record sleeves are the perfect size for cover art.

Anyway, look what we saw! Crappuccino sharing shelf space with an absolute classic, and if Hello Tiger as a neighbour is not enough well the other side was a leopard print Kenickie picture disc, yeah wow!

Jeff narrates the Malaysia trip

Recorded at about 4.30am on our last night in KL while slightly inebriated and sat on a kerb waiting for some takeaway food

New Album Released 7th June

Applicants in Malaysia

Adam wrote a piece about his time in Kuala Lumpur with us for a fanzine called HOSPITALIZED FOR APPROACHING PERFECTION. Fanzine also includes Agony Aunt Manda Rin from Bis!

For more information and to get one head to:
www.comeout2nite.wordpress.com

It's nice to see you...

So last year we took a trip down to Brighton to record the as yet unreleased video for the single 'Gameshow'.

Early morning arrival to sunny Brighton.

We recorded the video infront of a green screen which is one of the strangest things to do as you really are in an imaginary world.

Slicking up the host

Director Mike

It was a great day and we got to dress up in some pretty outrageous costumes as we went through the ages of the the TV gameshow.

See if you can guess from the pictures below which decade we each represent?

it might be too late to apologize

so, decided to try & cover a song with Paul Blades- this was the result! one republic, eat your heart out!

x x

jeff

Applicants in Malaysia

some clips i took in Malaysia. editing-wise i'm sure it won't win any awards, but come on! the cinematography!

we did have loads of fun. lots of waiting & indecision. not to mention good food at 5am & trying to recall whether we paid or not.

hope you like it you guys!!

x x

jeff

Treble 20 at Gunfactory

Filmed by Jeff at last night's practice.
For the most part best viewed with your head at 90 degrees.

Threads

Paul on the seminal nuclear war drama.

Happy Valentine's Day & Year of the TIGER!

If you haven't gotten any new years resolutions achieved since january, then this is your chance- Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Plus, valentine's day...but i mean...yea....

x x

jeff

Applicants Ramblings From a Time Gone By

This is something from the vaults- i just never remembered that i recorded this gem of a piece of Applicantage.

I think this was our blossoming beginnings with Adam & where were we? Of course, a quiet evening in the Red Lion. Band Meeting. If you ever wanted to see what a band meeting was like. Let's also note Adam's keen artistic-senses arise after a couple pints.

x x

jeff

when jeffrey howls at the moon

okay, okay, it's not the best cover!

but how productive was i today?

x x

jeff

Another FREE GIG in Dalston - Bardens Boudoir - this Wednesday 20th Feb

Cool films, then bands to follow -
Applicants on stage about half ten, doors at 8.
FREE ENTRY - PLUS FREE POPCORN
WEDNESDAY 20th February@ Bardens Boudoir

facebook event:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=274383375615&ref=nf

PS.
Fidel is coming to the gig straight from the studio where he will have finsihed Applicants' album. Exciting times!

Applicants Free Gig in Dalston!

Fraiday 22nd January
Dalston - London
Club.The.Mammoth. @ The Hobby Horse// FREE ENTRY
http://www.clubthemammoth.com

The Applicants Quiz

Test your knowledge in this quiz. Its absolutely free to enter...

1. 'Life In The Bus Lane' was a hit album by which band?

2. Rearrange these letters to spell out excellent band, 'APPLICNATS'

3. Words Round: 'kandidaten' is a Dutch word and 'претенденты' is a Russian one. But what do they both mean?

4. Simon Cowell famously said, "now! that's what i call music" about which band?

5. Rearrange this description to reveal a top London band, 'PANIC SPLAT'

6. The band 'Applicants' famously play a song called 'Evelyn Waugh', but what is the name of the band?

7. If you are a 'cant, you are a fan of which sensational band?

8. Which of these bands comes first in the alphabet, 'APPLICANTS' or 'ZZ TOP'?

9. Name of a band.

10. Applicants?



Finished? So now tally your score!
If you got 0-3/10 = You are a failed applicant, you need to do better.
If you got 4-7/10 = Not bad, you are just ok.
If you got 8-10/10 = You really know your stuff, you 'cant!