top 5 songs of 2011, according to dunja kay

Lanie Lane – ‘Ain’t Hungry’

2011 has seen me discover a number of female blues and soul singers, but I would have to say that Lanie Lane’s ‘Ain’t Hungry’ just edges ahead of the pack in terms of my favourite such song (and indeed, any song) for the year. This all-too-short track was produced by Jack White, and has his production trademarks all over it: overdriven fuzz, crunchy lead guitar, the quintessential Meg White drum beat, 12-bar blues … and of course Ms Lane’s warm, dirty (in the rock ‘n’ roll sense) vocals, singing about a glamorous yet deprived, hedonistic lifestyle. Yep, pretty much everything White touches turns to gold, but this is Lane’s victory (as is her album, of course).

Foster the People – ‘Pumped Up Kicks’

If I had omitted this song from this list, I would’ve been trying to convey a certain image of my music tastes, so for the sake of not being a snobby music d-bag, here it is! I pretty much can’t stop listening to it (and my boyfriend pretty much can’t be in the same room as me anymore); I don’t think there’s a band that has so successfully put sinister lyrics to pop music since The Smiths, and to be honest, I like this song exponentially more than anything Morrissey’s ever done. I can’t even really try to explain why I love this song, because I don’t have any adequate “reason” for it, other than I just do.

But seriously, how are songs with whistling in them all so fucking catchy … Exhibit A, Exhibit B … HOW??

The Kills – ‘Future Starts Slow’

There’s pretty much nothing The Kills have done that doesn’t just ooze cool: Jamie Hinze became Mr Kate Moss this year, and Alison Mosshart … well, she ticks all the boxes of rock ‘n’ roll cliche, without actually being a cliche. The clip is pretty swell too … kind of a modern, four and a half minute version of Almost Famous (note the absence of entourage/trailing journalists … probably a lot more realistic these days).

The song cycles through moods, while the drum machine and distinct riff tie it all together. Listen to this as you walk down the street, and you’ll soon find yourself swaggering about, wishing your hair was greasier and that there was some way to include cigarettes in your rock star persona without having to become a smoker.

Lady Strangelove – ‘Sweet Exchange’

I actually really love the clip for this song, but I can’t post it without feeling like I’m somewhat betraying Lip’s feminist sensibilities (as the photo somewhat alludes to). But with that little disclaimer out of the way, this song is by a psych rock band from little ol’ Adelaide and was produced by Sylvia Massy. The quartet channel old school rock and rampantly use effects pedals, while combining it all with more modern technologies, including the use of a Kaoss pad and samples to fill out their live sound. It’s an excellent meeting of the old and the new.

The Black Keys – ‘Howlin’ For You’

You may have to find a non-video clip version of this song to hear it properly, but this movie trailer parody is nonetheless worth a watch. Pretty much nothing in The Black Keys’ catalogue can be faulted, so it’s kind of difficult to explain why this song is a standout from its bedfellows, but it’s probably something to do with its swingin’, twangy guitar tones.

Possibly also the sombreros. Hard to say.