Here is a message from James, the Contrast Podcast statman:

It’s that time of year again. Time to vote for the Contrast Podcast Festive Fifty!!!

Here’s what you do:

1. From the list below, pick your 10 favorite songs.
2. Arrange them in order from 1-10 with 1 being your most favorite.
3. If you choose to, you can give a negative vote to any one song.
4. Share the list! Get more people to vote! Facebook! Blog! Twitter! Tumblr!
5 Send your vote to janderson716@gmail.com

Please do all of the above by Sunday, November 25th

Thanks,
Happy Voting!

James

Here is the shortlist. You can listen to the songs on Spotify.

A.C. Newman – I’m Not Talking
Adele – Skyfall
Alabama Shakes – Be Mine
Alabama Shakes – Hold On
Amy Cook – Getting to You
Anais Mitchell – Young Man in America
Antlers – Drift Dive
Bat For Lashes – Laura
Beach House – Myth
Beach House – Other People
Ben Folds Five – Do It Anyway
Bill Fay – Cosmic Concerto
Bright Light Bright Light – Cry at Films
Brother Ali – Mourning in America
Bruce Springsteen – Land of Hope & Dreams
Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball
Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
Cat Power – Ruin
Chromatics – Kill For Love
Chuck Prophet – Play That Song Again
Crocodiles – Endless Flowers
Curtis Stigers – Things Have Changed
Daughter – Candles
David Byrne & St. Vincent – Who
Dexy’s – Free
Dexy’s – Nowhere is Home
Divine Fits – Would That Not Be Nice
Django Django – Default
Father John Misty – Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings
Field Music – A New Town
Fiona Apple – Every Single Night
First Aid Kit – Emmylou
First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
Frank Ocean – Thinkin Bout You
fun. – Some Nights
fun. – We Are Young
Giant Giant Sand – Forever and a Day
Gotye – Somebody That I Used to Know
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – Never Go Back
Grimes – Genesis
Grimes – Oblivion
Grizzly Bear – Sleeping Ute
Grizzly Bear – Yet Again
Harmed Brothers – A Letter to Lisa
Isaiah Toothtaker – LA Nights
Jack White – I’m Shakin
Japandroids – Continuous Thunder
Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built
Jason Lytle – Department of Disappearance
Kanye West et al – Clique
Kendrick Lamar – Backseat Freestyle
Killers – Runaways
Lana Del Rey – Video Games
Linden – If I Had Wings
Lumineers – Ho Hey
Magnetic Fields – Andrew in Drag
Metric – Breathing Underwater
METZ – Wet Blanket
Meursault – Flittin’
Meursault – Settling
Muse – Madness
Muse – Survival
Mynabirds – Generals
North Sea Scrolls – Witches in the Water
Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks
Offspring – Secrets From the Underground
Offspring – The Future is Now
P.O.S – Fuck Your Stuff
P.O.S – Get Down
Passion Pit – Constant Conversations
Perfume Genius – Hood
Phantom Limb – The Pines
Ponderosa – For Here I Am Born
Psyched – Cut the Chord
Purity Ring – Fineshrine
Purity Ring – Obedear
Raul Midon – Sunshine “I can fly” (Live)
Richard Hawley – Leave Your Body Behind You
Santigold – Disparate Youth
School of Seven Bells – The Night
Sharon Van Etten – Serpents
Shearwater – Dread Sovereign
Shins – Simple Song
Sigur Ros – Ekki Mukk
Sigur Ros – Varud
Tallest Man on Earth – 1904
Tame Impala – Elephant
Tender Trap – Love is Hard Enough
Ting Tings – Hit Me Down Sonny
TNGHT – Higher Ground
Trampled By Turtles – Alone
Triggerfinger – I Will Follow (live)
Twilight Sad – Another Bed
Underworld – And I Will Kiss
Very Best – We Ok
Vespers – Better Now
Walkmen – Heaven
Wedding Present – Deer Caught in the Headlights
White Rabbits – Heavy Metal
xx – Angels

Once James gets everyone’s top ten list, you’ll be invited to introduce a song on the upcoming Contrast Podcast Festive Fifty Countdown. This is great fun and a terrific way to learn some new songs and find out what other people have been listening to.

So go ahead. Make a Black Velvet Cocktail, elegant and refreshing, and go rock your vote.

Black Velvet Cocktails

Ingredients:

Guinness
Champagne

Directions:

1. Half fill Champagne flutes with Guinness, then slowly top them up with chilled Champagne.

This is a fantastic new song from U.S. Girls. It didn’t make the Contrast Podcast Festive Fifty Shortlist, but it should have. It’s retro fabulous.

U.S. Girls-Jack

Check out U.S. Girls on Facebook and Bandcamp, where you can learn about upcoming UK/European tour dates and buy their older music. You can pick up the latest release, ‘Gem’, over at Fat Cat Records.

Cheers!