Yes. You aren’t dreaming. You are quite awake and able to listen to the final part of the Contrast Podcast Festive Fifty from 2012. So get it on now and find out just what our little nation liked listening to last year.

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Playlist:

17 Bat For Lashes – Laura

Shaun from Cold Citrus

16 Crocodiles – Endless Flowers

Colm Seigne from I Sing in the Kitchen

15 The Shins – Simple Song

Andy from Richmond Playlist

14 Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built

Charles from Heartache With Hard Work

13 Ben Folds Five – Do It Anyway

Kymm from The Thirteenth Baby Opossum

12 Fiona Apple – Every Single Night

Marc from Post Production

11 The Walkmen – Heaven

Robert Todd

10 First Aid Kit – Emmylou

Nat from Another Aging Hipster

9 The Lumineers – Ho Hey

Rachel from Untitled

8 Jack White – I’m Shakin’

The In Crowd from Learning to Share

7 Adele – Skyfall

Kais

6 Father John Misty – Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings

Mad Mackerel from Mad Mackerel

5 Alabama Shakes – Hold On

Jessi from RVA Life

4 Gotye – Somebody That I Used to Know

Bella from Let Me Educate You

3 Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks

Kathy

2 Tame Impala – Elephant

Linda from Speed of Dark

1 fun. – Some Nights

Alan from Having Said That …

Please send all your reverence to James from Appetite For Distraction without whom you wouldn’t have heard more than static and silence.

We are happy to announce that there WILL be another podcast along soon enough with the theme of Songs with French bits in them. There are out of date instructions on how to participate here.

P.S. The pattern in the picture is from here.

Between the thrill of part one and the satisfaction of part three sits the middle eight break that is part two. What more needs to be said except that you are bound to enjoy it. Time to don your listening trousers???

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Playlist:

34 David Byrne & St. Vincent – Who

Eiron from Old Fridges Can Kill

33 Curtis Stigers – Things Have Changed

Mike from wearedust

32 Richard Hawley – Leave Your Body Behind You

Greer from A Sweet Unrest

31 Trampled By Turtles – Alone

Tim from Contrast Podcast

30 Chromatics – Kill For Love

FiL from PogoaGogo

29 Metz – Wet Blanket

Bob from Gimme Tinnitus

28 fun. – We Are Young

KT

27 Sharon Van Etten – Serpents

Jeremy from Fingertips

26 Bruce Springsteen – Land of Hope & Dreams

Kev from Let Me Educate You

25 Grimes – Oblivion

Eleanor from Cassettes and Chocolate Milk

24 Perfume Genius – Hood

Greg

23 Django Django – Default

Tim from Contrast Podcast

22 Ponderosa – For Here I Am Born

Martin from No, Your Product

21 Muse – Madness

David from I Sing in the Kitchen

20 Divine Fits – Would That Not Be Nice

Niels from Sun in Late December

19 Shearwater – Dread Sovereign

Ram from DyingNote

18 Metric – Breathing Underwater

Tim from Contrast Podcast

Again much thanks is due to James from Appetite For Distraction for putting this episode and the rest of the Festive Fifty together.

Come back soon to find out who won.

P.S. This pretty pattern is also from here.

Happy New Year Contrast Nation! It’s been quiet around these parts of late, but you can now be sure that for at least a few weeks you are going to be able to enjoy a little of that good old contrast joy in the form of our Festive Fifty from 2012. It’s the podcast where you find out what we voted to be our best tuneage of the last twelve months. Get listening!!

Hear here:

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Playlist:

50 The xx – Angels

Tim from Contrast Podcast

49 The Mynabirds – Generals

Rick from Are You Embarrassed Easily?

48 Anais Mitchell – Young Man in America

Victoria from Muruch

47 The Antlers – Drift Dive

Kristen

46 White Rabbits – Heavy Metal

John

45 Jason Lytle – Dept. of Disappearance

John Nisbet

44 Daughter – Candles

Katherine

43 Dexy’s – Nowhere is Home

Dirk from Sexyloser

42 Meursault – Settling

Tricia from I Sing In the Kitchen

41 The Twilight Sad – Another Bed

Pierce Seigne from I Sing In the Kitchen

40 Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe

Thomas from Better in the Dark

39 The Wedding Present – Deer Caught in the Headlights

John Q.

38 Frank Ocean – Thinkin Bout You

Armando Torres

37 The Harmed Brothers – A Letter to Lisa

Tim from Contrast Podcast

36 Alabama Shakes – Be Mine

James from Appetite For Distraction

35 The Vespers – Better Now

Brendan from Muruch

Much thanks is due to James from Appetite For Distraction for putting this episode and the next couple which will follow it together. Thank you James! Please come back soon friends to hear what happens next.

P.S. The pretty pattern is from here.

Time passes fast these days. It only seems like yesterday that we were choosing High songs, when in actual fact it was quite a while ago. Don’t let that get you down though. There’s no need to be Low. Oh no.

Hear here:

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Playlist:

(00:00) War – Low Rider

Tim from The Contrast Podcast

(03:57) Status Quo – Down, down

Bella from Let Me Educate You

(08:39) A Tribe Called Quest – Check the rhyme

Greer from A Sweet Unrest

(12:31) Paul Weston and his Orchestra featuring Thurl Ravenscroft – Low in the Lehigh Valley

Mike from wearedust

(15:24) The Low Branches – Sinking

Andrew from Richmond Playlist

(17:01) Alaska In Winter – Balkan Lowrider Anthem

Linda from Speed of Dark

(20:52) Sly and the Family Stone – Let me hear from you

Niels from Sun In Late December

(25:41) Low – California

Nat from Another Aging Hipster

(29:40) Nick Lowe – Let me Kiss Ya

Jeremy from Fingertips

(34:58) John Wesley Harding – Top of the Bottom

Tricia from I Sing in the Kitchen

(41:06) Jackie Opel – Turn Your Lamp Down Low

Dirk from Sexyloser

(44:49) Cracker – Low

James from Appetite For Distraction

(50:59) Tennessee Ernie Ford – Fatback Louisiana, USA

Kymm from The Thirteenth Baby Opossum

(56:23) Captain Beefheart – Low Yo Yo Stuff

Chris from Dead Sea Apes

(01:00:37) Suede – Have You Ever Been This Low?

Eiron from Old fridges can kill

(01:05:14) The Residents – The New Hymn

The In Crowd from I’m learning to share!

(01:12:08) Low – Nothing But Heart

John Q.

(01:20:18) Gary Moore – Still Got The Blues

Ram from DyingNote

(01:27:02) Blur – This is a Low

Robert T.

Thanks to all of you for your patience while this one was brewing. You’ll surely be joyful when you know that, thanks to James, we will have the Festive Fifty 2012 along much sooner than you can imagine.

Oh Joy!

I know it’s been a while but, as we’re sure you know, good things come to those who don’t go. This particular thing will help you to find out all the best things about the word ‘high’. What more could you want?

Hear here:

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Playlist:

(00:00) Wings – Hi, Hi, Hi

Tim from The Contrast Podcast

(03:11) Metal Mike – High On Drugs

Dirk from Sexyloser

(07:12) High Highs – Open Season

John Q.

(11:20) Leonard Nimoy – Highly illogical

Mike from wearedust

(14:58) Stevie Wonder – Too High

Chris from Dead Sea Apes

(20:28) De La Soul – Me, Myself & I

Greer from A Sweet Unrest

(24:21) The Decemberists – We Both Go Down Together

Tricia from I Sing in the Kitchen

(27:42) Chick Webb Orchestra with Ella Fitzgerald – When I Get Low I Get High

The In Crowd from I’m learning to share!

(31:00) R.E.M. – I’ve Been High

Jeremy from Fingertips

(36:04) The Cure – High

Eleanor from Cassettes & Chocolate Milk

(39:53) Cab Calloway – Minnie the Moocher

Niels from Sun In Late December

(44:53) Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life

Kymm from The Thirteenth Baby Opossum

(51:28) Microdisney – High & Dry

Robert T.

(56:18) Active Child – High Priestess

Linda from Speed of Dark

(01:00:41) Blue Nile – Tuledo

Kev from Let Me Educate You

(01:05:57) Feeder – High

Charles from Heartache With Hard Work

(01:10:49) Adam’s friend Nic – Flying High

Adam from Pretending life is like a song

(01:15:55) Jimmie’s Chicken Shack – High

James from Appetite For Distraction

(01:21:33) American Hi-Fi – Highs and Lows

Andrew from Richmond Playlist

(01:25:04) Manorlady – Vacation Plans High Desert

Eiron from Old fridges can kill

(01:31:27) Jamie Cullum – High And Dry

Nat from Another Aging Hipster

Thanks to all of you who participated in this episode and hung on so long to listen. Hopefully it’s partner. the ‘low’ episode, will arrive much faster than this one, and will be just as much fun! High five!

The festivities may be well and truly over elsewhere but our party is still in full swing and bringing you the seventeen tracks that we liked most in 2011. So dig out the last of the sweet sherry and toast our top tunes!

Hear here:

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Playlist:

17 PJ Harvey – The Words That Maketh Murder

Chris from Dead Sea Apes

16 King Post Kitsch – Don’t You Touch My Fucking Honeytone

James from Appetite For Distraction

15 King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Bats in the Attic

Kathy

14 PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

Jeremy from Fingertips

13 Wild Flag – Glass Tambourine

Brian from The Enthusiasts’ Radio Hour

12 Fleet Foxes – Lorelai

Linda from Speed of Dark

11 My Morning Jacket – Victory Dance

Ram from DyingNote

10 Wilco – I Might

Greer from A Sweet Unrest

9 M83 – Midnight City

Kristen

8 Half Man Half Biscuit – Fun Day in the Park

Shaun from Cold Citrus

7 Wooden Shjips – Lazy Bones

Dirk from Sexyloser

6 Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Alex from Solid Sea and Southern Sky

5 Dawes – A Little Bit of Everything

Kev from Let Me Educate You

4 Radiohead – Lotus Flower

Greg from Broken Dial

3 Foster the People – Pumped Up Kicks

Travis

2 The Lovely Eggs – Don’t Look at Me (I Don’t Like It)

Niels

1 Adele – Rolling in the Deep

Thomas from Better in the Dark

Our most grateful thanks go to James from Appetite For Distraction and Chris from Dead Sea Apes for their help in putting the festive fifty together this time around. The next two episodes of the podcast will be a double bill of High and Low … no Broccoli in sight! So much choice!!!

The Contrast Podcast likes to keep the festive season going as long as possible. So here is the second part of the 2011 Festive Fifty. Think of it as the filling in a tasty musical sandwich … or something like that.

Hear here:

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Playlist:

34 Imaginary Cities – Hummingbird

FiL from Pogoagogo

33 Wilco – One Sunday Morning

Taylor from T-sides

32 Florence + the Machine – What the Water Gave Me

Brendan from Muruch

31 Death Cab for Cutie – You Are a Tourist

Eleanor from Cassettes & Chocolate Milk

30 Beirut – East Harlem

Martin from No, your product

29 The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow

Kymm from The Mighty Kymm

28 Feist – Caught A Long Wind

Rhiannah

27 Okkervil River – We Need a Myth

Andrew from Richmond Playlist

26 Cut Copy – Need You Now

Chip from Atomic Ned

25 Acid House Kings – Would You Say Stop?

John Q.

24 Foster the People – Helena Beat

Stuart from The Accies Blog

23 The Decemberists – Rise To Me

Robert T.

22 My Morning Jacket – Holding On to Black Metal

Rick from Are You Embarrassed Easily?

21 PJ Harvey – The Last Living Rose

Tim from The Contrast Podcast

20 The Decemberists – Rox in the Box

Brian Stoos

19 Wye Oak – Civilian

Mad Mackerel

18 The Decemberists – Calamity Song

Eiron from Old fridges can kill

Again our thanks must go to James from Appetite For Distraction and Chris from Dead Sea Apes for their help in the delicate construction of the countdown. Not long now until we find out who won. Woo hoo!