The Evening's Empire - Tracks of the Year

So, there goes 2013. I hope that you all had a great year, and if not, fuck it, it's gone now so we can head into 2014 with the same optimism which we start every year with (before inevitably letting the inner Brit in us take hold once more to heap a healthy dose of cynicism into day-to-day life).

2013 for me has been a year which has seen me getting more involved in music blogging and the industry in general. This has meant that - not only have I had less sleep this year than any other in living memory - but I've also had the immeasurable privilege of being exposed to more music than I can rightfully consume. The below are some of the stand out tracks from the past twelve months..... I hope you find something new to love:

30. Dan Casey - Empty City

29. Fyfe – Solace

28. Everything Everthing – Undrowned

27. Denai Moore – Gone

26. Dan Croll - Compliment My Soul  
25. Seasfire – Falling  
24. Caitlin Rose – Old Number  
23. Story Books – Simple Kids



22. Rhodes – Raise Your Love



21. Marika Hackman – Cinnamon  
20. Mononoke – Alice  
19. Farewell JR – Night Wolves  
18. Okkervil River – It Was My Season  
17. Fossil Collective – Let It Go  
16. The Superman Revenge Squad – Lately I’ve Found Myself Regressing  
15. The National - Sea Of Love


14. Phosphorescent - Song For Zula  
13. London Grammar – Strong  
12. Frank Turner - Plain Sailing Weather  
11. Keaton Henson - Lying To You  
10. Frightened Rabbit – The Woodpile  
9. Laura Marling – Once  
8. Night Beds – Tenn



7. MONEY - Hold Me Forever  
6. Chvrches - Mother We Share  
5. Nathaniel Rateliff - Don't Get Too Close  
4. Volcano Choir – Byegone  
3. Daughter – Youth  
2. Phoria – Red  
1. Sivu - Better Man Than He 
My undisputed TOTY. I first heard 'Better Man Than He' back in January on the John Kennedy XFM show, and 11 months later it's still on heavy rotation. The hugely talented Sivu released several EP's across the year which showcased his unbelievable songwriting talent and left-field pop styings. With a full-length album due for release early in 2014, he's one of the year's most promising artist.

Track of the Day: Sivu - Over & Over

So far this year Sivu has been responsible for a number of the finest singles to come out of the UK, and he's just done it again with the beautifully, delicate new single 'Over & Over'.

Rising to prominence back in January with his anthemic debut, 'Better Man Than He', he received almost half a million hits, and gained substantial radio support from the likes of Huw Stephens and John Kennedy. His follow up, 'Bodies', was an interesting change of place, illustrating the same quirky indie-pop stylings, along with a developed complexity in rhythms and richer instrumentation.

It seems as thought the 24 year-old Londoner is unable to do anything wrong at the moment, with 'Over & Over' being a truly understated gem. Based around a simple electric guitar part and an echoey bass drum, the young songwriter tackles the complexities of relationships, and how we sometimes staying in them when neither party quite knows why ('we go over and over and over and over, like a old broken computer'). Simply put, it's another beautiful track from one of the most enthralling acts of the year.

You can get a free download of this 'Over & Over' and an additional track called 'Dimmer Down' here

 'we're just waiting for something real, something to help make us feel alive.'

Track of the Day: Sivu - Better Man Than He

I heard 'Better Man Than He' for the first time a few days ago on John Kennedy's Xposure show, and was immediately taken aback by its its catchy melodic hook and refreshingly honest lyrics. After a bit of searching, I discovered it was the work of Icelandic born singer-songwriter Sivu. What followed has been several days of listening to the below track on an almost continuous loop. Though he doesn't have much of an online presence as yet I don't appear to have been the only one to have been affected by his music, with the track gaining play with DJ's on Radio 1 and 2.

The single will be officially released on February 25th with an EP to follow in May. In the meantime, just sit back and enjoy three minutes and nineteen seconds of gorgeous indie-pop.