Kyan Festive 50 — The story so far

The Kyan Festive 50 is somewhat of an institution around these parts, however it’s not quite as long standing as the annual event that inspired it— the “Festive 50” lists submitted by the listeners to the late, great John Peel’s Radio Show.

For those of us of a certain age, well, of several ages in fact (John started his Radio 1 career in 1969) back in the dark ages before Napster, iTunes and Spotify, JP’s evening show was pretty much the only way to be exposed to new music outside of the charts. His remit was simple, to champion new and exciting music in whatever form it took. John was into world music and reggae way before they were part of the mainstream, and when dance music and techno exploded in the late 80s early 90s he was flying the flag for them too. The less familiar a new track or genre was to him the more he liked it, because that meant it was less derivative of what had gone before.

John Peel — Man at the controls

John Peel’s Festive 50 started in 1976, the year punk broke, and that year John lost a lot of listeners for embracing this new wave of music over the prog rock dinosaurs like Genesis and ELP that had graced his show previously. From that date right up until John’s untimely death in 2004 the listeners to his show voted on their best tracks of the year, these were compiled into a list to be broadcast just before Christmas. The spirit of the original 50 still lives on online at the site inspired by John’s legacy at Dandelion Radio.

At Kyan, music is an integral part of everyday life, our shared jukebox provides a non-stop soundtrack to our working day—and we’re blessed with a very knowledgeable and inquisitive set of resident music fanatics who seek out the best new tunes to play to the whole company. As well as lining up tracks to be played the Jukebox allows everyone in the office to vote on the music played, at the end of the year we crunch the voting data to get the starting point of our very own Festive 50. The tracks are then complied into a shared spreadsheet and everyone votes for the ones they’ve enjoyed most, leaving us with a rated list of the cream of the crop.

We’re still compiling this year’s list, to be published shortly. However, to whet your appetite, here is the complete set of lists from previous years, 2010 to 2015 in their entirety, seems to me they hold up rather well—so listen up, and enjoy.

2015

Major Lazer — Lean On

1. Major Lazer — Lean On
2. C Duncan — For
3. CHVRCHES — Leave a Trace
4. Kurt Vile — Pretty Pimpin’
5. Songhoy Blues — Soubour
6. The Weeknd — Can’t Feel My Face
7. Dan Deacon — Feel the Lightning
8. Fatima Yamaha — What’s a Girl to Do
9. Hot Chip — Need You Now
10. Jamie XX — I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)
11. Purity Ring — Bodyache
12. Courtney Barnett — Pedestrian At Best
13. Death Cab For Cutie — The Ghosts Of Beverely Drive
14. Jack Ü — Where are U Now
15. Lower Dens — To Die in L.A.
16. Ratatat — Cream on Chrome
17. Tallest Man On Earth — Sagres
18. This is the Kit — Silver John
19. Twerps — Back to You
20. Unknown Mortal Orchestra — Multi-Love
21. Villagers — Courage
22. Waxahatchee — Air
23. BC Camplight — You Should’ve Gone To School
24. Django Django — First Light
25. Ezra Furman — Restless Year
26. Ghostpoet — Off Peak Dreams
27. Jamie XX — Loud Places
28. Miike Snow — Heart is Full (ft Run the Jewels)
29. Modest Mouse — The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box
30. Pinkshinyultrablast — Holy Forest
31. Purity Ring — begin again
32. Real Lies — North Circular
33. Ryley Walker — Primrose Green
34. Sauna Youth — Transmitters
35. SOAK — Sea Creatures
36. Sufjan Stevens — Forth of July
37. Tamaryn — Cranekiss
38. Tame Impala — The Less I Know The Better
39. Young Fathers — Shame
40. Adele — Hello
41. BC Camplight — Grim Cinema
42. Beirut — No No No
43. Blur — Go Out
44. Bop English — Dani’s Blues — It Was Beyond Our Control
45. Calexico — Cumbia De Donde
46. Calvin Harris — How Deep Is Your Love
47. Clark — Silver Sun
48. Deerhunter — Living My Life
49. EL VY — Return to the Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, with Crescendo)
50. Kendrick Lamar — King Kunta

Open playlist in Spotify

2014

Dan Snaith—AKA Caribou

1. Caribou—Can’t Do Without You
2. Jamie XX—All Under One Roof Raving
3. Future Islands—Seasons (Waiting On You)
4. Sohn—Artifice
5. The War On Drugs—Red Eyes
6. Todd Terje—Delorean Dynamite
7. Royal Blood—Come On Over
8. Jungle—Busy Earnin’
9. Young Fathers—Get Up
10. First Aid Kit—My Silver Lining
11. Ten Walls—Walking With Elephants
12. Little Dragon—Klapp Klapp
13. Roman Flügel—Stuffy
14. The Acid—Animal
15. FKA Twigs—Two Weeks
16. SBTRKT—NEW DORP. NEW YORK.
17. Aphex Twin—minipops 67 [120.2][source Field Mix]
18. Flying Lotus—Never Catch Me ft Kendrick Lamar
19. Dan Croll—Wanna Know
20. I Break Horses—Faith
21. Goat—Hide From The Sun
22. Mogwai—Remurdered
23. Teleman—Cristina
24. Wild Beasts—Wanderlust
25. Sophie—Lemonade
26. Rustie—Raptor
27. Alvvays—Archie, Marry Me
28. Wild Beasts—Palace (Foals remix)
29. Mazes—Salford
30. Cloud Nothings—I’m Not Part of Me
31. Real Estate—Crime
32. Sun Kil Moon—Carissa
33. Ariel Pink—Put Your Number In My Phone
34. Alt-J—Every Other Freckle
35. Thurston Moore—The Best Day
36. NehruvianDOOM—Darkness (HBU)
37. Run The Jewels—Blockbuster Night Part 1
38. Bombay Bicycle Club—Luna
39. Tony Allen—Tiger’s Skip
40. The 2 Bears—Not this time
41. Woods—Moving to the left
42. Dark Sky—IYP
43. Clark—Unfurla
44. Peaking Lights—Telephone Call
45. Gardens & Villa—Domino
46. Alex Banks—Initiate
47. Jessie Ware—Tough Love
48. Hudson Mohawke—Chimes
49. Fujiya & Miyagi—Flaws
50. Metronomy—Reservoir

Open playlist in Spotify

2013

CHVRCHES

1. CHVRCHES—The Mother We Share
2. Jon Hopkins—Open Eye Signal
3. James Blake—Retrograde
4. Daniel Avery—Drone Logic
5. Vampire Weekend—Diane Young
6. Foals—My Number
7. Bibio—À tout à l’heure
8. Arcade Fire—Reflektor
9. Disclosure—When A Fire Starts To Burn
10. Jagwar Ma—Come Save Me
11. Woodkid—Run Boy Run
12. Melt Yourself Down—Release!
13. Daft Punk—Get Lucky
14. Everything Everything—Torso of the Week
15. Local Natives—Heavy Feet
16. Braids—Amends
17. John Wizards—Muizenberg
18. London Grammar—Strong
19. Vondelpark—California Analog Dream
20. Wolf People—All Returns
21. White Denim—Corsicana Lemonade
22. Young Galaxy—Pretty Boy
23. Teleman—Steam Train Girl
24. Delorean—Dominion
25. Omar Souleyman—Warni Warni
26. Gold Panda—Brazil
27. Parquet Courts—Master of my craft
28. Small Black—No stranger
29. Temples—Colours To Life
30. Unknown Mortal Orchestra—Swim and Sleep (Like a shark)
31. Volcano Choir—Almanac
32. Lusine—Lucky
33. Boards of Canada—Reach For The Dead
34. Dutch Uncles—Flexxin
35. When Saints Go Machine—Mannequin
36. Phoenix—Trying To Be Cool
37. Jacques Greene—On Your Side (Ft. How To Dress Well)
38. Poliça—Chain My Name
39. Peace—Wraith
40. Busta Rhymes—Thank You (feat. Q-Tip, Kanye West & Lil Wayne)
41. Special Request—Ride VIP
42. Heavenly Beat—Complete
43. Kurt Vile—Wakin’ On A Pretty Day
44. Drenge—Bloodsports
45. Moon Duo—Sleepwalker
46. John Beltran—Clouds Pull
47. Foxygen—San Francisco
48. John Grant—GMF
49. Outfit—I Want What’s Best
50. !!!—One Girl. One Boy

Open playlist in Spotify

2012

Natasha Khan — AKA Bat For Lashes

1. Bat For Lashes—Laura
2. Orbital—Never
3. First Aid Kit—The Lion’s Roar
4. Tame Impala—Elephant
5. Todd Terje—Inspector Norse
6. Alt-J—Breezeblocks
7. Kindness—House
8. DIIV—How long have you known
9. Daphni—Ye Ye
10. Purity Ring—Obedear
11. Errors—Tusk
12. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs—Garden
13. Julio Bashmore—Au Seve
14. Here We Go Magic—Make Up Your Mind
15. Major Lazer—Get Free (feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors)
16. Lone—Crystal Caverns 1991
17. The Tallest Man On Earth—1904
18. Grimes—Oblivion
19. Maccabees—Ayla
20. Grizzly Bear—Yet Again
21. Jessie Ware—Running
22. Azealia Banks—212
23. Django Django—Waveforms
24. Beach House—Myth
25. The 2 Bears—Work
26. Allo Darlin’—Capricornia
27. Lower Dens—Brains
28. RM Hubbert (with Aidan Moffat & Alex Kapranos)—Car Song
29. Matthew Dear—Her Fantasy
30. Atoms For Peace—Default
31. LIARS—A Ring On Every Finger
32. Zammuto—Yay
33. Jake Bugg—Lightning Bolt
34. Chromatics—Kill for Love
35. Lotus Plaza—Strangers
36. Foals—Inhaler
37. Chairlift—I belong in your arms
38. Tanlines—Brothers
39. Father John Misty—Nancy From Now On
40. Best Coast—The Only Place
41. Yeasayer—Henrietta
42. Field Music—(I Keep Thinking About) A New Thing
43. Twin Shadow—Five Seconds
44. The Weeknd—What You Need
45. Wild Nothing—Shadow
46. Teen Daze—Erbstruck
47. Dutch Uncles—Fester
48. Tall Ships—T=0
49. Mystery Jets—Greatest Hits
50. Woods—Cali In A Cup

Open playlist in Spotify

2011

Justin Vernon — AKA Bon Iver

1. Bon Iver—Calgary
2. Beirut—Santa Fe
3. Metronomy—Everything Goes My Way
4. Woods—Pushing Onlys
5. Slow Club—Two Cousins
6. Glasser—Tremel (Jamie XX rmx)
7. Neon Indian—Polish Girl
8. SBTRKT—Pharoahs
9. Jehst—England
10. John Tejada—Unstable Condition
11. Real Estate—It’s Real
12. Joe Goddard—Gabriel
13. Kurt Vile—Baby’s Arms
14. Smith Westerns—Weekend
15. Cults—Go Outside
16. Elbow—Lippy Kids
17. Iron & Wine—Walking Far From Home
18. Radiohead—Bloom
19. The Field—Is The Power
20. James Blake—The Wilhelm Scream
21. Washed Out—Amor Fati
22. Bombay Bicycle Club—Shuffle
23. Braids—Lemonade
24. Friendly Fires—Hawaiian Air
25. The Naked and Famous—Young Blood
26. The Horrors—Still Life
27. Battles—Futura
28. Jonathan Wilson—Desert Raven
29. Joan As Police Woman—The Magic
30. Lana Del Ray—Video Games
31. Panda Bear—Alsatian Darn
32. Puro Instinct feat. Ariel Pink—Stilyagi
33. M83—Midnight City
34. Atlas Sound—Parallax
35. Okkervil River—The Valley
36. Woodpigeon—Spirehouse
37. Fruit Bats—Banishment Song
38. Lykke Li—Get Some
39. The Rapture—How Deep Is Your Love?
40. Fleet Foxes—Bedouin Dress
41. Alex Turner—Stuck On The Puzzle
42. Lanterns on the Lake—Keep On Trying
43. PJ Harvey—Last Living Rose
44. Wilco—Art Of Almost
45. The National—Exile Vilify
46. TV On The Radio—Will Do
47. Holy Ghost!—Do It Again
48. Cut Copy—Need You Now
49. Toro Y Moi—Still Sound
50. The Kills—DNA
51. Peter Bjorn and John—Second Chance

Open playlist in Spotify

2010

Yannis of FOALS — He’s the fury in your head

1. Foals—Spanish Sahara
2. Yeasayer—ONE
3. Foals—This Orient
4. Arcade Fire —Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
5. Arcade Fire —The Suburbs
6. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti—Round And Round
7. Band of HorsesFactory
8. Beach House—10 Mile Stereo
9. Deerhunter—Desire Lines
10. Four Tet—Love Cry
11. Four Tet—This Unfolds
12. Holy Fuck— Stay Lit
13. Mystery Jets—Alice Springs
14. Tall Ships—Books
15. Wolf People—Tiny Circle
16. Phantogram—Mouthful of Diamonds
17. Sleigh Bells—Rill Rill
18. The National—Blood Buzz Ohio
19. Villagers—Becoming A Jackal
20. Warpaint—Undertow
21. Wolf Parade—What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)
22. Beach House—Norway
23. Broken Social Scene—Meet Me In The Basement
24. Caribou—Sun
25. Darwin Deez—Radar Detector
26. Gold Panda—You
27. James Blake—CMYK
28. M.I.A.—XXXO
29. Nurses—Caterpillar Playground
30. Oh No Ono—The Wave Ballet
31. Ratatat—Drugs
32. Tame Impala—It Is Not Meant To Be
33. The Radio Dept.—Never Follow Suit
34. Two Door Cinema—Something Good Can Work
35. Gallops—Miami Spider
36. Woods—Suffering Season
37. Mount Kimbie—Carbonated
38. Tall Ships—Vessels
39. The Besnard Lakes—Albatross
40. The National—Afraid of Everyone
41. Efterklang—Modern Drift
42. Harlem—Friendly Ghost
43. Hot Chip—I Feel Better
44. I Am Kloot—Proof
45. Jamaica—I Think I Like U 2
46. JJ—Let Go
47. The Delta Mirror—Going To Town
48. The Tallest Man On Earth—Thousand Ways
49. White Rabbits—Percussion Gun
50. Crystal Castles—Pap Smear