Sounds of 2014: Nos. 100 to 96

Okay folks, here we go! As I've said before, since the Everfree Radio Top 100 ended with 2013, I'm moving to the Equestrian Trot 100 chart this time. This ran until the end of 2019, although "[2014] is the only year in which this countdown is based on inverse rank points as opposed to points earned in each week," apparently. I'm not sure exactly what that means, so let's move on!

I'm going to stick with the rules I worked by for the previous editions of "Sounds of". These are designed to respect artists who for whatever reason have decided they no longer want to be associated with their MLP songs, while also recognising the reality that the most famous tracks are not going to simply disappear whatever the case. Here's the list:

Rule 1: Still available in the same or (1b) similar form direct from the/an original artist.
Rule 2: Available from a third party, with reason to believe the artist is fine with this.
Rule 3: So famous that it would be plain silly to leave it out.
Rule 4: Being unlisted is not, on its own, grounds for exclusion.

Let's get galloping! Here's the run-down of the tracks to be featured this time, and happily there's no need to skip any of them:

100: Glaze – Energy Sway
99: Rarity ft. EileMonty – I Will Always Miss Us
98: EileMonty & Austin Hull – Inside
97: MandoPony & Silva Hound – Wild Fire
96: 4everfreebrony ft. ElectroBLITZ – Lost

Past the jump break, you'll find embedded YouTube videos of the songs featured, links to HQ versions where available and a little bit of waffling from me about each track!

 

100: Glaze – Energy Sway

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 11 Aug 2014
We start off with a bouncy little synthpop instrumental from one of the fandom's stalwarts in Glaze/WoodenToaster. In truth, beyond the artist's obvious brony fandom heritage I'm not entirely sure what this is doing on a My Little Pony playlist, as there's no noticeable connection with the show. Still, it's pleasant enough, if not (to me at any rate) especially memorable. If you want to pick up a high quality version, it's available for £1 on Glaze's Bandcamp.

99: Rarity ft. EileMonty – I Will Always Miss Us

Rule 1: uploaded to Bandcamp 24 Sep 2014
There's no doubt about this one's Pony credentials! Although credited mysteriously as "Rarity" here, this is a Jeff Burgess production – the embedded video is on his YouTube account. The singer is of course EileMonty, who on YouTube at least now goes by simply Monty, and (probably because it's a collab) this track has survived her partial purge of MLP songs from her accounts. She sings as Octavia, and her target is unsurprisingly Vinyl. I'm a big fan of her singing, so as you might expect I enjoy this bit of vocal-heavy rock. Pick it up in HQ from EileMonty's Bandcamp for $1.

 

98: EileMonty & Austin Hull – Inside

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 12 Nov 2013

Hay look, it's EileMonty (aka Monty) once again! This time she's partnering with Austin Hull, whose YouTube account is rather sparse but still features a pony in the header despite nothing MLP there that's under a decade old. And yes, this song was uploaded in 2013, but it's still on the 2014 chart! Obviously it had some staying power, though its YouTube video has under 700 views. A folkier effort than the last one, with Hull on guitar, this is about the then-newly-ascended Twilight and her inner feelings. The song can be downloaded in HQ on EileMonty's Bandcamp for $1.

 

97: MandoPony & Silva Hound – Wild Fire

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 7 Jul 2014
Okay, brief catch-up for those unaware: Wild Fire is the OC of then-senior storyboard artist on FiM Sabrina "Sibsy" Alberghetti, and appeared on-screen in "A Canterlot Wedding". Sibsy later married MandoPony, though this song with Silva Hound was made before that event. MandoPony is not very popular nowadays for reasons I won't rehash here, but I'll judge this song on its merits. The beat is pretty insistent and does get under your skin, though in truth I don't think the vocals here are the strongest I've ever heard. It's okay, but not in my book a classic worthy of almost six minutes. You can pick this up for 99 cents on Silva Hound's Bandcamp; there's also a shorter Radio Edit for the same price.

96: 4everfreebrony ft. ElectroBLITZ – Lost

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 21 Sep 2014
I surely don't need to introduce 4everfreebrony, one of the fandom's biggest and most consistent musicians. For this song about Twilight struggling to embrace her future, he teamed up with ElectroBLITZ,¹ who provides some distinctive vocals but who I can't find online now, with µThunder on mix/master duties. As you might expect from 4EB, this is an acoustic ballad with a folky edge and some lovely instrumental breaks. You can buy a high-quality version of the track on 4everfreebrony's Bandcamp for $1.
¹ Whose name is variously capitalised; I've used the version on the YouTube embed.