Sounds of 2014, nos. 60 to 56

Well, lookee here, as I might say if I were Applejack, though if I were that would raise a lot of questions so it's probably just as well that I'm not. Anyway, I'm back again with another look at what was making the brony charts a decade ago. As always, I'll be taking my cue for what to include from the Equestrian Trot 100. Also as always, a track will need to be compliant with at least one of the following criteria to merit inclusion in this post:

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.

Any skips this week? Not a single one! Isn't that fantastic? That means the following list will contain five songs, and a fascinating collection they are:

60: 4everfreebrony & DragonwolfRooke – Starswirl's Frankenstein
59: Feather – Wave Hello
58: Sim Gretina ft. Nowacking – When the Bass Drops
57: Feather – City Slicker
56: ponyphonic – Harmony Ascendant

Past the jump break, you'll find the usual YouTube embeds of this edition's five tracks, as well as a short paragraph giving a few details and thoughts.

60: 4everfreebrony & DragonwolfRooke – Starswirl's Frankenstein

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 8 Jan 2014
I'm sure the still-active 4everfreebrony doesn't need any introduction, and in this collaboration with DragonwolfRooke who provided idea, cover art and the clever lyrics (she's still active in the Warrior Cats fandom, but not it seems in MLP), he produced a haunting, rather beautiful piano-and-vocal-driven piece. This is presented as a possible origin story for Discord, in which the Spirit of Chaos is the result of a misguided experiment by none other than Starswirl the Bearded. A fine song as you'd expect from anything with 4EB's name attached. You can pick it up in high quality for $1 on 4everfreebrony's Bandcamp.

59: Feather – Wave Hello

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 26 Feb 2014
It won't be any secret to those who have been following this series that I'm rather a big fan of Feather's singing, so this was a bit of a treat. It's a smooth mixture of chill and pop, on the subject of a certain Princess of the Night. Yes, it's a Luna song – perhaps a tad bit on the repetitive side at times, but then maybe that's the appropriate effect for a song about night-time, twinkling stars and dreaming. One of those tracks that doesn't scream "fandom song" and would sound quite at home on the radio. It's available in HQ for $1 on Feather's Bandcamp.

58: Sim Gretina ft. Nowacking – When the Bass Drops

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 30 Sep 2013
Yet another hit from the house of Sim Gretina, who was just about at peak popularity ten years ago. As you will doubtless have twigged, this is a Vinyl Scratch song, and as such it's no surprise at all that Nowacking was drafted in for the vocals. For those who don't remember, he¹ was the go-to person as a Vinyl VA in fan projects, to the extent that there was even semi-serious speculation that Hasbro kept Vinyl mute in the show to avoid the "doesn't sound like Nowacking" complaints! As for the song, it bounces along in the way you'd expect, catchy and rocky and just generally great. Sadly, Sim Gretina's Bandcamp is blank these days, so there's no official HQ version.
¹ For anyone unaware, Nowacking is trans, but he did not come out until 2018.

57: Feather – City Slicker

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 29 May 2014
Hay look, it's Feather again! No complaints from me on that score. This isn't a song I knew until I did this series, but it's quite the hoof-tapper. It's also that fairly rare thing: a Coco Pommel song! According to Feather, it's about how Coco felt when she was able to break away from corrupting influences (presumably including a certain Suri Polomare) and make her own way in Manehattan. If you ask me it's a shame this song has sunk into obscurity, because its mix of rock and jazziness just works perfectly. Feather's vocals are perfectly suited for this kind of song as well. Get it on a name-your-price basis on Feather's Bandcamp.

 

56: ponyphonic – Harmony Ascendant

Rule 1: uploaded to YouTube 18 Aug 2014
Few people are ever going to be unmoved at hearing a ponyphonic track, and that certainly is the case for me. This is described by the artist as a "hymn of praise" sung by the ponies of Equestria to thank them for rescuing the world from Discord and upholding the values of balance and harmony. The near-two-minute spoken-word intro might divide opinions, but that aside this is pretty close to perfect. Fittingly given the title, the song is chock-full of gorgeous harmonies. The best tribute I can give is that this sound feels like Equestria in its times of happiness, peace and well, harmony. Better yet, ponyphonic has made two versions of the track available in HQ, each costing $1: with the intro or without it.