end of year music lists
Ah, December, when top ten and best of lists proliferate on the Internet and elsewhere. I don’t profess to be a music critic, but I do love music, so here, in no particular order, are ten songs I really dug that were released this year (or very late last year):
Sleeping Sickness - City and Colour w/Gord Downie
City and Colour is the pseudonym for Dallas Green, who is also one of the members of Canadian scream band Alexisonfire. As a solo artist he does melancholoy acoustic folk-pop guitar songs, mostly about death. Not the happiest of material, but this song absolutely blows my mind every time I hear it. The legendary Gord Downie, frontman for the Tragically Hip, sings on this track, which only makes it more awesome.
The Midway State - Never Again
Got this song free off iTunes one night after listening to the 30 free seconds and the hooky chorus done in falsetto captured my heart. The rest of the album is meh, sadly, but this track is gorgeous and lush, with the piano driving everything along, and the bridge with its lyrics tripping one over the other will put your foot to the floor.
Your Love Alone is not Enough - Manic Street Preachers w/Nina Persson
We’re big Cardigans fans, or should I say, we adore their album Long Gone Before Daylight and like a few other tracks. Their singer Nina’s involvement in this song was enough to hook us in, but I don’t mind the Preachers either. Fun Britpop.
I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab for Cutie
Any band that dares write a song with a three minute instrumental intro, and then release it as the first single, either has balls or thinks too much of itself. Good thing this song is so awesome. I mean, yes, the lyrics are a little stalker-y, but the music is gorgeous. (I still think Transatlanticism was their best record ever, but this ain’t bad.)
Heroes of the Sidewalk - Two Hours Traffic
These guys are a four-piece rock-pop outfit from Prince Edward Island. Two of the band members have been friends since kindergarten. Their record was produced by another personal fave, Joel Plaskett. Seriously upbeat stuff, this track is a head-nodding, toe-tapping number that features the words “booty” AND “mallrats”. Need I say more?
You Don’t Know Me At All - Ben Folds w/Regina Spektor
Welcome back, Ben. And you brought a friend! How nice! Seriously, it’s a bit of a novelty single, but I’m a sucker for those. And for Ben. And for songs about dysfunctional relationships that feature the f word.
Take Back The City - Snow Patrol
In the old apartment (where we used to live!), the upstairs neighbours used to play “Chasing Cars” on repeat every Sunday morning. We think they were doing it. I can’t listen to that song anymore. This one, however, is a much better song anyway and I’m glad they’re feeling happier as a band these days. It shows.
Buffalo/Goodnight, California - Kathleen Edwards
I cannot pick just one song from Kathleen’s excellent third studio album Asking for Flowers. It’s very solid as a whole, but I don’t love either of the songs she’s released as singles. I think these two, the opening and closing tracks, are some of her best work ever. Buffalo details a harrowing trip home through a snowstorm, while Goodnight, California is a quiet conversation in a bar about the state of the singer’s union with the person being sung to. Again with the long instrumental intros, but hey, if it works…and trust me, it does.
Free Fallin’ (Cover) - John Mayer
I love the original. I’m a Tom Petty fan from way back. This is very nearly better. It makes me smile every time I hear it. I love how restrained he is until the very last chorus, when he just lets it all out, and then reins it right back in before it gets overblown. With the vampire references, it makes me think that they should have used it in that movie. What’s it called? Moonlight? Twill pants? Something like that?
Electric Feel - MGMT
Hated their first single. Hated this on first listen. Can now not get enough of it. My brain is weird. This song makes me want to be bad. In a good way. Also makes me want to watch that Swingtown show.
Do the Panic - Phantom Planet
This song was, as far as I can tell, re-recorded this year, but I prefer by far the old, demo-y version I found on iTunes, fron the “Negatives” record. Its “bop bop bop, bop bop sha doo be doo” gets me singing along every time, much to my 5-year-old nephew’s amusement, apparently.