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Have you ever:
Wished your iTunes would be more full than it is?
Been embarrassed by having too much (or any) Bruno Mars?
Wanted to sound like a snobby hipster by talking about bands that no one knows?
Wanted to feel something from listening to music?

If you answered yes to any of those questions. This blog is for you!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Top Songs 2011 (1-10)

TOP 10!!

10. Mindkilla - Gang Gang Dance
Gang Gang Dance is one of the weirdest bands I have ever heard, but since when is being weird a bad thing? Mindkilla concentrates that weirdness in its synthesizer and electronic background music. I love how GGD brings back a children's ryme by singing "mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring" in that synthesized voice. The weirdest song I've heard so far, but also one of the best.



9. Holocene - Bon Iver
Wisconsin's Finest isn't interested in the listener understanding his words as much as feelings his voice and accompanying instruments evoke and does he do that well. Holocene has beneath the surface beauty of the chiming guitars and close harmonies. Anyone who has to drive unknowingly somewhere can appreciate this song.



8. California - EMA
When this song came out, I had just gotten into CMC. Artists like Best Coast and Wavves gave me a feel of California fun in the sun, but EMA showed California in a different light. Erika A. Anderson says, "FUCK CALIFORNIA" as she looks behind the superficiality of California and tells us really how it is. It's a struggle to get by and it changes people but we can all get through it.



7. Need You Now - Cut Copy
Not to ever be mixed up with Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now", this song is the highlight of Cut Copy's new album Zonoscope. All I can say is that the build up for this song is wonderful and then when it finally falls every time I hear this I want to stand up and start dancing.




6. Montezuma - Fleet Foxes
Montezuma begins Helplessness Blues with a bang. Remembering the old days fondly, Fleet Foxes, prepares the listener to go on an blissfully happy journey throughout the album. Robin Pecknold spent two years perfecting the album and he did it beautifully.





5. Marvin's Room - Drake
Marvin's Room has a woman in the back repeat "Are you drunk right now?" Drake desperately wants to have her and the question itself shows her distance. The song is a ballad of how he feels without her. Drake perfectly expresses desperation and loss of a loved one.




4. Lindisfarne - James Blake
James Blake's best combined songs on his album, Lindisfarne resembles Bon Iver's Woods. Lindisfarne always calms my nerves and grounds me. It's such a peaceful song sung beautifully and brings out such emotion without giving the listener much to hear.





3. Midnight City - M83
I still don't think I completely understand this song, but it is still amazing. On the surface it has beautiful syths. But deeper, the song is about the vibrancy of city life, but at the same time it has a futuristic aspect to it. M83 is more interested in understanding how the future in the city will look that the past.



2. Video Games - Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey is my favorite new artist of the year. Her combination of the chords and her voice is beautiful. She sings of her sadness when she dated a man who neglected her by playing video games. Del Rey's wallowing about her condition sounds like she is accepting of the terrible situation she is in and never does she let go of that feeling.



1. Seventeen - Youth Lagoon
This is a song about growing up. I put this at number one because this year more than ever I have grown up. Trever Power talks about imagination and how no matter what it should never be lost. This song reminds us that no matter how old we get, we will always have a kid inside of us and he should never be neglected. The song starts with a soft piano and builds up with drums and synthesizers until the end when it makes me want to shout "When I was seventeen,my mother said to me 'Don't stop imagining. The day that you do is the day that you die.'Now I pull a wanton carriage, instead of the horses, grazing along. I was having fun. We were all having fun."

Top Songs 2011 (11-20)

20. The Lion's Roar - First Aid Kit
Swedish Duo, First Aid Kit, went on tour this fall with Lykke Li. This pretty song about lost love could have over shadow Lykke Li or remind the audience of Fleet Foxes.



19. It's Real - Real Estate

I love the guitar lines and the melody that sound like a calm summery pop song.








18. Don't Move - Phantogram

A great bright catchy electro-pop song. Mixes horns and keyboards in a unique way. Giving Mouthful of Diamonds a run for their best song.




17. BTSTU - Jai Paul

I love how this song starts "Don't fuck with me/ don't fuck with me" and then goes into these dark syths. Also, would you think the guy in the picture would be singing this song?




16. You Know What I Mean - Cults

Cults complain about how messed up there minds are and I love listening to lead singer Madeline Follin build up angst until the end when she belts out in vain "You Know What I Mean!"




15. Belong - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
An anthem for anyone who struggles with feeling part of the group. Belong rocks hard and shows how it's totally okay to not belong.





14. Heartbeat - Childish Gambino
Childish has the most creative lyrics of the year from his references to Community, to "you know that I'm the best when I'm a-fake-tionate", and his Bernie Madoff reference "I give you money, then you burn me, like you made off."



13. The Wilhelm Scream - James Blake
One of my favorite artists of the year. James Blake knows how to use silence and very few instruments to make beautiful music.




12. Dirt - WU LYF

My favorite song from the album Go Tell Fire To The Mountain. WU LYF initially may just sound like a gang screaming into the mic, but I love how the vocals juxtapose the guitar and the organ.




11. Will Do - TV On The Radio
Another classic TVOTR song. Starting with a dreamy piano then including a hip hop beat. This is a great mellow rock song.



Top Songs 2011 (21-30)


30. Headlines - Drake
It might be because my roommates played this song everyday or because Drake just kicks ass, but Headlines is a really cool song.





29. As Young As Yesterday - Korallreven
A great psychedelic and hazy song.






28. Operation - Yuck
I love Yuck's Lo-Fi grunge rock sound. Also, they wear Canadian Tuxedos. I don't know what else they need.





27. Weekend - Smith Westerns

This Chicago (North Side College Prep) band finally came into the scene this year with their second album Dye It Blonde. Fun Fact: They used to play at 21 and over venues before they could legally drink, so they drank milk cartons on stage.




26. Bohemian Dances - The Dø

This song just sounds so sweet. Always puts me in a good mood.






25. Bizness - tUnE-yArDs
On one of the most original albums of the year. Bizness is great because of its African influences and how lead singer, Merrill Garbus belts out the words with such authority.




24. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes

A great song that makes anyone who listens think about their role in the world. Powerful stuff.





23. Hey Moon - John Maus

A wonderful lullaby that feels like John Maus is singing to the heavens.





22. Dystopia (The Earth Is On Fire) - YACHT

A quirky cool punk electronic song. Great Lyrics. I love it!





21. Afternoon - Youth Lagoon

I love the gradual build up, the lyrics being an instrument, and the youthfulness the song brings.


Top Songs 2011 (31-40)

40. Mona Lisa - Atlas Sound
Off of one of the best albums of the year, Parallax, Bradford Cox made great hazy pop song






39. Where The Kids Are - Blondfire
Great indie pop song with a great beat






38. Hits Me Like A Rock (feat. Bobby Gillespie) - CSS
One of the more fun songs of the year. Also reminiscent of the Bluth Company slogan Strong as A Rock!






37. Confetti - Cold Cave
I love the background to this song and how they preformed at Pitchfork's 90 degree heat in leather suits is beyond me.





36. Cruel - St. Vincent
Cruel is a weird combination of creepiness and pop.





35. Teenage Crime (Radio Edit) - Adrian Lux
This song should have been a club hit this year.






34. Lonely Star - The Weekend
Lonely Star sound like it should be seduced keeping R&B alive.






33. When You Wake Up - Best Coast
Not the best Best Coast song, but this gem is another great anecdote into Bethany Cosentino's classic Californian life.





32. I Don't Want Love - The Antlers
One of the prettier sad songs of the year. The Antlers definitely don't want love.





31. County Line - Cass McCombs
I was really not a fan of Wit's End as an album, but County Line stood out because of its soft easiness.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Top Songs 2011 (41-50)

At the end of every year, I like to make a lists of my favorites of that year. These are my favorite 50 songs of the year. I tried not to include to many songs from one album (Bon Iver and Youth Lagoon) to maximize exposure. In all, I thought 2011 was a great year for music. Bringing new artists into the scene like James Blake, Lana Del Rey and Odd Future and strengthening old ones like TV on The Radio, Fleet Foxes, and The Strokes. So lets get started.

(50 - 41)
Being on the bottom of this list does not mean that any of these songs were bad. All of these songs were easily given 5 stars.

50. Out Getting Ribs - Zoo Kid
Zoo Kid came out with Out Getting Ribs at the beginning of the year and I would he only falls so low because it is not as new.




49. Glass Deers (Teen Daze Remix) - Braids
The only remix on my list. This happy song makes anyone feel like they can achieve anything.





48. Under Cover Of Darkness - The Strokes
They're back! Finally, The Strokes came out with a new album and Angles isn't their best, but at least the old crew is back together.





47. By Your Hand - Los Campesinos!
I don't think Los Camp can make another song as good as You! Me! Dancing! but By Your Hand is pretty close.





46. Skeleton Key - Love Inks
Love Inks has a softly beautiful sound that not many others could beat in 2011.





45. Yonkers - Tyler, The Creator
One of the most blogged about Indie artists of the year, Wolf Haley had a great year and is on his way to win the Oscar he dreams of.





44. Niagra - Ohbijou
Virtually unheard of, Ohbijou's lead singer has a very unique voice.






43. Flicker - Son Lux
Flicker sounds like it belongs in a haunted mansion. Beautifully scary







42. Niggas in Paris - Jay-Z & Kanye West
There's a reason Jay and Kanye play this song 5 times at each concert on the Watch the Throne tour. It's that good.





41. How Can I Say I Love You - Girls
Simply sweet. Great lyrics. Great Album.