Favorite Songs of 2019 - Songs 1-11

1. Blown to Bits by Charly Bliss.

"Every empty calorie
Expanding sweets inside of me
You're light as a feather, astronomically huge
Laughing out loud in your bathing suit
And I'm still alive, best year of my life."

Marry my perverse love of apocalyptic songs with my unusual appreciation of '80's girl bands' (The Bangles, The Go Gos) pop, and some pretty wicked guitar and what do you get? My favorite song of the year, that's what. Charly Bliss front woman Eva Hendricks describes the genesis of the song as: " I started writing this song the day that everyone in Hawaii was alerted to a nuclear missile headed their way. Luckily it ended up being a false alarm, but that day I couldn’t stop thinking about actually living out the end of your world, and THE world, and how devastated I would be by the loss of things that are for the most part, really simple and small ... This is a love song to little moments that make me feel like we might make it out the other end." Also check out the songs "Capacity," (which has actually made some critics' best songs lists), "Young Enough," and "The Truth." 

2.  Little Trouble by Better Oblivion Community Center.

"Not every certain death can be so brave
Not every psychopath can act so well-behaved."

Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst combined their talents in Better Oblivion Community Center and on their eponymous first album (which contains the oft-heard "Dylan Thomas"). They then released this song, which I favor over Dylan Thomas. The bouncy, drum-led music belies the snarky lyrics, which I hear as an indictment of class and privilege. And the above lyrics? Perfect.

3.  This Life by Vampire Weekend. 

"You've been cheating on, cheating on me
I've been cheating on, cheating on you
You've been cheating on me
But I've been cheating through ...
This life
And all its suffering
Oh Christ,
Am I good for nothing?"

Hard to read this as anything other than the songwriter's (in this case, Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig) guilt at how well he's got things compared to much of the rest of the world - sort of a self-examining complement to "Little Trouble" now that I think about it. Also highly recommended is the band's "Harmony Hall" from the excellent Father of the Bride album. Vampire Weekend's musicianship shines through in this live version.

4.  Quarter-Life Crisis by Judah & the Lion. 

"All these stories probably should be just for my therapist
I've been fightin', hidin', tryin' my best not to let you in
I can't do this all alone."

The song, and the whole album Pep Talks, are the reflection of a crisis for the Nashville boys and particularly front-man Judah Akers brought on by family turmoil. Whether quarter-life or nearly full, we can all relate. Also recommended from this fine collection, at the least, are "Over my head," and "i'm ok."

5.  basking in the glow by oso oso. 

"Cut me up, I've said enough
Learned this lesson far too much
It'll only bring you down
Carrying someone around
In your head, in your head."

Jade Lilitri is oso oso, and as with many songs I love, the bouncy music is at odds with the introspective lyrics. Sounds to me like he's at least trying to figure things out. Also check out "one sick plan," "wake up next to god," and the first song on the album, simply called "intro."

6.  Way Way Back by Matt Nathanson. 

"I'm sure he's easier than I was
If you like that sorta thing
He looks better with his shirt off
Yeah, but can he sing?"

The final artist in the triumvirate of those that I heard (and liked) at Mountain Stage back in April. At the least, also check out "Used To Be" from his latest album "Sings His Sad Heart."

You can also here his entire Mountain Stage set here.

7.  Nobody by Hozier.

"I've been fed gold
By sweet fools in Abu Dhabi
And I've danced real slow
With Rockettes on dodgy molly
But I've had no love like your love (ooh hoo)
From nobody."

I can almost hear my Dad complain (as he often did about songs I would play for him): "I guess I like it but I can't understand a word he's saying." Pretty sure he wouldn't pick up on the "dodgy molly" (as, admittedly, I failed to do as well). Also check out "Almost (Sweet Music)" the seemingly more preferred but in my opinion less desirable Hozier song from his latest album Wasteland, Baby!

8.  Quiet Light by The National.

"Guess I don't know what I'm saying

Just call me

I'll come to where you are

Alone in the quiet light

I'm always thinking you're behind me

And I turn around and you're always there."

A departure for the boys from NYC (via Cincinnati) on the excellent album I Am Easy to Find as they incorporate the voices of a number of female singers. None to better effect, in my opinion, than on this song. But be sure to check out "Not in Kansas" and "Rylan" too (at the least).

9.  High Alert by Junius Meyvant. 

"You got my soul on fire

You got my heart beneath you

You got the one desire

To break me down just to please you."

This year's blue-eyed soul entry. Can't get much more blue-eyed than Iceland, which is where Unnar Gísli Sigurmundsson (aka Junius Meyvant) hails from.

10.  Tenebrist by The Ballroom Thieves. 

"We all muddy the water, oh

To make it seem less shallow

If our grief grows like a shadow

And in the morning that's alright

We need the dark to know the light."

Anyone who has listened to more than a few of my favorite songs over the years would recognize this one as in my wheelhouse on may levels, chief among them the chorus, the interplay between the male and female voices, and the horns (which are unfortunately absent on the live version above).

11.  Will We Talk? by Sam Fender. 

"She said

'I don't usually do this kind of thing

Does it change the way you think of me?'

Thinking isn't his forte."

Speaking of The Boss, who has been all over my previous lists this year (here and here), Sam seems to have more than a bit of Bruce in him. And perhaps a little U2 to boot. 

Happy listening - thanks as always for following along!

Favorite Songs of 2019 - Songs 12-22

On we roll with the list, which features rockers old and new.

12.  Groceries by Mallrat.

"And if you wanna get groceries
And if you wanna get close to me
Just gimme some, gimme some, gimme some sign
I think that we're supposed to be."

Mallrat is one Grace Kathleen Elizabeth Shaw, an Australian musician (and rapper according to Wikipedia). Will her love be unrequited? Perhaps we'll find out on her next album.

13.  Old Black Magic by Josh Ritter.

"I can't sleep for crying
I cry all the time
Everybody's got an angel
I got mine
Wings of a crow
Overshadowin'
I got that old black magic rolling in."

One of my favorite artists backed by The 400 Unit and produced by Jason Isbell (who, I'm guessing, plays lead on the studio version)? Oh heck yes.  The studio version is here:

14.  Western Stars by Bruce Springsteen.

"Here in the canyons above Sunset, the desert don't give up the fight
A coyote with someone’s Chihuahua in its teeth skitters 'cross my veranda in the night.
Some lost sheep from Oklahoma sips her Mojito down at the Whiskey Bar
Smiles and says she thinks she remembers me from that commercial with the credit card."

In addition to the many fine covers of The Boss this year, we also had the good fortune to listen to his 19th album. This song seems to be from the perspective of an aging actor in Westerns -- for which there doesn't seem to be much call these days. Far from a coincidence that it comes from Springsteen in his 70th year of life.

15.  Mercury in Retrograde by Sturgill Simpson.

"Mercury must be in retrograde again
But at least it's not just hangin' around, pretendin' to be my friend
Oh, the road to Hell is paved with cruel intention
If it's not nuclear war, it's gonna be a divine intervention."

Mercury is truly (but of course, "truly" being a relative term since it only appears that way to us) in retrograde this year, but that's not what our friend Sturgill is singing about. This is actually one of the quieter songs on what is a rather pronounced turn to the loud for Simpson. Check out "Sing Along" and "Last Man Standing" to see what I mean.

16.  everybody knows by pronoun.

“I've been trying to make some sense of things
I know deep down don't make any at all
And the things I thought would build me up
One-eighty'd now and make me feel so small.”

Much like another list favorite, Sjowgren, pronoun would dribble out a few songs a year for us. Until 2019, when Alyse Vellturo graced us with her first album “i’ll show you stronger.” And what a treat it was. I recommend to you “stay” and “wrong” on the album as well - but this is my favorite.

17.  Left Alone by Houses.

"I wake up dreaming everyday
It's just like living but it doesn't feel the same
'Cause the sky up above me starts falling down on me
Like a shovel full of graveyard dirt."

Houses' "Fast Talk" was high on my list last year. I like this song almost as much ...

18.  Forever Half Mast by Lucy Dacus.

"We're in a state of disarray, united by our darkest days
Aching from the growing pains, they always say it's just a phase
America, the tried and true, red and white and black and blue
Tell me, who did this to you? If it was me I hardly knew."

Last year's list queen, Ms. Dacus spent this one rolling out one song at a time in celebration of various holidays (including Bruce Springsteen's birthday). This was her take on the Fourth of July, which expresses the ambivalence a lot of us are feeling these days toward the country that we love. A friend described Lucy as a "teacher's pet" for me. Absolutely accurate.

19.  Heavy Like the World by Guided by Voices. 

"It's a lonely world I've heard
I might have the knot pull through
It's so difficult to do
I might have to get one too."

When I first heard this song, I was convinced it was a certain aging but far from over-the-hill alternative rocker -- Bob Mould of Husker Du, Sugar, et al. fame. Then I learned that Guided by Voices are actually contemporaries of Mould, and are from of all places, practically our backyard -- Dayton, Ohio. I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't heard of them until a few months ago.

20.  Dope Queen Blues by Adia Victoria. 

"It's a culmination
Of my ruination
We are lost
In vain."

The subject matter is a little lost on me, but the vocals aren't. And then the sax kicks in ... Ms. Victoria's album was produced by Aaron Dressner of The National, which certainly isn't a negative (in my book) either.

21.  Moderation by Florence + The Machine. 

"Can't hold it back, I can't take the tension
Oh, I'm trying to be good
Want me to love you in moderation
Well don't you know, I wish I could."

Given the way she puts her soul into every song, it's easy to believe that moderation is not in Florence Welch's playbook.

22.  High Highs, Low Lows by Stephen Kellogg. 

"But most of your critique
Doesn't sound that much like me.
But I wonder if it sounds
A bit like you."

The second artist on this year's list that I heard at a most excellent Mountain Stage. C thinks it sounds like a Lyle Lovett song. High praise in my book.

Favorite Songs of 2019 - Songs 23-33

Greetings music lovers! One change in this year's list from those of the past: I'm only including one song from each artist in the countdown. There were just too many good songs/artist that I wanted to share with you. But not to worry, with those who had multiple songs that would have been considered or included, I'll let you know what they were.

Let's get started.

23.  Paper Stickers by Deau Eyes.

"Gave me a book of paper stickers
I need something thicker
to cut with my scissors
cut with my scissors.
I wanna tire out my hand and give them something to see
Hey, look, I raised my hand first!
Why didn't you call on me?"

Likely the most obscure of any song on this year's list, if the now 228 views of the video are any indication of popularity. Seems like a feminist anthem from my read of the lyrics. And I'm just fine with that.

24.  It Doesn't Matter Why by Silversun Pickups.

"You want to read our minds (We know)
Is It better on the other side? (No)
Will it help you sleep at night? (It won't)
And it doesn't matter why we're known
We're just known."

Not sure if the "other side" is the thin veil between life and the after-life, or if it has a more earthly meaning (the band's relationship with its fans?). At any rate, it's a Silversun Pickup song, and if they've got a new one, it will generally find its way onto my list.

25.  Yolk in the Fur by Wild Pink.

"'Cause they you wrapped up tight
In a disposable life
Yeah they ate your lunch and sold you dinner
On credit."

Like a little symphony - from some guys in flannel shirts (and in the video, a drummer in a Buffalo Bills t-shirt).

26.  Future Me Hates Me by The Beths.

"Future heart break, future headaches
Wide eyed nights late lying awake
With future cold shakes from stupid mistakes
Future me hates me for, hates me for."

How can you not like a song with that title? While you're at it, also check out The Beths' Little Death. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuzlZWvTU2I

27.  Newspaper Gown by Damien Jurado.

"Our friends think we're lovers
Or so I have heard
And they try for confessions
And I say not a word
So we let them keep guessing
'Til they figure us out
Our made-up wedding
In your newspaper gown."

The quietest song on this year's list, Jurado was part of the best Mountain Stage I saw this year. Two others from that show have songs further up the list.

28.  Landslide by Beirut. 

"If you ever return
In a wonderful form
Don't you wait out the storm
Just pull roots and move on."

A lovely song about ... death? Or a more earthly departure?

29.  I Dare You by The Regrettes. 

"There're stains on your sweater
You think you know better
But you're a child, and it's kinda wild
That you're the one that brings the sun."

This year's entry in what seems like the annual "sounds like The Strokes" category. Except for the female singer, of course.

30.  Saw Lightning by Beck (with Pharrell Williams).

"I held my head up
And it struck me down
Down to the ground
It struck me down, struck me down
Struck me down to the ground."

Beck's been on this list about as long, and as frequently, as anyone. There's obviously a reason for that ...

31.  Sway by Tove Stryke.

"Baby, are you tied up?
I don't wanna know now
Are we gonna stay up?
Are we gonna get out this crowd?"

Apparently this song was featured in the FIFA 19 video game. That is not where I first heard it (duh). Added bonus: Ms. Stryke (her real name, btw) is Swedish. Likely fits neatly into my "Guilty Pleasures" playlist long term.

32.  Superbike by Jay Som. 

"Now you're waiting in the light
Patiently to my surprise
(Somebody tell me)
I pick up the superbike
Going 80 in the night
(Somebody tell me)."

Superbike by Jay Som. Recommended to me by both my friend Charlie and my comely spouse, Jay Som is actually Melina Mae Duterte who really does record in a studio in her bedroom - can't get any more "bedroom pop" than that.

33.  Darkness by Pinegrove.

"Well, I know it's been a long time coming
I'm angry and I know that's weak
And I'm longing out that open window
For whatever it is I seek."

In this year's Facebook poll of what song should be last on the list, but first in our hearts, the boys and girls from New Jersey won out. If you want to check out the other two nominees, they were St. ("Saint" or "Street"?) by Restorations and Lo/Hi by The Black Keys.

We'll be back soon with a very solid middle children list of songs 12-22.

Favorite Cover Songs of 2019

In my never ending quest to bring you the best new songs of the past year, I was struck by one thing: there have been a lot of good cover songs lately. Since I'm not inclined to include covers in my list (Mates of State's Second Hand News in 2010 -- before I started posting the list here -- and Dwight Yoakam's Dim Lights, Thick Smoke are, I believe, the only exceptions) and because there are so many good new songs (and artists) this year, I decided to do a separate list for covers as an appetizer for this year's forthcoming favorite songs list.

So what makes for a good cover in my opinion? I'm not sure. I don't want a "remake" but I am admittedly sometimes am offended when a song strays too far from the original as well. I suppose the list itself speaks for what I'm looking for in a good cover -- and it does not necessarily include the requirement that I loved, or even liked, the original.

Two caveats about these songs: (1) one is not a cover but rather an "original"; and (2) I bent my rules a little and there are several that were released in 2017 (but for the most part I didn't hear them until 2019). Enjoy boys and girls!

1.  I'm Goin' Down by Vampire Weekend.

"I pull you close now, baby, but when we kiss, I can feel a doubt

I remember back when we started

My kisses used to turn you inside out

I used to drive you to work in the morning

Friday night I'd drive you all around

You used to love to drive me wild, yeah

But lately girl you get your kicks from just driving me down

Down, down, down."

What do you get when you combine The Boss with one of my favorite indie bands? "That's gold, Jerry. Gold!" Apparently VW has covered this song in one form or another since 2010. But it's the stripped down version recorded for Spotify this year (for you fellow old folks, click words to take you there -- it's a link -- that's why it's orange) that got my attention and propelled it to the top of my covers list for 2019.

2.  Dancing in the Dark by Lucy Dacus.

"Stay on the streets of this town
And they'll be carvin' you up alright
They say you gotta stay hungry
Hey baby, I'm just about starvin' tonight."

Yep, another Springsteen song at the top. Given my admiration for both The Boss and Lucy Dacus, it was inevitable that her cover of Dancing in the Dark would end up near the top of this list. This version is loyal to The Boss's original, but has a little extra something ... maybe it's the drums and the guitar. Or the female voice?

3.  Love Yourself by Dashboard Confessional.

"For all the times that you rain on my parade
And all the clubs you get in using my name
You think you broke my heart, oh girl for goodness sake
You think I'm crying on my own well I ain't
...
My mama don't like you and she likes everyone."

Love Yourself by Dashboard Confessional. That's right, a Justin Beiber cover, you got a problem with that? To be fair, Ed Sheeran got a writing credit on it too. That last quoted line alone is worth the price of admission.

4.  The Twist by Wintersleep.

"Lets pretend I'm attractive and then
You won't mind, you can twist for a while
It's the night, I can be who you like
And I'll quietly leave before it gets light."

The first of several songs on the list from "Tiny Changes" a collection of covers by various artists of Frightened Rabbit's The Midnight Organ Fight. Some of the covers fall a little flat for me, but others are a perfect celebration of Scott Hutchison and his music. This is one of my favorite Frightened Rabbit songs, particularly the above lyrics. Wintersleep turns Scott Hutchison's funny but sad version into an anthem that is every bit the equal of the original.

5.  Manic Monday by Prince.

"Have to catch an early train
Got to be to work by nine.
And if I had an airplane
I still couldn't make it on time."

This is the "original" alluded to in my above - not actually a cover but Prince's version of a long-enjoyed song from the album "Originals." The Bangles, of course, recorded it first.

6.  Whole Wide World by Cage The Elephant.

"When I was a young boy
My mama said to me
'There's only one girl in the world for you
And she probably lives in Tahiti.
I'd go the whole wide world
Go the whole wide world just to find her."

With a nod to Will Farrell in Stranger Than Fiction, this is probably my favorite cover of the Wreckless Eric original.

7.  Old Old Fashioned by Josh Ritter,

"I'll turn off the TV
It's killing us, we never speak.
There's a radio in the corner
It's dying to make a scene."

Another song from the Tiny Changes album, this one re-imagines Frightened Rabbit's waltz across the carpet as a honky tonk stomp.

8.  Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in The Spotlight) by Alt-J.

"When I passed you in the doorway
And you took me with a glance
Should've been on that last bus home
But I asked you for a dance."

I like it when an artist can take a song and turn it into something different entirely (much like Aretha Franklin did to Otis Redding, or, to me anyway, The Band did to Springsteen with its rendition of "Atlantic City"). Here Alt-J turns Thin Lizzy's middling "Dancing in The Moonlight" into a lovely quiet ballad. And "it's alright, alright."

9.  I Melt With You by Surfer Blood.

"I'll stop the world and melt with you
You've seen the difference and it's getting better all the time
There's nothing you and I won't do
I'll stop the world and melt with you."

One of my all time favorite early alternative (pop punk?) songs, Surfer Blood's cover is, to me, the right mix of faithfulness to the original and an update 37 (holy mackerel, 37???) years after it was first released.

10.  Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) by Big Head Todd and The Monsters (with John Popper).

"But now you're sad, your mama's mad
And your papa says he knows that I don't have any money
Oh your papa says he knows that I don't have any money
Oh your daddy says he knows that I don't have any money
Well, tell him this is his last chance
To get his daughter in a fine romance
'Cause a record company, Rosie, just gave me a big advance."

Along with the Frightened Rabbit theme throughout the list this is the other: The Boss. Big Head Todd and The Monsters' rendition of Rosalita (Come Out Tonight), with some help, from John Popper of Blues Traveler fame, still seems as rebellious and raucous as the original. But while the harmonica is nice, but I still miss Clarence's sax ...

11.  My Backwards Walk by Manchester Orchestra.

"I'm working on my faults and cracks
Filling in the blanks and gaps
And when I write them out they don't make sense
I need you to pencil in the rest."

The final song of the list, and the final one from "Tiny Changes." Manchester Orchestra's version of My Backwards Walk is one of those that strikes the right chord(s) for me between homage and interpretation. Plus you can never grow tired of hearing Hutchison's plaintive line "you're the sh!t and I'm knee deep in it."

Favorite Songs of 2018 - Songs 1-11

As indicated in the last installment of this year's list, I believe the top 11 (and actually 13) songs this year are particularly strong. As befits both of the previous posts, my favorite song this year is a breakup song, sung by my favorite new (to me) artist of 2018 - Lucy Dacus. I hope you enjoyed this year's list as much as i enjoyed listening, compiling, and bringing it to you!

1.  Night Shift by Lucy Dacus.

"You've got a nine to five, so I'll take the night shift
And I'll never see you again, if I can help it
In five years I hope the songs feel like covers
Dedicated to new lovers."

Since I first heard this song early in 2018, it was near the top of my favorites, and ended up perched above all of the others.  Great lyrics, perfectly constructed, building to a crescendo of fuzzy noise, which I think is a positive sign - Lucy's ready to move on. I've actually seen Night Shift at or near the top of "real" music critics' best songs of the year lists, but, as always, I assure you that is purely coincidental. 

2.  Bodys by Car Seat Headrest.

"Everybody's swinging their hips
Everybody's giving the waitress tips
Everybody's dancing all of the dances
Everybody's dancing every dance now (alright)."

Second best concert I saw this year, this one with my spouse and Richmond family. Will Toledo is a genius. But I think I've already told you that.

Car Seat Headrest, Carrboro, NC 9/21/18 (photo by me)

3.  Let Me Down Easy by Gang of Youths.

"Honey, it's no secret that I've been losing my way
In the weirdest of moments and stupidest of ways
But, hey, I'm still young and it's gonna be okay
I've got solipsism, baby, and I brought lemonade."

The lemonade reference works off of an earlier part of the song where frontman David Le'aupepe sings that "not everything is easy as making lemonade." This is the second time in two years that solipsism makes an appearance in lyrics on the list - hope that says more about our current times than me personally.

4.  Ben Franklin's Song by The Decemberists.

"I'm the only American the French want to see
They call me a genius, I can't disagree
They have guns, they have funds
They can set us free
Invest in my reputation."

What's not to like about a song co-written by Lin-Manual Miranda and Colin Meloy? Miranda wrote the lyrics for Hamilton, but it didn't make the cut for the show. He gifted them to Meloy, who put them to music and in turn gifted it to us. For a music loving history major, it can't get much better than that.

Big profanity warning on this one, kiddos.

5.  Bondurant Women by The Texas Gentlemen.

"There was a genuine act of celebration
On the corner of the freight train station
And the sweating man gave a benediction
Said you're looking for a giant (?) foundation."

Love the percussion in this song. No lyrics that I could find, so I did the best I could. Suggestions are welcomed, particularly with the uncertain word above (maybe "jive" instead of "giant?").

6.  Gold Rush by Death Cab for Cutie.

"Digging for gold in my neighborhood
For what they say is the greater good
But all I see is a long goodbye
A requiem for a skyline."

A requiem indeed for Ben Gibbard's Seattle neighborhood. I know, I know, a lot of us in Wild and Wonderful would love to have Ben's problems. But still, gentrification does come with its issues, in a "you kids get off of my lawn!" kind of way that I think he acknowledges as well.

7.  How to Socialise and Make Friends by Camp Cope.

"And I heard it from a friend
That he talks to the primary school kids through the fence
Yeah, you shoulda seen his book collection
It was all 'how to socialise and how to make friends'
Yeah I guess we both got our problems
And areas to improve
And I know one of mine is to go a night without sympathising with you."

As you might guess from the spellings, Camp Cope ain't from around here. Australia, to be exact, is their home. But the raw emotion heard in many of their songs, including this one, is universal.

8.  Not Abel by Hop Along.

"And yet it was not Abel but Cain who got to hear
The voice that for so long had been a stranger
Not one word of all the time they spent growing up brothers
Even love, yes, even love, yes even lose
Something to lose."

Starts out sounding like many Hop Along songs (which I believe to be a good thing), albeit with a less personal theme than most (indeed, the story of Cain and Abel). Then the last minute and a half take it to a whole new, sublime, level, kicked off by a classic rock guitar and bass line.

9.  Fast Talk by Houses.

"So maybe heaven is a ghetto with no bad blocks
Shangri-La dealers at the bus stops
And maybe god is just a cop that we can fast talk
So if you're guilty and you know it, put your hands up
'Cause karma's just a different word for bad luck
And what if death is just another pair of handcuffs?
Then we'd better run."

Heard this song first (and repeatedly) while on vacation in late summer with my better half on Sirius. The above lyrics are among my very favorites of the entire year.

10.  Born in Love by Horse Feathers.

"So color came from grey
It's gone from worse to good then great
Something realigned
Was it destiny and not fate?"

Yep, an honest-to-goodness love song! Sung by a guy in a Carhartt cap and denim shearling vest, no less.

11.  Once in My Life by The Decemberists.

"Oh for once in my
Oh, for once in my life
Could just something go
Could just something go right?"

Very different from most of Mr. Meloy's songs, when I first heard it I thought of it as more of a secular prayer than an ordinary song. I think the video, and Colin's notes about the video, confirm my feelings.

And, yes, we end this year's list with yet another song from The Decemberists. I'm an aged fanboy, what other defense do I have?