I believe this is a particularly strong second set of songs this year. Songs 12-17 all spent some time in my Top 11 at various points in 2022. Enjoy!
12. Running with the Hurricane by Camp Cope.
"And if is the bottom,
I can show you what to do
There's no other way to go
There's no other way to go ...
The only way out is up.
And I'm keeping up."
Not the first time this band from Down Under has been on the list. But a little less "punkish" this time, and perhaps even a little Southern twang thrown in for good measure? I think Camp Cope is keeping up and growing up.
13. Blue Hours by Bear's Den.
"Why won't you just stay with me? Why do you lie?
Why's there always something keepin' you up at night?
Don't act like you're so hard to find
I know where you hide, I know where you hide ...
In the blue hours."
One of my new discoveries this past year (along with the already-mentioned Caracara and at least two yet to come), I really like Bear's Den, particularly their lead vocalist (and that bass line). I was surprised to learn Bear's Den are from England - they sound very much like an American band to me.
14. Tennessee Dust by Henry Grace.
"Riverman shining shoes
Singing Appalachian blues
Drinking black coffee.
Was a fire in his soul
And it rang like rock and roll
Roared like a freight train."
Took us a long time to get to the first Americana song on this year's list. I hope you agree it was worth the wait. I like it enough that I even forgive Henry for singing "App-ah-lay-chan" not "Ap-puh-lah-chn."
15. Tonight by Phoenix (feat. Ezra Koenig).
"I take all the blame
Is it hard to understand?
When it's all the same
I've played all the games
And lost almost everything.
Now I talk to myself and it's quite surprising."
Much like the Arcade Fire song in the last installment, it's so refreshing to hear a Phoenix song that sounds like Phoenix. And bringing Ezra Koenig (of Vampire Weekend fame) along for the ride doesn't hurt a bit either.
16. That's Where I Am by Maggie Rogers.
"I found a reason to wake up
Coffee in my cup,
Start a new day.
Wish we could do this forever
And never remember
Mistakes that we make."
Another real love song, about friends who became something more than that. Haven't done the research, but I'm guessing that this is probably the most watched video of any song on the list this year.
17. Did You Say Such a Thing by John Mellencamp (feat. Bruce Springsteen).
"What people say about me
Don't amount to much
I guess some may be true
But who can you trust
Did you say such a thing?
How come you said such a thing?
This year's The Boss singing backup entry, which is definitely becoming a regular thing. I'm a longtime admirer of both. This entry demarks the line on the list, which appears at a different place every year, between those songs that I liked and those that I really, really liked.
18. Colorglut by Caracara (feat. Anthony Green).
"Is this a wedding or a funeral? I can't tell by the attire
Hunting for a beat
Like Serengeti beasts
I was listening to Dirty Projectors in a Volvo by the freeway funeral pyre."
The opposite of Bear's Den - I would have guessed that Caracara are from England, except for the fact that they spell the song name Colorglut, not Colourglut. Sure enough, they're from Philly. Can't not include on the list a song that references Dirty Projectors (and a Volvo).
19. Somebody Desperate by The National.
"That wasn't me
I don't know who that was
That was somebody desperate
Someone in love."
A pretty, sad song, not about love lost, but instead love never found.
20. Kissing Lessons by Lucy Dacus.
"I asked her how to win my man
And she said, 'I know just the thing'
Gave me lipgloss and a hair toss
And, after school, a lesson in kissing."
The she-who-was yet-to-be-named in my first edition of the list, my significant other and I got to see Ms. Dacus live twice this year. The first in Charlottesville, when she played guitar (and still rocked!) from a couch for most of the concert because of a bad back.
21. Just Around the Corner by JD McPherson.
"I'm so glad I live
Right around the corner from you
So happy I don't know what I will do
Please don't go
Find somebody new
Oh I'm about to live right around the corner from you."
I didn't realize until posting the list on Facebook that this is in fact a cover. Since I didn't have a separate covers list this year, we're leaving it where it's at. Always love to hear from JD and his rockabilly style.
22. Alaska by Pinegrove.
"When we landed in Orlando
And the local time was 11:11
The pilot had his eyes closed
Through that opalescent open road."
Seemingly fully recovered from their unfortunate hiatus, Evan Stephens Hall and friends were back with a familiar sound, and some confounding lyrics.
The Top Eleven is on its way soon - stay tuned!
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