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 Songs of 2015 - Songs 1-11

Some years I go back-and-forth between my top five or ten songs and this year was no different -- as it should be I suppose as my "favorites" change as I hear new songs throughout the year. The top three songs this year have been there for quite some time however, although their order changed at one point or the other.

In the end, though, I couldn't escape the fact that one song, however unusual the lyrics, or occasionally (how to say this politely?) screechy (okay, that's not polite) the singing, is my favorite of 2015. And it's this one:

1. Sister Cities by Hop Along.

"In the hospital,
You talked about thumbing down that
truck ride for the first time ...
And the false friend
kept his back turned,
that’s when you learned
The fierceness of man,
again.
How long it took to reach the sister cities.
And then somehow make it back
Just to tell me
'Yeah, I guess I’m still
pretty mad.'"

It's hard to explain why exactly this is my favorite song. The lyrics are sad and disturbing, the vocals lovely at times, grating at others. And yet it's still there. Over and over in my head, on my playlist, on my list. Maybe it's the xylophone ...

2. Until the Night Turns by Lord Huron.

"I had a vision tonight that the world was ending.
Yeah the sky was falling and time was bending.
We spent our last night in the moonlight...
Baby it's so bright we'll be up all night.
I got a helluva view for the end of the world.
I've got a bottle of booze and a beautiful girl.
If I'm going to die I'm gonna go in style."

The second best concert I saw in 2015. And the second best song of 2015 by my estimation. Don't know what is with me and apocalyptic songs ...

3. A Beginning Song by The Decemberists.

"And I am waiting
Should I be waiting?
And I am wanting...
Should I be wanting?
When all around me
When all around me ..."

 Perhaps the sweetest, most hopeful song ever written by the "hyperliterate" (I read that somewhere and thought it suits him) Colin Meloy. Saw them with brother and son in Charlotte the day after my birthday this year. One of the five best concerts I've ever seen.

Colin Meloy at The Filmore in Charlotte. (photo from me)

4. Jackson by The Pollies.

"Wake up mama we got a little
We got a little to do.
Get the children they gonna...
Wanna hear it too.
Six Hundred Strong across that
Edmund Pettus Bridge.
We won't stop for the lawman
'Til it gets fixed."

A soaring song of tragedy and perseverance about a forgotten hero of the Civil Rights movement, Jimmie Lee Jackson. By four white guys from Alabama. Sounds like progress to me.

5. Seventeen by Sjowgren.

"If you want a second to breathe,
I'll give you all of my love,
I'll give you all that you need....
Don't worry,
I'm not in a hurry.
Not going nowhere,
I'm not going nowhere."

No, I don't even know how to pronounce the band's name. But this song is completely addictive from the first piano chords to the crescendo. More please!

6. Getting Ready to Get Down by Josh Ritter.

"Momma got a look at you and got a little worried.
Papa got a look at you and got a little worried.
Pastor got a look and said 'y'all had better hurry...
Send her off to a little Bible college in Missouri.'

And now you come back sayin' you know a little bit about
Every little thing they hoped you'd never figure out.
The Red Sea
The Dead Sea
The Sermon on the Mount.
If you want to see a miracle watch me get down!"

Almost another spoken word song, but mostly because there are so many words ... Saw him live at Mountain Stage recently -- the only other artist I can ever remember being so genuinely happy to perform was Bruce Hornsby. If Ritter is performing live somewhere near you, go see him!

7. Pretty Pimpin' by Kurt Vile.

"But I couldn’t tell you what the hell it was supposed to mean.
Because it was a Monday, no a Tuesday, no Wednesday, Thursday, Friday ...
Then Saturday came around and I said “Who’s this stupid clown blocking the bathroom sink?”...
But he was sporting all my clothes;
I gotta say
Pretty pimpin'."

A song with really clever lyrics but if you just listen to the lyrics, you'll miss how beautiful, and complex, the music is.

8. No No No by Beirut.

"Don't know the first thing about who you are.
My heart is waiting, taken in from the start.
If we don't go now, we won't get very far....
Don't know the first thing about who you are."

I love Beirut's sound, although I'm hard pressed to describe it.

9. All Your Favorite Bands by Dawes.

"I hope that life without a chaperone is what you thought it’d be.
I hope your brother’s El Camino runs forever.
I hope the world sees the same person that you always were to me....
And may all your favorite bands stay together."

I missed them at their latest Mountain Stage appearance and am the poorer for it, but saw them on what I believe to be their first time on the show. A great song of love lost, but remembered, and appreciated.

10. Depreston by Courtney Barnett.

"You said we should look out further;
I guess it wouldn't hurt us.
We don't have to be around all these coffee shops....
Now we've got that percolator,
Never made a latte greater.
I'm saving
Twenty-three dollars a week."

A song with great lyrics that make the banal interesting and the unknown sad. Really doesn't do it justice to only post some of the lyrics. Great album title as well ("Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit").

11. Rock & Roll is Cold by Matthew E. White.


"You said you found the soul of rock and roll
You said you found the soul of rock and roll
Hey hey, rock and roll it don't have no soul...
Everybody knows that
Everyone knows.
Everyone knows that rock and roll is cold."

Great gospel/blues sound here. Plus my love of choruses singing things like "ooo la la la la ooo la la" is well documented.

Hope you enjoyed this year's list -- see you next November!

Favorite Songs of 2015 - Songs 23-33

Gather round boys and girls. It's that time of year, when we hear tales of a divine birth, jolly elves, and flying reindeer. And get to listen to what I think is some pretty good music. So much good music that, unlike past lists that were limited to 30 songs, this year's offering includes three bonus tracks!

As in prior years, the list is limited to songs released in 2014 or 2015. And that's about it as far as rules go. You'll hear a variety of songs that could be variously described as alternative, indie, pop, Americana, soul, and maybe even country.

Oh, one disclaimer: while a few of these songs may appear on one critic or the other's "best of" lists, I  do not profess to be a critic. Just an appreciator. And I hope you will appreciate at least a few of these offerings.

23. Fool for Love by Lord Huron.

"I stare into the endless sky
And the sordid tale of my life goes by.
I drift into the great unknown
And I really don't know where I'm going."

Missed Lord Huron at Bonnaroo in 2013 (despite E's best effort to the contrary), but caught them live this summer in Columbia, SC. They've made prior lists before, and will again later on this year's.

Lord Huron at the Music Farm in Columbia, SC. (photo by me)

24. Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon.

"We were victims of the night.
The chemical, physical, kryptonite.
Helpless to the bass and the fading light.
Oh we were bound to get together,
Bound to get together."

Admittedly a lightweight song lyrically. But so darn catchy. The pop song of the summer of 2015 for me.

25. Cavalry by Kingsley Flood.

"I've been thinking I've been drinking, I've been scraping rust.
I've been keeping clean, the frames that have collected dust.
Monday nights I watch the fights, on Thursdays I play cards.
But maybe just this week, I'll skip out on both."

Thought this was a standard breakup song until I studied the lyrics some more. It's clearly about the protagonist and his family - though I'm not sure if he's leaving home, or just asking them to get their house in order before he does.

26. Perth by Beirut.

"Blood on the sand
Paint on the water.
I skipped around
Asking for you."

Beirut, too, has appeared on past lists and will reappear on this one as well. Their album No No No is one of my favorites of the past year.

27. Waiting for My Time to Come by Colony House.

"I'm just waiting on the seasons to change.
Waiting for the curtain to fall.
I could lose my cool
Like a restless fool.
But I'm waiting for my time to come."

Horns and a big chorus of fresh-faced youngsters - what's not to like? I dare you to watch the video and not be at least a wee bit happier than you were four minutes earlier.

28.  Rollercoaster by Bleachers.

"Now I'm running and I won't stop I don't wanna go.
I think about it everyday and night, I can't let go.
And, hey, I'm never the same.
It's a hundred miles an hour on a dirt road running away."

A repeat of sorts as Bleachers' I Wanna Get Better was Number 5 on last year's list. Can't help but hear a little Billy Idol in this one.

 29. How'm I Gonna Find You Now by James McMurtry.

"I remember when I met you I's in love in one fell swoop.
You had a blade in your pocket and a rag in your belt loop.
Guys a hoverin' 'round the bar like gulls on the ocean
At the end of your shift just in case you got the notion.
Watch you washin' all the glassware, poetry in motion.
I'd a roped the moon for you.
How'm I gonna find you now?"

A Dylanesque largely spoken word song from a Dylanesque songwriter.

30. What Kind of Man by Florence + The Machine.

"What kind of man loves like this?

To let me dangle
at a cruel angle.
Oh my feet don't touch the floor.
Sometimes you're half in
and then you're half out.
But you never close the door."

I think there are more bands fronted by female singers on this year's list than ever before. And if that's the case, Florence has to be among them, doesn't she?

31. Bullets by Wild Child.

"Oh, I'm so glad, you found a cure.
It was so sad when you weren't sure.
I know you think, we need to talk.
You said, those regrets will burn a hole
In my black and withered soul.
You're gonna think I'm wicked when I walk."

See what I told you about female singers? I've always liked incongruous songs and this is one - a bouncy beat masking some pretty depressing lyrics.

32. Make Me Do It Again by Jim Noir.

"Come through the door,
Tell me more.
Make it up,
Make me feel,
Make me do it again."

Sounds like a Beatles' song to me. Sorry, can't find a link to a video for it.

33. You Must Have Met Little Caroline? by JD McPherson.

"Do you feel like I feel
Half a dozen times a day
When the lights go out
And your thoughts drift away?"

I've seen JD twice in person -- once at Bonnaroo in 2013, then again this year at Mountain Stage. Great rockabilly sound that's even better live. And, yes, I feel I know him well enough now to call him by his first name.

Favorite Songs of 2012 - Songs 1-10

1. Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men.

"There's an old voice in my head that's holding me back.
Well tell her that I miss our little talks.
Soon it will be over and buried with our past.
We used to play outside when we were young, and full of life, and full of love."

As with 2011's Number 1, Little Talks is one of the first "new" songs I heard in 2012, and it remained my favorite all year. Horns, interplay between male and female voices, and a bunch of folks yelling "Hey!" - what's not to like?

2. It's Time by Imagine Dragons.

"So this is what you meant.
When you said that you were spent.
And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit
Right to the top.
Don't hold back."

The lyrics seemed especially fitting on New Years' Eve, facing an abyss and the promise of a new year at the same time.

3. Some Nights by fun..

"But I still wake up; I still see your ghost.
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for most;
Oh, what do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don't know. Anymore."

Love the harmonies, but love the rat-a-tat-tat snare drum even more.

4. Trojans by Atlas Genius.

"Take it off; take it in.
Take off all the thoughts of what we've been.
Take a look; hesitate.
Take a picture you could never recreate."

A song about love lost, but not forgotten.

5. Ho Hey by The Lumineers.

"So show me family.
All the blood that I will bleed.
I don't know where I belong.
I don't know where I went wrong.
But I can write a song . . ."

Heard it a lot. Still not tired of it.

6. Money Saves by Delta Spirit.

"They all said what you had, you let it go.
Like managing a hurricane, let it blow.
With your money save, your money save.
Well I alone yes I alone with you."

Not very fond of the new album as a whole, but think this song is great. The video is just a teaser, not the whole song.

7. The Myth of Youth by Geographer.

"Everything was simpler then.
Nothing gained, no one losing.
We held the future in our hands.
Now we've got nothing but the present."

A lovely song, not of love lost, as much as love just slipping away. Not an authorized video, but it is on YouTube.

8. Gimme Twice by The Royal Concept.

"Oh one thing that's in mind is that The Strokes's in town;
You'd rather sip through all your fancy wine
Then come alive once more.
Oh but this time I decide."

They do sound a little like The Strokes, but more like another previous list-topping group. Can you guess who?

9. Shackled and Drawn by Bruce Springsteen.

"Gambling man rolls the dice, working man pays the bills.
Still fat and easy up on bankers' hill.
Up on bankers' hill the party's goin' strong.
Down here below we're shackled and drawn."

My favorite song from The Boss's excellent latest album. Another video from a concertgoer.

10. East Harlem by Beirut.

"Sound is the color I know, oh,
Sound is what keeps me looking (for your eyes).
And the sound of your breath in the door,
And, oh, the sound will bring me home (again)."

Is that a flugelhorn I hear?