We made it! Most of us mostly intact. 'Twas a slim year for me, live music-wise, but did get out a little bit, enough to see one of my favorite artists twice and an old friend at Mountain Stage once. But more about that later.
We begin my list of favorite songs of 2022 with a recent list favorite. Hope you enjoy!
23. Sidelines by Phoebe Bridgers.
"Watching the world from the sidelines
Had nothing to prove
'Til you came into my life
Gave me something to lose."
Perhaps second only to she-who-is-not-yet-named, Ms. Bridgers has appeared most frequently on the list in the last few years. I like this song a lot, but perhaps not as much as ... 22 others this past year. The release of this song gives us some hope that we'll hear more from Phoebe in 2023. But in the meantime, she's busying herself with production work - and you'll find out more about that in the last iteration of this year's list.
24. Wild by Spoon.
"Trippers and askers, they surrounded me
All them describing how they'd like me
All them wanting somethin' special
Bring 'em roses, sing them blues."
Sounds like someone's not all that comfortable with ... comfort. Always admire Spoon for keeping true to themselves, yet being fresh at the same time. Comforting, one might say. Check out their album "Lucifer on the Sofa." For the name, if nothing else.
25. Scab Song by Dora Jar.
"I've got a brain in my head
I've got a brain in my head and it thinks as hard as Einstein ever did
MC squared equals E
That's the theory of relativity
And how are you relative to me."
This year's silly pop song entry, about ... a scab on Dora Jar's leg. Don't judge me.
26. The Lightning I, II by Arcade Fire.
"I heard the thunder and I thought it was the answer
But I found I got the question wrong
I was trying to run away but a voice told me to stay
Put the feeling in a song."
So nice to hear an Arcade Fire song that sounds like Arcade Fire. Makes me feel all ... 50 again.
27. A Real Thing by The Beths.
"Picking up the tires from the side of the road
Gonna push back the coming tide
Laying down beside them like I'm in on the joke
Wake me up when the world is fried."
One of several songs on this year's list that sound like the female-lead power pop bands of the '80's. but with better musicianship. This song appears to have a decidedly un-'80's theme, though -- guessing the "Real Thing" is global climate change.
28. Talk by beabadoobee.
"A crowded place, waitin' for you
Am I lost? Why can't I find you?
A silhouette that's in my head
You don't exist, you're my imagination
You don't exist, you're just a bad decision."
Seems as though 2022 (or more likely 2021) was/were bad year(s) for relationships - love gone bad songs abound on this year's list. Another song that puts me in mind of The Go-Go's or the Bangles.
29. Soberish by Liz Phair.
"I already told you
It was love at first sight
And that's a frightening notion.
I'll hold the light
And you can read me what we owe."
A middle-aged love song. But a love song nonetheless, for a change, from "alt-rock icon" Ms. Phair.
30. Sweet Memory by Geographer.
"Sweet memory
Burning like a candle
At the bottom of the sea
I don't believe in love, and
It doesn't believe in me
All I have is my sweet memory."
One of those "happy sounding sad songs." Geographer returned to the list last year after a long absence. And now here he/they are again, a year later.
31. Reprise by The Lumineers.
"Callin' on your neighborhood
Tell me who to like
Everyone's a friend
Every now and then
Tell me who to like."
"Reprise" as in a different version of "Brightside," the first song on The Lumineers' latest album, also called Brightside. I like this version better. My friend Dave likes Brightside better. And I'm okay with that.
32. Hometown by The K's.
"Hometown, playing all his favorite songs.
In the sun, in the sun, in the sun.
Put 'em on, put 'em on, put 'em on, put 'em on."
Admittedly, I've gotten a little lazy and depend on google to tell me what the exact lyrics are for a song. Or most of them, anyone. Hometown is apparently sufficiently obscure to not warrant their publication. So the above lines are a guess. Seems clear I like this song mostly because of the driving guitar, not the lyrics, huh?
33. Stay Out of It by Michigander.
"It feels like everybody's talking
But nobody's ever listening
And it breaks my heart because I know I can't
Stay out of it."
Michigander is/are Jason Singer (good name for a singer!), originally from Kalamazoo in the Mitten State. As if the name wasn't enough to put Michigander on my radar, I love the bouncy beat, and, yes, the singing.
Stay tuned for the second edition of the list coming soon.
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