Favorite Songs of 2025 - Songs 1-11

If I may be so bold, the following 11 songs may make for a festive New Year's Eve playlist. Hope you enjoy them!

1.    Spangled by Fust.

"They tore down the hospital 

Out on route 11.

I'm not sure what happened 

Seems like repossession.

And I'm not one to try to get 

All the way to Heaven.

But I can't even mention 

The last place it was relevant.

Now I can't even mention 

The last room I may have been in it, so

Give my love to Amy 

Give my love to Kevin.

They tore down the hospital

And I'm left floating 

In room 305."

 

Since I first heard "Spangled" and then many of Fust's other songs from the excellent "Big Ugly" album it was destined for the top of this year's List. And, no, not because of the Kevin reference above. Fust frontman Aaron Dowdy is a Ph.D. candidate in literature at Duke. His father's family has deep roots in Southern West Virginia (hence both Big Ugly, which references an area in Lincoln County, WV and many of the songs on the album which contain West-by-God themes). He's originally from Appalachian Virginia having lived in Bristol, VA. And Fust's alt-country sound seems to be where I lean (although not exclusively) these days. Also check out "Gateleg" (with perhaps my favorite lyrics of the year: "I still remember you walking down the mountain with that gateleg you built her; 'Cause you remembered that the car was propped up on cinders at Jerry's lot; He can't put it back together but, boy, he can take it apart"), "Goat House Blues," "Jody," and "Mountain Language" from Big Ugly.

2.    Little Acts Of Violence by Ray Bull.

"I'm in a theater

Your voice is coming through the speakers

I always knew you were a singer

I never stopped to ask you nicely

Do you like me?

Do you like it when I talk back baby?"

Doesn't sound like the happiest of family lives for Ray Bull (Aaron Graham and Tucker Elkins). But there's something about this song, as divorced from my life as the lyrics may be, that both attracted me to it in the first place and had me listening all 2025 long.

3.    Nothing I Need by Lord Huron.

"I fell asleep, and when I woke up, she was there

With her long black hair and her ice-cold stare.

She made me wish that I had never let her go

I threw away our love on the g**damn road

But I see her face everywhere I go."

 

Once again falling just short of the top spot, Lord Huron are back on The List with this tale of regretted love lost. "Nothing I Need," however, is their ninth song on one version or another of The List. Also recommended as worth a listen from "The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1" are "Watch Me Go" and "Used to Know." Yes, the Lord's name is used in vain therein. Repeatedly.

4.    Dancing in the Club by This Is Lorelei - MJ Lenderman Version.

"I lay down in that street

My favorite city's artery

And I stared into the moon

Like it was staring back at me."

Yet another lost love/hangdog loser song. But this one featuring This Is Lorelei and MJ Lenderman (whom we saw in April with Jeff and Deborah). You can listen to the original version (without Lenderman or his voice) here, but I much prefer this one. Language warning for this one, kiddos.

5.    Bury Me by Jason Isbell.

"Well, I ain't no cowboy, but I can ride.

And I ain't no outlaw, but I've been inside.

And there were bars of steel, boys, and there were bars to sing

And there were bars with swingin' doors for all the time between."

About as pure country as any song that's ever appeared here. I was surprised to find that Isbell has actually bested Lord Huron's List frequency with ten appearances, including his (with the 400 Unit's) most excellent cover of Metallica's "Sad But True."

6.    The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man) by Car Seat Headrest.

"Signs point in every direction

Advertising a one-night heaven

Got no clue what's driving us

Blind as hell and burning up with your love."

 

Back after a long (eight year) break, Car Seat Headrest reappear with "The Catastrophe," a song from their concept album/rock opera "The Scholars." Welcome back boys (and, no, I have no idea why Will Toledo is wearing a mask while singing in the video). Bonus lyrics: "Is my love true? Are you still afraid of me? Can you make it work? Is this kind of dumb? Does it put the ram in the ramalamadingdong?

7.    Red by Jesse Welles.

"There's a deep swamp and I'll drain it

For my people are in danger

Who would've ever thought the Deep State

Were the National Park rangers?"

I try to avoid most things political these days. But this one is just too on-point to ignore.

8.    Royal by Goose.

"Dancin' on a two top singing

Heart beating in his hand

Twisted up bad

Like a wet bar rag

Back on the road again."

 

I was somewhat incredulous when Goose, essentially a jam band, made The List in 2023 because of my long held loathing of ... well, basically any jam band. Yet here they are back with "Royal" a song about a road-weary musician. I suspect Rick Mitarotonda's voice has a lot to do with that.

9.    Pablo Picasso by Matt Nathanson.

"You strung a wire, higher across the sky

Made me forget my name and my fear of heights

Didn't have to ask me when I ran that thing twice

Like I was born with wings."

Yes! An actual love song. And from an artist who generally seems to prefer reminisces of love lost. Good on you, Mr. Nathanson. And if you are for some reason in need of an(other) example of disillusionment (in love and more broadly) check out "Whitney Houston's National Anthem" recorded with the Indigo Girls (featuring this great couplet: "Your brother used to come around the house; He knows better than to pull that bullsh!t now"). Language warning for both, as you might have guessed at least for the latter.

10.    Well I Know You're Shy by Horsegirl.

"What happened out there?

I wish it was me

What happened out there?

Well, I know you're shy

If you listen to me, you'll know

I wanna say, 'Hi,' in your window."

Just a fun, catchy, bouncy song from Chicago's own Horsegirl. "La-di, da-di, di, di."

11.    Stone Cold Killer by Proton Pool Party.

"All of the roads lead to home

Where you lay I will

Show you the song I was working on.

The weeks go on.

We don’t talk as much because

You got off on the wrong stop."

 

Probably the most obscure song on this year's List, with 162 views on YouTube as I compose. Another Irish band, another song about ... not love lost but clearly teetering on the brink. 

Hope you enjoyed this year's (timely!) effort. Stayed tuned for more new music in 2026.

Favorite Songs of 2022: Songs 1-11

We've come to the top of the list a little later than most years past, but hopefully not too late for you to appreciate my favorite eleven songs of 2022. 

1. Returner by Gang of Youths.

"Now I live by a motto, just like Assou-Ekotto

And it's 'F___ you and pay me,' it's a line I respect.

A below-average shooter, I'm hardly Batistuta

But the vision, the motivation I get."

We complete our Australian-centric list, naturally, with another artist from Down Under. Gang of Youths have made the list several times before. This is my favorite song from their excellent album Angel in Real Time because of the above lines and their soccer references, as well as the Pacific Islands chorus. Because my friend Charlie, also a GOY fan, says this is his least favorite of all on the record, I'm going to break the rules and give you a second song, a number 1.b., if you will, which is likely the most-played song from Angel in Real Time - In the Wake of Your Leave.

2. Rubberneckers by Christian Lee Hutson.

"I'm a self-esteem vending machine

A doctor's office magazine.

A funhouse at the county fair

A staircase to nowhere.

If you tell a lie for long enough,

Then it becomes the truth.

I am going to be okay some day,

With or without you.

With or without you."

The next three songs are all in the running for my favorite lyrics of the year. I believe that it's hard to find a word in this song that is out of place. If you listen closely to the chorus, you'll likely hear the voice of an artist mentioned in the first edition of this year's list with the promise that she'd reappear. She also produced Hutson's album Quitters, along with her frequent collaborator Conor Oberst.

3. Blush by Matt Nathanson. 

"And when the sun is getting lower

And your wildest days are done.

And they ask you about a photograph

From back when you were young.

Baby, you don't have to tell 'em

What you did when we were us.

But when you think about it

I hope you blush,

Just a little bit.

When you think about it

I hope you blush."

Another song about lost love, but one fondly remembered. The "We looked good, we looked good, we looked good" chorus makes me smile everytime I hear it. And I also really like the words, and the feel, of this song overall as well.

4. Canola Fields by James McMurtry.

James McMurtry at Mountain Stage.

"And there's not much moving on the romance radar

Not that I'm craving it all that much.

But I still need to feel, every once in a while

The warmth of a smile and a touch.

In a way back corner of a cross-town bus,

We were hiding out under my hat.

Cashing in on a thirty-year crush.

You can't be young and do that,

You can't be young and do that."

The (now long ago) aforesaid old favorite I got to see in 2022, at Mountain Stage. As already mentioned, I have a hard time deciding whether these lines are my favorite ones of 2022, or whether one of the two songs immediately above contain them.

5. American Teenager by Ethel Cain.

"I do it for my daddy

And I do it for Dale

I'm doing what I want and, damn

I'm doing it well.

For me, for me,

For me, for me."

Quite the backstory for Hayden Silas Anhedonia a.k.a. Ethel Cain (according to Wikipedia, anyway). Her voice reminds me of an American Dolores O'Riordan (of The Cranberries). A lovely, haunting song.

6. Country by Good Morning.

"Yeah, I think it's a little bit different now

I got a boyfriend and I got a psych.

I know that one really cares about me,

And, at least, that the other one tries."

Yet another Australian band, although honestly they sound very American to me (again - guess I just need to give up trying to figure that out). A really catchy song with great lyrics about a lost friendship - but I love the instrumental intro and outro best of all.

7. Time Escaping by Big Thief.

"Desert ground so cold and clean

Spreading out like a magazine

Reading the dirt like gossip.

What do the weeds say? They say:

'Everything, everything, everything falls through

Each dimension breaks in two

Like the two hands clapping ...

Like the two wings flapping.'"

So many really good songs on Big Thief's double album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You. This is my favorite, but if you're inclined, check out "Certainty," "No Reason," and "Little Things" too.

8. Love Is Yours by Flasher. 

"It's like a knock on the door,

I've never heard it before,

You have me opening, oh so naturally.

It's better than the real thing,

I'm seeing 2020,

You got me missing what I didn't know I need."

One of several songs (numbers 2, 5, 6, and 11 are the others, to be precise) from artists in the Top 11 that I didn't know before 2022, but am glad I do now. Flasher sounds like a cross between The Dandy Warhols and The New Pornographers to me.

9. Here to Forever by Death Cab for Cutie.

"Oh, these days it's so hard to relax

You gotta hold a gun to my back

To make me smile

To make me smile."

Sounds like our old friend Ben Gibbard spent the pandemic contemplating his mortality. Completely understandable.

10. Free by Florence + The Machine. 

"I'm always running from something

I push it back, but it keeps on coming.

And being clever never got me very far,

Because it's all in my head.

And 'You're too sensitive,' they said.

I said, 'Okay, but let's discuss this at the hospital.'"

Florence has appeared on the list several times before - she's back and strong as ever. I don't think I've ever said this before, but that harpist can jam! "And for a moment, when I'm dancing ... I am free." If only we all could be.

11. Rewind by Daybed.

"And I hoped maybe time would slow

Feels like the end of a road

With all the friends I used to know."

And here I thought Hometown was an obscure choice. This song now has 144 YouTube views (and at least four are mine). I love the music on this one (particularly the banjo). Apparently Daybed = Reagan Smith, the banjo player of The Oh Hellos (which, I guess, explains why the banjo is so good).

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 2011 - Songs 11-20

The middle ten of my favorite songs from this year (or, in some cases, last).

11. Down by the Water by The Decemberists.

"All dolled up in gabardine
The lash-flashing Leda of pier nineteen
Queen of the water and queen of the old main drag."

I don't pretend to understand what Colin Meloy's getting at here, but I like it just the same.

12. You Are a Tourist by Death Cab for Cutie.

"When you find yourself the villain

In the story you have written,

It's plain to see.

That sometimes the best intentions
Are in need of redemption
Would you agree?"

Saw them live this year too, at Merriweather Post Pavilion along with Frightened Rabbit.

13. Faster by Matt Nathanson.

"You bite my lip.
You spike my blood.
You make my heart
Beat
Faster."

 A ridiculously sappy-sweet love song. But (every once in a while) there's nothing wrong with that.

14. California (Hustle and Flow) by Social Distortion.

"Well, I was born, babe, with nothing to lose
But the black man taught me how to sing the blues
Made a little life outta rock ‘n’ roll
And that crazy California hustle and flow."

Another ol' fashion rock 'n roll song.

15. Boeing 737 by The Low Anthem.

"I was in the air when the towers came down
In a bar on the 84th floor.
I bought Philippe Petit a round,
and asked what his high wire was for.
He said, 'I put one foot on the wire,
one foot straight into heaven.'
As the prophets entered boldly into the bar
on the Boeing 737; Lord, on the Boeing 737."
 

An angry, cacophonic (is that a word?) song about 9/11. But why a 737 when the planes were 767's?  There's an artsy video too, but I like this one better.

16. Heart in Your Heartbreak by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

"She was the heart in your heartbreak;
She was the miss in your mistake.
And no matter what you take,
you're never going to forget."

Sounds like '80's pop punk to me.

17. Walk by Foo Fighters.

"I'm dancing on my grave.
I'm running through the fire.
Forever, whatever;
I never wanna die."

If Kurt Cobain had lived, I have to think that musically he'd be more like Eddie Vedder than Dave Grohl these days. Not that there's anything wrong with Vedder's music, but thank goodness that Grohl's still rockin'.

18. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall by Coldplay.

"I turn the music up, I got my records on.
From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song.
Don't want to see another generation drop;
I'd rather be a comma than a full stop."

Yeah, they might rip off Radiohead (although this songs sounds more like U2 to me). Yeah, the lyrics may be "wussy" as the younger male member of my family insists. But I like it, and it's my list.

19. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People.

"Robert's got a quick hand.
He'll look around the room, won't tell you his plan.
He's got a rolled cigarette, hanging out his mouth he's a cowboy kid.
Yeah, found a six shooter gun
In his dad's closet hidden with a box of fun things, I don't even know what.
But he's coming for you, yeah he's coming for you."

  

The song of the summer -- a bouncy pop treat -- until you listen to the lyrics.

20. The Ballad of Mona Lisa by Panic! at the Disco.

"Say what you mean.
Tell me I'm right and let the sun rain down on me.
Give me a sign - I wanna believe."

While the lyrics say he wants to believe, the video says he's already written her off.