Tag: Favorite Songs (Page 1 of 6)

My pre-list State of Music comments are pretty simple this year: 2020 felt like a weak musical year. I don’t know whether to blame that on Covid, me getting older and having to fight changing tastes harder, or that it was just a rough year for good tunes. There are some high quality tracks in this list, but I’m not sure there are many that I will go back to over-and-over in the future. Videos for each song are embedded in the list, with a Spotify playlist of all 22 tracks at the end of this post.

We begin with a couple bonus tracks. These are two 2019 songs that I discovered and fell in love with too late to make last year’s list.

“Fading Out” – Wintersleep
I wish I knew the story on this song. It was released at least three times over the past 18 months in various formats. I don’t know when I first heard it and how I should slot it in. Because of that confusion, I’ll add it as a bonus track. Regardless, another really good entry in the Wintersleep catalog.

“What It Is” – Angel Olsen
I missed this song last year, mostly because I only gave Olsen’s All Mirrors album a single listen and then moved on to other things. Thank goodness some of the DJs at SiriusXM put it into high rotation in the early part of 2020 and I was able to give Olsen’s genius the props it deserves.

20 – “Streelight Blues” – Squirrel Flower
This track perfectly captures that melancholy feeling when something great is about to end. I hear the last night of summer. But it could also be the end of a romance, the end of a period in your life, the death of the American experiment with democracy, or anything really.

19 – “I’ll Be The Death of You” – I Break Horses
I don’t know if this qualifies as an electronic song, but it is certainly electronic-ish, proving if you have the right mix of synths and beats, you can still make your way into my year-end list. I just love the layers this track is built upon. It is epic, mysterious, and sensual.

18 – “Kyoto” – Phoebe Bridgers
So many of Bridgers’ songs are emotionally punishing tracks that leave you drained if you give yourself over to them in full. Yes, there is heaviness in this song – it is Bridgers beating herself up for struggling to relax and enjoy special moments that she has longed for – but there is also a lovely brightness that makes it stand out.

17 – “The Garden” – Briston Maroney
Maroney released his Miracle EP in late 2019, and two songs from it were in contention for the 2020 list. This got the nod since it was released as a single in 2020. I love the unexpected path it takes. It is quirky and jerky and builds to a nice stretch of loud, cathartic noise.

16 – “Berlin” – Fenne Lily
Fenne wrote this about learning to live on her own during a month spent in Berlin. 2020 was a year we all had to learn to be on our own a little more than normal, and this was an ideal summation of that experience.

15 – “Alien With a Sleep Mask On” – Ratboys
A true banger. My first favorite song of the year. Life was much simpler last January.

14 – “Never Destination” – Pearl Jam
Some folks thought PJ’s latest album, Gigaton, was one of the best of their career. While I liked it more than any of their albums since 2006’s Pearl Jam, I wasn’t as all-in as those folks.

But this track crackled with an energy reminiscent of their earliest, best days. It just lacks the brooding darkness of the ’90s that made those songs so special and leaves this one as merely “pretty good.” Which, you know, is still pretty good!

13 – “Sweeter” – Leon Bridges featuring Terrace Martin
The most impactful song of the year. Inspired by the death of George Floyd, Bridges dropped a modern classic that can stand next to songs like “A Change Is Gonna Come.” The big difference, though, is that for all the pain in Sam Cooke’s voice on “Change,” he was sure that the pain would be worth it as better, more just times were ahead. Bridges, on the other hand, insists that while he hopes for a brighter future, reality keeps telling him that is impossible. His disappointment and sadness are devastating.

12 – “Overseas” – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Goddamn, Isbell can write a great song. I don’t always love them; I rarely connect with his more country-tinged tunes. But when he rocks, his music pulls me in so I can appreciate his lyrics. And they always shine.

11 – “Rock & Roll” – Trace Mountains
Take a lot of mid–00’s Belle and Sebastian and add a healthy dose of The War on Drugs, and you get this ripper.

10 – “Noonday Devil” – Cartalk
There was a glut of great new music at the beginning of the year. This fell right in the midst of that, when it looked like 2020 would be a great year for music. And then Covid ruined everything. This is just a lovely, dreamy track that has a strong connection to the alt rock of the mid–1990s.

9 – “Smoke” – Jess Williamson
This fits right in that sweet spot where indie rock meets folk meets country, which, as long as it doesn’t get too twangy, suits my ears just fine.

It also features my favorite couplet of the year:

Every couple months, I like to be bad
Tell me what you want, I’ll put it on my tab

Awww yeahhhh…

8 – “Pure Shores” – Eliza Shaddad
For years I refused to include covers in my year end lists. I’m sure I had some argument for that policy that seemed reasonable at the time. I dropped that stupid rule a few years back. Thank goodness I came to my senses, because that would have prevented this stunning track by the amazing Shaddad from getting recognized.

I had never heard the original, performed by All Saints for the soundtrack for the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach 20 years ago, but apparently it struck a nerve with Shaddad, who was absolutely giddy to cover it. She covered the hell out of it, too, taking a very New Millennium pop track and shifting it to her distinctive, cinematic sound to make it truly epic.

7 – “Cameo” – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Bear with me here, because I’m going to take a very long streeeetch to connect this with another classic Australian song.

Fran Keaney said he wrote these lyrics one night after failing to connect with a person he was interested in. On his walk home he imagined an alternate reality where things had worked out and they spent their lives together.

Believe it or not, that story makes me think of the Little River Band’s 1978 hit “Reminiscing”. Purely from a thematic standpoint, obviously; they don’t sound anything alike. I’m probably nuts but I like to think that, somehow, LRB was in the back of Keaney’s head on that fateful night, and helped to provide the emotional highpoint for the excellent Sideways to New Italy album.

6 – “Carousels” – Doves
Rare is the band that can step away for a lengthy stretch and then return sounding as strong as ever. Doves pulled off that trick this year. Arriving after an 11-year hiatus, their The Universal Want was one of my favorite albums of the year. And this track captured all that was great about their original sound while throwing in a few new angles.

5 – “Cheap Regrets” – The Districts
Here’s what The Districts singer and guitarist Rob Grote said about this song:

““Cheap Regrets” is some late capitalist nihilism channeled into a Districts dance party. It’s about the extremes of American culture constantly reinforcing the self. The mirror reconfirms you. It’s all iPhone, selfies, and mirrors. Sell yourself baby. The consumer gets consumed. I wanted people to dance together to a song about alienation to find some collective transcendence in that.”

I don’t know about all that, but I do know that this is an absolute JAM. It sounds like it could be from 1982, 1994, 2004, or right now. Baby.

4 – “Ghosts” – Bruce Springsteen
A totally triumphant return by Bruce, his finest song since at least 2002’s “The Rising,” and quite possibly since back to his 1980s prime. It’s classic Bruce: massive, made to be played to the back rows, and filled with showcases for the E. Street Band. Those gorgeous, ringing, open chords are exactly the sound of joy and community we needed this year.

3 – “On the Floor” – Perfume Genius
Michael Hadreas has built a career making painfully honest songs. Songs that despite their critical praise, have never fit my tastes.

Until I heard this incredible track. The swagger and liquid buoyancy that carries it drew me in. And then I heard Hadreas’ voice, which is brimming with the confidence of someone who is sure he has found the love he has been seeking.

Yet that confidence gets broken down and you hear the uncertainty and anguish inherent to a relationship based more on lust than love. A “he loves me, he loves me not,” for the modern era. Or, more correctly, “Should I love him, or should I not love him?”

2 – “Walk in the Woods” – Snarls
Ahh, what’s better than teenage love? Teenage love that is filled with drama, of course!

This song, by a bunch of Columbus kids just barely or not yet 20, bored into my head with its simple honesty and emotion.

When Chlo White shouts “I’M WAITING ONNNNN YOUUUUU, TO MAKE IT WOOOOORTH THE WHILE…” in the final chorus, it sounds the climactic scene of a 1980s teen romance.

1 – “Can’t Do Much” – Waxahatchee
Katie Crutchfield has been making glorious music for years. But it took a toll. After taking a break to get sober, she returned with her strongest collection of music so far, the wonderful Saint Cloud album. It arrived just as the world was shutting down in March, which was perfect timing. Not that it is an album about the end of the world, but rather because it is filled with light and warmth. It served as a counter to all the craziness that was taking over the world as we slipped into quarantine. This song, and Katie’s story, was a reminder that even when things are at their worst, they will eventually get better.

This was not a classic year for music. There were only a couple albums that I listened to more than a few times, only one of which that I went back regularly over the course of several months. There were long stretches in the year when there were no new songs that I was crazy about. But there were still enough solid songs for me to make my annual list.

You may notice some trends. A strong presence of female vocalists. So many Australian acts. A bunch of songs that I would describe as “warm.” And definitely a lot of songs that rock and are built more for stadiums than clubs. As always, I offer both a Spotify playlist and individual YouTube videos.

Bonus Tracks:
Here are three songs that are all from 2018 but were among my most-listened-to songs of the year.

“All Be Gone” – Buffalo Tom
There were two songs on my Favorite Songs of the Decade list that were about passing into your 30s and leaving the carefree days of your 20s behind. I believe this is the first song about drifting into middle age that I’ve ever liked. Which is kind of a bummer, because it’s 100% about where my generation is at the moment. “But now my time behind is greater than my time ahead…”

“In This Time” – HAERTS. A terrific, Fleetwood Mac-eque song. Both in tone and in content, this sounds like something Stevie Nicks would have sung on Rumours.

“Light On” – Maggie Rogers
This was probably the last song I cut from my Favorites of 2018 list. I dropped it because it was relatively new and though I was thoroughly in love with it, I wondered if that love would last. Turns out it did, and I cranked the volume way up every time I heard I heard the song in 2019.

Now my favorite songs of the year.

20 – “Darkness” – Pinegrove
In a year when I kept Ryan Adams off of my Favorite Songs of the Decade list because of accusations of sexual misconduct against him, I struggled with whether to include this track. Pinegrove’s Skylight album was recorded and set to be released in 2017 before lead singer Evan Stephens Hall was accused of “sexual coercion” by a former partner. The album was shelved, the band was dropped by their label and went on hiatus, and Hall disappeared from the public eye.

In late 2018 the band released Skylight on a new label and the music world grappled with how to deal with it and them. As details emerged from Hall’s relationship, it was clear that his situation was not the same as Adams’. Hall was publicly contrite, admitted misjudging his former partner’s wishes, went to counseling, and became an advocate for men treating women with respect. That seemed to do the trick as the album got good reviews and was not shunned by those in charge of airplay.

This song slips into the sweet-spot that shows the very best of Pinegrove, a sound that isn’t quite Americana or folk nor straight indie rock. It is warm and draws you into its embrace.

19 – “Skin Game” – DIIV.
Written based on Zachary Cole Smith’s experience in rehab, this paints a bleak picture of both getting into and out of addiction. The music is pure, dreamy, 1990s shoegaze goodness.

18 – “Satellite” – The Get Up Kids
Despite being from Kansas City I never got into The Get Up Kids. I have several friends who are fans and, upon each new TGUK release, would message me and ask what I thought. To which I always responded, “Meh…” The band was always just a little too emo for me.

That changed with this track. They dial back the emo elements, crank up the amps, and choose to just rock out. And I was totally down with that.

17 – “Call Me Snowflake” – Middle Kids
My favorite new band of the decade continued to impress, this year releasing an EP that was packed with fine songs. This was my favorite, as it had an edge to it that was a departure from their past songs, along with that weird, 1990’s-vintage extended outro.

16 – “In the Capital” – Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Back-to-back Aussies! When this dropped in February, it seemed like this was a sign it was going to be a very good music year. Alas…

Still, yet another great song from one of the most reliable bands going at the moment.

15 – “temporary tantrum” – pronoun
I think this qualifies as a banger. A hopeful song about being in the worst moment in a relationship but realizing there is a way out.

14 – “A Bathtub in the Kitchen” – Craig Finn
I’ve never connected with Finn’s solo work as much as I have with the songs he’s written for The Hold Steady. This one, though, was gorgeous. It is a tale of an old friend who has gone down a hole that you’re not sure you want to help them get out of. Or at least offer the kind of help they are asking for.

It features poignant lyrics, to be sure, but it was the sound of this song that really struck me. Finn was friends with Scott Hutchison, and I hear a lot of Scott in the music on this track. It could have easily been a Painting of a Panic Attack B-side.

13 – “Little Trouble” – Better Oblivion Community Center.
Phoebe Bridgers makes the list for the second-straight year as part of a super group. Or in this case, duo. She joined her musical hero Conor Oberst for a collection of absolutely delightful songs as BOCC. Amazingly, this track was not included on their album and only released as after their tour wrapped up. I’m not sure what they were thinking leaving this off the disk, but am so thankful they decided to share it with us.

12 – “Am I Doing It Right?” – Alex Lahey
This checks a few boxes. Big, bold, power-poppy track by a female singer. An Australian artist. A song I can listen to again and again. Check, check, and check.

11 – “Calm Down” – Pete Yorn
Yorn opened the millennium with one of the great rock records of its time, the legendary musicforthemorningafter, an album that is loaded with classic tracks. He’s remained active since, but the quality of his output has been in a steady decline. It’s not that his later songs were bad, but rather he was chasing muses that weren’t as ear-wormy as his turn-of-the-millennium music.

Here, though, he recaptures much of the magic of his early days. A bright, radio-friendly track that was a delightful return to form.

10 – “They’ll Never” – Stef Chura.
We need more songs like this. It’s just a straight, kick-ass rock tune. You hear Chura’s home state of Michigan in that opening riff, which has a “Fell In Love With a Girl” tinge to it. You hear ‘90s college rock. And you hear New York circa 1980, when punk was breaking down and evolving into New Wave.

9 – “The One Who Breaks Your Heart” – SONTALK
One of the most harrowing songs of the year, Joseph LeMay wrote it after considering the idea that his wife might divorce him because of his mental illness. You can hear every ounce of that pain and fear in this massively emotional track.

8 – “Silver” – DMA’s
DMA’s make no secret about their influences. In their perfect world, these 21st century Aussies would have been in mid–90s Manchester, battling with Oasis for biggest band in the world. “Silver” is a huge, majestic ballad made for getting the massive crowds at Glastonbury swaying with their lighters and cell phones raised in the air as the sounds wash over them.

7 – “Turn To Hate” – Orville Peck
In a time when artists like Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, and Sturgill Simpson have challenged the normally rigid boundaries of country music, none of them are anywhere in the ballpark of this, surely the most unexpected great song of the year.

Peck is a 30-something Canadian. His sound is an intoxicating mix of classic country, rockabilly, and classic crooner music. He sounds equal parts Johnny Cash, Elvis, Roy Orbison, and Billy Idol.

And then there is his appearance and lyrics. Peck performs in glammed up western wear and a cowboy hat with long fringe that hides his face. His lyrics are unmistakably about relationships with other men. Not your standard Nashville fare.

I nearly put Maren Morris’ “Girl” on this list. It is a badass song of female empowerment that sounds way more pop than country. But Nashville has a long history of embracing powerful women as exceptions to its normal rules. There’s never been anyone in country music like Peck, whether he’s truly a country artist or not.

6 – “Twist” – Wintersleep
I was reluctant to dive into Tiny Changes: A Celebration of Frightened Rabbit’s The Midnight Organ Fight. I was still struggling to reconnect with Scott Hutchison’s music just over a year after his death. Although these covers, done by bands he selected and with his input before his death, were recorded to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Frightened Rabbit’s masterpiece, The Midnight Organ Fight, there was no way not to think of Scott’s passing when listening to the songs. Indeed, I only listened to the album a couple times. But three songs stuck out, and this one in particular.

Wintersleep takes the lovely swing present in the back half of the original and builds the entire song around it. The original has a haunting quality thanks to the spare instrumentation it opens with. On Wintersleep’s version, they open big and keep getting bigger, something Scott surely appreciated when he heard it. Doing so, they shake off that starkness and sense of foreboding and create a warm, inviting track that turns into a celebration.

This may be heresy, but I think I like it more than the original.

5 – “Not” – Big Thief
This is appearing near the top of just about every Best Of list I’ve read over the past couple weeks. That makes sense, as this is the most aggressive, most unforgettable track Big Thief has offered us in their brief but prolific career. It crackles with an energy from start-to-finish that was unlike anything else I listened to this year.

4 – “Head Alone” – Julia Jacklin
I have an odd relationship with Jacklin’s music. Her songs that I like, I really like. But some of her songs I find too sleepy and precious. Fortunately she makes more songs that I like than don’t. And this one is fantastic.

3 – “Hypersonic Missiles” – Sam Fender
Fender seems to be a big freaking deal back in the UK. It’s a shame he hasn’t had the same impact here in the States, because his music draws from several huge American influences.

There’s no mistaking the Springsteen sound on this track. It’s there from the beginning, especially in the guitars, but explodes on that massive sax solo in the song’s center. This is a jam for those who lament the death of rock ’n’ roll. It has that muscular sound that would be at home in any era when guitars and amps ruled the radio waves.

2 – “Stay With Me” – Hatchie
In a year where there weren’t many albums I listened to over-and-over, nor artists who captured my attention more than momentarily, Hatchie was the one exception. Brisbane native Harriett Pilbeam’s debut full-length album was a stunning disk, filled with bright, dreamy songs that borrowed from a number of influences ranging from Robyn to My Bloody Valentine to Cocteau Twins to the Cranberries to ABBA.

This was the biggest, brightest, most undeniable song on the only album that I could not stop listening to this year.

1 – “Weird Ways” – Strand of Oaks
Timothy Showalter has a large collection of stunning songs in his career. He tops them all here, on what has to be a career-defining track.

After hitting a stretch of artistic uncertainty, he invited members of My Morning Jacket into the studio to help him shake the cobwebs. What began as an effort to rediscover what he loved about music became a formal collaboration, with the MMJ guys serving as his backing band for the Weird Ways album.

Here he sings of that moment of despair when he wasn’t sure where his career was going. The groove the MMJ guys lay down is just so, so good. Showalter’s lyrics are as deeply personal and emotional as ever, and he sings them for the back rows. Indianapolis native Carl Broemel’s epic guitar solo pushes the song even higher. A song I can listen to over-and-over again.

Well shit, I’m late. Last week I looked back and saw that I released my Favorite Songs of the 2000s on November 23, 2009. I was aiming to post this decade’s list on December 1 but when I saw that date, I figured I better get my shit together and drop this on your heads. Besides, I haven’t even started on my Favorite songs of 2019 and the Christmas music starts rolling on Friday, so time is a wastin’!

I’ve spent a lot of time on this list, becoming borderline obsessive about it for the past month or so. As I often point out this is weird because a few weeks, months, years from now I will likely rank these songs in a completely different order. So why waste so much time on it? Because that’s what music freaks do, that’s why. If you are one, too, you understand.

So here they are, my 25 favorite songs of the 2010s offered for your enjoyment in text, Spotify, and YouTube formats.

25 – “Night Shift” – Lucy Dacus
No. 1 song of 2018
I would likely knock this down a notch or two if I were to re-do the 2018 list today. One song that was behind it a year ago appears much higher on this list. Sometimes songs that are great in the moment don’t stick with you.

But this is a legitimately great song, a classic slow burner that grows and grows until it explodes and kicks every last bit of your ass. The last 2:20 are one of the very best stretches of music from any artist this decade.

24 – “To Know You” – Wild Nothing
No. 1 song of 2016
In one of the great upsets of the decade I ranked this above not one but two Frightened Rabbit songs as my favorite of 2016. That was, primarily, because this song stuck with me for so long. It seemed like it got played for months on SiriusXM and I never wanted to flip to something else when I heard it.

Chillwave got a bad rap at its peak, and it has now largely faded away. This was the genre’s final and greatest moment.

23 – “Your Eyes” – Bombay Bicycle Club
No. 11 song of 2011
The 2010s will go down as the streaming decade, the period when most folks finally turned their backs on the iTunes Music/Amazon Music stores and signed up for Apple Music or Spotify. Rdio was an early contender in the streaming space, and I still think it had the best interface, the best music recommendations, and the best way of showing new music each week. RIP.

BBC was a band that I discovered on Rdio because so many other people with similar interests were listening to them. I kept seeing the cover for their album A Different Kind of Fix in my recommended feed and finally gave it a listen. I loved it immediately. This song’s driving beat and dizzy ending made it the song that stuck with me the most.

22 – “Myth” – Beach House
No. 3 song of 2012
Relationships are built upon myths. When those myths get shattered, it can be devastating. Victoria Legrand perfectly captures the feeling of that moment of recognition. “What comes after this/momentary bliss. The consequence/of what you do to me” is one of my favorite lyrics of the decade.

21 – “Pray for Rain” – Pure Bathing Culture
No. 5 song of 2015
That beat, those layers of synthesizers, that steady and subtle guitar riff, and Sarah Versprille’s vocals. They combine to form an undeniable song.

20 – “Recovery” – Frank Turner
No. 3 song of 2013
While at its core a song about being in the absolute depths of a bender to get over someone, Turner’s music and delivery make this seem like a song more about hope than despair.

19 – “Cold War” – Janelle Monáe
No. 2 song of 2010
What a decade for Ms. Monáe. The Kansas City native began the decade as one of the brightest and most original new stars in music, regardless of genre. She was super talented, independent, and a little weird, defying categorization.

By the end of the 2010s, after being mentored by Prince, she had released arguably the best soul album of the decade, filled with songs that were the closest thing to classic Prince since his heyday. Songs like “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Pynk” had his fingerprints all over them.

But it is this song, from her 2010 album The ArchAnroid, that stuck with me. Likely because there is an emotional element to it that is different from the rest of her music. While so many of her songs are based on fictional versions of herself, this song always felt like it was a rare moment of honesty that was about the real Janelle.

Monáe also had the quote of the decade. After years of rumors about her sexuality, she came out in 2017 as “Pan-sexual” as she called it. “I’m a free ass motherfucker” she said in an interview. Here’s to all the free ass motherfuckers in the world.

18 – “The Diamond Street Church Choir” – The Gaslight Anthem.
No. 7 Song of 2010
The Gaslight Anthem’s specialty were songs of places. This is perhaps TGA’s most specific song in terms of place. It refers back to New Brunswick, NJ’s Court Tavern club and the promoter who first hired The Gaslight Anthem to play there, kicking off their career: Andy Diamond.

That connection to where the band came from should resonate with anyone who has left home in an attempt to do bigger things. I don’t know that this is the best song in The Gaslight Anthem’s collection, but it is likely their most universal.

17 – “Head Underwater” – Jenny Lewis
No. 6 song of 2014
Lewis’ album The Voyager was an amazing, honest assessment of her life. She wrote about getting older, about not having a family when women around her did, and about the double-standards women everywhere face.

Here she sang of losing it a little, whether because of depression, addiction, weariness, or some combination. There’s a lightness to the music that tempers the weight of the lyrics. I remember when they first hit me and I thought, “Oh damn, that’s some deep shit!”

It seems to be a song about weathering the storm, finding inner strength, and escaping from whatever it is that is holding you back. But there is a sinister element to the title. Does putting her head underwater, closing her eyes, and becoming free at last refer to a rebirth, a baptism to a new life? Or is it about being in so much pain you choose to end your life? I’m pretty sure she was singing about the rebirth thing, but there’s just enough doubt in there to make it a chilling final line.

16 – “Depreston” – Courtney Barnett
No. 2 song of 2015
Barnett arrived on the scene a thoroughly original voice. Singing with her Australian accent proudly apparent, she told stream-of-conscious tales about the most mundane elements of life, in a languid delivery that made it near-impossible to not call her a modern practitioner of stoner or slacker rock. In time she proved she was much more than someone who could write funny songs about everyday things. This song was the first step in that process.

It’s all about transitioning into real adulthood. Not the moving out of your parents’ house, finding a job, etc. stage of adulthood. But rather when you’re ready to take on a partner and a mortgage, move out to the suburbs, and settle down. There’s that little sense of sadness that comes from leaving the “fun” world of your early 20s behind for a more placid existence. And there is her unmatchable eye for detail that she uses to explain her mixed feelings about replacing the woman who built a life in the house she is walking through.

15 – “Believe” – Amen Dunes
No. 2 song of 2018
I have an obvious soft spot for songs about lost mothers. I can’t remember a more stunning one in recent years than this brilliant track.

As Damon McMahon was writing the Believe album, his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Their relationship had been fraught and difficult over the years, but her illness forced him to reevaluate his feelings for her. This song serves as a conversation between them – I always think of it taking place in her hospital room – as they come to terms with each other and decide to spend her final days together in peace.

This is one of those songs I recall hearing for the first time and being utterly mesmerized by the music.

14 – “Down Down the Deep River” – Okkervil River
I obviously deal a lot in nostalgia. For better or for worse, there’s a big chunk of my brain that has always been devoted to recalling the past, putting it into context, and trying to recapture what it was that made those moments special. Okkervil River’s wonderful 2013 album The Silver Gymnasium is all about nostalgia, specifically about lead singer Will Sheff’s childhood in the 1980s.

Here he begins innocently enough, harkening back to the days of taping your favorite shows off the radio. But the tone shifts dramatically to the first moment in our lives when we are forced to confront the death of someone dear to us.

This song did not chart in a year-end list as it was released in 2013 but I didn’t discover it until 2014 and refused to put it on my Favorites of 2014 list. Because of that I nearly forgot to put it on this list. Just another reminder that my music rules are dumb.

13 – “He Gets Me High” – Dum Dum Girls
No. 1 song of 2011
I remember hearing this song very early in 2011 and thinking, “It’s going to take a lot to keep this out of the top spot this year.” It had a big, bold, swaggery sound that blew everything else that year away.

The Dum Dums had my No. 1 song of 2011, No. 2 song of 2012 (“Season in Hell”), No. 17 song of 2014 (“Too True to Be Good”), and leader Kristin Gundred in her Kristin Kontrol persona had my No. 6 song of 2017 (“Baby Are You In?”). That’s a pretty good decade.

12 – “The House That Heaven Built” – Japandroids
No. 1 song of 2012
What The Hold Steady’s Boys and Girls in America was to the 2000s, Japandroids’ Celebration Rock was to the 2010s. It was an album that so wonderfully captured what it is like to be young, restless, and a little wild that I wished I was 20 years younger so it could be about me and my generation.

On an album that can’t be called anything other than fucking kick ass rock music, this was the big highlight. A song made for playing in the heart of the summer, with a car full of friends, when you have no real place to be, so you just drive fast and far, with the windows down, screaming along to the “OH OH OH”s.

11 – “California Nights” – Best Coast
No. 1 song of 2015
The song that Bethany Cosentino was born to sing. It was about California, getting high, and being in love, the three things she sings about most. Put them all together, add her finest vocal performance, and you have the defining song of her career.

10 – “80 West” – Caveman
No. 5 song of 2016
Caveman was a band with so much promise. They landed four songs on my Favorites lists this decade, got plenty of critical acclaim, and may have even sold a few albums.[1] But they seem to have disappeared since their 2016 album Otero War. If that was their final artistic statement, it was not a bad one. Especially here, a relatively mellow track that slowly builds but rather than breaking like a wave, picks you up and carries you along with it.

9 – “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” – Against Me!
No. 2 song of 2014
Who knew that an album by a fairly obscure power-punk band from Florida would serve as an opening salvo in one of the great debates of the decade?

Laura Jane Grace wrote the album, of which this is the title track, to document her experience transitioning from a man to a woman. The album is stark and deeply affecting; Grace dumps all of her emotions and experiences onto the record. It is a remarkable album not just because of the subject matter but also because it is just a freaking great rock ’n’ roll record.

On this track she sings of what it is like to be viewed, judged, and ridiculed by people who are uncomfortable with her appearance during and after her transition. “You want them to see you like they see every other girl. They just see a faggot…” is one of the most brutal lines of any decade.

I don’t know that we have figured the transgender thing out yet as a society. Laura Jane Grace added a powerful, undeniable voice to the cause in 2014.

8 – “Edge of Town” – Middle Kids
No. 23 song of 2016
Another song that stuck around for awhile. Originally released in the spring of 2016, it hung around throughout the year. As the calendar turned to 2017 it suddenly began getting a lot more airplay, and received another boost when Middle Kids’ debut EP came out that April. And, to be honest, it never went away for me. It’s a song that I go back and listen to often still. It is also a song that I ranked woefully low its first time around. It should have been much higher in the 2016 list. Had I allowed myself to rank it again in 2017 it likely would have been top five for that year.

All that should demonstrate both that I love this song, and that it is arguably the best debut single of the decade. It eases open with that gentle riff that recalls Frightened Rabbit’s “The Modern Leper.” Then Hannah Joy comes in with that little warble in her voice that shows the influence of American country music on Australian pop music. When the entire band joins her, it becomes something special. It just keeps building and building until the beguiling final stretch, where Joy keeps singing about something being on her mind. I’ll admit, I feel like a dirty old man every time I hear it.

7 – “Call Your Girlfriend” – Robyn.
No. 7 song of 2011.
Robyn had my fifth favorite song of the last decade, the wonderful “With Every Heartbeat,” a song about finding strength in a moment of heartbreak.

Here she spins that concept another direction. She’s talking her new man through the process of letting his old girlfriend down easy. It is sweet, thoughtful, and tender, yet there is no doubt that Robyn is going to win.

Robyn redefined dance music this decade. Her Body Talk album, which was originally released as a series of EPs and, thus, landed two songs on two different Favorite Songs of the Year lists, combined classic dance music with introspective lyrics, a dash of hip hop, and a whole lot of Swedish swagger to turn Robyn into the fiercest artist in music. Oh, and this is the best video of the decade, too.

6 – “Desire” – Lydia Loveless.
No. 4 song of 2017
I have no idea why, but Loveless did not include this on her most excellent 2016 album Real. That decision was made more baffling by the song’s central use in the documentary Who Is Lydia Loveless?.

Thankfully a year later she released it as a single[2] and it became my favorite song of hers.

This is a big, badass song about being the other woman and not being pleased about it at all. It is perfect for Loveless’ voice, allowing her to stretch out and really go for it. It is a completely epic performance.

Sadly, it’s the last thing we’ve had from Loveless. She’s active on Twitter, but has mentioned many times her disgust with the music industry. I hope she comes back.

5 – “Motion Sickness” – Phoebe Bridgers.
No. 15 song of 2017
Bridgers is the current “It” girl of indie rock. Her 2017 debut Stranger in the Alps was highly regarded upon its release, and as each year passes its stature grows a little more. Although Bridgers has yet to release a proper follow-up, she has stayed in the public eye as part of the supergroup boygenius, with Conor Oberst in Better Oblivion Community Center, joining Matt Berninger on his solo debut, and through the release of several covers on her own.

This song is the standout from that debut LP, and it is perhaps the best Diss Song of the decade. Despite her gorgeous, soft vocal tone, her lyrics are absolutely savage. Regarding a former lover, she says that she “faked it every time,” she hates him for the way he treated her, suggests her ex-lover talks so much there aren’t enough words to shut him up, labels him a hypocrite, accuses him of using a fake accent to advance his career, and calls him an old man. When she revealed the song was about her brief relationship with Ryan Adams, those “Oh snap!” lyrics turned into “OH SHIT!” words. That reveal gave the song’s title a new meaning, too. Adams suffers from Ménière’s disease, which causes motion sickness-like symptoms. Bridgers seemed to be saying, “Oh yeah, bitch, well that’s how you made me feel, too!”

Of course, knowing what we know now about Adams and his relationships with women, the song has even more power.

Beyond some fantastic lines and a titillating celebrity diss, Bridgers’ music and delivery are what truly makes this a great song. You’re left not certain whether this is an anthem of survival or a song of deep despair, but are moved despite that ambiguity. And you are certain of Bridgers’ talent.

Side Note: On Ryan Adams.
Man, I loved some Ryan Adams music this decade. In the past I thought he was a real prick, but when I heard his self-titled 2014 album, I fell in love with it and gave his music another chance. And I got sucked in big time. There was a stretch when I don’t know that I listened to any other artist more than Adams. However, given the accusations against him, I’ve barely listened to his music over the past year. I believe I will be able to listen to it again someday. There are plenty of artists that I listen to often who were terrible people. But, for now, I can not include any of his songs in this list.

4 – “Valleys of the Young” – Andrew Bird
No. 4 song of 2016
I will always associate Bird with parenthood. I knew his name from hearing a few of his songs on good, old WOXY.com. But I really discovered him when he appeared on the Noggin kids channel program Jack’s Big Music Show in 2007 as Dr. Strings. That’s about the same time I first heard his song “Plasticities,” which was my 5th favorite song of 2008 and my 26th favorite song of the 2000s. He became a point where my preschool girls and I could connect over good music that I loved and hoped they would appreciate as well.

Fast forward a few years to when Bird got married and was ready to begin a family of his own, and we get this song. It is an absolutely harrowing yet gorgeous examination of the perils of parenting. First, there is the leaving of the comfortable world of the single and the childless, the Valleys of the Young. And then comes the real bitch: having children means you will spend the rest of your life fearing all the terrible things that can happen to them. That final verse is an absolute ass-kicker, backed up perfectly by the biggest, loudest, rockiest section Bird has ever put into one of his songs.

3 – “FootShooter” – Frightened Rabbit
No. 1 song of 2010
It’s still hard for me to listen to some of FR’s songs, now over 18 months since lead singer Scott Hutchison’s death. There are still too many lyrics that were tough to listen to before his death that are now near-impossible to hear knowing how they can be directly tied to how he ended his life.

This song escapes that trouble, though. What Scott often wrote best about were the embarrassing moments that went along with being in a relationship. Every single line of this song is brilliant and unforgettable. Especially his chorus, where he warns his ex-lover to “lock up you ears my dear, I am verbal, when I am loaded.” Any chance he has to repair the relationship is going to be destroyed when he gets drunk, says whatever he thinks, and shoots himself in the foot again.

Where this song really shines is in the tone, which is unlike most FR songs. I’ve always said this is the sound the Coldplay could have had if they had stayed indie and not tried to be the next U2. The arrangement is rich and gorgeous. The lyrics relatable, if a little too honest for the pop charts. The bridge seemed made for a big, dramatic scene in a romance movie. And those “OOOOOOOH, OHHHHHHHs” at the end should have sold a million copies.

FR also had the No. 10 song of 2012 (“State Hospital), No. 1 song of 2013 (“Holy”), No 2 and 3 songs of 2016 (“Break,” and “An Otherwise Disappointing Life”), and No. 13 song of 2017 (“Rained On”). Scott and Grant Hutchison also had the No. 20 song of 2018 in the side project Mastersystem (“Notes On a Life Not Quite Lived”).

2 – “The Gold” – Manchester Orchestra
No. 2 song of 2017
The song that wouldn’t die. SiriusXM played the hell out of it in 2017. And deep into 2018. And I still hear it a couple times a month.

That’s because it is simply a great song, full of deep, terrific lyrics and built on the best musical performance this fine band has ever put together. Every section has the perfect transition to the next. From the big moments to the little flourishes, they nail every element of it. Andy Hull has a career of great vocals. This is his finest work. Combined, it is a magical, unforgettable effort by a band that sometimes gets in their own way.

(Phoebe Bridgers did a wonderful cover of this song that I ranked as my No. 4 song of 2018.)

1 – “Red Eyes” – The War on Drugs
No.1 song of 2014
This spot was pretty locked in for TWOD, who were my favorite act of the decade. It was just a matter of what song to put in this spot. Would it be one of the several epic tracks off of their 2017 album A Deeper Understanding? Would it be one of about five songs off my favorite album of the decade, 2014’s Lost in the Dream? Or could it be one of two or three songs off their 2012 album Slave Ambient? I could have easily put any song from that list of eight or nine here and been just fine with the result.

In the end it came down to two songs that were my favorites of their respective years, either 2016’s “Pain,” or 2014’s “Red Eyes.” In the end I chose “Red Eyes” for a couple reasons.

First I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking, “Holy shit, that is amazing!” Granted, I thought the same thing the first time I heard several TWOD songs. But when I heard “Red Eyes”in December 2013, I immediately couldn’t wait for the release of Lost in the Dream, which was still four months down the road. That moment changed how I thought about music for the rest of the decade.

And then there was my favorite musical moment of the decade, which comes at about 1:48 into “Red Eyes,” just before the first chorus, when Adam Granduciel lets out that little “WHOOO!” and the song takes off. That’s the moment when TWOD took control of the decade.

Despite all that, in many ways this is a weird song to select as my favorite. It is hard to sing along to, many of the lyrics being nearly impossible to positively identify. There’s no proper chorus. Hell, there’s no proper structure, going from verse to “chorus” to long bridge back to “chorus.” And then, amazingly for TWOD, there isn’t a guitar solo. Adam Granduciel’s epic guitar solos melted a million faces this decade. Yet I pick probably his only song without one to represent the entire decade.

That should tell you how good this song it. The perfect song to represent the 2010s.

TWOD’s decade: No. 17 song of 2010 (“Comin’ Through”), No. 2 song of 2011 (“Baby Missiles”), and co-No. 1 songs of 2017 (“Pain” and “Strangest Thing”).

I usually offer some State of the Music Union thoughts when I share my favorite songs of the year lists. 2016 got off to a great start and then kind of cruised to the finish. Most of my favorite albums of the year came out during its first six months. There were some albums I was greatly looking forward to that I never connected with. To me, 2016 was a better year for singles than albums. And, because of that, I’m offering my biggest Favorites list ever.

A week ago I was toying with doing a Top 50 list. But I did some whittling, and then some more, and then one more round, and finally ended up with 33 songs. Thirty-three songs? Yep. Partially because I’m throwing out one of my core rules for year-end lists by including two songs from two bands. It was just too hard to pick for each of them. And since all four songs in question were Top 10 material, I figured why keep trying to distinguish between the pairs. Plus, 33 is a magical number when it comes to music.[1]

This year also continues a trend where more and more female artists are on the list. I always wonder why that is. Is it because I have three girls? None of them listen to this music, but perhaps I’m either channeling what I hope they listen to as they get older, or I just want to constantly project an acceptance of strong, independent women to them. Or maybe there are just more great female indie/alt rock artists now than ever before, and my preferences just reflect what is going on in the music marketplace. Or, maybe, women are rocking a little harder than men these days. I continue to be frustrated by how the various indie rock channels – be they blogs or SiriusXM stations or over-the-air radio – have been dominated by more synthy, dances music in recent years. I can handle some of that. But I’m a guitar guy first. I’m thankful at least the women aren’t afraid to rock.

Or maybe it means nothing at all. Probably that.

I would also add that the numbers attached to these songs are a little looser than normal. I don’t know that there’s a huge difference between song #32 and #17. If I did the final list tomorrow instead of today, the bottom 23 songs could be shuffled in an number of different orders. If you listen to them in order, though, you will likely find some songs belong next to each other, whether because of title or sound.

They’re all good songs, though. Which is the important thing.

I’ve included both a Spotify playlist of all 33 songs and YouTube videos for each song. As always, keep in mind these videos aren’t always safe for work.

33 – “For The Weak” – Lily & Madeline. This sister duo, from the north side of Indianapolis, got some positive national buzz for their album Keep It Together. I listened to it a few times and didn’t love it. But this song was the notable exception. And worthy of making the list for more than just being a local act.

32 – “Ludlow Expectations” – Butch Walker. Nostalgia gets a bad rap. Too many art critics dismiss it, for one reason or another. I can’t deny I’m a nostalgic dude, though. And every time I hear this song, it doesn’t just recall the sound of the mid–80s, but it touches something inside me that makes me physically feel like I’m back in that time, listening to music on a Panasonic Boombox while playing Atari and daydreaming about the cutest girls in my middle school.

31 – “Cleopatra” – The Lumineers. As I said when I shared this song earlier this year, I’m not a huge Lumineers fan. But I did come to love this. Probably my favorite song that got a lot of radio airplay this year.

30 – “Too Soon” – DMA’S. It can be tough to draw the line between influence and rip-off in music. These guys, for example, sound straight out of Manchester circa 1994, every element of the nascent Britpop movement packed into their music. Hell, they even dress like they’re from that era. The first time I heard one of their songs, I would not have been shocked to have been told it was an early, lost Oasis song. But when you go all-in, and are totally faithful to those roots, it works. Their album is an absolute joy to listen to, with most of the tracks barreling along unapologetically as this one does.

29 – “Open Your Eyes” – School of Seven Bells. We thought SVIIB was gone with the passing of founding member Benjamin Curtis late in 2013. But surviving member Alejandra Deheza took tracks left uncompleted before Curtis’ death and turned them into finished pieces. Knowing their history – they were friends and musical partners, then lovers, then just friends and partners again – this song, and the rest on SVIIB, have an extra level of emotion attached to them. Deheza’s tribute to Curtis is powerful and touching.

28 – “Dorothy” – Kevin Morby. A) Morby makes the list because he’s the only new Kansas City artist I discovered this year. B) He had a handful of great songs and a generally fine album. C) This song has an infectiousness that you can’t ignore. D) Dorothy was my paternal grandmother’s name. E) Songs about an artist’s instrument of choice are always great.

27 – “Twentynine Palms” – Carter Tanton featuring Sharon Van Etten. A song for contemplative moments on warm, summer nights. Or maybe those hours when summer nights are becoming summer mornings.

26 – “Sleepy Lagoon” – Carl Broemel. The epitome of lazy, summertime music.

25 – “Anxious Animal” – Syvia. There’s a little Metric, a little Fleetwood Mac (the drums), a little glam, and a little shoegaze in here.

24 – “Fading Lines” – Amber Arcades. Swirly, jangle/dream pop goodness. And she’s an internationally respected expert on war crimes. Talk about range!

23 – “Edge Of Town” – Middle Kids. I had been digging this song for awhile when I came across a blurb on a music site than commented on how it sounded like a Frightened Rabbit song. I have no idea how I missed that the opening notes of this song mimic the opening notes of my favorite FR track, “The Modern Leper.” Because once you hear it, you can’t un-hear it. I guess it helps that the rest of the track goes off in a very different direction, and is wonderful in its own way.

22 – “Queens” – La Sera. Just pure, indie rock joy.

21 – “Called You Queen” – Haley Bonar. Bonar’s been making music for a long time, but I just discovered her this year. This terrific rave-up harkens back to all that was good about female, singer/songwriter, rockers of the mid–90s like Julianna Hatfield and Tonya Donnelly.

20 – “Empty” – Garbage. I’m usually pretty skeptical of reunions by once-great bands. It’s one thing to tour. It’s another to make a “triumphant” return to recording music. Usually bands that go away and then try to come back end up sucking. That’s why this song just blew me away. It’s fan-fucking-tastic, arguably as good as anything Garbage did in their mid-late 90s prime.

19 – “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” – Phantogram. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if Phantogram wasn’t a natural progression from Garbage. Although they aren’t a perfect match, there are enough common threads to connect them. Phantogram has been making great, dark, electro-dance pop for years. After collaborating with Big Boi in 2015, they tweaked their sound ever-so-slightly to reflect some of his influence. But, at its core, their music continues to plumb the depths of the darkest sides of romance. I bet life with Sarah Barthel is a wild, wild ride, man.

18 – “My Man” – Valley Queen. A big, rootsy, ass-kicker of a song, filled to the brim with soul.

17 – “Masterpiece” – Big Thief. A massive, clunky – yet beautiful – beast of a song.

16 – “Can’t Understand the News” – Big Search. Such a great song for the melancholy part of the summer, when it’s coming to an end. The line about not understanding the news in a foreign city feels a little more relevant as we begin the Trump era.[2]

15 – “Fountains of Youth” – Local Natives. LN songs are always kind of hit-and-miss with me. This one hit in a big way, as it builds and pulls back and builds and pulls back and finally crashes gloriously.

14 – “Shut Up Kiss Me” – Angel Olsen. I loved, loved, loved Olsen’s 2014 album, Burn Your Fire For No Witness. Although this year’s MY WOMAN got glowing reviews as well, I did not connect with it the same way. That’s fine, because it still offered up this scorcher as a single. It is a huge change from Olsen’s previous sound, which was often dark and somber and vulnerable. This song, however, is loaded with sass and confidence and is completely undeniable.

13 – “Personal” – Matthew Logan Vasquez. Fuzzy guitars, a quick tempo, and a catchy chorus. All you need for a great driving song.

12 – “Antony” – Twin River. Combining 80s pop[3] with War on Drugs guitars? Hell yes! For about 10 days last winter, I thought this was maybe the greatest song ever.

11 – “Same To You” – Lydia Loveless. One of the most honest and powerful singers in the game right now. She has the classic “Midwestern” sound. If you clicked it a couple notches to the right, it would be country. A couple notches to the left, it would be straight indie rock. She’s perfected that space right in the middle.

10 – “Watching The Waiting” – Wye Oak. From their Tween album, which featured tracks recorded between their previous two studio albums, this sounds like nothing else in the Wye Oak catalog. Buoyant, light, happy, and delightful. Sometimes it’s the exception to an artist’s main body of work that most proves their genius.

9 – “Pale Kings” – Shearwater. The single greatest musical moment of the year is the stretched out “RIIIIIIIIGHT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!” that closes this song. And the two choruses just slay me every time I listen to it. The song is the centerpiece of an album that the band described as summing up the discomfort of wanting to protest in an age of relative peace and prosperity. Little did we know…

8 – “Seasons Change” – Nadia Reid. One of the most exciting and promising young voices in music. The depth of this song – and the rest on her debut album Listen To Formation, Look For Signs – is almost shocking given she wrote most of the album while still in her early 20s. I just love the gradual fade-up, which builds to a gentle swagger that demands your complete attention. She just released the lead single off of her next album, which will drop in March, and it’s another stunner.

7 – “Run” Eliza Shaddad. I do love dark, turbulent, cinematic songs. And this is an absolutely epic example of that from this amazing new artist. The song’s slow burn to massive crash is astounding.

6/5 – “Never Going Back”
“80 West”- Caveman
These were two of the three singles Caveman released in advance of their Otero War album, and I absolutely loved them. “Never Going Back” treads awfully close to The War on Drugs’ “Red Eyes,” but it does so respectfully. That would have been something, had it been my favorite song of the year, as “Red Eyes” claimed that honor two years ago. “80 West” is a gorgeous piece of synthy pop. Sadly the rest of the album didn’t match up to these two songs. I saw Caveman open for Frightened Rabbit in April, and they put on a fine show.

4 – “Valleys of the Young” – Andrew Bird. Bird has landed on my year-list at least twice in the past, and I’m a big fan of his more rock-based songs. This might be the best song of his career, though. Written after getting married and having a son, it’s a long rumination on all the responsibilities, pressures, and fears that come with being a parent. It’s brilliant lyrically, musically, and emotionally.

3/2 – “Break”
“An Otherwise Disappointing Life” – Frightened Rabbit.
This was the year I finally got to see my favorite current band live. And twice! Painting Of A Panic Attack shifted FR’s focus a bit, but most of the songs were still centered on difficult relationships. They just weren’t always dying romantic ones.
On “Break,” Scott Hutchison seems to be singing to his brother and bandmate with whom he’s had several public tussles in recent years. I love his acknowledgement that he’s fucked up, and that he is fully capable of repairing the damage, but still leaves it uncertain as to whether he’s going to try to mend what is broken.
“Disappointing” is, to me, the centerpiece of the album. Here Scott sings to his partner, who has become the one, steady, certainty in his life.[4] Everything else might be a mess, but at least he’s done right with her. And, on an album which producer Aaron Dessner intentionally dialed back FR’s signature build-build-crash sound, the explosion of sound in the final 60 seconds is both jarring and reassuring.

1 – “To Know You” – Wild Nothing. For an assortment of reasons, 2016 will not go down as one of my favorite years. I think some of that is reflected in the music on this list. Not necessarily sad songs, but certainly ones that are more inward-focused and layered with tension and/or melancholy.

This song, though, was a big, shiny point of hope that never went away. It first popped up in very late 2015, when I was mostly avoiding new music to listen to holiday tunes. But, still, I noticed it on SiriusXM and it quickly dropped into my high rotation listening list when the holidays ended. Over a year since it debuted, I’m still hearing it a couple times a week on satellite. For nearly six minutes you can set aside whatever ails you – whether it’s the state of the world or something more personal – and get completely lost in this song’s swirling, welcoming layers.