March was absolutely loaded with fantastic music releases. So good, in fact, that I’ve had to expand this list’s belt buckle to accommodate the supersonic songs that were dropped in March. Here are my favourite songs of March, 2013…
Honourable mention:
Little Daylight – Overdose
Phosphorescent – Song For Zula
Phoenix – Entertainment
Wildlife – Dangerous Times
Atlas Genius – If So
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Sacrilege
Young Galaxy – Fall For You
Pickwick Hotel – Hacienda
Puscifer – Breathe
How To Destroy Angels – Too Late, All Gone/How Long
List:
15. Kisses – The Hardest Part
Fresh, summery, potent.
14. Plumb – Say Your Name
Pure pop and pure exultation to the altar of melody.
13. Alabama Shakes – Always Alright
A really, really, really good tune on record. Live, as seen/heard below, it jumps up several levels; a hypnotizing beast.
12. Emeli Sande – Next To Me
I’m extremely late to this party. I don’t care. “Next To Me” is a wonderful pop tune, lyrically, musically, vocally.
11. Purity Ring – Grammy
A Soulja Boy cover. And it’s bloody brilliant. Better than the original.
10. The Postal Service – A Tattered Line Of String
Welcome back boys. An elevating, elastic earworm.
9. Youth Lagoon – Mute
A slow-motion merry-go-round of a song. It’s 6 minutes, but when I listen to it, I feel like I’m lost in it for hours.
8. Wavves – Demon To Lean On
Wavves are back with hooks piled sky high. Outlandishly catchy. They’re on to something big here.
7. Surfer Blood – Demon Dance
I dedicated March to demons and loved every second of it. Hot seat, cool breeze.
6. Daft Punk – The Robot Makes It Get Funky
In a month of supernova releases, it took Daft Punk all of 15 seconds to find themselves (high up) on this list. 15 seconds. I shouldn’t have expected anything less from the Teachers. Imagine if it were a full track? The robot makes it get funky — always.
5. We Are Wolves – Sun
Out of nowhere. “Sun” doesn’t sound like anything else, and that’s only part of what makes it so incredible. Hooks so plentiful you’d think it was Marc Jacobs’ closet. I hope this song finds the ears it deserves — it’s incredible.
4. Chvrches – Now Is Not The Time
One after another after another after another. Hit after hit after hit after hit. Yawn. Chvrches are doing pop like no one else, and they’re also doing it better than anyone else. Pop saves lives when it’s this good, it’s just so elusive to get to this point. What Chvrches have done thus far in their short but incredible career is not music-by-numbers, but music-by-magic, the hardest trick in the book to pull off. I’m flabbergasted, amazed, and preaching, part of the choir, already and vehemently, loyal to my Chvrch.
3. The Dream – Slow It Down
The Dream is an uber-successful producer. He’s written hits for so many. He smartly saved this massive hit for himself. The whole song is one entire hook. It’s hard for a song to get more pleasant to the ears, but when he says, “enough with the muthaf***ing dance songs, you gotta slow it down,” he’s criminal, vicious. Fabolous is also fantastic on his guest verse.
2. Biffy Clyro – The Thaw/Biblical
What a statement. I’d quite liked “Many of Horror” and “Bubbles” from Biffy Clyro’s last album, Only Revolutions, but hadn’t known much else from their catalogue. Things have changed. Their new (double) album, Opposites, has forced itself upon me with such relentless vigour. Biffy Clyro are a special band, and they’re going for the title belt with this record. The album is so good I could isolate at least 10 tracks worthy of praise, but I’ve listed the two that I’ve listened to most. “Biblical” is a fantastic single, and will play as part of encores in huge arenas. “The Thaw” is just as good, endlessly catchy and emotionally resonant. Scotland is on fire.
1. Justin Timberlake – Mirrors
The one song that stands above the rest on The 20/20 Experience. “Mirrors” is an aural epic, and it gets better with every listen. It’s the only outright “hit” on the album. It’s too bad that’s the case, but as a standalone track, it’s one of the best JT’s ever done.
The Pun Is Sure 