a silent film

Top 20 Songs of June 2015

June was a great month for new music. Here are the songs I listened to most in June:

20. Django Django – Shake And Tremble

 

19. My Morning Jacket – Big Decisions

 

18. A Silent Film – Strong Enough/Message In The Sand

 

17. Walk The Moon – Different Colors

 

16. Mumford and Sons – The Wolf

 

15. Waitress – Hop Along

 

14. Brandon Flowers – Diggin’ Up The Heart

 

13. Ratatat – Cream on Chrome

These Brooklyn cats are such bad asses.

 

12. Muse – Dead Inside

Will and Kathryn from SYTYCD!

 

11. Death From Above 1979 – White Is Red

Probably my favourite tune this Canuck duo have ever done.

 

10. Jamie XX – Loud Places/I Know There’s Gonna Be Good Times

 

9. Awolnation – Woman Woman

One of the many catchy tunes on Awolnation’s latest LP.

 

8. A Silent Film – Paralysed

I’m miffed and sorry that this song and the EP from whence it comes have not not received more attention/YouTube views.

 

7. The Chainsmokers f. Great Good Fine OK – Let You Go

Massive dance anthem deservedly getting a tonne of play.

 

6. Tame Impala – Cause I’m A Man

So unique, so fresh, so good.

 

5. Best Coast – Feeling Ok

Took me maybe 4 or 5 listens before I was hooked.

 

4. Beirut – No No No

Welcome baaaaaack Mr. Condon! So happy new Beirut music has arrived.

 

3. Awolnation – I Am

What a great album from Aaron Bruno and company. Even this sort-of ballad sounds raw and rife with energy. Love the vocal harmonies on this track.

 

2. Ed Sheeran – Photograph/Photograph (Felix Jaehn Remix)

I guess I was out to lunch, as I didn’t know about “Photograph” until recently. I’m not surprised it’s become a worldwide smash; Ed Sheeran is damn near incomparable at writing simple yet affecting melodies and lyrics. The original is great, but I might even dig the remix more. Felix Jaehn is on fire right now.

 

1. Miguel – Coffee

It’s his voice. It’s that melody. It’s that this ‘clean’ version is more hard-hitting than the explicit one. It’s that, “word play, turns into gun play, gun play, turns into pillow talk, pillow talk, turns into sweet dreams, sweet dreams, turn into coffee in the morning.” It’ll go down as one of my favourite lyrics of the year. One of my favourite songs too.

 

Top 20 Songs of April 2015

My 20 Favourite songs of April, 2015:

20. Of Monsters and Men – Crystals

 

19. Walk Off The Earth – Rule The World

 

18. Modest Mouse – The Best Room

 

17. The Mowgli’s – I’m Good

 

16. Courtney Barnett – Depreston

 

15. American Authors – Believer

 

14. Action Bronson – Easy Rider

 

13. Florence And The Machine – What Kind Of Man

 

12. Jack U – Where Are U Now f. Justin Bieber

 

11. Ms Mr – Painted

 

10. Sufjan Stevens – Should Have Known Better

 

9. Tame Impala – Let It Happen

 

8. The Helio Sequence – Stoic Resemblance

 

7. Hot Chip – Need You Now

 

6. Destra Garcia – Lucy

 

5. Dear Rouge – Black to Gold

 

Bonus: Awolnation – Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)

Already made one of my lists earlier in the year, but that beat kept on coming. This song is a monster.

 

4. Brandon Flowers – Can’t Deny My Love

Can’t deny how brilliant and hook-filled this lead single to Flowers’ 2nd solo album is.

 

Bonus: Heems – Soup Boys (from Jan 2013)

Just came across this behemoth. The lyrics are funny and the beat is enticing like cake is with icing.

 

3. Bear In Heaven – Autumn

It’s so easy to get lost in the majestic haze of this song. A testament to its power, as soon as it’s finished, I want to immediately press replay.

 

2. Rihanna – Bitch Better Have My Money (Handbag House vs. Krazy Kat Bootleg Mix)

So absurd. So gitchy. So good. Way, way better than the original.

 

Bonus: Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible (entire album)

I saw these Welsh legends perform The Holy Bible in its entirety when their tour stopped in Toronto — man, am I thankful I decided to go to that show. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t get into this album when it was released in 1994. I’m elated to say that I finally found it. And what a revelation it’s been to me in the brief time I’ve come to know it. It’s massive, melodic, a monument of rock ‘n roll, punk, and art. I’m in love with the entire album, front to back. This album dominated me in April as I played these tracks time after time. Here are a few of the outstanding tracks from that seminal, jaw-breaking record:

 

1. A Silent Film – Tomorrow

Couldn’t get enough of this track. This is a nostalgia-inducing, melody-indebted, mountain-climbing, mega-sized gem of a song. “Tomorrow, tomorrow, you’ll find out tomorrow…” Over and over and over, until the number on the calendar changes. Then I can sing it again, tomorrow.