active child

My Top 15 Songs of October 2013 in Haiku

It’s been some time since I’ve dabbled in the art of Haiku poetry. I admire how Haiku use words and syllables to describe, cut, and leave open. It’s a freeing form of poetry, and since it’s easily recognizable to many, I’ve decided to work it into My Top 15 Songs of October list. Haiku needn’t necessarily follow the 5-7-5 syllable rule, but since it’s the form I originally learned, and it’s probably the most recognizable form of Haiku poetry (in English), it’s the one I’ve chosen to employ here.

15. Active Child f. Mikky Ekko – Subtle

Subtlety is lost

In your face is the standard

A wayward approach

 

14. Sleigh Bells – Bitter Rivals

I try to be nice

My rivals are people too

‘Til I stomp them down

 

13. Die Antwoord – Cookie Thumper

Gibberish sounds good

When it’s Zef above all else

While baking wear mitts

 

12. Janelle Monae f. Miguel- Primetime

No one was drop kicked

In the making of this song

Of this I’m not sure

 

11. Chvrches – Lungs

Lungs through which air flows

Distributing oxygen

I use ears to breathe

 

10. Placebo – Bosco/Exit Wounds

I can say sorry

How many times the same way?

When you leave I’ll stop

 

9. Shad – Love Means

You get what you give

It has eyes and can see all

Careful eyes betray

 

8. Charli XCX – Superlove

Japan likes neon

Lights that alter what is seen

Darkness eats it all

 

7. Sky Ferreira – You’re Not The One

I can see clearly

What I did not see before

Gone from you, happy

 

6. The Naked & Famous – Rolling Waves

Water cascading

Time after time on the beach

A new way to breathe

 

5. QOTSA – My God Is The Sun

The orb of life, warmth

Praised, praying, please rise today

All things some day sleep

 

4. Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball

Twerking unsteady

When practised on wrecking ball

Hip replacement, shame

 

3. Tame Impala – Elephant

Pink Floyd meets Lennon

It took me more than a while

Speakers shaking, taught

 

2. Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?

Crawling back to you

Dread tingling up, down, my spine

I shouldn’t have asked

 

1. The 1975 – The City

A metropolis

Lit, cunning, unforgiving

The place I call home

Top 30 Cover Songs of 2012

I’ll be writing quite a bit in subsequent posts, so without much ado, here is my list of the top 30 best cover songs of 2012:

30. Amanda Palmer – First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

29. The Maine – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

28. The Knocks – Midnight City

27. Julio Bashmore – Troglodytes

26. Carly Rae Jepsen – Both Sides Now

25. Barricades Rise – Down Under

24. Walk Off The Earth – Roll Up

23. Yellowcard – Fix You

22. Easy Star All-Stars – Thriller

21. Antony Hegarty – Landslide

20. Azealia Banks – Slow Hands

19. Gavin Friday – The Fly

18. Mumford and Sons – Tessellate

17. GHXST – Dragula

16. Niia – Mad World

15. Active Child – Sweet Dreams

14. Brian Molko and Fiona Brice – West End Girls

13. Easy Star All-Stars – Beat It

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Like a Prayer

11. Red Hot Chili Peppers – I Get Around

10. Katja Petri – Candy

(What a serene, pretty take on a teflon-strong melody.)

9. Paper Crows – Disarm

(I really like the reshaping of this classic song.)

8. Paul Banks – I’m A Fool To Want You

(Paul Banks as Sinatra. The look suits him Plenti well.)

7. The Weeknd – DD (Dirty Diana)

(Wow. Does music get more emotionally-charged than this? Maybe the only contemporary artist who could hold a candle to MJ’s impeccable original.)

6. Walk Off The Earth – Somebody That I Used To Know

(The omni-present. A career launcher.)

5. John Mayer – Video Games

(This is maybe the most beautiful, restrained and graceful thing playboy Mayer has ever done.)

4. Ellie Goulding – Hanging On

(The original is a stunner, and here Ms. Goulding gives it a synthy, chic, vital redo. Well done.)

3. Easy Star All-Stars – Human Nature

(This version could not be any more perfect. It is miles apart from the original yet so similar, warm and smooth, like a ray of sunlight taking residence on a wave that’s leisurely travelling the world over. This is so good I think I might even like it more than MJ’s version.)

2. Matt Cardle – First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

(Song starts at 1:40. What a stunning, jaw-droppingly gorgeous voice. The best reality singing show song I’ve ever heard.)

1. The Killers – Ultra Violet (Light My Way)

(Technically from last year, this might be the best cover they’ve ever done, and that’s quite a sentiment, as I think they’re the best cover band of this generation. Propulsive and heart-rattling, not contained by this world.)