It’s nearly impossible for me to do a strict Top 100 Songs of the Year list. Each year, a plethora of new bands/artists release debut records. That’s a lot of songs. On top of that, there are the bands/artists that have already released material, and continue to build their catalogues. That’s also a lot of songs. Songs over songs in between songs topped with songs stuffed into songs. And I can’t help but seek them out — I love music that much. It makes list releasing/curating a hell of a task though, and it will only get harder each passing year. I don’t know what I’ll do in 2020. Perhaps a Top 500 Songs of The Year list will be the way to go.
As for 2013, there are waaaaaaay more than 100 songs that deserve to have a spotlight shone on them, so this year, I’ve made an alphabetical list of the songs that didn’t make my Top 100. Make no mistake, the songs on this Honourable Mention list are really, really good. Some people might even enjoy these tracks more than what will comprise my Top 100 list. To each their own.
This list is for my favourite tracks of the year to have a space to relax and get comfortable, and for insatiable music consumers. This list might not appeal to a lot of people (that’s okay). If one person discovers a song they hadn’t heard before, listing this many songs will have been worth it.
Here, again, are my favourite songs of 2013, Honourable Mention style, in alphabetical order, beginning with A-C.
2 Chainz f. Pharrell – Feds Watching
2AM Club – Too F***ed Up To Call
Ace Hood f. Future & Rick Ross – Bugatti
Active Child f. Mikyk Ekko – Subtle
Albert Hammond Jr. – St. Justice
ASTR – Operate
Atlas Genius – If So
Autumn Hill – Fire
Avec Sans – The Answer
Ballet School – Heartbeat Overdrive
Bell X1 – Careful What You Wish For
Blood Orange – Chamakay
Bosnian Rainbows – Worthless/Mother, Father, Set Us Free
Cage The Elephant – Come A Little Closer/Spiderhead/Telescope
Camera Obscura – Cri Du Coeur
Capitol Cities – Safe and Sound
Cayucas – High School Lover
City and Colour – Thirst/Harder Than Stone/The Way It Used To Be/The Lonely Life
And here’s part two, the Best 20 Cover Songs of 2013:
NB: To reiterate, I’ve included the original artist(s) in parentheses.
20. Jimmy Eat World – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor Swift)
Classic JEW twist on the seminal T. Swift tune.
19. Alt-j – A Real Hero (College)
This acapella cover is downright striking.
18. Scout Niblett – No Scrubs (TLC)
This sounds like it would’ve been a low-fi grunge hit in the 90’s.
17. Chvrches – I Would Die 4 V (Prince)
One of the first songs I heard from Chvrches, and to date, a staple of their live set. One of Prince’s best songs made over perfectly.
16. Russian Police Choir – Get Lucky (Daft Punk)
This makes me endlessly happy. #RussianSwag
15. Of Monsters And Men – Skeletons (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
Of Monsters And Men were already super charming before they did this cover. After? Not quite sure. I don’t want to be blinded by such light.
14. The 1975 – What Makes You Beautiful (One Direction)
I think “What Makes You Beautiful” is a world-conquering pop song. It was when I first heard it, and it still is a couple years later. What The 1975 have done to it is hidden its in-your-faceness. In its stead is an emotionally vulnerable song that sounds nothing like the original. Well done lads.
13. Ms Mr – Dance Yrself Clean (LCD Soundsystem)
This is a tonne of fun. Ms Mr had a huge year. I will never tire of hearing the line, “talking like a jerk, except you are an actual jerk, and living proof, that sometimes friends are mean.”
12. Say Lou Lou – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (Tame Impala)
Complete revamp of the original. Say Lou Lou have painted the song with sensual electronic tones to brilliant effect.
For me, the following 11 covers stand above the rest. Tread lightly, there are potent concoctions ahead…
11. Cold War Kids – Opium Tea (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds)
I had to look up the original, as this cover sounds unmistakably like a Cold War Kids original. (A formidable, frolicking CWK song at that.)
10. Arctic Monkeys – Hold On, We’re Going Home (Drake)
Alex Turner may be the only person on the planet able to accomplish what’s been done here. He takes Drake’s subtlety and throws it out the window, infusing his own brand of ever-developing, world-conquering, slick-backed, Turner magnetism.
9. Twin Shadow – W/O/W/U (With Or Without You) (U2)
Simply in love with this.
8. Tears For Fears – Boy From School (Hot Chip)
Smart move by Tears For Fears to do a trio of covers to get people talking about them again. Arcade Fire’s “Ready To Start” seems to have garnered most of the praise, but I think Tears For Fears’ take on Animal Collective’s “My Girls” and, in particular, Hot Chip’s “Boy From School” are much better. This is an incredible cover.
7. Kings Of Leon – Dancing On My Own (Robyn)
The more I heard this, the more I fell for it. Kings of Leon slow down the tempo, and Caleb Followill delivers an impassioned vocal, making this an undeniable hit. I can’t forget Robyn’s original — it was a massive statement — but I kind of feel like Kings of Leon wrote this song. It’s now a tormented, bluesy rock track, and it’s outstanding.
6. 2 Cellos – Every Breath You Take (The Police)
In case you haven’t heard 2 Cellos before, the collective consists of, you guessed it, two cellos. What those two cellos are able to do to songs, particularly this seminal 80’s hit, is nothing short of magic. The emotional resonance factor here is through the roof. This is an extremely powerful piece of music. It’s mere background info that it happens to be a cover.
5. Purity Ring – Grammy (Soulja Boy)
When I first heard this track, I thought it was a Purity Ring original, and one of their best. I found out weeks later it was a Soulja Boy cover (I know right?). Don’t let that fool you, this is electrifying electro-pop. It’s waaaay better, more full, more fun than the original.
4. Haim – Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow)
I’m partial to the original. It’s probably my favourite Sheryl Crow song. To hear it updated with such tact and care gave me the warm and fuzzies all over. In particular, the simple synth chords and the electric guitar make this a supremely special cover.
3. Basia Bulat – Glory Days (Bruce Springsteen)
It’s pretty simple. I root for Basia Bulat. She’s a Canadian musician who seems like she’s giving everything of her artistic soul to her music. She’s uber-talented. She chose to cover a classic song from The Boss. And that hammered harp (pianoette). My God, that hammered harp. What a marvelous instrument. What a remarkable artist. What a wondrous cover.
2. WOTE & KRNFX – I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor Swift)
The coolest cover of the year. The most bad-ass. Walk Off The Earth are absolutely brimming with creative ideas. KRNFX kills it here. Go Canada.
1. Capital Children’s Choir – Untrust Us (Crystal Castles)
My favourite and what I think is the best cover of 2013. That I didn’t see it on any other list purporting to speak of the best cover songs of the year is a monumental crime. This version of “Untrust Us” is pure, peaceful, and full of some extremely weird alchemy. I’d love to meet the person who decided this choir should cover this song and shake his/her hand. This is what musicians hope to achieve when they cover a song, yet it’s nearly impossible for it to result in something so special, as it miraculously has here.
Bonus:
Capitol Children’s Choir – Shake It Out (Florence and The Machine)
Had I known of this cover last year, it would’ve placed in my top 3. An unbelievably beautiful, serene take on an already gorgeous song.
The Pun Is Sure 