best of february

Top 20 Songs of February 2015

Comebacks by a couple legends, and a plethora of other massive tunes. The shortest month of the year will end up one of the best in 2015, I have no doubt. My Top 20 Songs of February 2015:

20. Odesza f. Zyra – Say My Name

Cool tune. Cool vid.

 

19. Natalie Prass – My Baby Don’t Understand Me

Gorgeous. A great vocal attached to a thrilling instrumental.

 

Bonus: Bad Suns – Dancing On Quicksand/20 Years/Transpose

A trio of delicious tunes from last year that I just discovered.

 

18. Imagine Dragons – Shots

Chalk up another hit for the Vegas group. Neat video too.

 

17. Hot Chip – Huarache Lights

They never disappoint. This is a beast of a song through headphones or propelled through pulsating speakers.

 

16. Mike Mago & Dragonette – Outlines

Dragonette are an underrated collective. They’ve several super catchy tunes; count “Outlines” among them.

 

15. Kendrick Lamar – The Blacker The Berry

Wow. If intensity had a stronger, more serious, compelling, fiery brother, this is him.

 

14. The Wombats – Greek Tragedy

Digging this new song quite a bit.

 

13. Life In Film – Get Closer

Reminds me a bit of some really fun Britpop/Indie stuff from the 90’s and the 00’s. This is sing-a-long music with oodles of charm.

 

12. Blake Shelton – Neon Light

Really well constructed country-pop tune.

 

11. Awolnation – Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)

I was wondering when Aaron Bruno would release new material under this moniker. If this song is any indication, the wait was worth it. This is freshwater catch.

 

10. Angels and Airwaves – Anomaly/Kiss With A Spell/The Wolfpack/Tunnels

I missed the release of this album a short while ago. The quality of these four songs can, I think, rival anything from Angel and Airwaves’ debut album (excepting “The Adventure”, which they’ll never top). It’s clear that Tom Delonge is more comfortable wearing this outfit than anything he’s worn with Blink-182 in ages. This is too bad, but he’s clearly focused on this project, and it’s apparent in the way these songs sound: more comfortable, more fleshed out, and warmer than what A&A’s done before.

 

9. Susanne Sundfor – Delirious (Richard X Remix)

This is a furious dancefloor breakdown, a decadent dance-pop remix. One of Richard X’s most impressive re-imaginings.

 

Bonus: Ben L’Oncle Soul – Seven Nation Army

One of the best covers I’ve heard in the last couple years. How did I miss this for so long?

 

8. Springtime Carnivore – Name On A Matchbook

This song is so bloody catchy. Warm weather cruising music at its finest. Fun flip-the-script video too.

 

7. Eric Prydz vs. Chvrches – Tether

Huge. So, so huge.

 

6. Drake – Energy

Faster tempo than it should be (to avoid the copyright popos). But the point is obvious: Drake feasts when he has this much Energy.

 

Bonus: Goo Goo Dolls – Come To Me

Just turned on to this tune. I’m sorry it took me so long, but the point is that I found it eventually. The best song they’ve done in forever.

 

5. Robert Plant – Rainbow

So, so impressed. “Rainbow” is a brilliant tune, and Robert Plant sounds fantastic. This is a legend who has not lost his way with melody whatsoever.

 

4. Borns – Electric Love

This is going to be a gargantuan. It may be already in some parts of the world. It deserves every bit of the attention.

 

3. Father John Misty – I Love You Honeybear/Chateau Lobby #4 (In C For Two Virgins)

“Chateau Lobby #4” was the first of these two songs I’d heard. It took a couple listens to stoke the fire of my brain’s living space, but it did. It’s wonderful. “I Love You Honeybear” got to me on the first listen. It reminds me a bit of the all-encompassing beauty of Phosphorescent’s Muchacho (possibly my favourite album from the past couple years). It’s the sound of an artist connecting with his emotions, his songcraft, his words, his art. The result is a flawless gem. I simply adore the way Joshua Tillman sings, “I love you honeybear.” It’s a simple yet devastating statement.

 

2. Years and Years – King

Give it a couple months, and this will be all over your everywhere. It sounds like a contender for North American song of the summer (if it gets the push it should), but really, it’s a song for all seasons. It’s a king and it’s dominion is boundless.

 

1. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Ballad Of The Mighty I

I listened to this tune a couple times in January, but I didn’t really fall for it until February. It’s the chorus. It’s Johnny Marr. It’s the cymbal-walking verses. But more than all of that, it’s Noel’s soaring, incredible vocals. I think it could be the best song — keep in mind we’re talking about one of the best songwriters of the past 20 years — Noel’s written in 10 years. He sounds completely invested and invigorated here and I love every second of it.

“Yes I’ll find you,” Noel sings with a sadness propelled by passion. It’s good to know he’s on the look out, but he must know, I was never trying to hide. I was always here, waiting… for something incredible like this.

Top 20 Songs of February 2014

Here are my most played, favourite songs of February 2014:

20. ASTR – We Fall Down

 

19. Dum Dum Girls – Rimbaud Eyes

 

18. Elephant – Elusive Youth

 

17. Neon Trees – Sleeping With A Friend

 

16. Broods – Coattails

 

15. Serebro – Mi Mi Mi

Unrivalled preposterousness. Catchy as all hell.

 

14. Tokyo Police Club – Hot Tonight

 

13. Balance & Composure – Enemy

 

12. Lover Lover – The Fire

 

11. Lord Huron – Time To Run

 

10. Bombay Bicycle Club – Luna

Not surprised this was the second single. Rae Morris and Jack Steadman sound fantastic sharing the vocals.

 

9. Cage The Elephant – Spiderhead/Cigarette Daydreams/Telescope

The more I listen to Cage’s latest album, Melophobia, the more I enjoy it. Their sloppy accessibility is alluring. These three tracks are my current favourites.

Spiderhead:

Cigarette Daydreams:

Telescope:

 

8. Vance Joy – Riptide

Wonderful, sunny, joyous, summery pop music.

 

7. Darlia – Queen of Hearts

Embroidered with grunge and pop fabrics. The result is one catchy tune.

 

6. Katy B – Everything

On her latest album, Katy B’s eschewed the synthpop sound that so many of her contemporaries have clung to of late. In its stead, she’s gone (almost) Full House, a considerable achievement as DJ Tanner is nowhere to be found. “Everything” is a stud.

 

5. Against Me! – Fuckmylife666

One of the many fantastic songs on Against Me!’s latest LP. Though I couldn’t stop singing the line, “Don’t wanna live without teeth, don’t wanna die without bite,” the lyric that hits hardest is, “is your mother proud of your eyelashes?” Slaying gender ideals one burn at a time, Against Me! are back and at their fiery best.

 

4. Magic! – Rude

So, so, so, so catchy. I don’t think I’ll be sick of this song for a long time — if ever.

 

3. Bombay Bicycle Club – Feel

The opening eastern rhythm is out-of-this-world sensational. The guitar riff that joins the fray at 2:38 ups the ante even further, making “Feel” one of the best songs they’ve ever done. Bombay Bicycle Club can, quite simply, do whatever they want with songs, sounds, and music, such is their talent. What makes it so thrilling is that it all sounds so effortless. BBC are a one of a kind beauty.

 

2. Maximo Park – Drinking Martinis/Midnight On The Hill/Where We’re Going

Maximo Park are a treasure I hold very dearly in my heart. I wish they were a massive band the world over — it’s what they deserve. I wish they had a big enough fan base in Toronto to tour here so I don’t have to trek to the U.S. to see them. I can’t be greedy with so many wishes though, as they’re the embodiment of what I want my music to be: catchy for days and weeks and years. And that’s exactly what Maximo Park have been, for years: hard-working, staunch melodists, indefatigably likeable. Every album they’ve released is charming and fresh, and their latest, Too Much Information, is no different. Per usual, a handful of unbelievably good tunes comprise the record, with “Leave This Island” and the three tunes below the big winners. One thing that separates Maximo Park from the rest is that there’s something special, something indefinable about their songs that prevents them from getting tired. “Books From Boxes”, “Postcard of a Painting”, “By The Monument”, and “Questing, Not Coasting”, among many others, have not reached a point where I haven’t enjoyed listening to them. I believe these new set of songs will have a likewise affect on me. This is what many people call magic.

Drinking Martinis

Midnight On The Hill

Where We’re Going

 

1. Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues/Black Me Out/Paralytic States

From the first moment I heard these tunes to now, I’ve been in awe. From a song and melody perspective, these collection of songs are on par with the indomitable “Trash Unreal”, “Borne On The FM Waves Of The Heart”, and “The Ocean” from their seminal New Wave LP. From a personal, lyrical, and culture-commenting perspective, the songs are even better. Lead singer Laura Jane Grace (formerly Tom Gabel) has undoubtedly gone through a lot. But she sounds so invigorated, energetic, chomping at the bit to tell a (her?) story that I’m so bloody thankful Against Me! are still around and adorned with their trademark ferocity. Transgender Dysphoria Blues will assuredly end up being one of the records of the year when 2014 is said and done, and these three tracks, along with lead single “True Trans Soul Rebel”, are the big reasons why. Culturally, it’s an important record, and musically, it’s a beast that bellows loudly and froths with intensity. It already sounds like a classic.

Transgender Dysphoria Blues

Black Me Out

Paralytic States