janelle monae

I’m not Melvin, but this picture is dope.

I’m expanding my favourite cover songs list of 2014 to 50 songs from the 40 it was last year, as 2014 saw a tonne of great, fresh takes on songs, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t link to as many of them as possible. Without any more preamble, here’s the list of My 50 Favourite Cover Songs of 2014:

(Original artist is in parentheses.)

Bonus cover:

KRNFX – Get Lucky (from 2013)

50. Jarvis Cocker – The Power Of Love (Celine Dion)

49. Bill Patton – Jenny From The Block (Jennifer Lopez)

48. Papertwin – Revelator (Gillian Welch)

47. James Vincent McMorrow – West Coast (Lana Del Rey)

46. Asgeir – Heart Shaped Box (Nirvana)

45. Mo – Say You’ll Be There (Spice Girls)

44. Lorde – Don’t Tell ‘Em (Jeremih)

43. The Holidays – Is This How You Feel? (The Preatures)

42. Cloud Control – Dammit (Blink 182)

41. John Mayer – XO (Beyonce)

40. Indiana – Ready For Your Love (Gorgon City)

39. Janelle Monae – Simple Irresistible (Robert Palmer)

38. Lucius – Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Tears For Fears)

37. Panic! At The Disco – Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)

36. Miley Cyrus – Why Do You Only Call Me When You’re High (Arctic Monkeys)

35. Walk Off The Earth – Shake It Off (Taylor Swift)/Rude (Magic!)

34. Tame Impala – Stranger In Moscow (Michael Jackson)

33. Shearwater – I Luv The Valley Oh! (Xiu Xiu)/Fucked Up Life (The Baptist Generals)

32. Banks – Are You That Somebody (Aaliyah)

31. Rufus – My Number/Charlotte (Foals/Booka Shade)

30. Haim – XO (Beyonce)

29. Kyla La Grange – Wrecking Ball (Miley Cyrus)

28. Passenger – Holocene (Bon Iver)

27. Twin Shadow – There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths)

26. The Ragtime Gals f. Steve Carell – Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye)

I think 2013 was a brilliant year for new music; it was just as good as 2012 (which I thought at the time was the best year for songs in many moons) or better. There’s no way I could make a strict Top 100 Songs of the Year list and feel good about myself, though I don’t want to go as overboard as I did last year, where many numbers on that list had a part A) and a B). I’m going to hold off on playing that card, as want to fall in line with my prediction that in 2014, we’ll see “restraint” adopted more and more as a thoughtful, progressive lifestyle choice — bahahaha, sorry I can’t continue that sentence any longer. The complete opposite will prove true. Shit be cray; restraint seems like a relic of a long lost world, like the crystals of the Mayan civilization, Tesla’s time machine, and when you could count on your breakfast cereal containing all the GMO’s your (growing) body could handle http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/original-cheerios-to-go-gmo-free-1.2482761.

There will be no A)’s and B)’s on this list, but I’ve still got to find a way to massage the proceedings to ensure maximum comfort, so I’ve chosen to include two or more songs by a particular band/artist in some spots. I’ve found that on many occasions, it’s difficult to discern which song of a given band/artist is the “best,” so I’m going to forego that agony altogether. For instance, I really like Lorde’s “Tennis Court” and “400 Lux”. I wouldn’t say one song is better than the other, nor can I decide which one I like more, so I’ve listed them together. This happens several times over the course of this list. (I’ve also decided to include an audio link to each song when this happens — why should one track get daps over another!?)

Lastly, some might think that songs placed at the low end of this or any list aren’t worth sharing/remembering/exploring. This could not be further from the truth. So much good music was released in 2013, that to be listed anywhere in the top 100 should be a huge source of pride for these songs (if songs knew about this list, and if songs could feel pride. I love anthropomorphism!). Music continues to be the gift that keeps on giving. All it takes is a little time and effort to seek out the best of the best.

Here are my Top 100 Songs of 2013:

100. Mereki – Blue Lake