las vegas

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.

Ranking The Killers’ Christmas Songs

In addition to being one of the best and biggest rock bands on the planet and the best cover band around, The Killers also have oodles of holiday spirit. Since 2006, they’ve released one Christmas song every year in support of the Red Campaign which purports to help combat AIDS in Africa. (Whether it’s an efficient campaign is another story altogether. Google Red Campaign or Red Campaign Criticism to read different takes on the subject.)

Some of The Killers’ Christmas songs have been awesome. So good, in fact, that if they weren’t Christmas songs (a divisive category of music if ever there was one), they’d be hits based strictly on the strength of the melodies alone.

I assume The Killers will continue to release a Christmas song each year for the foreseeable future, but since they’ve already accrued a good number of such tunes to date, I’ve decided to fire up a list of my favourites.

9. Joel The Lump Of Coal f. Jimmy Kimmel (2014)

Cool chorus, not sure about the rest of the tune. Cute sentiment also.

 

8. Joseph, Better You Than Me f. Elton John & Neil Tennant (2008)

Despite having legends Neil Tennant and Elton John on the track, there’s something about the track that I can’t really get into.

 

7. Boots  (2010)

I like Dave Keuning’s guitar work here.

 

6. I Feel It In My Bones f. Ryan Pardey (2012)

The most ominous of The Killers’ Christmas tunes, and probably the most “rock ‘n roll” of the bunch too. If you like a little touch of morbid in your festive cheer, this song’s for you.

 

5. Don’t Shoot Me Santa (2007)

Great chorus. Also a tad macabre, but that’s what makes it work.

 

4. Christmas In LA f. Dawes (2013)

This song has a fantastic melody. I love the vocals from Dawes and Flowers.

 

3. A Great Big Sled (2006)

The Killers first ever Christmas release. The song, particularly the synths and guitars, that sounds most like their indomitable debut, Hot Fuss.

 

2. Happy Birthday Guadalupe! f. Mariachi El Bronx & Wild Light (2009)

Tonnes of fun with a super high earworm factor. This is one of the warmest Christmas cuts I’ve ever heard. It’s rotated with the song below as my favourite Christmas tune from the Vegas lads. It doesn’t sound like a Christmas song so much as it sounds like a really good Killers song. This is a good thing.

 

1. The Cowboy’s Christmas Ball (2011)

I love everything about this song, and I smile ear-to-ear whenever I hear it. I think it’s the catchiest Christmas song The Killers have yet done. The song is one giant hook, and the harmonies near the end of the tune are amazing (every Brandon Flowers vocal on this track is on point). Again, there are very few elements here that make it sound like a Christmas song. More than that, it’s just a fantastic Killers song.

I don’t think any other band can match what The Killers have done over the last decade, from albums to covers to Christmas tunes. All these things that they’ve done have been awesome, and I can’t wait to see and hear what they come up with next.

Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, and any other denominational holiday celebration to one of the best bands of the last decade!