music

Top 25 Songs of March 2016

Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s how much good new music is constantly being released, maybe it’s Maybelline. Maybe it’s an amalgam of everything. Whatever the case, I never have a shortage of (good, really good, great) music to listen to. Here are my favourite songs from March. (My god Wintersleep, you are incredible).

25. Future/Weeknd – Low Life

 

24. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis f. Leon Bridges – Kevin

 

23. Monster Truck – Don’t Tell Me How To Live

 

22. Ria Mae – Gold (JordanXL Remix)

 

Bonus: Rabbii – Hang Us High

 

21. Holy Esque – Hexx

 

20. Tinie Tempah – Girls Like

 

19. The Thermals – My Heart Went Cold

 

18. Miike Snow – I Feel The Weight

 

17. Run River North – Run or Hide

 

16. Ra Ra Riot – Bad Times

 

15. Jordan Klassen – Baby Moses

 

14. 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne – Gotta Lotta

Best use of a sample in forever. So cheeky and so funny. Scatman John would be proud.

 

13. Yeasayer – Silly Me

 

12. Bleached – Wednesday Night Melody

 

11. All Saints – One Strike

Nice comeback tune.

 

10. Wintersleep – Spirit/More Than

Could be the best Canadian band around.

 

9. case/lang/viers – Atomic Number

Neko wins at whatever she does. Really digging this tune.

 

8. Mothers – It Hurts Until It Doesn’t

Love the melody and how the tempo slows to a crawl and builds again.

 

7. Lumineers – Ophelia

Very solid comeback single.

 

6. Sundara Karma – A Young Understanding

Such an earwormy tune. I’m going to take note of this English band.

 

5. Fifth Harmony – Work From Home

Absurdly stupid lyrics, but the song is the embodiment of incessant. Wickedly catchy.

 

4. Wintersleep – Lifting Cure/Who Are You

My love for this band knows no bounds. These two songs are bloody brilliant. I love the melody, lyrics, and music of Lifting Cure, and Who Are You is such a wonderfully simple, guitar-led ditty. Wintersleep can write any type of song and slay it.

 

3. Frightened Rabbit – Get Out/Death Dream

Triumphant first two singles from the Scots’ latest LP. Frightened Rabbit’s combo of melody, relatability, and rootability (making up words as I go, no biggie) is ever charming.

 

2. The Boxer Rebellion – Big Ideas

I don’t love every single song these guys put out, but when they hit, they hit huge for me. This is one such behemoth. Love the build up and the guitars.

 

1. Wintersleep – Shadowless/Metropolis

Shadowless and Metropolis are the beating heart of Wintersleep’s indefatigable new record. They’re two of the best songs that will be released in 2016, and they’re two of the best songs that Wintersleep have ever created. There are only a select number of songs any given year that are so powerful that they elicit a physical and emotional response. Shadowless is one such song. I feel fortunate to have seen their intimate show in Hamilton at The Casbah this March. I was lucky enough to meet all the members of the band I tried to impart to them how much I love their music. Artists need to know they’re fighting the good fight. I can only hope this band keeps making music and touring.

Top 100 Songs of 2015 (40-21)

Each and every song that follows is amazing (to me). My Top 100 Songs of 2015 (40-21):

40. The Vaccines – Handsome/Dream Lover

The Vaccines deserve to be huge. I hope they find their way to that some day.

 

39. The Wombats – Greek Tragedy

Right up there with the best they’ve ever done.

 

38. Robert Plant – Rainbow

His voice sounds splendid singing this type of music.

 

Bonus: Bear In Heaven – Autumn

Frenetic and fantastic.

 

37. Imagine Dragons – Shots

Best song on their most recent record.

 

36. Kurt Vile – Pretty Pimpin

Favourite tune Vile has ever done. Undeniably catchy.

 

35. Hot Chip – Need You Now

Hot Chip are so reliable. This is an absolute banger with soul pouring out of every pore.

 

34. Dear Rouge – Black To Gold

Immeasurably slick. Nodding to M83 and sage for doing so.

 

33. Foals – Mountain At My Gates

A slow burner that took a bit of time to become massive in my head. And how it did. Wicked video too.

 

Bonus: Alvvays – Ones Who Love You

What a sweet, sombre melody. I can’t not sing along when I hear it.

 

32. Sufjan Stevens – Should Have Known Better

Sufjan tugs on heart strings unlike any other. The shift to a more relaxed, jubilant sound in the second half really makes it special.

 

31. Glass Animals – Gooey/Hazey

Sooooooo sexy. One album in, and Glass Animals already have a sound all their own.

 

30. Modest Mouse – Lampshades On Fire/The Ground Walks, With Time In A Box

The lead single, “Lampshades” is classic Modest Mouse, and the Indie-disco strut of “The Ground Walks” is a jolly ol’ romp.

 

29. Brandon Flowers – Can’t Deny My Love/Lonely Town

“Can’t Deny My Love” is the best song on Flowers’ second solo LP, but the bridge in “Lonely Town” is so strong I have to include it with the lead single.

 

28. Grimes – Flesh Without Blood/Kill V. Maim

Grimes’ latest album is one of the best of the year, a jaw-droppingly good electropop album, and these are the two best songs on it. Wish there was a studio version of Kill V. Maim to share. Alas.

 

27. Cage The Elephant – Trouble

Just came out the last month or so of the year, but won me over right away. Possibly the best song on their brand new record. I love it when Cage goes tender.

 

Bonus: Wolf Alice – Blush

“Punch drunk, dumb struck, pot luck, happy happy…” I love alternative music that sounds like this. Rare that it’s ever this good though.

 

26. Tame Impala – Let It Happen

I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this song. There’s so much to latch onto in this 7-minute-plus epic.

 

25. Christine and The Queens – Saint Claude/Paradis Perdu

I discovered Christine and The Queens not long before I went to Osheaga, and they became dear to me almost overnight. A revelation.

 

24. Jr Jr – Gone

This is happiness incarnate. I worry I haven’t ranked this song high enough. I don’t think it’s possible to quantify this much ebullience. I simply adore this song.

 

23. Jack U f. Justin Bieber – Where Are U Now/Justin Bieber – Sorry

When I roasted him, I ended the piece by saying all he needed was a hit and a lot of the negative stuff would fall away. He got it, with Skrillex and Diplo’s help, on “Where Are U Now”. It’s a gargantuan banger. #ThatDropThough. And then a few months later “Sorry” came along, the best song he’s ever put his name on.

 

22. El Vy – Return To The Moon

This is the sound of The National on vacation, fully relaxed and enjoying the sun, all the way from the moon. I’ve always wanted to hear Matt Berninger do a song like this. I really like the guitars in this song.

 

21. Years and Years – King

I’m not sure how big this song got in North America, but it should’ve been bigger. That chorus is really special.