of monsters and men

Top 50 Remixes of 2015 (25-1)

Here lies Banger City a.k.a. My Top 25 Remixes of 2015:

25. Of Monsters And Men – Dirty Paws (Kygo Remix)

 

24. Glass Animals – Gooey (Gilligan Moss Remix)

 

23. Zedd f. Jon Bellion – Beautiful Now (Grey Remix)

 

22. Borns – Electric Love (Oliver Remix)

 

21. Tinashe f. Dej Loaf, Neily Hype – All Hands On Deck (Remix)

 

20. Carly Rae Jepsen – Run Away With Me (Cyril Hahn Remix)

 

19. Echosmith – Bright (Lost Kings Remix)

 

18. Adele – Hello (Paul Damixie Remix)

 

17. M83 – Wait (Kygo Remix)

 

16. Snakehips f. Tinashe & Chance The Rapper – All My Friends (99 Souls Remix)

 

15. Charlie Puth f. Meaghan Trainor – Marvin Gaye (Styx Tropical House Remix)

 

14. Alessia Cara – Here (Lucian Remix)

 

13. Axwell & Ingrosso – Something New (Amtrac Remix)

 

12. Justin Bieber – Love Yourself (Brynny x Teddy Cream Bootleg)

 

11. Banks – Beggin’ For Thread (Gryffin & Hotel Garuda Remix)

 

10. Grizfolk – Hymnals (RAC Remix)

On repeat for much of the later half of 2015. So fresh, so clean.

 

9. Susanne Sundfor – Delerious (Richard X Remix)

Richard X was and remains a bad, bad man. This is a force majeure.

 

8. London Grammar – Strong (High Contrast Remix)

Another remix that isn’t strictly from 2015. But that’s when I discovered it, fell in love with it, and deemed it a necessity of life.

 

7. A-Ha – Take On Me (Kygo Remix)

Trop House knows no bounds! It’s attacking the 80’s! Run for your liiiiiiiiiiivvvvessss!

 

6. Notorious B.I.G. f. Ja Rule & Ralph Tresvant – Old Thing Back (Matoma Remix)

This remix might be a bit older than 2015, but 2015 is when I discovered it. Matter of fact, I’ll never forget how I discovered this song. A friend played it on my birthday on the way to the beach. A soundtrack to happiness is hard to forget. Oh yeah, and this a gigantic banger to boot.

 

5. Rihanna – Bitch Better Have My Money (Handbag House vs. Kat Krazy Bootleg Mix)

So, so, so much fun. A little nuts, but an enormous earworm all the same.

 

4. Ed Sheeran – Photograph (Felix Jaehn Remix)

Felix Jaehn wrapped up the remixer-of-the-year award with this one. I don’t think there is such an award, but if there is, it’s his. Ed Sheeran’s voice let’s a DJ shine if he/she knows what they’re doing. Jaehn knows. This is bliss.

 

3. Miguel – Leaves (Adam Foster’s Sweet California Remix)

Speaking of bliss. This remix evokes sadness, nostalgia, euphoria. It’s a deep breath on a sunny day in an Indian Summer. Life moves quickly. Thankfully music like this helps us live in the moment.

 

2. Glass Animals – Pools (Roosevelt Remix)

Roosevelt absolutely smashes this one out of the park. This is the most playful remix of the year. You can hear the original metamorphosing into a different state. “Pools” is itself, one of the songs of the year. It’s adventurous, animalistic, and ambidextrous. This remix is all of that, but it smothers peanut butter vibes over the melody and lets the track slither around unabated. If all the animals in the world had a giant pool party where humans were not invited, this would be on a delicious, fruity loop.

 

1. OMI – Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)

Duh. It was never going to be anything else. Bigger than massive. And for good reason. Distilled hookery.

 

Top 20 Songs of April 2015

My 20 Favourite songs of April, 2015:

20. Of Monsters and Men – Crystals

 

19. Walk Off The Earth – Rule The World

 

18. Modest Mouse – The Best Room

 

17. The Mowgli’s – I’m Good

 

16. Courtney Barnett – Depreston

 

15. American Authors – Believer

 

14. Action Bronson – Easy Rider

 

13. Florence And The Machine – What Kind Of Man

 

12. Jack U – Where Are U Now f. Justin Bieber

 

11. Ms Mr – Painted

 

10. Sufjan Stevens – Should Have Known Better

 

9. Tame Impala – Let It Happen

 

8. The Helio Sequence – Stoic Resemblance

 

7. Hot Chip – Need You Now

 

6. Destra Garcia – Lucy

 

5. Dear Rouge – Black to Gold

 

Bonus: Awolnation – Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)

Already made one of my lists earlier in the year, but that beat kept on coming. This song is a monster.

 

4. Brandon Flowers – Can’t Deny My Love

Can’t deny how brilliant and hook-filled this lead single to Flowers’ 2nd solo album is.

 

Bonus: Heems – Soup Boys (from Jan 2013)

Just came across this behemoth. The lyrics are funny and the beat is enticing like cake is with icing.

 

3. Bear In Heaven – Autumn

It’s so easy to get lost in the majestic haze of this song. A testament to its power, as soon as it’s finished, I want to immediately press replay.

 

2. Rihanna – Bitch Better Have My Money (Handbag House vs. Krazy Kat Bootleg Mix)

So absurd. So gitchy. So good. Way, way better than the original.

 

Bonus: Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible (entire album)

I saw these Welsh legends perform The Holy Bible in its entirety when their tour stopped in Toronto — man, am I thankful I decided to go to that show. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t get into this album when it was released in 1994. I’m elated to say that I finally found it. And what a revelation it’s been to me in the brief time I’ve come to know it. It’s massive, melodic, a monument of rock ‘n roll, punk, and art. I’m in love with the entire album, front to back. This album dominated me in April as I played these tracks time after time. Here are a few of the outstanding tracks from that seminal, jaw-breaking record:

 

1. A Silent Film – Tomorrow

Couldn’t get enough of this track. This is a nostalgia-inducing, melody-indebted, mountain-climbing, mega-sized gem of a song. “Tomorrow, tomorrow, you’ll find out tomorrow…” Over and over and over, until the number on the calendar changes. Then I can sing it again, tomorrow.