robert plant

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.

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.