sufjan stevens

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 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.