Top 25 Songs of June 2016

June was LIT! The month featured a lot of sneaky good tunes, and for me, two amazing covers. Here’s the list:

25. M83 f. Beck – Time Wind

24. Band of Skulls – Bodies

23. The Joy Formidable – A Second In White

No video available at present. Cool track.

22. Drake & Rihanna – Too Good

No video available.

21. Fifth Harmony f. Missy Elliott – Not That Kinda Girl

20. YG, Drake, Kamaiyah – Why You Always Hatin?

19. Sam Sparro – Happiness (The Magician Remix)

18. Jamie XX – SeeSaw

17. Hinds – Bamboo

16. Chemical Brothers – Swoon/Dig Your Own Hole

15. Hannah Georgas – Don’t Go

14. John Grant – GMF

13. The Strokes – Oblivius

12. Dan Deacon – Meme Generator/Learning To Relax

11. The Temper Trap – Burn

10. DJ Shadow f. Run The Jewels – Nobody Speak

9. Gorgon City – Doubts

8. Usher – Crash

7. Sundara Karma – Flame (Roosevelt Remix)

6. Rihanna – Kiss It Better (R3hab Remix)

5. The Tragically Hip – In A World Possessed By The Human Mind

Long live The Hip.

4. Andy Hull & Robert McDowell – Montage (from Swiss Army Man soundtrack)

Andy Hull is a genius.

3. Monarchy – Lost Cause

What a cover.

2. Disturbed – The Sound of Silence

An even better cover. This is chill-inducingly good.

1. Broods – Heartlines

Co-written with Lorde, this is a massive hit.

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.