the helio sequence

Top 20 Songs of October 2015

Here are my favourite songs of the month:

20. Suede – Outsiders

 

19. New Order f. Brandon Flowers – Superheated

 

18. Alex G – Salt

 

17. Duke Dumont – Ocean Drive

 

16. Adele – Hello

 

15. Zhu & Alunageorge – Automatic

 

14. Calvin Harris & Disciples – How Deep Is Your Love

 

13. Nelly f. Jeremih – The Fix

 

12. Silversun Pickups – Friendly Fires

 

11. Nicole Dollanganger – You’re So Cool

 

10. Day Wave – Come Home Now

 

Bonus: Eric Hutchinson – Watching You Watch Him

 

9. Fetty Wap – 679

 

8. Big Grams – Lights On

 

7. Naughty Boy f. Beyonce, Arrow – Running

 

6. Ryan Adams – Out Of The Woods/Black Space/Shake It Off

 

Bonus: Ingrid Michaelson – Parachute

 

5. Jr. Jr. – Gone

Brilliant song and video. This is happiness incarnate.

 

4. Shawn Mendes – Stitches

One of the best pop songs of the year.

 

3. Metric – For Kicks/Celebrate

They’re some of the most gifted songwriters/melodicists walking on the face of this earth.

 

Bonus: Wolf Alice – Blush

 

2. Justin Bieber – Sorry

As I mentioned when I roasted him, all he needed was a hit. And cot damn, he finally has one. A genuine, lethal pop smash, this is.

 

1. The Helio Sequence – Battle Lines

The stunning album-opener from the always reliable, always brilliant, always soul-shaking Helio Sequence. I love this band so, so much.

 

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.