twenty one pilots

Top 30 Songs of Summer 2015 (30-16)

I wrote this last year and feel it’s still a succinct and fitting introduction to this list: Music carries a special weight in the summer. It can whisper with the wind, lay and linger with the light, and kiss ears like the sun kisses skin.

For many, the warmth of summer brings a certain type of hope and happiness (especially to those of us living in a 4-season part of the world), and songs have a singular capacity — unlike any other art form — to soundtrack the season and the moments therein.

Here are my favourite 30 songs from the summer of 2015:

30. Yukon Blonde – Saturday Night

More dope with every listen.

 

29. Omarion f. Jhene Aiko & Chris Brown – Post To Be

Thanks for the heads up on this GD. 🙂

 

28. Ratatat – Nightclub Amnesia

The record version is awesome, the live version (linked below) is bonkers. I love Ratatat’s use of guitars in this track.

 

Bonus: Chet Faker – Talk Is Cheap

From last year, but I just got into it this summer. For me, the best song he played at Osheaga too.

 

27. Alessia Cara – Here

The tune by this Torontonian is sexy and sultry. So is Alessia Cara. She’s one to watch.

 

26. Silversun Pickups – Nightlight

So glad Brian and co. are back. 🙂

 

25. George Ezra – Blame It On Me

I think his performance of this at Osheaga shone a light on the track that had kept it hidden previously. I’m glad for that. Really fun to sing along to.

 

24. Robbie Williams f. Avicii – The Days

Because of Robbie’s vocals. Anything that Robbie touches, he becomes the star of.

 

23. Atlas Genius – Molecules

Banging lead single from their new album.

 

22. Switchfoot – Oh! Gravity

Why did I think this was a new song? I don’t have a good answer for that. I thought it was new, and that is what will matter for the purpose of this list.

 

21. Twenty One Pilots – Car Radio/Guns For Hands/Trees/Lovely

Hooks abound. I played a lllllllot of Twenty One Pilots this summer. These four tunes were constants. I really like all of them, but “Trees” is something special.

 

Bonus: Watermat – Bullit

Hard to resist.

 

20. DIIV – How Long Have You Known?

Again, I had no idea this was an older song. I discovered and listened to it a bunch this summer.

 

19. First Aid Kit – My Silver Lining/Stay Gold

Thanks again GD for the heads up on these. I really like these two tracks.

 

18. Small Black – Boys Life

Love this 80’s indebted dance track. So easy to get lost in. And so I did.

 

Bonus: Notorious B.I.G. f. Ja Rule – Old Thing Back (Matoma Remix)

I have to thank the Pilkman for this one. I’ll always remember taking a limo to Wasaga beach (winning at life) and having this scorcher blaring, getting all occupants turnt up. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard this remix before. It’s sensational. And don’t let the fact that Ja Rule is on the track fool you. Not only does he not make the tune worse, his verse is actually pretty cool. Rose-coloured glasses maybe, but such is the power of summer.

 

17. Ryn Weaver – Promises/The Fool

Two brilliant pop songs. Loved her set at Osheaga too.

 

16. The Decemberists – Make You Better

My favourite song from them in a looooong time.

Top 20 Songs of May 2015

Here are my top 20 songs of May, 2015:

20. Garbage f. Brian Aubert – The Chemicals

 

19. Carly Rae Jepsen – I Really Like You

 

18. San Cisco – Run

 

17. Grimes – REALiTi

 

16. James Bay – Hold Back The River

 

15. Belle and Sebastian – The Party Line

 

14. Flagship – Life Underwater

 

13. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Can’t Keep Checking My Phone/Multi-Love

 

12. Scott Helman – Bungalow

 

Bonus: Metric – Clone/Lost Kitten

Revisited Metric’s last LP in May, and played these two tunes a bunch. Synthetica is a fantastic record.

 

11. Twenty One Pilots – Tear In My Heart

Rare to find this much cheek and fun in a song by an American band. Refreshing.

 

10. Florence And The Machine – Ship To Wreck

 

9. Mumford and Sons – Believe

Took me quite to get into this track, and though I don’t love it like I do “Babel” or “”Little Lion Man” or “The Cave”, it’s still a cool tune.

 

Bonus: London Grammar – Strong (High Contrast remix)

The original is brilliant, so even a passable remix (this is more than that) would sound great.

 

8. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Dying Of The Light

Legend.

 

7. Elliphant – Love Me Badder

Shame this probably won’t break in North America. Super catchy pop song.

 

Bonus – Jann Arden – Good Mother

Forever and always special to me. The melody, the lyrics, and Jann’s comforting, pleading, heart-piercing vocal.

 

6. Death Cab For Cutie – The Ghosts of Beverly Drive/You’ve Haunted Me All My Life/Little Wanderer

From what I’ve gathered so far, DC4C’s last record with Chris Walla is pretty dope. The first two singles and this trio of songs are really, really good.

 

5. Future Islands – The Chase

A new song by Sam T. and co. is always welcome. And, per usual, it’s a banger.

 

4. Brandon Flowers – Lonely Town

I don’t think any song on Flowers’ quite good new solo record can touch lead single “Can’t Deny My Love”, which is a monumental pop smash. If anything else can come close though, it’s “Lonely Town”, particularly the bridge (2:03-2:30), which I played on repeat. The bridge is a massive hook in an already stellar earworm.

 

3. Day Wave – Drag

A song to get lost in. Sun meets shade and fun finds fade. I have a feeling this song will linger with me for quite some time.

 

Bonus: Imagine Dragons – Shots

This tune was #18 in my top 20 from February, but I’ve come to listen to and dig it vastly more than that ranking signifies. “Shots” is a beast, plain and simple. My favourite song from Imagine Dragons’ latest album.

 

2. The Vaccines – Handsome/Dream Lover

These two tracks couldn’t be more different, and that speaks to how talented The Vaccines are and how varied their songs can be. “Handsome” is frenetic, full of English cheek, with an irresistible melody that on several occasions made me smile from ear to ear. “Dream Lover” plays at a much slower pace but is just as catchy. It’s a haze of distorted guitars and harmonies. I love lead singer Justin Young’s vocal on that song.

 

1. Metric – The Shade (I Want It All)

I’ve always loved Metric. They were early adopters of a synth-pop sound that blew up in the early 2000’s. Way more substance than style (though they’ve had that in spades since the jump), Metric always came to the party armed with a bevy of hits. Something happened though when they released their fourth studio album, Fantasies. They dropped what I think is a perfect pop song: “Gimme Sympathy”. It’s a song so good most bands would kill to have written something half as good. I was so happy for Metric. I’d felt like they’d become one of the best bands in the world, with an unrivalled ear for dashing pop songs. I thought they’d never come close to the greatness of “Gimme Sympathy”, but that was okay, because they crafted something otherworldly, and they have a shit tonne of other super songs to keep it company.

I may have been a bit early in thinking they couldn’t touch “Gimme Sympathy”.

When I first heard “The Shade”, I thought it was a huge risk to have that video game-ish sound effect feature so prominently in a song — a lead single to boot. By about the third listen or so though, the effect seemed to retreat a bit into the background, and the true beauty of “The Shade” stepped out of its shadow. It’s incredible. The verses, the chorus, the vocal, the music. Everything is wonderful.

Moral of the story: Metric are preternaturally gifted at songwriting, and I’ll never doubt their ability to achieve perfection again. Stars.