End of the year/decade blog post part 2: The Top 100 songs of the 2010's!!!

Here it is, everyone! The moment you've all been waiting for! The top 100 songs of the entire decade!! Hope you like it!!

100. “Red Hands” – Walk Off the Earth
99. “Fever” – The Black Keys
98. “Social Cues” – Cage the Elephant
97. “It’s Time” – Imagine Dragons
96. “The High Road” – Broken Bells
95. “Ready to Let Go” – Cage the Elephant
94. “Sedona” – Houndmouth
93. “Dark Necessities” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
92. “Mess Around” – Cage the Elephant
91. “Dreams” – Beck
90. “Gloria” – The Lumineers
89. “Chocolate” – The 1975
88. “Trouble” – Cage the Elephant
87. “Carry On” – fun.
86. “Cleopatra” – The Lumineers
85. “San Francisco” – The Mowgli’s
84. “Mess Is Mine” – Vance Joy
83. “You Worry Me” – Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats
82. “Lo/Hi” – The Black Keys
81. “Stubborn Love” – The Lumineers
80. “Come A Little Closer” – Cage the Elephant
79. “First” – Cold War Kids
78. “Fire” – Barns Courtney
77. “No Roots” – Alice Merton
76. “Broken” – lovelytheband
75. “Unsteady” – X Ambassadors
74. “Don’t Wanna Fight” – Alabama Shakes
73. “Go” – The Black Keys
72. “Trojans” – Atlas Genius
71. “Angela” – The Lumineers
70. “Saw Lightning” – Beck
69. “Ship to Wreck” – Florence and The Machine
68. “Way Down We Go” – Kaleo
67. “Demons” – Imagine Dragons
66. “Live In the Moment” – Portugal. The Man
65. “Move” – Saint Motel
64. “Out of My League” – Fitz and The Tantrums
63. “Radioactive” – Kings of Leon
62. “Come With Me Now” – Kongos
61. “Cigarette Daydreams” – Cage the Elephant
60. “Ophelia” – The Lumineers
59. “Cough Syrup” – Young the Giant
58. “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” – Foster the People
57. “I Bet My Life” – Imagine Dragons
56. “My Type” – Saint Motel
55. “Human” – Rag ‘N’ Bone Man
54. “Dangerous” – Big Data
53. “Anna Sun” – Walk the Moon
52. “Believer” – Imagine Dragons
51. “Sweater Weather” – The Neighbourhood
50. “Up All Night” – Beck
49. “Safe And Sound” – Capital Cities
48. “The Walker” – Fitz and The Tantrums
47. “Get Lucky” – Daft Punk
46. “Tongue Tied” – Grouplove
45. “Some Nights” – fun.
44. “Budapest” – George Ezra
43. “Hold On” – Alabama Shakes
42. “Down By the Water” – The Decemberists
41. “Shine” – Mondo Cozmo
40. “Mountain Sound” – Of Monsters and Men
39. “Lover of the Light” – Mumford and Sons
38. “Lost In My Mind” – The Head and the Heart
37. “Stolen Dance” – Milky Chance
36. “Sweet Disposition” – The Temper Trap
35. “S.O.B.” – Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats
34. “MoneyGrabber” – Fitz and The Tantrums
33. “Best Day of My Life” – American Authors
32. “Roll Away Your Stone” – Mumford and Sons
31. “Team” – Lorde
30. “Hero” – Family of the Year
29. “Gone Gone Gone” – Phillip Phillips
28. “On Top of the World” – Imagine Dragons
27. “Wake Me Up” – Avicii
26. “Shake It Out” – Florence and The Machine
25. “Wish I Knew You” – The Revivalists
24. “Home” – Phillip Phillips
23. “Renegades” – X Ambassadors
22. “Ex’s And Oh’s” – Elle King
21. “Gold On the Ceiling” – The Black Keys
20. “Do I Wanna Know?” – Arctic Monkeys
19. “Shut Up And Dance” – Walk the Moon
18. “Pompeii” – Bastille
17. “Howlin’ For You” – The Black Keys
16. “Lonely Boy” – The Black Keys
15. “I Will Wait” – Mumford and Sons
14. “Riptide” – Vance Joy
13. “Home” – Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros
12. “Little Talks” – Of Monsters and Men
11. “The Cave” – Mumford and Sons
10. “Little Lion Man” – Mumford and Sons
9. “Take Me to Church” – Hozier
8. “Dog Days Are Over” – Florence and The Machine
7. “Ho Hey” – The Lumineers
6. “Feel It Still” – Portugal. The Man
5. “Radioactive” – Imagine Dragons
4. “Royals” – Lorde
3. “Pumped Up Kicks” – Foster the People
2. “Tighten Up” – The Black Keys

Annddd....the number one song of the whole decade isss...


"SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW" BY GOTYE!!!


Happy Holidays and Happy New Year everyone!! And happy new decade, too! See y'all next year for more blogging...and my 10th blog-iversary, once February rolls around!! :)

Top 20 Songs of 2014!!!!

Since my finals are finished now, I thought, "Why not? I'll put up my Top 20 list early!!" So, without further ado, here they are!!!


20. "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys
19. "Invisible" by U2
18. "Call Me" by St. Paul and the Broken Bones
17. "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons
16. "Chocolate" by The 1975
15. "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)" by U2
14. "Gimme Something Good" by Ryan Adams
13. "West Coast" by Lana Del Rey
12. "Supernova" by Ray LaMontagne
11. "U Get Me High" by Tom Petty
10. "Gotta Get Away" by The Black Keys
9. "Take Me to Church" by Hozier
8. "Holding On For Life" by Broken Bells
7. "Do You?" by Spoon
6. "Southern Sun" by Boy and Bear
5. "Coming of Age" by Foster the People
4. "Stolen Dance" by Milky Chance
3. "Come With Me Now" by Kongos
2. "Blue Moon" by Beck

annnnd...the number one song of the year issss.....

"FEVER" BY THE BLACK KEYS!!!


Have a great holiday season, everyone. I'll be back next year!!!

The Top 20 Songs of 2012!!!

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!! The moment you've all been waiting for! Here they are, from 20 to 1, the best songs of the year!


20. "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men
19. "Chains of Love" by Ryan Adams
18. "Runaways" by The Killers
17. "Never Go Back" by Grace Potter and The Nocturnals
16. "I Ain't the Same" by Alabama Shakes
15. "If Only" by The Dave Matthews Band
14. "North Side Gal" by JD McPherson
13. "Mercy" by The Dave Matthews Band
12. "Mountain Sound" by Of Monsters and Men
11. "Stubborn Love" by The Lumineers
10. "Doom And Gloom" by The Rolling Stones
9. "Reboot the Mission" by The Wallflowers (and Mick Jones from The Clash)
8. "Love Interruption" by Jack White
7. "Live And Die" by The Avett Brothers
6. "Gold On the Ceiling" by The Black Keys
5. "Hold On" by Alabama Shakes
4. "I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons
3. "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers
2. "Simple Song" by The Shins

annnnddd....the number one song of 2012 is...

"SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW" BY GOTYE!!!!

Well, that's it for this year folks. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!!

The Top 20 Songs of 2011!!!

Here it is folks, the moment you've all been waiting for!! Countin' em down from 20 to 1. (Yeah I know, it isn't Wednesday, but it IS towards the end of the year, so why not?!):

20. "MoneyGrabber" - Fitz and The Tantrums
19. "Free" - Graffiti 6
18. "Options" - Gomez
17. "She Walks In So Many Ways" - The Jayhawks
16. "Lost In My Mind" - The Head and The Heart
15. "Called Out In the Dark" - Snow Patrol
14. "The Afterlife" - Paul Simon
13. "Lonely Boy" - The Black Keys
12. "Longing to Belong" - Eddie Vedder
11. "Tree By the River" - Iron & Wine
10. "The Cave" - Mumford and Sons
9. "Roll Away Your Stone" - Mumford and Sons
8. "I Might" - Wilco
7. "How Come You Never Go There?" - Feist
6. "Pumped Up Kicks" - Foster the People
5. "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. "Give Me Something" - Scars on 45
3. "Down By the Water" - The Decemberists
2. "Lucky Now" - Ryan Adams

And...the number one song of 2011..isss.....

"YOU ARE A TOURIST" BY DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE!!! :D Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and Happy Holidays to everyone, and a Happy New Year, too!! It's been great reviewing songs and sharing how I feel about them with everyone.

and now...the moment you've all been waiting for!!!!!

I know it's not Wednesday, but today, I present to you....(drum roll please) THE TOP 20 SONGS OF 2010!!! Here they are in order from 20 to 1:

20. "New Morning" - Alpha Rev
19. "In the Sun" - She & Him
18. "Anchor" - Alejandro Escovedo
17. "Father's Son" - Fistful of Mercy
16. "Sick of You" - Cake
15. "I Should Have Known It" - Tom Petty
14. "Just Breathe" - Pearl Jam
13. "Dog Days Are Over" - Florence and The Machine
12. "Take Everything" - Greg Laswell
11. "Crossfire" - Brandon Flowers
10. "Do You Love Me?" - Guster
9. "Dead American Writers" Tired Pony
8. "Song Away" - Hockey
7. "Little Lion Man" - Mumford and Sons
6. "Home" - Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros
5. "Angel Dance" - Robert Plant
4. "Radioactive" - Kings of Leon
3. "The High Road" - Broken Bells
2. "Laredo" - Band of Horses

And the number one song of the year...is....(one more drum roll, please)...

1. "TIGHTEN UP" BY THE BLACK KEYS!!!!!

Enjoy!! See you all next year. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year, too :)

I'm ba-ack!! With EIGHT new entries!!!!

You heard right, folks - EIGHT new entries!!! Quite a bit to make up for my absence last week. So here goes!!

"Horchata" by Vampire Weekend: Honestly, this one should have been reviewed about a month ago when adult alt. stations started to spin this one, but it took me awhile to realize just how awesome this song (and band) is! I love the tropical vibe that songs like this (and VW's 2008 hit, "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa") give off! Sounds almost like Ray Davies from the Kinks fronting Paul Simon's backing band from the '70s and '80s. I have no idea what "Horchata" is (from the lyrical context, an alcoholic beverage - "In the summer drinking Horchata"). Bottom line, this song makes me smile and makes me want to jump into a pool and cool off from the heat of the sun. A song this fun really should have been reviewed by me the moment it started getting attention, but at least I've reviewed it now!

"Hurricane J" by The Hold Steady: I've only heard one other song by this band (2008's Springsteen-meets-Wallflowers-ish "Sequestered In Memphis"), but MAN, this song ROCKS!! The Hold Steady seem to have abandoned their bar band schtick they had in "Sequestered", and gone more for a crowd-heavy, somewhat "Americanized" U2 type of sound. The Hold Steady could sell out arenas with this one, it's THAT good!! "Hurricane J" has just the right sound for an encore number in a rock concert (and if it gets popular enough, "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" oughta feature this song!!) It's official, folks - rock 'n' roll is here to stay with this song!! Long live rock!!

"Run" by Vampire Weekend: This song almost sounds like a sequel to VW's 2008 song, "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa". Both songs have a uniquely swaying reggae-influenced rhythm, and are also both in the key of D major. The main difference between the two songs (besides the lyrics)? "Run" features a mariachi band! Pretty cool if you ask me! "Run" also seems to bear more of a rhythmical resemblance to Paul Simon's "Late In the Evening" (VW seem to be pretty huge Paul Simon fans!) The band Vampire Weekend remind me of the most is probably The Police, in that they both combine reggae rhythms/guitar riffs with eclectic instrumentation. If you're a Police and/or Paul Simon fan, chances are you'll enjoy this one!

"Shake Me Like A Monkey" by The Dave Matthews Band: Songs like this one and "Why I Am" (from the same album, "Big Whiskey And the Groogrux King") make me think that DMB were aware of their reputation of being a "softer" rock band, so they decided to amp things up a bit on both of those songs. "Shake Me Like A Monkey" seems to almost dive into Red Hot Chili Peppers-ish territory. It's not as heavy as the typical RHCP song, but it does maintain the funkiness, groovy staccato guitar/bass riffs, and wild 'n' crazy fun of the typical RHCP song. There are even lyrical tongue twisters in the middle of the verses (my personal fave: "I like my coffee with toast and jelly, but I'd rather be licked from my back to my belly") to go with the manic energy of this song. All that being said, this is a fun song to both rock out to and get up and groove to!

"The Rain" by The Swell Season: Another song from the actor and actress of the beloved indie flick "Once". Having heard three songs off their latest album, "Strict Joy", it seems like Glen and Marketa wanted to go more for the more "mixed instruments" sound of '60s folk-rock than the more stark, acoustic sounds of Cat Stevens and Nick Drake that they went for on the "Once" songs. One thing they've managed to maintain from those songs that they've brought into their latest material is a sentimental, wistful quality. I love how this song starts out entirely acoustic, and in a minor key at that. Perhaps Glen and Marketa weren't aware that the chord sequence in this song is similar to "The Beast" by fellow indie-folk-rock duo Angus and Julia Stone, but it's still a nice song to listen to, especially on a rainy day (which, of course, is apt to the title).

"Tighten Up" by The Black Keys: I love the "happy psychedelic" sound on this one. It's the kind of sound that I think would be likely to be featured on a car commercial (or perhaps even another James Bond spoof, a la "Austin Powers"). What takes the cake for this song, however, is the video. It's hilarious!! Jim Henson would be proud, since the entire video is a PUPPET DINOSAUR singing along to the song!! Sounds like the kind of thing that would be quirky enough to be featured in a '70s or '80s episode of "Sesame Street" (who were also quite psychedelia influenced back in those days). Somebody call the folks who did "Avenue Q" and tell 'em to watch the video for The Black Keys' "Tighten Up"!! It's a hoot!

"Vaporize" by Broken Bells: Not that "The High Road" (the previous hit from this band) was bad, 'cuz it wasn't, but this song just sounds more fitting for a band whose lead singer is James Mercer from The Shins. It sounds kinda like The Beatles (a huge influence on The Shins). Much like The Black Keys' "Tighten Up" (see above), "Vaporize" also takes a foray into '60s psychedelia. It takes a Beatlesque approach instrumentally by adding in "unexpected" instruments such as organs and muted trumpets. "Sgt. Pepper" fans, rejoice! Speaking of which, "Vaporize" seems like it'd feel right at home on that album.

"Your Hands (Together)" by The New Pornographers: If any of you have heard of the classical composer Haydn's "Surprise Symphony", this song is like the rock and roll reincarnate version. It starts out melodic and happy like the typical New Pornographers song, but right in the middle of each line is a crunchy, loud "DA-NA-NA-NA-NA!!" guitar sound that sounds more like it'd fit in a Black Sabbath song than a New Pornographers song. If you're ever feeling like you just don't want to get up in the morning, put this song on. It's BOUND to make you wake up and smell the coffee!!

5 newbies!!

This week was a great week for new releases!! Here they are!


"Good Morning (The Future)" by Rogue Wave:

Gone are the days of the Rogue Wave with the hauntingly beautiful folk-rock tunes (like "Lake Michigan" and "Chicago X12"). However, this does not mean I dislike "Good Morning". In fact it kinda seems like Rogue Wave have taken a queue from Phoenix in terms of the way this song sounds, in that it combines techno-influenced guitar hooks with lush harmonies and melodies. Much like how "Lake Michigan" was an environmental lament, "Good Morning (The Future)" seems to be a lament on how screwed up life has become for some of us, like the main hook of the song says ("the future...isn't what it used to be").


"Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap:

Someone listen to this song and tell me they DON'T hear U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" in it!! The main hook is practically the same except it's played on a lower fret. "Sweet Disposition" and The Airborne Toxic Event's "Sometime Around Midnight" could go head to head in a musical battle for which song sounds the most like "Where the Streets Have No Name", and "Sweet Disposition" would win, hands down!! But wait! This does not mean I dislike "Sweet Disposition". For one of the many alt and indie bands to follow in U2's footsteps, The Temper Trap are actually pretty sincere and heartfelt compared to some bands (*cough cough, Coldplay, cough cough*). "Sweet Disposition" is able to do something to me that most Coldplay songs (from their sophomore album on) can't do to me - it's one of those songs that takes me into a different world when I hear it. And that is what good music is all about!


"Swim Until You Can't See Land" by Frightened Rabbit:

This is probably my fave out of all five of the songs I'm reviewing for this week! When I first heard this song a couple days ago, I instantly fell in love with it! I barely know the lyrics (currently), but sometimes all it takes is an honest, heartfelt melody and harmony for me to find that central quality in a song I always look for. The guitar riffs are echoic of both The Byrds and Nick Drake, and I love how melancholy, but still innocent, both of them sound. Frightened Rabbit have preserved that '60s folk-rock sound pretty well for "Swim Until You Can't See Land", which makes it a surefire winner for me!! From what little I know of the lyrics (the chorus), "Swim Until You Can't See Land" seems like it's about perseverance, which only adds to how much I love this song. Please check this one out if you don't check out any of the others, it's an instant classic!


"The Mystery Zone" by Spoon:

With a name like "Spoon" it's gotta be quirky! And this song is just that. The guitar echoes with each riff that is played (including the brief but worthy guitar solo of the song), and the drums consistently hit on the "3" of the "1, 2, 3, 4" time signature each time. And what exactly IS this "Mystery Zone" they keep mentioning?! My best guess is that it's exactly what it sounds like, a state of confusion (as mentioned, or at least hinted at, in the lyrics, "How come it feels so familiar when you've never been there?") Existential lyrics with a danceable beat? Sounds like a rip-roarin' good time to me!!


"You Must Be Out of Your Mind" by The Magnetic Fields:

This one hasn't gained as much airplay as the other four, but I thought I'd review it anyway since at least three adult alt. stations I know of have added it to their playlist (and also 'cuz it's such a good song!) I had actually known of The Magnetic Fields for quite a long time, and they seem like one of the few bands in the indie crop whose unique brand of folk-rock is more folk than it is rock. "You Must Be Out of Your Mind" continues in that tradition, and it adds in stringed instruments (like the violin), perhaps to make it sound even more like it belongs in another decade. Pretty much every Magnetic Fields song seems to sound more suited to the '60s or early '70s than it does to the 2000's or 2010's. "You Must Be Out of Your Mind" also carries on the lyrical tradition of satire meets sincerity that The Magnetic Fields other songs have had (like "All My Little Words", for instance). Unlike "All My Little Words", however, "You Must Be Out of Your Mind" seems a bit MORE focused on the satirical element. It has a bittersweet melody coupled with a sarcastic chorus ("You think you can leave the past behind/You must be out of your mind"). But musical quirks like these are the reason I love bands like Magnetic Fields, so I strongly suggest that all you irony-lovers out there give this one a good listen!