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!! :)

End of the year/decade blog special part 1: The Top 20 Songs of 2019

Here they are!


20. "Overexcited" by Guster
19. "Almost (Sweet Music)" by Hozier
18. "Alligator" by Of Monsters and Men
17. "Moderation" by Florence and The Machine
16. "Superposition" by Young the Giant
15. "Saw Lightning" by Beck
14. "Peach Fuzz" by Caamp
13. "Movement" by Hozier
12. "This Life" by Vampire Weekend
11. "Social Cues" by Cage the Elephant
10. "Doin' Time" by Lana Del Rey
9. "Ready to Let Go" by Cage the Elephant
8. "Life In the City" by The Lumineers
7. "No Bullets Spent" by Spoon
6. "Lo/Hi" by The Black Keys
5. "Stay High" by Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes)
4. "Go" by The Black Keys
3. "Missed Connection" by The Head and The Heart
2. "Harmony Hall" by Vampire Weekend

annndd...the number one song of 2019 is..."GLORIA" BY THE LUMINEERS!!!

But that's not ALL, folks!! Sometime this weekend (or perhaps early next week - haven't decided yet) I will be posting the big one...the Top 100 of the entire DECADE of the 2010's!! Stay tuned to find out where your faves landed!!

New songs for the day before Thanksgiving 2019

here they are:


"Armageddon's Back In Town" by Drive-by Truckers: Though it is not the first time that contemporary Southern rock outfit, Drive-by Truckers, have dealt with dark subject matter, their latest song, "Armageddon's Back In Town", is probably the first one that deals directly with the concept of the end of the world, as can be evidenced from its title alone. As lead singer Patterson Hood deals with the stress of what has now become everyday life for him and countless others, a lively and fiery Southern rock sound blares in the background, defining the essence of the song. Armageddon seems like it's always been lingering in the shadows of DBT, whose previous subjects have included the devil, protest, and even AIDS, so for Patterson to claim that it's "back in town" seems dubious when it seems to have been there all along for them. Perhaps the one thing that can be said is that "Armageddon" has gotten bigger as time has gone on for DBT.


"Fortune" by Wye Oak: Baltimore indie-pop/rock duo, Wye Oak, are a name that is often mentioned but rarely heard among adult alt radio programmers. Until now, that is. With "Fortune", Wye Oak have finally gotten the attention they've deserved on the Triple A format. And why (no pun intended) is that?! Perhaps it's the haunting combination of slinky, shimmering guitar and lead singer Jenn Wasner's sweet but shaky vocals, both of which are backed by a catchy rhythm. Jenn's yearning lyrics, which never seem to get fully resolved in spite of her earnest searching for answers, might be another part of the equation as to why "Fortune" has captured the public's attention like no Wye Oak song has previously.


"Mariners Apartment Complex" by Lana Del Rey: To paraphrase Patti Smith, Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not Lana Del Rey's. Patti Smith, particularly the softer side of her music, might have just inspired Lana Del Rey in more ways than one here on LDR's latest song, "Mariners Apartment Complex". For one, there's the lyrical theme of struggling with one's faith in a quest to understand oneself on a deeper level, grappling between the sacred and the profane as Patti has done, as well as other rock poets like Leonard Cohen (the song has even been compared lyrically to Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel # 2"). Musically, it sounds like it's evocative of songs from the mid 1970's, during which both Cohen and Smith were active, relevant musicians. Lana uses the name "Jesus" both sincerely ("kiss the sky and whisper to Jesus") and blasphemously ("I f**ked up, I know that, but Jesus, can't a girl just do the best she can?"), perhaps to represent just how conflicted she feels about love...and about religion and spirituality as well (the phrase "big-time believer", used midway through the song, could reference both love and religion). The world might never understand Lana Del Rey fully...but maybe she prefers being misunderstood.


"Somedays (I Don't Feel Like Trying)" by The Raconteurs: With the possible exception of their 2008 song, "Old Enough", The Raconteurs have never sounded as close to Southern rock as they have on their latest song, "Somedays (I Don't Feel Like Trying)". The song contains echoes of Southern rock staples like Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone" and The Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post", as Jack White tells a sorrowful tale of how downtrodden he feels sometimes. At only the second line into the song, White claims that the "only trouble is it's doomed from the start", "it" being his heart. Jack has really delved into his inner bluesman with his latest record, but this one feels like the blues-iest and most forlorn he's had to offer so far!


"The Fool" by Overcoats: It seems as though Sleater-Kinney's switch earlier this year from raw, guitar centered punk rock to more melodic yet still aggressive electro-rock has influenced other musicians as well, most notably the all-girl New York duo, Overcoats. "The Fool" is not a song for fools, unlike what its title might indicate. Instead, it is a song for people who want to break free from societal moulds and boldly declare their individuality like none before or since. The duo state that fools are what they do NOT want to be during the chorus of the song, and are tired of "bending over backwards" for others. In doing so, Overcoats have created an excellent song for marching forward into the next decade. One small step for woman, one giant leap for womankind!

New songs for November 20th 2019

here they are:


"Count On Me" by The Lone Bellow: Ever since their debut back in 2013, The Lone Bellow have always been about mellow sounds and sweet harmonies, but their latest song, "Count On Me", has that even more than most Lone Bellow songs have! With a bittersweet, almost heartbreaking sound slightly reminiscent of Tom Waits' "Hold On", "Count On Me" is a song that attests to how powerful friendship can truly be! During the last minute or so of this almost two-and-half-minute song, "Count On Me" starts to rev up a little bit and becoming more heartwarming than heartbreaking, but the sentiment of the song remains the same!


"It Might Be Time" by Tame Impala: If Supertramp's "The Logical Song" were remade into a nightclub rave type of song, you'd probably get Tame Impala's "It Might Be Time". And just what is it, you might ask, that it might "be time" for? Well, according to the song, it might be time to face how we're all getting older by the minute. For a band who has been around only since 2013, that's a pretty heavy thought to have! But time catches up to all of us eventually. Might as well have some good music and enjoy the ride while it lasts, right?

New songs for November 13th, 2019

here they are:


"Alabaster" by The Wood Brothers: When The Wood Brothers go for more of a slick, soulful groove than they do for the "jam band" stuff they've become known for, they seem to be most successful. The funky and surprisingly catchy "Happiness Jones" from last year proved this. During the last few weeks of the 2010's, The Wood Brothers prove their worth in funkiness once again with "Alabaster". "Alabaster", in this case, refers to a town in Alabama, and when the Woods claim that the subject of their song "won't be going back to Alabaster", they mean that she won't be going back to a place where oppression of sexual rights and oppression of women's rights run rampant. I think it's safe to say that no one wants to go back to Alabaster!


"NYE" by Joseph: "NYE", in this case, is pronounced "en-why-ee", not as "Nye" like Bill the Science Guy. It stands for "New Year's Eve" and serves as a coming of age song centering around the disappointment the lead singer feels about said holiday. Frustration is expressed that the person she is with is just using it as an excuse to get drunk (as she might be as well) and that she really doesn't feel older than she was before. The disillusionment and deconstruction of a beloved holiday. Is this really what we need to close out the 2010's?! Perhaps it is, if only to give us a wake-up call to move ourselves forward into the next decade.


"Unchained" by Devon Gilfillian: Neo-soul extraordinaire Devon Gilfillian made a big splash on adult alt radio through spring and summer of this year with the super-catchy "Get Out And Get It". The aching ballad, "Even Though It Hurts", was slated to be his next single, but unfortunately, it tanked. Thankfully, "Unchained" seems to be working in Devon's favor so far, having already hit 16 radio stations within its first week on the air! Perhaps this is because of just what a powerful song "Unchained" is. The song seems to be a cry for justice, perhaps both in a romantic way and a racial way, but whichever subject it's supposed to represent, it retains its strength! Mixing soul, hip-hop, and rock into a potent fabric, "Unchained" begs for freedom during a time when many souls feel chained and broken!

New songs for November 6th 2019

here they are:


"Come On" by Mondo Cozmo: As cool and edgy as "Black Cadillac" was, there's probably a reason its success crashed. Mondo Cozmo's latest song, "Come On", has two important words that "Black Cadillac" didn't: Anna Faris! No, she doesn't sing on the track, but she is in its video, which seems to have gotten a lot of attention specifically for that reason (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2FImefxs9s). The song is otherwise kinda cool, but doesn't have much to offer other than a Pennsylvania native pretending to sound like a Brit.


"Go Crazy" by G. Love (featuring Keb' Mo'): G. Love has a rather eccentric approach to the blues, while Keb' Mo's is more on the "traditional" side, but anyone who knows either musician knows how much they love the blues! The song has more of the laid back vibes that Mo' has been known for, but the "Looney Tunes"-ish music video for the song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2Licd-XbHc) seems like it's more suited to G. Love's kookier style. Both musicians look like "Merrie Melodies" cartoons from the 1930's in the song's video. Why? Darned if I know! But it's still pretty entertaining both to watch and to hear!


"Trouble In Paradise" by Rufus Wainwright: Rufus was pretty active in the music biz in the '00s, but until this point, he had only released one record during the 2010's, so I thought he had called it quits for awhile. After 7 years of absence, Rufus is back! Mixing the twang of George Harrison with the elegant piano-pop of Elton John, "Trouble In Paradise" seems like the sort of song Elton could write AND perform! The song reflects on the fashion industry, and how critical Rufus feels towards it. While most of the big reunions being poised for the 2020's tend to focus on hard rock, Rufus offers us some musical calm amidst the brewing storm (though perhaps "reunion" is the wrong word to use for Rufus, since he's only one person). Hopefully, more folks on the fluffier, prettier side of the rock spectrum will take his lead pretty soon. In the meantime, at least Rufus is there to offer us paradise amongst a sea of troubled bands with "Trouble In Paradise".

Songs for the day before Halloween 2019!!

here they are:


“Blind Leading the Blind” by Mumford and Sons: Midway through the 2010’s, Mumford and Sons decided they were tired of people pigeonholing them into the folk-rock category, so they got more of a “rock” sound with songs like “The Wolf”. Just as it seemed like M & S were finally starting to settle on a more acoustic based sound again towards the end of the decade, the quartet surprise us yet again by releasing what sounds like a U2 song with a banjo in the chorus! That’s right, in “Blind Leading the Blind”, Mumford and Sons’ two worlds collide! It seems to have done the trick for much of their fanbase, who favor their decision to meld all their previous sounds into one. In keeping with the theme of many songs from the mid to late 2010’s, “Blind Leading the Blind” laments the current generation, even opening with the words, “My generation’s stuck in the mirror”, immediately followed by “forget about ‘poor’ ‘cause I don’t like the word”. We are indeed a selfish, deceptive, and all-around desperate bunch of people these days, aren’t we?


“Misery” by Michigander: “Michigander”, in case you were wondering, simply means “person from Michigan”, just like “Californian” means “person from California”, and yes, they actually do hail from Michigan. It’s not just a clever name. Their debut song, “Misery”, gives me vibes that are similar to Snow Patrol or early Coldplay, with just a hint of latter-day Cage the Elephant tossed in for good measure. It is a short song without a lot of lyrical depth that talks about a breakup, as can be inferred from the title. A pleasant song nonetheless, though.


“Surefire” by Wilderado: Perhaps the best way to describe this song’s sound is “psychedelic country-rock”. It has a spaced out yet calm vibe similar to Kurt Vile (and his band, The War on Drugs). Fitting with its strung out, blissful, hippie vibe, Wilderado’s “Surefire” has a lot of nature related lyrics. “Surefire”, in this case, is not just a phrase used to describe something that is bound to happen, but a reference to the actual fire of the sun as it sets. The moon, the stars, bears, and forests are all mentioned in the first verse. Groovy, man!


“Van Horn” by Saint Motel: What exactly IS a Van Horn?! Is it like a Van Halen, but with horns in it?! No, it’s actually a town in Texas, which might explain the song’s “spicy twang” sound in the beginning. From there, it turns into the typical indie-dance-pop style of Saint Motel, but that is certainly not a bad thing. Saint Motel have been winners among the alt and adult alt crowds with “My Type” and “Move”, both of which were super catchy! “Van Horn” continues in this direction, creating yet another earworm in the Saint Motel catalog. The song actually has a clearer narrative than their other two hits, centering around the lead singer hesitating over whether to get to know the object of his affections better. As for me, I wanna get to know this song better!