Gary's Top 50 Songs of 2013

So, this exists, lest I unceremoniously continue onto the next year without an overly meticulous ordering of the closing year’s tunes that happened to hit my earhole (fairly certain that is the medically accepted term).

Self-deprecation aside, 2013 proved to be a staggering juggernaut in the music realm. From triple-A-listers to unassuming newcomers and the plethora in between, it seemed like everyone dropped at least an EP this year. Personally, I can’t remember such a stacked year in music releases. That might be due to the alcohol abuse, but I digress.

Due to increasing time constraints and all that, it felt overwhelming to attempt to keep pace with all of the releases this year. Alas, music was still enjoyed, dammit, and that admittedly microscopic sample of tunes was the pool of songs run through rigorous testing in order to qualify for this highly prestigious honor.

In my best Casey Kasem impression, let's count 'em down, shall we?

Listen along with this nifty Spotify playlist, too!

50. "Purple Yellow Red and Blue" by Portugal. The Man

49. "Bitter Rivals" by Sleigh Bells

48. "Rap God" by Eminem

47. "A Tooth for an Eye" by The Knife

46. "Say That" by Toro y Moi

45. "Tom Ford" by Jay Z

44. "Ya Hey" by Vampire Weekend

43. "By and Down" by A Perfect Circle

42. "Love Sick" by Sleigh Bells

41. "Sacrilege" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

40. "Proper Spirit" by Small Black

39. "Right Action" by Franz Ferdinand

38. "Pumpin' Blood" by NONONO

37. "The Walker" by Fitz and The Tantrums

36. "Tennis Court" by Lorde

35. "Came Back Haunted" by Nine Inch Nails

34. "One of Us is the Killer" by The Dillinger Escape Plan

33. "24 Hours" by Sky Ferreira

32. "Howl" by Beware of Darkness

31. "Pompeii" by Bastille

30. "The Mother We Share" by CHVRCHES

29. "IFHY" by Tyler, the Creator ft. Pharrell

28. "You're Not Good Enough" by Blood Orange

27. "Safe and Sound" by Capital Cities

26. "Hurricane" by MS MR

25. "Biggie Bounce" by Diplo ft. Angger Dimas & Travis Porter

24. "Bound 2" by Kanye West

23. "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys

22. "If You Got It At Five, You Got It At Fifty" by Norma Jean

21. "Doin' It Right" by Daft Punk ft. Panda Bear

20. "Trying To Be Cool" by Phoenix

19. "Tunnel Vision" by Justin Timberlake

18. "Blurred Vision" by Robin Thicke ft. T.I. & Pharrell

17. "Black Skinhead" by Kanye West

16. "Wild For The Night" by A$AP Rocky ft. Skrillex & Birdy Nam Nam

15. "Bubble Butt" by Major Lazer ft. Bruno Mars, Tyga & Mystic

14. "Black Out Days" by Phantogram

13. "Inhaler" by Foals

12. "Alive" by Empire of the Sun

11. "Stranger" by The Limousines

10. "Hold On, We're Going Home" by Drake ft. Majid Jordan

Two years ago, Drake released a stellar, minimalistic R&B single about a drunk dial. This year, Drake released a stellar, minimalistic R&B single about a good girl who could be The One. It is a rather simple love song littered with mushy lines like “I want your hot love and emotion endlessly”, but when contrasted with The Weeknd-aping backbeat, “Hold On” delivers as a pro-commitment ballad, which is almost shocking in today’s musical and real-world landscape, but certainly so for the seducing singer himself. Love songs are a dime a dozen; Drake’s love song effortlessly separates from the pack as a standout this year.

09. "Sex" by The 1975

“And this is how it starts”, frontman Matthew Healy sighs at the beginning of “Sex”, before detailing the carnal desires and foreplay of two would-be lovers fuckers. It is an undoubtedly and predictably sexy song, but there is one problem: “She’s got a boyfriend, anyway.” The listener is able to feel the palpable tension as it plays out over the evocative ‘80s pop backdrop. On paper, it teeters on cheesy, but the song always overcomes this with its sense of genuineness and emotion. Plus, who can’t relate to a song about fucking?

08. "Blood On The Leaves" by Kanye West

How does a narcissistic creative genius top a release that many lauded as near-perfection three years ago? With Yeezus, of course, which is nearly perfect in its own right despite being entirely distinct from MBDTF. ‘Ye is no stranger to unorthodoxy, and Yeezus oozes it, pushing the boundaries of what hip-hop sounds like yet again. It is an album so good that one’s favorite track can change on the daily (truth be told, I had a difficult time ranking the three that cracked the Top 50, as well as limiting it to just three entries). “Blood on the Leaves” masterfully works in a Nina Simone sample and some 808s­-y Autotune verses before the bombast hits, all the while simultaneously evoking lyrics about a breakup and racial injustice. All told, “Blood” and Yeezus are incredible and powerful accomplishments, yet seemingly par for the course for West.

07. "Royals" by Lorde

Unexpected ubiquity should not detract from the impressiveness of Lorde’s year. She released an unusually catchy single destined for endless replay that ended up topping the Hot 100 for weeks and earning her countless live performances and multiple Grammy nominations. Oh yeah, and she was sixteen, making her the youngest artist to top the Hot 100 in over a quarter-century. “Royals” is immediately etched into the listener’s mind once the chorus rolls around, with its singsong-y name-dropping that even your grandmother could rattle off by now. The laughably minimal finger-snap beat works to great success, and shifts the focus to Lorde’s lyrics deriding the “opulence” and “bullshit” of today’s mainstream music. Needless to say, “Royals” was a refreshing standout amidst the rest of the radio schlock this year and established Lorde as one of the year’s most exciting new artists.

06. "Latch" by Disclosure ft. Sam Smith

It’s pretty telling when a song I first heard this month can have enough of impact to land this high on a year-end retrospective. There is no overcompensation or short-term memory effect at play, either: Disclosure put out an outstanding debut this year, and “Latch” is the perfect entry point for any newcomer. The British duo do everything right by laying down a retro-tinged electropop beat that submerses the listener, and guest vocalist Sam Smith nails it with a dichotomous combination of a sexy, crooning verse and a dynamic, evocative (and falsetto-as-fuck) chorus. Throw in some words about digging someone so much that you want to latch onto them and never let them go, and it becomes easy to see why the song stands out as one of the year’s best. The one thing I wish about this song is that I discovered it sooner.

05. "Step" by Vampire Weekend

Despite two excellent records to their name, Vampire Weekend somehow out did themselves on Modern Vampires of the City, a more subdued, exceptionally written, and generally beautiful work when compared to its predecessors. “Step”, the B-side to the upbeat and more textbook single “Diane Young”, exemplifies such praise, with a brilliantly executed less-is-more approach. The end result is four-plus minutes of gorgeously minimalistic instrumentation, placing emphasis on the lovelorn lyrics of a lost lover and admission that “I can’t do it alone”.

04. "I Appear Missing" by Queens of the Stone Age

At this point, I am clueless as to what Queens of the Stone Age have to do to get the recognition that they deserve. To be fair, they are playing massive arenas and were just nominated for three Grammys, and perhaps I’m biased and overselling them (nah). But, dammit, …Like Clockwork may end up being the band’s best and most complete album. In an album filled with legitimate highlights, “I Appear Missing” stands above the rest as a six-minute opus that transforms into an all-out, immersive rock epic in its latter half. If you still think QOTSA is a “stoner rock” band for some reason, you’re selling them considerably short of where their true talent lies.

03. "Reflektor" by Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire have yet to make a bad record. A potentially controversial statement for most bands, Arcade Fire’s track record has been so superb that it would be controversial to say otherwise. Reflektor keeps their winning streak alive and well, and the lead single and title track exemplifies what they do best: ­­­Larger-than-life, arena-filling anthems. Believe it or not, the song is seven minutes long, but its persistent vitality and urgency has listeners suddenly yearning for a replay. The song distinguishes itself from their past works while still remaining very representative. And to think, all of this musical greatness was because of a trip to Haiti.

02. "Prancer" by The Dillinger Escape Plan

Six seconds. That’s all of a warning shot you get before Greg & Co. bludgeon you over the head for the remaining 3:45 of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s lead single off of One of Us Is The Killer, the mathcore forefathers’ fifth full-length. “Prancer” is a contradictory combination of refreshing yet strangely familiar. One might consider it a “greatest hits” song, as it compiles all of the motifs, ploys, and elements of many of their prior works. Mathcore neophytes might be intimidated, even frightened, by such an intense song. Their unrelenting intensity is a staple, famously at their live shows, but somehow it faithfully translates to record. The song is a trip of near-constant brutality, off-the-wall time signatures and composition, and just enough of time in the middle for repose. No song this year could top the adrenaline rush that “Prancer” so effortlessly provided.

01. "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell

It was that rare love at first sound, really. When Nile Rodgers strums away on that simple-yet-elegant guitar intro of Daft Punk’s first legitimately new single in seven years, it was justified thinking to believe that they were onto something glorious. Countless plays and a summer’s worth of inundation later, and the song still holds as strong as that unforgettable first spin. EDM has become steeped in household ubiquity lately, and until “Get Lucky”, Daft Punk had essentially been on the sidelines watching DJs and artists popularize a genre that they had so carefully crafted and mastered over the past decade-plus. Rather than one-up their contemporaries, they did a 180 and decided to make an entire album as homage to the music that influenced and shaped their distinct sound. Although, as far as homages go, they one-upped everyone else by actually getting the dude in the band for whom they had such reverence.
And then there’s Pharrell, who single-handedly takes the song from “catchy” to “catchy-as-fuck” with his textbook sing-along lyrics about trying to get laid and, erm, phoenixes. The end result was a genre-blurring classic with mass appeal that dominated the summer (and this countdown) for good reason.

I suppose you couldn't get a much more striking contrast between those Top 2 songs, which I had flipped back-and-forth almost daily before settling on the final 1-2.

Some last minute entries (Sky Ferreira, Disclosure) sneaked onto the countdown, but a bunch did not. I vow to give Deafheaven and Jon Hopkins some early 2014 lovin'.

That's about it. Here's to hoping 2014 provides as bountiful a selection of quality tunes as this year.

Gary's Top 20 Albums of 2011

After 365 days of anticipation, my fifth-annual Albums of the Year list is finally complete.  It is hard to briefly summarize the list, but overall it seems that strangeness and extra effort were handsomely rewarded this year.
As with my Top Songs, each album has a link either to Spotify or Soundcloud for your listening pleasure.  Without further ado, let's start counting backwards from twenty:

20.  Danny Brown – XXX - THE RAW: Detroit’s Danny Brown is pretty difficult to ignore.  His delivery is manic and distinct, his rhymes are wildly entertaining and his beats perfectly parallel Brown’s hyperactivity.  Tyler, The Creator got a lot of buzz this year for a similarly striking album, but Danny Brown should not (and likely will not) be ignored.
KEY TRACKS: “I Will”, “Monopoly”

19.  Cults – Cults - THE SUMMERY:  New York outfit Cults has turned the infectious “Go Outside” into a full-length album of sun-drenched, low-fi indie pop.  Somewhat reminiscent of Best Coast’s Crazy For You, but more dreamy and less surf-rock, Cults is an exciting debut that is the definitive summertime album.
KEY TRACKS: “Go Outside”, “Abducted”

18.  My Morning Jacket – Circuital - THE SOUTHERN FRIED: Evil Urges was MMJ’s previous album, a divisive effort due to the somewhat eclectic and disjoint nature of the songs.  Circuital remains a more cohesive exercise of ever-brilliant southern rock ballads more apropos of the MMJ canon.
KEY TRACKS: “Victory Dance”, “Holdin On To Black Metal”, “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)”

17.  Panda Bear – Tomboy - THE HYMNAL: Tomboy is not nearly as grandiose as the outstanding Person Pitch, but it does feature more bite-sized pieces of filtered, hazy psychedelia and an optimistic hymnal feel, with pick-me-up axioms like “You can count on me”.  With Noah Lennox’s trademark über-reverbed vocals at the forefront, Tomboy is a dazzling exercise in euphoria.
KEY TRACKS: “Slow Motion”, “Last Night at the Jetty”, “Afterburner”

16.  Tyler, The Creator – Goblin - THE DEPRAVED:  Tyler and his rap collective OFWGKTA had a big year in 2011, with Tyler and Frank Ocean releasing critically-acclaimed albums and that outstanding “Yonkers” video making Tyler a household name (and VMA Best New Artist).  Goblin seems caustic upon first listen, with Tyler’s gravelly delivery and abrasive lyricism (see: “Bitch Suck Dick”).  It is not some attention-seeking gimmick, however, which is explained at the end of “Sandwitches”: “We don’t fucking make horrorcore, you fucking idiots. Listen deeper to the music before you put it in a box.”  Delve deeper into the album and the listener finds an emotionally confused, tortured guy pouring it all out to his “psychiatrist”, which turns out to be Tyler grappling with his own conscience throughout Goblin.  It is a concept album that works, keeping the listener invested and excited for the future of Tyler and OFWGKTA.
KEY TRACKS: “Yonkers”, “Sandwitches” (feat. Hodgy Beats), “She” (feat. Frank Ocean)

15.  Radiohead - The King of Limbs - THE SUBTLE:  Radiohead are so universally adored, when they release a new album, it becomes an event.  Their eighth LP was suddenly sprung upon unsuspecting fans, as In Rainbows was four years prior.  What fans got was not instantly gratifying or game-changing.  Instead, The King of Limbs was a subtle and patient record that was not out to overwhelm.  Instead, the eight tracks induce a constant, understated chill and tension absent on In Rainbows.  There are also hints of nature and the environment present: Other than the album title, “Feral” plays to its namesake, conjuring thoughts of a runaway animal.  The King of Limbs is not nearly the best album in the sacred Radiohead catalogue, but it is still rewarding for those willing to put in the time.
KEY TRACKS: “Lotus Flower”, “Give Up The Ghost”

14.  tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l - THE ECLECTIC: Everything about w h o k i l l is attention-grabbing, most noticeably the plasticity of Merrill Garbus’s voice from lulling coo to punk-rock yelp.  The music incorporates Afro-pop percussion, folky guitar plucks and horns to create some multilayered music, but it is Garbus’s vocals and lyrics that are always at the forefront and that allow the songs to transcend to the next level.  The greatness of w h o k i l l lies both in its irresistible sound and its dark lyrics about violence.
KEY TRACKS: “Bizness”, “My Country”, “Gangsta”

13.  Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact - THE EXPERIMENTAL ODDBALLS: There seems to be one of these albums every year that are wrought with experimental electronica and psychedelia that are near-impossible to ignore (see: 2010’s Odd Blood and 2009’s unforgettable Merriweather Post Pavilion).  Because of its strangely hypnotic uniqueness, Eye Contact is 2011’s iteration, by yet another NYC-based experimental troupe.  At a trim seven songs (plus the three “∞” interludes), each one is stylistically distinct from the next.  “Glass Jar” is a trippy, eleven minute opener that shimmers before erupting, “Adult Goth” is reminiscent of an otherworldly Fever Ray song and “MindKilla” is a surprisingly catchy slice of upbeat bliss.  Overall, Eye Contact is a solidly distinct set of quirky electronica.
KEY TRACKS: “Adult Goth”, “Glass Jar”, “MindKilla”

12.  Atlas Sound – Parallax - THE INTROVERT: While Bradford Cox may have tried to make a distant album following his nervous breakdown, it is also his most accessible and warm album yet.  His vocals are not obscured by haze this time around, and the music is shimmering with a soft fragility and confidence that gives Parallax a strange, dichotomous nature: As enveloping and radiant the songs may be, there is still an unsettling isolation that makes the album even more intriguing and likely Cox’s best solo effort so far.
KEY TRACKS: “Te Amo”, “Modern Aquatic Nightsongs”

11.  Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica - THE ATYPICAL: Replica is the strangest, least accessible album on this list, likely due to the unorthodoxy of the song creation.  Sprinkled with haunting piano throughout, it is the use of an abundance of abnormal samples that makes this ambient album somewhat unusual.  The progression of the album seems eerily natural, as if it is the recording of nature at nighttime.  The centerpiece is the title track, which is laden with somber piano plinks and a whirring buzz that becomes prominent at the strangely beautiful end of the song.  At one moment still and droning and at the next jarring and uncomfortable, Replica rewards patience and open-mindedness.
KEY TRACKS: “Replica”, “Sleep Dealer”

10.  The Black Keys - El Camino - THE HEIR APPARENTS: When The White Stripes disbanded in early 2011, they left a large void in the annals of music in general, specifically critically-adored blues rock.  The Black Keys seem to have solidified their role as the proper heir of that throne with their seventh LP.  A constantly thrilling set of rock ‘n roll with blues, surf and even glam rock influences, El Camino is, at its core, a fun-filled record filled with upbeat riff-driven tracks and an unmistakable swagger.  Very few albums this year demanded repeated spins quite like the ever-enticing El Camino.
KEY TRACKS: “Lonely Boy”, “Gold on theCeiling”, “Little Black Submarines”

09.  The Field - Looping State of Mind - THE ENTRANCING: The formula is so painfully simple that Axel Wilner pokes fun of it in the title of his third LP: Loop until its appeal has faded, then change it up, even if it is ever-so-slightly.  Regardless, The Field has mastered the formula and produced another set of captivating minimalistic ambient electronica.  The subtle layers and textures at play here work wonderfully, creating moods out of gorgeous repetition.  Whether it is the delicacy of the piano on “Then It’s White” or the woozy, swirling “Is This Power”, the end result is the same: The songs on Looping State of Mind are evocative without words or typical song structure, making it all the more impressive.
KEY TRACKS: “Is This Power”, “Then It’sWhite”

08.  Neon Indian - Era Extraña – THE CHILLWAVE: The fringe subgenre chillwave gets a bad reputation, but Neon Indian have expanded upon their initial sound from Psychic Chasms to add a psychedelic haze and ambience to the low-fidelity, 8-bit synth-pop.  The album is also seeping with nostalgia and melancholia, which is excellently demonstrated on “Halogen (I Could Be A Shadow)” and “Arcade Blues”.  The latter’s title perfectly sums up Era Extraña: Glitchy, bummy aural bliss.
KEY TRACKS: “Polish Girl”, “Arcade Blues”, “Halogen (I Could Be A Shadow)”

07.  Girls - Father,Son, Holy Ghost - THE TIMELESS:  Like 2009’s Album, Girls’ follow-up album is chock-full of polished rock ‘n roll that could easily be mistaken for a relic from decades ago.  Its influences range from surf rock on opener “Honey Bunny” to the heavy metal-aping of “Die”.  However, Father, Son, Holy Ghost consistently makes a living by borrowing heavily from gradualism classic rock of the late ‘60s and ‘70s, as best demonstrated on the standout slow-burners “Vomit” and “Forgiveness”.  Despite its unabashed borrowing from the past, Girls somehow create a powerful album that is undeniably fresh.
KEY TRACKS: “Vomit”, “Die”, “Forgiveness”

06.  Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch TheThrone - THE OPULENT: ­ The two biggest names in hip hop team up to produce a celebratory lap for the 1%.  On paper, that has potentially disastrous results.  On record, it is a delightfully enjoyable and decadent ride.  With overpriced samples (Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness” on the irresistible “Otis”), capital-A-list guest stars (Beyoncé makes “Lift Off” soar) and countless lavish namedrops, Jay and ‘Ye consistently remind the listener that, yeah, they make more money than you do.  They also rap better than you do. Hov is the best he has been in years and Kanye is still in peak form from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.  Or, to put it into their words, “What more can I say? / We killin’ ‘em.”  Watch The Throne is escapism rap done wonderfully well.
KEY TRACKS: “N***as In Paris”, “Otis”, “No Church In The Wild”

05.  The Weeknd - House of Balloons - THE SEDUCTIVE:  Where the hell did The Weeknd come from? At the end of 2010, a few of his tracks were just made available via YouTube.  One year later, he has self-released a trilogy of great mixtapes, his identity as Abel Tesfaye has been revealed, and he has been linked with fellow Canadian crooner Drake (both on the Thursday cut “The Zone” and the Take Care standout “Crew Love).  It all began with House of Balloons, arguably the best of the three mixtapes.  Balloons defined The Weeknd’s sound as seductive, syrupy R&B, driven by Tesfaye’s distinct high-pitched delivery about sex and drugs.  The whole album plays like the perfect soundtrack to a late-night, drug-addled party.  All in all, there is a brooding sense of realness that separates The Weeknd from his contemporaries, making him one of the most exciting new artists of the year.
KEY TRACKS: “High For This”, “House of Balloons”, “The Morning”

04.  Destroyer – Kaputt - THE RETRO:  On the surface, Kaputt can sound like cheesy ‘80s adult contemporary or soft rock, musicianship not usually held in the highest regard. However, Dan Bejar essentially turns this initially cheeseball subgenre into something much more endearing.  Bejar counteracts the breezy strings and horns with at-times dark lyrics delivered oh-so-casually.  It is an unlikely combination that works to perfection throughout Kaputt, creating a retro/disco-tinged blithe dreamscape from opener “Chinatown” to the eleven-minute sprawling closer “Bay of Pigs”.  As introspective as it is expansive, Kaputt is a warm, beautiful trip from beginning to end.
KEY TRACKS: “Chinatown”, “Bay of Pigs”, “Kaputt”

03. Drake - Take Care - THE TRAILBLAZER:  Last year, Kanye West pushed the typical boundaries of a hip hop album to overwhelming success.  This year, Drake raised the stakes by creating an album that deftly incorporates hip hop, R&B and pop into a refreshing sound.  Singles “Headlines” and the Nicki Minaj-aided “Make Me Proud” are great, upbeat radio songs and “Lord Knows” is brimming with bombast (thanks to the soulful, choral backing) and swagger (thanks to Rick Ross).  However, the true greatness of Take Care lies in its sparser, more minimalistic moments.  Case in point: “Marvins Room” is uncomfortably still, exposing the raw emotionality as the listener eavesdrops on a Drake drunk dial.  Take Care covers a lot of bases, but does them all well.
KEY TRACKS: “Marvins Room”, “Take Care”, “Crew Love” (feat. The Weeknd)

02.  Bon Iver - Bon Iver - THE EVOCATIVE:  No album this year was quite as evocative from front to back as Justin Vernon’s excellent sophomore LP.  Between the delicate yet intricate layering of the instrumentation and Vernon’s trademark fragile falsetto, every moment of Bon Iver is powerful and moving, conjuring distant memories and painful yearning.  From the slow, subtle build-up of “Perth” to the poignant reminiscences of ‘80s soft rock closer “Beth/Rest”, Bon Iver is a brilliant expansion of Vernon’s initially introverted folk rock to a richer, larger and more masterful expression of emotion.
KEY TRACKS: “Calgary”, “Holocene”, “Perth”

01.  M83 - HurryUp, We’re Dreaming. - THE EPIC: The “epic” descriptor gets sprinkled liberally into an excessive number of album reviews, but no album fulfilled or redefined its qualifications quite like Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.  Anthony Gonzalez continues his winning streak by blending the ‘80s synth-pop of Saturdays = Youth with his more ambient earlier works.  The result is a near-flawless double album that could fill a stadium or one’s headphones.  The album title succinctly sums up the listening experience: Lucidity with striking immediacy.  This striking dichotomy is best illustrated by “Intro” and “Midnight City”, which seamlessly segues between woozy dreamscape and huge, brimming electro-pop (and those irresistible saxophones).  It is decidedly difficult to determine the ranking of Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming within the prestigious M83 canon, but its ranking amongst peers thrusts it into a stratosphere by itself.
KEY TRACKS: “Midnight City”, “Intro” (feat. Zola Jesus), “New Map”

For the third consecutive year, my top song and album have been occupied by the same artist: In 2009, it was Animal Collective's "My Girls" and Merriweather Post Pavilion and last year it was LCD Soundsystem's "All I Want" and This Is Happening.

This closes the book on music in 2011. I know I missed some great albums this year that will hopefully get some spillover love into 2012. Last year, I mentioned that Das Racist and Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti would get said treatment, and they did.  This year, I plan on giving Toro y Moi's Underneath The Pine and St. Vincent's Strange Mercy some love.

Have a lovely New Year's Eve and Day, and here's to hoping that The Avalanches get their shit together and finally release their new album in 2012.

Gary's Top 50 Songs of 2011

 Yet another calendar year is imminently concluding, and as always, the perfect sendoff is a meticulously crafted, seemingly arbitrary list of songs from said calendar year!  This may have been the most difficult year-end song list I’ve compiled, as I had to eliminate some very worthy songs.  Also, certain songs just seemed like they were better than their ranking.  Alas, the list is final.  No refunds.

For the first time, with the wonders of “technology”, I am able to pass along this countdown as an almost-full-fledged playlist. Click here and enjoy 45 of the 50 songs fo’ free, courtesy of Spotify, which will soon replace whatever shitty music player you currently utilize.  The five songs not available via Spotify have YouTube videos linked next to them (Danny Brown, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, the two The Weeknd songs and Coldplay).  Because God forbid you didn’t hear Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, et al.

50. “Mr. Saxobeat” by Alexandra Stan
49. “Amor Fati” by Washed Out

48. “I Will” by Danny Brown (vide0)
47. “L Y F” by WU LYF
46. “Helena Beat” by Foster the People
45. “Countdown” by Beyoncé
44. “Will Do” by TV on the Radio
43. “Civilization” by Justice
42. “Holdin On To Black Metal” by My Morning Jacket
41. “The Last Huzzah” by Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire featuring Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown and El-P (video)

40. “Curl of the Burl” by Mastodon
39. “Die” by Girls
38. “Make Some Noise” by Beastie Boys
37. “Sail” by AWOLNATION
36. “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” by Arctic Monkeys
35. “Jack Sparrow” by The Lonely Island featuring Michael Bolton
34. “Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)” by The Wombats
33. “Lonely Star” by The Weeknd (video)
32. “Polymers Are Forever” by Future of the Left
31. “Michael Jackson” by Das Racist

30. “Take Care” by Drake featuring Rihanna
29. “Trembling Hands” by Explosions in the Sky
28. “6 Foot 7 Foot” by Lil Wayne featuring Cory Gunz
27. “Super Bass” by Nicki Minaj
26. “Go Outside” by Cults
25. “Paradise” by Coldplay (video)
24. “Otis” by Jay-Z & Kanye West
23. “Replica” by Oneohtrix Point Never
22. “Bizness” by tUnE-yArDs
21. “We Found Love” by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris

20. “Adult Goth” by Gang Gang Dance
19. “Polish Girl” by Neon Indian
18. “Lonely Boy” by The Black Keys
17. “Slow Motion” by Panda Bear
16. “Perth” by Bon Iver
15. “Don’t Move” by Phantogram
14. “Vomit” by Girls
13. “Need You Now” by Cut Copy
12. “Ice Cream” by Battles featuring Matias Aguayo
11. “Chinatown” by Destroyer

10. “High For This” by The Weeknd (video)

09. “Marvins Room” by Drake

08. “Holocene” by Bon Iver

07. “Street Halo” by Burial

06. “Yonkers” by Tyler, The Creator


05. “N***as In Paris” by Jay-Z & Kanye West


04. “Lotus Flower” by Radiohead


03. “Calgary” by Bon Iver

02. “Intro” by M83 featuring Zola Jesus

01. “Midnight City” by M83

Yes, M83 at #2 and #1, which comprise the best nine-plus consecutive minutes in music this year.  Thanks for showing up everybody else, but it really was not close.  Nothing quite matched the grandiosity and evocative nature of those two songs back-to-back, although Bon Iver certainly was close, logging three entries in the Top 20.
Fear not: The year would not be complete without my laborious rundown of my favorite albums, which will be posted before year’s end.  Until then, rock the shit out of that Spotify playlist.

My Top 12 Songs of All-Time...Right Now: #1

Radiohead
"Paranoid Android"
Single from the album OK Computer
Single release date: May 26, 1997
Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time: 256
Pitchfork's Top 200 Tracks of the '90s: 4

It has come to this. Eleven entries and almost four weeks in the making, we do not arrive at the greatest song that has ever been recorded in the history of music. Such hyperbole is ridiculous, knock it off. Rather, after eleven songs of varying age, genre and influence, we have one song and band that may most accurately be described as “my favorite.”

In 2006, on a whim mostly after hearing about their critical acclaim, I went and bought all of the full-length Radiohead albums. That one sentence intrigues me. At a time when buying albums was still the norm for me, I bought a band’s discography without knowing much more than they were supposedly awesome. I listened intently, trying not to become a victim of confirmation bias: Just because these were universally adored albums did not mean I would necessarily love them, too. Naturally, though, I did. Each album was filled with memorable songs and lines, and one album was stylistically distinct from the next. I was in love. I had never been exposed to such music before. Up until this point, I mostly relied on the few local rock radio stations for exposure to new bands. While one is consistently great (WEQX, which actually plays a decent amount of Radiohead and lots of alternative and indie rock), the others were littered with the modern rock schlock that I have grown to despise (the Nickelbacks, the Salivas, the Seethers). Rather quickly, I turned to the internet to unearth other great music on my own, and have not looked back. In essence, Radiohead single-handedly changed how I view and obtain music, as they have entrenched themselves as my gold standard for five years and counting.

Their library is filled with more outstanding albums and standout tracks than any other artist on this list, but “Paranoid Android” has stood above the rest, since day one, as my go-to example of Radiohead’s excellence. First off, the timing and structure were unlike anything previously in the Radiohead canon (and even since its release, only “Supercollider” clocks in as a longer release). It clocked in at over six minutes and featured distinct musical movements, much like Queen’s classic “Bohemian Rhapsody”, a song to which “Paranoid Android” was often compared initially. A standout on the decade-defining OK Computer, it encapsulated all of the themes that the album extolled: Paranoia, uncertainty, insanity. It also represents one of the earliest predictors of Radiohead’s musical range, as it expertly melds their previously-refined acoustic and traditional rock elements with their newly-fashioned electronic experimentation. The first two minutes are chilling and eerie, especially as Thom Yorke wonders “What’s that?” with that guitar lick looming in the background. The second part soon kicks in, which harkens back to a more traditional rock aesthetic. 2:45 is one of my favorite climaxes and solos in a Radiohead song, definitely showcasing that they can rock out with the best of them. Then, suddenly, we witness a slowdown. It is a rather beautiful movement, with the melodic vocal background and Yorke crying “Rain down on me!” As this continues, Yorke sings a few more lines until the memorable last line: “God loves his children, yeah”, which is immediately followed by another rock-out ending, with distorted vocals and guitars until completion. It is a rollercoaster of a song with a lot going on, but it all flows fluidly and excellently to create an evocative experience, even after a hundred listens.

On a personal level, the idea of being the titular paranoid android resonated with me, especially upon first listens. It is in human nature to be unnecessarily paranoid about certain things, but the robotic declaration “I may be paranoid, but not an android” sums it all up: I may worry about things, but it is on my volition and by my own thinking.

Every song on this countdown has held some significance since first hearing it. Most were gateways into the rest of the artist’s expansive discography, and all of them have impacted my overall music taste to certain degrees. However, no song (or artist) has had as much of an influence as “Paranoid Android” by Radiohead, single-handedly pulling me from the depths of modern rock mediocrity and into the realm of great music and talent. I always wondered what I might say if I ever had the unlikely circumstance of meeting Thom Yorke. I am certain that I would fall prey to being starstruck, but after recovering, perhaps I would begin by simply saying: “Thank you.”