Friday, December 27, 2013

Sam's Top 20 of 2013: #1



1 “The Mother We Share,” Chvrches

OK I bet that not a damn person saw this one coming yes the best song of the year the tune that I thought was the best jam to come out all year belongs to this group of Scottish new wavers in the form of Chvrches and you know what I regret NOTHING!

OK in all seriousness while looking back I love songs that are organic and that are heavy in real instruments I can’t help but you know be taken back by what’s probably the cutest pixy voiced singer I’ve seen since Kimbra and honestly the most awesomely new-wavy kind of 80’s throwback jam that’s heavily reminiscent of Depeche Mode, Blondie, Kraftwerk, and bands of that time it’s a cleverly disguised alternative rock song with a very pop vibe and heavy HEAVY use of synthesizers and looping machines that I’m not normally one for but the fact that this is such a commanding little number that throws it at ya with all forces you can’t help but sit back, turn up your radio, and realize you’re listening to something so wonderfully awesome that there’s nothing else on the radio that could make life feel so awesome at that very second.

So if that doesn’t convince you enough as to why this is the best song to come along this year then well go make your own list, but in all seriousness these where my personal picks of the top 20 songs of the year so many great songs came along and just kicked ass that I’m surprised I didn’t post that much but hey that’s just the way the cookie crumbles thanks for reading and stay tuned for more songs of the day.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Sam's Top 20 of 2013: #2



2 “Chocolate,” The 1975

They might have gotten us interested with, “Sex,” but this is the song that made me give this band a true listen and god damn are they awesome.

There’s something reminiscent about this group as if they’re a modern day Clash with decidedly heavily Birttish vocals and a knack for guitar heavy jangly rock and roll with a bit of synthesizers thrown in for nothing more then atmosphere and lyrics that run the widest variety of subject matters some serious and others down right filthy, we have the most finely crafted tune this year and the ONLY excusable use of the phrase, “That’s what she said.”

Yes I love this song and its’ accompanying album’s quite strong too boot which only leaves you to wonder how a song that I find so beautifully simple and awesome isn’t the best song of the year, or for that matter how anything could be better then the wall of text opus that was yesterday's post for that matter, well there was another throwback that had its’ way with me but before we get to that we have to remind ourselves of the only other song that matters…


Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Sam's Top 20 of 2013: #3



3 “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk

OK now if you read this blog or know me personally it should come as an absolute no brainer that this song was going to make this list let alone the top 3 but if you’re curious as to just how a band that I’m so incredibly high up on could only manage to land at number 3 I’ll explain that to you shortly but before then I’m going to take the time to yet again type out just how awesomely amazing this funky little jam is.

OK after almost 10 years DAFT PUNK ARE BACK BABY!!!!!! And the resulting album’s worth of material is the most spectacular thing to of been done in quite some time, because these have managed to make that transition they started with their albums, what Homework was the future and now modern day direction of music to come each album following was a slow decline into what shaped it all with Discovery being just that for me and this wonderful collection of larger then life joyful pop songs that where the shape of how electronic music was starting to find a voice and Human after all being the beginning of it all, the starting of a genre it leaves you to wonder just where these guys’ could possibly go.

Well they decided to go back in this kind of funk fueled rocket to the moon where they channeled their inner La Chic and P-Funk and George Funk in making the most disco-influenced organic collection of songs that are all about getting the groove of the music just losing yourself to dance and the rhythm of the beat and this song’s the exact personification of Random Access Memories, it’s this funk fueled throwback that’s the perfect Disco song. It’s a danceable jam just begging to be danced to, and with Pharell Williams it’s a change of pace because rather than hearing the familiar hypnotically robotic vocals you’d expect to hear from a Daft Punk record instead where getting actual singing something that hasn’t been heard since Face to Face and it’s amazing.

So to look back and realize that this was that massive hit this band so honestly deserved and that you just could not escape it was just AMAZING it was the most vindicating feeling to know that everyone was finally giving the most influential group of musicians their praise was fucking wonderful, but of course aside from an overload of hearing this jam there was one glaring problem I have with it and Random Access Memories as an album that I can’t help but point out that is the exact reason why what’s probably the most explained song on this list is only at number 3 and it’s that this just doesn’t feel like a Daft Punk song.

Now I guess that statement has you scratching your head a bit so let me kind of shed some light on that, you see this is in fact a Guy Manuel and Christopher Bangalter composition there’s no denying that it’s just that this song and album is more hey let’s collaborate with a bunch of really talented folks that more often than not end up making the songs feel like their tunes just with Daft Punk composing them and it’s something that’s always bothered me rather lightly to be honest but when I heard Pentatonixs do their little melody and it got to the get lucky parts it just stood out like a sore thumb just how little it really meshes with everything they did before it and it really does pain me to not really feel like this isn’t really a Daft Punk song but sadly that’s just kind of how it feels to me and while this honestly is just an amazing piece of work that deserved every bit of success it had it’s just not a Daft Punk song.


Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Sam's top 20 of 2013: #4



4 “Demon Dance,” Surfer Blood

Now while I will say that Biffy Clyro prove why people over seas know their shit when it comes to crafting the most finely made alternative rockers and the Virgin Maries make the most purely kick ass rock that the genre needs Surfer Blood kind of take these vocals that remind me of Japanese rock band the Pillows, guitar work that sounds like it came straight out of a demo tape, and a sound that’s both punk and melodic and crafted a tune that kind of manages to take me back to a time of discovery of both music and animation and character development in a time where I looked at what is was that I enjoyed about the songs I listened to and the movies, cartoons, and tv shows I found myself enjoying the most and just bring them out and give me an unexplainable feeling of joy that gives this relatively straightforward song some sense of importance and joy.

So with all that in mind I’m a take this Pixies meet’s Pillows hybrid tune and go enjoy everything awesome about that awkward time that was being a teenager…


Monday, December 23, 2013

Sam's Top 20 of 2013: #5



5”Black Chandelier,” Biffy Clyro

You know there’s a certain sound that defines a genre and it’s that certain sound that drives people to be so fascinated with that particular genre, and out of every song I’ve heard that you’ll see on this list this by chance is the most purest Alternative rock song and it’s this simple, clean, melodic but slightly dramatic shift in it’s soft verse heavy chorus sound that is so heavily reminiscent of alternative music from that magic period of time between the early 90’s and 2000’s where that commercial pop sound, Brit pop, and Grunge mixed together to create a sound that’s cleanly sang but with a heft in very little instruments that kind of creates a magical feeling of joy that just sucks you into what’s some truly magical lyrics that you can’t help but interpret as something so beautifully poetic that you find yourself reminding yourself why you love this genre so much.

So to put it in a nutshell this is the beauty of alternative music and just why I love it so, this glorious tune is just pure alternative joy….