Sam's Top 20 of 2013: #9

9 “Pompeii,” Bastille

 

You know this song feel’s rather…magical in some odd way like the kind of hollowness of its intro to the very well delivered verses kind of give you this oddly larger then life feeling of joy before being bombarded by this very sing along chorus that sold me the first time I heard it and ever since then I can’t help but just blast this song as loud as physically possible every single time I hear it on the radio and unlike a vast majority of the tunes on this list there’s not one moment in time that I found myself not enjoying this larger than life rocker from a group with an odd name.

Sam's top 20 of 2013: #10

10. “Let’s Go” Matt and Kim

From what’s probably the better echoing intro’s to this kind of well produced larger than life pop sound you get this probably is one of my favorite little just burst of energy that you can’t help but feel all hyped up whenever you’re listening to it. Maybe just maybe at some point this fun little indie rock duo with a penchant for writing utterly catchy tunes will manage to break that glass ceiling of obscurity but until then they’ve managed to make one of the 10 best things you’ll hear this year.

Sam's Top 20 of 2013: #11

11 “How Many Drinks?” Miguel Fet. Kendrick Lamar

I’m not going to lie while I had this really heavy period of listening to a shit load of hip hop and R&B this year it’s one of those genre’s that I find myself never quite clicking with and I’m not sure if it’s the overly polished nature of nmost of the songs or the fact that a lot of rap just kind of drags on longer then I care to deal with these songs are starting to become something more to me and every year I find myself giving people who aren’t Cee-Lo Green a Chance and you know this very Prince inspired jam has managed to not really grow too old and Miguel as a singer is really quite good and from what I’ve heard he could be the next R. Kelly, and this collaboration with one Kendrick Lamar is a delightfully smooth jam that’s just the right mix of overly eccentric R&B singing and a very well delivered rap verse that’s more about going with the beat then dropping a fast verse.

There’s more to every list then great Indie rock songs, but this probably is the last time you’ll see a pure pop joy from this point on because coming up is the top 10 people and this is purely the best shit I heard all year so stay tuned and keep classy like this jam…

Sam's Top 20 of 2013: #12

12. “If So,” Atlas Genius

I’m not going to lie there’s a lot of bands that I won’t ever remember after this year, but what I do know is there should be songs that will always kick ass and make me go whoa those guys are really good and that’s kind of what this song feels like to me, because it’s the most classic sounding Alternative Rock song I’ve heard in a while because when I listen to it it’s like a cross between R.E.M.’s vocals and They Might Be Giants frenetic guitar work with a wonderfully simple but awesome chorus that’s everything right with the radio sometimes.

Nothing too overly hip to be indie here, nor too much in terms of synthesizers nope it’s just good old fashioned college rock.

Sam's top 20 of 2013: #13

13 “Supersoaker,” Kings of Leon

These Modern day southern rockers are back people and they’ve managed to make a kick ass rock and roll JAM that’s a good reminder of why we gave a damn about these cheeky bastards in the first place. 

High quality rip roaring rock and roll with a mild southern flair and cleverly filthy lyrics about girls it’s less Use Somebody and more Bucket in terms of what this band is capable of and that’s what I like it wasn’t the most successfully commercial tune but there’s that sense of them trying that gives it a feeling of being special.  Damn it feels good to hear the best comeback single of the year even if it’s at the most unlucky position of this list….

Sam's Top 20 of 2013: #14

14 “Sweater Weather,” The Neighbourhood

OK PEOPLE I’m not going to lie one bit if there was ever a jam designed to make ALL the fine ladies twerk that beautiful body to the most viciously sexy tune reminiscent of Wicked Games but not nearly as boring it’d be this indie rock jam in the form of the Neighbourhood being the cool kids on the block invading pop radio.

This song’s simple, stark, and very well sang in that it slows down and gives you this kind of sensual moving chorus with a lot of rapid fire verses that are kind of like…well…..just imagine that really hot girl we all have a crush on moving that figure to the beat before things get kind of echoy and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about….