– posted by Colby
I’ve picked ten of my favorite songs of the year to highlight below but it’s hard for me to really rank the individual songs or keep it to just a Top 10 so as with last year I put together a Spotify playlist and let the list grow with the idea that it’s a good way to share a wide range of music. Hopefully everyone can find something new in there that would make their Best of 2013 list.
Best Songs of 2013:
“Easy,” Son Lux – Some hand claps, a spare keyboard line, a pulsing sax, lots of open space – how does such a simple song pack such a wicked hook?
“Youth,” Daughter – A song that almost drowns you in sadness (And if you’re still breathing, you’re the lucky ones./’Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs./Setting fire to our insides for fun) before the drum line picks you up and makes you run.
“What are they Doing in Heaven Tonight?” Colin Stetson – Honestly, I am not a Justin Vernon zealot. I didn’t even know he was featured so heavily in this album when I gave it a listen. But Colin Stetson is an impressive musician, both as a sideman for an amazing number of my favorite artists (Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, Feist, Bon Iver, Jolie Holland, LCD Soundsystem, The National…) and now solo. His solo work, generally labeled avant-garde (jazz? rock? experimental?) and often utilizing circular breathing combined with his pulsing drone style, may not be immediately accessible for everyone, but I think anyone can fall in love with this take on the classic spiritual.
“Daddy Was a Real Good Dancer,” Dismemberment Plan – A bitter-sweet story hidden in a fun, rollicking rock song, played by a veteran indie band. A song that I think would make any son stop and think.
“Lurker,” Steve Gunn – With a subtle droning quality just under the surface, Gunn plays a guitar line the seems to circle around you in waves, gentle and mesmerizing. After listening to this song many times, I unexpectedly started to feel like I was playing some hidden acoustic track from an early 70’s Led Zeppelin album (think first 1:30 of “Over the Hills and Far Away“).
“Party Kids,” Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside – Fittingly named, this song oozes a cool, party vibe and was already one of my favorite tunes before we saw Sallie Ford and her band play live at Bumbershoot this year. Sadly, that show turned out to be part of their final tour as the Portland band has announced it’s breaking up.
“Brother Bryan,” Waxahatchee – Previously, Katie Crutchfield’s work risked being lumped together with a certain ultra-hipster-cliche-lowfi typecast (think about the worst of the Juno soundtrack) but I like her new album. The addition of some electric guitar (or driving bass in the case of this track) gives her some dynamic punch to go with the sorrow.
“Low F,” Superchunk – Another indie-rock band from my college years (like Dismemberment Plan) that came back to make some great, infectious rock songs.
“Aubergine,” Lady Lamb the Beekeeper – I honestly know nothing about this artist. I’d never heard of them (her) before and don’t even remember how I stumbled upon this track. But something about the raw vocals, and maybe the horn section, made it stick with me from the first listen.
“Chum,” Earl Sweatshirt – I know there were quite a few hip-hop albums the critics liked (Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, Pusha T…) but for me this was a dry year in rap music. I wasn’t even all that in to the rest of Earl Sweatshirt’s album, but this track stood out right away.
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