Favorite Songs of 2013

1. Frightened Rabbit-Acts of Man

Look, okay, I'm not posting a lyric to this song. I'm not even going to talk about how amazing/special this song is or how much I love it. But I love it so very, very much. I think this song shaped my entire 2013.

2. Arcade Fire-Afterlife

 

Have I shocked you with this one? Look, I still maintain that Arcade Fire is greatly overrated, especially this last record but I can't deny how good "Afterlife" is. The horns! Regine's backing vocals! The fact it makes me want to dance every time I hear it! The fact I want to listen to it sixty times before I'm satisfied and can move to another song! 

(Confession: One of the first times I heard it, I broke down and cried. Not sure if I cried from how good this song is or because it was the morning after seeing Frightened Rabbit twice that week. I'd like to think it was a mix of both.)

I'm not posting a lyric from this one either because they're all pretty bad.

3. Volcano Choir-Acetate

Shout, say it louder now.
The apple on the oranges ground.
No longer feeling tepid now.
Shout, say it louder now

I love shouty vocals, I love Justin Vernon's vocals, I love shouty Justin Vernon.

4. Phosphorescent-Song for Zula

 

See, honey, I saw love,
You see it came to me
It puts its face up to my face so I could see
Yeah then I saw love disfigure me
Into something I am not recognizing

5. Laura Marling-I Was an Eagle

When we were in love
If we were
When we were in love
I was an eagle
And you were a dove

  

6. Frightened Rabbit-The Woodpile

 

Yes, another Frabbits song. I swear, this list won't be just FR songs. I promise. This song is ridiculously good, and the fact that it wasn't a bigger deal this year makes me sad. But dammit, it is great.

(This is an alternate version of the song, which I am not sure I've ever heard but the vocals are too good. Then again, I've never heard a bad version of this song.)

7. Tegan and Sara-Now I'm All Messed Up

My heart
You'll cut it out you never liked me anyway

I don't think a song has ever perfectly expressed heartbreak as much as this song does.


8. Jim James-Dear One

 

Daily, every minute your possession of my mind
Ticking synchronicity of time
Your life synced to mine, on a dime
Dear one 

9. Neko Case-Man

And if I'm dipshit drunk on pink perfume
Then I'm the man in the fucking moon
'Cause you didn''t know what a man was
Until I showed you 

10. The National-Pink Rabbits

 

You didn't see me I was falling apart
I was a white girl in a crowd of white girls in the park
You didn't see me I was falling apart
I was a television version of a person with a broken heart

11. Akron/Family-Until the Morning

I came to you an orphan, but I'm leaving here a thief
If I can only find the door I'll go tonight
My life, my identity, I lay them at your feet
In just the hope that you'll let me come inside
'till the morning

12. Chvrches-Recover

 

I'll give you one more chance
To say we can change our old ways
And you take what you need
And you know you don't need me

 

13. Bell x1-Motorcades

 

Now before you start
I'm not making fun
People cry at the
Strangest things
Mine is the Venezuelan national anthem

14. Rhye-Open

 
I'm a fool for that shake in your thighs
I'm a fool for that sound in your sighs

15. Baths-No Eyes

And it is not a matter of
If you need it
But it is only a matter of
Come and fuck me
And it is not a matter of
If you love me
But it is only a matter of
My fix 

16. Frank Turner-The Way I Tend to Be

 

'Cause I've said I love you so many times that the words kinda die in my mouth.
And I meant it each time with each beautiful woman but somehow it never works out.
But you stood apart in my calloused heart, and you taught me and here's what I learned:
That love is about all the changes you make and not just three small words.

And then I catch myself
Catching your scent on someone else
In a crowded space
And it takes me somewhere I cannot quite place.

17. Editors-Nothing

Every conversation within you
Starts a celebration in me
Till I got nothing left
I got nothing left
 

18. Ellie Goulding-Burn

 

We can light it up, up, up
So they can't put it out, out, out

19. Haim-Forever

 

Forever I try to make it right,
Together we suck, end in sight,
I'm tired of fighting the good fight,
If you say the word then I'll say goodbye 

20. Okkervil River-Down Down the Deep River

I'll be your fighter and you'll be my mirror.
And you'll be all right because I'll be right here.
Oh kid, now I'm not going anywhere.
I swear I'll try to not be going anywhere

21. Oh Land-Renaissance Girls

 

I can be your darling cooking you dinner and soothing your heartache
Having three kids and still remain a virgin
It’s my version of a renaissance girl

22. Vampire Weekend-Ya Hey

 

Through the fire and through the flames
You won't even say your name
Only "I am that I am"
But who could ever live that way?

23. James Blake-Overgrown

 

I don't wanna be a star
But a stone on the shore
Long door, frame the wall
When everything's overgrown

24. The National-I Should Live in Salt

 

I should live in salt for leaving you behind

I swear, every time I hear Matt sing this, I get chills.

25. Frightened Rabbit and Manchester Orchestra-Architect

you shave bits of spine from a novelist to help you write

No, this is definitely not my twenty-fifth favorite song of 2013 (considering, you know, I got the lyric above tattooed on my body back in May) but I just wanted to end the list with it. Jesus Christ, the ache in the vocals in this song. The whole thing is perfection.