But you can lay with me so it doesn't hurt
11. Kevin Drew-Good Sex
I'm still dreaming with you, baby
12. The Felice Brothers-Saturday Night
I ain't the Boss but I'm his illegitimate son
'cause baby, I was born to run
(I love that lyric. Come at me, Pitchfork.)
13. St. Vincent-Prince Johnny
I wanna mean more than I mean to you
14. Owl John-Don't Take Off the Gloves
So come at me when I'm weak, degraded, and undone
just don't take off the gloves
15. Sylvan Esso-Coffee
The sentiment's the same but the pair of feet change
16. tUnE-yArDs-Real Thing
Water if water is wet
don't have a penny, I look good in debt
17. The Antlers-Revisited
You can’t unbreak our broken leases
holding on to broken pieces, so return them
no guilt, no sorry speeches
18. The War on Drugs-Red Eyes
(I dare you not to dance)
19. We Were Promised Jetpacks-I Keep It Composed
I keep it composed, I keep it so poised
I keep it together by keeping the ship but sinking the treasure
20. The Twilight Sad-Sometimes I Wished I Could Fall Asleep
Will you call me when you're there
run your fingers through your hair
(I just had to include this song on the list in some way, shape, or form. Why? For one, it was a favorite for me on this album right off the bat, and I think it's very different from other TTS songs. And, you know, James Graham's voice is absolutely incredible.)
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.
I have never wanted more to be your man and build a house around you
I am just like all the rest of them: sorry, selfish, trying to improve
2. Phosphorescent-Song For Zula
See honey I am not some broken thing
I do not lay in the dark waiting for thee
No my heart is gold, my feet are light
And I am racing out on the desert plains all night
3. Laura Marling-I Was An Eagle
When we were in love
I was an eagle
And you were a dove
4. 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
5. Tegan and Sara-Now I'm All Messed Up
Now I'm all messed up
I'm sick inside, wondering where
Where you're leaving your makeup
6. Jim James-Dear One
For this mission we were chosen you and me
One egg that split in two we came to be
The dawn of humanity
We were there
Dear one
7. Rhye-Open
Hmm, but stay, don't close your hands
8. Frightened Rabbit & Manchester Orchestra-Architect
Don't waste your time on me
I'm just an architect; I have built nothing
9. The National-Pink Rabbits
It wasn't like a rain it was more like a sea
I didn't ask for this pain it just came over me
I love a storm, but I don't love lightning
All the waters coming up so fast, that's frightening
10. Frank Turner-Recovery
And on the first night we met you said "Well darling, let's make a deal.
If anybody ever asks us, let's just tell them that we met in jail."
And that's the story that I'm sticking to like a stony-faced accomplice
But tonight I need to hear some truth if I'm ever getting through this.
Yeah you once sent me a letter that said "If you're lost at sea,
Close your eyes and catch the tide my dear and only think of me."
Well darling now I'm sinking and I'm as lost as lost can be
And I was hoping you could drag me up from down here towards my recovery
11. Akron/Family-Until the Morning
I had always wondered how you carried all that grief
I know it wasn't right to saddle you with mine
My life, my identity, I lay them at your feet
And stand here broken in the mirror of your eyes
Until the morning
12. 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
13. Majical Cloudz-This is Magic
apparently this track isn't on YouTube so enjoy this other great Majical Cloudz track
14. Capital Cities-Safe and Sound
I could fill your cup
You know my river won't evaporate
This world we still appreciate
15. 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?
16. Frightened Rabbit-The Woodpile
Come find me now, where I hide and
We’ll speak in our secret tongues
Will you come back to my corner?
Spent too long alone tonight
Would you come and brighten my corner?
A lit torch to the woodpile, aye
(Okay, look, the album version is perfect, really, but...I've actually grown to enjoy acoustic versions of this song more. Scott Hutchison sings with such an ache and so much emotion that a lot of times, stripped down versions of his songs work better for me.)
17. Phosphorescent-The Quotidian Beasts
I said, "It’s you took your claws you slipped em under my skin"
18. The National-I Should Live in Salt
I should live in salt for leaving you behind
19. Cloud Cult-Good Friend
All I need is a good, good friend
To help me out when I’m burning down
When I’m all stretched out
Thank you for being around
I know this comes as a surprise to nobody but I buy a lot of music, more than I could conceivably fit onto my 8GB iPod. And with every new song or record I want to put on my iPod (it's a green mini Nano, purchased in 2007, named Geno. I have an iPhone and an iPod Touch but Geno and I have been through a lot. And his name is Geno.) I am faced with the problem of removing a song or two. It's the circle of life for mp3s. And let me be honest, there are a lot of songs that I constantly skip over that could conceivably be deleted, and yet, I scroll through the list over and over again and wrestle with the decision as to which songs need to go.
I think there are two reasons behind this problem:
1. I buy all of my music on vinyl, with the exception of a few stray mp3s that I buy from Amazon, simply because I don't like the whole record enough. I am very against the idea of purchasing a full album on mp3. I believe it physicality, and there is something beautiful about removing a record from it's sleeve, putting it on your player, and letting the needle gently glide over it. An mp3 is nothing. It just exists on your hard drive, and if it crashes or gets deleted, then it's gone. And you have nothing to show for it. There are a lot of songs on my iPod that I either a) don't have physical copies of or b) don't even have the mp3 of and once they are deleted, they are gone forever. I understand musical is cyclic, and I won't always want to listen to or like the same songs, and with the internet, things are always available now. But if I delete this live version of Damien Rice's "The Professor and La Fille Danse" that's in very poor quality, I WILL NEVER GET IT BACK!
2. Music is so incredibly personal, and I feel like I've developed a sort of connection or memory to every song/album/artists I listen to. I scroll through my iTunes library and think, "No! I can't take off this instrumental by Sufjan Stevens! He helped shape my love of indie!" or "I never listen to this live, solo version of 'Banking On a Myth' but it's Andrew! And I must be able to say I have a ridiculous, albeit unrealistic amount of his recordings on my iPod." And if I take off all of the Damien Rice music, then it just shows that I don't really like listening to him anymore, especially not as much as I did when I was in high school and my father would drive me to school every morning and I'd force him to listen to O over and over again. And then I'm saying good-bye to that part of my life. But I own the album on CD, and I could play it over and over again if I wanted to. But if "Cold Water" didn't randomly come on my iPod during my morning commute, I couldn't think, "Jeez, remember when my father used to argue with me about how this was the best song on the album?" If I removed those Bell x1 songs, then they're not special to me anymore, and they've been replaced by a new band. I mean, your memories never go away. But it's hard to admit parts of your life are over, and that you'll always have a fondness for Flock or 9 or Wind in the Wires but your music doesn't grow with you. You grow and you mature and your tastes become more sophisticated and maybe you'd rather listen to "Offspring are Blank" over "Red Right Ankle." Doesn't mean they both have to be on your iPod.
So, the best thing to remember is that you're not deleting your memories, you're just not going to have to dig through your bag on the subway to skip these songs when they come on your iPod anymore. And the less crap you have to deal with on the subway, the better.
2012 was an awesome year for singles. There were a lot of standout tracks on subpar records as well. Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order, for the most part):
1. Japandroids-The House That Heaven Build
when they love you, and they will tell them all they'll love in my shadow and if they try to slow you down tell them all to go to Hell
2. fun.-Some Nights
the other night, you wouldn't believe the dream I just had about you and me I called you up, but we'd both agree it's for the best you didn't listen it's for the best we get our distance
3. Beach House-Myth
can't keeping hanging on to what is dead and gone
if you built yourself a myth
know just what to give
materialize or let the ashes fly
4. Bat for Lashes-Laura
you'll be famous for longer than them
your name is tattooed on every boy's skin
oh, Laura, you're more than a superstar
5. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros-Man On Fire
6. Patrick Watson-Into Giants
we carried our love in cups to go
7. Andrew Bird-Orpheo Looks Back
and if it drives you mad, it'll probably pass
8. Grizzly Bear-Speak in Rounds
step down, just once
learn how to be alone
9. Dirty Projectors-Gun Has No Trigger
you hold the gun to your head
but the gun has no trigger
10. Lana Del Rey-Born to Die
don't make me sad, don't make me cry
sometimes love's not enough and the road gets tough
I don't know why
keep making me laugh,
let's go get high
road's long, we carry on
try to have fun in the meantime
11.Tegan and Sara-Closer
all you think of lately is getting underneath me
all I dream of lately is how to get you underneath me
12. Maps & Atlases-Fever
we'll be extravagant hosts instead of imposing guests
13. Dan Deacon-True Thrush
hey there, old lady, sing me a song
sing of days gone by before it went wrong
14. Mika-The Origin of Love
you are the sun and light
you are the freedom I fight
God will do nothing to stop it the origin is you
15. Glen Hansard-High Hope
maybe when we're both old and wise
maybe when our hearts have had some time
I'm gonna see you there
16.First Aid Kit-The Lion's Roar
and I'm a goddamn coward but then again so are you
17. Sigur Ros-Varuo
18. David Byrne and St. Vincent-Who
19. The Xx-Chained
we used to be closer than this
20. Calexico-Sinner In the Sea
there's a wall in the ocean between you and me
21. Yeasayer-Reagan's Skeleton
22. Lost in the Trees-Red
unsitched on my porch
when did I stop learning
23. Titus Andronicus-In a Big City
who would fardels bear to grunt and sweat
'neath a life that was so mundane?
24. Animal Collective-Today's Supernatural
25. Dirty Projectors-About to Die
you're already dead
26. Father John Misty-Only Son of the Ladies Man
they tied down his casket with the garter belt
each troubled heart was beating in a sequin dress
someone must console these lonesome daughters
no written word or ballad will appease them
27. Fiona Apple-Anything We Want
and I kept touching my neck
to guide your eye to where I wanted you to kiss me when we find some time alone
You'll notice I did not include any Mumford and Sons songs because well, as much as I love Babel (there, I said it, so shoot me), it's tough to pick one standout track on the record. Two-thirds of the album is filled with tracks that I can listen to ten times in a row without growing bored. I almost didn't include anything from Break It Yourself either because of how much I enjoy that record as a whole but I love "Orpheo..." too much to not include it.
Also, I tried to keep it to one track per artist or else I would've included most of Bloom, The Idler Wheel..., Celebration Rock, and Shields but those two Dirty Projectors' tracks are too good to ignore.
One of my favorite, favorite, favorite most listened to tracks of 2012 was AC Newman's "Strings." Unfortunately, it is not on Youtube but you can listen to it here.
