Before we embark on this sonic journey, I feel the need to clarify a couple of things. One, these are my favorite songs, not yours, and I'm not proclaiming them the "best" or anything like that. They're just what I would want to listen to if we were in a car and you asked me "what music did you like last year?" Second, I'm only one person, and getting this list together took a long time (it's nearly February, I seem to have noticed), and it's still imperfect. The rankings are, at best, a guess. A snapshot of what I like at the moment, heavily influenced, I would imagine, by what I've heard most recently. But I figured, better to do this than nothing at all. So, without further ado:
100. Foxygen-Shuggie: Foxygen seemingly got more press for being semi-irresponsible 22 year-olds this year than for their record; a tragedy given how awesome We are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Love and Music is. Despite the fact that they don’t make music together in the same room, Jonathan Rado and Sam France manage to put together opuses straight out of the 60s and 70s. "Shuggie" would slide in comfortable on the Rocky Horror soundtrack, as the song switches gears around a minute in, becoming a soaring sing-along before fading back into its story of unrequited love.
99. The Blow-Like Girls: Thanks to All Songs Considered, I finally found this record (self-titled) at the end of the year. It’s funny, honest, and hypersexual. This track acknowledges, well, some of the advantages of being a girl: “He wants to talk to you / because you’re a girl / he likes girls / we all like girls / I flash my powder-pink passport / and I walk right through.”
98. The Olms-On The Line: I’ve never been too big on Pete Yorn, but if he’s going to imitate The Kinks this well, I’m in.
97. Palma Violets-All The Garden Birds: I’ve always been a sucker for jangly guitars, and while I have no idea what this track is about, it just sounds good. Which is the point, right?
96. Jim James-Know Til Now: Honestly, this solo album (Regions of Light and Sounds of God) was a disappointment on the whole. That said, you can’t fault a guy for wanting to grow and experiment, and you could hear this desire back in 2004 when My Morning Jacket released covers of “Take My Breath Away,” “Tyrone,” and “Rocket Man.” So, while the record doesn't really come off, this song is interesting, eschewing the country/rock MMJ used to be known for, and attempting some more traditional R&B type sound. The song really doesn't peak until five minutes in, as it turns into a 30s jazz single.
95. The Blow-I Tell Myself Everything: Awesome chorus (“I heard a rumor that I was amazing / I tell myself everything I hear about myself”), and hilariously honest fantasies: “Then in walks a nurse from a hot French movie / And she tells me she can do things to me / I like getting things done to me / but then getting wrecked just seemed more fun to me / And pleasure writes fewer good songs / So I kicked out the nurse / but we did some stuff first.” Side note: This record would read a lot differently if these gals were dudes.
94. Lorde-Still Sane: First of a few appearances from the precocious 17 year-old New Zealander. The whole record is a terrifyingly accurate portrayal of being a teenager, albeit with a few wrinkles tossed in. I just dig the chorus, which perfectly befits a teenager’s one-track-mind mentality: “all work and no play / never made me lose it / all business all day / keeps me up a level.” Obviously, her hyper-competitive nature has likely contributed to the success she’s experienced this year.
93. The Blow-Hey: "A" for personification: “You leaned over me / and the V of your cleavage whispered / ‘I believe that you won’t get what you want from me / You won’t get what you want from me / could this not be what you want?’”
92. MGMT-Alien Days: I’m not sure you’d know MGMT released a record this year, and it doesn’t help that they’re being portrayed as a band epitomizing Loud Reed’s Metal Machine Music. Quickly: this song is lovely, it feels like they’re trying to take us down a sonic rabbit hole, and I’m down for the trip. More importantly, anyone who actually listened to Oracular Spectacular and didn’t just dance to “Electric Feel” and “Kids” realized that there’s much more to that record and the band than just indie pop. The best song on that record, “Handshake,” is not danceable. The point being—just because you can’t dance with a bunch of white people to their new record does not make it unlistenable or a failure.
91. Neko Case-Ragtime: On the whole, Neko’s new record doesn’t hold a candle to Middle Cyclone, but not many records do. It’s still a valiant effort, I just think it finds her a bit subdued but with a strange bluntness that she cloaked a bit more on the previous record. This song makes the list because of the horns that come in about two minutes in, and the way that Neko’s voice battles them as the song crescendos.
90. Of Montreal-Colossus: This was perhaps the most surprising record of the year, as Kevin Barnes and his band returned to their roots, in a way. They dropped the electronic bent that served them so well on Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, but not so much on any other record. The result sounds pleasant, but feels a little rusty—the hooks are quite as catchy as anything on Satanic Panic in the Attic or The Gay Parade. Still, it’s an encouraging turn for a band with near limitless potential, even 20 years in.
89. Lucius-Until We Get There: Lucius’s Wildewoman is a solid record and a fantastic first effort. This is one of those whole-is-greater-than-sum-of-its-parts situations, so this list doesn’t do the record justice, as there’s not one bad song on there. Obviously, that includes this understated track.
88. Low-So Blue: Piano gets a lot of love on this list, with the melody building up before Mimi Parker (drummer/vocalist) brings it back down with her voice.
87. Caveman-I See You: Sophomore records notorious for their tendency to disappoint, and while Caveman’s self-titled second record isn’t as consistent as Coco Beware, moments like “I See You” keep the band from the clichéd slump. This song, however, differs sonically from the previous record, favoring a simple acoustic guitar and song over the reverbent layers the band were perhaps known for.
86. Light Heat-Brain to Recorder: I like this song because I like The Walkmen, I like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and I love instruments washed in fuzz but still making simple, beautiful pop music.
85. Of Montreal-Hegira Émigré: Barnes and Of Montreal step up the pace here, and the quips are sharper too: “If you think I’m Caucasian / well I’m actually gray / I was conceived on Ash Wednesday / and stoned on Christmas day.” FYI (thank you, Google), Hegira, or “Hijra,” was the migration of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina. This song is not about Mohammed.
84. The Wild Feathers-Backwoods Company: This is the first track on their self-titled debut record, and I felt pretty excited after I heard it. There’s an Allman-type feel here, a raucous energy non-existent in most of today’s country-rock. Unfortunately, this is the only song they have on the list, with everything that implies.
83. Daughn Gibson-Kissin’ on the Blacktop: All Hell was one of my favorite records released in 2012, and I listened to Gibson’s Sub Pop debut, Me Moan, with much anticipation. While not as textured or visceral as the previous record, Me Moan does have its moments, including this track. Kissin’ on the Blacktop is aptly lurid, getting most of its drive from a nice little guitar line and the chorus: “so hot hot / you left me in the parking lot / oooooh / kissin’ on the blacktop.”
82. Okkervil River-Lido Pier Suicide Car: Someone told me today that literally no one else likes this record (The Silver Gymnasium) as much as I do. This, I admit, is probably true. I think Will Sheff’s voice drips pleasantly with emotion and vulnerability; others think he sounds “emo” and “whiny.” Agree to disagree, I guess. The record, a concept, feels intensely personal and specific, as if Sheff is reading from his old diaries.
81. Devendra Banhart-Never Seen Such Good Things: Oh Devendra, we hardly knew ya! Another case of the only good song on the record making an appearance. Here Devendra hits his sweet spot—somewhere in between being too cute and too creepy—with his trademark plucked guitar and humor (“if we ever make sweet love again / I’m sure it will be quite disgusting).
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