Top 10 Songs of 2013

And what do you know, it’s the last day of 2013.

I’m feeling quite torn at the moment – I’m not sure whether or not I would want 2013 to end. A part of me wants it to stay longer – not because I’ve enjoyed it so much, but because I feel like I could use a little bit more time to prepare for 2014. I hate to be prophetic, but I have a mad feeling that 2014’s going to be crazy. The good kind, but the one that requires a lot of energy. And I feel…blah.

Mostly, it reminds me of the feeling I used to get on nights before the first day of school. Like I had to force myself to prepare for something unknown, so I feel more unprepared. Then again, my reluctance to the New Year won’t stop the clocks. It is happening – in around 5 hours.

So the best thing that I could do is to look back and round up my Top Songs for 2013 – cause I’m done making the dessert and I have a few hours to kill before I make dinner. Ha. Also, okay, because it’s tradition of some sort to do a year-end blog post.

10. Vance Joy – From Afar

I first heard about Vance Joy late last year, but I didn’t get to listen to him as much. By the middle of this year, more people started talking about the guy, so I revisited his tracks and was amused to find his EP, God Loves You When You’re Dancing. “From Afar” stood out for me, mainly because of the lyrics (tee hee). Also, since being named as Shazam’s “On Your 2014 Playlist” and making Laneway’s lineup, I think Vance Joy’s just about to begin on a remarkable musical journey and yes, he is to watch out for.

PS – I don’t like listening to “From Afar” a lot to avoid feels, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. I like it. A lot.

9. Daughter – Youth

With Daughter’s debut If You Leave released in March of this year, “Youth” took another round of loops in my playlist, regardless of the fact I have been enjoying the song from their EP The Wild Youth since 2012. If you need an accompaniment for your melancholia, press play. This is it. We all have those days.

8. Mikky Ekko – Pull Me Down

When my friend told me to listen to Mikky Ekko. I had no idea who he was then – even if he was already singing next to Rihanna at the Grammys. So I was the one who found out too late, maybe, of what a great guy Mikky is. With only a couple of singles out (but he’s slowly making it by being included in the Catching Fire soundtrack – points for more mainstream audience), I had no choice but to listen to “Pull Me Down” over and over and over, until I’ve probably grown wrinkles in the middle of my eyebrows ala Randy Orton cause he gives me complex feelz.

7. Little Green Cars – The Consequences of Not Sleeping

Oh, Little Green Cars. What would my life be if I didn’t randomly listen to your debut Absolute Zero? It would have been awful, because this song is now my lullaby, but as much as I love “The Consequences of Not Sleeping” – I’ve never felt so excited over a band discovery (this year) since I listened to “My Love Took Me Down to the River (To Silence Me)” and then grew to adore “Harper Lee”. I guess this is cheating, cause I mentioned three songs in one slot, but Little Green Cars, I love you. I do. Thank you for releasing an album this year, cause it’s one of the best things in the world right now.

6. Kodaline – Love Like This

My introduction to Kodaline was the music video for “All I Want” – probably one of my favorite music videos for a while now (I have ADHD on music videos now, I can’t just stick around and watch, I have to’surf’ and ‘look around’). Still fairly new to the scene, Kodaline has grown to be m favorite this year, as well. They’re an easy bet for anyone who’s looking for a pop rock tune. They’re emotive but catchy, and the lead singer is easy on the eyes. I’m just saying. Plus he plays the mandolin so that’s 1,000 pogi points for me.

5. Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?

This is just a friendly reminder that Alex Turner is a sexy guy and he makes sexy music. Also, he writes the best lyrics. Shame on you, if you forgot about that.

4. Daft Punk – Lose Yourself to Dance

I don’t know about you, but this song leaped bounds from Random Access Memories‘ tracks and deemed itself as the highlight of the album. At least for me. This is my jam.

3.  The 1975 – Chocolate

Granted that I’ve listened to The 1975 in the most ridiculous amount possible for a human being to press replay/repeat, nothing came close to my incessant plays for “Chocolate”. It’s fun and it makes me grin despite feeling cranky. I know that it isn’t the best The 1975 song ever (quite honestly I like “Head.Cars.Bending” and “Falling For You” and “You” better – all songs on their EPs before they released their self-titled debut), but it’s the easiest, catchiest, pop-est (?) and happiest thing that there is. It is my dopamine, my crack (really?), my endorphine. You get the point.

2. Up Dharma Down – Indak

Ah, “Indak”, I don’t know why I like you so much but I find you very addicting. True enough that there are more gems in Up Dharma Down’s Capacities but I always come right back to you. There’s a certain satisfaction that I feel whenever you’re playing, tugging at my heartstrings making me mouth the words like I meant it all. I probably meant it all.

1. CHVRCHES – The Mother We Share

Chvrches. Oh my god, Chvrches. If there’s such a thing as love at first hearing, that was how I felt on the very first millisecond of “The Mother We Share”. I’ve never loved anything more – any more track – this whole year than “The Mother We Share”. In my mind, whenever the song plays, I hold it in my hands and pull it to my chest, and I don’t just listen, I dive into it. I engulf myself into the entirety of the song.

RUNNERS-UP:

Bastille – “Pompeii”

Imagine Dragons – “Radioactive”

Vampire Weekend – “Hannah Hunt”

The National – “Don’t Swallow The Cap”

The xx – “Fiction”

Fall Out Boy – “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark”

Lorde – “Royals” (ok, I vote for “Team” more)

Justin Timberlake – “Mirrors”

The Killers – “Shot at Night”

Ellie Goulding – “Burn”

Haim – “The Wire”

The Neighbourhood – “Afraid”

Swim Deep – “King City”

Jay Z feat Justin Timberlake – “Holy Grail”

Kendrick Lamar – “Poetic Justice”

* Special Mention: Alt-J – “Breezeblocks” (and the rest of An Awesome Wave cause I was in a weird Alt-J trance on the first quarter of the year mainly because of Laneway)