Articles tagged with Top 5

#1 – Seasons (Waiting on You) by Future Islands

So here we have it- my pick for the best song of 2014. By “best” I’m not really referring to its quality (though its quality is undeniably high), but more in the sense that’s implied with a term like “best friend.” That is, something to which we’ve grown extremely close. And of all the songs that passed through my headphones this year, “Seasons (Waiting on You)” by Future Islands managed to get the closest. It’s partly Samuel T. Herrings chameleon-like voice, shifting from a sweet tenor on the verses to an entirely different beast on the choruses (so much that it could easily be mistaken for another singer), along with the endearingly schlubby look of the band, captured so perfectly in their breakout performance on Letterman this year. But ultimately, it’s the emotional paradox of the song that leaves me so mesmerized- it feels uplifting at the same time it feels melancholic. The result is a track that fully resonates, no matter what the context is; it’s a song that’ll stick with you when things are looking up, or not.

My choice for the best song from 2004 to dance to might be a little bit controversial, as it’s not one of the most popular songs from that year, but it’s one you’ve doubtlessly heard on a dancefloor somewhere. Belgium’s Soulwax released Any Minute Now in 2004, and for the track “NY Excuse,” enlisted the help of Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem / Juan Maclean / guest vocalist par excellence. It’s a piece of electropop perfection, so reminiscent of the vestiges of electroclash but by 2004 somehow fresher and more fun than that whole movement ever was. Whang’s vocals are fun, ridiculous, silly, angry, all at once, and the song’s rollercoaster synths rise and rise and rise to a huge crescendo. Not only is the original fantastic, but later in 2004, what might be the definitive version of the track, “Another Excuse,” featuring the remixing assistance of the DFA, aka James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy. Behind their steady hands, the track becomes a haunted house ride, veering between dark disco alleyways, down creepy neon-lit avenues, and seemingly hitting an out of control hairpin turn every few measures. It’s one of the DFA’s best works (and that’s saying a lot) and a song that never gets old, never sounds anything less than perfect for the moment you slip it on.

Best of 2004
#1 – “NY Excuse” / “Another Excuse” – Soulwax
#2 – “Banquet” – Bloc Party
#3 – “Hounds of Love” – the Futureheads
#4 – “I Predict a Riot” – the Kaiser Chiefs
#5 – “I Disappear” – the Faint

In preparing for our upcoming party Head On: 2014 vs 2004, we’re each counting down our 5 favorite songs from our respective years. I’ll be representing 2004 so my task is a pretty fun one for blogging. I thought about how to decide which 5 songs were best. I decided to pick the 5 best songs from 2004 to dance to, rather than just my 5 favorites or something, because that would get obscure and include stuff like Shocking Pinks. Some of these songs I remember dancing to in 2004, some I was playing at dance parties and loved the way people danced.

#2 – Do It Again by Royksopp & Robyn

With its elastic synths, four-on-the-floor thump and anthemic chorus, this collaboration between Royksopp and Robyn could easily have drifted into the realm of over-the-top schlock pop. And yet, as with so many tracks featuring Robyn at the helm, there’s an extra layer of emotional intensity that’s absent from much of the dance music that climbs the charts. It’s partly due to the restraint she shows in front of the microphone- even at the song’s peak, when delivering the lines “Don’t care what they say / it hurts so good / I don’t wanna stop / I know I should,” Robyn doesn’t oversell the song. She sounds strong, but vulnerable- an emotional combination we’ve all experienced at some point. Maybe that’s why we can’t help but sing along.

#3 – The Party Line by Belle & Sebastian

The new Belle and Sebastian LP, Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, is yet-to-be released, but the lead single is already out and, much to my pleasant surprise, it’s an all-out eletro-disco tune. Sure, the band has dipped its toes into this territory before (see “Electric Renaissance” from their debut Tigermilk for a less-than-subtle nod to New Order), but never before have Belle & Sebastian sounded so ready to hit the dance floor. The track opens with a filter sweep, lifting like a curtain on a track full of Stuart Murdoch’s signature melodicism, but this time with disco syncopation and synth flourishes in tow. Fingers crossed that we’ll be hearing more like this when the new album drops in January 2015.

#4 – I Got U by Duke Dumont

Summer started early this year thanks to Duke Dumont’s “I Got U,” which landed on the DJ decks all the way back in January. The pulse of steel drums at the start of the track feel like a warm breeze- just a hint of the heat to come- and by the time Jax Jones’ vocal graces our ears in the first verse, we’ve got the windows wide open, tank top donned, and a rum cocktail in each hand. Then, the beat kicks in and the dance floor’s suddenly packed, bouncing along to this summer anthem, no matter what the calendar says.

#4 – I Predict a Riot by the Kaiser Chiefs

I Predict a Riot came out several years after britpop had quieted down, but it really managed to combine dancepunk and 00’s indie rock with the earlier britpop sound. Catchy vocals, ample hooks and a killer chorus made it one of the best songs of 2004.

Best of 2004
#1 – “NY Excuse” / “Another Excuse” – Soulwax
#2 – “Banquet” – Bloc Party
#3 – “Hounds of Love” – the Futureheads
#4 – “I Predict a Riot” – the Kaiser Chiefs
#5 – “I Disappear” – the Faint

In preparing for our upcoming party Head On: 2014 vs 2004, we’re each counting down our 5 favorite songs from our respective years. I’ll be representing 2004 so my task is a pretty fun one for blogging. I thought about how to decide which 5 songs were best. I decided to pick the 5 best songs from 2004 to dance to, rather than just my 5 favorites or something, because that would get obscure and include stuff like Shocking Pinks. Some of these songs I remember dancing to in 2004, some I was playing at dance parties and loved the way people danced.

#5 – Madhouse by Kimbra

This first entry in my list of faves from 2014 could easily be mistaken for a forgotten gem from 25 years before. A Rhythm Nation-era Janet b-side, perhaps? Or maybe a shelved take from some long-lost session at Prince’s Paisley Park? Retro, as we know, can easily come off as cloying nostalgia, or even just plain lazy, but all should be forgiven when the results are this good. New Zealander Kimbra Johnson mines the New Jack Swing-era pretty heavily on “Madhouse,” but by doing it so enthusiastically, and so well, it’s impossible not to get taken in by the sheer joy of it.

#5 – I Disappear by the Faint

The Faint’s 3rd album Wet from Birth was kind of disappointing overall compared to Danse Macabre, but I Disappear was everything great about the band. Unhinged, weird, dark, but still kind of fun instead of being grim. I remember playing this one at my own nights and hearing it often at a goth dance party I went to too, it was one of only a few songs to make that crossover.

Best of 2004
#1 – “NY Excuse” / “Another Excuse” – Soulwax
#2 – “Banquet” – Bloc Party
#3 – “Hounds of Love” – the Futureheads
#4 – “I Predict a Riot” – the Kaiser Chiefs
#5 – “I Disappear” – the Faint

In preparing for our upcoming party Head On: 2014 vs 2004, we’re each counting down our 5 favorite songs from our respective years. I’ll be representing 2004 so my task is a pretty fun one for blogging. I thought about how to decide which 5 songs were best. I decided to pick the 5 best songs from 2004 to dance to, rather than just my 5 favorites or something, because that would get obscure and include stuff like Shocking Pinks. Some of these songs I remember dancing to in 2004, some I was playing at dance parties and loved the way people danced.