The Top 25 2013ish Songs I Voluntarily Chose to Listen to in 2013

Disclaimer:
These are not the best songs of the year.  I may even be sick of some of these songs.  These are the songs that came out in 2013 (with a little give for 2012) that I voluntarily chose to listen to the most over the course of 2013.  While I likely heard songs by Miley, Katy and Robin Thicke just as much as any of these, and maybe even enjoyed them just as much as any of these, they won't be on here, as I heard those plenty on their own without necessarily queuing them up myself on my spotify.  These are the songs I actively chose to listen to the most when I had a hankering to listen to some music.  So let's do it...

And yes, there are more than 25 songs in my Top 25.  Deal With it.

The 22 Not In The Top 5 (in alphabetical order)

The 1975 - Cholcolate


Avicii - Wake Me Up (feat. Aloe Blacc)


Bear Mountain - Congo


C2C - Down the Road


The Ceremonies - The Land of Gathering


Coasts - Oceans


Daft Punk - Get Lucky (feat. Pharell)


Grouplove - Ways to Go


Guards - Coming True


Har Mar Superstar - Lady, You Shot Me


Icona Pop - I Love It (feat. Charlie XCX)


Jamie N. Commons - Rumble and Sway


Jay-Z/Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail


Kanye West - Black Skinhead


Klingade - Jubel


The Lighthouse and the Whaler - Pioneers


The Mowgli's - San Francisco


St. Lucia - Wait For Love


Vampire Weekend - Diane Young


Wild Child - Crazy Bird


Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege


Ylvis - The Fox




The Top 5

5 (tie) - Smallpools - Dreaming

5 (tie) - Crystal Fighters - You & I

5 (tie) -Bad Rabbits - Can't Fool Me

4. Portugal. The Man - Hip Hop Kids

3. Haim - The Wire

2. CVRCHES - The Mother We Share

1. Phosphorescent - Song for Zula

Song of the Day #469 - hater I be doin’ me, you guys should be doin’ y’all

2 hip hop tacks in the same month! Preach!

Meek Mill - Amen (feat. Drake)

ps - i put together a list of the top 30 or so songs i voluntarily chose to listen to in 2013 (that came out in...or almost in...2013)...thinking about posting the list on here...we shall see...

Song of the Day #468 - don't ever leave me alone

Half the song is basically the same verse on repeat, yet you can't stop listening.

Autre Ne Veut - Play by Play

ps - back to warmth tomorrow!

Song of the Day #467 - now the drinks are getting harder and my mind is gettin' soft

This guy knows how to write a pop song.

Butch Walker - I've Been Waiting For This

ps - finished the british house of cards trilogy and finally starting the american version...cause i'm a dbag like that

Song of the Day #466 - you'll never fool me again

Merry Christmas!

Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas

ps - i love how each year there's one film released on christmas that is totally inappropriate for christmas...  dragon tattoo, django, wolf of wall street...

Song of the Day #465 - i like all the girls, and all the girls like me

What can I say?

The Blood Arm - Suspicious Character

ps - i'm enjoying this whole older song thing.

Song of the Day #464 - but if it's L-O-V-E, i'll see ya later

Sometimes you just happen across a song you haven't heard in at least 5 years....and sometimes you just remember how much it rocks.

Razorlight - Vice

ps - i need to get back to posting some older goodies on here

Song of the Day #463 - i'm not your identity crisis

Neko Case is not a man.

Neko Case - Man

ps - it's cold in chi-town

Song of the Day #462 - do you understand the things that you've been dreaming?

I don't know their albums well, but when it comes to singles, these guys have yet to disappoint.

Cage the Elephant - Come A Little Closer

ps - by the hymen of olivia newton john!

Song of the Day #461 - my sleepless heart is torn up, babe

Been too long since these fellas (& gal) were on here...

Fitz and the Tantrums - 6am

ps - not looking forward to coldness for so many days

Song of the Day #460 - let's tear it up here, you and i

Not sure how anyone could resist this.

Wild Child - Crazy Bird

ps - and they're from austin!

Song of the Day #459 - it's the same old song all night

A little burst of pop for your Sunday evening.

The Postelles - Caugh by Surprise

ps - what the h, pats?

Song of the Day #458 - i write everything down except what's on my mind

In honor of seeing one of my favorite bands tonight...  don't judge me.

Third Eye Blind - Narcolepsy

ps - last time i saw them was the day michael jackson died and they covered 'i want you back'...it was pretty nuts.

Song of the Day #457 - a fantasy, taking over like a disease

I'm warning you in advance...this one is loaded to the brim with sugar...

Magic Man - Paris

ps - not dodgeball champions...sad.

Song of the Day #456 - open up your heart, show me the place where love is missing

Vintage Okkervil.

Okkervil River - Stay Young

ps - o r they?

Song of the Day #455 - and the whole wide world is whistling

This will now be stuck in your head.

NONONO - Pumpin Blood

ps - what an amazing day of football

Song of the Day #454 - still crammin' the shelves full of hamburger helper

Eminem's first 2 albums are easily among my favorite rap albums of all time, but I haven't listened to him much post album 3 (The Eminem Show).  With that said, I'm liking the new album the few times I've listened through, though it's way tooooo long.  Some pretty cool samples on there, and as usual, Em kills it throughout with his rhymes.  This one is pretty fun.

Eminem - So Far...

ps - hot damn, 'her'...what a freakin great movie.  spike jonze does it again.

Song of the Day #453 - will you come home again?

Don't know what it is about this song, but I heard it for the first time ever on Tuesday and became immediately obsessed .  Apparently they're Aussies....and that's all I got for ya

I can't find it on youtube or grooveshark, so you're just gonna have to listen on spotify or itunes.

Jenny Broke the Window - Wash Your Mouth

ps - saw the lion king musical last night for the first time in over a decade and was again absolutely floored by the costume and set design.

Song of the Day #452 - i was feeling kind of seasick on that boat

When in doubt, Grouplove.

Grouplove - Raspberry

ps - hakuna matata

Song of the Day #451 - no, the girl won't stay

Whistle.

Pacific Air - Float

ps - i've become re-obsessed with friends reruns

Song of the Day #450 - i'll stay up here, just you and me

If Passion Pit, "old-school" MGMT and The Polyphonic Spree had an eccentric baby...

Gentleman Hall - Sail Into the Sun

ps - so frozen was pretty legit...

Song of the Day #449 - these numbers could be lucky for you

Been sitting on this one for a while.  I think I once saw someone describe it as Apple Advert Pop...aka music essentially born to be featured in an Apple ad...and yeah, I don't think that's too far from the truth.  Basically the only thing I approve about Apple is their ad team's musical tastes.

BOY - Little Numbers

ps - back to warm LA...

Song of the Day #448 - (church on time) makes me party

We have a Frazier Approved first here....a song recorded before 1990...

Re-watched Frances Ha last night (one of my very favorite movies of the 2013) and this song really made an impression...I guess I didn't really notice the first time.  It plays in both the scene of Frances running and dancing through New York and the closing credits.  Great stuff.  It also got a very strong "I'm Still Standing" vibe.

David Bowie - Modern Love

ps - frances ha is on netflix...WATCH IT.

Song of the Day #447 - you see me everywhere, you walk around without a care

Nice encapsulation of both the soft and up-tempo sides of Best Coast.

Best Coast - I Don't Know How

ps - ugh, i don't want to see snow yet.

Song of the Day #446 - well, i got a plan in the palm of my hand

This song makes me feel like it's summer.

Terraplane Sun - Get Me Golden

ps - cheers to seth and james for bound 3.

Song of the Day #445 - the way is long but you can make it easy on me

Seriously, what took me so long to get on this bandwagon?  Love it.

CHVRCHES - The Mother We Share

ps - i think i'm getting sick for the first time in over a year...maybe close to 2 years...

Song of the Day #444 - show me I'm the one, tell me I'm the one that you need

Avicii at the Bowl was ridiculously fun.  His album, True, is also ridiculously fun.  Was tough to pick a song, but this one just sounded the best at this very moment.

Avicii - Lay Me Down (ft. Adam Lambert)

ps - avicii kinda looks like nicholas hoult.

Song of the Day #443 - wave goodbye, wish me well

Probably the one track that seems out of place on their new album is also my favorite track on the album.

Nine Inch Nails - Everything

ps - i've been listening to these guys for over 15 years and tonight i'm FINALLY gonna see them live. awesome.

Song of the Day #442 - freedom from love, freedom from the heartache

At their raw, raucous, rowdiest best....

Dr. Dog - Broken Heart

ps - yeezus tour tomorrow...should be a trip.

Song of the Day #441 - i can be the joker that you couldn't shake off

I didn't even know these guys were still around...what a nice surprise when I stumbled upon this little ditty...

The Fratellis - Halloween Blues

ps - halloween is almost here!

Song of the Day #440 - it's not too late to come by my house

You can never go wrong with some Bob...especially when he brings out the power chords...

Bob Schneider - Unpromised Land

ps - apparently 'unpromised' is not a word

Song of the Day #439 - she always knew how to pull the strings

Haven't had a nice rocker in a while...

Catfish and the Bottlemen - Rango

ps - i rarely have any idea what kanye west is saying, but i love every second it

Song of the Day #438 - when the morning comes, i will wait for you

Just had these guys on here a couple months ago, but I'm loving their new album, and more specifically, this tune...

St. Lucia - Wait for Love

ps - have you seen gravity yet?

Song of the Day #437 - all the money’s gone and the house is cold

If U2 and Mumford had a baby...

The Lone Bellow - Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold

ps - no idea why this is set to a packers highlight reel...

Song of the Day #436 - we should be easy

About as country as I go...

The Wild Feathers - Ceiling

ps - i'm on the pirates bandwagon.

Song of the Day #435 - always keep your heart locked tight

Despite what you may have heard, this is, in fact, not an ode to the acclaimed HBO television show...

Haim - The Wire

ps - no government stoppage will stop this blog...just laziness.

Song of the Day #434 - i know that it's a secret, and that i gotta keep it

Throw this on with rainymood.com playing in the background....perfection.

Meiko - Leave the Lights On

ps - i wish it rained more here

Song of the Day #433 - i'm no rolling stone, i gather too much moss

Strong LCD Soundsystem vibe going on here...

Bell X1 - Flame (Chicken Lips Version)

ps - r.i.p. lcd

Song of the Day #432 - now should we open up this sweet romance?

Love this sound....straight up roaring 20's.  She's got a killer voice, too.

Couldn't find an audio version on youtube, so here's a live version...it's the first of the 2 songs they play.

The Mots Nouveaux - Gimme Gimme

ps - this also reminds me how much i need to catch up on boardwalk empire..i'm only halfway through season 3.

Song of the Day #431 - baby, be the class clown

You already know it.

Lorde - Tennis Court

ps - this is going to be a frustrating football season

Song of the Day #430 - save me

I'm in Boston. And it's raining. And this sounds awesome with the background of the sound of rain.  I can't get enough of that sax!

Klingande - Jubel

ps - seriously, how can you not love that sax?

Song of the Day #429 - that's some cliche shi*t

Hi there.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Better Days

ps - hi.

Song of the Day #428 - show me a way, show me a way to forever

Yes.

Crystal Fighters - Bridge of Bones

ps - i don't care if it didn't blow up, 'you & i' is still the song of the summer.

Song of the Day #427 - you know me better than i know myself

Excellent "space" rock...this would've fit in perfectly with early Radiohead or Muse. 

Tripwires - Shimmer

ps -  my hands smell like bbq and i like it

Song of the Day #426 - now let me sleep my blues away

I had a hell of a time picking which song from her awesome EP I wanted to feature on here, but this is the one I heard most recently, so it wins.  This girl can sing.

Ivy Levan - I Don't Wanna Wake Up

ps - how was this not on the great gatsby soundtrack?

Song of the Day #425 - turn my back and run away

Absolutely no idea why or how this song popped in my head today, but it did.  A (random) oldie, but defeinitely a goodie.

Electrasy - Morning Afterglow

ps - i need to get some more of my precious 90's alt rock on here

Song of the Day #424 - yeah, yeah, the punks are done, f*ck those rock and rollers

I love this band.  The new album is great.  This song rocks.

Portugal. The Man - Hip Hop Kids

ps - in bed before midnight last night. it's a christmas miracle.

Song of the Day #423 - wider smiles than i've ever seen

The one word plural noun band name is so hot right now.

Coasts - Oceans

ps - a nice rainy day would be so refreshing right now.

Song of the Day #422 - i've got such a view

Man, these guys couldn't look more Brooklyn-indie-rock-hipster-cliche, but all is forgiven, as they have composed one of my absolute favorite songs of the year.  Harmonies, synth, and retro beats abound.

The Ceremonies - Land of Gathering

ps - dodgeball champion.

Song of the Day #421 - i heard her sing me a song

Everything I hear from The 88 is nothing short of consistent...they always put out really solid tunes.  And man, this is a good one....with a great video, to boot.

The 88 - I Saw The Light That Day

ps - sooo close to nfl season...i'm having trouble containing myself.

Song of the Day #420 - she's always too busy believin'

This just makes you feel good.

Bear Mountain - Congo

ps - the kid doing the rap part of tlc's 'waterfalls' in we're the millers is one of my favorite things of 2013

Song of the Day #419 - you haven't called back, i've been calling you for days

Awkward is life.

San Cisco - Awkward

ps - why are there so many songs about rainbows?

Song of the Day #418 - she used to be a really special lady

You're probably not gonna want to play this one for mom...

Lloyd - Dedication to My Ex (Miss That) - featuring Andre 3000

ps - i wish every meal was brunch.

Song of the Day #417 - and we keep on pushin

So damn smoooooooooth....

St. Lucia - Closer Than This

ps - you should read this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/magazine/sleep-away-camp-for-postmodern-cowboys.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Song of the Day #416 - you could've been a good friend of mine

It feels like no one really paid much attention to the 2nd Ting Tings album.  Sadly, I can't really hate on that ...it's been a while since I listened to it, but it didn't leave too much of an impression...   Regardless, this one is a gem.

The Ting Tings - Day to Day

ps - maybe i'll give it another go

Song of the Day #415 - sippin' from your cup till it runneth over

In honor of the Jay-Z/Jay-T show last night....  easily the best song on Magna Carta... Holy Grail.

Jay-Z - Holy Grail (feat. Justin Timberlake)

ps - jt doing the cop part on 99 problems was pretty rad.

Song of the Day #414 - your eyes, your thighs, your booty and your smile.

Bring in da noise. Bring in da funk.

Bad Rabbits - Can't Fool Me

ps - possibly seeing these dudes on monday.

Song of the Day #413 - don't you tell me no truths, i want only your lies

Nice voice, dude.  This is in my shazaam log 4 separate times because I kept hearing it, but not remembering what it was, and also not remembering that I'd already shazaam'd it....though every time I was definitely thinking, "man, this is a kickass song!".

Jamie N Commons - Rumble and Sway

ps - august should be a national holiday. the whole month. who's with me?

Song of the Day #412 - right from the start, i was stabbed in the heart

Hide yo kids. Hide yo wife.  This is a classic.

Islands - Creeper

ps - i think i need to relearn how to sleep...'cause i don't think i'm doing it right.  tiiiiiiired.

Song of the Day #411 - when i hear that song, you know i'm only gonna think about one girl (i think about you)

FUNKTASTIC!

!!! - One Boy/One Girl

ps - they're pronounced "chk chk chk"

Song of the Day #410 - will you stay in my pocket?

Been wanting to post this for months.  Almost sounds like a Ben Kweller tune...

Hanni El Khatib - Penny

ps - aaron hernandez just keeps looking dumber and dumber every passing day.

Song of the Day #409 - pretty girls born in the 90s, they don't know much of 85

This one been sitting in the queue for well over a year...time to give it some love.

Ghost Beach - Empty Streets

ps - he's her lobster!

Song of the Day #408 - i don't wanna let it go!

If Imagine Dragons blew up, these guys really should, too...

American Authors - Believer

ps - my knee hurts

Song of the Day #407 - maybe you are thinking you're an alien coming from outer space

I hate comparing her to Janelle Monae because I think she's her own thing, but that's really all I can come up with.   Killer upbeat throwback pop tracks.  This is one of her best.

V V Brown - Everybody

ps - waking up at 5am = tiredness

Song of the Day #406 - it's too easy just to fall apart

Apparently this is from 2008. I'd never heard it until recently. It's good. You should listen. Good night.

The Submarines - You, Me & the Bourgeoisie

ps - how bout that sabine lisicki takin it to serena williams? nice work.

Song of the Day #405 - i didn't know my name

This one took a little getting used to, but I'm loving it now.  New album in September!

Grouplove - Ways to Go

ps -  realizing this is becoming almost a song of the week blog.  but i'll get back on my game soon enough.

Song of the Day #404 - 300 b*tches, where the trojans?

Still processing the new album, but this is my favorite so far.  Awesome use of it in The Wolf of Wall St. trailer, too. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iszwuX1AK6A)

Kanye West - Black Skinhead

ps - game 6 was pretty nuts.

Song of the Day #403 - you and me, no one else, nothing else but us right here

This is gonna kill it this summer.

Crystal Fighters - You & I

ps - say no to the tebow

Song of the Day #402 - never know what movie you're playin

Been stuck in my head all week...

Benny Benassi - Cinema

ps - any time you spend 30 out of 35 hours in an office...that is a lot.

Song of the Day #401 - caught up in the rodeo

I think we all need a little Monday morning pep...

Smallpools - Dreaming

ps - everyone is dumb for ruining game of thrones.

Song of the Day #400 - i remember running through the wet grass

Just continuing my trend of awesome 90's on the 100's...
#100 - Spacehog - In the Meantime
#200 - Our Lady Peace - Naveed
#300 - Third Eye Blind - Motorcycle Drive By
and #400....

Better Than Ezra - Desperately Wanting

ps - frances ha is an absolute delight.

Song of the Day #399 - you got that special kind of sadness

This song really calmed me down yesterday when I was ready to throw something through a window.  Thank you, Dawes.

Dawes - Time Spent In Los Angeles

ps - warm guinness isn't very good.

Song of the Day #398 - i'm bored, i'm screaming like i got no soul

Their first album was way too hardcore punk for my tastes, but I'm liking what I'm hearing here.  Raucous, rowdy and fun.  Reminds me of Mando Diao, but not as neatly packaged.

The Computers - Love Triangles, Hate Squares

ps - don't smoke e-cigs in a movie theater. cmon, dude...have some decency.

Song of the Day #397 - in this city of robot hearts, ours were made to be

Ra Ra Riot goes synth!

Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love

ps - still coming to grips with the fact that i watched a 45 minute stone temple pilots greatest hits set on saturday and didn't realize until the next day that it wasn't scott weiland fronting the group. (but rather, chester bennington of linkin park...he sounded and looked EXACTLY the same)

Song of the Day #396 - baby, it's a wonderful news

Just a little refresher before the KROQ Weenie Roast tomorrow.  It's a goodie.

AWOLNATION - Not You Fault

ps - what's a battle?

Song of the Day #395 - yeah, it's only you, it's only me

Still loving these guys.  I need a full album, stat!

The Mowgli's - Slowly, Slowly

ps - the office finale was a nice send off.

Song of the Day #394 - it's to jimmy eat world and those nights in my car

After seeing Andrew McMahon tonight (former lead singer of Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin), I just had to bring it back... 

Something Corporate - Konstantine

ps - i don't think it's even possible to count the number of times i've put this on as the last song i hear before going to bed.  so many times.

Song of the Day #393 - hold on, hold on, we’ve got the lights dear

I love everything about this.

The Lighthouse and the Whaler - Pioneers

ps - go see mud.

Song of the Day #392 - keep the people busy fighting, and they'll forget what they were fighting for

Oh man, that whistle...

K.S. Rhoads - The Harvest

ps - don draper makes me uncomfortable

Song of the Day #391 - and i thought if i towed the right lines...

Somehow this song, and really Grant Lee Buffalo as a whole, totally escaped my musical knowledge until just recently.  Better late than never!...

Grant Lee Buffalo - Mockingbirds

ps - this cleveland kidnapping story is insane. people are insane. glad it's all over.

Song of the Day #390 - we're just gonna keep on moving on

You can always find me on the dancefloor...

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - If You Didn't See Me [Then You Weren't on the Dancefloor]

ps - i still need to see iron man

Song of the Day #389 - you broke my one rule, you treated me cruel

A very different (and more musically upbeat) take on the throes of heartbreak than yesterday's Phosphorescent song.  Bring on the horns!

Har Mar Superstar - Lady, You Shot Me

ps - i don't have my tv on, but castle is probably on right now

Song of the Day #388 - but my heart is wild, and my bones are steel

Pretty epic.  Right now I want to go out for a late night drive on an empty freeway, roll down the windows, and just blare this as the cool night air pumps into the car...

Phosphorescent - Song for Zula

ps - why is castle ALWAYS on?  i have never seen an episode of castle...but somehow every night my bedroom tv defaults to an episode of castle after i've put it on mute and stopped paying attention.

Song of the Day #387 - and i don't cry for yesterday

Love the original. Love the cover.

Cary Brothers - Ordinary World (Duran Duran Cover)

ps - did someone say it's going to be 90 tomorrow? i'm not in texas anymore...i don't need this.

Song of the Day #386 - i'll come running to tuck you in

Slow build, baby.

Pinback - Proceed to Memory

ps - always good to be back in tejas.

Song of the Day #385 - we've been waiting so long

Just. Damn. Good.

Leagues - We Belong Here

ps - welcome to the patriots, jamie collins. i hope you're just damn good, too.