Shaun's Top 15 Songs of 2015
Shaun Cordingley
The regular Tuesday Tunes will return next week (and for those of you wanting a playlist, I will be combining December/January together, that way you get a good chunk of music, rather than two little lists), but with the calendar turning over, I thought that I would instead give you my Top 15 songs of the year.
Now admittedly, if you have listened to the 'Year in Review' {PODCAST}, you will already have an idea of what my top song(s) of the year are, but when we get there, how about you act surprised anyway.
As per usual, The Guys From do not hold the rights to any of these songs, it is more our hope to expose our readers to new and different music, or re-expose them to things they may have forgotten about.
At the top of each section, will be the song name, followed by the artists' name linked to their website, so you can fall down the rabbit hole, finding and supporting what you dig.
Without further ado:
15) See You Again - Wiz Khalifa
I am not even a Fast and Furious fan, but this has to be considered to be one of the best songs of the year, and as far as I am concerned, it is one of the absolute best tribute songs. Period. The thing that I find with most songs used in memorials or tributes is that they do not have any celebratory tone, or feel to them. "See You Again" is both sad, and a little bit uplifting at the same time. I feel sad, but I also feel good about things every time I hear this song.
And I totally cried at the end of the video...which has to count for something.
14) 25 Reasons - Louis Berry
I won't spend too much time talking about this song by Louis Berry (having already featured it once), but it is one of those gritty, great Brit-rock songs that just nails a retro sound that I really dig. Keep an eye on Louis Berry in this next year, as it really does feel that we should be getting a few more singles (and if we are lucky, an album) and that is one that would would completely be worth the attention, based on how damn good '25 Reasons' is.
13) S.O.B. - Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
This is such a great retro, blues rock song that is finally finally getting the attention it deserves--case in point, I even heard it on the radio in the small town I grew up in, when I went home for the holidays. I would be amazed if you haven't heard 'S.O.B.' yet, but I look forward to you getting in on Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats before they really explode into the mainstream...
Which better damn well happen in 2016, as this band is all sorts of fantastic, and their self-titled album was my honorable mention for Album of the Year.
12) Back of the Car - RAC
Same week as the 'S.O.B', 'Back of the Car' is just a super fun indie-dance track that caught fire when it appeared in FIFA 16. This is just one of those songs that when I am feeling a little bit down, I'll blare into my headphones and just jam out for a few minutes, and it has yet to fail to put a smile on my face.
In fact, I have a massive smile on my face right now as I listen to it while I write this little blurb, and am now going to dance around a bit before I move on.
11) Distant Past - Everything, Everything
I am a little amazed this song did not crack into the top 10, considering my fondness for cavemen fighting, and indie brit rock, but here we are. I featured this song back in October, and still love it. If you have yet to check out their album, Get to Heaven you really should, as it is a strong, varried album that really demonstrates a band that is starting to fire on all cylinders.
I think my only knock against 'Distant Past' is that after the first two verses, I generally find myself thinking about (or in the case of right now) jumping back to the start of the song, but it is one of those songs that I will be listening to for a good chunk of 2016 as well, I am sure.
10) Help - The Front Bottoms
An early Tuesday Tune, 'Help' screams 90s college rock. It's almost like The Front Bottoms listened to every college rock song ever made, and then blended them all together into one, amazing song. If you're not a fan of that genre, I can see not liking it, but this is just so, so perfect as a College rock song that it makes me feel nostalgic. Not to mention all the times I catch myself singing it...
9) Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
Made for a movie that I will never waste my time seeing, based on a book that I was able to read roughly 5 pages of before I started laughing so hard I had to put it down in a pool of water (so as to prevent anyone else from accidentally reading it), nothing stopped this Ellie Goulding song from staying in my brain forever after I heard it. Now to be fair, I was already a pretty damn big fan of Ellie Goulding (I have listened to Halycon Days probably more than any other album since it came out), so this song already had that going for it, but I think it's just because it was one of those few songs made for a film that just works. Goulding has one of my favourite voices in pop music, period, and this is one of those songs that is catchy, well-produced, and feature her beautifully.
If you read Tuesday Tunes at all, you will probably be scratching your head a bit, as this song does not seem like my style at all...but hey, call it a guilty pleasure if you want, I will gladly listen to 'Love Me Like You Do' on repeat at least once a month, so it cracks my top 10 of the year.
8) Flesh Without Blood - Grimes
November 10, Tuesday Tunes with it's third entry on this list with Grimes' 'Flesh Without Blood'. Grimes' music is so eclectic and different that you never know what is coming from her, but I have to say that this "radio-friendly" pop(ish) song is easily one of my favourites, and Art Angels was one of my favourite surprise albums of 2015. Plus while listening to this song, you can consider how creepy it would be if someone you just met said "I have a doll that looks just like you".
Yeah....
7) Never Ending Circles - CHVRCHES
CHVRCHES continues to develop into one of my favourite bands out there, and their latest album, Every Open Eye is exactly what I was hoping it was going to be. 'Never Ending Circles' is yet another gorgeous song that I cannot get enough of, and the fact that it's just a couple boards and a vocalist never ceases to impress me.
If you are not listening to CHVRCHES and you are at all into indie music, then I have no idea what to say to you anymore.
6) Dancing on Glass - St. Lucia
This song is...well to be honest it is like St. Lucia listened to nothing but 80s dance music for about three weeks, and then decided to distill all of it down into one spectacular song. Everyone I have played "Dancing on Glass" to has said "oh wow, that sounds exactly like" and they name one of their favourite bands from the 80s.
Seriously, tell me I'm wrong. It's Tears for Fears, it's Depeche Mode, it's...the 80s in one song.
Or at the very least watch the video, because that alone is worth your 4 minutes, just like it was when I first mentioned 'Dancing on Glass' in December (heart you, bronzer guy)
5) NoLo - Grace Mitchell
One of the earliest Tuesday Tunes songs, 'NoLo' is all sorts of amazing, punching into the Top 5 of the year, and now has an official video. Grace Mitchell is one to watch for the (near) future for sure, with a spectacular voice and some interesting experimental pop tendencies, I am very much looking forward to seeing what more she does in 2016. Fans of Lorde with find a lot to dig here, especially those looking for something with a more upbeat, pop flair to it.
4) Dreams - Beck
I am a huge Beck fan, and this single was exactly what I needed this year from him. While I do really like introspective Beck (you know, the artist who gave us Morning Phase), I adore funky and fun Beck (Guero, Odelay) and 'Dreams' totally gives me that vibe again. I do hope that we will see a new Beck album this year more along the vein of 'Dreams', but Beck is welcome to do whatever the hell he wants--it's going to be Kanye-busting good regardless.
3) I Wanna Get Better - Bleachers x Tinashe
My song of the year last year, and one of my favourite songs of all time was remixed and covered by Bleachers (the band who made the original) but replacing the vocals with those of Tinashe for their spectacular concept/cover album Terrible Thrills Vol. 2. This does not replace how much I love the original 'I Wanna Get Better', but it altered the song into something completely different, and almost as awesome as the original.
Seriously, at this point it is starting to seem like Bleachers can do no wrong for me...
2) Spirits - The Strumbellas
I love this song, and it has meant a lot to me during what was an incredibly hard year. The second it came out (and as soon as I put it into Tuesday Tunes, it has been in heavy rotation for me, and I am sure that it will not go anywhere, anytime soon. It's beautiful, and means a fair amount to me, and that made it a very very close second to my song of 2015.
1) Could Have Been Me - The Stuts
This is the song that introduced me to The Struts, a band that I cannot wait to see live, and to see them explode into being huge. When I first wrote about them, they were about to start their U.S. Tour, and I was cautious when drawing comparisons, but now having spent more time with them, I am going to say it:
The Struts, if they stay working, and stay doing what they are doing, are the closest thing we will ever have to the next Queen. I am not saying that they are going to do it, I am saying that The Struts can be the next gigantic, cross-generational, massive rock band that everyone connects to and listens to. Barring craziness, they should be arena rock huge, and if reports from live shows are anything to go by, these guys are one of the bands to try and see today. Since introducing The Struts around a bit, almost everyone hears whispers of Freddie, and shades of the rock they grew up loving, or that they themselves rocked out to years ago.
That said, we don't even have an album yet, but based on Have You Heard, their debut EP, I am beyond excited.
No pressure lads.
That's it, that's all. I promise to be back with a normal Tuesday Tunes next week.
If you're hoping for an Apple Music Playlist (in order) you are in luck as it is right here
Here's to a musically great 2016!
-S (@Shauncord)