“I am a man with a heart that offends / With its lonely and greedy demands / There’s only a shadow of me; in a manner of speaking I’m dead.” It’s amazing how each song of “Carrie and Lowell” feels more devastating than the next. Each song is more morbid, more personal, more vulnerable. “John My Beloved” explains how Sufjan needs religion. After his mother’s passing, he feels dead, lonely, and useless. This song is plea for forgiveness — a plea to be saved
27) Beach House — “Majorette”
“Watch you spin like that,” says Victoria Legrand repeatedly in “Majorette,” the first track off Beach House’s surprise album “Thank Your Lucky Stars. If there is one complaint I hear about Beach House, it’s that their songs sound too similar. To me, this is Beach House’s response to that critique. Beach House’s records will keep on spinning, and they don’t plan to change how they sound. They are too confident for that. Instead, Beach House wants to prove that you have not yet understood just how deep their sound goes.
26) Krill — “Tiger”
Krill stopped making music this year. “Tiger” is their going away tune. “And the tragedy is / The villager was well liked / The villager was well liked / By friends / And family / And tiger alike” croons Furman. That is the tragedy of Krill isn’t it? Krill was very very well liked. Krill could not have existed forever — their music expressed that. Part of what made their music so good was that they never seemed quite comfortable just existing. There was always something slightly off with Krill. It’s sad to see them go, but I think all their fans are grateful for what they provided to the world.
25) Father John Misty — “I Went To The Store One Day”
I still can’t figure out Father John Misty. Sometimes he’s satirical without boundaries, but then will also tell beautiful and tragic stories. But that is part of his schtick. He wants to make your question authenticity. What is real and what is fake? If “I Went To The Store One Day” feels real, is that all that matters?
24) Lvl Up — “The Closing Door”
Lvl Up is one of my favorite upcoming bands. If you are unfamiliar, listen to “I Feel Extra-Natural” and “Soft Power.” this latest track seems like a natural progression for the band, in which they find themselves branching away from standard song progressions and into long, epic jams.
23) Natalie Prass — “Bird Of Prey”
22) Twin Peaks — “Got Your Money”
I once saw Cadien Lake James of Twin Peaks step in front of a police man at a sxsw show (who was there trying to shut the concert down for being too insane) in order to point his guitar at the crowd and go nuts for one final chorus. Twin Peaks are pretty reckless. If you have a chance to see them live, you have to (watch Cadien fall over at 4:05). But this song marks a transition to them. I think if Twin Peaks made another album like their last, they might have been labeled at a one trick pony. “I Found A New Way” “Telephone,” and “Making Breakfast” are all fantastic rock songs, but in a similar way that Mac Demarco Changed his sound, I think Twin Peaks are looking to be more than just rock stars. “Got Your Money” features piano and acoustic guitar, something a lot of their older songs leave out. I adore this new laid back sound. Twin Peaks are growing at a rapid pace and it’s exciting to think that they could be far from their prime.
21) Diet Cig — “Harvard”
I spent last summer working in Harvard and there were many nights I may or may not have been caught singing along to this song. Woops
