Lappy's Top 25 Most Played - 2013

It's that time of the year again, when on the final day of August I review the most-played songs in my collection, and see if my tastes have changed too much from last year.  For the most part, not really, but there are some new contenders mixed in with the old favourites, and all are worth checking out if they haven't been posted about already on this blog.  Enjoy them.

25. Sweet Thing - Lazy Susan
24. Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence
23. Lana Del Rey - Lucky Ones
22. Crystal Castles - Untrust Us
21. Ancient Bards - Valiant Ride
20. Nightwish - Beauty and the Beast
19. Ensiferum - Victory Song
18. Kanye West - The New Workout Plan
17. Plaster - Booggéré
16. Nightwish - Amaranth
15. Christian Mistress - Black To Gold
14. FKi feat. Natasha Mosely - Bent Up
13. Eluveitie - A Rose For Epona
12. Lana Del Rey - Yayo
11. Flosstradamus - Total Recall
10. Serj Tankian - Cornucopia
9. Nightwish - Turn Loose The Mermaids
8. Django Django - Default
7. Serj Tankian - Harakiri
6. Ramesh - The King
5. Fun. - Some Nights
4. Chevelle - Revenge
3. Ludo - Anything For You
2. Arkona - Yarilo
1. Gotye feat. Dice Raw - Game of Thrones Freestyle

Lady Gaga - Applause

I originally wasn't going write a post about "Applause," but it's kind of grown on me lately.  I don't know if I've just listened to enough time to have it grow on me, or if Lady Gaga's VMA performance (highlight of the ceremony, to be perfectly honest) brought it over the top, but something clicked.  I'm very excited to see the entire new album in November, and if this is a taste of what's to come, then who knows?  It could very well surpass the way I feel about Born This Way.

"Applause" has something that I like to see from someone who's been around the block a few times.  It sounds new, but has that little bit of something old that makes it the Lady Gaga we know and love.  To me, it lives up to the name of the Art Pop album in the way that you can tell she's put a lot into creating this.  There is art behind "Applause."  This song has been crafted by hand and heart alike.  It's different from her past work, and that's what gives me hope for 11/11 this year.  By god, Mother Monster has done it again.

Jewel - I'm Sensitive

I've always had a little thing for Jewel, and this has been a long-term affair kind of thing.  I've got most of her albums, and as long as she keeps recording, I'll keep getting them.  Spirit is probably the best, but Pieces of You is also pretty damn good for a debut.  You can't go wrong with gems like the classic "You Were Meant For Me," though lately I've been getting into another song that you most likely haven't heard of....

"I'm Sensitive" is sweet Jewel, before the sexpot "Intuition" garbage and before she went country with Goodbye Alice In Wonderland.  This is the folky Alaskan girl who was living in her car at her best.  "I'm Sensitive" is a strong acoustic number, with lyrics up to par and something special.  It's sweet, sure, but it also speaks volumes.  This was Jewel at her lyrically finest, and I hope that you see it too.

Slaughterhouse feat. K-Young - Gone

A sunny day is always the best day for somber rap music, and today I couldn't help but take it from the On The House mixtape from Slaughterhouse.  With help from K-Young crooning on the chorus, "Gone" is a slick piece of work, with the sadness that gives modern rap some depth, and something that still makes you want to sway your hips and move your shoulders to the beat.  It still has the aggression you'll see on the rest of the mixtape, but there's something different about "Gone" that makes it stand out from the others, even my fave "Juggernauts."  It'll grow on you, I promise, just as it grew on me since its release.

LYRICS: Bebe Black - I'll Wait

Didn't take the day that I was supposed to
Didn't turn up, and I know that I was meant to
I went outside, when I should have stayed in
I couldn't stop eating, you said that I was barely thin

I cut my hair when you said you liked it long
I wrote about sex, and you preferred a love song
You want me to stay, but I want to go home
I'm just a little girl, compared to you who's full grown

And I want to feel the broken shells, I'll let them cut my toes
I'm tired of my oyster card, I'm sick of highs and lows
I want a taste the saltiness, but I'm just too afraid
I wish that I could leave you, but I'll never be that brave

So I'll wait, and I'll wait
For the ink to dry, for you to read the words that say we're through
And I'll wait, and I'll wait
This wasn't about me, the crumble really was with you

Once I stared at the bedroom door for more than two hours
I poured away the water and I threw out the dead flowers
I read the hand typed love letters that weren't addressed to me
You wrote them for a girl you met when I was by the sea

Oh I couldn't brush my teeth today
I didn't wash my hair
I kept all the windows shut so I could breathe my own air
I tore up the old photographs 'cause I don't wanna see
The person I changed into, the one you wanna leave

I'll pack up my old suitcase, and I'll turn off my phone
And I will make my way to Waterloo and buy my ticket home
I know that you would understand there's nothing left to save
I wish that I could leave you, but I'll never be that brave

So I'll wait, and I'll wait
For the ink to dry, for you to read the words that say we're through
And I'll wait, and I'll wait
This wasn't about me, the crumble really was with you
And I'll wait, and I'll wait
For the ink to dry, for you to read the words that say we're through
And I'll wait, and I'll wait
This wasn't about me, the crumble really was with you

So I'll wait, and I'll wait
For the ink to dry, for you to read the words that say we're through
And I'll wait, and I'll wait
This wasn't about me, the crumble really was with you
And I'll wait, and I'll wait
For the ink to dry, for you to read the words that say we're through
And I'll wait, and I'll wait
This wasn't about me, the crumble really was with you

And I'll wait, and I'll wait
And I'll wait, and I'll wait
And I'll wait, and I'll wait
And I'll wait, and I'll wait

Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag

Wheatus may have been a bit of a one-hit-wonder with "Teenage Dirtbag" back in the early days of the 2000s, but it holds a bit of nostalgia for me.  It's the song that taught me who Iron Maiden was before I knew of their existence, and made me feel destined to find this great band to see instead of going to prom.  Well, that didn't happen, but after listening to this, don't we all want our secret crush to surprise us with tickets to our favourite band?  Fantasies aside, "Teenage Dirtbag" is something both sweet and heartbreaking, and gritty and cool.  It's the best of both worlds here.  Wheatus may not be a name to drop at a party you're trying to impress people at, but we can still enjoy their biggest hit.  We were all the teenage dirtbag at one time or another, after all.

She & Him - Never Wanted Your Love

My boyfriend is kind of in love with Zooey Deschanel, and while I enjoy episodes of New Girl now and again, I'm more in love with her musical project with Matthew Ward...She & Him.  It started with a little song called "Never Wanted Your Love," posted by someone I follow on Tumblr, and the rest is history.  Their quirky indie pop is proof that sometimes actors can make fine musicians, so you can rinse the poor taste of Scarlett Johansson's album (not "Before My Time," that was a masterpiece) out of your mouth with this one.

"Never Wanted Your Love" is high on indie pep, making good use of a handful of strings from the string section, and Zooey's voice that's even better than it was in that Cotton commercial she sang in.  It's catchy, it's refreshing, and on lovely summer days like this, it's just what you need.  That's right, you!  Songs like "Never Wanted Your Love" were made to make the listener just feel warm and fuzzy, and that's why I love She & Him.

Sarah Brightman - Until The End of Time

Sarah Brightman's Harem was part of the big haul that came with The Cranberries' Bury The Hatchet, and I say it was the second best album from that haul.  While I am a fan of her older and newer classical work, something about this album is a little more worldly.  Harem is Ms. Brightman experimenting like any artist should, and it works very well.  "Until The End Of Time" is a really whimsical piece of music, reminding me of a cross between Enya and Sarah McLachlan.  It's still anchored with some classical elements that make it the Sarah Brightman we know and love, but there's a flavor of something else in there that makes it new and exciting.  This one's a real beauty, people, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Panic! At The Disco - Northern Downpour

I've been hearing rumors about a new Panic! At The Disco album coming out in the near future, and while I haven't decided how excited I am about that, I'm secretly hoping that the duo will make it like Pretty. Odd. and give us an album with no fillers and beautiful instrumental arrangements.  Hell, that's an album I can probably pull from songs from for a few days straight without stopping, so why not start with a sweet little number like "Northern Downpour"?

What I like about "Northern Downpour" is...well, everything.  There's the acoustic guitar, the electric guitar that's in no way overpowering, the percussion, the lyrics, the sweet nature.  I picture two lovers, miles and miles apart, both looking up at a full moon and singing along to this tune.  *Sigh*  I'm a hopeless romantic.  This track was one of the highlights of Pretty. Odd. and is something I'd like to see from the band in the future.  No more tricks or funny business.  They need to go back to their roots (well, almost their roots, since I can't imagine them doing electro-alternative again).

Drop Dead, Gorgeous - Two Birds, One Stone

I've got a bit of studying to do today, so I chose an easy song for this feature?  What makes it easy?  When I love a song unconditionally, I find it pretty easy to write about it.  In grade twelve I went through a bit of a post-hardcore phase, and one of my favourite albums of that time was The Hot N' Heavy, the last album by Drop Dead, Gorgeous.  These days most of the songs don't speak to me in the same way, but something about "Two Birds, One Stone" has stuck with me.

You might remember "Two Birds, One Stone" from Underworld: Evolution (in the form of a horrible remix), but I have my own way of thinking.  It's post-hardcore with a hefty dose of lushness, which makes it more than screaming.  Daniel Stillman's voice is either one you'll love or hate, and on this track, I'm in love.  It's kind of a nice middle ground between Rody Walker and George Petit, with their respective styles of growling.  The lyrics are nice for the genre too, but it's the guitar work that I'm a fan of.  It breathes life into the words, and gives "Two Birds, One Stone" the right direction, and that's the way I'm headed.

Murder By Death - Lost River

I've been riding a good folk kick lately, so it's only appropriate that I give you something that could possible be even better than the work of Fleet Foxes.  It exists, don't you fret.  Murder By Death is a band whose music I've been sitting on for a while.  It's all been hidden away in the depths of my music library, never to see the light of day...until now.  You could say the Bloomington, Indiana collective is a little more americana or indie than folk, but there's something delicate and sweet about "Lost River" that brings it up to par with my forever faves Fleet Foxes.

"Lost River" plays on a strong narrative and delicate instrumental work to get its point across, and even better, it has a music video that gives you faith that some music videos out there are still worth watching.  A mouthful, I know, but when I really love something, I can't stop talking about it.  The acoustic guitar is where you get your americana in "Lost River," but the piano and strings mix with sweet vocals to give it that folk-rock vibe you want.  Now it's time for me to watch the video again and softly weep the day away.

Blu Cantrell - Breathe

Back in the day, between the ages of eleven and twelve, I was very much into the rap and hip-hop scene, and even though these days I'm not as much, the genre still holds a special place in my heart.  Blu Cantrell was my girl back then, though I'm a fan of work that comes after her debut.  "Hit 'Em Up Style" wasn't my favourite trick in the bag, but she got me with "Breathe," a sassy breakup song with a heavy dose of soul, and I always have to sing along with the words I've known since I was a kid.  "Breathe" is catchy, and has lasted all of these years through some unique instrumentals and lyrics that I think we can all relate to.  Just avoid the version with Sean Paul....for obvious reasons.

Yellowcard - Waiting Game

I may have pulled another short absence from most of the internet, but I always return with something good, don't I?  Well, there are few albums that I can keep pulling songs from until we've got thirteen posts from one CD and unfortunately nothing left to add to that, and Lights and Sounds is one of those albums (or will be, if you know what I'm getting at), in the ranks of Cyborgs vs. Robots, Indestructible, Hats Off To The Bull and Transformers N The Hood.  Yellowcard isn't the same now as they were here, back in the roaring days of 2006, but the rule is to appreciate what we have, and enjoy gems like "Waiting Game."

"Waiting Game" has the lush orchestral sound that makes Lights and Sounds such a great album, but it's got it at a much different level than the other tracks.  It's got serious power to the word and instruments, which combines to make something spectacular.  I also fall in love with Ryan Key again after listening to any Yellowcard song, so nothing has changed here.  Things may have changed with the band by now, but with things like this, how can I be sad about it?

Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City

Oh, dear, I've been saving this post for the perfect day, and thankfully, today is the first day it's been warm in my city for a while.  I won't be wearing jeans to class tonight!  I hope that everyone's heard "Summer In The City" at one point in their life, even if they haven't realized it.  You have to know the chant hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck gettin' burnt and pretty.  No?  Well, where have you been?  Lovin' Spoonful gave us a good summer anthem in 1966, and its withstood the test of time to become a favourite of mine this year.  That old rock-pop mix from way back when always gets me, and I hope it gets you too.

The Cranberries - Desperate Andy

I had a good music haul a few weeks ago, and I'm one step closer to completing the entire discography of The Cranberries.  Fingers crossed, their debut is at Value Village the next time I'm there.  I hadn't been aware of Bury The Hatchet's existence before I stumbled upon it one afternoon, but I found that it had a nice fun flavor too it with some seriousness.  It's the best of both worlds from No Need To Argue and To The Faithful Departed.  It didn't even take that long to find a track that immediately stood out...

"Desperate Andy" got me because it's catchy, and Dolores O'Riordan sounds especially nice on this track.  The band chronicles the sad life of Andy, forced to conform by a bossy girlfriend, to a catchy tune, with a nice lilting bit that gets me every time.  There's a good message in there too, don't worry.  The world is your oyster now, you can do what you want to do, the world is your oyster now, so go out, and get high, and get whatever you want to.  I've never been to Ireland before, but I hope this kind of tune plays up and down the streets there, because if that's the case, I'll never leave.

Disturbed - Haunted

It's that time again, where I pull a song out of one of my favourite albums ever to feature.  Indestructible was the soundtrack to my second half of 2008, and it seriously never gets old.  Thoughts of Disturbed can come and pass, and the band may never get back together, but as long as we have evidence that this masterpiece was created, we have nothing to worry about.  There is a holy trinity of songs in this album, starting with "Criminal" and "The Night," and being eternally completed with the inclusion of "Haunted."

"Haunted" really is haunting, and its melodic nu metal feel really cements it as one of my most favourite songs ever recorded.  It begins with a guitar-heavy-thunderstorming intro that's about a minute long, but it isn't long before Mr. Draiman arrives to steal the show.  The lyrics are aggressive, but it's also artistic.  The images you get from lines like you're angered, so am I, a thousand fires burn, a land of darkness from which I cannot return are striking, nearly as striking as this song as a whole.  "Haunted" is somewhat sad tale of having trouble forgetting the past, but you won't be forgetting this one any time soon.  Few songs can be called a forever fave of mine, but Houston, we've got a winner.

Night Terrors of 1927 - Watch The World Go Dark

There's little information online about Night Terrors of 1927, but I know one thing.  These guys have breezy indie down pat.  "Watch The World Go Dark" comes from a place of dreams, where we sail through the clouds and sing along to this somewhat haunting tune at our leisure.  After all, it brings us through the motions of watching the world come to its untimely end, but it also makes you feel good about it.  It's conflicting, but it works.  There are synths where needed, guitar work that reminds me of Daft Punk's slow songs, and vocals that take you away to a world that isn't going dark.  It's pretty light here on the other side, so won't you join me and watch the world go dark?

Plan B - Stay Too Long

It's hard to figure out what genre we get from Plan B.  He's really rap, but his music is a little blues, a little rock, a little rap and hip-hop, and even something that's like up-tempo jazz.  It's not like the rap I'm used to, and I don't mind blending genres together one bit.  He's got three studio albums of this brand to his name, and today's selection comes from his second effort, The Defamation of Strickland Banks.  I first heard "Stay Too Long" on Much Music nearly two years ago, one of the channel's highlighters in its time on the air.

"Stay Too Long" alternates between bluesy rock sections and verses that are rapped with precision.  It sounds like one song and not two different ones because of the instruments behind the words.  The guitar work is peppy, there's a keyboard somewhere in there, and I wouldn't be surprised if I really am hearing a tambourine.  When it comes to the two sides of Plan B, I think that I prefer his slick English-accent rapping, but then I hear a verse and the plan changes.  After all, there is always a Plan B...

Marissa Nadler - Feathers

I've gotten a little back into Marissa Nadler these days, and found a particularly shiny gem in "Feathers."  It's nothing like the classics "River of Dirt."  This modern-day Stevie Nicks gives us something with more whimsy in this brand of folk.  "Feathers" is something that's very delicate with the light plucking of an acoustic guitar, while at the same time being a little creepy with swirling vocal work and background voices that place this deep in the forest of a classic Disney movie.  Yeah, I know I made the same comparison last night, but I must be on a roll.  "Feathers" is the single female counterpart to Fleet Foxes' work, with something a little darker.  Needless to say, I'm a fan.

Fleet Foxes - Your Protector

Who needs to go out or do something exciting on a Friday night when you can sit at home, write your night away, and listen to Fleet Foxes?  Not me, that's for sure.  Feeling like a shut-in can come with its own perks, you know.  Besides, I'm always going to have a soft spot in my heart for Fleet Foxes and their brand of folk that never ceases to amaze me.  Today's selection is off of their self-titled debut album, and while it's no "Helplessness Blues" or "The Shrine / An Argument," "Your Protector" is still something amazing.

"Your Protector" has that Disney-forest-movie vibe that I like to hear from Fleet Foxes, and it follows a nice pattern of soft verses and strong choruses.  The instruments are perfect, the lyrics have strong images behind their words, and the vocals...oh, the vocals.  Robin Pecknold can sing me to sleep any night of the week.  "Your Protector" has the whimsy found in nearly every Fleet Foxes song, but like any good music should, it also has its own flow that makes it unique from its brothers and sisters.  These guys need to release another album pronto.

Dominique Young Unique - Gangster Whips

In a world of Nicki Minaj, Azaela Banks, and the five hundred other female rappers that seem to always pop out of the woodwork, there's something refreshing about something different.  Obvious?  Sure, but there's nothing obvious about Tampa Bay's Dominique Young Unique.  Her brand of hip-hop isn't anything too overly aggressive, but songs like "Gangster Whips" still have something strong to reel you in.  This track has a hint of pep, a catchy chorus, and is dance-able enough to get your shoulders moving.  Take notes, Nicki, sometimes less is more.  Dominique Young Unique doesn't scream or shout to be heard by the masses.  This girl is going somewhere big.

Wake Owl - Wild Country

I made it!  There may be only an hour and a half, or less, left of the day, but I'm still determined to post as much as I can this month!  It's another night for sweet indie music, and this time it comes courtesy of Wake Owl, a nice indie band that is probably from the United States.  Needless to say, they don't have much information up on the net, but I can manage.  I actually have a bit of their music on my ipod, but my latest addiction is one of their latest: "Wild Country."

I think of "Wild Country" as a less folk version of Fleet Foxes.  Think of something more indie here.  The group gives us something that's easy on the ears, but heavy on the heart.  If I wanna leave, I will, standing on my feet, I do...  Sigh...I may have found my new indie band crush, and I couldn't be happier with my choice in Wake Owl.  "Wild Country" even has a nice violin solo, which I can never complain about.  It's the perfect way to end this beautiful day, so here we go!

Vast Aire feat. Raekwon & Vordul Mega - Thor's Hammer

From my favourite musical corner of the United States comes Vast Aire, a rapper who wins a million redeemable awesome points for making good use of background beats in "Thor's Hammer," another song I've been sitting on for a little while.  It made my Top 50 of 2011 back in the day, and now here is its rightful moment in the spotlight.  With help from a heavy hitter like Raekwon and Vast Aire's buddy Vordul Mega (from their duo Cannibal Ox...note to self: check 'em out), "Thor's Hammer" becomes something spun from whimsy.  The beats are borderline-classical, supplemented by a female voice repeating shum shum, and the rhymes flow like a young river after the first snowmelt.  Everything works in "Thor's Hammer," and hell, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Princess Chelsea - The Cigarette Duet

I guess New Zealand is the the hot topic of the week here.  First Lorde, and now Princess Chelsea, the chamber-baroque pop project from Auckland's Chelsea Nikkel.  With the help of a male friend by the name of Jonathan Bree, she gives us something along the lines of quirky pop in "The Cigarette Duet."  It's a conversation between lovers over the girlfriend's cigarette smoking, though there are plenty of more personal issues in this sweet-but-sad ditty.  I'm always a fan of a song that makes good use of male-female vocals together, but we've got another winner in the baroque-chamber-mix instrumentals.  "The Cigarette Duet" definitely has a quirky feel to it, but you know what I say about quirks?  Celebrate them.