Best songs of 2013 (or how we all tried to win Stip over)

[Lament]

[William Bloke]

I've posted this in the 2013 releases thread previously but I still really love this track from Lower Plenty Nullabor (and stip - this is not for you):



Also like Billy Bragg's new album from this year - here's No one Knows Nothing Anymore

[stip]

a friend tried to get me into billy brag once. I quite like Great Leap Forwards

[super nintendo chalmers]

New Brokeback was a surprise. Very Crazy Horsey.

[William Bloke]

And Neko Case's Man is pretty damn good too...

[LetMeSleep]

And Neko Case's Man is pretty damn good too...

She's touring next year man. Not sure if she's heading to Perth though.

Edit: Freo late Feb

[Kevin Davis]

Maybe badmusic is right and I just don't like music.

There's probably some truth to that--not that you object to the very idea of the art of music, of course, but that it doesn't drive you as a basic, fundamental concept the way it does some people. I've had a number of friends over the years whom I made the mistake of assuming, based on the very profound passion they've had for a select few artists, must have been "music people," so I would constantly play them song after song after song that I couldn't imagine anyone with an ear wouldn't be amazed by, only for them to be continually unimpressed. There's a chance that the catalogs of Pearl Jam, REM, Tom Waits, etc., just gripped you in some visceral way at a time when you were wired to respond to them, but over time have just provided a way for you to process and organize your own life and thoughts which has transcended the technical content of the music itself. I think the sort of relationship you have with Pearl Jam, etc., is the gold standard, the type of bond many bands hope their music draws out of their listener, because that sort of bond weathers the ups and downs of time better than the type of fleeting grab-it-and-go listening characteristic of the iPod/YouTube era. But I also think that visceral in-the-moment response is what drives most people to continue to be passionate about music, and for a lot of people the moments when you're vulnerable to it just become rarer and rarer with age. Some of it has certainly dimmed for me over the years as well, but I enjoy discovering new music too much not to meet it halfway, to put myself in situations which for me have historically optimized my listening experience and to allow myself time with things that don't necessarily knock me out of my chair at first, but perk my ears up enough to at least captivate my senses. For me this has mainly meant taking a chance on a new CD every now and again and not letting a crappy YouTube video form my lifelong opinion of something.

That said, here's a YouTube video of the song I named:

[BurtReynolds]

Maybe we should rename this thread to "the desperate search for Stip's approval thread".

[BurtReynolds]

Though to be fair I'm not very in sync with Lament either.

[Lament]

Though to be fair I'm not very in sync with Lament either.

Fuck it. Let's go to a titty bar and forget our differences.

[BurtReynolds]

that Deep Owl song is cool, though.

[Heathen]

okay, I listened to every song with a youtube video link and the only songs I was interested in were BurtReynold's song from the national and that song lament linked. And the nick cave song was pretty good.

Annabel was okay,

None of these blew me away

Maybe badmusic is right and I just don't like music. Someone tell me most of these songs aren't that great so I can feel better about myself. Or link something better.

I didn't find them that great either but that doesn't mean you shouldn't feel bad about yourself, you still don't like music.

[stip]

Maybe badmusic is right and I just don't like music.

There's probably some truth to that--not that you object to the very idea of the art of music, of course, but that it doesn't drive you as a basic, fundamental concept the way it does some people. I've had a number of friends over the years whom I made the mistake of assuming, based on the very profound passion they've had for a select few artists, must have been "music people," so I would constantly play them song after song after song that I couldn't imagine anyone with an ear wouldn't be amazed by, only for them to be continually unimpressed. There's a chance that the catalogs of Pearl Jam, REM, Tom Waits, etc., just gripped you in some visceral way at a time when you were wired to respond to them, but over time have just provided a way for you to process and organize your own life and thoughts which has transcended the technical content of the music itself. I think the sort of relationship you have with Pearl Jam, etc., is the gold standard, the type of bond many bands hope their music draws out of their listener, because that sort of bond weathers the ups and downs of time better than the type of fleeting grab-it-and-go listening characteristic of the iPod/YouTube era. But I also think that visceral in-the-moment response is what drives most people to continue to be passionate about music, and for a lot of people the moments when you're vulnerable to it just become rarer and rarer with age. Some of it has certainly dimmed for me over the years as well, but I enjoy discovering new music too much not to meet it halfway, to put myself in situations which for me have historically optimized my listening experience and to allow myself time with things that don't necessarily knock me out of my chair at first, but perk my ears up enough to at least captivate my senses. For me this has mainly meant taking a chance on a new CD every now and again and not letting a crappy YouTube video form my lifelong opinion of something.

That said, here's a YouTube video of the song I named:

yeah I listened to you. I liked the music, but I don't really like the lazy lou reed vocals.

[stip]

okay, I listened to every song with a youtube video link and the only songs I was interested in were BurtReynold's song from the national and that song lament linked. And the nick cave song was pretty good.

Annabel was okay,

None of these blew me away

Maybe badmusic is right and I just don't like music. Someone tell me most of these songs aren't that great so I can feel better about myself. Or link something better.

I didn't find them that great either but that doesn't mean you shouldn't feel bad about yourself, you still don't like music.

that aside, i can usually draw a distinction between a song that's probably good but doesn't really suit my tastes (like Goldtone). Most of this was just unremarkable. Are these really the songs people think are the best 2013 has to offer, or is this just stuff everyone kinda likes right now?

[Heathen]

okay, I listened to every song with a youtube video link and the only songs I was interested in were BurtReynold's song from the national and that song lament linked. And the nick cave song was pretty good.

Annabel was okay,

None of these blew me away

Maybe badmusic is right and I just don't like music. Someone tell me most of these songs aren't that great so I can feel better about myself. Or link something better.

I didn't find them that great either but that doesn't mean you shouldn't feel bad about yourself, you still don't like music.

that aside, i can usually draw a distinction between a song that's probably good but doesn't really suit my tastes (like Goldtone). Most of this was just unremarkable. Are these really the songs people think are the best 2013 has to offer, or is this just stuff everyone kinda likes right now?

I don't know about others but as far as I'm concerned 'what I like (the best)' and 'the best' are the same thing.

[stip]

I am really enjoying future days right now, but I wouldn't call it a great song

[Heathen]

I am really enjoying future days right now, but I wouldn't call it a great song

Well good for you if you firmly believe you can tell for sure what's good and what isn't. You should be talking about the best songs of 2013 to people who have the exact same criterias.

[harmless]

I liked this even though on paper I shouldn't.

An attitude like this will unlock your music listening experience. I have one or two CHVRCHES songs on my own list.

[harmless]

And yeah, everyone's Best Of list is subjective stip.

[stip]

And yeah, everyone's Best Of list is subjective stip.

not badmusic's