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Thursday, December 17, 2015

20 Best Songs of 2015! A Left Chapter Roundup

2015 is drawing to a close...and the time is at hand for a holiday and New Year roundup of the best songs of the year.

Here are my picks for the Top Twenty.

Here is to holidays, beers, champagne, family...and good music!


#20  Kamikaze - MO

Infectious awesomeness!



#19 Chinatown - Girlpool

Wistful...charming...oddly sad. A great tune.




#18  Greg Holden - Boys in the Street

An truly moving song about homophobia, family and redemption.




#17  Coffee - Miguel

An intense, wild, amazing song.




#16 All Your Favorite Bands - Dawes.

"May all your favorite bands stay together." Indeed.




#15 Love Like Mine - Miami Horror

Take a moment from your day to watch what is easily one of the best videos (and songs) of the year!

Just fantastic. Crazy, weird, bizarre, fixed POV awesomeness!




#14 - Mr. Misunderstood - Eric Church

Not generally a big fan of this guy TBH...but this song owes a lot, in a very good way, to artists like Bob Seger, and has both a terrific message and a great, great old-style country-rock sound.

And..."She turned me on to back porch pick-ups, Jackson Pollock and gin" has to be one of the best rock/country lines in recent memory!




#13 bros - Wolf Alice

Wistful, nostalgic and awesome.




#12  SOB - Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

As good a drinking song...or song about drinking...as I have heard for a very long time!




#11  The Eye - Brandi Carlile

Her latest album is just fantastic...and this may not be her only appearance on this year's list!




#10 - Make Up Your Mind Tonight - Hawksley Workman

For a song that goes on about "this is the way that we relax"...THIS IS THE LEAST RELAXING SONG EVER! Love it...Canadian rock artist Workman is back.




#9  Just Like We Never Said Goodbye - Sophie

Ethereal and haunting.




#8 Pedestrian At Best - Courtney Barnett

This song is like an anxiety attack that just keeps getting worse. A stream of consciousness nightmare of brilliance!




#7 Here - Alessia Cara

This claustrophobic and disturbing song has only grown in my estimation.

And she is an emerging superstar.

 

#6 Brownlow - Lapsley

A reflection in part, apparently, on rave culture, it is also an intense piece of song writing and of almost existential self-criticism. "I set the deal straight".




#5 Infamous - Basia Bulat

This is a terrific song from a great Toronto artist. Her music just keeps getting better...and this should be one of 2016's better albums.




#4 - The Things I Regret - Brandi Carlile

Such a great song from the best overall album of 2015. And so full of the angst of regret...that very worst of feelings.




#3 Gimme All Your Love - Alabama Shakes

This song gives me goosebumps. Incredible vocals, a simmering and explosive tone, that incredible part where they switch it up...just amazing.

Turn it up to eleven and disturb the neighbours! Put it on repeat.

Fantastic.




#2  Her Mercy - Glen Hansard

WHAT A GREAT SONG THIS IS!!! Shows the influence of Van Morrison and folks like Jackson Browne...inspiring and stirring.

By one of the great singer-songwriters alive today.




#1  Sunday Candy - Chance the Rapper, "Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment"

This song is such a joyous, wonderful, uplifting and amazing ode. Everything about it makes you want to sing and dance (if I could do either I would!!!).

A love song about his grandma...and a love song generally. Hearing it makes me want to open the front door and yell "I love you all" to the world!

The video, which was done as a single live take...is something to be enjoyed and savoured.

There is not one ounce of anger, cynicism or ugliness here.

Just perfect.




See you all next year!

(For a link to my Top 20 Countdown from 2014 see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjhmKvCuC84&list=PLphgIImJtvdFTHqMPONstFRjKPw8ZNdOY)

See also: 10 Best Songs of 2015...so far!

See also: 5 Great Songs for International Workers' Day! Featuring Paul Robeson, Billy Bragg, The Red Army Choir & more

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