The Songs of 2013

I want to thank this year for being the year that threw me back into music. When I reflect upon how I became invested in music in the first place, 2006 and 2008 have always been the defining years. I need to add 2013 to that list.

While I've been sharing my favorite songs and albums that were released in 2013, I have a few honorable mentions from prior years that I feel obligated to mention: A New Kind of House EP by Typhoon; The Match by The Eastern Sea; everything Lord Huron; So Far We Are by The French Kicks; The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit; Valley Maker's Self Titled album; Prison Boxing by Cataldo; all of Justin Vernon's prior projects, Counting Sheep by The Crane Wives and Through The Deep, Dark Valley by The Oh Hello's. As always, Rilo Kiley and The Format will always be significant, no matter the year.

Back to the present, this year is the year. Bastille's Pompeii was the most played song, according to my last.fm account. I still can't get sick of it, despite the radio play. r/comeonandslam reminded me that regardless of my folk or music-snobbery leanings, sometimes one of my favorite songs will end up being a Space Jam/ Radioactive mash-up. Whatever. Jumper Cables by Widower, complete with bloodsugar references, was written about me (or, in reality, a girl who could be my best friend). I rarely have a song fit me to a tee that well. When I first heard Hannah Hunt, courtesy of Vampire Weekend, I actually cried.

Pop and mainstream music were also constants and I'm not ashamed. I loved the new Gavin DeGraw singles and drove four hours to my alma mater to see him in concert back in February. J. Cole's Crooked Smile brought back TLC with a bang. I devoured the new Ron Pope song and fully intend to see his show at DC9, even though I'll be surrounded by teenage girls. I am sort of ashamed over having Pitbull and Ke$ha's Timber on this list but I can't stop dancing in my car when I hear it on the radio. 

If I could, I would add every song released this year from Typhoon, Valley Maker, Folly and The Hunter, Volcano Choir, Hey Marseilles and Pickwick to this list. Did I just give away my top 6 albums? Yes.

I tried narrowing this down to just one-hundred and I couldn't make it happen. There's no order - throw these on shuffle and enjoy the ride.

Round I:

Opportunist by Miyazaki

Love Lost by Roo and the Howl**
Gallup, MN by The Shouting Matches
Chicago by Fort Frances**
Best I Ever Had by Gavin DeGraw
Braving the Wind by The Sun Kite
Prom Night by Anamanaguchi
Moonless by Blatant Neon Ion**
Watch for Deer at Dawn by Folly and the Hunter
Well, You Left by Rilo Kiley
Foreign Bodies by Radiation City
Radioactive Slam by MuhLurs**
I Dreamt Blues by Vikesh Kapoor
Something to Get You By by Genders
Somebody to Love by Valerie June
Hannah Hunt by Vampire Weekend (<3)
Halls of Columbia by Pickwick
Burn by Ellie Goulding
If I Could Change Your Mind by HAIM
The Mission by Valley Maker**
Song For Zula by Phosphorescent
Tiff (feat. Justin Vernon) by POLIÇA
Casino (Bad Things) by Houndmouth
Comrade by Volcano Choir
Royals by Lorde
Bird Balloons by Lady Lamb the Beekeeper
Thinking About You by Typhoon
Step Out by Jose Gonzalez
Change by Churchill
Bad Kingdom by Moderat
Hurricane by MS MR
Young Fathers by Typhoon
I Have Been Lost by The Petticoat Tearoom

Round II
City By The Sea by Fort Frances
Byegone by Volcano Choir
I Remember You by Rilo Kiley
100 Years by Typhoon
East Coast Girl by Cayucas
Ivory Black by Seryn
Brother by Swear and Shake
Chain My Name by POLIÇA
Inside Out by Andrew Austin
Still by Daughter
Bang by Elin Ruth
The Round by Pickwick
Only Time by Valley Maker**
Tall Tall Shadow by Basia Balut
When We Fall by Timshel
Good Times by The Changing Colors
Everlasting Arms by Vampire Weekend
Promise of Lakes by Luray
Stay Awake by Ellie Goulding, Madeon
Dead Man's Dance by Bradford Loomis
Science/Visions by CHVRCHES
Jumper Cable by Widower
Blankets by Matthew Fowler
Modern Jesus by Portugal. The Man
Hey Stranger by Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers
Move by Mausi
A Clear Mind, A Better Time by Del Water Gap**
Blood & Bones by Paper Bird
Bright Stars Burning by Hey Marseilles
Agape by Bear's Den
Sex by The 1975
Step Into My Life (Restless) by Marshall Lewis**
Wake Me Up by Avicii

Round III
Possible Deaths by Typhoon
Little Too Late by Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers
Lick My Wounds by Ron Pope
Drop The Game by Flume, Chet Faker
Line of Fire by Junip
Crooked Smile by J. Cole, TLC
Bagel Girl by Black Checker
Put On, Cologne by Donovan Woods
Recovery by Frank Turner
Obey Your Guns by Matrimony
Ever Loved Once by Blitzen Trapper
Island by Wyatt Overman
Sask by Donovan Woods
Wildewoman by Lucius
Inside My Head by The Parkington Sisters
Play It Right by Sylvan Esso
Abandon by Modern Kin
Wyoming by Water Liars
Cherry Blossoms by Night Beds
The Fold by Ivan & Alyosha
Call Me In The Afternoon by Half Moon Run
You Don't Love Me Like You Used To by The Lone Bellow
The Breach by Dustin Tebbutt
Little Numbers by BOY
Sonsick by San Fermin
Heart Beats by Hey Marseilles
Acetate by Volcano Choir
Love of a Life by Kelijet, X Ambassadors
The Wire by HAIM

Round IV
Ships Pass by Paul Cook and the Chronicles
Wax & Wane by Alana Henderson
Dreaming by Smallpools
Low Wishes by Air Review
Never Wanted Your Love by She & Him
Fifth In Line to the Throne by Camera Obscura
Fireworks at Night by Campfire Ok
San Francisco by The Mowgli's
Timber by Pitbull, Ke$ha
The Great Northwest by Mighty Oaks
Of Space and Time by City and Colour
Dreams of Cannilbalism by Typhoon
Bad Habit by Foals
Out of My League by Fitz and the Tantrums
Weight by Mikal Cronin
Tides by Hey Marseilles
Closed Hand, Full of Friends by Foy Vance
Jack and Jill by Jon Morgan**
Ghost by Folly and the Hunter
Dear Pressure by Miracles of Modern Science
From This Valley by The Civil Wars
Moth In The Porch Light by Folly and the Hunter
Pompeii by Bastille
Wait Up For You by The Belle Game
North Carolina by Little Chief
Thunder Clatter by Wild Cub
Need The Sun To Break by James Bay
Summer Jam by Twinsmith
Grace For Saints and Ramblers by Iron & Wine
Riptide by Vance Joy
Faultlines by Field Division**

** Not Available on Spotify, therefore linked.

Weekend Video: Typhoon @ Room 125 Productions

I'm happy the school year has started once again. Although I'm no longer in school, September means the return of Room 125 Productions' Classroom Sessions. In what may be the coolest class of all time, at Lawrence High School, students have the opportunity to meet with artists and develop their live film-making skills. The Classroom Sessions have featured a wide variety of artists since its inception in 2010, including many of my favorites: Hey Marseilles, Pickwick, The Local Strangers, Water Liars, and The Head and The Heart. Most recently, Typhoon stopped by to perform.

I'll have enough to say about Typhoon's live performances once I publish my recap of their concert at Rock and Roll Hotel, last Wednesday. With this, however, I want to highlight Kyle's response to the question about whether Typhoon's songs are paradoxical. Because, the songs sound upbeat but actually reflect morbid realities. I think his answer here is exceptional and guiding, evidence that he is someone high school students can and should look up to. Despite all the darkness in his life, there's opportunity to make the most out of it (to cast out the light) and I love that sentiment.

Faultlines by Field Division

I can vividly remember where I was and what I was up to when I first heard music by the Local Natives. Airplanes was streaming at my favorite University District coffee shop, Cafe Solstice. Never before in my life, had I heard anything comparable. I somehow captured enough of the lyrics in my mind to later figure out what the song was. Discovering that song and later all of Gorilla Manor, ended up being one of those charming defining moments that helped shape my music tastes into what they are today.

Upon first listen of Faultlines by Field Division, my mind was yearning to feel the same way as I felt when I first heard Airplanes. There are definitely technical similarities between Field Division and Local Natives, but the common thread between the two is truly how the music makes me feel.

Here's a short list of why I adore this song : the beginning harmonies, the lushy vocals, the scenic descriptions but air of mystery contained within the lyrics, more harmonies, that moment half way through the song where the vibe noticeably darkens, the subsequent build up that actually makes it feel like clouds are moving in for a big storm, the tribal-esque but campfire sound delicately layered in... I could go on and on. When I listen to this song, I have wanderlust for the Southwest and can visualize the rich turquoises and tans in the back of my mind. Considering my drab surroundings at the moment, I find that impressive.

Field Division is a project from Des Moines, Iowa, currently stationed in Nashville, Tennessee, by Taylor Hiatt and Nick Frampton. From what I can tell, this is the only song they've released right now but I'm highly anticipating more.

You can download Faultlines on Bandcamp, Soundcloud and a few other places.

Typhoon and grappling with mortality while living with a chronic illness

(Disclaimer: White Lighter was released over a month ago, on August 20th, but was available to stream two weeks before then. Given that time frame, it has taken me almost two months to write this emotionally-entangled post. I'm still not certain I've done their music the justice it deserves. However, I'm seeing Typhoon live on Wednesday at Rock and Roll Hotel and getting this entry published was a "now or never" feeling". It's overly personal and raw but honest.)

I'm certain this goes without saying -- music has always been one of the biggest emotionally-complex components of my life. A song can be akin to a drug: a stimulant to heighten my feelings in the best of times, a depressant to bring me back down to reality in my more manic-induced moments, or an analgesic to shut down everyone and everything. Most days, I operate with a soundtrack playing in the background.

Kyle Morton, of Typhoon, has managed to write the soundtrack to my most probable "possible death": an ultimate and slow, painful demise from diabetic complications. I never tried or wanted a soundtrack for this facet of my possible future, but with Typhoon, I allowed it.

My mother had crippling depression but I watched her earnestly embrace life, in a way I had never seen, after she lost most of her eyesight and went on dialysis, after also suffering from diabetic complications. Yet, somehow, her own daughter, without any mental illness and an insatiably passion for life, has spent the past seven years living life to the absolute fullest under the impression that life will be over the minute she gets hit with a complication. The past few years have been this surreal whirlwind of adventures, love, connections, and joy. However, I haven't really envisioned a life for myself into my thirties. Every doctor appointment is a harrowing, nerve-wracking experience. Every bad bloodsugar level is a moment of heart-stopping regret. The fundamental part of living with a chronic illness boils down to these panic moments and the anxiety-filled late nights. I have a hard time not letting this define who I am. 

I often ask myself questions.
Is today the tipping point? Is today the day everything changes? 

I discovered A New Kind of House and I couldn't stop listening. Summer Home pulled me in and shook my core. Within the first few lines Morton talks of never wanting to give up but having a body that does. He's holding out for the summer, this promise-land, where the days will be back to normal or over. This was the first wake up call. I can't be the person who doesn't fight. I can't be the person who pleads for the summer, as my days won't return to normal after the "tipping point" occurs. The idea of there ever being a "normal" in the first place is delusional. My only summer, my only promise-land is the end.

There's Honest Truth and with the lines "On my time, oh Lord I've been so blind. But now I see the light below my doorjamb. Hallelujah, it will be gone soon", death almost seems glamorous for brief, fleeting moments. Be relieved that the end is here. However, it's not difficult to hear the regret laced throughout and it makes me hesitate. Claws Pt. 1 is damaging: "We are conceived all with the same chance/ to be spared, to be salvaged, to be kept safe/ then you hope to god nothing bad will happen/ from when you're born 'til you go quietly from old". For some of us, the bad happens, "the great great beast", sooner than we wish. The beast simultaneously claws, reminds us of our fate but also provides some solace, as we know what our fate will be.

 

 If A New Kind of House wasn't stark enough, I listened to Hunger & Thirst a few weeks after. Starting Over describes the common phenomenon among diabetics who "go off the bandwagon" and come back to desperately try to get their bloodsugars well-managed. I start over every single day, where "I've started a new beginning, suspiciously like the old one, only this time I'm ready". Even though I tell myself I'm ready, I never truly am.

 

Typhoon's latest release, White Lighter, transcended all of my high expectations. On the aural front, it's pure, unadulterated, witchcraft. Somehow, the band's twelve individuals sound simultaneously cohesive and entirely jarring together. If only one audio element was removed from this album, it would not have the grandeur it does now.

On the narrative front, Morton continues to explore life and mortality. I have read his insights, published back in June, many times now. It's impossible to be blinded to his brilliance and the wisdom he has gained throughout life while suffering from an illness. I initially never knew his back-story of his development of Lyme Disease while growing up. I was not surprised when I did find out. These words can only be woven together by someone who has experienced the path of gradual death, at a speed possibly faster than the average person.

Possible Deaths is two minutes of morbid bliss. If nothing else, this song reminds me that my notion that diabetes is my sure-fire end is pure folly, as "every star is a possible death".

The hardest part of White Lighter is grasping with love being introduced as a theme. I've always thought of Common Sentiments as the prelude to White Lighter, as thoughts fully flushed out in Prosthetic Love and Post Script creep up here as well. At the end of the day, there's the reality that "you are sleeping together, but you will die alone" Is there a point of exposing vulnerability when the inevitable end won't be any different? I'd like to believe so. I began to think of the end of the song mantra as my own because "I will be good though my body be broken" and someone surely will acknowledge that truth about me but won't give a damn at the same time.

However, never in my life have I had a song describe so acutely my own thoughts with letting go of stubborn independence, as with Prosthetic Love. I think it's how he describes growing attached and learning how to count on a partner, rather than his own fingers, that strikes a chord with me. Is "attachment" a word commonly described with that nervous period of "falling for someone"? Because, it's always the word I use that no one else seems to. Attachment is exhausting, scary and difficult for someone who has a chronic illness. With being so different than my peers growing up, but having a body that could fail me, I never felt right accepting outside help. It spiraled into this possibly-unhealthy streak of fierce independence, where I could only count on my own mind to save me from myself. Is it fair to subject a partner, or anyone else, to the suffering caused by a disease they don't even have? Morton realistically captures depending on and falling for someone else, despite all the misgivings, when you've never really been able to depend on your own body or would expect anyone else to.

If Common Sentiments is the prelude to Typhoon's love story, Post Script is the all-depressing, but tragically pragmatic finale. I'm almost willing to assert the song as the most beautiful and fitting album-ending song out there. No matter what, I can only love within the confines of my chronic illness. In Post Script, Morton describes how he'll do anything and everything to make sure his partner gets the love they deserve. The thoughtfulness cannot be returned. How can someone love the part of an individual that will eventually rip them away? His partner isn't obligated to love him unconditionally, as they would also have to love the disease that will be his downfall. Honestly, I find it fair if someone with a chronic disease will never experience unconditional love. It's the compromise we make for likely being the first to leave.