GUEST LIST WEEK
GLW 007: GINA URIARTE
GLW 008: Jamie Pfeifer (coming tomorrow)
GLW 009: Mike Brand (coming Thursday)
GLW 010: Saskia Warwick (coming Friday)
I could be mistaken, but was 2008 the start of "100 Songs For"? Maybe that's just when it entered my world, but either way, props to Aaron for keeping something up for (at least) a decade. And I truly look forward to this list - and guest week - each year. It's so much fun to hear some new songs I wouldn't have found otherwise and I personally love taking the time to reflect on my own favorites each year. Honestly, though, I don't know that I would do it without the promise of internet immortality and the chance to reach 10s of people. So thank you, Aaron. As long as you keep it up, I'll keep sending along my favorites.
This year is another collection of poppy, dancy, upbeat songs. Essentially, all the tunes I found myself dancing to around the apartment, reaching for mid-traffic to keep the road rage at bay, singing along to when no one was around and generally using as a shield to protect me from the world. Presented in no particular order, except that I chose to close the list out with "Light On," because it's just feels like the perfect note to end on. Here's to more dancing in 2019.
18 Songs for 2018
Song Listened to Most on Repeat
1. The Wombats, Dagny - "Turn"
The original version of this song is fine. It's pretty good, in fact. But the version with Dagny takes it to the next level. I must have sung the following lyrics 1,000 times this year. And I'll sing them 1,000 more times. It doesn't get better than this.
I want to get college girl drunk tonight
No morning fears, no mountains to climb
They say the best memories are the ones that we forget
Like listening to Drake at your best friend's swimming pool
Floating anti-clockwise in a red mushroom
Maybe it's the crazy that I'd miss
It won't get better than this
Album Listened to Most on Repeat
2. Lady Gaga - "Always Remember Us This Way"
Ally! Ally! Ally! I have a tendency to crush hard on songs. If a song really grabs me I'll listen to it on repeat for days, weeks, months. But not in recent memory can I recall an album doing this to me. The A Star is Born soundtrack did just that. For about a solid month if I walked out of my apartment my airbuds were in and Spotify was queued up to this soundtrack. And the song I found myself reaching for first more often than not was "Always Remember Us This Way."
3. Mumford & Sons - "Guiding Light"
Recently my brother was ripping on me for liking Mumford & Sons because "all their songs sound the same." This guy is a fan of Jack Johnson, by the way. But as someone who has no problem listening to songs on repeat that argument doesn't hold water for me. Who cares if all their songs sound the same if you like the song?
4. Chvrches - "Get Out"
Had a hard time deciding between "Get Out," "Miracle," "Graffiti" and "Never Say Die," which speaks to how much I enjoyed the Love is Dead album, but ultimately if I have to pick just one tune to represent this year it's going to be "Get Out."
5. Marshmello, Bastille - "Happier"
See Mumford & Sons - "Guiding Light." Same holds true here. Also, Dan Smith is hot and I once touched his butt. I love any excuse to tell that story.
6. Robyn - "Missing U"
She's baaaaaaaaaaack!
7. Arizona - "Freaking Out"
Whenever I hear this song I'm transported to the Twin Peaks stage at Outside Land and the experience is so real I'm pretty sure it happened and it was magical, but *checks 2018 lineup* nope, they weren't there. Perhaps it's a premonition for 2019.
8. St. Vincent - "Fast Slow Disco"
There's a lot of really wonderful slow music in the world. I am just someone who 87% of the time prefers something upbeat. So take a great song like "Slow Disco," amp it up, and I. am. sold.
9. Charli XCX, Troye Sivan - "1999"
1999 will always evoke happy memories for me. It's the year I graduated high school and the year I went off to college. And yes, adulting has its perks, but I sure would like to go back to 1999. Bonus: The music video is so full of late 90s/Y2K references it may just make you run out and get frosted tips.
10. I Don't Know How But They Found Me - "Choke"*
This band's name is a quote from Back to the Future. Need I say more? Plus their album is named after my birth year. And they got me to go to Rickshaw this year. So yeah, no brainer.
*Technically came out in 2017 but was rereleased in 2018 so it counts
11. CVBZ - "2 Gone"
Whenever this song comes up in my Spotify queue I start jamming out and then I think, ugh...Chainsmokers...I hate how much I love Chainsmokers. Then I remember that this is actually CVBZ and I feel a little bit better.
12. NOTD, Tove Stryke - "Been There Done That"
This song is so fun you just can't help going back for more.
13. Capital Cities - "Venus & River"
There was a time in my life when I'm pretty sure I saw Capital Cities live at least once a month (except for that New Year's show where I had to bail early and I missed out on meeting them and I lived in regret until I ran into Ryan Merchant at Smuggler's Cove and word vomited all over him and realized it was probably a good thing that I didn't meet them that previous New Year's). To this day they can pretty much put out alphabet soup and it makes me happy because it reminds me of the good times had that year. In fact, they literally put out a song about vowels and as lame as it was, I still dug it.
14. LANY - "I Don't Wanna Love You Anymore"
There are break up songs and then there are break up songs that speak to you on a visceral level. This is one of those songs.
15. Selena Gomez - "Back To You"
A peppier version of "I Don't Wanna Love You Anymore."
16. Moon Taxi - "Not Too Late"*
Rolling Stone referred to Moon Taxi earlier this year as "a little indie, a little proggy, kinda poppy." So yeah, right up my alley.
*Was tempted to use the Sofi Tukker remix of "Two High" as a cheat to get the song on my 2018 list since it should have been included last year but I somehow omitted it. Anyway, I'm sure we've all heard it a million times by now and don't need me to share it again even though I still really love it. Also, why do songs I like always end up on car commercials?
17. Carly Rae Jepsen - "Party for One"
I wish I had the psychic powers of Aaron and Ilana because by the time I found out about CRJ's show at the Independent, approx. 30 seconds after tix went on sale, I was 30 seconds too late to the party.
18. Maggie Rogers - "Light On"
All anyone can hope for is to still be dancing at the end of the day.
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