Tag Archives: Declan McKenna

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Top 100 Songs of 2017 (90-81)

Click here for songs 100 – 91

Cont….

90. “Broken” – lovelytheband

No song this year encapsulates the ole’ saying “misery loves company” better than lovelytheband’s debut single, “Broken.”

Vocalist, Mitchy Collins says of the track, “This song is about finding someone who is just as f—ed up and lost as you are, but somehow you make it work together. Everyone is a little bit broken inside, nobody’s perfect. This song is an ode to the broken ones.”

I can imagine if you are broken and lonely, the last person you want to fall in love with is someone that is not broken or lonely. It seems to me as though comparing yourself to your superior partner would just make you even more broken, and consequently, more lonely. Lovelytheband may be on to something here.

Even if you are not broken or lonely, you should certainly be looking forward to hearing much more of lovelytheband in 2018.

89. “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home” – Declan McKenna

Declan McKenna may be the most mature 18 year old that has ever existed. Over the past two years he has released more deep-thinking, soul-searching, politically charged songs than most people that have been in the business for decades.

McKenna says “The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home” is a song I wrote about being a young person in the modern world. It’s about wanting to challenge fears and be part of a movement of change, and looking for hope despite a lot of dark and horrible things happening around the world.“

I fully support McKenna’s musical career, but should it not pan out for him, I would also fully support his political career.

88. “On Hold” – The xx

If you have ever let someone carelessly slip away from you, “On Hold” by The xx will bring back all of those feelings of self-hate and regret. If you want to have a pity party for yourself, this song needs to be on repeat all night.

87. “Sweat” – The All American Rejects

What better way for the All-American Rejects to “swing, swing” back onto the scene five years after their last album, Kids In The Street, than to have an 11 minute music video of lead singer Tyson Ritter playing a high-heeled prostitute.

I can’t think of any.

“Sweat” embodies the fun, catchy, anthemic rock that All-American Rejects have been known for since their self-titled album was released over 15 years ago.

86. “Holy Mountain” – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Not since Cain and Able have two brothers not been able to get along as much as the Gallagher brothers.

And to be honest, as long as they both continue to put out music as addicting as they did this year, I don’t care who’s fault it is that Oasis can’t get back together. “Holy Mountain” is proof that sometimes two bands may be better than one.

85. “Galway Girl” – Ed Sheeran

Not since Scarlett O’Hara’s “fiddle dee dee” outburst in 1939’s Gone With the Wind has the use of the word “fiddle” been so prominently featured in pop culture.

As if you needed any assurance, “Galway Girl” is proof that Ed Sheeran can sing about anything and turn it into a pop-rock masterpiece. This song happens to be about a girl from Galway, Ireland that plays a fiddle in an Irish band. But I am fairly confident that Sheeran could sit down for a pint of Guinness and by the time he was finished have written the next Billboard chart toping hit about a guy from the Australian aboriginal region of Nitmiluk that excels at playing the didgeridoo.

This aboriginal Australian man playing the didgeridoo could very well be the inspiration for the next big Ed Sheeran hit. (photo cred: wikipedia.)

 

84. “Breaking Free” – Night Riots

Upon first listening to “Breaking Free,” one would be certain that the latest hit from the California rock band, Night Riots, is about going through a messy break up.

“You’re not my savior, just someone I used to see
I am broken
Something’s wrong inside of me
I feel violent
Like I’m dying
I feel broken
Maybe I’m just breaking free”

However, using my journalistic detective skills, I cannot help but make a very strong correlation between the lyrics to this song, and how I feel during the work week.

See for yourself…

My thoughts while at work:

Monday: I am broken, something’s wrong inside of me
Tuesday: I feel violent
Wednesday: Like I’m dying
Thursday: I feel broken
End of work on Friday: I’M JUST BREAKING FREE!

Any way you slice it, the song is pretty damn intense, and some of Night Riots best work yet.

83. “Love Me Better” – Love Thy Brother (feat. Ariel Beesley)

While technically released in 2016, “Love Me Better” by sibling duo, Love Thy Brother gained popularity in 2017. In my opinion, however, it is a travesty how little exposure this song has received so far. It has some of the best vocals of the year (with special guest singer Ariel Beesley,) a hell of a great beat, and a “bloody” interesting music video.

I’m prepared to riot in 2018 if Love Thy Brother release more gems only to be relatively ignored by mainstream radio.

82. “Cross My Mind” – A R I Z O N A

Technically “Cross My Mind” by A R I Z O N A could be considered a “break-up song,” but it is more of an “I’m sorry that I was such a jerk that you were forced to break up with me – can we please get back together – I promise I will be better” song.

“Cross My Mind” is a little bit rock, a little bit electronic, and a little bit of whatever the hell Matisyaho is.

More than just about any band on the countdown, I am most excited to see what A R I Z O N A will bring to the table in 2018, as they seem to be at the beginning of a potentially very long career in the rock-electronic-Matisyaho world of fantastic music.

81. “Machine” – MisterWives

What do you get when you throw 2 parts Shakira, 2 parts Dolores O’Riordan (of The Cranberries,) and 1 part Gwen Stefani into a blender? The result is a delicious “Machine” frozen cocktail powerful enough to knock you on your ass.

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MisterWives’ lead singer Mandy Lee passionately belts the message that they will not be part of anybody’s machine. It’s a song about individuality and the freedom to express yourself, and could not be a more perfect song to sum up 2017.

(On a side note: how much fun does hanging out with MisterWives look like? I may have to sneak my way backstage at their next New England show and go on an epic, Mad Max-style road trip with them.)

 

80-71

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Top 100 Songs of 2016 (Part 3 – #80-71)

#100 – 91       #90-81 

 

80. “The Sound” – The 1975

“The Sound,” off The 1975’s sophomore album I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, is the bands highest charting single to date, and the most difficult to get out of your head. The Manchester England natives have a knack for writing funky, upbeat, pop-rock, and “The Sound” is The 1975 at its best. It is a perfect example of what 80’s new wave music sounds like in 2016. If Boy George and Culture Club were new on the scene today, I would imagine this is what they would sound like. And probably even what they would look like.

Boy George (photo: Dean Stockings)

The 1975 lead singer, Matthew Healy. Photo credit: alchetron.com)

 

79. “Genghis Khan” – Miike Snow

Quite possibly the most bizarre, (and amazing) video of the year is Miike Snow’s “Genghis Khan.” The song tells a story of a man that becomes super jealous and possessive when he thinks of his love interest with anyone else besides him.

“I get a little bit Genghis Khan/don’t want you to get it on/with nobody else but me.”

Genghis Khan, of course, was known for being a brutal emperor with many wives and children. And while the song itself is as radio friendly and catchy as it gets, it is the music video that makes “Genghis Khan” so memorable.

Heavily influenced by James Bond films, the video tells the story of a super villain gone good guy, as he decides what to do with the man he kidnapped. It is Stockholm syndrome at its finest, and both the captor and the captive have a change of heart towards each other, and end up joining forces for an epic dance scene that even Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire would be jealous of. If you watch one music video this year, this should be the one.

 

78. “Five Stars” – Jason Cardinal

Rhode Island native, and one man band, Jason Cardinal, released his second studio project this year titled Five Stars. The title track off the album is a soulful, bluesy, pop rock gem. With his unique, raspy voice and beautiful harmonies, coupled with an impressive guitar solo, Cardinal proves that he is a forced to be reckoned with in the genre.

The amount of passion that Cardinal has for his music is evident, and anyone that has ever been to one of his shows knows that he is one of the hardest working men in the business. “Five Stars” takes Cardinal to new heights and opens the door for 2017 to be the biggest year yet for his music career.

 

77. “The Sound Of Silence” – Disturbed

Originally recorded by Simon and Garfunkel and written by Paul Simon in 1963, “The Sound Of Silence” became the highest charting song in Disturbed’s history.

While the song has been covered many times throughout the years, few artists, if any, have made the track as bone-chillingly haunting as Disturbed. A strong case could be made that the last 90 seconds of the song may be the most epic 90 seconds of any song released in 2016.

Disturbed’s version of the classic song is the stuff that nightmares are made of, which ironically makes it so beautiful.

 

76. “The Hand Of John L. Sullivan” – Flogging Molly

Flogging Molly, the Irish-American 7-piece Celtic punk band released their first track in over five years in 2016. “The Hand Of John L. Sullivan” is about boxing legend and Boston native, John L. Sullivan.

Known as “Boston Strong Boy,” John L. Sullivan was so admired that it was considered an honor to shake his hand. For decades politicians that met him would tell voters that they could “shake the hand that shook the hand of John L. Sullivan.”

(photo: newenglandhistoricalsociety.com)

 

More recently John L. Sullivan can add “Meme Superstar” to his resume, as he is known to millennials as the “Overly Manly Man” that is shown with his fists up and ready to fight in many memes about being a manly man.

(www.instructables.com)

 

Flogging Molly is fun, their music is fun, and The Hand Of John L. Sullivan” is fun. Hopefully, they can get out a new full length album in the new year, and continue to supply us with more essentials for our St. Patrick’s Day playlist.

 

 

75. “Paracetamol” Declan McKenna

After his 2015 breakout hit “Brazil,” 17 year old Declan McKenna shows no signs of slowing down. “Paracetamol” was written when McKenna was just 15 years old. He was inspired by a story about a transgender girl, Leelah Alcorn, that committed suicide in December of 2014 when her mom told her that she would never be a girl, and sent her to Christian transgender conversion therapy.

Back in May, McKenna told theguardian.com that he wanted to write a song about the media’s representation of LGBT communities in general, but instead of writing it from the perspective of the victim, wrote it from the perspective of the authoritative figure talking about somebody they are oppressing.

At just 17 years old, Declan McKenna is not just an extremely talented musician, but an even more gifted song writer, who is not afraid to write about hot button issues. McKenna is wise beyond his years, and “Paracetamol” is proof of that.

 

74. “Bad Decisions” – Two Door Cinema Club

How could I not fall in love with a song that starts with the lyrics “save me / I’ve been drinking wine / And I’ve just made a big mistake / Happens all the time.”

Two Door Cinema Club just summed up my last 5 years in about 7 seconds.

“Bad Decisions” is a dance, disco track taken right from the 1970’s. It’s difficult to not think of Bee Gee’s when listening to the falsetto-heavy song about living by trial-and-error. The video, which places animated band members in a video game, is a trippy journey through bizarre situations that they must find their way out of.

“Bad Decisions” stands out from the rest of the music out there today, and makes it clear that Two Door Cinema Club is making better and better decisions as they continue to progress as a band.

 

73. “Company Of Strangers” – Third Eye Blind

90’s rock all-stars, Third Eye Blind released their EP We Are Drugs back in October. The latest track off their album, “Company Of Strangers,” is about a love interest that prefers empty connections with strangers rather than deeper, more meaningful relationships.

“I said show me your true face and She said I’d rather wear a blindfold
Truth be told I want a robot
A robot heart is all I want”

Like many Third Eye Blind songs “Company Of Strangers” starts out slow and ends with a bang. The catchy hook is enough to get you out of your seat and start fist pumping, which is everything you have come to expect with Third Eye Blind.

 

72. “Give Me A Try” – The Wombats

English band The Wombats are desperately trying to win someone over with their new track, “Give Me A Try.” Sure, William Shakespeare compared his lover to a warm summer’s night, but the Wombats compared their crush to Vicodin on Sunday nights. If you ask me, those two things are like 6 in one, half dozen in the other. So, the Wombats are basically the modern day William Shakespeare, right?

Bottom line: give “Give Me A Try” a try. You will not be disappointed.

 

71. “7” – Catfish and the Bottlemen

The mystery behind the title of the latest Catfish and the Bottlemen song, “7” was revealed by the band in an interview with RadioX back in April.

“It’s called “7” because I wrote it when I was seven hours behind the time difference from the person I wrote it about” says Catfish frontman, Ryan “Van” McCann. Upon further research, it is apparently about a mate of McCann’s that thought it was hysterical that Bottlemen wrote a song about it.

The combination of “7” and their other hit this year, “Soundcheck,” is proof that Catfish and the Bottlemen are major players in the alt rock game.

Come back Tuesday for the next set of 10 songs!

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Top 100 Songs of 2015 Part 1 (100-91)

To any music fan, the best part about the end of the year is not holidays, vacations, or time spent with family and loved ones: it is the end of the year countdowns. This year, to commemorate the 6th year of Ryans Countdowns “Best Songs of the Year”  there will be a Top 100 Songs of 2015 Countdown.

Each list of 10 songs will be released every 3 days throughout the month of December, until the reveal of the #1 Song of 2015, which will be revealed on New Years Eve.

While the Top 100 Songs of the Year are all Rock based, there is a wide array of genres represented in this years countdown. Of course the list is littered with Alt-Rock songs, including Indie Rock and Folk Rock. There is, however, also a significant showing from Pop-Rock songs, Country-Rock songs, Hard-Rock songs, and even a dusting of Electric-Rock songs.

Certainly the lines of what is considered “Rock” may be blurred, but each of these listener friendly songs, were either released in 2015, or near the very end of 2014, making them ineligible to make last years lists.

This is NOT a list of the best selling or most popular songs of 2015 (sorry Adele and Taylor Swift.) This IS a list of the best “rock” songs of the year, some of which were massive hits, but many of which were shamefully overlooked by pop culture. Either way, there is guaranteed to be at least one song you have never heard, and will instantly fall in love with.

And when the ball drops on New Years Eve, you can be confident that you did not let 2015 pass without appreciating some of the best music of the year.

TOP 100 Rock Songs of 2015…

 

100. Electric Love, BØRNS

When “Electric Love” first came on the airwaves back in the Spring, conversations about the new “Florence and the Machine” song began sprouting up around the alt-rock community.
However, despite the fact that “Florence” did indeed release new music in 2015, this was not one of her songs, nor was it even a female. Not believing my ears, I looked up the video to see for myself that this voice was coming out of a man (and I still could not tell until the final 5 seconds.) After intensive research, I can confirm that BØRNS is certainly a man. The bad news: music does not have the next “Florence and the Machine.” The good news: the next Hozier could bless us with more buzz-worthy tracks in 2016.

WARNING: Video may cause seizures. Or at least the sensation of being higher than Willie Nelson at Woodstock in 1969.

 

99. Song for Someone, U2

An accompanying 7-minute short film featuring Woody Harrelson as a prisoner being released from a high security prison is just about the only thing that could make “Song for Someone” any better. Luckily for U2, their wish was Woody’s command.

“Song for Someone” is possibly U2’s best song since 2000’s “Beautiful Day.” In fact, the only person that has any right to dislike it is Bono’s wife, Alison, who the song is actually about. Poor Ali has to share the spotlight with any woman whose husband is not as cool as Bono (A.K.A. every guy in the world). I suppose the alliteration has a much better ring to it than “Song for Ali” so you are forgiven this time Bono.

98. Way Too Much, Wavves

“Way Too Much” is the debut single off Wavves’ fifth studio album, appropriately titled, V. Apparently Wavves lead singer Nathan Williams got into a heated argument with their label as to the logistics behind releasing “Way Too Much”, which teeters on the verge of punk-rock, and is about the long search to finding a purpose in life. “Here I am, I’m just stumbling and I’m looking for a purpose.”

Hopefully the long battle between the band and their label will give the guys in Wavves more material and determination to get back in the studio and give us more great music in 2016.
Regardless, “Way Too Much” has given me my most quoted line from a song this year, as I have ended numerous painful conversations by abruptly singing “this conversations getting boooooringggg,” thus ending said conversation and allowing me to get back to listening to Wavves.

97. Sugar, Maroon 5

On December 4th, 2014 Adam Levine and the boys of Maroon 5 spent the day going around LA , surprising newly married couples during their wedding receptions and preforming “Sugar” for them. Unfortunately the cameras stopped rolling before we could see the brides leave their own receptions and run after Levine’s car, but I’m sure it happened at least once. As a groom, the last person you want appearing at your wedding reception is a recipient of People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive award, but I digress.

“Sugar” has nearly 900,000,000 views on youtube. For those of you that can’t read that number, that says 900 MILLION. Nearly a billion views.

Levine’s voice is one of the most distinct voices in the history of rock and roll, and “Sugar” puts his flawless falsetto under a microscope. While the song is catchy enough on its own, and would have been a hit regardless, Maroon 5 hit it out of the park with their unique video that took the internet by storm.

 

96. Time Machine, Ingrid Michaelson

It has been 10 years since Ingrid Michaelson released her debut album, Slow the Rain and since then she has steadily released album after impressive album. Her newest effort, Lights Out, released in April of 2014, spawned one of her biggest hits to date, “Girls Chase Boys“, which received massive radio airplay and saw her highest chart success since 2007’s “The Way I Am.”
Despite its lack of commercial “success” however, “Time Machine” may be Michaelson’s best track yet, as she offers advice to her past self and wishes she had a time machine to encourage herself to run away and never get involved with someone that would alter the ending to their would-be love story.

“You slammed that door and left me standing all alone
We wrote the story
We turned the pages
You changed the end like everybody said you would”

Michaelson, a self-proclaimed “feminist since birth” breaks the hearts of the star studded cast of comedic actors in one of the best videos of 2015. It is clear that after 10 years in the music industry, Michaelson has made her mark, and become one of the leading ladies in the singer-songwriter scene. Perhaps more importantly, she has made her mark as my favorite “feminist since birth” of all time.

95. Suicide Saturday, Hippo Campus

Rolling Stone named Hippo Campus the best newcomers at Lollapalooza 2015 and after seeing the video for “Suicide Saturday” it is easy to see why. The boys of Hippo Campus are only 20-21 years old, but clearly their age is not a factor when performing. “Suicide Saturday” sounds like is it from a band with years of experience, not four college aged hipsters. After a few listens, try to not sing along with the “Ooooh Oooooh” part, and you will surely fail.

Bottom line: Hippo Campus is One Direction for grown men that actually like One Direction, but are too embarrassed to admit it. Expect big things from these hipsters in 2016.

94. Don’t Wait Up, Robert DeLong

Robert DeLong is capable of playing more instruments than I can name off the top of my head. In addition to vocals, DeLong, the 29 year old “electronic musician” from Bothell, Washington plays the keyboards, drums, sampler, and about a zillion other nob-like “instruments” in the impressive video for “Don’t Wait Up.”

“Don’t Wait Up” is a party song for the biggest of party animals, despite the fact that DeLong isn’t “leaving with the light” because he was partying, but rather because he was working; on his music. In an interview with iHeartRadio Delong says of the songs meaning….

“We (fellow musicians Youngblood Hawke) were talking a lot about the fact that we’re the kind of people that like to lock ourselves in our studios, and we’ll lose track of time, and it’ll be nine in the morning, and we’ve been working all night, and our girlfriends will come walking in, and be like, ‘Hey, it’s time to get breakfast, what are you doing?’

DeLong goes on to explain the process as “creative insomnia.” That is great for musicians and all, but I am still going to go ahead and relate the song to a night of partying, and instead of the line “I stumble out of my home,” insist on singing “I stumble INTO my home.”
It is a much more fitting line for all the party animals that will use “Don’t Wait Up” as their anthem.

Read more: http://news.iheart.com/articles/trending-471311/interview-robert-delong-talks-new-album-13946988/#ixzz3t7BOxTuK

93. Brazil, Declan McKenna

Declan McKenna, the new kid on the block (literally kid, as he is only 16 years old) will likely be on many critics “Rookie of the Year” lists. “Brazil” is McKenna’s debut single about the 2014 World Cup and the corruption within FIFA. Not only is McKenna’s voice mature for his age, but his music has the depth that typically only a seasoned musician could achieve.

Most kids McKenna’s age can not even write a proper sentence, let alone a meaningful song about a controversial current event.

Regardless of what he is singing about, his voice is velvety smooth when it needs to be and effortlessly screechy when it needs to be. Even if McKenna decides to write a song about petty high school woes in 2016, expect it to be delivered flawlessly. If he can maintain his momentum in 2016, this Brit could have an even better year ahead, and the beginnings of a potentially life-long music career.

92. Failure, Breaking Benjamin

In precisely the same way that marijuana is supposedly a “gateway drug” to more addictive and dangerous drugs, so is Breaking Benjamin a gateway band to hard rock music. They have proved their staying power and shown that are in it for the long hall. Breaking Benjamin can be so intense and persuasive, that “Failure” is sure to leave you feeling one of two ways:

a) You feel superb, and above all else. You’re not the failure, those loser friends of yours are.
b) You consider yourself a failure and always have. This song makes you want to jump off a bridge.

That alone, is the true tale sign of an amazing song.

91. Hallelujah, Panic! At the Disco

For all you sinful boys and girls out there, fear not, Panic! at the Disco has released a song for you in place of having to go to confession: “Hallelujah!”
Panic! has been around for years, but not since 2006’s “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies” has a Panic! song been so successful.

“Hallelujah!” will make you sing, dance, and throw your hands in the air faster than the front row of an Ellen Degeneres audience during her Christmas week giveaway extravaganza.

Bottom line: Panic! at the Disco can do no wrong, and “Hallelujah” proves that after 11 years, they are better than ever.

 

Comment below with your favorite of the ten songs. Or if you are an alien and hate them all, tell me that too.

Songs #90-81 coming Sunday 12-6