St. Kilda: September
So I was supposed to blog about this last month I'm sure, but it took me awhile tog et back to blogging. The beautiful almost ethereal atmospheric guitar and other instruments hint at optimism while the lyrics are steeped in pessimism, love me a good contradiction (warning, if you play it at work, they drop one curse word a few times)
El Vy: Return to the Moon
So stoked that Matt of The National and Brent of Ramona Falls combined the best parts of what they do to form El Vy.
How stoked? Well, I used 40% of my family's data plan last month streaming the video throughout my commute to work (...oops)
Taylor Swift even recently included it in her list of "Songs to make your life more awesome" instagram post (further proof that we are essentially twins, but I's like to go n record to say I like it first!
Also, I had been waiting for this since March (I know, super hipster of me to say I liked a song before it even came out but here's proof that I knew it's be awesome):
So unfortunately this past Monday I was unable to post because I spent most of Sunday & Monday comforting my mom who had to put her dog down =(
But I do have some music to share.
I tried to make a playlist for someone on spotify and sharing seemed impossible cause whatever avenue I attempted seemed to fail. So I'm gonna try to embed the player here w/ the html embed code and my frustration is your luck because now everyone will get a chance to hear the awesome playlist:
Skip the Ramona Falls track (the first one), for some reason it wont stream
The purpose was to share music we didn't think the other person had heard, so frequent blog visitors might see some of my frequent favorites, Matt Corby, HAIM, Bombay Bicycle Club but even then, I hope you discovered something new =)
So the arbitrary standard for "Best of" is that I craved listening to a song, and it came out in 2013. There are plenty of earworms this year that happened to come out near the tail end of last year or even earlier. And there are plenty of other songs that were fantastic this year and are on everyone's "Best of" list (i.e. Vampire Weekend) That I just didn't connect to in the same way as these.
I divided them into categories as best as I could with maybe a tiny bit of fudging, just so every song had a category.
If you just want to hear the music, without my explanations you can catch the Youtube Playlist of (almost) all the songs HERE
Upbeat Dance Jams
I am all about music that makes you jump up, bob your head, or dance with your shoulders (I do that a lot when driving and grooving) and these songs all got me moving, even if in completely different ways to the different genres.
Avicii: Wake Me Up
Memory Tapes: Sheila
Fall Out Boy: My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark
Zedd: Clarity (feat. Foxes)
Pharrell Williams: Happy
MS/MR: Fantasy
Love is Complicated
Really I could include almost any song on here, love is the songwriter's ultimate muse. However, from the aggressive entreat of Fey Moth to be "conquered," Phosphorescent waxing a slow regret, the ladies of Haim venomously pleading to be let go, Gungor's take on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and Oh Land's metaphor of love as passport, these songs all show how something so universal can be such a unique experience, as experienced through song. Fey Moth: Alexander
There is no video for this song and the embedding code isn't working so head here to a past post highlighting this song
Phosphorescent: Song for Zula
Haim: Let Me Go
Gungor: Beat of her Heart
Oh Land: Green Card
Hits from Down Under
I love me some Australia. In fact, I;ll be posting on my favorite global music survey next week (as well as posting my votes) The Triple J Hottest 100. Two of my favorite Aussie artsts with new tracks this year make the cut, Matt Corby and Gossling both taking their sounds in a new direction in 2013. New Zeland gets a shout out too this year with the world's new favorite teen Ella Yenich-O'conner, AKA Lorde. New band FAIRCHILD also joins with a song that I almost put in the "Dance" section with Dancer. Their video inspired a lot of pretending I knew ballet. Matt Corby: Resolution
Gossling: Never Expire
Lorde: Team
FAIRCHILD: Dancer
UK Beats
From the other side of the world The 1975, CHVRCHES, and Bastille show that HRH Baby George wasn't the only awesome thing to come from the Kingdom this year. The 1975: Chocolate
CHVRCHES: The Mother We Share
Bastille: Sweet Pompeii
Close Your Eyes and Sway
Sometimes, you just need a slow jam. Whether it's about making it out of this world and into the presence of the Creator or needing your girl, music has a way of expressing longing, hope, expectation, loneliness, and "all of the feels" in a way that no other medium can. Also, inexplicably after the slow build through the bridge, the banjo and subtle beat drop at 3:36 was my favorite moment in a song all year. Gungor: Finally
The National: I Need My Girl
What were your favorite songs on 2013? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter: @itzbizr
As half of America sojourned across this great land for one last summer adventure this Labor Day, I figured it's be the perfect inspiration for this week's Musical Monday selection: Songs With The Names of Places.
Shovels and Rope - Birmingham
First off is the newest song in the playlist today. The band is called Shovels and Rope and they're a married duo with heart and soul bursting through as they belt out harmonies, in this case with gospel roots and a southern kick. Their 2012 album is called O' Be Joyful and you be hard-pressed not to tap your foot and smile along to this tune.
Bon Iver - Calgary
Bon Iver is awesome. Calgary hosted the Olympics once. You should watch Cool Runnings.
The Weeknd - Montreal
Since we're already in Canada, might as well find another song that plays tribute to that country. The Weeknd made both of his albums freely downloadable from his website although I'm not sure if that was a limited time thing. Some of the songs are NSFW but unless this one says something inappropriate in French, you should be fine but I might wear headphones in case anyone within hearing space is sensitive.
New Navy - Zimbabwe
Well, fancy that, a song about vacation and travelling. How appropriate. This track was named #67 on Triple J's Hottest 100 Countdown for 2011 (a post you can read about here). The catchy tune really makes my want to visit that country in southern Africa, I could use another holiday.
Angus & Julia Stone - Santa Monica Dream
Well, now let's return the the good ol US of A, and have some Aussies sing about their California Dreamin (see what I did there). A mellow brother/sister duo that have since split to pursue their own sounds in music, Julia Stone with her album By the Horns and Angus Stone recently released Broken Brights, yet their collaborations remain my favorites.
The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
Matt Berninger's baritone holds a special place in my ears. Off the album High Violet released a few years back, Bloodbuzz Ohio reminds us that try as we might we can't go home again. Or at least thats part of my interpretation, what do you think?
Hopefully you found some new music and maybe even a new place to vacation on your next holiday!
jules bitz 
Ramona Falls 
