Best 100 Tracks of 2013: Part 4

Over half way now... Bring on Part 4!

#55

Bad Suns

'Cardiac Arrest'

Sublimely catchy indie rock song that's been on high rotation for me for most of last year. I can't wait for the EP in just over a week.

#54

Tove Lo

'Love Ballad'

'Chop off my hands, chop off my feet' opens this great pop tune, instantly defining itself as a dark and witty love song that's got nothing in it that you would normally hear in a song about love. 'Pour gasoline on me, oh yes I burn slowly', see what I mean. A smart, tongue-in-cheek pop treat from an artist who released two other stellar singles ('Habits' and 'Out Of Mind') in 2013 too.

#53

Vampire Weekend

'Step'

The album to beat out all albums in 2013. 'Step' continues Vampire Weekend's increasingly impressive penchant for lyricism. And over a unique beat that weaves it all together to make it sound somewhat magical and/or whimsical. Ezra Koenig is also now in a position to claim the best male vocalist in the world right now, this is a band that's sound is maturing in grandiose fashion right in front of us. They now sit behind The Killers as my favourite band of all time.

#52

Paramore

'Still Into You'

So just a little off topic, but Hayley Williams is only behind Diana Vickers as the sexiest girl in music for me, she is hot!... Ahem, anyway this track is typical Paramore. They have got their sound down pact now and they do it very well. Hayley's voice bellows over a slickly produced beat laced with handclaps and a really catchy melody. All with, of course, a killer chorus.

#51

Miley Cyrus

'Wreking Ball'

It was coming. Surely you knew it was coming. Almost like a wrecking ball actually (pun absolutely intended). Nothing much to say here that already hasn't been said. It's one of the premier ballads of the year and Miley was the perfect vocalist for it. Fuck all the extracurricular activities, she backed it up on stage and belted this out brilliantly at award show after award show live, and that's all we ask as music lovers isn't it?

#50

Jack Byrnes

'You've Been left Behind'

Top 50 now so the stakes are starting to rise. And what better way to kick off the Top 50 than this stellar track. I spoke about amazing ballads in Miley's paragraph above, well this is slightly better. What a voice this (Aussie!) dude has. Everything about this gets me excited and I can't wait to see what he does next. You just have to listen to it. That chorus is just....oh it's good. Real good.
Favourite lyric: "You-you-you've been left behiiiind!"

#49

Walk The Moon

'Shiver Shiver'

These guys appear again with the best offering from their album. 'Shiver Shiver' is bigger, more robust, catchy and instant than 'I Can Lift A Car'. It feels a bit more polished. Both are great though. I love his voice in this too.

Favourite lyric: "Thump thump, the thumping in my chest, as I lose the feeling in my fingertips"

#48

Betty Who

'Somebody Loves You'

LA based Aussie Betty Who will have a huge 2014, or so I'm hoping. She released the best EP of 2013 in "The Movement", and this was the lead single from it. It's so retro I feel like I need to have a mullet when listening to it. It's infectious right from the opening bars, to its inevitable close. Everything in between is genius and addictive too. From the chorus down, Betty's voice is like no other and she feels right at home here in this 80's style. Underneath it all though is a really heartfelt track that is full of happiness and joy. This is international standard goodness! And to think I got her EP free when she was giving it away in early 2013. Best. Find. Ever.

Favourite lyric: "Somebody misses you when you're away, they wanna wake up with you everyday"

#47

Zak Waters

'Runnin Around'

Maybe my favourite film clip of the year. Only for it's simple design, it showcases the track perfectly. The subtle details in the video elevate it to greatness. Zak Waters was on high rotation on my iPod all of last year, this song more than his others, but he is an undiscovered gem. 'Runnin Around' ponders what settling down really means, realising that old ways will be no more once you have. It's a cheeky, original pop song sung very well. Another gem of a pop song on what appears to have been a banner year for undiscovered pop gems.
Favourite lyric: "I will never have a one-night stand, I will never be nobody else's man, burned through the sole of my favourite shoes"

#46

Clubfeet

'Everything You Wanted'

This was a slow burner for me in 2013. I didn't like it initially, but it steadily grew on me. I love the use of synths over an epic chorus. It's nothing new, but it's done well which I like. This is Clubfeet's second inclusion in my Top 100 and they are a band I really want to hear more of.
Favourite lyric: "Come with me, I'll show you, everything you wanted"

#45

Justin Timberlake

'Mirrors'

The only song on his over-indulgent shitstorm of dual albums that he released in 2013. He remains one of my favourite artists though, so he made it through that battlefield fairly unscathed. Just next time Justin, can you give us something a little more accessible? Thanks. It's also important to note that this is the edited version, not the bloated one included on Part 1 of his 2 albums. Now, this is a great love song that reminds me of how much I like Timberlake, so therefor it is so high because it is awesome. So there.

Favourite lyric: "Cause I don't wanna lose you now, I'm lookin' right at the other half of me, the vacancy that sat in my heart, is a space that now you hold"

#44

Studio Killers

'Jenny'

A heartbreaking dance anthem about an unrequited love between two girls? Studio Killers are just that kind of band. This is an instant classic for mine, the electro-pop stomper is seriously exhilarating from the very beginning. This is a jam that is designed to get people on the dancefloor, but it's not dumb. Studio Killers are not a dumb band, they are clever and darkly sweet with what they're singing about. See 'Ode To The Bouncer' and 'Eros And Apollo' for further examples of their unique brand of dance-pop.

Favourite lyric: "I wanna ruin our friendship, we should be lovers instead"

#43

Kim Cesarion

'Undressed'

This great pop discovery is finally starting to get recognised in Aus. I've liked it for a long time. Its Top 20 iTunes as we speak. It's a big, unashamed, falsetto filled pop gem from, you guessed it, a Swede. That chorus is so damn good isn't it? This is the kind of music that should be played on radio, more music sourced from Sweden please Australian Radio!

Favourite lyric: "Hi my name is, whatever you call me. So let's get undressed, 'cos I wanna see you naked"

#42

Parachute

'Hurricane'

I love this song. It's a ballad that sounds more emotional then it really is. Metaphors galore too. I like metaphors. Ah, I'll shut up and let you listen for yourself.

Favourite lyric: "I'm standing in the pouring rain, I feel it like a hurricane, a photograph is all it takes, but I know I shouldn't let it"

#41

Haim

'Don't Save Me'

Technically it did the rounds in 2012, but 'Don't Save Me' had the impact on me in 2013. These girls seemingly came from nowhere to really shake up indie pop music and show the world that it can be a genre that is intelligent, well-made and commercial, all without sucking. They sound so fresh and unique, it was literally an injection of originality pop needed, and they did it in their own way. 'Don't Save Me' is the track that began my love affair with these three sisters, a love affair that continues to grow with each new song I hear of theirs. A gem of a tune.

Favourite lyric: "Take me back, give it up, give it up to me, cause I can't go on, if your love isn't strong"

It's getting exciting! Part 5 soon...

Best 100 Tracks of 2013: Part 3

Part 3... BOOM!

#70

Diandra

'Outta My Head'

Number 70 sees the entry of 2012's 'Outta My Head' by awkward looking Finnish Idol winner Diandra. It's a high energy dance/pop track that took me forever to find and download.

#69

Blind Pilot
'Half Moon'

I love this lyric in this song, a kind of tent post that brings it all together. I caught this easy-on-the-ears ballad during Ellen repeats mid 2013. I think it's fairly old but it is so easy to listen to. With a relaxed sound, the song seems to be content with letting the lyrics shine over a slow paced backing arrangement, all without sounding boring. It's all the better for it IMO. Thanks Ellen.

#68

The Ceremonies
'Land Of Gathering'

This epic track went by mostly unnoticed to anyone outside of the frequent bloggers and their readers (although American MTV tried to push it for a little bit apparently). This rollicks on with a lot of bells and whistles that don't bog it down, they are there to enhance the track. Add in one of the year's best vocals, and you've got something pretty special. It doesn't let up for just a tick over five minutes. For all of the indie-pop lovers out there, this was one of the year's best releases and I can't wait to see what else they bring to the table in 2014. They've got such a view.

#67

Walk The Moon

'I Can Lift A Car'

Ridiculous song title, awesome song. Walk The Moon released a really nice album in 2012, but it wasn't until 2013 until I heard it. It spawned three songs in my Top 200 for this year, 'I Can Lift A Car' is the second. It's more thumping drums with a big chorus, the kind of style I dig a whole lot of course. A cool band with cool tunes.

#66

Tegan And Sara

'How Come You Don't Want Me'

A slower paced song from "Heartthrob" becomes my second favourite from the album. How ironic considering I loved and have been waffling on about, how they upped the pop on it. But this ballad slots right in perfectly amongst the amazing-ness around it. Again brilliant lyrics, slick production and the girls sound great over a killer chorus. 1 more to go for them.

#65

The 1975

'Girls'

Last year a new band emerged as a potential favourite of mine in the future, with the likes of The Killers, Fall Out Boy and Vampire Weekend etc. And that band was The 1975. So impressed was I with their debut album that I would make that statement. Hey, it's a big deal for a band to infiltrate my favourite artists list! 'Girls' is amazing. Lead singer Matthew Healy has a unique gift in making the listener feel anything he's singing, he puts a lot of effort into each word. They are from Manchester, as you can tell quite often from his very unsubtle accent, but it doesn't distract from this great little pop track. They have a way with melodies that completely sweeps you away. A wickedly clever film clip suggests they are smarter than you think too. Ones to watch for sure.

#64

MKTO

'Classic'

This is a stylish second effort from a band I may have thought were going to be a one hit wonder. Well they basically are everywhere, but Australia. 'Classic' was a legitimate hit here and for good reason. It's dirty straight up beat details lyrics of showing a girl a good time, whilst being a gentleman first and foremost. All men can relate yeah? Ahem. A killer chorus really showed that these boys had something to offer the pop world. Big tick.

#63

Majestee Of Sweden

'Governor'

Sounding more what I though GaGa was gonna come out with for album #3, 'Governor' is monstrous. Both in sound and quality. A commanding vocal performance leads a track that is thunderous in it's beat and ambition. I like it alot and I can see mother monster singing it still. This is grade A pop from the undisputed home of pop, Sweden.

#62

John Mayer

'Paper Doll'

This straight up folk slow-burner was an instant like for me, and from serial bore John Mayer. That bizarre lyric video aside, this is a really beautiful song accompanied by nice arrangement and Mayer has never sounded better. This was a winner.

#61

Katherine McPhee

'Some Boys'

Most unlikely cover of a song on a TV show in 2013? This. Death Cab For Cutie's 'Some Boys' gets the TV makeover by Katherine McPhee in the axed-far-too-soon show SMASH. It shouldn't work but oh God does it work. She sings delicately, with all the emotional, tenderness and heart you could hope for, and the best part was that it wasn't just inserted in the show for no reason (Glee anyone?). This is the first TV cover of a song I've ever featured in my countdowns so that's probably saying something in terms of it's quality. I love it.

#60

Fall Out Boy

'Young Volcanoes'

I really admired Fall Out Boy's ambition this year. Naming their album "Save Rock And Roll", even though it was tongue in cheek, 2013 was a better year with an active FOB doing the rounds. They are after all, one of my favourite bands. Plus they filmed video clips for every song on their album, pre-Beyonce. 'Young Volcanoes' was a nice slice of old and new FOB that just worked. From the handclaps that come into play from the get go, right through to them letting loose on the chorus, it's a classic Fall Out Boy song to add to their ever-growing impressive list of singles. Plus there still is no better voice in pop-punk-rock (if that's a thing?) than Patrick Stump.

#59

Avicii ft. Aloe Blacc

'Wake Me Up'

Avicii did something remarkable last year. Like him or loathe him, he made EDM exciting again by forging his own unique sound and pushing the envelope on a genre that had become quite samey. So kudos to him. And kudos to making this track. By marrying Aloe Blacc's undeniable nu-soul voice to what is basically a very well made house track, he made one of the most successful and great songs of the year. Everyone knows it by now but it's popular for a reason. Because it's fresh, and damn well made.

#58

Sir Sly

'Gold'

I love the lyrics in this song. The chorus alone deserves your attention for it's sheer brilliance. I dunno why more people don't know it, but it's mysterious yet accessible without being pretentious. An intriguing film clip caps off a very well made indie-pop jam. Altogether now: "a mouth made of metal metal metal, pocket full of yellow yellow, pocket full of gold..."

#57

fun.

'Sight Of The Sun'

fun. returned early in 2013 from their breakthrough 2012 with this exclusive track written for the I-still-don't-know-if-I-like-it TV show, Girls. Fortunately for Girls, it's one of fun.'s best songs, perhaps behind only 'Some Nights', as their second best offering. It fits the show's theme perfectly, with lyrics about drunkin' nights, second guessing yourself and asking whether you are good enough or not, they blend perfectly with Nate Reuss' incredible voice over their now trademark indie pop, lite-rock sound. It's a real gem that never caught on really, which is weird because it could have fit on the "Some Nights" album seamlessly I reckon.

#56

Birds Of Tokyo

'Lanterns'

The only thing against this gem of an anthem going into the JJJ Hottest 100 is that it was released early in 2013. And traditionally songs released in the earlier part of the year don't fare as well. I hope (and do think) it will go Top 10 because it's almost 'Plans' part 2. I love the "On we march with a midnight song, we will light our way with our lanterns on" call to arms that anchors the whole tune. It's uplifting, spirited, anthemic and epic, just like 'Plans'. It's awesome.