100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #13: “Tongue Tied” by Grouplove

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The song at #13 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Tongue Tied” by alternative rock band Grouplove. I love this song with a passion. It’s an exhilarating synth pop song that fills me with strong feelings of euphoria, like a kid jumping up and down on a bed at a slumber party. So it was a surprise to discover in researching about the song that it was widely panned by music critics upon its release. A lot of music critics make me sick. They’re so smug, self-impressed and full of shit. OK, now that I’ve got that off my chest, let me say that I think “Tongue Tied” is absolutely wonderful, and one of the best songs of the 2010s. Despite its mixed to poor reviews, the song went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Alternative chart, where it ended up as the #2 song of 2012. It peaked at #42 on the Hot 100.

Grouplove’s music is fun, quirky and infectious, and always a joy to listen to, even their downtempo songs. Now based in Los Angeles (where a third of the artists and bands with songs on this list seem to also reside), they formed in 2009 after meeting on the island of Crete. Hannah Hooper (vocals, keyboards) and Christian Zucconi (vocals, guitar) actually first met in New York City, then traveled to Crete to attend an artist residency program, where they met the other three founding members – London-born songwriter and guitarist Sean Gadd, Los Angeles pro surfer and musician Andrew Wessen, and his childhood friend drummer Ryan Rabin, who’s the son of former Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin. (Gann and Rabin later left the band, and have been replaced by Daniel Gleason on bass and Benjamin Homola on drums.)

“Tongue Tied” is from their debut album Never Trust a Happy Song, and was released in September 2011. It starts off with a sweet guitar riff that sounds kind of like a ukelele or banjo, then explodes into a cacophony of exuberant synths, deep bass, smashing drums and a boisterous chorus of cheers that set the stage for the adventure about to unfold as they head to a party. Singers Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi wail “Take me to your best friend’s house / Go around this roundabout Oh yeah / Take me to your best friend’s house / I loved you then and I love you now Oh yeah / Don’t leave me tongue tied / Don’t wave no goodbye Don’t… / Right!” By song’s end, I’m left feeling happy, and isn’t that one of the greatest things a good song has to offer?

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #14: “Do I Wanna Know?” by Arctic Monkeys

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The song at #14 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is the brilliant “Do I Wanna Know?” by British rock band Arctic Monkeys. They’ve had quite a musical journey since forming in 2002, while still in their teens living in Sheffield, England. They’ve released six studio albums, won seven Brit Awards, been nominated for five Grammy Awards, played numerous music festivals, including twice headlining at Glastonbury, and performed at the opening ceremony of the London Summer Olympics in 2012. The band consists of the dangerously charismatic Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O’Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, backing vocals)

“Do I Wanna Know?” is from their fifth album AM, which received widespread acclaim from both music critics and fans upon its release in 2013. The album was partly recorded in the town of Joshua Tree, in the Mojave Desert not far from where I live in Palm Springs, with contributions by area native and Queens of the Stone Age front man Josh Homme. “Do I Wanna Know” has a moody, psychedelic/stoner rock vibe, with a dominant thumping drumbeat and accompanying bass line forming the track’s mesmerizing rhythmic foundation. But the real highlight is Alex Turner’s spectacular shimmery guitar work, courtesy of his Vox Starstream 12-string electric guitar, which produces a richer, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. (Wikipedia) In December 2019, the song was ranked No. 3 on Guitar World‘s list of the 20 best guitar riffs of the decade.

The clever and cheeky lyrics speak of uncertainty and doubt as to whether the object of one’s affection shares your feelings, leaving you wondering if you really want to know the truth. But in the end, you always end up going back for more. The interplay between Turner’s sultry croons and the falsetto backing vocals is exquisite. The magnificent song is the band’s biggest hit, spending 10 weeks at #1 and a total of 58 weeks on the Billboard Alternative chart, where it was also named the top song of 2014. It’s also their only song to chart on the ridiculous Hot 100, where it peaked at #70.

Have you got colour in your cheeks?
Do you ever get that fear that you can’t shift
The type that sticks around like summat in your teeth?
Are there some aces up your sleeve?
Have you no idea that you’re in deep?
I dreamt about you nearly every night this week
How many secrets can you keep?
‘Cause there’s this tune I found that makes me think of you somehow and I play it on repeat
Until I fall asleep
Spilling drinks on my settee

(Do I wanna know?)
If this feeling flows both ways?
(Sad to see you go)
Was sort of hoping that you’d stay
(Baby, we both know)
That the nights were mainly made for saying things that you can’t say tomorrow day

Crawling back to you

Ever thought of calling when you’ve had a few?
‘Cause I always do
Maybe I’m too busy being yours to fall for somebody new
Now I’ve thought it through

Crawling back to you

So have you got the guts?
Been wondering if your heart’s still open and if so I wanna know what time it shuts
Simmer down and pucker up
I’m sorry to interrupt. It’s just I’m constantly on the cusp of trying to kiss you
I don’t know if you feel the same as I do
But we could be together if you wanted to

(Do I wanna know?)
If this feeling flows both ways?
(Sad to see you go)
Was sort of hoping that you’d stay
(Baby, we both know)
That the nights were mainly made for saying things that you can’t say tomorrow day

Crawling back to you (crawling back to you)

Ever thought of calling when you’ve had a few? (you’ve had a few)
‘Cause I always do (’cause I always do)
Maybe I’m too (maybe I’m too busy) busy being yours to fall for somebody new
Now I’ve thought it through

Crawling back to you

(Do I wanna know?)
If this feeling flows both ways?
(Sad to see you go)
Was sort of hoping that you’d stay
(Baby, we both know)
That the nights were mainly made for saying things that you can’t say tomorrow day

The imaginative animated video for the song was directed by David Wilson, in conjunction with British animation agency Blinkink, and has been viewed over 1 billion times.

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #15: “Broken” by lovelytheband

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The song at #15 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Broken” by Los Angeles-based indie pop group lovelytheband. Formed in 2016, the band consists of vocalist Mitchy Collins, guitarist Jordan Greenwald, and drummer Sam Price. One of the catchiest earworms of 2018, “Broken” was the band’s debut single and breakout hit, spending nine weeks at #1 on Billboard‘s Alternative chart, as well as reaching #1 on the Adult Top 40 chart and #29 on the Hot 100. The song actually came out in 2017 as an exclusive release to Billboard that April, but didn’t chart until the beginning of 2018. It ended up being the #1 song of 2018 on the Alternative chart, and was my personal pick for top song of the year as well. “Broken” also holds the current record for the longest time spent on that chart – an eye-popping 76 weeks!

Written by Collins after his breakup with Danielle Bouchard, who was also a member of his former band Oh Honey, the song speaks to the idea that everyone’s flawed and has problems, and of finding someone who’s just as fucked up and lost as you, and trying to make a go of it. He told Billboard “We all have our demons we fight every day. It’s about finding someone whose problems complement yours. Perfectly imperfect. Everyone is a little broken inside, trying to find their band aid. This song is an ode to the broken ones.”

I love the chirpy synths, intricate guitars and powerful driving beat, as well as Collins’ irresistible, quirky vocals that had me listening to the song over and over. The official video brings the song’s lyrics to life with an endearing charm.

I like that you’re broken
Broken like me
Maybe that makes me a fool
I like that you’re lonely
Lonely like me
I could be lonely with you

I met you late night, at a party
Some trust fund baby’s Brooklyn loft
By the bathroom, you said let’s talk
But my confidence is wearing off

These aren’t my people
These aren’t my friends
She grabbed my face and
That’s when she said

I like that you’re broken
Broken like me
Maybe that makes me a fool
I like that you’re lonely
Lonely like me
I could be lonely with you

There’s something tragic, but almost pure
Think I could love you, but I’m not sure
There’s something wholesome, there’s something sweet
Tucked in your eyes that I’d love to meet

These aren’t my people
These aren’t my friends
She grabbed my face and
That’s when she said

I like that you’re broken
Broken like me
Maybe that makes me a fool
I like that you’re lonely
Lonely like me
I could be lonely with you

Life is not a love song that we like
We’re all broken pieces floating by
Life is not a love song we can try
To fix our broken pieces one at a time

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #16: “Sit Next to Me” by Foster the People

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The song at #16 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is the beautiful “Sit Next to Me” by Los Angeles-based alternative pop-rock band Foster the People. Their third song on this list – “Coming of Age” appears at #65, and “Pumped Up Kicks” at #23 – it’s my favorite of their many wonderful songs. The third single from their third album Sacred Hearts Club, “Sit Next to Me” was released in July 2017 and was a sleeper hit. It debuted on the Billboard Alternative chart that September, and slowly climbed until peaking at #3 in early 2018, then remained on the chart until September 2018! It peaked at only #42 on the Hot 100 in the spring of 2018, but was ranked as the #2 song of 2018 on the Alternative chart. It reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 at the end of 2017, but remained on my chart for many weeks well into 2018 too. I never tired of hearing it, and my Spotify Wrapped report for 2018 showed that it was my most-streamed song that year.

Isom Innis, Mark Foster, Mark Pontius & Sean Cimino

Song intros are important in setting the tone for a song, and “Sit Next to Me” has one of the most enthralling openings of any song I’ve ever heard, immediately hooking me in. It starts with a delicate shimmery synth and Mark Foster’s ethereal vocal, then opens into a breezy ballad loaded with gorgeous sweeping synths, subtle guitar and Mark Pontius’ perfect drumbeats. I love Foster’s vulnerable vocal style that includes lots of soaring falsettos and beautiful harmonic choruses.

The song was inspired by his time spent in the L.A. bar scene. Foster explained in an interview with Rolling Stone: “Everyone was trying to look cool, say the right thing and be at the center of the universe. It was like a fashion show. In that environment, I felt alone in a room packed with people. I kept waiting for someone authentic to come walk through the door and sit next to me.” About the song’s slow rise and longevity, he stated: “I’m just kinda shocked. It’s kind of crazy to me that it’s been on the radio for so long and it keeps continuing to grow. I guess it’s a sleeper.”

Top 30 Songs for December 13-19, 2020

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  1. ARE YOU BORED YET? – Wallows featuring Clairo (1)
  2. MARIPOSA – Peach Tree Rascals (4)
  3. IS IT TRUE – Tame Impala (2)
  4. BLOODY VALENTINE – Machine Gun Kelly (3)
  5. MOOD – 24kGoldn featuring iann dior (5)
  6. VISITOR – Of Monsters and Men (7)
  7. CAN I BELIEVE YOU – Fleet Foxes (8)
  8. IDENTICAL – Phoenix (6)
  9. VIRUS – Vanity Fear (10)
  10. THINK I’M CRAZY – Two Feet (12)
  11. FIRE FOR YOU – Cannons (11)
  12. BURN THE VISION – Amongst Liars (13)
  13. LETTER TO YOU – Bruce Springsteen (14)
  14. DOWNS – Roadkeeper (9) 20th week on list
  15. SKIN AND BONES – Cage the Elephant (17)
  16. TROUBLE’S COMING – Royal Blood (18)
  17. SHAME SHAME – Foo Fighters (19)
  18. NERVOUS – Au Gres (20)
  19. DIRTY – grandson (21)
  20. CAN YOU FEEL THE SUN – MISSIO (22)
  21. GIANTS – Dermot Kennedy (15)
  22. COME & GO – Juice WRLD featuring Marshmello (16)
  23. LEAVE ME ALONE – I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME (25)
  24. THEREFORE I AM – Billie Eilish (26)
  25. HEAT WAVES – Glass Animals (27)
  26. SURVIVIN’ – Bastille (28)
  27. 1ST TIME – Bakar (29)
  28. THE ADULTS ARE TALKING – The Strokes (30)
  29. CAN I CALL YOU TONIGHT? – Dayglow (23) 22nd week on list
  30. THE LET GO – Elle King (24)

Either WordPress or Spotify are being dicey, so the songs on this playlist may not be playable in certain countries.

JONNY POLONSKY – Album Review: “Power and Greed and Money and Sex and Death”

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This past April, I wrote a feature article about Brooklyn-based artist Jonny Polonsky, along with a review of his marvelous album Kingdom of Sleep, which you can read here. An accomplished singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, he’s been actively involved in the music industry for over a quarter century, both as a solo artist and as a session musician and/or member of a number of bands, including Big Nose (with Audioslave/Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tim Commerford) and Puscifer. On November 13, Jonny returned with his eighth album Power and Greed and Money and Sex and Death, featuring eight songs touching on the good, the bad and the ugly of this thing called life. He wrote, arranged, recorded, produced and engineered the album at home during the pandemic lockdown in Spring and Summer 2020. Mixing was done by Mike Tholen and mastering by Dave Collins. 

Jonny Polonsky3

The album kicks off with “Electric Tears“, a foot-stomping psychedelic rocker that seems to touch on the vow “til death do us part”. With lyrics like “To the sound of thunder we’re torn asunder / O, Dulcinea! So sweet the vulture / The main offender, the plane descender / We fall together and live forever!“, I’m guessing the two lovers are about to perish in a plane crash, confirming their love for each other. On the timely and topical “In Between Worlds“, Jonny lobs a scathing attack on racism and bigotry, and those afraid or unable to accept that America continues to evolve, both socially and demographically: “I think your thinking is deranged / I see the sadness in your soul /Morbid, bent /And strange how you still fail to see that these changing times are not your enemy.” In the terrific video, he plays both a TV newsman reporting the news and a musician performing the song on a television show stage, accompanied by footage of street protests and a defeated-looking Trump. Musically, the song has an urgent, piano-driven melody, with gnarly guitars, organ and dark synths. The piano work is especially good here.

“Imitation Life” is a lively power pop gem, with a strong driving beat and wonderful jangly guitars that give the song a retro 60s sound. Jonny admonishes another to let go of phoniness and superficiality, and live her truth: “Sad eyes, you shouldn’t waste your time / Realize, this is no imitation life. You’re alive.” One of my favorite tracks on the album is “Summer Soldiers“, a melodic tune featuring lovely vocals by singer-songwriter and former member of the Go-Go’s Jane Wiedlin. The song’s uplifting lyrics seem to be telling us not to let others define us, nor keep us from living our full potential: “Don’t let ’em lay you down and roll you out / And when you’re alone and don’t know who to trust / Tempted to self destruct / Discarded and left to rust.” The song starts off with a brief snippet of Little Richard’s hysterical laughter, then settles into a pleasing mid-tempo beat, with enchanting spacy synths, shimmery keyboards and crisp percussion. I really like how Jonny and Jane’s vocals are in perfect harmony.

On the brooding “Under Your Spell“, Jonny uses sweeping industrial synths and beautiful distorted guitars to create a haunting cinematic soundscape that gives the song a bit of a David Bowie vibe. He has an unusual vocal style that’s both raspy and breathy, which he uses to great effect on this track. The lyrics speak to him having fallen for someone who seems to be emotionally unavailable, insecure and afraid of revealing their true self:  “How’d you end up on the inside? How do you know me so well? With your eyes on fire and your coat made of eagle, now I’m under your spell.” Another standout track for me is “Completely Surrounded by Love“, with its gorgeous blend of twangy and jangly guitars that give the song a folk-rock feel. The song seems to be a thank you to someone who helped him overcome his personal demons through their love and devotion: “I was afraid, so afraid of my own mind / I believed in you / I couldn’t think for my own self / But I know I am completely surrounded by love.“

Jonny saves the best for last with the stunning and bittersweet “Where the Sunset Sets“. Starting with an achingly beautiful melody, he layers shimmery keyboards, chiming guitars and airy synths to create a breathtaking atmospheric soundscape. His vocals are deeply heartfelt as he sings to someone who seems to be slipping away, possibly from dementia or even on the verge of their death: “And everything that had binded me to you, just leaves you sad and confounded / What once had been a folie a deux, is just a memory you detest. Your name, it doesn’t matter / Your face, you will soon forget / Our eyes, beaming into one another / Leave a trace in anyone you’ve ever met .” The seven-minute-long song has an epic and cinematic quality, and is my favorite track on the album.

Power and Greed and Money and Sex and Death is a wonderful album that gets better with each listen. I like how Jonny keeps things sounding fresh and varied by using different music styles, tempos and sounds on each track, and as always, the production values and arrangements are first-rate.

Jonny will be releasing a deluxe 12-inch vinyl version of the album, pressed on transparent red vinyl, with a full color cover and lyric insert with photos, and including a 16.5″x23″ fold out poster and free digital download card. Purchase of this deluxe album includes unlimited streaming of Power and Greed and Money and Sex and Death via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Shipping is anticipated on or around February 1, 2021.

Connect with Jonny: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music: Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music
Purchase:  Bandcamp / Amazon

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #17: “Come a Little Closer” by Cage the Elephant

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The song at #17 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Come a Little Closer” by Cage the Elephant. The third song by the Nashville band on this list (“Trouble” ranks at #78 and “Social Cues” at #30), “Come a Little Closer” is my favorite song by them. Released in August 2013, the song is from their superb third album Melophobia, and was a huge hit on the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative charts, spending many weeks at #1 on both.

Though the word “melophobia” literally means “fear of music”, in an interview with American Songwriter, band front man Matt Schultz said “it wasn’t necessarily an actual fear of music, but a fear of making music to project premeditated images of self rather than being an honest communicator.” The band essentially wanted to go outside their comfort zone with the album. He was inspired to write “Come a Little Closer” one morning after watching the sunrise from his hotel room in Sao Paulo. As he looked out over the favelas, he wondered what each soul living within those crowded neighborhoods felt, whether it be heartache, love, loss or joy, and decided to write a song about the concept of looking at things more closely.

Musically, the song is a magnificent psychedelic trip, with endless melodic twists and turns that keep us on the edge of our seats, wondering what’s coming next. The instrumentals are fantastic, with a wonderful bass line and highlighted by an intriguing surf guitar that erupts into a wailing barrage in the choruses, with Shultz fervently urging us “Come a little closer, then you’ll see. Come on, come on, come on“. The wonderful psychedelic video, which was conceived and directed by Matt Schultz, shows the band on a sort of magical mystery tour, performing and traveling amidst a colorful and surreal animated world filled with monsters and wild animals.

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #19: “Ride” by twenty øne piløts

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My favorite duo twenty øne piløts are back with “Ride“, their fourth song on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s (“Chlorine” ranks at #87, “Jumpsuit” at #67 and “Heathens” at #61). It’s also the first of three songs from their spectacular fourth album Blurryface that will dominate the remainder of this list. Released in May 2015, Blurryface is one of the greatest albums of the decade in my opinion, and ranks among my all-time favorites. I had the CD in my car stereo, and played it every time I went anywhere for months on end, turning multiple friends onto it as well. It’s of such high caliber that literally every track could be a hit song and, in fact, in 2018 it became the first album in the digital era to have every track receive a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. It spent 279 weeks on the Billboard 200 Album chart – nearly five and a half years.

“Ride” was the fourth album cut to be released as a single. It’s a wildly upbeat alternative hip hop song with strong reggae elements, and features their signature lively mix of instruments, including piano, organ, guitar and bass. Josh Dun’s power drums are fantastic, and I love Tyler Joseph’s extraordinary vocals that go from earnest to rapping to falsetto to impassioned wails. He’s a really talented rapper, with an ability to deliver lyrics in a hard, staccato-style of fast-paced rapping that only a handful of artists like Eminem are good at.

The lyrics speak to uncertainties and anxieties over the meaning of life, with references to thinking about death, which Tyler Joseph raps about at high speed: “‘I’d die for you,’ that’s easy to say / We have a list of people that we would take a bullet for them, a bullet for you, a bullet for everybody in this room / But I don’t seem to see many bullets comin’ through / See many bullets comin’ through / Metaphorically, I’m the man / But literally, I don’t know what I’d do / ‘I’d live for you,’ an’ that’s hard to do / Even harder to say when you know it’s not true.” At the end, he concludes “I’ve been thinking too much, help me.”

EML’s Favorite Songs – “All Around the World” by Lisa Stansfield

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My fellow blogger William, who has a terrific blog a1000mistakes, recently did a series of posts about songs beginning with the word “All” (of which there are literally a ton), and it reminded me of one of my favorite songs “All Around the World“, by soulful British singer-songwriter Lisa Stansfield. The gorgeous song was released in the UK in October 1989 as the second single from her marvelous first solo album Affection, both of which were breakthrough hits for her. It was subsequently released in the U.S. in January 1990. The song was a massive worldwide hit, topping the charts in the UK, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Netherlands, Norway and Spain. In the U.S., it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the R&B and Dance Club charts. Stansfield received two Grammy award nominations for the song and album.

Stansfield co-wrote the song with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, former bandmates from her previous band Blue Zone. In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, she recalled “I came into the studio, and Ian was messing around at the piano. He had a melody, and I just started singing: ‘Been around the world and I, I, I…’ Everyone laughed but Ian said, ‘Wait, it’s really good, that.’ It just came into my head – it was nonsense, but had a really good feel to it. “I, I, I” became the main hook. We’d no idea how massive it would become.”

The song is both sexy and heartbreaking, with lush, swirling strings and a soulful melody creating a sensual backdrop for Stansfield’s sultry, emotion-packed vocals that cut to the core. She’s an incredible singer, and her vocals are utterly convincing in conveying the torment and pain expressed in the lyrics. She brings goosebumps as she alternately coos, purrs, and cries out over the guilt of hurting her former lover, and now that he’s gone, of her desperate search to find him and hopefully win back his love.

I don’t know where my baby is
But I’ll find him, somewhere, somehow
I’ve got to let him know how much I care
I’ll never give up looking for my baby

Been around the world and I, I, I
I can’t find my baby
I don’t know when, I don’t know why
Why he’s gone away
And I don’t know where he can be, my baby
But I’m gonna find him

We had a quarrel and I let myself go
I said so many things, things he didn’t know
And I was oh oh so bad
And I don’t think he’s comin’ back, mm mm

He gave the reason, the reasons he should go
And he said thing he hadn’t said before
And he was oh oh so mad
And I don’t think he’s comin’ back, comin’ back

I did too much lyin’
Wasted too much time
Now I’m here and cryin’, I, I, I

Been around the world and I, I, I
I can’t find my baby
I don’t know when, I don’t know why
Why he’s gone away
And I don’t know where he can be, my baby
But I’m gonna find him

So open hearted, he never did me wrong
I was the one, the weakest one of all
And now I’m oh oh so sad
I don’t think he’s comin’ back, comin’ back

I did too much lyin’
Wasted too much time
Now I’m here and cryin’, I, I, I

Been around the world and I, I, I
I can’t find my baby
I don’t know when, I don’t know why
Why he’s gone away
And I don’t know where he can be, my baby
But I’m gonna find him