One of my favorite female vocalists and all-around artists is Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta, an immensely talented, gracious and lovely recording artist with a powerhouse singing voice. I generally prefer female voices in the deeper ranges, and her soulful and vibrant contralto style resonates strongly with me. Based in Kuala Lumpur and of local Creole Portuguese ancestry, Lyia’s a multi-faceted artist in every sense of the word. She can literally sing just about anything and in fact, has recorded songs in a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and even metal, bringing her international recognition and acclaim.
A prolific artist, she’s released an impressive amount of music over the past eight years, beginning with her debut EP This is Lyia in 2016. Since then, she’s dropped numerous singles, two more EPs and an album, Always You, last June. She’s been nominated for, and won, numerous music awards around the globe over the years. Besides Malaysia, she’s also performed in India, Los Angeles and Texas, and has been featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard Magazine, FAULT Magazine, Reader’s Digest and many more. As if all that weren’t enough, she’s also a highly-accomplished visual artist with several exhibits to her credit. She even surprised me in 2019 with a wonderful pencil drawing of my portrait, which I proudly hang in my bedroom!
I’ve featured her many times on this blog since 2018, most recently last May (of 2023), when I wrote about her stunning single “Always You” in a Fresh New Tracks post. For her latest musical project, Lyia pays homage to one of the most legendary acts who’ve shaped our musical heritage by reimagining The Beatles’ classic “All My Loving”. Acknowledging the enduring charm of this classic song that’s captivated listeners for generations, she’s teamed up once again with her frequent collaborators – Nashville-based producer Bob McGilpin and co-producer Gene Rabbai. Together, they’ve reinterpreted the song in a jazz pop style, allowing Lyia to imbue a fresh perspective in her own unique way, while still honoring its timeless appeal.
Lyia elaborates: “Reimagining ‘All My Loving’ was approached with great respect for the timeless music of The Beatles. Collaborating with my producer Bob McGilpin and co-producer Gene Rabbai, our rendition of this iconic song is a heartfelt expression and a sincere appreciation for their enduring legacy.”
For the recording of the track, McGilpin played guitar, drum and bass, as well handling the arrangement and sound mixing, while Rabbai played piano and orchestration. The result is a lovely, easy-listening interpretation of the song, featuring smooth piano keys, delicate guitar notes, gentle percussion and breezy orchestration. But the highlights for me are the wonderful saxophone and subtle trumpet that lend a warm, jazzy vibe to the proceedings, as well as Lyia’s marvelous vocals that have a somewhat sensual quality that further enhances the song’s jazzy allure. It’s a superb tribute to The Beatles’ classic indeed!
Regular readers of my blog have probably noticed that I don’t write about female artists as often as I should, (partly because they’re much less aggressive than men about asking me to review their music). To remedy this sorry situation, for my latest Fresh New Tracks installment I’m featuring new songs by two very talented women, both of whom have amazing singing voices – Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta and British singer-songwriter Rachel Modest. Each of their songs approach the subject of love from opposite ends of the spectrum. I’ve written about Lyia numerous times over the past five years, whereas Rachel is new to me.
LYIA META – “Always You”
One of my favorite female vocalists and all-around artists is Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta, an immensely talented, gracious and lovely recording artist with a powerhouse singing voice. I generally prefer female voices in the deeper ranges, and her vibrant, soulful and smoky vocal style resonates strongly with me. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Lyia’s a multi-faceted artist in every sense of the word. She can sing just about anything, and in fact, has recorded songs in a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and even metal, bringing her international recognition and acclaim. A prolific artist, she’s been nominated for, and won, numerous awards around the globe over the years. As if all that weren’t enough, she’s also a highly-accomplished visual artist with several exhibits to her credit. As I mentioned above, I’ve featured her many times on this blog, most recently in February 2022, when I reviewed her EP You Think About Me, featuring five wonderful tracks with a retro R&B feel, fortified with elements of soul, funk and jazz.
Lyia has just dropped her latest single “Always You“, the title track from her forthcoming album Always You, scheduled for release on June 16th. The song was written by Los Angeles-based songwriter Denise Dimin, and co-produced by Lyia and her frequent collaborator, Nashville-based musician and recording engineer Bob McGilpin, who played guitar, bass and drums and also mixed and mastered the track. The luxuriant piano and orchestration were handled by Gene Rabbai. The song was recorded at both McMusicSound in Nashville and Studio A in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, with Lyia’s vocals recorded at Big A Productions in Kuala Lumpur.
It’s a beautiful love song in a style of what would generally be considered “adult contemporary”, with a soothing orchestral arrangement of piano and strings, accompanied by gentle percussion and guitar. Lyia’s smooth, clear vocals sound better than ever here, every bit as comforting as the music as she assures a lover of her undying devotion: “We step as one as we climb the ladder. Yesterday and today, and forever after. We’re always me, and we’re always you. Eternally, that’s what we do. It’s always you.”
Rachel Modest is a singer-songwriter who’s been performing music for as long as she can remember. Born and raised in Sheffield, where she grew up singing in her church choir, then studied classical piano in her teens, she’s now based in London. She’s worked with an array of musicians and labels, including serving as lead vocalist for The Bluefoot Project, who released a highly-acclaimed album Brave in 2003. She currently serves as Choir Director for the Wakefield Community Gospel Choir, which she founded, and last year, was a finalist on The Voice UK. She released her first solo singles “I Try” and “Forbidden Love” in 2016, but four years would pass before her next release, “I (Who Have Nothing)”, a terrific cover of the classic song originally recorded by Ben E. King, then later by Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones and Status Quo. She followed in 2022 with “Never Did I Stop Loving You”, and on May 5th, she dropped her latest single “Questions“.
Released via the Numen Records label, “Questions” was co-written and produced by Hamlet Luton. About the song, Rachel explains “So this was all about the acknowledgement of the end of a relationship, but not really knowing how I would cope on my own. But also, whether my ex partner was at all affected by these questions…he wasn’t. So I wrote a song about it. At the end of the song, it’s kind of a resignation to the fact that we needed to separate.”
The song is masterfully arranged, with a wonderful retro vibe that calls to mind some of the great R&B ballads of the 60s and 70s. The orchestration is lush and cinematic, but never overpowers Rachel’s soulful emotive vocals that remind me of equal parts Roberta Flack and Lauryn Hill. With a strong sense of sadness and loss, she passionately laments “We used to quarrel over simple things. But the love I felt for you, no sadness could ever bring. Now it’s over, and we’ll say goodbye. I will never fall in love, it’ll make me cry. So many answers to so many questions. Will we ever know, or should we go?“
As I stated in my previous review, so many artists and bands I follow and have previously written about are releasing new music at a dizzying pace, and I’m doing my best to keep up with as much of it as I possibly can. One of my favorites who I always try to make time for is Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta, an immensely talented, gracious and lovely recording artist with a powerhouse singing voice. I generally prefer female voices in the deeper ranges, and Lyia’s rich, soulful and smoky vocal style fits the bill quite nicely.
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Lyia’s a multi-faceted artist in a literal sense. She can sing just about anything, and in fact, has recorded songs in a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and even metal, bringing her international recognition and acclaim. She’s been nominated for, and won, numerous awards, including Best Overall Female Act at the Voice Independent Music Awards (VIMA) in May 2016, the 2018 Josie World Music Artist Award and 2019 Artist of the Year (multi Genre), Best Music Video for her song “Daylight” at the ACCORD CINE FEST in August 2021, and most recently this past October, 2021 Texas Sound International Country Music Awards for Vocalist of the Year and Virtual Entertainer Of The Year. On top of all that, she’s also a highly accomplished visual artist with several exhibits to her credit. You can check out some of her phenomenal work on her WordPress blog. (She even did a wonderful pencil drawing of me in 2019 as a thank you for my support of her and other indie artists’ music, which was a both a tremendous surprise and an honor.)
A prolific artist, Lyia has released three EPs and more than a dozen singles over the past six years, beginning with her debut EP This is Lyia in 2016. I first learned about her in early 2018 when she reached out to me about her fantastic single “Without Walls”, which I instantly loved and wrote a review of. I’ve written about her numerous times since, most recently last April when I reviewed her soulful track “This One’s For You”. (You can also find some of my other reviews under “Related” at the end of this post.)
Photo by Khahin Meta
Her latest release and third EP, You Think About Me, which dropped January 31st, sees Lyia revealing a sassier, more playful side, with five delicious tracks exploring various aspects of romantic love. While she’s written many of her own songs, Lyia also collaborates with other songwriters and musicians from time to time, not only to broaden her own musical horizons, but also to support other songwriters. The songs for You Think AboutMe were co-written and co-produced by Lyia and Nashville-based musician and producer Bob McGilpin, who also produced and played several instruments on “This One’s For You”. Like a lot of long-distance collaborations these days, the two recorded the EP remotely, with Bob recording the music, as well as engineering, mixing and mastering the tracks, at his studio in Nashville, while Lyia recorded her vocals in Kuala Lumpur.
You Think About Me has a retro R&B feel, with generous helpings of soul, funk and jazz to spice things up. Kicking things off is “Uptown Tonight“, a delightfully upbeat song with an infectious R&B groove, bolstered by a lively blend of exuberant trumpets and jazzy sax. Lyia sings her praises of going out for a night on the town with her man, dressed in their finest clothes and livin’ large, while also expressing gratitude for their good fortune: “I never thought I’d live a life like this. If it’s a dream, don’t wake me up, cause I don’t want to miss going uptown.“
On the soulful “Black High Heels“, Lyia croons of her sexy moves and the spell she casts on her man when she presents in her black high heels: “You can tell by the way I walk, I’m a woman of class and style. I got a swing in my step and a sway in my hip that just drives you wild. You can try but you can’t conceal. Cause I know how to make you feel. Knock you out when I walk out in my black high heels.” I love the song’s sultry groove, with McGilpin’s smooth Wurlitzer, cool sax and funky bass accentuating the torrid vibes. Then there’s Lyia’s sensuous smoky vocals, nicely punctuated by a well-placed sassy little yelp in the final chorus.
“You Think About Me the Way I Think About You” is a sweet, uptempo love song with a bit of an Americana/pop feel, thanks to it’s toe-tapping melody and McGilpin’s pleasing organ riffs. To my ears, it sounds like a song Cher could have sung back in the 70s. The endearing video, filmed in sepia tones, shows Lyia singing to her husband Zack, nicely capturing the lighthearted feel of the song.
Lyia’s powerful vocals really shine on the soulful “A Real Man Can“, where she fervently sings of the things that are most important in a romantic partner, which is a true and meaningful love she can depend upon: “I’ve been told ‘I love you’ more times than just a few. But it doesn’t mean a thing if their heart’s not in it too. I need more than just the words to keep it real. It’s got to come from a deeper place, a place only they can feel. I want the kind of man that puts his woman first. I want the kind of man who holds her when she hurts.” McGilpin’s warm piano and strings, gentle guitar notes and smooth sax create a captivating backdrop for Lyia’s beautiful, emotive vocals.
The EP closes on a high note with the rousing “You Always Come Home to Me“, featuring a catchy head-bopping groove and more of McGilpin’s wonderfully exuberant brass section of trumpet and jazzy sax. Lyia joyfully sings of how badly she misses her man when he’s away, but confident he’ll always be true to her because she keeps him happy in the love department: “But I don’t worry about where you are, or where you might be. Yeah, you always come home to me. Cause I’m not the jealous kind, but I keep my man satisfied.“
You Think About Me is a great little EP that showcases Lyia’s amazing and versatile vocal gifts, as well as Bob McGilpin’s masterful musicianship, arrangement and production skills. Together, they’ve crafted a wonderful collection of songs that make for a fun and enjoyable listen.
Lyia was originally scheduled to attend the Texas Sound International Country Music Awards 2021 event in Jefferson, Texas last October, both to accept her awards and also to promote Malaysia as an ‘attractive destination’ for Americans at two seminars to be given by her and Zack during the music festival. Unfortunately, she was unable to obtain financial support from the Malaysian government to make the trip. The good people of Jefferson raised $5,000 in cash and in-kind contributions, but it wasn’t enough. So, Preston Taylor, Vice President of East Texas Performing Arts Inc, insisted Lyia do a pre-recorded show in Malaysia that would be aired at the event. Here’s a video of their performance:
One of my favorite female vocalists is Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta, who I’ve featured numerous times on this blog over the past three years. (You can read some of my previous reviews listed under “Related” at the end of this post.) Based in Kuala Lumpur, Lyia is an exceptionally talented, gracious and strikingly beautiful woman, with a dazzling powerhouse voice to match. I honestly believe she could sing just about anything! She’s also a highly accomplished visual artist, and you can check out some of her phenomenal work on her WordPress blog.
With her deep, soulful and smoky vocal style, combined with a masterful ability to cover multiple genres ranging from blues, rock and metal to pop and country with ease, she’s become an international music star, winning numerous awards over the past several years, including the 2018 Josie World Music Artist Award, and 2019 Artist of the Year (multi Genre), both of which were presented to her in Nashville, Tennessee. More recently, she’s been nominated for a Texas Sounds International Country Music Award 2021, and her hard rock song “We Are Lords” has been nominated for a Munich Music Video Award, is a finalist for Best Original Song in the UK International Music Video Awards, and made the first ballot for consideration of a Grammy for Metal Performance by The Recording Academy. And on April 18th, Lyia participated in the Ladies Who Rock For A Cause Virtual Music Festival, whose goal was to raise awareness and funds for ataxia, an incurable and rare neurological disease.
Photo by Khahin Meta
A prolific artist, Lyia released six singles in 2020, and has already dropped two this year, the latest of which is “This One’s For You“. While she often writes her own songs, she also collaborates with other songwriters and musicians from time to time, not only to broaden her own musical horizons, but also to support other songwriters. “This One’s For You” was written by Los Angeles-based songwriter Denise Dimin, and produced by Nashville-based Bob McGilpin, who also played guitar, bass, piano and drums.
The song is sublime, with a retro adult contemporary feel similar to some of the great torch songs of the 50s and early 60s by such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London, Nat “King” Cole and Frank Sinatra. Bob McGilpin’s musical arrangement is brilliant, and I love his tinkling piano keys and guitar notes that give the track a cool jazzy vibe. Lyia’s smoky vocals are smooth and lovely, perfectly complementing the track’s mellow arrangement. But they’re emotive and heartfelt too, conveying a sad resignation as she sings the bittersweet lyrics addressed to the woman who’s now with the man she once claimed.
This one's for you
You're the one who has taken my place
You won, guess I should bow out with grace
Be happy with my pride
My hat is off to you
You did what I just never could
Though you know I always thought that I would
God knows I've tried
If you think you'll make him happy
Go on, you got the best
Give him good times
Give him love
And for me, there's nothing left
I raise my glass to you
You succeeded where I always failed
Guess things are good, but oh what the hell
I guess you're satisfied
Thanks to you, I'm free
I do what I please
Right now, I'm just not sure what that means
Sometimes it hurts so much inside
I didn't think this could happen
It's all a big mistake
You've got him now
You've got his love
And who is to blame
Cause if you think you'll make him happy
Go on, you've got the best
Give him good times
Give him love
And for me, there is nothing left
The official video shows Lyia in her element at a recording session at Big A Productions in Kuala Lumpur.
One of my favorite female vocalists is Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta, who I’ve featured a number of times on this blog over the past two and a half years. (You can read my previous reviews listed under “Related” at the end of this post.) Based in Kuala Lumpur, Lyia is an astonishingly talented, gracious and lovely woman, with a dazzling powerhouse voice to match. (She’s also a highly accomplished visual artist, and last year did a wonderful pencil drawing of me, which was very flattering to say the least!)
With her deep, smoky and resonant vocal style, and masterful ability to cover multiple genres ranging from blues and hard rock to pop and country with ease, she’s become an international music star, winning numerous music awards over the past several years, including the 2018 Josie World Music Artist Award, which was presented to her in Nashville, Tennessee. More recently, her song “All of My Love” has been nominated for an International Portuguese Music Awards People’s Choice Award in two categories.
While Lyia often writes her own songs, she also collaborates with other songwriters and musicians from time to time, not only to broaden her own musical horizons, but also to support other songwriters. With that in mind, for her latest single “Now I Know the Reason Why” she collaborated with songwriters Mike Jones and Jerry Jake Howard, Sr. The song was inspired by a true story and written from first hand experience, and although it’s not Lyia’s own story, the powerful lyrics strongly resonated with her. The song was produced by R. Gary Farmer, who also played organ and keyboards. Session musicians Michael Headrick played steel and lead guitar, Chips Roland played bass and Al Samples played drums.
“Now I Know the Reason Why” is a beautiful, blues-soaked country song about the sorrow and pain that comes from losing someone you love to another. The bittersweet lyrics are from the point of view of a woman seeing the man she loves marry another woman. It’s the kind of heartbreaking torch song Patsy Cline could have sung back in her day, and Lyia’s marvelous heart-wrenching and bluesy vocal performance makes us believe she’s lived every word of it. Listening to her sing, it’s easy to think she’s from Nashville rather than Kuala Lumpur. The instrumentals and music arrangement are superb, and I especially love the terrific organ, piano and steel guitar that give the track its wonderful country flavor. It’s a great song.
I saw my baby with her yesterday Oh how it hurts, it was his wedding day I saw my love walk down the aisle I heard the words they had to say I heard them say ’til death do us part’ Every word was hurting my heart And I saw the way he kissed her And how he held her so tight
I saw the way he held her hand in his And lord, all I could do was cry Because I’m losing the one who loves me And now I know the reason why
I saw the way he kissed her And I saw the look in her eyes And then I heard them say ‘I do’ And all I could do was cry
I saw my love walk down the aisle with his new love And then I watched them drive away Lord I lost my true love on that day And now I know, yes now I know the reason why
2019 was another great year for music, with so much of it being released that even the most avid music junkie couldn’t possibly keep up with it all. With all the digital music applications and software available today, as well as music platforms like Soundcloud, Reverbnation and Bandcamp, it’s easier than ever for aspiring artists to create music from their bedroom and get it out there for public consumption, and I’ve written about quite a few of them. In fact, this year a third of the songs on my Top 100 list are by indie or unsigned artists.
As a music blogger, I’m exposed to a tremendous amount of music. I receive 5-10 submissions a day from artists, PR reps and labels wanting me to review their music, so I listen to A LOT of it in the course of a year. Nevertheless, I realize I’ve heard only a fraction of all the singles and albums released in 2019. Consequently, my list includes only songs I know, and I’m certain there are some great ones that should be on this list, except that I’ve never heard them! That said, there were so many outstanding songs in 2019, and it frustrates me to have to cull them down to only 100, omitting scores of tracks I really like. And a song ranked at #40 isn’t necessarily better than one at #60.
Music tastes are very subjective, so it’s guaranteed that not a single person reading this will agree with my song choices or their rankings. My list contains my favorite songs of the year, not necessarily songs that were ‘popular’ or influential. I’m now late middle-aged, so my song picks are going to reflect that, though I do still have my guilty pleasures. But you won’t find the tiresome “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus (which was the longest-running #1 song ever on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the #1 song of 2019) on this list.
Many bloggers and critics list songs in the year they were released, while Billboard and other charts generally place them in the year they were ‘hits,’ which is what I prefer. Most of the songs on this list were released in 2019, however, a number of them were released in 2018. Because there are always a few songs that overlap from one year to the next, I include those songs on lists for both years if they spent enough time on the charts in each year. The songs in this Top 100 that also appeared on my Top 100 Songs of 2018 are indicated with an *. I’ve created a Spotify playlist for this list, which is included at the end of the post. Hopefully you’ll find some of your own personal favorites on this list. Let me know what songs were your favorites of 2019.
1. I SEE YOU – MISSIO
It’s not often that I love an entire album at first listen, but that was exactly the case with The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man by Austin, Texas-based duo MISSIO. (Read my review here). Comprised of singer-songwriter/producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and instrumentalist David Butler, MISSIO’s unique, eclectic sound is a glorious mashup of alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dream pop. In 2017, they released their outstanding debut album Loner, which generated several singles, two of which – “Middle Fingers” and the mesmerizing “Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea” – ended up on my Top 100 Songs of 2017 list. Their follow-up album The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man is equally superb; three of its songs are included among my Top 100 Songs of 2019. “I See You” was the third single from the album, and it’s my favorite song of the year. This was confirmed by my Spotify Wrapped report, which identified it as my most-streamed song of 2019.
And what a gorgeous song it is, at once sad yet hopeful, and brimming with emotional intensity and sweeping instrumentals. Brue’s beautiful, stirring vocals bring chills as he sings the poignant lyrics that can be interpreted as being directed either to a loved one or to oneself, reassuring the intended that they are understood, supported and loved despite their shortcomings. “I’m alone with you, you’re alone with me. What a mess you’ve made of everything. I’m alone with you, you’re alone with me. And I’m hoping that you will see yourself like I see you.”
2. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey
One of the most delectable songs of 2019 is “Doin’ Time” by Lana Del Rey, from her stunning and critically-acclaimed album Norman Fucking Rockwell, which she co-produced with Jack Antonoff. It’s a cover of the song originally recorded by the ska punk band Sublime, which itself samples the great classic “Summertime” from the musical Porgy and Bess, written in 1934 by George and Ira Gerwshin, with lyrics by DuBose Heyward. Del Rey’s version is faithful to Sublime’s ska vibe, but her beautiful, seductive vocals and dreamy instrumentals take the song to a whole new level, as well as capturing the languid, sultry feel of the original “Summertime”. I love that she kept the lyrics and pronouns exactly as written by Sublime, which describe a cheating girlfriend whose infidelities and poor treatment of her lover makes him feel like he’s in prison. “Me and my girl, we got this relationship. I love her so bad, but she treats me like shit. On lockdown, like a penitentiary. She spreads her lovin’ all over, and when she gets home, there’s none left for me.”
3. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant are one of my favorite bands of the past decade, with a long string of consistently great singles. The title track from their fifth studio album Social Cues, this song now ranks among my top favorites of their many songs. The bouncy tempo is incredibly catchy, and those chirpy synths are irresistible, but what I love most of all are Matt Shultz’s wonderful vocals that always sound so genuine. The rather poignant lyrics speak to the anxieties and insecurities of being a rock star: “Hide me in the back room, tell me when it’s over. Don’t know if I can play this part much longer. I don’t know if it is right to live this way, yeah. I’ll be in the back room, tell me when it’s over. People always say, ‘Man, at least you’re on the radio’.” The song’s production and arrangement are flawless.
4. BAD GUY – Billie Eilish
2019 was a huge year for the insanely talented young Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Billie Eilish (her full birth name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell). With the meteoric success of her ground-breaking debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, one of the biggest-selling albums of 2019, she became a superstar. I was blown away by her riveting performance at this year’s Coachella Music Festival, when she was only 17 years old. “Bad Guy” reached #1 on numerous music charts in the U.S. (where it thankfully ended the 19-week run at #1 of “Old Town Road”) and around the world, including Australia, Canada, Mexico, Greece, Hungary, Norway and the Czech Republic. Musically, the song has an unusual minimalist bass-driven melody that pulls us headlong into a thumping, ominous soundscape. Eilish’s clipped, breathy vocals have a seductive, almost menacing quality as she sings the provocative lyrics that seem beyond her tender years, yet she makes them believable. “I’m that bad type. Make your mama sad type. Make your girlfriend mad tight. Might seduce your dad type. I’m the bad guy, duh.” It’s brilliant!
5. TRAMPOLINE – SHAED
Indie dream-pop band SHAED is based in Washington, D.C., and consists of lead vocalist Chelsea Lee and multi-instrumentalists and twin brothers Max and Spencer Ernst. After struggling for several years to gain traction in the music business, they struck gold with their haunting breakthrough single “Trampoline”. The song was originally released back in May 2018, but got little airplay until it was featured in an Apple MacBook Air commercial that October, and the song quickly took off. The song debuted on the Billboard Alternative Chart in early December 2018, and as I write this one year later, it’s still in the Top 10! The gorgeous track was named the #1 song of 2019 on the Alternative Chart, and finishes at #5 on my list. SHAED’s inspiration for the song came one night as the trio sat together watching old family videos of Spencer and Max jumping on a trampoline as small children. The song’s meaning has been the subject of debate, ranging from death to suicide to drug addiction, but SHAED simply wanted to write a great song loosely based on the idea of the Stranger Things alternative dimension “Upside Down”.(Genius.com). This is artfully captured in the beautiful and stylish video for the song.
6. CHLORINE – twenty øne piløts
As far as I’m concerned, twenty øne piløts can do no wrong, and are one of my favorite bands of all time. Incorporating too many different genres to mention, and a vast array of instruments and synth sounds, they combine them with intricate, complex melodies, brilliant lyrics and Tyler Joseph’s amazing vocals to create truly unique and spectacular music. “Chlorine” is the third single from their monumental concept album Trench, and their seventh single to reach #1 on my Weekly Top 30. The song was co-written by Joseph and MUTEMATH frontman Paul Meany, who produced Trench, and whose voice we hear in the opening lines. They’ve stated the lyrics address how creativity can cleanse dark impulses, but also cause pain. Like many of the tracks on Trench, the song has a complex melodic structure, and shows a growing maturity in twenty one pilots’ sound and music style. I love the sweeping, spacey synths, Josh Dun’s sharp percussion and Joseph’s haunting layered vocals. The wonderful little twinkling piano riff adds a slightly menacing vibe to the track. It’s a dark and stunning song, and Joseph’s plaintive vocals in the final chorus are exquisite as he laments “I’m so sorry I forgot you. Let me catch you up to speed. I’ve been tested like the ends of a weathered flag that’s by the sea. Can you build my house with pieces? I’m just a chemical.”
7. SUPERPOSITION – Young the Giant
Alt-rock band Young the Giant has an instantly recognizable sound unlike no other, thanks to their brilliant instrumentation and front man Sameer Gadhia’s distinctive vocals. Formed in Orange County, California in late 2009, they just celebrated their 10th anniversary as a band, and I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert this past August. “Superposition” is the second single from their fourth studio album Mirror Master, and one of their most beautiful songs. Starting with a deep bass line and a rhythmic toe-tapping drumbeat, the band layers moody synths, delicate piano keys and an enchanting ukelele riff to create a gorgeous backdrop for Gadhia’s captivating vocals, which are in turn backed by lovely vocal harmonies. The term ‘superposition’ is used in physics to describe how things or items in nature overlap or interact. For the song, Young the Giant uses the term to describe the strong pull or connection we feel to those we love, and how fate and inexplicable events can bring us together, which they artfully express in the lyrics: “Superposition aims with imprecision. But when things can’t be explained – superposition. In any universe you are my dark star. I want you to want me. Why don’t we rely on chemistry? Why don’t we collide the spaces that divide us?”
8. WANDER – Vox Eagle*
Vox Eagle is the music project of Australian-born and now Colorado-based singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Andy Crosby, an indie artist I’ve featured numerous times on this blog over the past three years. One of the tracks from his outstanding 2018 album TriumAvium, “Wander” is the highest ranking song from an indie artist on this year’s list. It’s an enchanting mashup of melodic dream rock and hip hop, and when those magical keyboard and string synths wash over us like a shower of tiny diamonds, I’m covered with goosebumps. Eventually, a trip hop beat ensues as Andy freestyles about how communication has broken down in his relationship, his vocals going from sultry to falsetto as he sings: “We don’t talk no more, baby girl, we just wander.” Guest vocalist Pierre Fontaine’s smooth rap vocals take over for the last third of the track, adding another element of texture as he freestyles “We don’t try hard no more. / Where we all gon’ go, where we all gon’ go? We just wander, we just wander.” I love this spectacular song so much I’ve probably listened to it five hundred times.
9. THE HYPE – twenty øne piløts
I love every song by twenty øne piløts, and “The Hype” is no exception. The fourth consecutive single from Trench to reach #1 on both my and the Billboard Alternative charts, it topped the charts more than a year after “Jumpsuit”, a testament to the album’s high quality and staying power. “The Hype” is a beautiful and compelling song about remaining hopeful through difficult times, both mentally and physically. Tyler Joseph told Coup de Main magazine that the lyrics are told from the point of view of a younger version of himself. “Nice to know my kind will be on my side. I don’t believe the hype. And you know you’re a terrible sight, but you’ll be just fine. Just don’t believe the hype.”
10. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities
Australian dream rock band Crystal Cities have come a long way over the past three years, from a garage in Sydney to Abbey Road Studios in London, where they recorded their extraordinary debut album Under the Cold Light of the Moon. The gorgeous, similarly titled lead single is my #10 song of 2019. Crystal Cities consists of Geoff Rana (Vocals, Guitars), Jared King (JK) (Bass, Backing Vocals) and Daniel Conte (Drums). The song was inspired by the courageous North Korean girl Yeonmi Park, who bravely escaped North Korea in search of freedom. After seeing her moving speech at the One Young World Summit 2014 in Dublin, Ireland, where she told the audience “When I was crossing the Gobi desert, scared of dying, I thought nobody in this world cared. It seemed that only the stars were with me. But you have listened to my story. You have cared. Thank you very much”, Rana felt compelled to interpret her story through a song. The uplifting track features vibrant, layered guitars, driving bass and galloping percussion that conjure up dramatic images of Park escaping on horseback. The addition of lush orchestral strings create a stirring, cinematic wall of sound that does justice to Park’s epic tale of survival. The beautiful animated video tells the adventure of her harrowing nighttime escape.
11. READY TO LET GO – Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant are back with their second song on this year’s list, “Ready to Let Go”. The track was the first single from Social Cues, and reached #1 on both the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative charts, as well as my Weekly Top 30. The song has a slower, bluesy melody, with a strong thumping drumbeat, deep bass groove and terrific guitar work. The lyrics speak to the realization that their relationship is broken beyond repair and the time has come to end it: “Don’t you worry, baby, no sense trying to change it. I’ma strike these matches, never had control. I’m ready to let go, no, was I fooling myself? I’ma spread these ashes, never had control. I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready to let go.”
12. CIRCLES – Post Malone
Post Malone (born Austin Richard Post) is one of the biggest music artists today, churning out hit after hit since exploding onto the music scene five years ago with “White Iverson”. His wonderfully eclectic sound draws from hip hop, rap, R&B, rock, pop, grunge and country, and Malone himself has referred to his music as “genre-less.” “Circles” is the fourth single from his phenomenal, critically-acclaimed third album Hollywood Bleeding. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a huge hit worldwide, reaching #1 in Iceland, Malaysia and New Zealand. I’ve seen a few complaints that it’s too ‘pop’, but I love it, and it’s my favorite of his many songs. The sweetly strummed guitars, deep bass, keyboards and thumping drums are all exquisite, and set to an infectious, hauntingly beautiful melody. Malone’s impassioned vocals lament of a relationship in which the flame has gone out: “Seasons change and our love went cold. Feed the flame ’cause we can’t let go. Run away, but we’re running in circles. Run away, run away.” It’s perfection from start to finish.
13. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE
British electro-rock band IAMWARFACE are one of the best indie bands in the UK right now. Based in Brighton and London, their aggressive name is a fitting metaphor for their bombastic groove-based sound, and I’ve been thrilled to feature them on this blog many times. From the moment I first heard their debut single “Say My Name” in 2016 – which I likened to being hit by an atomic blast – I’ve been a devoted fan. Since their debut, they’ve continued to deliver one incredible song after another; three of their singles – “Say My Name”, “Closer” and “Fear the Future” – have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart. “Fear the Future” is a scathing attack on all the banal music and entertainment, bullshit and fear-mongering being fed to the masses in a pernicious attempt to dumb-down and divide us, making us more willing to be controlled. Musically, the song features the band’s signature explosive instrumentation and massive, driving rhythms, making for a incredibly exhilarating song that slams us against the wall. Front man Matt Warneford has a commanding powerhouse singing voice, and raises our adrenaline with his dramatic impassioned vocals. The disturbing video brilliantly brings the dark lyrics to life.
14. GO – The Black Keys
What can I say about The Black Keys other than that they’re fucking awesome! Friends since childhood, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have been putting out fantastic blues/garage rock for almost 20 years. “Go” is from their ninth album “Let’s Rock”, and saw The Black Keys return to their roots after a three year long hiatus that had some speculating they had, or were considering, splitting up. It was their first release since their previous album Turn Blue in 2014, marking the longest gap between studio albums in their career. The two were simply burned out from touring, and Carney had also seriously injured his shoulder in a swimming accident, which took longer to recover than anticipated. During their hiatus, they were involved in numerous projects of their own or with other artists, including Auerbach’s band The Arcs, with whom he released an album in 2015.
After collaborating with producer Danger Mouse for their previous four albums, the duo decided to self-produce “Let’s Rock”, scrapping the keyboards in favor of just guitar, drums, and vocals. The guys got together at a recording studio in September 2018 to begin working on “Let’s Rock”, and within a few minutes, they were playing together as if no time had passed. “Go” is a short song, running only two and a half minutes, and features fairly sparse lyrics about getting out of one’s rut and hitting the open road. But man, Auerbach’s blazing riffs in the bridge are positively spine-tingling! The hilarious video pokes fun at the rumor they hated each other.
15. DARK PLACES – The Frontier
I realize I’m sounding like a broken record as I keep describing so many of the songs on this list as “gorgeous”, but dammit, the term applies to “Dark Places” by Virginia indie pop/rock band The Frontier in spades. I’ve followed The Frontier for several years, and am immensely proud of them for producing such a wonderful track as this. As the title implies, the song is dark, but also quite stunning, with a captivating sensual melody and shimmery synths, accompanied by subtle guitars, thumping bass and crisp percussion. Front man Jake Mimikos’ smooth, ardent vocals are enthralling as he sings of the internal struggles many of us experience with our darker side, and the attendant fears, anxieties, anger and even bad thoughts we must grapple with: “I’ve been to dark places in my mind. Seeing shadows in the night. It gets a little lonely when I’m in dark places in my mind, falling further from the light.” Jake stated that he was inspired to write the song by a show he watched on Netflix about serial killers.
16. COMING UP FOR AIR – Mars Motel
Mars Motel is an immensely talented alternative dream rock band hailing from Brooklyn, New York, and they make some of the most captivating music of any band I’ve heard. Their single “Coming Up for Air” is a real stunner of a tune, with swirling riffs of chiming guitars backed by shimmery synths and a pleasing rhythm section of gentle bass and thumping drumbeats. They all meld into a lush, sweeping backdrop for lead singer Sarik Kumar’s beautiful soaring vocals. He explained “This song is about an android-like being longing to be human and attempting an alteration. It captures the universal need for connection and the loneliness one can feel in being viewed as an outsider.”
17. UNDERGROUND – MISSIO
I’ve already gushed about how much I love MISSIO and their album The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man, and another of my favorite tracks from that album is “Underground“. The song instantly hooked me with its irresistible hip hop beat, trippy vibes and deliriously catchy melody. MISSIO combines an array of synthesizers, instruments and textures to create a dense, almost psychedelic sound, and I love Matthew Brue’s distinctive vocal style that registers in the higher range, just below a falsetto. He fervently croons of his frustration that success and money haven’t brought the happiness and peace of mind he expected: “I’m down. I should be on top, but I’m always underground. Things are lookin’ up, but I’m making myself drown. High anxiety that money just compounds. I’ll be right here, just waiting underground.”
18. YOU? – Two Feet
Ever since first hearing his dark and sultry “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” early in 2018, I’ve had a huge man crush on Two Feet. Based in New York City and born Zachary William “Bill” Dess, Two Feet is a soulful singer-songwriter who’s become one of the finest blues guitarists today. His songs are slow burns, characterized by scorching bluesy riffs and intense, booming basslines that cut straight to the core. I had the pleasure of seeing him live in Los Angeles in November 2018 (you can read my review here), and he spent the first few months of 2019 touring with Panic! At the Disco, which exposed him to a whole new audience who hadn’t heard of him previously. I relished all the tweets from fans who’d gone to see PATD, and came away excited new fans of Two Feet. In the fall of 2019, he began releasing new singles in advance of his forthcoming album Pink. One of those singles is “You?”, which is fucking incredible, and his guitar work and vocals sound better than ever. He had an official video made for the song, but I like this live performance better, as it features a killer extended guitar solo that really showcases his guitar skills. You can hear the original version on the Spotify playlist at the end of this post.
19. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed
Los Angeles-based duo Ships Have Sailed have built a huge following over the past several years with their pleasing style of alternative pop-rock, characterized by infectious melodies, uplifting lyrics, and sublime instrumentation. This past February, they released their deeply moving anthem “Escape”, which I loved so much it spent five months on my Weekly Top 30, going all the way to #1. Vocalist Will Carpenter has a beautiful voice with an impressive range. As the music intensifies in the third verse, with drummer Art Andranikyan’s crashing cymbals and assertive drumbeats adding drama to the track, Will’s vocals rise to the occasion, becoming raw and impassioned, and raising goosebumps on the back of my neck. “Escape” is about a person struggling with personal demons and addiction. About the song, Will explained “Born as the stark expression of an especially trying year, ‘Escape’ represents a shift from what we’ve become best known for, exposing a more vulnerable angle. It represents musical honesty in its most raw form, and we truly hope it makes you feel something.” It certainly resonated with me.
20. FALLING WITH STYLE – Heist At Five
Heist At Five is a wickedly talented and undeniably charismatic electro-rock band based in London, but with an international pedigree. Band front man and lead vocalist Oskar Abrahamsson is from Sweden, bassist Marco “Fuzz” Paone is from Italy, guitarist Jozef Veselsky is from Slovakia, and drummer Josh Needham is from England. Together, they play an aggressive, innovative style of alternative rock that borders on experimental, with complex melodies, intricate chord progressions and spine-tingling electronic and guitar-heavy instrumentation. I’ve featured them a number of times on this blog, most recently when I reviewed their magnificent single “Falling With Style”. The band states that the song “is about fully embracing the idea of failure and finding comfort in it.” The imaginative and surreal video tells the story of a young woman who sees moments of her life in flashbacks, which ends up changing her perspective about life, and in the process breaks her old pattern of decision making.
21. GUIDING LIGHT – Mumford & Sons*
22. SIGUE CON EL AMOR – John Defeo
23. DISAPPEAR – Western Jaguar
24. POWER OVER ME – Dermot Kennedy
25. LONGSHOT – Catfish and the Bottlemen
26. BURY A FRIEND – Billie Eilish
27. SOMEONE YOU LOVED – Lewis Capaldi
28. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion
29. SUNFLOWER – Post Malone, Swae Lee
30. RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE DEVIL – Revolvers
31. DELTA BLUES – Jetstream
32. HIGH HOPES – Panic! At the Disco
33. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart
34. ALLIGATOR – Of Monsters and Men
35. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike
36. DISSOLVE – Absofacto
37. WHEN AM I GONNA LOSE YOU – Local Natives
38. IN THE WATER – The Underground Vault
39. HURT – Oliver Tree
40. CRINGE – Matt Maeson
41. ROOM TO BREATHE – Made of Eyes
42. LOVE IT IF WE MADE IT – The 1975
43. VOLCANO – Feather Weight
44. STILL FEEL. – half-alive
45. CHANGE – The Revivalists
46. ASSUME FORM – James Blake
47. YOU’RE SOMEBODY ELSE – flora cash*
48. BACK DOWN – Bob Moses
49. FIGHTER – Joseph
50. UNDER THESE SCARS – Falling Into Red featuring Dev
51. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper
52. STAY HIGH – Brittany Howard
53. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score
54. SEVENTEEN – Sharon Van Etten
55. MIGHT BE RIGHT – White Reaper
56. THE MIDDLE – Agency Panic
57. S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun) – The Glorious Sons
58. HARMONY HALL – Vampire Weekend
59. RAD DRUGZ – MISSIO
60. HOME – morgxn featuring WALK THE MOON
61. PATIENCE – Tame Impala
62. TWILIGHT – Anderson .Paak
63. APOCALIPSTICK – Lazy Queen
64. THESE ARE MY FRIENDS – lovelytheband
65. TIME – Morosity
66. DRIFTING AWAY – Stereohaze
67. WHITE LIES & PALM TREES – The Lovepools
68. HEAT OF THE SUMMER – Young the Giant
69. FAST TALK – Houses
70. BELOVED – Mumford & Sons
71. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz
72. PRESSURE – Muse
73. NORTHERN LIGHTS – Death Cab for Cutie
74. LOVE CRAZY – Karolina Rose
75. “99” – Barns Courtney
76. FOUR WINDS – Unquiet Nights
77. GOODBYES – Post Malone featuring Young Thug
78. OBSESSION – Joywave
79. LONELY – Secret American
80. CALM DOWN – Pete Yorn
81. SECRETS – The Million Reasons
82. EXITS – Foals
83. SAW LIGHTNING – Beck
84. WANNACRY – Darksoft
85. MOVEMENT – Hozier
86. NOVOCAINE – The Unlikely Candidates
87. REWARD – Paul Iwan
88. LIGHT ON – Maggie Rogers
89. HERE WE GO – Ben Priory & Charlie Pereira
90. THIS LIFE – Vampire Weekend
91. THANK U, NEXT – Ariana Grande
92. GENERATION Y – Guide Dog
93. CELLOPHANE – FKA Twigs
94. 16 – Highly Suspect
95. SECRET THAT LIES BEHIND – The Gear
96. STORM WILL COME – Morgendust
97. LO/HI – The Black Keys
98. DESERVING OF LOVE – Lyia Meta
99. BROTHERS – Harroland
100. SPAZTIC ROBOT – Spaztic Robot
1. SOMEONE YOU LOVED – Lewis Capaldi (3)
2. THE HYPE – twenty one pilots (1)
3. CIRCLES – Post Malone (4)
4. UNDERGROUND – MISSIO (5)
5. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (2)
6. DISSOLVE – Absofacto (7)
7. YOU? – Two Feet (10)
8. FIGHTER – Joseph (8)
9. UNDER THESE SCARS – Falling Into Red featuring Dev (9)
10. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion (6)
11. STAY HIGH – Brittany Howard (12)
12. WANNACRY – Darksoft (13)
13. DRIFTING AWAY – Stereohaze (14)
14. THE MIDDLE – Agency Panic (11)
15. 16 – Highly Suspect (17)
16. OBSESSION – Joywave (18)
17. WHITE LIES & PALM TREES – The Lovepools (19)
18. LONELY – Secret American (20)
19. CALM DOWN – Pete Yorn (23)
20. NO BULLETS SPENT – Spoon (22)
21. ORPHANS – Coldplay (28)
22. NOVOCAINE – The Unlikely Candidates (24)
23. REWARD – Paul Iwan (25)
24. SECRETS – The Million Reasons (15)
25. GO – The Black Keys (16) 20th week on list
26. ALL THE GOOD GIRLS GO TO HELL – Billie Eilish (29)
27. MIGHT BE RIGHT – White Reaper (30)
28. DESERVING OF LOVE – Lyia Meta (21)
29. THE END OF THE GAME – Weezer (N)
30. MAN ON THE MOON – The Common View (N)
1. THE HYPE – twenty one pilots (1)
2. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (2)
3. SOMEONE YOU LOVED – Lewis Capaldi (4)
4. CIRCLES – Post Malone (5)
5. UNDERGROUND – MISSIO (6)
6. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion (3)
7. DISSOLVE – Absofacto (7)
8. FIGHTER – Joseph (9)
9. UNDER THESE SCARS – Falling Into Red featuring Dev (10)
10. YOU? – Two Feet (12)
11. THE MIDDLE – Agency Panic (8)
12. STAY HIGH – Brittany Howard (14)
13. WANNACRY – Darksoft (15)
14. DRIFTING AWAY – Stereohaze (16)
15. SECRETS – The Million Reasons (11)
16. GO – The Black Keys (13) 19th week on list
17. 16 – Highly Suspect (18)
18. OBSESSION – Joywave (19)
19. WHITE LIES & PALM TREES – The Lovepools (20)
20. LONELY – Secret American (24)
21. DESERVING OF LOVE – Lyia Meta (17)
22. NO BULLETS SPENT – Spoon (23)
23. CALM DOWN – Pete Yorn (26)
24. NOVOCAINE – The Unlikely Candidates (28)
25. REWARD – Paul Iwan (30)
26. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (21) 18th week on list
27. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (22) 21st week on list
28. ORPHANS – Coldplay (N)
29. ALL THE GOOD GIRLS GO TO HELL – Billie Eilish (N)
30. MIGHT BE RIGHT – White Reaper (N)
1. THE HYPE – twenty one pilots (2)
2. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (1)
3. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion (3)
4. SOMEONE YOU LOVED – Lewis Capaldi (4)
5. CIRCLES – Post Malone (5)
6. UNDERGROUND – MISSIO (8)
7. DISSOLVE – Absofacto (7)
8. THE MIDDLE – Agency Panic (9)
9. FIGHTER – Joseph (10)
10. UNDER THESE SCARS – Falling Into Red featuring Dev (12)
11. SECRETS – The Million Reasons (11)
12. YOU? – Two Feet (16)
13. GO – The Black Keys (6)
14. STAY HIGH – Brittany Howard (20)
15. WANNACRY – Darksoft (17)
16. DRIFTING AWAY – Stereohaze (18)
17. DESERVING OF LOVE – Lyia Meta (19)
18. 16 – Highly Suspect (22)
19. OBSESSION – Joywave (23)
20. WHITE LIES & PALM TREES – The Lovepools (24)
21. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (13)
22. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (14) 20th week on list
23. NO BULLETS SPENT – Spoon (27)
24. LONELY – Secret American (28)
25. HEAT OF THE SUMMER – Young the Giant (15)
26. CALM DOWN – Pete Yorn (29)
27. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey (21) 19th week on list
28. NOVOCAINE – The Unlikely Candidates (30)
29. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (25)
30. REWARD – Paul Iwan (N)
1. SOCIAL CUES – Cage the Elephant (1)
2. THE HYPE – twenty one pilots (2)
3. GOOD THINGS FALL APART – ILLENIUM with Jon Bellion (4)
4. SOMEONE YOU LOVED – Lewis Capaldi (5)
5. CIRCLES – Post Malone (9)
6. GO – The Black Keys (3)
7. DISSOLVE – Absofacto (10)
8. UNDERGROUND – MISSIO (15)
9. THE MIDDLE – Agency Panic (11)
10. FIGHTER – Joseph (14)
11. SECRETS – The Million Reasons (12)
12. UNDER THESE SCARS – Falling Into Red (13)
13. RAGGED TOWN – Second Player Score (7)
14. UNDER THE COLD LIGHT OF THE MOON – Crystal Cities (6) 19th week on list
15. HEAT OF THE SUMMER – Young the Giant (8)
16. YOU? – Two Feet (27)
17. WANNACRY – Darksoft (18)
18. DRIFTING AWAY – Stereohaze (22)
19. DESERVING OF LOVE – Lyia Meta (21)
20. STAY HIGH – Brittany Howard (28)
21. DOIN’ TIME – Lana Del Rey (19)
22. 16 – Highly Suspect (23)
23. OBSESSION – Joywave (24)
24. WHITE LIES & PALM TREES – The Lovepools (26)
25. 3 NIGHTS – Dominic Fike (16)
26. CRINGE – Matt Maeson (17)
27. NO BULLETS SPENT – Spoon (29)
28. LONELY – Secret American (30)
29. CALM DOWN – Pete Yorn (N)
30. NOVOCAINE – The Unlikely Candidates (N)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 