Listen: Running Red Lights – “Under The Wire”
Posted in Indie Rock
Stream: Passenger Peru – “Heavy Drugs”
LITS’s Top 10 Tracks Of 2013 – Phillip Imkamp
10. Stay – Patrck James from All About To Change – EP
Too me Patrick James is one of the up and coming artists of 2014. He released his debut all All About To Change EP this year, and to this is by far my favorite track. Just Patrick James and his piano.
9. Country Way – Rainbow Danger Club from SOUVENIRS
Since the sad depart and split up of Boys Climbing Ropes, Rainbow Danger Club are now the number one local band in Shanghai. Country Way is one of their calmer, folk orientated songs, and the accompanying harmonica makes it a great song to relax to.
8. Them – Little Green Cars from Absolute Zero
Another band to look out for in 2014, Little Green Cars craft some great harmonies. Although this song moves away from their more acoustic sound, it still has a nice electric guitar feel.
7. Give Me Some Love – We Are Monroe from Volume One
From one of my favorite new bands, their song Give Me Some Love is one of the faster tracks on my list. In this song you are able to hear the amazing vocal range that their lead singer possess, with power and control. A great song on a fantastic EP.
6. Backyard Skulls – Frightened Rabbit from Pedestrian Verse
At first I wasn’t too keen on the new Frightened Rabbit album, with my expectations being too high after their incredible first album. But after listening to it more and more, I got really into it, and Backyard Skulls became a standout track. This song has that classic Frightened Rabbit touch to it that can never go wrong.
5. Comrade – Volcano Choir from Repave
When hearing that Bon Iver broke up I was extremely upset but when discovering that the former front man, Justin Vernon, has his new project, I felt a little better. Though Volcano Choir may never live up to Bon Iver, it is still great to hear the trademark Vernon falsetto, and Comrade really expresses that. For those of you with Bon Iver withdrawal, I recommend giving this a listen to.
4. Polaroid Picture – Frank Turner from Tape Deck Heart
Having gained more popularity this year, Frank Turner was easily going to make this list, the only question was, which song? I personally found Polaroid Picture my favorite song of his while making this list, but almost any one of his tracks from the album Tape Deck Heart could have made it.
3. Slumville Sunrise – Jake Bugg from Shangri La
After getting the break out recognition that he so thoroughly deserves, Jake Bugg has not slowed down. We were lucky enough to have him release his newest album in November, with Slumville Sunrise being my favorite song from it. It’s classic Jake Bugg, with a smooth guitar, guitar riffs throughout, and a great shouting worthy chorus. With two albums under his belt at such a young age, he’s just going to get bigger and better.
2. Lone Survivor – Castlecomer from Lone Survivor – EP
A personal favorite band that I have been following for the past four years, they finally released their second EP during this past summer, and it did not disappoint. With their perfect harmonies, and acoustic guitar melodies, you can’t go wrong with Lone Survivor.
1. I Forget Where We Were (Live) – Ben Howard from N/A
Finally the one I was most excited about, Ben Howard is one of the best singer songwriters of our current generation. After going on hiatus after winning two Brits, Ben Howard has come back blazing. Though he hasn’t relseased a recording of this song yet, it has been my favorite in every live show he’s played. He has moved away from using an acoustic guitar, and instead has picked up a gritty electric guitar. This combined with his pure passion for the music he makes I can not wait for a new release in early 2014. If the rest of the songs are half as good as I Forget Where We Were then it’s sure to be a classic.
LITS’s Top 10 Tracks Of 2013 – Erik Barns
10. Idol – Smith Westerns from Soft Will
The Smith Westerns have such a nice feel good sound, as Harri remarked. The whole album flows really well. Gotta show some love for the bois comin out of chi-town, ya dig?
9. Opposite of Afternoon – Unknown Mortal Orchestra from II
Even though they have even more current work than II, Opposite of Afternoon was the song that really turned me onto the rest of their songs. A really mystical and psychadelic sound that always feels really smooth.
8. On Doing An Evil Deed Blues – Lil Ugly Mane from Prelude to Panopticon
The song changes its sound a lot as it progresses but I love the production. I’m a sucker for some nice brass instruments thrown in there for a bit too, you have to love that brass.
7. Sleep Apnea – Beach Fossils from Clash The Truth
Sleep Apnea really turns down the tone of Clash The Truth, but I loved how Beach Fossils used some acoustic guitars and just went with this extremely dreamy melody. There are other favorite tracks off this album but at first listen Sleep Apnea caught my attention and I’ve loved it since.
6. What Drugs Got To Do With It? – Pussy Wizard from What Drugs Got To Do With It?
Pussy Wizard remarks that this is “15 minutes of shits and giggles” but I loved it. Whether or not this compilation of songs is a joke, it has some really sick tunes in it. It tends to be pretty low key but has a few drops in the heavily distorted beat that just hit me like a wall.
5. Dig Deep Enough – Gogol Bordello from Pura Vida Conspiracy
I have to throw some love at Gogol Bordello. Dig Deep Enough reminded me a lot of the song “Ultimate”, a really pleasant song that isn’t afraid to get down and dirty. A lot of fluctuation between punk and softer acoustic sounds.
4. Kill Someone – Cool Serbia from Cool Serbia
Kill Someone has a kind of dark sound but has a lot of jams in it.
3. A Lizard State – King Krule from 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
This song is just really groovy, a really catchy guitar that feels really jazzy to me. I loved the whole album and would have thrown it all up here if I could have. Really stoked to see what else he does in the future.
2. Philadelphia – Mumblr from White Jesus/Black God
I kind of wish I could combine Philadelphia, Cats, Yo Nobody Gives a Feel, and Space God all in one “top track”. These songs are relatively short and are intended to go together on the tape. The combination is just a really fun set of songs for me.
1. Side One – Lil Ugly Mane from Three Sided Tape Volume Two
Side One is probably not a very reasonable choice for a top track. It’s a mixture of short beats often with a few rap verses thrown in there but I love each an every beat on it. They all are just so phat, it makes the 16 minute compilation just kind of fly by.
LITS’s Top 10 Tracks Of 2013 – Keith Yeo
10. So Long Soldier – All Time Low from Don’t Panic: It’s Longer Now!
In October, pop-punk giants All Time Low re-released their 2012 record Don’t Panic, entitled Don’t Panic: It’s Longer Now! (haha penis joke??) promising four brand new songs to the original track list (along with the obligatory acoustic versions of the bigger songs on the album, of course). While I definitely didn’t love the new songs (A Love Like War featuring Pierce The Veil frontman Vic Fuentes felt like a waste of a great collaboration with a ton of potential), the re-release pushed me to revisit the 12 songs ATL released in 2012, and, damn, So Long Soldier was a good fucking song. Alex Gaskarth tells the story of his journey from being a “little boy from just outside of London” to becoming the “voice of a generation” with his powerful vocals, highlighted by aggressive guitar riffs played over Rian Dawson’s lightning speed drumming. So Long Soldier is an awesome throwback to the band’s early punk roots, and gives long time fans incredible amounts of nostalgia which is something that I’ll always appreciate from any band as big as All Time Low. (Also that guitar riff, goddamn!)
9. Peace Sign – Lights from Siberia (Acoustic)
Siberia (Acoustic) is pretty much exactly what the name suggests, an acoustic reinvention of Lights’ second album Siberia. The acoustic album was a really interesting take on the synth pop (and occasional dubstep) flavor of the original. The track Peace Sign features fellow canadian singer, Coeur De Pirate, who contributes her voice to half the song… IN FRENCH. Safe to say it took me by surprise, the french translation of the original lyrics give the track an interesting spin, making it much more than a plain, boring “acousticyfied” rendition. Additionally, (after a quick wikipedia check) I feel that it was a sick way to include the francophone from Montreal who is credited with “bringing la chanson française to a whole new generation of Quebec youth”. Peace Sign (Acoustic) is a great, mellow spin on the more upbeat original (which I also love), dishing out a more intimate listening experience with a finger plucked acoustic guitar and small touches of orchestral strings. And besides, french lyrics make everything at least 20% better.
8. Right Back At It Again – A Day To Remember from Common Courtesy
It would be a bit of an understatement to say that A Day To Remember’s latest album was highly anticipated. After a three year wait filled with legal battles and huge delays in release dates, Common Courtesy was self-released by the band. Right Back At It Again was the second single released off the album and is probably one of my favorite tracks off the record. Filled with catchy hooks and heavy breakdowns, the song isn’t the most creatively experimental thing the band has done. But after a three year wait, the typical pop-punk/metalcore combo song is just what I wanted from A Day To Remember. Besides, how sick was that “BRACE FOR IMPACT” right before that final breakdown? (Answer: really fucking sick!!!)
7. Clairvoyant – The Story So Far from TSSF vs STYG Split EP
Read my review of the track here!
6. Dead – Real Friends from Put Yourself Back Together – EP
Real Friends is great pop-punk band that I, unfortunately, only got around to checking out this year. Their EP Put Yourself Back Together was released in June. With 7 solid tracks, I found Dead to be my favorite; and great example of Dan Lambton’s extremely honest, albeit straightforward lyrics and his raw, heartfelt delivery. Also, was it just me that got majorly hyped when the the last few lines came in?
5. Atonement – Georgia Maq from Friends & Bowler’s Run – EP
One of the coolest things about working at Lost In The Sound is the awesome music that gets recommended to me from the other writers. Shoutouts to our editor Harri Gibson for introducing me to Georgia Maq, an acoustic singer-songwriter from Melbourne, Australia. I fell in love with the her EP at first listen, the angst-filled track Atonement being a favorite. Some of my favorite lyrics from the song include, “All my fucking rhymes are bad, / and my only good song is about my Dad” and “My name’s Georgia Maq, / and I have to learn to be comfortable with that / because I am all I have.” Georgia’s songs are simple, straightforward, incredibly witty and just overall a good time.
4. The Robot With Human Hair Pt. 4 – Dance Gavin Dance from Acceptance Speech
The Robot With Human Hair returns for the fourth time in Dance Gavin Dance’s new album Acceptance Speech. The band has seen its fair share of lineup changes and three different vocalists throughout their lifetime. Acceptance Speech marks the first album of Jonny Craig’s replacement, Tillian Pearson. I pretty much love everything this band puts out, but Tillian’s unique vocals are just such a good fit for the band, which he shows with this song. The back and forth between Tillian’s clean vocals and Jon Mess’s screams give me chills every time I listen to it. “I wear my soul on my sleeve at night, SE-SE-SEARCHING FOR SUBSTANCE!!!” Pretty much everything in this album is great, this song just gets a little extra love from me, being the Robot’s final appearance before it’s death.
3. This Is How and The Wind Shifts – Silverstein from This Is How The Wind Shifts
2013 marks the 13th year for canadian post-hardcore band Silverstein since their formation. Despite being the soundtrack of my angst-ridden middle school existence, the band had unfortunately fallen off my musical radar in recent times. After a recommendation from a friend, I decided to check out their February release This Is How The Wind Shifts, a solid album with great tracks from start to finish. While listening, I came across a fan made youtube video that merged the two tracks that formed the album’s title, This Is How and The Wind Shifts and just, holy shit. Alone, the two tracks seem like two interlude tracks, but put together, they formed an entirely new song. The coolest thing about it is, each song lyrically makes sense on it’s own, but still remain cohesive when put together, the back and forth between the two tracks a giving it whole new meaning. This Is How The Wind Shifts makes for one hell of an easter egg, giving a whole new level of depth, creativity and craftsmanship to Silverstein’s songwriting and sums up the entire concept of duality that the album is built on (each song has a parallel e.g. Arrivals//Departures). If that isn’t the best damn example of a what a title track should be, I don’t know what is.
2. Can You Feel My Heart – Bring Me The Horizon from Sempiternal
UK metalcore band Bring Me The Horizon really pushed the creative envelope of the genre with their latest album Sempiternal. Can You Feel My Heart is the first track on the record and I was pretty surprised with what I heard. A big booming synth intro and epic ambience in place of down tuned breakdowns over Oliver Sykes’ intense screaming. Speaking of, Can You Feel My Heart it’s probably the most impressive examples of Sykes’ vocal work to date. The frontman shows a newfound diversity in his skill set, from big melodic screaming to, surprisingly, mellow clean singing. The track is also a huge step up lyrically, containing one of my favorite lines ever, “the higher get the lower I’ll sink, / I can’t drown my demons they know how to swim.” Can You Feel My Heart was a great surprise for me and just set an awesome tone for the rest of the album which was in my opinion, one of the best releases of the year.
1. Passing Through A Screen Door – The Wonder Years from The Greatest Generation
This year, we saw the release of the the third and final installment in The Wonder Years’ three album trilogy, The Greatest Generation. Passing Through A Screen Door was the first single revealed by the band and honestly is probably one of my favorite songs of all time. The song comes in strong, with vocalist Dan “Soupy” Campbell belting out his honest and heartfelt lyrics at the top of his lungs, declaring his fears and anxiety toward growing up and what society demands how someone should live their life. Soupy’s defeated, emotional delivery of the line “Jesus Christ, did I fuck up?” is my favorite moment in my entire music library. The track is half emotional breakdown and and half what can only be described as “FUCK YEAH MOTHERFUCKERS”. Passing Through The Screen Door is everything I love about this band and definitely deserves the number 1 spot on my list.