Spotify
Previously:
100-91,
90-81,
80-71,
70-61,
60-51,
50-41
40. Wavves - Pony
If it ain't broke, clone it. Nathan Williams knows how to make good stoner rock - his calling card - but he's also proven he can make a good song when clarity's thrown into the mix, too. "Pony" feels wide awake and energized, not quite anthemic but still finding a way to be motivating ("It gets better / It better"). The song doesn't pause for breath, but it won't wear you out to listen to it (sub-3:00 songs are usually good for that), and is surprisingly easy to take in through multiple repeat listens.
39. Neon Indian - Annie
I've always found trouble in deciding what I think of a song on first listen if I can't decide if I can dance to it. Actual dancing ability aside (not a heavy rock to roll), I'm still not totally sure if "Annie" has a danceable groove, but I do know there's a groove there and it's at once retro and space age. From the bass lick to the shifting synths to murky, bubbling "scenic" backdrops behind nearly the entirety of the song, it's all a little mad scientist-y for a synthpop/dancepop/whateverpop track. But it works, and that's the ultimate point, right?
38. Bad Bad Hats - Midway
Maybe I have a type, but I like indie rock bands fronted with women whose vocals tend to feel a little lighter on the ears, whose sound could be at once soothing and assured regardless of the music they play atop. Case in point: "Midway." This is a summery pop-ish song where those kind of vocals are readily welcomed - especially in the chorus - and that "assured" sound only continues to grow as the track progresses. The whole thing feels pretty effortless and stream-of-consciousness despite how tightly wound it is.
37. All Dogs - That Kind of Girl
And then, on the opposite of the tracks from "Midway," we have this romp with sneering vocals, even snarling at points. It's a breakup song with a little bit of humor and lots of self-awareness ("What's that mean when they say / 'Stay away from me?'") and packs in nearly an entire relationship's story into a concise two-and-a-half minutes.
36. Mikal Cronin - Say
More cowbell! More!! The hollow "clunk-clunk-clunk" of, yes, a cowbell claps throughout this sunny Cronin rocker, a bright, sunny beach jam replete with brass and concluding flourishing guitar solo that all work in congress to push the clouds away. It doesn't carry all the punch of some of
MCII's better tracks - notable omissions from that year's track list - but is the clear standout from
MCIII.
35. Sufjan Stevens - Should Have Known Better
The second of the four Sufjan songs to make this list, "Should Have Known Better" leans on some of the same themes as the rest of
Carrie & Lowell - loss, Stevens's mother, coping - but adds in mentions of Stevens's niece, and his fondness for her is immediately apparent ("My brother had a daughter / The beauty that she brings, illumination"). Her presence here serves as a way to offset the bittersweet nostalgia of the memory of being abandoned, of loneliness and the loss of family no matter how distant.
34. Torres - Strange Hellos
When we last left Mackenzie Scott, she had just emerged on the scene with a collection of quiet, deeply personal songs that touched on pained autobiography. A couple years later and Scott is still very open to sharing and being person with us - luckily for us - but isn't quiet about it anymore. For those who latched on so tightly to the way her self-titled debut quietly gripped your heart, hearing the rawness of her live vocals make their way onto a brash, belligerent rocker was at first a bit stunning, but soon felt natural. The quiet, patient intro serves as a good bridge between those two ideas of Scott as Torres, and both are equally welcome in this age of music.
33. Lower Dens - To Die in L.A.
While we're on the subject of changes in sound and mood, the lead single for Lower Dens off of this year's
Escape From Evil accomplishes the same thing: where
Nootropics existed as a strangely dark trip through some heady indie rock, "To Die in L.A." emerged as a lead single that completely turned the expectation of more brooding upside down. It's far brighter and airier than almost anything before it, and Jana Hunter's vocals are way less menacing; a refreshing change of pace.
32. Foxing - Weave
The proud owner of one of the finest build-ups (and subsequent catharses) of any track this year, "Weave" helped redefine my own personal definition of "emo." It's kind of a poisoned word for people who grew up listening to emo in the era of "Konstantine" and "A Decade Under the Influence" and anything off
Deja Entendu, something that almost exists as a guilty pleasure anymore. But this is emo of a different color, a heavy song that recalls some incredibly painful memory in opaque imagery not unlike something you might hear Justin Vernon wail unintelligibly on a Bon Iver track. The build from 2:00 on to the final verse's push is what makes this song magic.
31. Ratatat - Abrasive
The best Ratatat tracks have, then and now, been the ones that feel like they have personality. Purely instrumental guitar rock can feel same-y after a time if there's no life or story or coloring in. "Abrasive" feels vibrant and alive and doesn't waste time to plod or bring things too far downtempo on a bridge (even as the drums disappear, the guitar stays steady and the bass is lively) or anything that could mess with its mojo. It has
Magnifique's best hook (and best video), and all culminates in some high-fret blasting that feels like a celebration, and moving notes up the scale just a touch helps add to that feeling.
