Top Songs of 2013

best songs ath 2013We’ve put our pretty little heads together ladies and gentlemen to bring you our favorite songs from this past year.  It was a difficult task with our ever growing staff, but we feel like this list best represents the diverse taste of our staff.  Love it or hate it, it’s ours to call our own.  Hit play and put your head down or dance or shimmmy or drool or whatever works. Most of all we hope you hear something you missed, something you want to buy or something you want to see live.

Scroll past the playlist for full the run of the bestest songs ever this year.

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Golden Grrrls – s/t

gg frontRating: ★★★★☆

Sometimes things just feel right, and that’s precisely the feeling I get whenever I play the self-titled album from Golden Grrrls.  With warm weather hitting my city, I needed something that would be both energetic and creative, and this album fits neatly into that box.  Bring on the Spring, and bring on more spins of this record.

“New Pop” opens up the album for this Glaswegian trio, and there’s not a better way to start things off than by combining multi-part vocal (male and female) harmonies.  The distorted guitar, the cymbal play and the frenetic pace of the vocal delivery provides a perfect beginning for one of the brightest records of the year.  And it doesn’t stop when Golden Grrrls move into “Past Tense.”  There’s definitely a bit of a more folk feeling bubbling underneath this track, with less distortion being pushed to the front of the mix; it’s probably one of the tracks that wears the badge of Flying Nun Records influences. Ruari’s vocal appearance during the chorus might actually steal the show a bit, but the whole tune’s simply splendid.

Almost every track provides listeners with something to tap their toes to, even when they choose to go in a softer direction.  “Wrld Peace,” for instance, maintains the warm aesthetic of the multi-part harmonies, but the rolling movement of the drums on this song really stands out to me.  After going back over the record again, I realized that the drums standout on almost every track, at least in some regard, but there’s some many layers of sound going on in each track, that occasionally your attention drifts elsewhere…just be sure to give the drumming some props! Sometimes, all three members join in to offer counterattacking vocal parts, like on “Date It,” which might have been why I drifted away from the superb percussion.  You’ve got to have a careful ear to catch everything going on, which I think is one of the many successes within Golden Grrrls; the formula might appear simple at first, but the subtleties of the craftsmanship really is what allows for repeated listens.  You’ll find that same approach on almost every song.

But, that might be a drawback for some, as many of the songs can bleed together just a bit.  Still, it’s a slight blemish on an otherwise marvelous listen.  You’re not going to find a bad track on this record; it’s simply not possible.  There’s casual tracks of summery pop like “We’ve Got” or there are songs that grab you energetically from the get go such as “Take Your Time,” and they all give you a sense of inner joy.  For my two cents, the record is refreshing, taking a popular format, adding more harmonies and a little bit more focus.  It makes Golden Grrrls one of my favorite acts of the moment, and I’m sure it’ll be yours too.

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Golden Grrrls is out now on Slumberland Records.

 

 

Beautiful Indie Pop from Golden Grrrls

Man, these Glaswegians are really something special.  I’ve written about Golden Grrrls and their powerful hooks once before, but this newest single is just ridiculously tasty.  They’ve got a self-titled album coming out on February 26th on the always reliable Slumberland Records, and if it’s filled with more songs like this, you won’t be able to put it down.  Personally, the interplay between male and female vocalists is quite enchanting, but the musicality of it all has me really excited.  It’s not your typical all out twanging guitars and distortion, but a steady-paced blend of on-point drumming and a slightly folk-influenced guitar work.  Absolutely one of my favorite tracks of the year already.

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Jangling New Tune from Golden Grrrls

The year of 2013 is shaping up to be quite a nice one already, and one of the leaders of the pack is Slumberland Records.  Glasgow’s Golden Grrrls get things going on February 26th with the release of their self-titled record, filled with eleven gems that will surely help wake you from your winter slumber.  For me, the interplay between male and female vocal parts is reminiscent of the purest time in indie rock, when melody and playfulness went hand in hand.  I also think you’ll like the way there’s just a hint of jangling guitars coming from the three piece as the drums bang out a steady groove to keep your toes a’ tappin’.

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