{"id":1697,"date":"2012-07-15T23:25:58","date_gmt":"2012-07-16T06:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/?p=1697"},"modified":"2015-01-12T09:31:50","modified_gmt":"2015-01-12T17:31:50","slug":"halftime-report-my-15-favorite-songs-of-2012-thus-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/2012\/07\/halftime-report-my-15-favorite-songs-of-2012-thus-far\/","title":{"rendered":"Halftime Report: My 15 favorite songs of 2012 thus far"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater (photo by Greg Szeto, courtesy of Sub Pop Records)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wow, I am late getting this up. Everybody knows “best of the year so far” posts are supposed to by up by July 1, no exceptions! I have an excuse, though: My right hand was wrapped up in a splint for a week. It’s better now.<\/p>\n

As is almost always the case on this blog, folk-rock is well represented on this list. You won’t find “Call Me Maybe” below, either. I think it was probably No. 16. Thank goodness. I narrowly avoided the embarrassment of having to admit that I compulsively sing along to that song every single time it comes on my stereo.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, I proudly present the 15 songs that are leading the pack for Rankstravaganza 2012.<\/p>\n

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(via bandcamp)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

15. “Special Forces,” Matt Jones & The Reconstruction<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Michigan\u2014and Ypsilanti in particular\u2014has this great chamber-folk scene. Singer-songwriter Matt Jones says his third album is “about being stuck in the middle: dissatisfied with what lies behind you, and unsure of what lies ahead.” There is an urgency to this opening track, with a martial beat that builds to a shout-along chorus. My other favorite thing about this track is the fact that the Bandcamp page includes the tag “northern aggression.”<\/p>\n