{"id":2231,"date":"2014-12-28T21:53:13","date_gmt":"2014-12-29T05:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/?p=2231"},"modified":"2015-01-12T09:31:48","modified_gmt":"2015-01-12T17:31:48","slug":"rankstravaganza-2014-my-30-favorite-songs-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/2014\/12\/rankstravaganza-2014-my-30-favorite-songs-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Rankstravaganza 2014: My 30 favorite songs of the year"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_2242\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2242\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/nickel-creek-2014-450sq.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2242\" alt=\"NC\" src=\"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/nickel-creek-2014-450sq-300x300.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/nickel-creek-2014-450sq-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/nickel-creek-2014-450sq-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/nickel-creek-2014-450sq.jpg 338w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2242\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The unlikely reunion at No. 1 (courtesy of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nonesuch.com\/artists\/nickel-creek\" target=\"_blank\">Nonesuch Records<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I basically haven\u2019t posted anything new to this blog since my <a href=\"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/2014\/01\/rankstravaganza-2013-my-5-favorite-albums-of-the-year\/\">2013 year-end roundup<\/a>. It\u2019s been a busy year full of new challenges and responsibilities, but I\u2019ve continued to listen to new music and compulsively keep track of what got played the most. This year\u2019s list begins and ends with a pair of unlikely (but long-overdue) reunions from bands that haven\u2019t released albums in nearly a decade.<\/p>\n<p>A few other trends on display:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The feminist in me is happy to report that women vocalists are represented in half of the Top 10\u2014assuming you count Neko Case on The New Pornographers\u2019 track (and why wouldn\u2019t you?)\u2014including the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.<\/li>\n<li>I managed to sneak in one hip-hop track and two electronic\/dance tracks, but, as usual, this is a pretty rock-centric list with a little bit of twang thrown in.<\/li>\n<li>I kept finding myself wanting to either use the word \u201craging&#8221; or &#8220;haunting.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>OK, I\u2019ll see you in 2015\u2014hopefully sometime prior to December.<\/p>\n<p><strong><!--more-->30. \u201cTrainwreck 1979,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.deathfromabove1979.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Death From Above 1979<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I discovered this Toronto hard-rock duo a year or two after their 2004 debut album came out\u2014just in time to realize that they\u2019d already broken up. It was evidently a nasty breakup, too. The fact that they produced an imminently likable reunion album\u2014picking up right where the group left off\u2014is icing on the raging-bass-riffs-and-dance-rhythms cake. Glad to have you back, guys.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vrZxt476ef4?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>29. \u201cL\u2019audace,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.doomtree.net\/sims\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sims<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.doomtree.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">Doomtree<\/a> co-founder Sims starts off his third album by dropping a reference to polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and, later in the song, a famed Bohemian ossuary (that\u2019s a room full of bones, yo). In the process, the Minneapolis emcee sounds full of fury, passion and revolution. That\u2019s talent.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 0; width: 400px; height: 208px;\" src=\"http:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=2501073719\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/artwork=small\/track=317721086\/transparent=true\/\" height=\"240\" width=\"320\" seamless=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>28. \u201cDo You,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spoontheband.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Spoon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Does it bother anyone else that there\u2019s not a question mark in the title? Probably not. They\u2019re all too busy losing themselves in the \u201cdo-doo-do-doo\u2019s\u201d of this hazy jam and celebrating the Austin foursome\u2019s return after a four-year break.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fd6aXM8WHGw?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>27. \u201cTall Man Skinny Lady,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/ty-segall.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ty Segall<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Bay Area songwriter\/multi-instrumentalist has released an album every year since 2008, and that\u2019s not counting all the singles, EPs and special releases he\u2019s put out, nor his work with Fuzz, Sic Alps and a gazillion other side projects and bands. The man is prolific, and this funky, psychedelic shuffle proves he\u2019s not out of ideas yet.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VnMCqI199pE?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>26. \u201cUnder the Pressure,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewarondrugs.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">The War On Drugs<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The opening statement to one of the best album of 2014? <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/blogs\/lists\/2014\/12\/the-50-best-albums-of-2014.html?p=2\" target=\"_blank\">Paste<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.albumoftheyear.org\/ratings\/14-consequence-of-sound-highest-rated\/2014\/1\" target=\"_blank\">Consequence of Sound<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.metacritic.com\/feature\/critics-pick-top-10-albums-of-2014\" target=\"_blank\">a bunch of others<\/a> think so. Sounding a bit like Bob Dylan wandering through a sprawling \u201880s FM rock dreamscape, the Philadelphia group plays just two chords for 9 minutes and manages to keep it fresh and entrancing.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TZ9IXScip68?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>25. \u201cI Don\u2019t Know You Anymore,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/bobmould.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Bob Mould<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A blustering bit of sweet, cantankerous pop-punk that\u2019s nearly as rousing as his best moments with H\u00fcsker D\u00fc. Bonus points for the video\u2019s self-deprecating, self-aware cameo by a mustachioed Colin Meloy.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZZ0ZEpJRpAE?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>24. \u201cI Wanna Get Better,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bleachersmusic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Bleachers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For any <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ournameisfun.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">fun.<\/a> fan who has wondered whether all that manic pop energy is entirely Nate Ruess\u2019 doing, guitarist Jack Antonoff has a side project he\u2019d like to introduce you to that asks the question, \u201cWhy play 16th notes on a piano when you can loop a single chord?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o5osPtE7kXI?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>23. \u201cBeneath the Brine,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thefamilycrestfamily.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Family Crest<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Speaking of manic energy, this San Francisco collective takes the melodramatic tendencies of symphonic pop to the breaking point on this track and emerges victorious. Not all the band\u2019s songs are this operatic, but singer Liam McCormick\u2019s stratospheric tenor is up to the task.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ywIgQBnBndI?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>22. \u201cWhat Goes Boom,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pixiesmusic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Pixies<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Black Frances seems to have caught a lot of flack for <em>Indie Cindy<\/em>, an album composed entirely of tracks from three previously released EPs that have come out since he drove Kim Deal away (again). Leaving all that backstory and baggage behind, though, the album\u2014and this opening track in particular\u2014really does a good job of capturing the mixture of menace and pop hooks that made the band so influential in the first place.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qWkD_-diYuI?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>21. \u201cHigh Hopes,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/brucespringsteen.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">Bruce Springsteen<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Even though the Boss didn\u2019t write this song\u2014it\u2019s actually a cover of a song by L.A. band <a href=\"http:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/the-havalinas-mw0000202964\" target=\"_blank\">The Havalinas<\/a>\u2014and he first recorded it two decades ago, this new version sure seems to capture the spirit of the current times in a quintessentially Springsteenian manner.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rOPDhoZH91g?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><strong>20. \u201cLet It Out,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/blackprairie.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Black Prairie<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When Colin Meloy is off writing children\u2019s books or appearing in Bob Mould videos or whatever, the other members of The Decemberists stay busy by backing singer\/violinist Annalisa Tornfelt. I keep seeing Black Prairie classified as a bluegrass group, but there\u2019s very little that\u2019s high and lonesome about this particular track. I guess the presence of accordion qualifies it as folk rock, but the emphasis in on rock.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e37x4obrm5M?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>19. \u201cZigzagging Toward the Light,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.conoroberst.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Conor Oberst<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m so glad this wasn&#8217;t released under the name Bright Eyes. Much less embarrassing.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Q_kkfSqPONc?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>18. \u201cFever,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theblackkeys.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Black Keys<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Another case of Akron\u2019s finest doing what they do, and doing it well. Keep up the good work, fellas.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/trk7P-9QDyc?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>17. \u201cTime,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.junglejunglejungle.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Jungle<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s tempting to say that London-based Jungle only got so huge because the electro-soul collective\u2019s founding duo refused for a long time to leak any personal details about themselves, and the U.K. music press went predictably nuts trying to get to the bottom of the \u201cmystery.\u201d It\u2019s also tempting to say that their whole \u201cWho we are is just a distraction from the artistry, man\u201d posturing was an inspired act of Internet-age marketing. But let\u2019s remember that nobody would give a hoot that two anonymous dudes posted a video to YouTube if the music weren\u2019t supremely catchy and funky.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5ItKS8bUUTA?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>16. \u201cBack to the Shack,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.weezer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Weezer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This song is no less pandering than anything else Weezer has done over the last decade. It\u2019s just that, this time, they\u2019re pandering to folks like me who bought the Blue Album as teenagers, blasting it with the windows down as we sat in the line of cars waiting to get out of the high school parking lot. Rivers: You had me at, \u201cRockin\u2019 out like it\u2019s \u201994.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3H89GXU9OeU?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>15. \u201cTin Foiled,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.andrewbird.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">Andrew Bird<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This year, violinist and songwriter Andrew Bird decided to release a cover album. And not just any cover album, but an album of songs by fellow Chicago musicians <a href=\"http:\/\/www.handsomefamily.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Handsome Family<\/a>. There is surely a rather limited market for such a collection, but count me among the few people at the center of the venn diagram representing the acts&#8217; overlapping fanbases. Bird really does an excellent job of putting his own charming spin on the macabre alt-country duo\u2019s material.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A7Hh8MqRpWA?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>14. \u201cUnconditional Love,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.againstme.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">Against Me!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Going well beyond simply acknowledging the genderqueer elephant in the room, the Florida punk band made an entire concept album about the anxiety, angst and abuse that comes with being a woman in a man\u2019s body. Many of the tracks address singer Laura Jane Grace\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/news\/tom-gabel-of-against-me-comes-out-as-transgender-20120508\" target=\"_blank\">coming out<\/a> as a transgender woman more directly than this song, but the chorus\u2014\u201cEven if your love was unconditional, it still wouldn\u2019t be enough to save me\u201d\u2014captures notions of anger, self-loathing, and parental and\/or religious acceptance. It&#8217;s all set to the tune of jaunty triplets that gives the song a distinct Celtic rock vibe.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8FBxnAP7Ox8?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>13. \u201cSpinners,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/theholdsteady.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Hold Steady<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Craig Finn sure knows how to write a great song about being young and fucked up in the big city. In this case, the subject is a woman \u201ctwo years out of some prairie town\u201d who dresses up and hits the clubs almost every night, lets guys buy her drinks, and never lets any relationship get serious. I love the little details Finn throws in, which make the song a whirl of \u201cflat champagne and inbound trains.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/He6p6IITy7M?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>12. \u201cBlue Moon,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.beck.com\" target=\"_blank\">Beck<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not a cover of the pop standard\u2014although hearing Beck put the bomp in the bomp-ba-bomp would no doubt be entertaining. Rather, it\u2019s exhibit A for why <em>Morning Drift<\/em> is <em>Sea Change<\/em>\u2019s sanguine, lush cousin.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WIWbgR4vYiw?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>11. \u201cDo It Again,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/doitaga.in\/\" target=\"_blank\">R\u00f6yksopp &amp; Robyn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How I&#8217;d like to imagine it went down:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em><strong>Big-Shot Exec from Dog Triumph Records<\/strong>: &#8220;Take this down: The ultimate dance EP. I want it poppy, I want it dark, I want it sexy, and I want it Scandinavian. Get me whatsherface from Sweden and those Norwegian weirdos. This is gonna be huge. Huge I tells ya!&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/btBSxtKzF6Q?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><strong>10. \u201cThe Tower,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/wyeoakmusic.com\/site\/\" target=\"_blank\">Wye Oak<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jenn Wasner put away her guitar in favor of some of the synths she\u2019s been exploring with her side projects. Overall, the resulting album is much brighter and lighter than most of the Baltimore duo\u2019s previous material, though this track is still some pretty dissonant and weighty stuff.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tJnRAnvtNnA?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>9. \u201cBrill Bruisers,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thenewpornographers.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">The New Pornographers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Every time Canada\u2019s pop powerhouse releases a new album of blazing hooks, it\u2019s like a visit from a few old friends that reminds you just how much you enjoy their company. The title track to the group\u2019s sixth album puts a muddy, stompin\u2019 spin on the pop music produced in Tin Pan Alley\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.history-of-rock.com\/brill_building.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Brill Building<\/a>, complete with what sounds like a choir of about 50 people singing nonsense syllables.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EhhtSXk1c70?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>8. \u201cThe Writing\u2019s on the Wall,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/okgo.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">OK Go<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While the whimsical video may lead you to believe the song is about mindblowing optical illusions, or at least things not appearing to be what they seem, the song is actually much more depressing. Listen to the lyrics, and it&#8217;s all about a relationship so far down the tubes that the narrator just wants to get his sig-o wasted so that he can &#8220;see some pleasure in your eyes&#8221; for one last night. Yikes.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/m86ae_e_ptU?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>7. \u201cOur Demons,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.agesandages.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ages and Ages<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This Portland group is all handclaps, fellowship and melodies that instantly stick. I dare you not to sing along on \u201cWe\u2019re not so different, you and I \u2026 \u201c by the time the chorus rolls around a second time.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/102095990&amp;color=ff5500&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false\" height=\"166\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>6. \u201cLazaretto,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/jackwhiteiii.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Jack White<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lazarettos, for those of you who can\u2019t be bothered to Google the term, were quarantine hospitals for new arrivals in a city. White works his genre-blending, rock \u2019n\u2019 roll magic, and does it magnificently as usual. Call me a sucker for a double violin solo over a backbeat.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qI-95cTMeLM?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>5. \u201cTurtles All the Way Down,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/sturgillsimpson.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sturgill Simpson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What if you took a Waylon Jennings tune and replaced the lyrics with the musings of your stoned atheist friend? The one who&#8217;s always going on and on about other dimensions and how the feds can&#8217;t outlaw something that we make in our brains, man.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LWx6csgGkg4?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>4. \u201cReally Wanna See You,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/lydialoveless.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Lydia Loveless<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The 24-year-old alt-country chanteuse from Ohio comes on like a boozy trainwreck in this song, creating a character who does some cocaine, gets a little emotional, calls up a now-married ex, and confesses a bit too much. The lyrics, which tumble out in a rush of anguished regret, do a fantastic job of telling you everything you need to know without spelling it out too directly. And it rocks.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ssNTvgU0N3w?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>3. \u201cBloodlines,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mimickingbirds.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Mimicking Birds<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Listening to the All Songs Considered podcast&#8217;s June &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/blogs\/allsongs\/2014\/06\/24\/324860377\/discussion-the-year-in-music-so-far-2014\" target=\"_blank\">The Year in Music (So Far)<\/a>&#8221; episode was the best thing I did all year, musically speaking. I was introduced to no less than three of the above artists, including this Portland group. Built around Nate Lacy\u2019s acoustic fingerpicking and lilting vocals, the band\u2019s songs occupy that same otherworldly space as Radiohead in gentle\/beautiful mode.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7Oll2BY3bb4?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>2. \u201cTaking Chances,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sharonvanetten.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sharon Van Etten<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Brooklyn singer-songwriter has never sounded quite so cool, sensual and haunted as she does on the opening track to her <a href=\"http:\/\/www.metacritic.com\/music\/are-we-there\/sharon-van-etten\" target=\"_blank\">very well-received<\/a> fourth album. I love that slow, deliberate drumbeat, but, as usual, the real attraction here is the way Van Etten\u2019s voice melds with her introspective poetry.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/80-_CpH07QQ?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. \u201cDestination,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/nickelcreek.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Nickel Creek<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The pre-eminent bluegrass-meets-teen-pop group has grown a little wiser and more seasoned during its nine-year hiatus. Listening to the trio\u2019s reunion album really reinforces that their biggest strength isn\u2019t Chris Thile\u2019s virtuosic mandolin playing\u2014you can get your fill of that in Punch Brothers\u2014but the perfect three-part harmonies. Sara Watkins lets rip on this kiss-off track all about moving on. Here\u2019s hoping nobody in Nickel Creek moves on and the group is able to keep things together for a follow up, because it is such a pleasure to have them back.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JawK7QcEGKU?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n<!-- Share-Widget Button BEGIN -->\n<a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" myshare_id=\"mys_shareit\" myshare_url=\"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/2014\/12\/rankstravaganza-2014-my-30-favorite-songs-of-the-year\/\" myshare_title=\"Rankstravaganza 2014: My 30 favorite songs of the year\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\" return false;\" style=\"text-decoration:none; color:#000000; font-size:11px; line-height:20px;\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-content\/plugins\/share-widget\/img\/share-button-white-small.png\" height=\"20\" alt=\"Share\" style=\"border:0\"\/><\/a>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n<!--\nvar _myssmw=true;\n\n\/\/-->\n<\/script>\n<!-- Share-Widget Button END -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I basically haven\u2019t posted anything new to this blog since my 2013 year-end roundup. It\u2019s been a busy year full of new challenges and responsibilities,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,10,836,4],"tags":[36,832,645,830,42,818,826,823,822,426,827,819,687,828,834,835,236,30,825,15,47,831,692,280,17,833,550,824,16,27,821,820,829,109],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2231"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2231"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2283,"href":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2231\/revisions\/2283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}