I don't know about you guys, but when I hear a song I really like (nay, love beyond all measure), I put it on repeat until my ears bleed. Some of them are new-ish and others are throwbacks that came back into my life for some reason. Either way, here are my favorite songs of the moment (that I've probably heard too many times in the past week).
1. "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys
When I finally got around to listening to AM, I immediately became hopelessly obsessed with it. This song in particular grabbed a hold of me and refused to let go. It's so simple and sexy and pretty much perfect. The video is pretty sweet, too. Arctic Monkeys kind of have a throwback thing going on right now and I'm really digging it. If you haven't listened to AM yet, drop what you're doing and get on it.
2. "Ugliest Son" by Diarrhea Planet
Yeah, this is an unfortunate band name, but don't let that deter you. Diarrhea Planet has it going on in the pop-punk scene. The band's brand of pop-punk isn't as polished as, say, Fall Out Boy, but it's got enough catchy hooks to keep you dancing. "Ugliest Son" is probably my favorite song on I'm Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams because it shifts between raw power and gorgeous fanfare riffs. Check these guys out if you haven't already.
3. "Bleed American" by Jimmy Eat World
Okay, this is definitely a throwback. Think all the way back to 2001. Remember "The Middle?" It's from the same album as this song, but "Bleed American" has some more head-banging power to it. I'm not sure what spurred my sudden fascination with this song again. I was having a weird night over the weekend and decided to listen to some old tunes when this track came up on shuffle. I had an exhilarating moment of sweet nostalgia, then proceeded to play it on repeat for the next half hour.
4. "Keep" by Pity Sex
Wow. This band came out of nowhere and hit me square in the face. Pity Sex is a shoegazey pop-punk band with abandonment issues. Yeah, I think that's a fairly accurate description. I'll stick with that. "Keep" is the second track on Feast of Love, a top contender for one of my favorite albums of 2013. The band's switches between a male and female singer, but I think the female singer's voice has the most emotion, especially on this song. "Keep my heart 'cause I don't want it back," she croons. Ugh, stop breaking my heart, Pity Sex.
5. "Barely Legal" by The Strokes
I'm going to be unoriginal and say Is This It is my favorite Strokes album. Yeah, I know, I'm boring. But whatever. That album is perfection and "Barely Legal" is my favorite Strokes song. Can Julian Casablancas serenade me with this, please?
6. "Within You Without You" by The Beatles
Fun fact: "Within You Without You" is my favorite Beatles song. I love psychedelic Beatles and this song is the pinnacle of that drug-induced stupor. I also have a thing for sitars. This song (along with "Love You To" from Revolver) makes me want to pick up a sitar and/or dance around my bedroom like carefree hippie.
7. "Kalopsia" by Queens of the Stone Age
As of right now, ...Like Clockwork is probably my favorite album of 2013. "Kalopsia" is a huge highlight for me mostly because of Trent Reznor's involvement. It starts out so quiet with some hypnotizing synths, then explodes into a heavy-hitting melody sung by both Reznor and Josh Homme. They work so well together, I think I might cry.
8. "You Complete Me" by Stabbing Westward
Not as many people are familiar with Stabbing Westward than I originally thought, and that makes me sad. I remember listening to Darkest Days in my mom's car all the time when I was a kid. I just assumed everyone knew this band. But if you don't, that's okay (kind of). Stabbing Westward was an industrial band in the late '90s that scored a couple minor hits on alternative radio. "You Complete Me" wasn't a single, but it's one of my favorite songs. It's got some cool electronic elements, but the chorus is what always blows me away.
9. "Black Skinhead" by Kanye West
I am not a huge fan of Kanye, but damn, Yeezus is amazing. Everyone kept fangirling over it, so I had to see what the fuss was about. I got halfway through the opening track before I said, "Well, shit. This is great. Dammit, Kanye!" I was totally prepared to hate it, but it's just so visceral and unapologetic. "Black Skinhead" goes hard, and I won't lie, every time it comes on while I'm walking somewhere, I automatically feel like the biggest badass on the planet.
10. "Royals" by Lorde
I kept hearing this song on the radio back home over the summer and I found that it had the power to completely change my mood. Lorde (a.k.a. Ella Yelich-O'Connor) is 16 years old. She has the voice of an angel twice her age. How is that even possible? "Royals" is so deceptively simple in terms of instrumentation, but Lorde's vocals take it to the next level.
