Closing out this year’s look at the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll is #20 on that list, ‘Close Your Eyes (and Count to Fuck)’ by Run the Jewels.
This song was originally recorded by Frank Sinatra for his somber saloon song classic, Only the Lonely, but was inexplicably cut from the album just before its release. It was later performed by such artists as Carole King, Joan Baez and John Denver.
Sitting at #19 on the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll is the best of the tracks that are new to me.
‘Archie, Marry Me,’ a wall-of-sound burst of lo-fi pop by Toronto-based quintet Alvvays, is instantly likable in a way nothing else on this list has been.
This song sounds like it could have been recorded in any of the last seven decades, which is a unique compliment.
In the 18th spot of Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop poll is ‘Red Eyes’ by Philadelphia indie band The War on Drugs.
I find that this critics poll splits into three general categories. There are the obvious entries — the big hits that dominated radio, by the like of Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith and so on. Then you have the rap, R&B and experimental tracks that only a critic can love… songs with no discernible redeeming value (let alone melody).
In the 17th Pazz & Jop position is tUnE-yArDs with ‘Water Fountain.’ I’m a stickler for writing band names in the appropriate fashion (fun. in all lowercase with the period, for example) but these guys take it a bit too far.
This gal, I should say, because tUnE-yArDs is the stage name of indie artist Merrill Garbus. I put her on the blog once per year because she always shows up on this list (I believe she even topped it a few years back).
This week I’ll continue featuring the songs that topped 2014’s Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll, a conglomeration of more than 600 music critics’ top albums and singles.
In the 15th spot is Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me,’ which should make Tom Petty happy, as he was recently awarded a songwriting credit on the popular track due to its similarity to ‘Won’t Back Down.’
