Best Songs of 2013 – #22
Another of my new discoveries, Mikal Cronin’s ‘Weight’ is, like yesterday’s track, a throwback to a 60s sound that I just love.
Cronin is a power pop multi-instrumentalist out of California who has released two solo albums and spent time in a couple of indie bands.
I don’t know if I’ll ever hear another song by this guy, but I’m sure glad I heard this one. It has the vibe of a great lost Kinks song.
Best Songs of 2013 – #23
Foxygen’s ‘No Destruction’ is another song I discovered doing research for this countdown. I was immediately drawn to the Dylan-esque delivery and drunken musical backdrop.
This song also has a strong Velvet Underground vibe. Funny how many modern bands reach back to that era for inspiration. I guess up-and-comers are lucky to have half a century of rock-and-roll music to tap into. But it’s still tough to beat the 60s.
Best Songs of 2013 – #24
Ron Sexsmith’s most impressive quality is his knack for writing melodies that sound instantly familiar.
Every once in awhile I freak myself out with the thought that we really shouldn’t ever hear any new songs, because haven’t all the available combinations of notes (the ones that sound good, anyway) been taken by now?
But then I remember having the same thought 25 years ago, and all of the great music that’s been written since argues against that theory.
Best Songs of 2013 – #25
It might seem a little early to start counting down the best songs of a year that still has a month to go, but looking at the upcoming release schedule, I’m pretty confident that I’ve heard pretty much everything I need to hear in 2013.
If, over the next four weeks, I happen upon a great song — either new or new to me — that deserved to be on this list, I’ll write about it the first week of 2014. Hard to believe, but that’s right around the corner.
Michael Penn is a less prolific, more Beatles-influenced version of Ron Sexsmith, whom I wrote about last week.
Like Sexsmith, Penn is as consistent as the sunrise — quality-wise — when it comes to delivering his brand of polished power pop.
But unlike Sexsmith, who reliably releases albums every couple of years or more, Penn is prone to long hiatuses.
