Best of 2011 - Songs

It's the 17th. I guess that means it's time to conclude my best of 2011 with the best list. In 2009, I chose from about 400 songs. 2010 had about 600. This year I sifted through around 850 songs, which warrants a list that's a bit longer than last year's (how about 17 songs longer?). Putting this list together was extremely frustrating because of the high quality of all of the music I picked out over the year. Each and every song here means so much to me and there are hundreds more I wish I could include. I'm also quite stunned at the diversity of this list; I think I've achieved originality as a music enthusiast. I'll only talk about my top 17, but I encourage you to investigate the others if you haven't anything better to do. Oh, and you should definitely tell me you top songs/movies/anything from 2011; I don't want to be the only one sharing excellence! (P.S. Playlist.com is terrible. It only had 10 of my 51 songs. Thank goodness for Youtube!)

51. We Saw - Bobby
50. Big Blue Wave - Hey Ocean!
49. Tired Tiger - Moving Mountains
48. Liar - Hey Ocean!
47. A Commotion - Feist
46. Slippery - Green Pitch
45. Celebrate Love - Michou
44. En Garde - Puzzle Muteson
43. Voodoo - Oh Land
42. Be My Baby - Hey Ocean!
41. Galaxies - Owl City
40. O' Sister - City And Colour
39. Picasso - The Cinema
38. Obsidian - Ohbijou
37. Wild Palms - Sun Airway
36. Death Valley - Elevation
35. Telephone Games - Jack and White
34. Hurts Like Heaven - Coldplay
33. Say It Like You Mean It - The Cinema
32. Broken Bottles - Silversun Pickups
31. Resolve. - Sleeping At Last
20. Drive All Night - Needtobreathe
29. Hiccups - Jinja Safari
28. The Ash Is In Our Clothes - Sleeping At Last
27. Exit - Elevation
26. The Valley - Eisley
25. Maps - Hey Ocean!
24. Destiny of Love - Inon Zur (from Dragon Age 2)
23. Dragging Your Feet In The Mud - Lydia
22. Hanging On - Active Child
21. Poison & Wine - The Civil Wars
20. Dance With The Devil - The Sounds
19. Dead Island Trailer Theme - Giles Lamb
18. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People

17. Surph - Rustie
"You know I want to rock."
Rustie's "Glass Swords" is the only instrumental (minus some voice samples) album I got this year and this song, "Surph," is all that was required to convince me to get the entire set. It's so groovy, so infectious, so...AHHH!, let's just say it's dangerous for this song to play while I'm driving.



16. Summer Home - Typhoon
"There's a promised land in every man's heart."
I'm usually not one for live music if I'm not physically present, but you just have to see this 12-person band in action (13 people in this performance). "Summer Home" qualifies as what I like to call an epic song because of many elements it involves. A light-hearted start, an exciting climb to a change in mood, and an enchanting conclusion with all sorts of neat things happening along the way.


15. I Can't Wait - Runner Runner
"I can't wait...to live this life together."
Ignore the content of the video...this is just the only one I could find on YouTube that has the album recording. Believe it or not, I'd love to dance to "I Can't Wait" at my wedding. Yep, you read right: I sometimes think of what I want for my wedding (Nutso, right?). Unfortunately, I'm not quite suitable for serenading. I'll keep to the listening with jealousy for now.


14. A Place Only You Can Go - Needtobreathe
"In my heart, you'll always know, there is a place only you can go."
Sometimes, simplicity is the sweetest. "A Place Only You Can Go" doesn't have too many notes, but it has all of the right chords in all of the right places. No one does it like Needtobreathe.


13. Holiday - Swimming With Dolphins
"Does anything feel strange? Cause you're like a perfect dream and I'm afraid to awake."
This was THE summer song of my 2011. The lyrics aren't all joyous, but this song is one of the best cheerer-uppers I've ever encountered. I'm a sucker for male/female vocal duets and this song is so much more than I could have expected from the world of electronic music in that regard. Excuse me while I have a mini dance party.


12. Dreamer - Elizaveta
"If you seek, then you shall find."
Elizaveta is a CHAMP! She had me enraptured from the first listen. As far as music goes, my greatest regret of 2011 was not picking up her CD. In fact, this song is the only one out of all 51 in this list where I didn't grab the entire album/EP it belongs to. It may seem out of place here, but "Dreamer" is one of the most superb tunes in my 2011 book.


11. Midnight City - M83
"Look at the horizon glow."
I've just gotta start by saying this may well be the coolest music video I've ever seen, #1 of the year for sure. That iconic four-note sequence riddled my mind endlessly for the greater part of the holiday season, so much so that I was sure this tune would be my number #1. Considering the amount of exemplary songs I found this year, #11 is still pretty swell. If this song gets stuck in your head, I'd appreciate it if you thank me personally.


10. Sleep Well/A Quiet (E)vening - Mae
"Let's...claim the stars as ours."
Here's how Mae departed from their fans right before discontinuing their existence. It's fitting, to say the least. The album's title (e)vening is the last component of the band's name, which is an acronym for morning, afternoon, evening. Here it all ends with a good night. That's brilliant, if you ask me. The song is actually a two-parter (both are included in the video). The real kicker is the moment right in between them. I think you'll be able to pick it out.


9. Lions In Cages - Wolf Gang
"We don't stop to check the time cause time keeps moving on and on and on."
Catchiness to the max! I knew "Lions In Cages" was a winner from the get-go (seems to always be the case, doesn't it?). Give me some space when this song starts up cause I just might break out in dance. You're picturing it, I know you are. Join the fun!


8. In My Room - The Dangerous Summer
"I still believe in everything, even in my flaws."
I'm not sure what won me over in "In My Room". It's quite plain, really...I'd have to say it's the rawness of the lyrics, the pure truth and unrestrained expression that The Dangerous Summer always gets across so well. This music has a sense of maturity about it that just astounds me. It pays to spend some time with these guys.


7. The Cascade - Moving Mountains
"When everything is forced to fall in place...you'll find your own embrace."
Moving Mountains' sound is dynamic in every sense of the word. Loud and quiet, heavy and light, noisy and serene...sometimes it seems like all of them at once, in an indescribable way. Makes life seem quite mundane, actually. "The Cascade" is exemplary. I'm enraptured.


6. No One's Gonna Need You More - The Dangerous Summer
"Every lonely heart can use an honest song they can sing along to."
Just found out about this music video an hour ago. Score! I've actually met these guys! I shook AJ Perdomo's hand! I'm looking at the poster they signed right now! Hopefully you can see why I love them in this video. Some red hair, an orange bass guitar, emphasis on lyrics, a bit of affection. What a musically delicious concoction that is! Out of hundreds, my most favorite band.


5. Miscommunication - The Dangerous Summer
"I'm tired of always being second best."
Yet another Dangerous Summer tune! I hope you guys notice how often I wear my Dangerous Summer t-shirt because I have a very good reason for it: songs like "Miscommunication". Last I checked, this was the least-purchased song from this album on iTunes. Blasphemy! I love how like half of this song is supposedly a quote from a girl the frontman seems to care about. "I need a comfort in a boy who takes my hits." Special, ain't it? The song of the year from the band of the year.


4. Once Rendering - Moving Mountains
"I will never forget this. I'd trade my soul for another chance to see it through."
As you can see, my top two albums dominated my top ten. I don't know if I'll even take a stab at putting "Once Rendering" into words. Joy, rage, sorrow, longing...there's too much to wrap my thoughts around. Just listen.


3. Hymn For The Missing - Red
"Are you searching for me? ...Will I see you again?"
Deciding the placement of these last three songs was a killer. "Hymn For The Missing" is a song that belongs in heaven, to put my opinion frankly. How can such a tear-jerker like this be filled with so much hope? Outstanding.


2. If I've Been Unkind - Lanterns On The Lake
"You wanted a piggyback. Well, I lost my spine."
This song was released a couple years ago, but the new version on their latest album is extra cool. Unfortunately, it's nowhere on YouTube so you're going to have to take in a jaded effect via the older recording. Songs like "If I've Been Unkind" speak for themselves.


1. Eyes - Kaskade feat. Mindy Gledhill
"Eyes are the windows to the soul."
Kaskade was named the DJ of 2011, but I don't think his new album was nearly as good as last year's. One song, however, blew me away. Obviously, that song is "Eyes". Apparently the singer, Mindy, lives in Salt Lake City (my friends got to meet her and I am uber jealous). This song will one day be the death of my ears, I just know it. Play it again! Louder! Louder!!! Could someone produce a film documentary about my life just so this can play during the credits? It'd mean the world to me. Here it is, THE #1 song of the best year of my life. What an honor it is for me to bring it to you now.


I'll leave it at that.