Top 30 Songs of 2022

Anything music related. Latest songs, good new bands, and blasts from the past.

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Shrykespeare
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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

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SONG #9


CHIENFANTOME

Widowspeak, True Blue

I discovered Widowspeak a bit by chance on the radio. There is a softness and a melancholy that touched me in their music, that is best exemplified in this delicate tune that is True Blue.





JOHNERLE

The Cactus Blossoms, Hey Baby

This was my song of the spring because it arrived just when mask mandates were being lifted and my wanderlust was returning, so this song about hopping into a car and heading down the highway with a beautiful woman in the passenger seat gave a glimpse of a better future that seemed just around the corner, and that bass sound is pretty sweet too.





LEESTU

Wet Leg, Ur Mom

They are such cool fun.





RON B

Doja Cat, Vegas





SHRYKESPEARE

Cannons, Come Alive

Now that you're by my side
I get this feeling, get this feeling
Like I'm hypnotized
Now when I see your eyes
I get this feeling, get this feeling
I just come alive

For the third straight year, there’s a Cannons song in my year-end Top 10, following “Fire For You” (#4, 2020) and “Bad Dream” (#2, 2021). Their 2022 release, Fever Dream, was magnificent, and getting to see them perform most of the songs from it live cemented my status as a huge Cannons fan. Michelle Joy is a bona fide STAR, with her gorgeously sultry vocals melding perfectly with the retro-rhythms of guitarist Ryan Clapham and keyboardist Paul Davis. I predict this band will be selling out stadiums in a few years.





SIX

Sorry, Screaming in the Rain

Sorry’s second album was a huge surprise for me. They claim they were channeling 70s singer-songwriters, but I hear elements of Radiohead, Pixies, and many more in their indie-rock music and subtly passionate vocal delivery. Screaming in the Rain is Leonard Cohen via The xx, downbeat with a touch of melodrama.





TRANNY

Tove Lo and SG Lewis, Call on Me

Tove Lo teaming up with British producer SG Lewis makes all the sense in the world given their shared affinity for dance-pop. So naturally when they finally collaborated, the result was a tremendous entry to the genre they love that features a booming earhoom hook, slick synths and the kind of livewire energy that could make the right person stay out clubbing until 4 in the morning.

Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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numbersix
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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

Post by numbersix »

9

Chien: another strong song. Not doing much new but I liked the guitar sound and vocals. Had a Mazzy Star vibe to it.

John: Good to know the context. Not my kinda song.

Leetsu: This is where I get off the Wet Leg train. I do think they have some great songs, but they have some average ones too, and this is the latter. I've heard indie pop songs like this way too often.

Ron B: Glad to listen to Doja Cat. I only really know her from an episode of Dave. I did like the mix of old blues samples with hip-hop, even if that's been done to death in the genre.

Shryke: You know, as slick synth-laded pop goes, this isn't too bad. Liked the bassline

Tove Lo: Yeah, certainly belongs in the nightclub til 4. The very place you won't find me.

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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

Post by Chienfantome »

#9

John
The Cactus Blossoms, Hey Baby
Pleasant tune. Nothing extraordinary but cool and classic, I like it.

Leestu
Wet Leg, Ur Mom
I can't say I hear anything particularly interesting in this. There's the end that picks up a bit that gives a bit of density to the song, but it's very quick.

Ron
Doja Cat, Vegas
I like the vibe of this song, the different styles collapsing. Cool track.

Shryke
Cannons, Come Alive
It's okay, but not something I really like.

Sorry, Screaming in the Rain
Never heard of them before, but this was pretty good. Slow, trippy, and gets into your head.

Tranny
Tove Lo and SG Lewis, Call on Me
Indeed this sounds club-friendly. But no, not something for me.
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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

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numbersix wrote:
January 22nd, 2023, 2:53 pm
Chien: another strong song.
I'm afraid this won't last for you. :lol:
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JohnErle
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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

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#9

Widowspeak – I heard everything from the Cowboy Junkies to the Velvet Underground to 90s Alt-Rock in there. Not super distinctive, but quite nice.

Wet Leg – It's alright, but I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Doja Cat – It's a style that doesn't really appeal to me, especially the rapping, but the quieter bits and the sample were nice.

Cannons – As I mentioned before, they're a solid 80s throwback band, but this shows how bad the sound quality is on Spotify as opposed to the official video you posted a while back which had much more clarity and dynamics. It probably sounds way better on vinyl.

Sorry – The music and production are solid, but I didn't like the male singer. Maybe he should go hang out with BCNR's former singer and let the band carry on without him.

Tove Lo – This is not my kind of dance music, and I have a hard time respecting any female singer who rolls around on the ground offering up her ass like a cat in heat.

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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

Post by Leestu »

#9
Chien: Widowspeak
A lovely song, if a bit too mellow for me to get into too much. But I did hear a little bit of Widowspeak last year and I'm keeping them on my radar

John: The Cactus Blossoms
a bit too '70s soft rock style for my taste

Ron: Doja Ct
aFor what it is this is really well done...I can tell if I really liked this sort of music I would love this, as it is I find it okay if its on

Shryke: Cannons
They are an appealing band but this song in particular did not do anything for me

Six: Sorry
I really liked their debut album but I haven't heard this one yet...this was really good, the palpable emotion in the vocals was palpable...I can hear the '70s singer-songwriter influence and I like it

Tranny: Tove Lo
a big no for me

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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

Post by transformers2 »

#9
Chien: Decent albeit a bit repetitive moody dream pop tune. Vocalist checks all the pretty yet hypnotic melody boxes that's needed for this genre to work and the inclusion of a guitar solo was a cool curveball.

John: 'Twas alright. Didn't know country music made it out to Minnesota.

Leestu: Another solid cut from these gals. Fully intend to finally get around to their record shortly.

Ron: Ah yes, the only good part of the Elvis movie ;) Not one of my favorite Doja Cat cuts, but it's catchy, energetic and has a clever interpolation of "Hounddog"

Shryke: Liked this more than the more upbeat stuff you've posted from them in the past. There's a surf rock-like undercurrent that adds some pizzaz to the dream/synthpop vibe they were going for and the spacey vocal effects sound great over this instrumentation.

six: No thanks.
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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

Post by Shrykespeare »

SONG #8


CHIENFANTOME

Adé, Tout savoir

Adé is the lead singer of a group called Therapie Taxi. I truly discovered her with a duet she made with Benjamin Biolay a couple of years ago. She made a solo album in 2022 most of you would probably find very French but that has, you will hear in this song an American vibe.
This song is called “Know it all”

“You’ve let your old character behind you, You grew up a bit and made choices, There never are good times, You’ve walked, You’ve ran, That’s good, But lie down now, Tell, Analyze your stories, it’s better than a bandage.

And I steal yet again, again my joy, I want more, even if I don’t understand, Why I change, and sometimes, I’m so scared night won’t be coming, Because when I sleep, I dream of that, of knowing it all and knowing why, With clumsy chords, I still manage to capture my joy.

"I’d like to know it all, and see in the dark”





JOHNERLE

Frank Turner, A Wave Across The Bay

I've heard plenty of Frank Turner songs here and elsewhere over the years, and while I always thought he was more interesting than his peers, nothing ever quite clicked for me. This is the Frank Turner song I'd been waiting for. Manly men have feelings too, man.





LEESTU

Dope Lemon, Howl With Me

A side project from Angus that is better than Angus & Julia Stone with his stoner slacker vocals and grooves.





RON B

Calvin Harris feat. 21 Savage, New Money





SHRYKESPEARE

Joywave, Pray For the Reboot

It's midnight
When the truth's in the user we've all lost the future
A timeline
Darker than the one I was dealing with the last time
No help, no help
The world's gone crazy, it's on something lately
No help, no help
Just pray for the reboot and when the call goes out again

This is the last one, I promise.





SIX

Wet Leg, Wet Dream

Since “Chaise Longue” was such a big song in 2021, I’ve opted for the next best thing. A catchy-as-hell tune with witty lyrics, satirising all the guys who badly hit on these gals. Added points for the film lyrics, as the hipster target insists his love of indie movie Buffalo 66 would somehow seduce them.





TRANNY

The Mars Volta, Blacklight Shine

The only thing more unexpected than a Mars Volta reunion after a decade apart was the chilled-out art pop meets Latin Rock meets electronic sound they embraced upon their return. While this massive stylistic shift for the cult favorite prog outfit resulted in a record that I found to be generally fine, but not overly impressive, the album opener/lead single "Blacklight Shine" is a new classic within their catalog. Part ode to the Bomba scene of guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's native Puerto Rico and part psychedelic pop tune that alludes to the trippy days of "Frances the Mute" and "Amputechture", "Blacklight Shine" is an auditory party full of warmth and gratitude for the opportunity to make music with old friends again.

Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

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Chien: Ah, you were doing so well, and then you posted this track. Hopefully you get back on track soon, my friend.

John: I think I've heard his stuff here before, from Leetsu? Anyway, this wasn't bad, a sort of Springsteen-meets-Bragg-meets-The National. Music wasn't great but I appreciated the earnest delivery

Leetsu: Would have enjoyed this if I didn't instantly recognise it as Jungle Fever by The Chakachas (which appears in Boogie Nights). I mean they literally just play that song and lazily sing over it, with a bit of guitar at the end. There's sampling and then there's this.

Ron B: This is probably the same issue - a song heavily reliant on its funky sample. But I don't know the original so this was somewhat enjoyable.

Shryke: Best I can say is this was the best of the Joywave tracks you posted so far.

Tranny: Didn't know they were back, and certainly am surprised by this musical approach. They sound more like Santana than their early days. Maybe that's just life, we all end up becoming a version of Santana.

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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

Post by JohnErle »

#8

Ade – Pas une confiture.

Dope Lemon – I probably would have liked it if I hadn't read Six's comment first. I'll assume he's done his due diligence and I won't grade this until they show their work.

Calvin Harris – Nope.

Joywave – Every automated car wash around the world works basically the same way, so that's an appropriate visual metaphor for Joywave since all their songs suffer from an assembly line sameness.

Wet Leg – Marginally better than the other single, but still nothing that stands out for me. And while working at a video store in Vancouver last year they hired an 18-year-old girl whose favourite movie was Buffalo '66, so any pick up line will work eventually if you try it often enough.

Mars Volta – I have a passing knowledge of their earlier stuff, so this definitely sounds like a change of pace for them. I listen to a decent amount of Latin music, and have some coming later in my countdown, so I kinda liked this. It's worth exploring a little further.

And FYI to Six, Frank Turner is the poet laureate of the sweaty, sing-along dude rock Geezer usually posts, so I'm not sure if Leestu ever posted his stuff before but Geezer most definitely has. Since I like this song so much I'm assuming Geezer thinks it's the worst thing he's ever done.

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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

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#8

John
Frank Turner, A Wave Across The Bay
Pretty good.

Leestu
Dope Lemon, Howl With Me
Thank you Six, because when I heard it, I thought "Where do I know that music from ?", and that's exactly it, Boogie Nights. It's really cool, but indeed it owes so much to that music they took almost exactly as it was in the original. But when you haven't heard the original, it's cool.

Ron
Calvin Harris feat. 21 Savage, New Money
There were bits I liked, bits I didn't care about.

Shryke
Joywave, Pray For the Reboot
It's alright, nothing great, nothing really bad.

Six
Wet Leg, Wet Dream
Pretty catchy, yes. Good duration for what it is.

Tranny
The Mars Volta, Blacklight Shine
That was surprising. Not sure I like.
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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

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JohnErle wrote:
January 24th, 2023, 10:58 am
Ade – Pas une confiture.
Of course not, Monsieur ! Music is not confiture ! ;)
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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

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#9

Chien - Widowspeak - Really liked this. I've heard many singers with this voice, but I've liked them all for the most part.

JohnErle - Cactus Blossoms - Pleasant and instantly forgettable.

Leestu - Wet Leg - Quirky, filthy fun.

Ron B - Doja Cat - Never liked her, still don't. I did like her attempt to channel Big Mama Thornton, though.

Six - Sorry - This was strange. I shouldn't like it, but I do.

Tranny - This was quite good. Reminds me of my #4 song, which I hope you like as much.



#8

Chien - Adé - Obviously I don't know Fronch, but the melody was nice.

JohnErle - Frank Turner - Didn't like the first half, but when the tempo kicked up it became quite enjoyable.

Leestu - Dope Lemon - This was just okay. The end dragged on a bit.

Ron B - Calvin Harris feat. 21 Savage - I liked the yacht-rock instrumentals, hated the lyrics.

Six - Damp Limb - See the Wet Leg critique about. Not sure I understand the "Buffalo '66" reference.

Tranny - The Mars Volta - Pretty cool, though the lead singer bore an eerie resemblance to Adam Levin's at one point.
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

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SONG #7


CHIENFANTOME

Juliette Armanet, Flamme

Some of you may remember Juliette Armanet from our “Best of the 20th century” countdown. She has such a beautiful voice, it’s pure as crystal. And here, she puts her voice at the service of a funky song that makes you wanna dance, with a terrific intro and groovy chorus. It’s fire.

“I will have spent days, To make you love songs, On the piano all my scales, In pen all my game, Day after day after day, I only know how to talk about love, Always the same poem

To declare my love to you

You make my flame shine, All my arsonist heart, You make my flame burn, The spark of all my dramas, You rekindled the flame, And when I love I burn, Yes when I love I’m inflamed”






JOHNERLE

Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Talkin' To Myself

As far as I can tell, the Americana community is totally accepting of Sarah Shook as an openly queer, non-binary artist who uses they/them pronouns, but it did cause a bit of controversy when they started using auto-tune in a genre where authenticity is key. This was my first exposure to Sarah Shook, and it's so subtle on this first single that I didn't even notice it at first, but it becomes more apparent when you listen to the full album and compare it to their earlier stuff. I question the decision to use auto-tune on much of the album, especially when you hear the distinctive vocal stylings on earlier songs like Dwight Yoakam or The Bottle Never Lets Me Down, but I have no qualms about it on this single that introduced me to a new favourite artist.





LEESTU

Fontaines D.C., I Love You

The grower that became my favourite from the album. It’s probably the Disintegration era Cure guitar tones, and the way the song develops and where it goes.





RON B

Meg Mac, Is It Worth Being Sad





SHRYKESPEARE

The Birthday Massacre, Precious Hearts

What if we're not here anymore?
Is this a dream we endure?
Are we ready to unlock the door?
Is anyone?
Is anyone here anymore?
Is anyone?
Is anyone real anymore?

Fascination, this Canadian band’s 2022 release, was even better than Diamonds, which came out the year before…. which I didn’t think was possible. I regret that it took me so long to find them, but now that I have, I’m thankful to my friend Tiea who introduced them to me. I can’t wait to see them in concert this April.





SIX

Crack Cloud, Please Yourself

The recovering-addict collective from Canada spread their sonic wings significantly for their second record, with shades of Bowie, post-rock, and even pop added to their twitchy post-punk. Please Yourself is a white-boy funk tune, with Zach Choy’s Strummer-esque vocals being drowned out in a sea of backing singers, hitting that powerful refrain until the song ambles to a gentle close (you could arguably stop listening at the 3 min mark if you really want to).





TRANNY

The Weeknd, Sacrifice

That production! Those synths! That hook! Just a perfect, funky pop song that is just as striking on the 50th listen as it is on its 1st.

Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Top 30 Songs of 2022

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bumped to next page
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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