The Top 50 Songs Of 2013

By Trevor Ziegler

50. The Drones – Why Write a Letter That You’ll Never Send

This nihilistic slow-burner is best listened-to in the dark, alone, and drinking a whiskey after a long day at work. Trust me.

49. Tyler the Creator – IFHY

When I heard Tyler finally got the chance to collaborate with his idol Pharrell Williams, I hoped for the best but expected the worst. Luckily, it exceeded every one of my expectations with its airy synths, huge drums, angsty lyrics, and obligatory falsetto breakdown by Williams.

48. Queens of the Stone Age – Fairweather Friends

For a song that features Dave Grohl, Elton John, and Trent Reznor, it doesn’t sound very Dave Grohl, Elton John, and Trent Reznor-y. But that’s okay because it’s a fantastic song. The desperation in the breakdown where Josh Homme sings “one day when we’re far away, from everything that hurts” absolutely crushes me with every listen.

47. San Fermin – Daedalus (What We Have)

“Daedalus” is a fantastically orchestral-yet-poppy piece from 24-year-old Brooklyn composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone. I can’t help but get a nostalgic feeling whenever I listen to this song. Especially once it explodes into the final chorus.

46. Freddie Gibbs – Paper (feat YB)

Killa Gibbs quietly had a huge year with the release of his studio debut. This song was one of the many highlights of “ESGN” as Freddie spits that truth with his razor-sharp delivery over bombastic horns and heavy bass.

45. Eleanor Friedberger – When I Knew

Eleanor Friedberger writes some of the best lyrics in the game right now, and this playful tale about the evolution of two BFFs showcases just that. It’s just a really fun, jaunty pop song about the power of friendship. Hooray, friendship!

44. Denzel Curry – Parents

“Ya momma ain’t shit, ya daddy ain’t shit” Curry barks over a brooding (almost horrorcore) beat. This is a song about what happens when kids grow up with no support system. It’s a dark, heavy, truthful depiction of the kind of stuff 19 year-old Denzel Curry saw everyday growing up in South Florida (Curry also went to the same high school as Trayvon Martin).

43. Dawes – Someone Will

A song for the hopeless romantic in all of us. It’s a bouncy Americana tune about a young dude trying to find the way to profess his undying love for his best friend. In the end, the protagonist sings “if you don’t want me after tonight, someone will”. The song ends on sort of a hopeless note but I found myself rooting for the guy because at one point or another, we’ve all been there.

42. Blood Orange – You’re Not Good Enough

When I first heard this track, I listened to it about 10 times in a row. It’s an infectious take on 80s pop/R&B that would probably make Prince grin that creepy little grin he does whenever he’s “happy”.

41. Ariana Grande – Honeymoon Avenue

I LOVE THIS SONG. It sounds like Ariana’s take on the new Justin Timberlake record what with all the doo-woppy “oooh’s and ahh’s” and bouncy percussion. The production on this song is fantastic with enough strings and keys to rival any of 20/20s best instrumentals. Oh and those heartbreaking lyrics. Sing it, girl!

40. Mac Miller – Matches (feat Ab-Soul)

Mac Miller had something of a coming out party with his latest release; ditching his Easy Mac (with the cheesy raps) persona for a more mature, blunted out version of himself. On “Matches” Mac not only shows his growth on the mic but also behind the production board with a near-flawless soundscape. It doesn’t hurt that Ab-Soul smashes his verse as well. 

39. Flaming Lips – Turning Violent

I mean…it’s a Flaming Lips song called “Turning Violent. It’s weird and heavy and loud at times. But it’s also really good.

38. Death Grips – Birds

“Birds” scared the absolute crap out of me when I first heard it. To be honest, it still kind of frightens me. The instrumental switches between chaos to what almost sounds like the theme to a low-budget children’s show. Plus, MC Ride’s vocals are as terrifying and cryptic as ever.

37. Annie – Mixed Emotions

Annie has silently been one of the MVPs of all pop music over the past decade or so. This track further substantiates that claim. All hail the Norwegian Queen of dance pop.

36. Waxahatchee – Swan Dive

A 90s indie throwback about young love that, no matter how hard you try, just wasn’t meant to be. This stripped-down confessional totally slays me with every listen.

35. A$AP Ferg – Hood Pope

I’m such a sucker for that Bone Thugz-esque sing-songy rap vocal. This is definitely the type of song I would hang-glide over the Grand Canyon to.

34. Valerie June – Somebody to Love

Do not listen to this song alone unless you enjoy sobbing quietly to yourself. It cuts you deep and then just sort of stays in there. You have been warned.

33. Danny Brown – Dope Song

Danny Brown has made some great party records. Danny Brown has also made some great straightforward hip hop records. This song is a perfect marriage of the two. A hybrid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hybrid_(album)), if you will.

32. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – From the Sun

Channeling their inner Beatles, UMO crafted a pop gem with their introspective take on loneliness over a sunny, guitar-driven instrumental.

31. Run the Jewels – Banana Clipper (feat Big Boi)

“Producer gave me a tape, said ‘it’s the beat of the year’, I said, ‘El-P didn’t do it, so get the fuck out of here.” Yeah, that line just about sums it up. Oh and did I mention Big Boi spits fire at the end?

30. DJ Rashad – I Don’t Give A Fuck

If you don’t know Chicago Footwork music yet, let this be an introduction. DJ Rashad crafts a bass-heavy beat set to some Tupac samples from the movie Juice that will have you dancing like you don’t give a fuck.

29. Yuksek – Last of Our Kinds (feat Oh Land)

This song is like that Fruit Stripe bubble gum you used to chew as a kid except it tastes better, lasts longer, and doesn’t have that stupid giraffe on the wrapper.

28. Major Lazer  - Watch Out For This (Bumaye)

I remember very early in the year there was a 30 second snippet of this song that was released and I probably listened to it 30 times a day for about a month. Then, the full song came out and I still listened to it 30 times a day for about a month. Those horns.

27. CHVRCHES – The Mother We Share

Listening to this song is like eating a fresh stack of homemade flapjacks, topped with butter and warm Vermont Maple Syrup. That’s it, that’s all I got.

26. James Blake – Retrograde

Justin Vernon of Bon Iver passed on the “indie sadboy” torch to James Blake and boy is he doing a fantastic job. Haunting.

25. White Denim – New Blue Feeling

Makes me wanna slap on my freshest pair of khaki shorts and have a barbecue in the backyard. True dad music at its finest!

24. Chance the Rapper – Juice

I had a friend we nicknamed “Juice” (before the song came out) and when this song came out we would constantly play it and scream this name at her during the chorus. I’m sure this got annoying, but we didn’t care. Oh, it’s a great song, too.

23. Janelle Monae – Q.U.E.E.N. (feat. Erykah Badu)

“The booty don’t lie.” It sure doesn’t, Janelle. It sure doesn’t.

22. Youth Lagoon – Mute

“Mute” is like the soundtrack to a lucid dream. With the atmosphere it creates, it’s an incredibly easy song to get lost in.

21. Justin Timberlake – Mirrors

Even at a whopping 8 minutes, I don’t think there was a song I listened to more than “Mirrors”. Timberlake takes every defining characteristic of the ballads he’s released in the past and amplifies them about 100 times. In theory, this shouldn’t work. But dammit, does it ever.

1. Mikal Cronin – Weight

You won’t find much better power pop than the stuff Mikal Cronin was churning out in 2013. It’s really catchy, vulnerable stuff and “Weight” was some of the catchiest and most vulnerable of it all.

19. Vampire Weekend – Diane Young

There were about 7 songs on the new Vampire Weekend album that could’ve made this list but this song was the most fun. It sounds like Elvis’ take on a James Blake record and the world is a better place for it.

18. Smith Westerns – Varsity

It seems like I was the only person in the world that really liked the new Smith Westerns album. I guess I’m just a sucker for fuzzed-out, synthy pop music. This song is the perfect lonely fall-time soundtrack. Plus it’s catchy as hell.

17. HAERTS – Wings

In my humble opinion, this single beats anything Haim has released this past year. It’s that same 80s-influenced pop sound but…better.

16. CLASSIXX – All You’re Waiting For (feat. Nancy Whang)

It’s 4+ minutes of electro pop bliss graced with Nancy Whang’s distinctive voice, some fantastic tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and a chorus that sticks to you like glue.

15. Earl Sweatshirt – Whoa (feat. Tyler the Creator)

Just a portrait of a talented young rapper who is finally starting to find his voice paired with a producer that somehow knows exactly how to showcase said rapper’s talent. I would put a quote in this but pretty much the entire song is a quotable. I’m honestly scared to see what happens when Earl is finally at the top of his game.

14. Washed Out – It All Feels Right

I imagine reenacting the “A Whole New World” scene from Alaadin whenever I listen to this song. It just creates this really dreamy, euphoric atmosphere with every listen.

13. Pusha T – Numbers on the Boards

Hands-down, the hardest-hitting beat of the year. It’s just a whirlwind of bleeps, bloops and bass. Plus, King Push spits the type of lyrics that make even Kendrick Lamar think twice before he raps his rap-claims about which rapper can rap the best raps.

12. Phosphorescent – Song For Zula

Another song that creates a landscape that makes it easy to get lost in. The track is a beautiful portrayal of heartbreak and the eventual redemption that follows. Backed by some captivating strings and Matthew Houck’s whispery vocals; this track does a lot things very right.

11. Autre Ne Veut – Counting

“Counting” is the official 2013 Boner Jam of the Year. Atkin’s signature breathy falsetto and a bombardment of cascading synths make this song smoother than a slice of red velvet cake.

10. Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop

“Forget the haters, cuz somebody loves ya.” You nailed it, Miley. I don’t care what anybody says, Mike Will Made Miley a bonafide jam. It’s the perfect song to listen to at the party after the party.

9. Kanye West – Bound 2

“Bound 2” was like Kanye’s middle finger to all of his fans that still harp about missing the College Dropout days. I think every phase of Kanye’s illustrious career is represented in this one track; the sped-up soul samples of College Dropout, the live instrumentation of Late Registration, the pop sensibilities of Graduation, the heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics of 808s, and the grandiose attitude of Beautiful Fantasy.

8. Savages – Shut Up

The dizzying guitars and that pounding bass combined with commanding vocals make “Shut Up” a superb record. This song makes me super uncomfortable and anxious when I listen to it sometimes which I think is a good thing.

7. Drake – Hold On, We’re Going Home

Even if you’re not in love, this song has the ability to make you feel like you’re in love, which is quite a feat for a heartless bastard like me. “Hold On” is a beautiful pop record made to call-out the romantic in us all.

6. Foxygen – San Francisco

It seems like this song is about a love that was doomed from the beginning and that mutual realization that it’s quickly coming to an end. A somewhat sad premise set to a carefree, bouncy pop tune.

5. Rhye – Open

“Open” is a song that you listen to in bed with a significant other, hungover on a Sunday afternoon. It’s a beautiful arrangement from the moment those initial strings hit and the lyrics paint a picture of two people who couldn’t possibly dream of being anywhere but in that moment together.

4. A$AP Rocky – 1 Train (feat. Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Big K.R.I.T.)

It’s pretty unfair that the best posse cut of the year came out about two weeks into 2013. The stacked lineup speaks for itself.

3. Daft Punk – Get Lucky

At first I loved this song. Then, I eventually heard it so much on the radio that I started to hate it. Then, I listened to the extended album version and fell in love again. It’s good, we all know this.

2. Deafheaven – Dream House

The first time I listened to this album it didn’t do much for me for some reason. I sat on it for a couple of weeks and give it another listen. With my second go at “Dream House” I was instantly hooked. This is one of the most emotionally-draining songs I have ever heard.

1. Disclosure – When A Fire Starts To Burn

I was recommended the Disclosure by friend. I had no idea who the hell they were. When I first heard this song I damn near did backflips out of my office chair at work. It’s just a huge, smart dance tune with a killer vocal sample and some funky bass. RIGHT!?

To view this playlist on Spotify here.

Brother, Sister and Filmmaking Crew
Captured in Space!

By Andrew Mathwick

$15,000 ransom to save a group of filmmakers, kidnapped in space by aliens. Are you not going to donate to help out these doomed space-explorer-filmmakers?? We’ll, turns out it’s too late. They all died and the aliens don’t even care about killing the filmmakers because they’re aliens and aliens have no morals (or they at least don’t have any morals in terms of killing space-explorer-filmmakers). Just kidding. The space-explorer-filmmakers lived. Good moral-filled humans donated the money and now the space-explorer-filmmakers are alive and well.

Everything I just described to you is 100% the plot (sort of, but not really) for an Indiegogo campaign entitled, “Humanity’s Only Hope.” The campaign set out to raise $15,000 in 30 days to fund a Sci-Fi short film called, “Icarus Down.” The campaign was successful and raised a total of $15,805. What probably made this Indiegogo campaign so successful, was the way in which the filmmakers asked for the funding. Most of the time when you see a campaign asking for money to create a film, you’ll just get a trailer for the film and then some guy sitting at a desk somewhere saying the words, “please donate us money, please.” The Icarus Down crew did something totally different. By creating a plot for their films campaign they manage to get the viewer/donator more excited about the film. Making the film seem more interesting, which in turn lead to more donations, and a successful campaign. Regardless that the campaign is now over, I still think the campaign-video they posted is worth watching. 

Other then the unique approach to their Indiegogo campaign, Icarus Down stands out for another reason, Tedi Nicoletos, who is the lead actress and producer for the short film is the sister to the director, producer, writer and editor of the film, Paul Nicoletos. A duo like this seems pretty rare in the film industry, and certainly adds another dimension to the production of the film.

I was lucky enough to talk to Tedi and Paul and ask a little about themselves, their Indiegogo campaign and what is was like working together while making the film.

What got you interested in filmmaking?

Paul: We both grew up in Greece, and from a young age, we both watched a lot of the same movies, and had a lot of the same interests. When we moved to Florida, for our High School years, filmmaking seemed like the right path to take. It’s what we both loved to do and coming to America we were immersed more into that world. Having access to that content at all times.

What got you interested in Sci-Fi?

Paul: Watching, George Lucas, Speilberg, Ridley Scott, and James Cameron, watching all their films it’s almost inevitable that you’re not going to like Sci-Fi.

What has it been like working together as an almost, brother-sister team? Has it made it easier, or have there been challenges?

Tedi: I think it’s been easier and tougher, at the same time. We know each other so well, that we take the liberty to actually argue at times when you really wouldn’t with strangers. But, we know each other so well that it’s good because we have the same taste and we already know what the other person is thinking.

Paul: We want to push each other, because we want to see each other do the best we can. For us it’s almost never good enough. I think that dynamic helps a lot.

I watched your Indiegogo video, and it was definitely one of the most original concepts for a campaign that I’ve seen. Having almost a story on its own. What gave you the inspiration to do something like that?

Tedi: Well, we watched a lot of other Indiegogo campaigns and personally I found a lot of them boring, but there were a couple that stood out. I just analyzed what they did right and what they did wrong, and I said, we should base it on our story and do a pitch that has the essence of Sci-Fi and will entertain people. And it’s not just us, sitting there asking for money like a couple beggars. It was something that actually makes you feel like you’re watching a movie.

Were there any other major challenges, besides the financial issues that you encountered while making the film?

Paul: When making a short film that has to look very big in terms of production value you’re always going to come across challenges. From, trying to find the right pieces to make the costumes look expensive and unique, to finding the right equipment to tell the story. But, I think the biggest challenge was making the spaceship look like it cost a million dollars. We were lucky to find a location that had a standing set. If we really had to build something like that it would cost in the hundred of thousands of dollars just to build a spaceship set, or do everything green screen and then sometimes that doesn’t work because sometimes you need more money for that as well. But, yea there were challenges all around, but there is no film worth doing without it’s challenges, and as long as you overcome them at any given moment, then it is more fulfilling.

Do you hope to expand on the film, and make it a feature length.

Paul: Yea, our whole premise on the film was to inspire people to kind of give us money to make a feature film, whether it be a prequel, sequel, or something based directly off it, that all depends on budget and what’s the best story to tell at that moment in time.

Do you have any other projects you’re working on?

Paul: We have a lot of project, some of them are Sci-Fi, some of them are not. Me personally, I love Sci-Fi so I’d love to enter the filmmaking world doing that, but that’s not my only passion. I love Psychological Thrillers and some Dramas can be great if the stories right. So for me it’s not that I just want to be a Sci-Fi director, I want to be a director who tells the right story at that particular moment in time that is right for me to tell. If that story happens to be Sci-Fi then so be it, but we do have several projects that are in varied stages of development, a couple features that we’re trying to pitch, trying to get funding for and in the meantime a couple other shorts that are very similar in the sense of what we did for strategy in Icarus Down. A prove of concept for a feature.

“Icarus Down” was recently released and screened at the NYLA International Film Festival and the Chelsea Film Festival.

For more information and to watch trailer click here.

The Cast of ‘August: Osage County’
Talks Bonding, Surprises, And Humor

By Erin Whitney

Every family is dysfunctional to some degree, but the chaotic, hilarious, and unsettling drama of the Weston family in August: Osage County is hardly something you’d experience at your Thanksgiving dinner. The film, which is directed by John Wells (ER, The Company Men) and adapted from Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play, follows the family as they’re reunited at their Oklahoma home for a sudden crisis.

It’s no surprise when her three daughters, Barbara (Julia Roberts), Ivy (Julianne Nicholson), and Karen (Juliette Lewis), dread returning home. Ivy avoids her mother and aunt’s (Margo Martindale) pestering questions about her love life. Barbara, the proclaimed favorite child, attempts to conceal her own relationship troubles as she drags along soon-to-be-ex-husband Bill (Ewan McGregor) and daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin) for the trip home. And Karen, the free-spirited, buoyant one races into town—literally—with fiancé-of-the-moment Steve (Dermot Mulroney), your typical douchey guy in a red Ferrari.

When Beverly (Sam Shepard), known for both his poetry and alcoholism, goes missing, his drug-addled wife Violet calls upon every family member to return home. His absence becomes clear over the course of the film as Violet’s true self unfolds, a woman who uses her family as punching bags more than crutches. Played remarkably by Meryl Streep, Violet, who is also battling cancer, buries her life-long suffering with a miscellany of prescription pills, which only emphasize her cruel underbelly.

As expected, much bickering, bitching, and all-out fighting ensue, but those unfamiliar with the play will find the story surprisingly original, if somewhat melodramatic. August isn’t a typical dysfunctional family drama, as it juggles a hefty load of serious topics and features a fantastically performed dinner table scene that is sure to become a classic. What makes August: Osage County stand out is that it’s at once both theatrical and cinematic, dark and funny; a difficult feat to accomplish when transitioning from stage to screen. At the film’s press conference in New York last month, the cast, director, and writer sat down to discuss the movie.

Letts, who adapted for the screen, said one of the most important things for him was that the comedic elements of the play remained intact. “I always felt that some of the secret and success of August: Osage County was the humor,” Letts said. “Quite often when plays are turned into films, the humor is lost.” For a drama like August, which deals with drug and alcohol abuse, infidelity, suicide, and another serious subject revealed near the end, it’s necessary to have comedy to ease the tension. Letts believed that as long as the audience was laughing, they’d keep listening.

While Streep has made us laugh in past roles, her Violet gives no such pleasure. The cold and aging woman is one of the most wretched characters the actress has played. Streep shared that initially she hesitated to take on the role for its heavy emotional weight. “I think as an actor you’re supposed to want to go into the house of pain over and over and over and over again,” Streep said.” “But really, it’s not something that’s fun. And I resisted doing this initially, the part, because of that.” While it may have been a trying character to play, Streep brings such varied depth to Violet as her drug-fueled temperament peaks and descends. Throughout many scenes, Violet will switch from laughing along with family members to suddenly attacking them with her biting tongue.

“The viewer who watches her world,” co-star Chris Cooper said of Streep, “really has no idea the talent that we observe per take, because she brings such variety.” Cooper went on the describe how Streep, who he previously worked with in Spike Jonze’s Adaptation, would constantly keep the cast on their toes. “It’s a great lesson. This is the second time I’ve worked with her; I’m still learning.” Streep chimed in and jokingly replied, “You’ll never learn.” 

Nicholson, who plays the most humble of the Weston sisters, further echoed the daunting power that Streep’s Violet emanated. “Just seeing Violet for the first time chilled me to my core,” Nicholson said. She also described that throughout filming there was a constant element of surprise on set, adding, “It was a thrill everyday to see what this amazing cast came up with.” While the Weston family may not get along too well in the film, the large cast of August: Osage County bonded as a real family off set. Since the film was shot in a real home purchased in Osage County, Oklahoma, the cast moved into nearby townhouses during production. Margo Martindale, who plays Violet’s sister, Mattie Fae, said, “We actually became a family together, watched television together, cooked together, ate together, worried about Hurricane Sandy together.” Roberts also shared how her, Nicholson, and Lewis bonded off set as sisters, pointing out the one commonality each actress shared. “Well, your name had to start with “JUL” to be a Weston sister,” Roberts said laughing. She described that by the time they started shooting, the three of them had some sisterly moments of, “really-that’s-what-you’re-wearing?” that helped them feel more connected.

Having such a huge cast of renowned actors, a film like August: Osage County could easy come off as disjointed, strained, or self-indulgent. However, the ensemble is believable and entertaining as a family for which the audience can feel both love and hate towards. That well-rounded equilibrium of joy and pain, like and dislike, and tragedy and humor is not only integral to the story of August, but also makes it such an enjoyable and relatable film. When comparing Cooper’s compassionate Charles, Violet’s brother-in-law, to Violet, Streep said, “I knew the audience would love him and I knew that they would hate me, but in equal measure.”

“And that is the story,” Streep said. “It’s about a balance.”

August: Osage County opened in theaters everywhere on Christmas Day.

Lorem Ipsum
Dolor Sit

By John Doe

Jazz is alive and well in the 21st century — or is it?

That quintessential American art form known as jazz has had its share of ups and downs, especially in the country of its birthplace. Here in the U.S., jazz is often the ugly stepchild, the musical expression relegated to the dark basements and old, dusty clubs of urban outposts. When it does take the stage of a modern, new concert hall or club, the number of musicians on the bandstand sometimes outnumbers the heads in the audience.