Rihanna – Way Too Indie

Best 50 Songs Of The Decade So Far (#20 – #11)

Way Too Indie Staff — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 13:16:08 +0000

We continue our countdown of our 50 Best Songs of the Decade So Far with ten songs that include an omnipresent pop anthem, a confrontational rap banger, a stark piano ballad, and an Italo disco song, a subgenre formerly thought to be dead. These ten songs are also somewhat surprising; some of them don’t feature too often on other publications’ lists of the decade’s best music to date. A few of these would be expected for a good Top 20, but others are refreshingly new to such lists. There will definitely be something, if not many things, for eager listeners to discover in this section.

We’ve got the playlist ready and waiting for your listening pleasure at the bottom, let us know what you think of our list so far and tune in tomorrow for our top ten list.

Best 50 Songs Of The Decade So Far
(#20 – #11)

Arcade Fire – “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”

(Label: Merge, 2010)

Over time, Arcade Fire have transformed from an earnest gang of chamber pop auteurs to a troupe with an unexpectedly varied sound. “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” finds them mid-transition between their former state of we’re-all-in-this-together anthems to their more recent form of cynical, synth-indebted, all-encompassing sounds. The song marks the first instance in Arcade Fire’s catalog where synths actually carry the weight, a move that might signal death for the band if the emotional pull weren’t maintained. Sprightly pianos, digital flickers and a deep, slowly growling synthetic bass support Regine Chassagne’s angelic, assertive vocals. Her lyrical themes of suburban decay and youthful exuberance match the song’s subtly ominous undercurrent and its gleeful, ecstatic synths, respectively. A brief bridge sees the darker hues briefly overtaking the smiling sounds in the song’s most exciting moment; like Chassagne herself says, “I need the darkness, someone please cut the lights.” [Max]

Rihanna – “We Found Love”

(Label: Def Jam, 2011)

The 2011 monster collaboration between Rihanna and Calvin Harris “We Found Love” is a top-notch club banger, with exhilarating crescendos and breakdowns and awesome electronic “swoosh” noises everyone loves so much. But what makes it special is its sense of high drama, found in RiRi’s perfectly controlled, love-struck vocals and the intensely impassioned lyrics. That no one (of note) had written “we found love in a hopeless place” before this song came out is almost stupid, considering how timeless and simple and evocative a lyric it is. “We Found Love” is rapture in a bottle, one of those songs that’ll give you the sudden urge to move with your partner from the dance floor to somewhere more private. [Bernard]

The War on Drugs – “Red Eyes”

(Label: Secretly Canadian, 2014)

After two albums, The War On Drugs have finally found their stride on Lost In The Dream (2014), the lush and lyrically staggering third album from the tortured artist that is Adam Granduciel. And while the record is rather great through and through, it is the first single, “Red Eyes,” that is the clear stand out—a song so rich and mesmerizing that the rest of the album nearly disappears in its glow. The song, driven by the constant rhythm of the drums, but carried along by the full-bodied piano and the thick fuzz of the guitar, is really a showcase for Granduciel’s voice, which rises from its smooth base to a pained howl in a matter of words and scales an impressive range, striking at some hard truths, “And you don’t go home/but you abuse my faith.” This track is sure to outlast the rest of the decade. [Gary]

Bat for Lashes – “Laura”

(Label: Parlophone, 2012)

Natasha Khan a.k.a. Bat For Lashes, is the genuine deal. She doesn’t comprise her artistic inclinations, and doesn’t rush inspiration. The story behind her last album, and how Radiohead’s Thom Yorke helped, is like an adventurous quest for intuition that loves to escape creative minds, but the story behind “Laura,” her slow and melancholic piano ballad, is much more rock star. “My housemate and I had an extremely debauched house party…The next day, I had the biggest hangover ever, and I had to go and write this song,” Khan told Pitchfork. What makes it even more unbelievable is that Khan and her co-writer Justin Parker nailed it in under two hours and the demo version became the album version. Khan hitting it out of the park at first bat while hungover is like an invitation to search for symmetry between artist and subject, making the song all the more transcendent. Of course, the song wouldn’t be her last album’s leading single if it stood on its own merit, and there’s plenty of it. Khan’s voice, a piano, and a heartfelt ode to the misguided, “Laura” is impossible to forget. [Nik]

M83 – “Midnight City”

(Label: Mute, 2011)

If you’re looking for the definitive driving song on our list, you’ve found it. French electronic artist Anthony Gonzalez is the man behind the popular M83 monicker, and for his latest album (brilliantly titled Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming), his main influence was his relocation from France to Los Angeles. But, somehow, when he sings “Waiting in a car/Waiting for the ride in the dark/The night city grows/Look and see her eyes, they glow,” you know that he could only be referring to the infamous city of angels. The song is immediately recognized by the opening riffs (interestingly enough, this is his own heavily distorted voice), and the way M83 manipulates and mixes this riff, at once following and leading every other component of the track, is what makes “Midnight City” an instant modern classic. It harkens back to a bygone era of disco, and ends on a sax solo fitting for the end credits of a late ’80s TV show, but with its beats, and pitch-perfect mix of synth-pop energy and dream-pop captivation, “Midnight City” sounds fresh every time you press repeat. Which is a lot. [Nik]

Waxahatchee – “Swan Dive”

(Label: Don Giovanni, 2013)

Only three elements comprise “Swan Dive,” a masterwork of desperation, heartache, and isolation courtesy of Katie Crutchfield. Specifically, Crutchfield is such a powerful songwriter that she only needs three tracks (an endlessly pattering bass drum, a crisply threadbare guitar line, and her husky, close-range vocals) to convey the hefty emotions underlying this song. “Won’t you sleep with me, every night for a week? Won’t you just let me pretend, this is the love I need?” Crutchfield asks over her desolate instrumentation, providing just enough of a backbone to create a memorable melody, but also remains thin enough to ensure that her words receive the attention they deserve. Later, the drums go silent, and the backbone becomes even more delicate, directing the focus towards a key line: “I’ll keep having dreams about loveless marriage and regret.” There is no hope on “Swan Dive,” only the fall from grace for which the song is named. At least Crutchfield is giving us incredible music from down in her ditch. [Max]

Gesaffelstein – “Pursuit”

(Label: EMI, 2013)

Not a lot of music is as blindly forceful as Gesaffelstein’s propulsive single “Pursuit.” Driven by a slightly over-compressed procession preset, but thrown along by the piercing and undulating tones that bury themselves in your head, the song is a sort of freight train of energy, the rests acting as the sole space to catch a breath. Gesaffelstein (the French born Mike Levy) has worked with Kanye West on some of his fiercer Yeezus tracks, demonstrates what has made him such a powerhouse and go to producer for hyper-aggressive and club-ready songs with “Pursuit.” The song stands apart from the pack with its on-a-dime shifts and the clipped and unnerving use of vocal samples. “Pursuit” is the perfect synthesis of furious EDM, a pulsing discotheque nightmare in the best possible way. [Gary]

Jay-Z & Kanye West – “N****s in Paris”

(Label: Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella/Roc Nation, 2011)

There are plenty of standouts throughout Watch the Throne, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaborative album, but “N****s in Paris” stands out as the clear winner. With Hit-Boy’s instantly memorable synth hook driving the song, Jay-Z and West provide one quotable line after another. It’s full-on, egotistical bragging, and it works. Why? Because both of them earned the rights to brag as much as they want (West just released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy at the time, and Jay-Z needs no explaining). At first glance, the title Watch the Throne might give off the image of someone trying to be protective. After listening to “N****s in Paris,” the title’s meaning is clear: watch and observe the masters at work. [C.J.]

Chromatics – “Cherry”

(Label: Italians Do It Better, 2012)

Never underestimate the combined powers of an enticing female vocal and low-key electronic melody; the two were created to be together. Case in point: Chromatics. Ruth Radelet sounds like she stepped out of a vintage postcard from the 1970’s, and with her poignant, deeply melancholic, voice manipulated to disperse away like dandelion clocks, “Cherry” captures the heart, swiftly and successfully. Not found on any of the band’s official albums, “Cherry” is one of the band’s three contributions to the second After Dark compilation by their label, Italians Do It Better, and tells the familiar story of Cherry, who “can be very sweet when she needs a friend/But it’s only/A mask she wears so she can pretend.” Adam Miller’s production, with that titillating Italo disco riff filling the void left by Radelet’s redolent voice whenever she isn’t singing, is a striking example of something beautiful and timeless created out of simple compositions. Not to mention how it basks in a kind of retro neon warmth you can practically touch. [Nik]

St. Vincent – “Krokodile”

(Label: 4AD, 2012)

St. Vincent has come to be known by her feather-light and carbonated indie tracks, a brand that has snagged her a Grammy. But while her sound is rather easy to pick out from the pack, she has been anything but one note. The best example of this arguably being 2012’s Record Store Day single “Krokodile.” The song is a shock to the system, especially for dedicated Annie Clark fans. The track, nearly foaming at the mouth, is an intense and crunchy punk riot, with Clark’s vocals smashed and buried beneath the chugging hurricane of sound. So while St. Vincent has all but created her own genre (one that no doubt carries some eerie undertones), “Krokodile” is a behemoth of a song that proves Clark can rock out with the very best of them. [Gary]

Listen to These Songs on Spotify

See the rest of our Best Songs Of The Decade lists!

View Other Lists of this Feature:
Best 50 Songs of the Decade So Far (#50 – #41)
Best 50 Songs of the Decade So Far (#40 – #31)
Best 50 Songs of the Decade So Far (#30 – #21)
Best 50 Songs of the Decade So Far (#10 – #1)

Best 50 Songs Of The Decade So Far (#50 – #41)

Way Too Indie Staff — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 13:07:29 +0000

The 2010’s will be known as the first full decade in which music survived its Internet age. In 2000, services like Napster and Limewire planted the seeds for peer-to-peer sharing, but millions of songs weren’t yet a mere click away; this decade, however, Spotify has come to fruition, YouTube has blossomed into an everyday force, pre-release album streams are omnipresent, and the Internet blog community is constantly hitting refresh. “Plugged in” has an entirely different meaning now that the Internet acts as a global amp, making it impossible to feel disconnected—whether by streaming, downloading, or reading about music, it’s all a click away.

Even though it’s far easier to discover new music in this era, year-end and decade-so-far lists tend to canonize the same set of albums and songs. Way Too Indie is guilty of writing about some of the same songs that everyone else is, but we also showcase a few welcome surprises with this list of our Top 50 Songs of 2010–2014. We’ll be rolling the list out ten songs at a time, ten for each weekday, starting today with songs 50–41. Let this list guide you on your refresher course in 2010’s music history.

Best 50 Songs Of The Decade So Far
(#50-#41)

Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”

(Label: Big Machine, 2014)

If “Shake It Off” is Taylor Swift’s giddy, playful middle finger to her haters, then “Blank Space” is the cooler, smarter version of the same thing (full disclosure: “Shake It Off” is also great). The song has Swift facing her detractors head-on, playing up the image of herself as some sort of psychotic girlfriend going through boys like bubble gum. But Swift brilliantly counters those attacks by putting the ball in the other half’s court with lines like “Cause you know I love the players/And you love the game” or “Boys only want love if it’s torture.” And, like most of 1989, Swift puts this all in an insanely catchy package, blending the song’s electronic and acoustic elements to make 2014’s catchiest chorus. It’s a song that has Swift acknowledging criticisms thrown her way and responding with a resounding “So what?” It’s what great artists do, and if you weren’t already convinced Swift deserves every bit of her success, “Blank Space” should change your mind. [C.J.]

Frank Ocean – “Pyramids”

(Label: Def Jam, 2012)

Traversing from bass-thick synth fare to an ultimate club track to a tender soul ballad ending with a John Mayer guitar solo is possible in this decade. In fact, it sounds incredible when soul experimentalist Frank Ocean pulls it off. “Pyramids” is ten minutes of self-indulgent bliss with risk after risk paying off. Through this song’s transition from R&B banger to intimate, woozy electrosoul, Ocean weaves the best possible tale of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra as a modern day stripper, matching his story’s wild, exaggerated nature with a song structure and genre defiance just as uninhibited. Whether you’re grooving along or transfixed in the slower sections, Ocean will have you headed to the pyramid tonight. [Max]

Rihanna – “Diamonds”

(Label: Def Jam, 2012)

Allow me to indulge a little about “Diamonds” by bringing up a scene from Celine Sciamma’s film Girlhood (forgive me, I’m used to writing about films after all). In the scene, the main character Marieme watches her new friends lip sync and dance to Rihanna’s song before joining in herself. It’s an amazing sequence, already one of the highlights of 2015, and it shows why the song is so powerful. While Rihanna’s vocals soar over Benny Blanco and StarGate’s pulsating synths and thumping percussion, the refrain of “Shine bright like a diamond” transforms from a summary of true love to a proud declaration of happiness and independence. Rihanna has put out a massive amount of bangers and club ready singles over the years, but it’s this mid-tempo ballad shows her at the top of her game. [C.J.]

Beyonce – “***Flawless”

(Label: Columbia, 2013)

Back in 2000, Beyoncé was singing with Destiny’s Child about how awesome it is for women to buy their own things. Now it’s fifteen years later, and Beyoncé doesn’t give a fuck what you think. When Beyoncé released her latest album out of nowhere, furiously reclaiming her spot at the top of pretty much everything, “Flawless” was a clear standout. What other artist as popular as Beyoncé is making anything as abrasive and strange as this song right now? Who else has the balls to throw a lecture on feminism in the middle of their song, or bookend it with clips of herself losing on Star Search (a brilliant flip side to the song’s braggadocio)? This is Beyoncé taking her place at number one and using it to do whatever she wants, take it or leave it. Only Beyoncé can order people to bow down and actually make them want to do it. [C.J.]

Ciara – “I’m Out (ft. Nicki Minaj)”

(Label: Epic, 2013)

Ciara was an artist begging for a comeback, and “I’m Out”—the opening track on her self-titled album—immediately quashed any fears of her latest album being a disappointment. With the help of Nicki Minaj, whose opening verse is yet another reminder of why she’s one of the most talented rappers out there right now, Ciara provides a fun blast of pure ego. It’s a defiant break-up song, filled with tons of swagger and a beat that makes it impossible to stay still. People may point to “Body Party” as Ciara’s true highlight, but I always prefer to put “I’m Out” on repeat instead. And one more thing: can we get more collaborations between Nicki Minaj and Ciara, please? These two are perfect together. [C.J.]

Solange – “Losing You”

(Label: Terrible, 2012)

After years of struggling to get out of her sister’s shadow, Solange Knowles finally stepped out on her own with “Losing You.” Back in 2012, Solange and Dev Hynes (known by most people as Blood Orange) provided a breath of fresh air from the pop and R&B landscape with this song. Its cool, sun-kissed style and groove was the perfect antidote to the barrage of dance floor ready tracks coming out at the time (who am I kidding? They’re still coming out). And Hynes’ production is a perfect blend of a throwback style with completely new and refreshing sound. It’s hard to believe that Solange still hasn’t come out with a new album yet, but if “Losing You” is a sign of what’s to come, it’ll be well worth the wait. [C.J.]

Neko Case – “Man”

(Label: Anti-, 2013)

I’ve been a Case fan since her 2009 album Middle Cyclone tornadoed its way into my heart. It took her some time to come back in 2013 with The Worse It Gets, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You, but she came back with the same firepower under her belly, this time ignited by a more introspective and personal approach. Her single, “Man,” is a raucously energetic folk-country crossbreed that commands your body to move, supported by Case’s signature vocal prowess, and stands out from the rest of the mellower selection with good purpose. With help from M. Ward lacing the production with his guitar skills, “Man” is everything that makes Neko Case a musical treasure: poetic, insightful, with 0% artificiality and 100% success rate at hitting targets with perfectly calibrated F-bombs. She’s a feminist who doesn’t need the support of a label in order to create a statement that shames most other self-appointed “feminists” in the game. “And if I’m dipshit drunk on the pink perfume /I am the man in the fucking moon/’Cause you didn’t know what a man was/Until I showed you.” Damn. She’s not a man, she’s a singing-songwriting beast. [Nik]

FKA twigs – “Pendulum”

(Label: Young Turks, 2014)

Only someone who’s cultivated an aesthetic as mysterious, cunning, and faintly erotic as FKA twigs could make the statement “I’m your sweet little love maker” sound daunting. In fact, all of “Pendulum”, the song from which this lyric is taken, lurches forward quite unsettlingly. But that’s because a lack of reciprocation is a pretty terrible feeling, one that this song’s jarringly arrhythmic percussion and reversed piano loops capture chillingly. For its first three minutes, the former element dominates the soundscape, but when the focus flips to the latter, the building tension of twigs’ loneliness begins to release. It all comes rushing forward with a minute and fifteen seconds left in the song, when twigs beckons, “How does it feel to have me thinking about you?” as a brief near-silence gives way to a rush of bass and piano. Forget being lonely; a song this emotionally resonant unites everyone. [Max]

Future Islands – “Seasons (Waiting on You)”

(Label: 4AD, 2014)

Synthpopping trio Gerrit Welmers, William Cashion, and Samuel Herring are Future Islands, and while they’ve had critical success with their previous albums (they’ve been Pitchfork darlings for a while), it’s their 2014 record Singles that shoved them into the brightest limelight they’ve experienced yet. And I’m willing to bet good money that most of it is because of the fantastic album opener, “Seasons (Waiting On You),” which made topping song lists look like the most objective thing in the world in 2014. Don’t get me wrong, the album as a whole is excellent, but when ‘Seasons” refrain kicks in with “As it breaks, the summer will wake/But the winter will wash what is left of the taste” your earbuds are suddenly swept under a crushingly glorious New Wave. The song drowns you with everything that makes Herring’s vocals and lyrics, Welmers’ keyboards, and Cashion’s bass such perfect musical companions, and something inside you whispers; “this is the one.” [Nik]

Jai Paul – “Jasmine”

(Label: XL, 2012)

With just two songs, Jai Paul managed to change the entire landscape of 2010s R&B. Sure, electrosoul existed before Paul’s first single, “BTSTU,” appeared out of nowhere in 2011, but by the time “Jasmine” arrived a year later, the genre’s revolution was well underway. Paul’s watery, disorienting production, drone-like, lurching synths, and whispery, silk-soft vocals on “Jasmine” builds a skyscraper on top of the foundation “BTSTU” had laid. Combining the latter track’s all-against-the-walls percussion with the smooth dreaminess of “Jasmine,” electrosoul artists as diverse as Raffertie, Tropics, and maybe even Paul’s cousin Miguel took cues that formed the next many years of electrosoul. If you can’t vibe with “Jasmine” for whatever odd reason, at least appreciate the massive influence its mysterious creator, who has yet to officially release a song since “Jasmine”, has had on his genre in just two songs. [Max]

Listen to These Songs on Spotify

See the rest of our Best Songs Of The Decade lists!

View Other Lists of this Feature:
Best 50 Songs of the Decade So Far (#40 – #31)
Best 50 Songs of the Decade So Far (#30 – #21)
Best 50 Songs of the Decade So Far (#20 – #11)
Best 50 Songs of the Decade So Far (#10 – #1)

Rihanna – Way Too Indie

Best 50 Songs Of The Decade So Far (#20 – #11)

Best 50 Songs Of The Decade So Far (#20 – #11)

Arcade Fire – “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”

Rihanna – “We Found Love”

The War on Drugs – “Red Eyes”

Bat for Lashes – “Laura”

M83 – “Midnight City”

Waxahatchee – “Swan Dive”

Gesaffelstein – “Pursuit”

Jay-Z & Kanye West – “N****s in Paris”

Chromatics – “Cherry”

St. Vincent – “Krokodile”

Listen to These Songs on Spotify

See the rest of our Best Songs Of The Decade lists!

Best 50 Songs Of The Decade So Far (#50 – #41)

Best 50 Songs Of The Decade So Far (#50-#41)

Taylor Swift – “Blank Space”

Frank Ocean – “Pyramids”

Rihanna – “Diamonds”

Beyonce – “***Flawless”

Ciara – “I’m Out (ft. Nicki Minaj)”

Solange – “Losing You”

Neko Case – “Man”

FKA twigs – “Pendulum”

Future Islands – “Seasons (Waiting on You)”

Jai Paul – “Jasmine”

Listen to These Songs on Spotify

See the rest of our Best Songs Of The Decade lists!

Best 50 Songs Of The Decade So Far
(#20 – #11)

Best 50 Songs Of The Decade So Far
(#50-#41)