Week 11: Death Cab for Cutie – The Ghosts of Beverly Drive

Having been featured before, it’s not a secret I enjoy the music Death Cab for Cutie puts out. This track, which is taken from their upcoming album Kintsugi, is my favorite so far of the singles that they have released leading up to the new album. Apart from what usually makes a track by Death Cab for Cutie great, such as captivating lyrics and thoughtful instrumentation, this has a few interesting quirks added throughout that I find functions as the cherry on top of an already great track.

Week 8: Seryn – Paths

The second album from the folk rock band Seryn, Shadow Shows, has a lot of strong tracks, but this one instantly became my favorite. I had never heard of this band before, and their energy and delivery really grabbed me. This track has a lot of strong points, from the instrumentation with a prominent banjo to the vocals delivered by a male and female singer in great harmony. There are also some less expected layers of sound with I think elevates this track further.

Week 3: James Bay – Sparks

The early trend for 2015 continues with another strong track from a very talented male singer and guitarist. This track, which I found on the EP Other Sides, features the strong vocals of James Bey and a very nice sound with a guitar that is borderline blues. At times, the singing reminded me a lot of the way Michael Jackson would use his voice to convey emotion, especially around the 2:15 mark. It’s not a complicated track, but that’s pretty much the whole point.

Week 1: Adam Dale – Midnight

I had to listen to quite a few tracks of new music before I found this gem. Before hearing his new album, I had no idea who Adam Dale was. I now know he’s a very talented musician and tracks like this is exactly why I wanted to only include new music from now on. This track has a lot of heart and is just the right kind of laid-back to kick off the new year smoothly.

Week 51: The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings

There are a lot of great tracks by The Smashing Pumpkins, and even tho this is likely the most commercially successful, it’s still the one I have to include as track of the week simply because of when it was released and what it meant to me at the time. I think a lot of people who were the same age as me when this track was released have the same relationship to it. Billy Corgan’s somewhat unpolished vocals coupled with heavy guitars and really grungy drums is such a fantastic combination.

Week 28: The White Stripes – My Doorbell

I’m not exactly sure when I heard The White Stripes the first time, but I’d guess it was sometime after their 2003 album Elephant. One thing I know for certain, though, is that when I heard this track I knew without a doubt that I’d keep listening to whatever else they decided to put out. This track is simplistic, smart and they will be missed.

Week 24: Foo Fighters – Let It Die

This is one of those tracks I listen to when I need to get some aggression out of my system. It starts calm with some nice acoustic guitar and ends in total chaos with very heavy electric guitars and screaming vocals. The transition is handled extremely well, and if I’m in a bad mood it usually helps to listen to this track a few times to make me feel better.