Most Played Songs of 2013

Here is the list of my 30 most played songs of 2013, according to iTunes play data. You can see that “Axis” was my most played song, including a total of 91 plays across all versions and remixes.  The placement of Pet Shop Boys, Men without Hats, Franz Ferdinand, and Ixtahuele shouldn’t be a surprise since I blogged about all of them.

I listened to a total of 1836 songs at least once. That’s the largest total since I started tracking this statistic, and is quite a bit higher than past years 2009 (1431), 2010 (1539), 2011 (1337), and 2012 (1479).

Song Name Artist Plays
Axis (Video Version) Pet Shop Boys 45
Vocal Pet Shop Boys 40
Antarctica Men Without Hats 39
Inside a Dream Pet Shop Boys 38
Axis Pet Shop Boys 33
Thursday (featuring Example) Pet Shop Boys 29
Heaven Depeche Mode 28
Right Action Franz Ferdinand 26
The Last to Die Pet Shop Boys 26
Flourescent Pet Shop Boys 24
Love Illumination Franz Ferdinand 23
Never Let Me Go (Aeroplane Remix) The Human League 23
Bolshy Pet Shop Boys 23
Lights (Single Version) Ellie Goulding 21
I Like Men Without Hats 20
The Great Ones Remember Men Without Hats 19
I Got the Message Men Without Hats 19
Leaving Pet Shop Boys 16
Secret To The End Depeche Mode 15
Stone Gods of Bimini Ixtahuele 15
The Safety Dance (Video Version) Men Without Hats 15
Welcome To My World Depeche Mode 14
Angel Depeche Mode 14
Stand On the Horizon Franz Ferdinand 14
Memory of the Future Pet Shop Boys 14
Evil Eye (Todd Terje Extended Mix) Franz Ferdinand 13
Fresh Strawberries Franz Ferdinand 13
Black Sand Ixtahuele 13
Living In China Men Without Hats 13
Ban the Game (Full Version) Men Without Hats 13

This is obviously very skewed to the Synthesizer music that came via the new albums from Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode, and my concert attendance where Men without Hats played.  I resolve to listen to more rock music in 2014, but some of that’s dependent on what new music gets released.

Top 10 Pet Shop Boys Albums

To celebrate this week’s release of the Pet Shop Boys outstanding new single, “Thursday”, I thought it would be interesting to rank the English duo’s best albums. Given the group’s pop sensibilities, they are typically considered a “singles band” and given their vast numbers of pop hits it’s not hard to fault this line of thinking. That thinking is especially timely given that three of their four singles this year are among their best ever (the previously mentioned “Thursday”, video shown below, and the previously blogged about “Axis” and “Vocal.”).

But to truly appreciate the Pet Shop Boys you really need to dig into their albums for songs that often deal with more complex topics than is typical in a single release. Musically, there’s often an opportunity to “stretch” as well. And in my mind the best albums follow some sort of theme or at the very least pull together a great collection of songs.

For my criteria I eliminated collections of previously released songs. This meant that 1995’s amazing B-sides collection, Alternative, wasn’t able to make the cut. But, as an “album” you typically are looking at what the record says about “right now” musically or at least what’s going on with the group and so compilations don’t really make it.

10. Nightlife – 1999. A pretty uneven record, though there are some highlights that are amongst the group’s seminal efforts. Two non-single tracks in particular, “Radiophonic” and “In Denial” (duet with Kylie Minogue), are among my favorites. The club-oriented “For Your Own Good” opens the album that leaned in an urban/disco direction.

9. Very – 1993. More dance oriented than the group’s 1990 mellow downer, Behaviour. The record embraces current dance trends and avoids being a rehash of their late 1980’s sound. Check out the rich arrangements of “The Theatre” and “Young Offender.”

8. Yes – 2009. After two very uneven efforts, the Pet Shop Boys returned with a contemporary album featuring one of their best singles in years, “Love, etc.”

7. Relentless – 1993. An EP of sorts that was paired with Very as a special edition release. The tracks here are very club oriented and electronic to the extreme. Some songs feature very little vocal content. The song “We Came From Outer Space” definitely is well named, though my favorite track is “KDX 125” (named after a motorcyle, not a synthesizer).

6. Introspective – 1988. An interesting album that featured “long versions” of songs that were eventually released in shorter versions as singles. Features the group’s last big US hit, “Domino Dancing” as well as their good time anthem “It’s Alright.”

5. Bilingual – 1996. There a pronounced Latin influence on this album, with outstanding tracks such as “Discoteca” and “Se A Vida E (That’s The Way Life Is).” A great example of the more complex material you’ll find in a non-single track is provided by “Metamorphosis” which describes Neil Tennant realizing “he was that kind of guy” and includes an always-welcome vocal appearance by keyboardist Chris Lowe. The lyrics and musical themes are extremely tight on this album.

4. Disco – 1986. Smart readers might consider this album to break my “no compilation” criteria, though the album pre-dated the single releases for a re-recorded version of “Suburbia” as well as Chris Lowe’s signature vocal appearance with “Paninaro.” So, in a way, the singles did function in a way to promote the upcoming album release. In any case, Disco was the prime example of how the Pet Shop Boys embraced dance sensibilities rather than “careerist sensibilities” as well as highlighting their single remixes to a more mainstream audience.

3. Actually – 1987. This album probably has the strongest selection of singles from any album, including “It’s a Sin” and “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” There’s some great material here, including the UK singles “Rent” and “Heart”, plus a great re-recording of their original B-side “One More Chance.” It’s a great album but some of the album tracks including “Shopping” and “Hit Music” weigh down the rating just a tad.

2. Electric – 2013. The group’s most thematically solid album ever. And for someone who prefers the “dancy” records to the “theatrical” ones this is maybe the group’s best ever representation of that kind of material. As noted, this album has some of the group’s best singles ever, plus some outstanding non-single tracks including “Inside a Dream” and the Bruce Springsteen cover “The Last to Die.”

1. Please – 1986. One might look at this album and think the sound is pretty uniform and thus penalize it for not trying to branch out into different musical directions. Or you might look at how you could reorder the tracks to tell the story of life in London in the mid 1980s. You know the singles such as “West End Girls” and “Love Comes Quickly” but equally excellent are album tracks such as “I Want a Lover” and “Tonight is Forever.”

Favorite Song Right Now: “Never Let Me Go (Aeroplane Remix)” by The Human League

I heard a version of this remix when Jacques Lu Cont opened for the Pet Shop Boys last week. It sounded similar to this remix by Aeroplane. It’s a killer track from The Human League’s 2011 album Credo and  does a great job of combining the group’s signature synth-based sound with some modern touches. Love the driving beat and synth riffs in this remix.

You can compare the remix to the original version of the song, which features an incredible music video:

Franz Ferdinand Rocket Back with Killer Single, “Right Action”

Franz Ferdinand’s last album Tonight was my favorite album of 2009 and their 2009 single “No You Girls” was my most-listened track of the year as well. The band has been quietly working on new material and is set to release Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action (iTunes link) at the end of the month.

The lead single is the title track of sort, “Right Action.”  This is by no means a reinvention of the Franz Ferdinand sound, though I do sense a tiny bit of a funky undertone in this toe-tapping number that’s a bit new for the Scottish post-punk revival pioneers. I like the sitar as well. This is a killer track but honestly the music video completely overshadows the song with some great visual design and use of color. Check it out!

Another track from Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action is “Love Illumination”, which I also happen to find engaging. The music video for this one is pretty interesting too.

Welcome Back, Pet Shop Boys

Last year I did something I haven’t done in… well, actually, something I’ve never done. Which was to not buy the new Pet Shop Boys album. Yep, I’ve got every single studio and remix album dating back to their 1986 debut, Please. Of course the group’s heyday was in the late 1980s but I’ve liked all their albums since then, though certainly some (1996’s Bilingual) were better than others (2006’s Fundamental). Some of the recent singles such as “Love, etc.” (2009) and “Miracles” (2003) were among their best ever.

But when I sampled 2012’s Elysium, I was completely underwhelmed. Lots of slow and atmospheric songs that also veered more than typical into “theatrical” style. The songs were not that catchy (which is bad for a pop group). So last Fall, for the first time ever, I didn’t buy the album or even the singles.

I think I might not have been alone because not too long after the release, the Pet Shop Boys announced they would be releasing a new album in summer 2013. After nearly two decades of three or four year gaps between albums, the group would release a new album less than year after their last one. Unprecedented.   (In an interesting aside, No Doubt is following the same plan by going back into the studio after their 2012 album wasn’t well received).

Would the group change tactics for this new album? Well, the album name is Electric, which bodes well for those of us who’ve always preferred the strong dance material to the slower ballads. The first track to be released is an outstanding club track called “Axis.” There’s not a lot of lyrical content there, though it’s always special when keyboardist Chris Lowe makes a rare appearance with vocals (as with most cases, processed vocals). Musically, and visually in the video, this song says to their electronic fans, “we’re back.” It has guys dancing with bull heads! Amazing.

Even better is the second single, “Vocal.”  This is a more traditional pop song but still has a energetic beat. For longtime Pet Heads, it’ll remind you both lyrically and musically of 1989’s underrated single “It’s Alright.”  Hopeful, optimistic, and a song you can dance to. Great stuff.

Electric comes out in July. I’ll be buying it.

Album of the Year 2013: Pagan Rites by Ixtahuele

It’s only the beginning of June but I can tell you there will be no better album released this year than the debut album of Sweden’s Ixtahuele, Pagan Rites. The band plays Martin Denny-style Exotica music and interestingly the album contains only original songs. Covers are a staple of the genre, so an album of only originals is rare. What’s even more unusual is that these originals are all excellent. The sound is crisp and the band eschews synthesizers and other electronic instrumentation that has crept into many “exotica” records over the past decade.

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What Ixtahuele have done is created a sound so similar to the old Martin Denny records that if you played this and said it was a “lost album” by Denny and his group you’d be hard pressed to argue. Not that what Ixtahuele is doing is merely copying the old master. Indeed, it’s refreshing to see a band play the style of music “straight” without trying to slipstream on the ambient or electronic or lounge or burlesque trends that are cousins to the classic “tiki exotica” that Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman, and Robert Drasnin made famous in the 1950s.

As with all great Exotica records, there are a mix of styles represented on Pagan Rites. “Gardens of Mu” is a mellow mix of piano and vibes. “Lotus Eaters” features an “oriental” piano riff while “Orust Luau” features Latin rhythms. The opening track “Black Sand” features animal sounds that would fit in on any Denny album. And “Stone Gods of Bimini” includes chanting and a great percussion break. In other words, all the subgenres that made classic Exotica albums portals into fantastic places real or imagined.

Not everything’s perfect with Ixtahuele, starting with the name that’s fairly impossible to pronounce. And their black tie aethstetic, while a nice departure from the typical Hawaiian shirt motif still is incongruous with the music being played. Still, minor quibbles overall.

The reason this is album of the year is that amongst it’s genre, it’s quite easily the best album in at least five years. And honestly I can see myself putting this on the shelf next to classics by Denny, Lyman, Drasnin, Gene Rains, and Les Baxter and feeling like this belongs in the canon.

Favorite Song Right Now

This is my favorite song right now. Not of all time, or maybe even for much longer. But if you asked me today to listen to a song that I was sure to dig, this is it.

“Antarctica” by Men without Hats

Yep, those Men without Hats.

I happened across the group’s 2012 album Love in the Age of War on iTunes and actually liked the very new-wavey synthpop. What normally would do is take a closer look at the group’s back catalog, aside from their well-known hits “The Safety Dance” and “Pop Goes the World.”  But for some reason I didn’t do that last year.

As Summer 2013 approaches, it’s time for summer concert season. This year, one event at Saratoga’s Mountain Winery is “The Regeneration Tour” that features vintage 1980’s new wave bands. The headliner was supposed to be The Human League but shortly after tickets were on sale group announced they were in fact not participating in the tour. This left the promoters with a bit of a problem.  Also appearing on the bill are Erasure’s Andy Bell, Howard Jones, and The Information Society.  Lucky for the promoters, Men without Hats was available and while certainly not the draw The Human League would be, it certainly seems like a good fit for the show.

So, I thought it might be a good idea to dig into the Men without Hats back catalog. Turns out their 1982 album Rhythm of Youth was pretty good and featured some very nice 80’s synthpop, some of which resembles early Depeche Mode. In looking at Setlist.fm, it turns out this is where the majority of the group’s live songs are pulled from. The album from iTunes also features the video version of “The Safety Dance” which has a different and to my ears better version of the song than the longer album version.

The best of the “minor hits” from Men without Hats’ catalog is this fine piece of synthpop, “Antarctica.” It originally appeared on the groups no-longer-available EP Folk of the 80’s from 1980. The EP version is longer than the one that appeared on Rhythm of Youth, hence the out-of-sequence section of the end of this video, which is footage from Canadian Musi-Video show.  I wouldn’t call the lyrics any sort of meaningful material, but I like the synth riffs and the way the song is sung.

The First Great Song of 2013

depeche_mode_-_heavenAs someone who’s musical appreciation came of age in the 1980s, Depeche Mode was a key “elective” in my courseware. Not truly a “core competency” course like The Beatles or even Chuck Berry. But still very, very important.

Over the years, I’ve continued to follow the band and since my wife Julie is also a big fan so we’ve attended most the concert tours over the past twenty years. And in the last decade the band has continued to put out good material. Though, truth be told, lead singer Dave Gahan’s two solo albums were better than the last couple DM albums. And not by a close margin either.

In any case, Depeche Mode is back with another album in March and according to the band it should remind fans of Violator (1990) and Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993). Well, if the Delta Machine album is anything like the lead single “Heaven” we will be in great shape. Because, “Heaven” is easily the best DM song in a decade. Clearly similar to the best of the group’s mid-tempo ballads, the song has a clean sound that most definitely sounds more like classic DM than some of the recent “noise” filled albums.  The video below is pretty outstanding, too.

Top Albums of 2012

Here’s my ranking of the nine albums I purchased in 2012.

1. Garbage – Not Your Kind of People

garbA huge comeback for the band, who seemingly disbanded after 2005’s poorly received Bleed Like Me album. The band’s signature mix of guitars and keyboards is back in a better ratio this time, and there’s some incredible songwriting here too. Lots of great grooves and riffs on this album.

2. Metric – Synthetica

Not as good as their last effort, but Synthetica proved to have lots of great material in any case. I like the new-wave influence with Metric.

3. Tenacioius D – Rize of the Fenix

Gotta give the band credit for addressing in song their 2006 film flop as well as the different kind of celebrity status between Jack Black and Kyle Gass. The sound on this records is incredible with the band overall taking a heavier approach than previous albums. Funny songs and bits and some great drumming by guest-drummer Dave Grohl.

4. The Killers – Battle Born

A strong effort that feels at time very epic. I like the mix of keyboards and guitars and even the country-tinge to some of the songs.

5. Don Tiki – Hot Lava Holiday Songs EP

Another great effort by the Exotica stalwarts. Fun Christmas record that had the quality been represented across an entire album might have topped this list. As it is, the six-song EP is loads of fun and well worth adding to your Christmas collection.

6. Madonna – MDNA

Bonus rating for the deluxe version that includes my favorite song from 2012, “Beautiful Killer.” I’m not a fan of the cheerleader stuff on “Give Me All Your Luvin” but otherwise there’s a lot of good dance material. An “average” Madonna album is still pretty good.

7. No Doubt – Push and Shove

Most disappointing comeback of 2012. Despite working on the album for over three years, the end result is a confusing mish-mash of styles with many songs offering several different style and melodies. As with the Gwen Stefani solo albums, I tend to prefer the “album material” over the singles (especially the awful lead single “Settle Down”).

8. Soundgarden – King Animal

The album would get a higher rating if the standout track from The Avengers “Live to Rise” had been included here. Definitely a good album overall, and it’s nice to see the band back together after 15 years. Just a little light on hooks and riffs compared to their best work (and singer Chris Cornell’s band Audioslave).

9. Men without Hats – Love in the Age of War

Last place on my list but given this is the first album I’ve ever purchased from the group I don’t think they’ll mind. At least it’s on the “puchased albums list” eh? Actually, it’s not a bad album – very retro-oriented with swirly keyboards and choppy lyrics. I still love the New Wave sound and apparently so do the Men.

Top Songs of 2012

Here are my most played songs of 2012, according to iTunes. A total of 1479 songs were played at least once, with Madonna‘s “Beautiful Killer” taking the top spot. That song was also my alarm chime for most the year as well. If you count plays across all different song versions, Gotye‘s “Somebody That I Used To Know” was played 84 times.

A big disclaimer, however. Shortly after installing iTunes 11 the playcount for a bunch of songs was dropped to zero. I knew the totals for some of them but I seem to remember that I was up over 1800 songs with at least one playcount back in November so much of this data is suspect.

A few other notes: with Davy  Jones’ death I listened to a lot of Monkees, hence the high rank for “Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow”, one of Jones’ best tracks (written by Neil Diamond). “Secret Journey” by The Police invariably makes my list since it’s on a “sleeptime” playlist.

Song Name Artist Plays
Beautiful Killer Madonna 45
Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra) Gotye 35
Girl Gone Wild Madonna 29
Warrior Mark Foster + A-Trak + Kimbra 29
Youth Without Youth Metric 29
Automatic Systematic Habit Garbage 28
Runaways The Killers 25
Somebody That I Used to Know (Myndset Remix) Gotye 24
Gang Bang Madonna 24
Artificial Nocturne Metric 22
Lonely Boy The Black Keys 20
I’m Addicted Madonna 20
Turn Up The Radio Madonna 20
Speed the Collapse Metric 19
Live to Rise Soundgarden 19
Big Bright World Garbage 18
Blood For Poppies Garbage 18
Somebody That I Used to Know (Miami Nights Remix) Gotye 17
Breathing Underwater Metric 17
Synthetica Metric 17
I Don’t Give A (featuring Nicki Minaj) Madonna 16
Clone Metric 16
Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow) The Monkees 16
Days Go By The Offspring 16
A Certain “Je ne sais quoi” Pet Shop Boys 16
Control Garbage 15
Secret Journey The Police 15