2013 Favorite Songs (30-21)

We've hit the mid-point of the countdown of my favorite songs of 2013. Here are Numbers 30 through 21:

30. Sigur Ros - "Kveikur"



Embracing a harsher, more industrial feel to their latest record Kveikur, Sigur Ros, which is more known for its delicate swirl of sound, threw caution to the wind with intense, dense meshes of guitars and more strident percussion. Title track "Kveikur" lurches and moans like a ship going down in a storm.

29. Danny Brown ft. Purity Ring - "25 Bucks"



Brilliant collaboration between rapper Danny Brown and alt-synthpop duo Purity Ring. Brown's reflections of growing up around extreme poverty, crime, and drug use contrasted with the earthy, poetic ruminations from vocalist Megan James.

28. Darkstar - "Timeaway"



Gorgeous, impressionistic synthpop from Darkstar. The chiming keyboards wash over you, transfixing you into a hypnotic state. Sublime.

27. Sleigh Bells - "Young Legends"



I will admit that Sleigh Bell's third record Bitter Rivals was a huge disappointment for me, finding the duo sort of stuck in a rut. The one huge surprise was "Young Legends" which found the band tuning down the guitars and going for a more synth-centric sound, which suits the band perfectly. If they had taken more chances like this, it would have made for a much more memorable album.

26. Lorde - "Royals"



The ubiquitous single from teenage sensation Lorde is still striking in its simplicity. Just muted handclaps and clicks and droning bass lines push Lorde's earthy vocals along in her dissection of our materialistic culture.

25. My Bloody Valentine - "who sees you"



Shoegaze legends My Bloody Valentine return with a new album and show everyone how it is done. "who sees you" is a natural progression from their classic record Loveless, with almost backward masked drums propelling the phalanx of chainsaw guitars into an orgiastic fury of bliss.

24. Arcade Fire - "Afterlife"



On the sprawling and experimental Reflektor, "Afterlife" stands out as the most traditional track. Not to take away from any of the other pleasures on the record, this track just stood out for me because in its simplicity it speaks louder and clearer. This bouncy, synth-bass driven track reaches for the heights of heaven, while its narrators search for meaning in this world.

23. Cut Copy - "In Memory Capsule"



On its rave and house happy new record Free Your Mind, Cut Copy threw out tons of epic bangers that are bound to pack dance floors. What really spoke to me on the record was the most Cut Copy-esque track, the joyous and celestial "In Memory Capsule," whose candy colored synths are guaranteed to get you high on their own accord.

22. Foals - "My Number"



Foals' latest record Holy Fire didn't knock my socks off like Total Life Forever did, which is not to say that it didn't have songs that sure did. First single "My Number" finds them throwing down a booty shaking, funky guitar/synth workout. Just try to stop yourself from dancing.

21. Vampire Weekend - "Hannah Hunt"



Vampire Weekend's record Modern Vampires of the City is like a great collection of short stories. Album standout "Hannah Hunt" condenses the tale of a relationship unraveling during a move cross country into a compact 4 minutes. When the drums kick in and Ezra Koenig blows the roof off with the lyrics "If I can't trust you then damn it, Hannah/ There's no future/ There's no answer/ Though we live on the U.S. dollar/ You and me, we got our own sense of time," you can feel hearts shatter to the ground; devastatingly brilliant.