Three of our writers chime in with their top tracks of 2013 (so far). Enjoy!

COREY LEAMAN PICKS

“Tiny Spoons” – Ranger Danger: If you know me, then this isn’t much of a surprise (I love Ranger Danger). Rather different from their usual sound but I really enjoyed it the first time I heard it live and wanted to own it right after. Fortunately I didn’t have to wait long.

“Young Volcanoes” – Fall Out Boy: Fall Out Boy is back and I’ve been liking the new album more and more after every listen and I impulsively go to Young Volcanoes first.

“Edie Says” – The Kickaways: I hadn’t listened to these guys in a while so it was a bit of a shock of how dark and creepy sounding they became. Love it though. The typewriter beat line keeps me on edge through the whole track

“Misfit Anthem” – Hollywood Red: When I first heard this live my response was, meh, but after hearing it recorded I’ve been hitting the repeat button over and over

“Endless Fantasy” – ANAMANAGUCHI: It’s just a fun and happy sounding track that puts a bounce in my step when I need it the most.

“Out Right” – Wild Party: I want to dance and sing along to this track every time I hear it.

“Car Radio” – Twenty One Pilots: I find this song really relatable and is usually one of the first tracks I hit when I’m mindlessly drifting though my mp3 player.

“Warning” – Air Dubai (Feat. Patricia Lynn): I like this more for the Patricia Lynn chorus but I still like the track as a whole. Again, I think it’s relatable and catchy.

“Spring Break Anthem” – The Lonely Island: It’s hard to go wrong with these guys, and the twist that happens leaves me on the floor every time.

“Dance Like This” – Caught On Camera: The first single of Justin Wilson’s new project has been stuck in my head ever since I first heard it.

https://open.spotify.com/user/ryangetterz/playlist/4GFaIob34gAoC9NBjNrgH0
RYAN GETZ PICKS

“Separator” – Ex Cops: This little known band from Brooklyn has gotten love on Pitchfork, and this little jam has riff that is irresistable in a melancholy sort of way.

“Spotlight” – Leagues: This song is the jam, enough said.

“Hail” – My Epic: Reverent, passionate, and a rearranged hymn toward the end. I can never get enough of this band.

“Fake You Out” – twenty one pilots: “Schizoid pop” at its best. The crowd went nuts when the duo opened their last hometown show with this song.

“Breakers” – Local Natives: Soaring, dreamy, and packing a punch all at once. What’s not to like?

“Diane Young” – Vampire Weekend: Vocal acrobatics define what will be one of my summer jams for sure.

“Don’t Blink” – Relient K: Speaking of summer jams, Relient K is back with one of the happiest songs I’ve heard all year.

“You Are Enough” – Sleeping at Last: A perfect addition to the Atlas: Light EP with its catchy violin plucking and Ryan O’ Neal’s on point vocals does my soul a lot of good.

“Oblivion” – M83: If any song left a lasting impression, it was this one. Chill-inducing.

“I Have a Problem” – Beartooth: Balls-to-the-wall hardcore. Lots of adrenaline. Just listen.

Honorable Mentions:

• Capital Cities – “Chartruese”
• We Shot the Moon – “Minute Land”
• Fashion Week – “Jacksons Everywhere”
• Daft Punk – “Get Lucky”
• Jimmy Eat World – “Please Say No”
• Last of the Wildmen – “One of Your Sons”
• Portugal. The Man – “Evil Friends”
• For Today – “Crown of Thorns”
• 30 Seconds to Mars – “Up In the Air”

https://open.spotify.com/user/ryangetterz/playlist/1wsuVjWrq3xIhDGdBLopXP

RAY COBRA PICKS

“The Ancient West” – Have Mercy: You know those songs you hear and it hits home right away. This song was that for me. The first time I heard it I was in love with it. I remember where I was and what I was doing when I first heard it.

“Stockholm” – Jason Isbell: Jason Isbell has always been an amazing songwriter but on his new album he has up the ante. This song very well might be the best song on the album.  This is what a love song should be. And any song that mentions the state of Georgia is Golden to me.

“I Need You To Tell Me Who I Am” – John Moreland: It is songs like this that make me dislike the term “emo”.  John Moreland is a singer-songwriter. His style of music is nowhere close to “emo”. However his songs make me feel and this one is the ringleader of those. You can hear the pain and hurt in his voice and guitar.

“Dark Side of Me” – Coheed and Cambria: All I’m going to say is welcome back boys.  This song is great!!!!!!

“Teenage Parents” – The Wonder Years: The Wonder Years have made a career out of writing great songs.  Pop-punk is a genre that has a reputation for being about girls, high school and friends. That is not the case here. This is about real life. The things that “we” go through growing up.  And I love it!!!!!!!!

“Crown of Thorns”- For Today: Do I really need to say anything about how great this song is?

“Hoodie Song” – Man Overboard: I like hoodies, A LOT!!!! I like Man Overboard, A LOT!!!!!! So there you have it. But I will tell you that this song had nothing to do with hoodies. It is however one the best songs this young band has written.

“Young New England” – Transit; The album that this is on came out a few weeks before The Boston Marathon Bombings. So I had already listened to this album a lot. This song was one of my favorites already. After the incident it became my favorite. Transit is from Boston and they let it be known to all that they love their city.

“Somehow the World Keeps Turning” – Vinnie Caruana: Vinnie has always been a great songwriter. From The Movielife to I Am The Avalanche to his solo work. And this song is just another example of that.

“Appreciation”- Jimmy Eat World: It is always good to hear new Jimmy Eat World. This is the perfect song to start the new album with. It has a great chorus that sucks you in.

ADAM SCHUTZ PICKS

10. “No Waves” – Fidlar : I tried to get into Fidlar, I really did, but I just couldn’t understand the hype surrounding their album. That being said, this song in particular is great and for any other cynics just wait for the guitar riff and piano on the chorus.

9. “Safe and Sound” – Capital Cities: I’m already beginning to lose my patience for this song after hearing it on every radio station but I’m not too proud to admit that when it came out I listened to it on repeat for days at a time.

8. “Wedding Song (Acoustic)” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Although disappointed with Mosquito after falling in love with It’s Blitz, I couldn’t bring myself to leave the YYY’s off my list. I’m sure many wouldn’t pick this particular, acoustic version off the album but I’ve always thought Karen O was at her best when vulnerable.

7. “Open” – Rhye: This song is so overly chill that I almost wrote it off initially. Now I can’t hear it without grooving and if that doesn’t sell you then maybe the fact that a guy is singing will.

6. “Song for Zula” – Phosphorescent: Phosphorescent’s ability to bring his folk style to the electronic genre is perfect on this track. The delay effects, relaxed beat and  fantastic melody make it hard to believe the song is about the awfulness of love.

5. “Get Lucky” – Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams: This might be an obvious one, and it is, but I couldn’t leave it off the list.

4. “Heavy Feet” – Local Natives: This one was difficult. Having found Hummingbird underwhelming initially, I now found myself unable to narrow down just one track. After long consideration though I decided “Heavy Feet” probably best sums up the solemness of a group who’ve been through a lot sinceGorilla Manor.

3. “Best of Friends” – Palma Violets: No song this year captured the nostalgia of classic alternative rock like Palma Violet’s “Best of Friends”. Not necessarily for everyone, for those of you who can appreciate just wait till the yelling of the first chorus and you’ll understand.

2. “You Never Need Nobody” – The Lone Bellow: I had the privilege of opening for The Lone Bellow earlier this year and I still get chills thinking about them sound checking the bridge of this song. These guys are going places.

1. “Dance All Night” – Free Energy: While full of cliches and feel good vibes, this song may just be my favorite song of 2013 so far. Reminiscent of a classic Tom Petty song without the bite (or really anything that makes Tom Petty Tom Petty), “Dance All Night” is the kind of song you wished they played at high school prom.
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