1. A&E – Clean Bandit – After the success of “Rather Be”, I figured this classical plus EDM band were gonna be great but the New Eyes was a disappointed except the more you listen the less it is and the violins on this song are so great the track grows into a monster – A
2. Swingin’ Party – The Replacements – Paul’s loser anthem has withstood the vicissitudes of time to be revealed as a generational anthem of anxiety and union – A+
3.Swingin’ Party – Lorde – A great update, even more depressing than the original! – A
4. Rather be – Clean Bandits – Was in the UK charts all year, don’t know why it didn’t hit big here – A
5. Take Me Down to the Hospital – The Replacement – The first song that clicked with me – A
6. Color Me Impressed – The Replacements – The awkwardness of this song makes it an early “Swingin’ Party” – A
7. Twenty Miles – Deer Tick – I’ve heard a lotta smack about these guys and maybe they play up the vocalist too much, but this is a good vocal – B
8. Massive Nights – The Hold Steady – Those of us, like me, who have been disturbed by Hold Steady’s steady decline can feel free to point to this as what we would like to hear -A
9. Constructive Summer – The Hold Steady – This is the one where Craig calls Saint Joe Strummer our only hero – A
10. Your Little Hoodrat Friend – The Hold Steady – Early awesome portrait of a troubled girl: damn right they’ll rise again.
