#5 Burning Shapes - Drop
We knew Burning Shapes was going to be on our list, we just didn’t know which song would end up being on it. After a lot of debate, we finally went with Drop. This song has a great beat to it, is filled with harmony, and the video has egg races! What’s not to like? The chorus has a driving beat to it which is nicely offset with a slightly slower, softer verse. And, as always, plenty of wonderful harmony. If you’d like to know more about Burning Shapes, check out our series of interviews with Toby.
#4 Ladylike Lily - I’m Terrified of Being
Oh man, what a gem Ladylike Lily ended up being. A soft, sweet, simple sound with a hint of sadness. Just a girl and her guitar. She kind of reminds us of Jewel before Jewel sold out. And I’m Terrified of Being, though rather simple, makes quite an impact on the ears. I have no clue what she’s singing. Maybe it’s because of a French accent or maybe it’s her not speaking clearly enough, but I can barely make out any words. And yet, I love this song. That’s how I know it’s good.
#3 Cable35 - Harry
This song is fantastic. And no disrespect to Cable35, but Harry didn’t immediately jump out at us as super awesome. And I have no idea why that is, because as we listened to it a few more times we suddenly found ourselves saying, “Holy crap! This song is amazing!” Heavy, driving bass lines and sharp snare drums are just the beginning to this song. Add in some scratchy vocals and hard, distorted guitars and it’s like taking a trip back into the 90s. So, so awesome.
#2 Allison Crowe - Disease
This song… oh man, this song. Disease is SO good. I would pay some big money to see this song performed live. Aside from Allison Crowe demonstrating how amazing her voice is, again, she finds a way to put tons of emotion and passion into playing the piano. And when I say emotion, I mean it seems like she is pissed off at the piano, to the point where she is becoming violent with it. This is music, people. This is raw talent, skill, passion, and emotion on display for the eyes and ears. If you want to learn a little more about the amazingly talented Allison Crowe, check out the interview she did for MarsBands.com.
#1 Ryan O’Reilly - November
Speaking of passion and emotion, Ryan O’Reilly oozes both in every song he sings, but in November, it is just astounding. Here’s a little backstory on the first time I heard this song.
I was browsing through videos on YouTube while at the same time working on something for the site. So I would click on a video, then go back to working on the site and listen to the song in the background. I clicked on November and went back to work on the site and 35 seconds later I immediately clicked back over to the video.
I was stunned. Here was a guy, making awesome music, and absolutely putting everything he had, physically, into this song. The passion that shines through on his face while playing November made me so happy. Yes, people, there are still extremely passionate musicians out there who are all about the music rather than the money.
Aside from being a catchy little diddy, November tells an interesting story as well. The harmony in the song is superb. This was actually the easiest choice of the whole list. It was assumed by all that The Ryan O’Reilly Band would take the #1 spot. Simply amazing song. And if you haven’t heard any of his other songs, we highly suggest that you listen to more.
