best of 2016: movies/oscars 2017

So I completely forgot to write up a post all about my favorite Oscar movies/movies in general of 2016/Oscar predictions/thoughts on Oscar nominees in the days leading up to the 2017 Oscars and now they are over and literally everyone is tired of talking about them by now. Except for me. Because I live for this shit and will talk about this with you for the rest of the year if you want. So this is just a record for me, I guess.

I watched a total of 29 movies from the 2016 movie season. I tried my best to watch all nine Best Picture Nominees in particular, but alas, I fell short. I only semi-count Fences in this tally because we had it playing in the background as we were cleaning up around the apartment the other day but I'll be honest, I maybe listened to/watched only a third of the movie. So I guess that puts my total to 29.333 movies! I ranked them from least favorite to favorite too because why not.

29. Masterminds: So stupid but it looked promising because Kirsten, Zach, and Owen, and Jason. Also I felt like I had to watch it because the original release date was August 7, 2015 which was my wedding day and Drew and I joked about sneaking over to the theater to watch it after dinner. So we told ourselves that when it did finally come out we'd watch it together. Tell us we're cute.

28. Nocturnal Animals: It's hard for me to say anything really great about this movie. I will say I was very impressed by the performances by Amy, Jake, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The movie as a whole just made me feel icky and I wouldn't recommend it to most.

27. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping: I wasn't expecting much but what I certainly was not expecting was how much I enjoyed the catchy songs in this?? The rest was pretty typical Lonely Island humor.

26. Ghostbusters: I had such high hopes for this because it has allll the funny ladies but alas, I was not impressed. Reboots are almost always duds in comparison to the original and this was no exception.

25. Hell or High Water:  Sorry Academy, but I was boooored during this Best Picture Nominee. I was gritting my teeth throughout most of it because the country music soundtrack was slowly killing my soul.

24. Finding Dory: The only truly memorable thing that came out of this was BABY DORY OMG. Second place only to little Sunny Pawar aka Saroo Brierly in terms of cutest characters to come out of the 2016 movie season.

23. Hacksaw Ridge: First half of this movie was so cheesy I couldn't even handle it. Also why aren't we talking about how awkward Andrew Garfield is as an actor?? I could not for the life of me take him seriously. Second half of this movie was gory and intense and powerful and moving. So incredible that it was based on a true story! Desmond Doss is a true American Hero <3

22. Florence Foster Jenkins: Bow down to Queen Meryl because she can do no wrong. As *over-rated* as she may be, she was a hoot in this movie. Such a tender and sweet love story. I'd like to think that my husband thinks I'm the best singer in the world too.

21. The Jungle Book: Is it normal to be attracted to so many CGI animals because of the voices behind them? Probably not. But I stand by my statement.

20. The Nice Guys: I will watch anything with Ryan Gosling. His presence was my only reason to watch this. Something needs to be said about this man's comedic timing!! Very funny alongside Russell Crowe. 

19. Hail, Caesar!: A very good time! This was my pick for Production Design because how fun were all of those old Hollywood movie sets?! 

18. Manchester By The Sea: I called Casey Affleck winning for this one. Definitely well deserved but he's also a gross human so I was actually rooting for Denzel to win this one. Sometimes I'm just sick of white males winning everything YA KNOW?? The movie itself was just sadness and grief x 100 with a tremendously talented cast.

17. Queen of Katwe: Such a typical Disney happy ending movie with not as much drama as I was expecting, but I loved the setting. Oh, and Lupita Nyong'o is my queen forever. Let's take a moment of silence to remember her red carpet Nairobi blue Cinderella moment at the 2014 Academy Awards. Thank you. The end.

16. Moana: Who else almost shed tears when Lin-Manuel Miranda was thiiiiis close to being crowned the youngest EGOT recipient in history but then was robbed by one of my least favorite songs from La La Land? Just me? Okay. I definitely listened to the Moana soundtrack on repeat in the days leading up to Oscar Sunday. Also Auli'i Cravalho is a precious gem her performance was the most darling thing of the night. Second only to Sunny Pawar, of course.

15. The Edge of Seventeen: Critics were calling this movie the next Mean Girls/Breakfast Club/Heathers classic of this generation, but didn't think it was THAT good. Funny, yes. But not sacred. I did think Hailee was perfectly cast for this role and I LOL'd quite a bit.

14. Rogue One: Enjoyed this far more than Episode 7. Also hiiiii Diego Luna, you dreamboat you <3

13. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Would I be me if a screenplay WRITTEN by J.K. Rowling wasn't a favorite of mine?? Eddie is so sweet and so pure and I am very excited for the next four chapters of this saga that takes me back to the wizarding world that I love and missed so much.

12. Hidden Figures: BLACK. GIRL. MAGIC. 

11. Lion: Do you ever cry watching someone so cute??? Because I did. Multiple times. I literally want to steal Sunny Pawar I cannot even handle little face and little voice. He is this year's Jacob Tremblay only 1000X more darling. Also. Dev Patel truly Longbottomed. Damn. I weep thinking about the fact that this movie is based on a beautiful and miraculously true story <3

10. Arrival: This movie just makes you go whaaaaa?? I love movies that make you think and want to discuss with everyone who watched it with you. From previews this looked like another sci-fi post-apocalyptic alien movie but it was so so much more than that! Also the music by Jóhann Jóhannsson was incredible.

9. Swiss Army Man: One of the most disturbing/unique/hilarious/tender movie of the year. This is a true masterpiece and the best way to describe it is that is literally like nothing I have ever seen. Just wow. Also the most eccentric music by Andy Hull and Robert Mcdowell.

8. Zootopia: I've said this so many times but this was by far the most socially relevant movie of the year. I especially loved the fact that so many parent bloggers complained about the liberal propaganda and brainwashing behind the message of love and the dangers of discrimination and police brutality?? For kids and adults of all ages?? 

7. Everybody Wants Some!!: AHH this movie was SUCH a good time!!! Highly underrated and the perfect pick me up movie. 

6. Jackie: Natty P was my hopeful pick for Best Actress. She was absolutely stunning as Jackie O. and it is a real tragedy that this movie didn't win for Costume Design because helloooooo anything with Jackie O. should automatically win every fashion-related award. This film was so gorgeous, with the music and cinematography making it so hauntingly beautiful to watch. Absolutely loved.

5. La La Land: We all have our opinions about this movie because we all saw it. Here's where I stand: all in all, I really did enjoy it. Truly a breath of fresh air and a love letter to old movie musicals and the perfect escape that we needed in these troubling times. BUT no, I do not think it deserved all 14 Oscar nominations. The only nominations I had issues with: Production Design (they are walking around L.A. for two hours??), Costume Design (they are wearing normal clothes?? So Emma wore some different bright colored dresses...groundbreaking.), TWO nominations for Best Song (I'm sorry but have you ever heard of SING STREET?? ROBBED. ROBBED. ROBBED), and lastly (and most controversially), Best Actor and Actress. *GASP*. Sorry, but if you're going to pronounce this movie as the best movie musical since the 1940s then those leads better be triple freaking threats. I love Emma and RyGos as much as the next person, but in order to deserve those nominations I expect the people in those roles to be not only be talented actors, but also outstanding dancers and singers. If you really wanted to make this a movie musical, you would have found those kind of people. That is just my two cents! Don't @ me, don't hurt me.

4. Hunt for the Wilderpeople: Please just do yourself a favor and watch this. I can't tell you how much I laughed in the theater. It is the best time! So quotable too. I need to watch every Taika Waititi movie in existence now and I'm mad that I still haven't.

3. 20th Century Women: OOF I loved this movie so so much. First of all I am obsessed with Greta Gerwig in everything. But when you combine her with Elle Fanning and Annette Benning? Pure magic. I also happened to watch this movie on what I remember as International Women's March Day (January 21st, 2017), so I was pretty high off of girl power all day and it was the best.

2. Moonlight: My pick for Best Picture and I am THRILLED that it came to fruition. I saw several tweets that really resonated with me after the Best Picture announcement snafu. One of which went along the lines of 'a black film won best picture and no slavery or maids were involved in making the film.' LIKE YES, THANK YOU. I am just so happy that a compelling and beautiful story such as this took home the big one. It gives me hope for more marginalized stories to be told. Watching this made me feel so much for the characters and for the people who live this reality everyday. A masterpiece!

1. Sing Street: This is now the third separate time I have blogged about this movie and I am not sorry. I think I have told every single person I know at some point to watch this because I love it that much! To me, this movie has nothing wrong with it. There are so many things that I love in one place! As mentioned before, this was ROBBED of any music related nominations because the original songs could quite literally be mistaken for 80s classic singles. This is the only movie from this year I have watched more than once because it just makes me feel so good and I find myself smiling so much as I watch it. A new all-time favorite for sure. 

P.S. Although I did not win the Oscar Prediction Contest hosted by Wallaroo (I tied for 4th place apparently), I like to think that I won Best Tweet of the night. One day when my children groan and tell me I'm not as funny as I think I am, I will show them this picture:

P.P.S. Who else thought that this red carpet was the best you've seen in YEARS?? I had so many favorites I felt the need to also include them here.

Wow that was so long I'm not sure what you're still doing here if you actually did read through all of that. Happy Oscars hysteria hangover day! It has been a treat.

best of 2016: music

Per nobody's request, I made my fourth annual list to commemorate my favorite music released in 2016. Over a week late, but here it is.

Top 20 Tracks of 2016:
20. Animal Spirits- Vulpeck
I dare you not to listen to this without bopping your head and dancing along !!

19. Burn the Witch- Radiohead
How could this comeback single that took Radiohead over a decade to finally complete NOT make my list? Those dramatic strings in the first few measures were enough to make their four-year absence well worth the wait.

18. A Lovely Night- Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone
At this point, everyone and their mother is telling you to go watch La La Land if you haven't already. It is definitely one of my favorite movies of the year (I'll talk about all of them in a separate post!) and it's no secret that the music was also great. This song was in my favorite scene in the movie, where Sebastian and Mia tap dance together against that gorgeous L.A. sunset after attending the same party. Can we all agree that no two actors of this time have more onscreen chemistry than Ryan + Emma?? I could marry them both.

17. 22 (OVER SooooN)- Bon Iver
One of my main critiques of 22, A Million is that I truly have no idea how to say (or clearly spell) any of the song titles?! Like why must we be go back to AIM profile aesthetics from 2006? I wasn't overjoyed by Bon Iver's comeback as a whole, but there were a few tracks that again reminded me that I love Justin Vernon's voice more than most.

16. Same Drugs- Chance the Rapper
To be honest, I didn't give Coloring Book a thorough listen until I watched Chance perform on SNL's Christmas episode. I was feeling it and Chance is just so cute?! I never noticed before.

15. Ultralight Beam- Kanye West
Once again, within the year Kanye makes everyone hate him in all other aspects except for his music. This first track is the perfect opener to the nearly flawless Life of Pablo.

14. It's All in Vain- Wet
Wow I just loved loved loved every song from Don't You. My inner dancer will always add my favorite "if I were a choreographer I would choreograph a contemporary/slow hip-hop boy/girl duo to this song" song of the year and this one earned that title.

13. Ivy- Frank Ocean
Hey remember when Frank Ocean faked everyone out at least twice a year for the past four years about his new album release and then it FINALLY happened in August?!? Good thing the entire album is incredible so I totally forgive him!

12. Bourbon- Gallant
This list wouldn't be complete without at least one hella sexy-chill vibing songs from the year and this one totally takes the cake.

11. Feels (Jai Wolf remix)- Kiiara
So I know that this single technically came out in 2015...but this particular remix and Kiiara's EP were both released in 2016 sooo I'm totally justified. She was my favorite new artist from the past two years too, so she deserves this.

10. Kiss It Better- Rihanna
badgirlriri at her finest. ANTI was surprisingly one of my favorite albums of the year and I was jamming to this track in particular when it first came out.

9. A Beautiful Sea- Sing Street
I loved the movie Sing Street so much that I even blogged about it after watching it for the first time. True story. This soundtrack is definitely one of the best from 2016 and I  had a hard time picking just one of the super fun 80's-inspired tunes from the movie. Watch this if I haven't already bugged you enough about it!

8. Cranes in the Sky- Solange
This was truly the year of the Knowles sisters. First Beyoncé hit us with Lemonade (which I will GET TO in a hot second) but then Solange released another politically charged album that truly hit it out of the park. Every single music video from Seat at the Table was visionary and the inspiration behind the making of the album needs to be known. Just today I read an article from Interview mag where Beyoncé conducts an interview with Solange and she talks all about it. Definitely worth the read!

7. All Night- Beyoncé
Told you I would get to Lemonade in a hot second. All I can say about this album is dayummmm. Seriously. The Queen delivered yet again and Lemonade was on the top of almost every single music blog's picks from 2016. WITH GOOD REASON. Quick story, Lemonade was released on the weekend we were traveling to Europe. We were in the airport for a long layover in Boston and figured we should have some good tunes to listen to while we road-tripped across Iceland (rightly assuming we wouldn't have Wi-Fi for the majority of the week), so I bought the album right then and there and we proceeded to watch the film in the airport. Both of us were hooked and surprisingly enough, Drew had zero complaints throughout the next two weeks of traveling when all I wanted to listen to was Beyoncé! He was officially converted to the Beyhive. The end. Oh right, the song. 'All Night' serves as the 'forgive u boo, luv u boo' track at the conclusion of the album and is a new go-to slow jam for me.

6. Real Love Baby- Father John Misty
So happy and 70's sing-songy. If I could have another wedding, I would want to this to be our first dance.

5. I Love You Always Forever- Betty Who
I try to avoid including covers on this list, but I listened to this song on repeat for several days when I first discovered it. If I could have another wedding, I would want this to be in our wedding video.

4. Waves- Kanye West
I give myself a two song limit per artist on here, and I did just that for the artists I believe released the best albums this year.  First of which would have to go to Kanye. Team Breezy + Yeezy FOREVER (they are both terrible people but damn can they sing).

3. Solo- Frank Ocean
This !!!!! I go HARD on the chorus of this song every time I listen to it in the car. Frankie baby, please don't make us wait another four years for more beautiful music. Blonde was simply brilliant and I knew it would be one of my favorite albums of the year before I even listened to it in its entirety.

2. Hey Big Star- Kishi Bashi
Spotify notified me that this was my single most played song in the year 2016, so that pretty much tells you everything you need to know. It's no secret that Kishi Bashi holds a special place in my heart. One of the saddest days of my year was missing his concert in SLC with my husband because I was in Lancaster for Nic's homecoming :( (something I can hold over his head for years to come). Although Sonderlust wasn't a home run for me, 'm'lover', 'Say Yeah', 'Statues in a Gallery' and 'Honeybody' were the other stellar tracks that showcased Kishi Bashi in all his glory.

1. Hold Up- Beyoncé
One of my biggest regrets of 2016 was not finding an outrageous yellow dress in time for Halloween so I could recreate Beyoncé's lewk from this music video. This song was everything amazing about Lemonade and I think I love it even more because of how iconic that music video was. Truly my most played track of the year (but of course your girl hasn't released this album on Spotify yet, so I'm just guessing here).


My honorable mentions are also included in this playlist. Have a listen and happy 2017!

best of 2015

It's that time of year again!! Time to share with y'all what my favorites in music were in 2015! My resolution for next year is to have read enough books and watched enough movies that I can also compile 'best of' lists for those respectively...but this year was a little bit too crazy for me to accomplish that. It has been my favorite year thus far, but also the busiest. Maybe I'm losing my cool, but this mostly just contains a lot of my old favorites that came out with new music in 2015 as opposed to many newbies. Which also means this list is pretty pop-heavy, but whatever. It was a great year for pop and I shouldn't apologize for that.

With that intro out of the way, here are my top 20 tracks of 2015: 

20. Love Me Like You Do- Ellie Goulding

LOL @ me and the fact that my list from 2014 also started with Ellie. She is my #1 girl crush after all. However, I will be honest and say that Delirium was a little bit of a letdown as a whole, especially since it was a follow-up to 2012's Halcyon which was damn near perfect. But don't worry, I still bought my tix to see her take it on tour next year :) This track was certainly a highlight from the album and I don't even care that it was written for the 50 Shades movie (vom).

19. Disciples- Tame Impala

A fun dance-y track from a stellar album. Currents was excellent, but this head-boppin' tune was my favorite.

18. It's Strange- Louis The Child ft. K. Flay

My first of several Hypem treasures to make the list. I love the use of xylophones and synths and everything in between. Honestly listen to this on repeat almost everywhere I walk on campus. It's hard not to sway my hips to this beat when I do so.

17. Hold My Hand- Jess Glynne

Shout-out to my favorite sister missionary Emilee for first showing me this song many moons ago! Don't worry guys, it was long before she actually left on her mission, so no rule breaking here. I just love this happy girl-power tune from the opening bangs on the piano to the last note.

16. Leaf Off / The Cave- José González

I saw José with Drew back in April and even though I was so sleepy by the end of the show (sorry José), it was incredible. I specifically remember loving his performance of this song, but it is only one of the many beautiful tracks on Vestiges & Claws.

15. Landslide- Oh Wonder

Another Hypem find, this song has the kind of sexychill vibes that I live for. The guy/girl duo singing together makes everything sound so intimate and cool. 

14. Anna- Will Butler
The main reason this song made the list is because of this perfect video. How fun is that?! Emma Stone is the ultimate cool girl. The end.

13. Ship To Wreck- Florence + The Machine

MAH GIRL FLO. We all know this chick has pipes and this song showcases that fact beautifully. It is still my dream to see her perform live. I will probably reach enlightenment when it happens. 

12. Cheerleader- Omi (Felix Jaehn Remix)

I will go so far as to say this was the song of the summer. I played this song a ridiculous amount of times when I first heard it. I think everyone was at least a little bit addicted to it at one point, even if you don't want to admit it.

11. Loud Places- Jamie xx, Romy

If I could objectify this song, it would be a glittering disco ball. Does that make any sense? Just listen to it and I bet you'll agree with me.

10. Fool for Love- Lord Huron

Lord Huron is a band I fell for back in 2012 when they made their debut and returned with a sophomore album this year! Not quite up there with Lonesome Dreams, but this track fits in seamlessly with all my original folksy favorites.

9. Gibraltar- Beirut

Yessss Beirut is back! My two favorite tracks from No No No were in fact No No No and Gibraltar, but the use of all that percussion working so coherently with Zach Condon's silky voice made this track a stand-out for me.

8. Omen- Disclosure, Sam Smith

Everyone's favorite collaboration, wouldn't you say? Ever since the world discovered Latch, it's been made clear that these guys are a match made in heaven. Caracal is chock-full of hard-hitting collabs, but this one is by far my favorite. If you need further convincing, they even did a cover together of Hotling Bling on a BBC Live session that is pure GOLD.

7. Make Them Gold- CHVRCHES

It's no surprise to anyone that this made the list. CHVRCHES is claaaassic synth-pop genius as well as an all-time favorite of mine. Every single track on Every Open Eye ruled. I saw them live for the second time this year, and that ruled just as much. I chose this song because it could totally be in a John Green movie adaptation when the guy and girl are driving around together with the windows down. Think about it.

6. push pull- Purity Ring

When Purity Ring dropped the magic that was Another Eternity, I had trouble listening to anything else for a solid month. push pull is just one of many dazzling tracks, but I distinctly remember being so transfixed during their performance of it when I saw them in May. This was for sure my favorite concert that I attended this year. Wait I lied, Taylor Swift was...but this was a very close second.

5. Where Are Ü Now- Justin Bieber, Skrillex, Diplo
Yes, unfortunately it happened. I became a Belieber. I've always been a fan of his Christmas album, but this year Justin made quite the comeback and made us (almost) forget how much of a douche he is. What Do You Mean, Sorry, and Love Yourself were all standouts from Purpose, but this song just makes me lose it on the dance floor.

4. Tennessee- Kiiara
Definitely the best Hypem track I discovered this year by far. I get the chillest of vibes from this and I hope she will soon release many more songs!

3. Entropy- Grimes, Bleachers
I am such a fan of Grimes AND Bleachers so naturally I am obsessed with this collaboration and hope it happens again in the future. This song is just so happy and makes me feel so good whenever I listen to it.

2. The Only Thing- Sufjan Stevens
Ugh. Where do I even begin? I couldn't even pick a favorite from Carrie & Lowell because I love them all equally, but I decided on one I loved just an infinitesimal amount more than most. This is Sufjan at his best. He returned to the stripped-down sound of Seven Swans, but it was even better. I love Sufjan the most when it's this simple. Just him, his hella sad lyrics sung by his beautiful whispery voice, and a guitar or piano. Listening to this album was like listening to him for the very first time, but it's even more intimate, personal, and beautiful. Can't rave about it enough.

1. Downtown- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee & Grandmaster Caz 
No, this is not a joke. I am 100% serious with this choice. I know it's laughable, but I kid you not, Drew and I will blast this song almost every time we start driving anywhere. I've listened to it so much that I've practically mastered all the lyrics, raps included. It's a brilliant and hilarious combination of so many good things. Like the chorus just makes me so happy I can't really explain why. The music video is such a spectacle, you can't help but love it. And can I just say Eric Nally's voice is insanely amazing? I thought it was a woman's the first time I heard it, which makes me love it even more. So yeah, oddly enough this is my favorite song of the year.

Welp, there you have it. Thanks for reading, and please share your favorites with me! I'd love to hear them. In the meantime, check out my Spotify playlist with all of the above songs, plus another 25 of my honorable mentions: 

best of 2014

Tis the season for end-of-year lists! After finishing the fall 2k14 semester of hell, I was looking forward to spending two weeks at home full of sleeping far too much, reading for fun, and having the compilation of this list be the only stressor throughout my entire trip. It has been absolutely glorious. So without further ado, here is the best music of 2014, according to me: 

Top 20 Tracks of 2014:

(in no particular order because having to rank these proved to be impossible)

20. Beating Heart- Ellie Goulding

Would this list even be a list by me if I didn't start off with my #1 girl crush? The answer is no. I love Ellie and everything she releases is glorious. Remember when I saw her in May from the front row and we made eye contact and I died a little? Me too. 

19. Halmstad- Linnea Henriksson

I first discovered this Swedish pop star two years ago when she released "Lyckligare Nu" and I listened to it on repeat for a solid two weeks. Her music has an addicting quality to it that I just can't quit. I reacted about the same to "Halmstad" and listened to it until I had all the wrong Swedish lyrics memorized.

18. Somethin- Waterbed

Previously known as MVSCLES, Waterbed came out with a couple of truly great singles this past year. I first discovered them on Facebook a few months ago and I'm anxiously awaiting a full length album! 

17. Get Away- CHVRCHES

I was scratching my head when I heard about the re-release of the "Drive" soundtrack, because 1, that movie is only three years old and 2, it already has an awesome soundtrack. But when I learned it meant the making of this synthpop track from one of my favorite bands, I didn't complain. Fun fact: the CHVRCHES concert in April was the first show Drew and I attended together. Awww :)

16. Love Never Felt So Good- Michael Jackson ft. Justin Timberlake

The release of XSCAPE was such a happy surprise to the fans who are still mourning the loss of the King of Pop. Classic MJ, always making you envious of his dance moves when you try to sing and dance along. I personally like to pretend I'm one of Justin's back-up dancers on tour whenever I listen to it.

15. From The Night- Stars

This groovy jam warranted a written post from me on Provo Yacht Club a few months back. This is my shameless plug about the music blog Provo Yacht Club, created by Drew and Andy. I frequently contribute to the writing, and new music is released on the daily. Check it out so you can read more about not only this track, but oodles of other fresh tunes.

14. Stay With Me- Sam Smith

If this breakout star of 2014 didn't make your list, check yourself. I had a difficult time choosing just one of his many beautiful ballads, but I had to go with his most famous single. From the first three notes he just reels you in and gives you all the feels. So much heart and so much talent. Thank you Sam, you have the voice of an angel. Now pretty please come to Salt Lake City in the near future.

13. Let Go- RAC

Strangers Part 1 by RAC was full of some of the best remixes of the year. This track was no exception. It gives you a spring in your step and you can't help but bop your head to the beat.

12. Oh Sailor- Mr. Little Jeans ft. The Silverlake Conservatory of Music Youth Chorale

I'm a sucker for anything that features a children's choir in it. I think it adds such a beautiful and innocent touch to any song. This one was even more upbeat than what children's choirs normally contribute to, which made it that much more fun. 

11. Say You Love Me- Jessie Ware

This song spoke to the contemporary dancer in me. I just pictured a duo between a boy and girl with lots of lifts, lots of emotion, and lots of sexy chill vibes. 

10. Rollercoaster- Bleachers

I've always been a huge fan of FUN., so when I heard about Jack Antonoff's new side project, I was eager for some more happy-go-lucky beats. Bleachers did not disappoint and all of the tracks on the album were definitely tons of FUN. (sorry)

9. In the Future- Architecture in Helsinki

If I can dance to a song, no matter how dumb or poppy it may be, I will like it. People always make fun of the breathy quality of the voices in Architecture in Helsinki, but I love them and I love this song. So much spunk and sass. 

8. Beggin For Thread- Banks

Speaking of sexy chill vibes, this right here is the queen of them. I looove this chick and her concert in Salt Lake this past October was amazing. She's gorgeous, impossibly cool, and just the right amount of #dark.

7. New Romantics- Taylor Swift

I'm pretty sure my white girl card would be revoked if I didn't mention my girl Tay. Once she finally came to terms with the fact that she has actually been a pop singer for the majority of her career, she exploded even more than you thought she could. Taylor just knows what sells and how to sell it. As I've once heard, "life's too short to pretend you don't like catchy Taylor Swift songs." WHY this song is only on her deluxe edition still remains a mystery because it's my favorite on 1989. You can bet I'll be in the crowd screaming along with preteen girls when she takes this baby on tour. 

6. Shattered & Hollow- First Aid Kit

Oh where do I even begin with these soulful, sisterly, Swedish songbirds? Stay Gold was pure genius and these two are some of the best folk singers out there. Their concert this past November was definitely my favorite show I attended in 2014. It was a religious experience. Also they were so glam and I would kill for their tour wardrobe.

5. How Did It Get Dark So Fast?- Tall Tall Trees

I love me a talented banjo player. Mike Savino played for Kishi Bashi on his tour this past summer when I saw them in LA, and his banjo solos were spectacular. Just when I thought I had this list finalized, he dropped this phenomenal EP a few weeks ago. Thanks Mike, keep it up.

4. Chasing Kites- iamiamwhoami

I know I said these aren't in any particular ranking, but starting with this song (thus indicating my Top 4), they are. Despite the 40 second long intro, this song is perfect. This Scandinavian goddess's album Blue is all around amazing, but this song is by the far the best track. If you haven't noticed, this list is composed of a lot of synth-pop...sorry but Iamwhatiam (see what I did there?)

3. To The Top- Twin Shadow

Oh man. This song. I give Drew full credit for making me fall so hard for this song. It sounds so powerful it could be an anthem for a generation. I can't help but feel triumphant and joyous whenever I listen to it. Both Drew and I can't help but to belt out the lyrics any time it comes on either. Sadly, Drew was in London when Twin Shadow opened at the Twilight Concert Series in July, but I think I sang loud enough for us both.

2. Jealous (I Ain't With It) and Come Alive- Chromeo

Ok ok I know I broke the rules. But it was literally impossible to choose between these two fantastically fun tracks from Chromeo's White Women. I am all for the nüdisco craze that has recently swept the music scene. Many other songs of this genre receive honorable mentions from me. Both of these have been my go-to dance party songs this year, and I don't think I could ever tire of them.

1. The Battle of Mr. Steak- Kishi Bashi

According to my "Spotify 2014 Review," this is my most played song, Lighght is my most played album, and Kishi Bashi is my most played artist of the year. I previously deemed this the summer song of 2014, but I will go so far as to call it the song of the year. Well, my year at least. A lot of fond memories come to mind any time I listen to it. It takes me back to the happiest road trip to sunny California where me, Drew, and friends attended Kishi's incredible concert, soaked up the sun at Newport Beach, and I visited Disneyland for the first time. It is the ultimate song by the ultimate Japanese pop/classical violinist. 

Top 5 Albums of 2014:

5. Goddess- Banks

4. White Women- Chromeo

3. 1989- Taylor Swift

2. Stay Gold- First Aid Kid

1. Lighght- Kishi Bashi

 Congratulations if you've made it through this monstrosity of words and hardly any pictures. I really enjoy making these lists every year, so thank you for taking the time to gander at it. I would love to hear what your favorites are too! Here's to 2015 and hopefully another year of spectacular music!

For a complete list of my favorites from the year, check out my spotify playlist which includes all (32) of my honorable mentions.

best of 2013

I always make end of the year lists in some form or another, but this is the first I've ever made public so bear with me. LOTS of fantastic music came out this year and this post has been in the making for longer than I care to admit. So after much deliberation, here are my top 20 songs of 2013:

20. Homage- Feist & Timber Timbre
19. All About You- Birdy
18. Heart of Nowhere- Noah and the Whale
17. Grace for Saints and Ramblers- Iron and Wine
16. Elastic Heart- Sia ft. The Weeknd & Diplo
15. Silhouette- Active Child ft. Ellie Goulding
14. Gypsy- Lady Gaga
13. Alive- Empire of the Sun
12. Get Lucky- Daft Punk ft. Pharrell
11. The Mother We Share- CHVRCHES
10. All Night- Icona Pop
9. From This Valley- The Civil Wars
8. Holy Grail- Jay Z ft. Justin Timberlake
7. Stay (Branchez remix) -Rihanna
6. Of the Night- Bastille
5. Hurricane (CHVRCHES remix) -MS MR
4. Mirrors- Justin Timberlake
3. Everlasting Arms- Vampire Weekend
2. Team- Lorde
1. Burn- Ellie Goulding

Top 5 albums of 2013:
5. Great Gatsby soundtrack- Produced by Baz Luhrmann, Anton Monsted and Jay Z
Does this count? Because it was by far the best movie soundtrack of the year. 'Gatsby' was so visually beautiful I could probably watch it in silence and still love it, but the soundtrack was also perfection. It was chalkful of some of my favorite artists and before the movie even came out and I listened to the soundtrack, I knew exactly which scenes each of these songs would play at. They nailed it. But then again Jay Z is a mastermind so we shouldn't even be surprised at this point.

4. Modern Vampires of the City- Vampire Weekend
I've been a huge fan of theirs for years but I kinda forgot about them for a lil bit until this album came out. Saddest realization about deciding to go home for Spring semester was knowing I had to sell my ticket for when they came to Salt Lake :( And then of course when they came to Philly in September, I was already back in Provo. I just can't win. They are on my concert bucket list and I am itching to sing and dance along to all the fun tunes on this album. I mean, I still do that on the reg but I just want to see them live so so bad.

3. The Bones of What You Believe- CHVRCHES
To me, a quality album is one I can listen to straight through without skipping any songs. Although most of these albums make that possible, this one was definitely my most played this year. There were songs to work out to, dance to, sing along to, and take long drives to. So versatile, so fun, and it just makes me so happy listening to it. Of course they're coming to Salt Lake during FINALS WEEK in April. However, the concert falls on the last night of finals week so fingers crossed I don't have to take a final on that last day! Actually, I'd still go because I have my priorities in line...

2. Halcyon Days- Ellie Goulding
Ellie is my #1 girl crush and easily my favorite artist of 2013. This year she released this extension to 'Halcyon' which came out in 2012, as well as a ton of other incredible singles. Her cover for 'Of the Night' rivals the original and her song 'Mirror' for the Catching Fire soundtrack was spot-on for the movie. Also 'How Long Will I Love You' is for sure playing at my wedding. It is too tender. Ellie's concert was the first one I attended this year and she is returning to Salt Lake in May!!! You better believe I will be in attendance and do everything in my power to meet her.

1. Pure Heroine- Lorde
The fact that she isn't even nominated for Best New Artist at the 2014 Grammy's (but Ed Sheeran is and he's been around since 2011...?) is a travesty, but just know that she wins in my book. She has too much swag for a 17 year old and I love it. Not to mention she is an extremely bizarre performer to watch. (see what I mean?) But Lorde is still 2 cool 4 skool and I would love to see her in concert, despite how uncomfortable it might make me. Pure Heroine was flawless and she just blew us all away with her talent, maturity, and uniqueness this year. Lorde have mercy.

This post is seriously lacking in pics so here's one from my favorite concert this year, (out of the 12 I attended hehe oops) which was Justin Timberlake & Jay Z: Legends of the Summer at Citizens Bank Park in Philly.

Sorry this was such a novel but I love talking music and 2013 was just a stellar year for new music. Thanks if you stuck it out to the end and I'd love to hear all your favorites too!

Oh, have a listen to them all here: