I love music. It's been a part of me in some way my whole life. As such, it's difficult to pick only 10 of my favorites. However, I have managed to find that many. I hope you all enjoy these as much as I do!
1. "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City
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Owl City is one of my favorite musicians ever. I love the synthesized experimentation on every single album. "Vanilla Twilight," in particular is one of my favorites. The peaceful piano opening, the synth pop instrumentation, the R&B-like tempo and the sweet melancholy lyrics all make for a wonderful piece of goodness.
2. "Holding On To You" by Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots is one of my favorite bands. Their unique sound on both Vessel and Blurryface is really enjoyable. This second track from Vessel is one of their best with its alternative hip hop instrumentation, electronic undertones and introspective lyrics. Look it up at once!
3. "The Call" by Regina Spektor
This is a beautiful song. Featured on the soundtrack to the film adaption of C.S. Lewis's "Prince Caspian," this is a bit of a departure for Spektor from her normal indie-pop style. The flowing piano and natural tone of Spektor's voice combine to make something wonderfully melancholy that match with the equally beautiful lyrics.
4. "God-Shaped Hole" by Plumb
Plumb is probably my favorite contemporary Christian musician ever. This pop rocker talks about everyone's need for God. Through her clear lyrics and beautiful voice, Plumb gets this point across extremely well.
5. "High of 75" by Relient K
Relient K is a loose cannon. They like to do whatever they want, but sometimes that works out for them. Such is the case in this fun pop punk number. This short but sweet song uses weather metaphors to describe how love conquers negative emotions.
6. "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay
Coldplay is simply great. The long-running alternative rock group has penned some of the greatest hits of the new millennium. Their best work arguably came with "Viva la Vida," a mid tempo baroque pop song with introspective lyrics about life and human nature.
7. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" by Phil Collins
Phil Collins is incredibly talented. Gaining fame as both a drummer and singer, Collins has become extremely thorough the past few decades. This pop ballad comes from the film of the same name and is quite a sad tune about being without someone you love. Collins' soulful vocals add to the emotion as the instrumentation slowly grows in intensity throughout the song.
8. "Da Funk" by Daft Punk
Daft Punk has been around for a long while, and they've produced some of the greatest house tracks the world has ever heard. Though they've had recent success with the disco-fueled "Get Lucky," their best work was found within their first two albums. This track from their debut record, "Homework," is a simple but interesting track. Staring off with the main melody subtly being played, it dives in to a disco-tempo beat with acid house synthesizers thrown in for good measure throughout the song.
9. "Shaken Out" by The Jellyrox
Matt Langston, the man behind the synth-pop project known as The Jellyrox, is probably more well known as the frontman of the now-disbanded synth-punk outfit Eleventyseven. While that band produced some equally good work, Langston really shines with this track off his debut album "Heta Himlen." I honestly have no idea what this song is about. All I know is that it's clean, fun and fast!
10. "Still Alive" by Ellen McLain
"Still Alive" is the theme song for the puzzle-platform game "Portal." Sung by the voice actress for the game's antagonist GLaDOS, it sucks you in the moment you hear the opening line. What follows is a hilarious indie rock song with passive aggressive lyrics.
I hope this helps you find some amazing music!
