My 25 of 2017

I tried to get this list out last weekend, but this has officially been the most difficult year to get my favorites down to 25 songs. Keep in mind I’ve been officially doing this since 2011, and also there was a lot of forgettable music this year. But there was a ton of great stuff. There was so much great stuff, in fact, that some of my favorite artists who came out with albums this year (Foo Fighters, the Killers to name two) didn’t have a tune that made the cut. Tough year, y’all. But here are my 25 favorite songs of 2017. Share yours.

25. “Tummy Ache” — Diet Cig

Seems like your basic 21st century “girl power” song, but it’s so catchy and I really like the lead singer’s voice. it reminded me of Veruca Salt (the band, not the Willy Wonka character), and that’s never a bad thing.

24. “Fluid” — Bus Vipers

Not my typical jam, but it’s so catchy and singable. I just kept finding myself listening to it, going back to it. It’s a fun song. 

23. “Can We Hang On?” — Cold War Kids 

You know it’s a tough year when CWK are in the 20s. But that’s what it was. The new album was good, but if it follows in line with other albums, it gets better over time. Still in my top 5 favorite current bands.

22. “You Know Me Better” — J Roddy Walston and the Business

Love J Roddy. The new album is good, still warming up to it, but this track jumped off the album right away. It’s just a fun jam and I love their sound.

21. “I’m So Free” — Beck

Beck is in the running for the best album I downloaded this year. It’s incredibly upbeat and poppy and this song is my favorite, which could change any day. It’s loaded.

20. “Alta” — Ty Segall

I love Ty Segall and this is a great song. Should have been higher, but I didn’t know what to knock down. Sounds like he collaborated with Jack White on this one, but he didn’t. Or did he?

19. “Name For You” — The Shins

I unapologetically love the Shins. I will buy everything they ever put out and I missed my chance last month to see them live. I never know when their next album will be their last, but I’m betting this is it.  But it’s ok, because James Mercer will still be around on some level with a new project.

18. “Ran” — Future Islands

I don’t know a ton about Future Islands, but I like everything I’ve heard and I love the lead singer’s voice. And this is a fun song to drive to and crank. Could have been on an 80s movie montage.

17. “Disguise” — Day Wave

This too, is a great album. On any given day I could have a different song. But this one is so hauntingly beautiful. The topic seems to be the way we all keep ourselves hidden behind masks for fear of rejection. I think we can all relate to that on some level.

16. “I Got Your Message” — Hideout

This song just kept growing on me. The first time I heard it, I couldn’t turn it off fast enough. But then I listened to it over and over. And it’s just catchy. And then I found out that the lead is in the band Cults, or at least in the live band. And it’s got a great line in it 

“You're making big decisions

But nobody is there

Your painted nails sailing

Through the ocean of your hair”

Pretty cool I guess.

15. “Tell The Truth” — Dams of the West

Chris Tomson is … I’m sorry … WAS the drummer for Vampire Weekend, and this has led me to finally come to terms with the fact that they are never getting back together. And yet, this song is so good I put it in the top 15. I guess I’ll take what I can get. Meanwhile, Ezra Koenig is nowhere to be heard. That makes me sad, friends. Moral of the story is you need to go see your favorite bands when you get the chance, because you may never get another. 

14. “I Saw You Close Your Eyes” — Local Natives

I’m all on board with these guys. If you doubt, go look up their live performance of “Coins” on the YouTubes. This song was a single that was released this year. I’ll be seeing them. I’ll let you know how it goes. 

13. “Matter of Time” — Surfer Blood

One of my top 10 fave bands. They did not disappoint live. And they hung out after the show and took pics with us and signed the setlist for me and they are just awesome. And John Paul just walked out into the crowd and sang with us. Rocking good time and rocking great band. And also, “new” guitarist Mike McCleary looks just like Paul Rudd. Look it up.

12. “Bad Ones” — Matthew Dear (feat. Teagan and Sara)

I do not know anything about Matthew Dear, and I do not particularly listen to Teagan and Sara, but I can’t stop listening to this song. No idea why. Honestly no idea. But it gets stuck in my head for days on end, so that says something.

11. “Flies on the Sun” — Wolf Parade

Just so you know, I WILL be seeing Wolf Parade in January. And I WILL be shaking/hugging Dan Boeckner. And my life WILL be complete. I love Dan Boeckner. He’s got so many projects going, I have  no idea how or if he sleeps. I have a feeling he doesn’t. 

10. “A Violent Noise” — The xx

I’ve said for a while that this was the best album I downloaded all year. And I also missed my chance to see them live. And Chaney was going to go with me. This is a beautiful haunting song. And speaking of my kids not going to concerts, I have offered both of them the invitation to go see the Killers with me in January and neither of them are super psyched. Someone please talk some sense into my children or take their ticket.

9. “Guilty Party” — The National

I love the National. Matt Berninger may have my favorite voice in music. In fact, I sing every song in his voice. I would love to see them do an album where they cover a bunch of fluffy pop songs. Would anything seriously be funnier than hearing Matt sing Taylor Swift’s “22” ? I submit there would not be. But for real, this song puts me straight in a mood. So when I’m melancholy for a month, just know they came out with a new album. I’ll try to warn everyone. 

8. “Still Waking Up” — Tim Darcy

Tim Darcy is the front man for the band Ought, and I have to say I like his solo stuff better thus far. This song is a classic. It has a very Marshall Crenshaw feel to it. And I love Marshall Crenshaw so …

7. “Feel It Still” — Portugal. The Man

I am currently tempted to replace this with “Live in the Moment” which is my current favorite song off that album. I will say that this is probably my favorite album front to back from this year. But I don’t want to be pretentious and even though this is completely played out, it’s a fun song. And it’s fun to sing and I’m so thankful they have a hit song that preteen girls like so they can jack up the ticket price. But I’m not bitter.

6. “Lookers” — The Menzingers

This song rocks. It’s fun to drive to and jam out on. It kinda has that radio punk vibe to it. I don’t know much about that, but I love the song. I had no idea before this that Jersey girls were always total heartbreakers. 

5. “Highway Tune” — Greta Van Fleet

THIS. BAND. IS. AWESOME. Thank you to my friend Jason for letting me know about these guys. It took me about 45 seconds to put them on the bucket list. This song rocks so hard I can’t drive the speed limit when I listen to it, so be warned. Also, the lead singer sounds like Ann Wilson and Robert Plant had a baby and he grew up to be a rock star. 

4. “Wanted Woman / AC/DC” — Larkin Poe

I don’t want to imply that I know the Lovell sisters personally, but we are best friends. And Chaney loves them. When I was trying to convince her our upcoming move to TN would be a good one, I reminded her that Rebecca and Megan live in Nashville. And she was immediately on board. But seriously, we went to see them a few months ago and they signed autographs for Chaney, took several pictures with her and PUT IT ON THEIR INSTAGRAM! Chaney almost passed out. These ladies can rock, and they closed their set that night with the second half of this song. I asked Rebecca on the way out what it was because I didn’t recognize it and she told me it was a new song they’re trying out called “AC/DC.” I told her I hope it’s on the new album and …….. well, I guess we are best friends.

3. “Baby Luv” — Nilüfer Yanya

This girl is gonna be big. She’s immensely talented and this song is incredibly and gorgeously haunting. So smooth and her voice just kills it. 

2. “The Maze” — Manchester Orchestra

So here we are. This is a tough decision. This is the first song on their new album and I’ve heard it’s about Andy Hull’s daughter and the fact that he’s someone’s dad and overwhelmed by it and I relate so much to it and it makes me think of when my kids were little and I wish I had this song back then and I choke up every time I listen to it and I love Andy Hull’s voice. Oh dear … it has to be number one, right?

1. “The Way You Used To Do” — Queens of the Stone Age

Wrong. I’ve been going back and forth listening to this song and the MO song, and I’m sorry, but this has been my jam all year. I’m not going back now. When I want to groove, I turn on this jam. And QotSA have waited a long time to be number one on my list. So here they are. Deservedly. I’m going to go ahead and put my list out now before I change my mind.

So there you have it, my favorite 25 songs of the year 2017, which turned out to be a great year for music. Share your list. I love hearing new stuff. Thanks to everyone who loves me enough to keep sending me new music. Please don’t stop doing that. I love hearing new stuff. Hope you all have a great Christmas and your 2018 is full of more great music. 

#REDEMPTION

1993, 2005, 2009, 2017.

I’ve seen UNC win four championships. Well, I’ve watched the 1982 game on YouTube, but I didn’t see that one live. In fact, I wasn’t really even a UNC fan back then. I didn’t even watch basketball. I liked a lot of teams actually, before finally jumping on the Carolina bandwagon and staying there. No, I didn’t grow up in NC. No, I am not a UNC alum. No, my family did not pass down my fanhood. I simply picked a team because they were good and always on TV, and at some point you have to choose one you’re going to root for. So I did. And that’s the story of that. 

Now my goal is to pass that on to my kids so that when they’re asked when they became UNC fans, they can honestly say they were born into it. So I don’t mind being first generation and taking the hit for jumping on the bandwagon. I can handle it. Being a Carolina fan is easy, so I’m not seeking credit from anyone. 

My older daughter is the UNC junkie. We watch games together, keep up with recruiting, study the history of the team. She’s all in and I love it. Now my younger daughter doesn’t get left out. She’s just not as passionate. She’s more into music and my concert buddy. In fact, she asked me if I would take her to see The xx and I’m still weeping tears of joy. But I’m getting off track … and sentimental. 

So Lily and I went to the National Championship game last year in Houston. After all, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. I had seen UNC win three championships. I had run down the street like an idiot each time. I wanted my daughter to experience that. So we went. And if you wait until the day of the event, you can get tickets cheap. Just in case you are thinking of going. So we went, and UNC lost. Great game. Terrible ending. We were sitting about 30 rows behind Kris Jenkins as he rose up to take that shot and my head just dropped. The one guy on the floor you can’t let get a clean look got a clean look. And he drained it. 

So we walked out that night with me having to help her hold back tears. She wanted to leave with about 2 minutes left and the Heels down 10. But I told her we don’t leave. That was lesson one. Then we saw Marcus Paige hit what should have been the iconic shot of the final, and I remember telling her, “We just need to play defense for 4.7 seconds. If this game goes into overtime, we’re going to win.” And then Jenkins happened, and this is still the coolest thing I’ve ever seen a coach do, even though it’s for the other team. 

So Nova wins, and immediately she wanted to leave. “No,” I said. “We’re going to let them have their moment. They’ve waited 35 years for this. Let them have their moment. Then we’ll quietly slip out.” That was lesson two. What happened after that was unreal. I can’t tell you how classy the Villanova fans were. They could tell she’d been crying. One dad even stopped me and gave me that “man, that’s tough” look that dads give each other to acknowledge the one thing dads fear the most … not being able to fix something. So instead of fixing it, you have to show them how to handle it. And I can say now, not knowing at the time, but that was the best thing that could possibly have happened. Think about it. We got to see Marcus Paige, who had not had a super great senior year (by his standards), be clutch again. We got to see him put the team on his back and will them back from despair. And we got to see UNC be something they’re not usually accused of: TOUGH. They fought back when I’m so used to them dropping their shoulders and kind of pouting. We got to see a classic game with a classy fan base. One guy even hugged me and told me that was the greatest game he’s ever seen and Marcus Paige is the man and lots of other things. It was good for Lily to see that. Fans being respectful. You don’t see it much outside the arena. You see the fans burning couches in the street or tossing TVs out windows. What you see inside the arena are fans who are true to their team and tip the cap to the opposition. At least that’s what we saw. And I was thankful. 

It was that night that I said, “That’s it. I don’t care if they play on the moon. The next time UNC is in the championship game, we’re going. Period.” And I knew at the time they had a realistic shot of going back the very next April. But I clearly wasn't seriously thinking that was going to happen. I mean, honestly, who gets a chance to redeem themselves the very next year with nearly the exact same team? 

Fast forward to Phoenix. 

UNC had been winning games in the tournament in very un-UNC fashion. They were ugly wins. But usually when you win a championship you have to win a game you should have lost. This is the part where I apologize to all the Arkansas fans I know. I don’t know what to say other than college basketball officiating is the worst of any sport in this country. I always tell my kids, “Even if the refs grab the mic and tell everyone in the building their mission is to make sure you don’t win, you never blame the refs. Losers make excuses. Winners make themselves better.” Having said that, I told my friend Casey that if he wanted to go on social media and blast the refs for that game, I would back up everything he said. It was horrible. 

Again, having said that, it made me think that maybe this was UNC’s year. I mean, they were doing anything they had to do to win games. It’s like they actually fought, which is not something I’m used to. And they started locking people up on defense, which I’m not used to either. I’m used to games in the 80s or 90s, letting teams have a layup here or there just to coax them into running with us. And I like that brand of basketball. But I also like winning. I like toughness and determination and hustle. And UNC was doing it. They were doing what it took to win. First there was Arkansas, then if that Kentucky game goes into OT, I think UNC was done. But it didn’t. They found a way. And then they tried to give away the Oregon game and couldn’t. That’s when you start thinking the shirt I got in the mail and wore the day we played our first game in the tourney was working the same way the snow globes did in 2009. And if you don't know that story, it's a good one too.

So I felt good about going to Phoenix. I felt even better when I met Phil Ford. Yes, that Phil Ford. We also met Matt Doherty who was awesome and talked to Lily. It meant so much for me to see her meet some of the legends and really embrace the history of the team. Of course, she had already met Marcus Paige the year before, so I’m not sure she was star struck at that point. And so there we are, nip and tuck the whole way, both teams equally deserving to win this title. And all I could think is that I don’t want to have that talk again this year. I don’t want this to be a character-building experience. That’s what last year was for. I want to watch my team win a championship with my daughter. I want her to know what that’s like. So then it happened. I watched Isaiah hit that shot to put UNC up 3 and then Gonzaga calls a timeout. Game still isn’t over. There are like 21 seconds left, and a lot can happen in 21 seconds. Then the guy two rows in front of me is talking about fouling and I argued with him, “We can’t hit free throws. All we need is for them to hit two, foul us, we brick ours and then they have the ball with a chance to win. At least if they hit a three, we still have a chance to win or we go into OT with their big guy one foul from being out and their PG with a bum ankle.” He turned around and DID NOT high five me after the game. Hate it when I do that, but I was so nervous, and when I’m nervous I really hate people regurgitating studio coach, cookie cutter strategy. You have to know what’s going on right now. You have to know your team. You have to know how the game is flowing or not and make a decision not based on a chart, but on your gut. Anyway, I’m sorry. I’m getting distracted again. 

So there we stand, in a sea of Carolina blue, with everyone on their feet. The teams walk back out and I am just praying for one stop. Just one more stop and I’ll never ask for anything ever again, or at least until next year’s game at Cameron. Everything felt like it was going in slow motion all night, and suddenly everything just came down to 21.6. Meeks had a block, Berry has the ball and Jackson is dunking the game clincher with just over 11 seconds left. Then Meeks is stealing a pass and Berry is getting fouled and that’s when it hit me: “Holy cow. We’re going to win the national championship.” I turned to Lily and we embraced. I slung her around like a rag doll screaming “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! We did it! We’re going to win!” like a moron. I admit I had not practiced for that moment. I don’t remember if I cried, but I felt like I would. The feeling was unreal and indescribable. I wanted that for her. I honestly did. And the fact that we’re both so passionate about something, which is more often than not a bad thing, made the experience truly a once in a lifetime. But I honestly don’t think it would have been as amazing if it hadn’t been for the heartbreak the year before. There were more lessons to be learned. 

For example, when things don’t go your way, you work harder. You set a goal and you do anything to achieve that goal. People aren’t just going to say, “Oh you lost in such heartbreaking fashion last year. Why don’t we just give you the 2017 trophy as a consolation?” Nope. You have to work. How many teams get a second chance like that? It wasn’t luck. They worked for it. You want something? Work for it. 

The other lesson was how to win with class. “My team winning is enough for me. People are going to accuse you of being on the bandwagon. So what. People are going to say the refs gave it to you. So what. People are going to say all sorts of things. So what. My team won. I have the t-shirt to prove it. That’s all that matters. There’s no need to rub anyone’s face in it. There is literally nothing to be gained from talking trash. My team won. It feels good. That’s what matters. Remember what it felt like last year? That’s what 67 other fanbases are feeling. Consider that and show some class.” I said something like that. It was pretty close anyway. So when we walked out that night, we saw Gonzaga fans and we felt their pain. So we walked out smiling but respectful. And haven’t stopped smiling since. 

“Being gracious when you win or lose is what makes you a good fan. People don’t mind being around you and even root for you … even though they may not even like your team.” I told Lily this after seeing all her friends Snapchat and text her with positive messages. After the game, I saw my phone had blown up (in a good way). And while I’m thinking about it, I should probably mention that I turn my phone off during games. So I’m not purposely ignoring anyone who may  be trying to reach me. This all goes back to Cary Clay and that dumb “one ring” thing we had going on years ago. One day I’ll have to write a post about that, because it is kind of funny, at least when it’s not you on the other end. But I’m getting off track again. What I was teaching Lily is that when you are a good fan, people respect you even though they may not like your team. And when people are rooting for you, that means a lot. I told her afterward that I would have felt terrible if the Heels had lost just knowing how many people were rooting for them on account of the two of us. We certainly have great friends and I want to thank everyone who texted or messaged me in any way. You’re awesome and I hope all your dreams come true (unless you’re a dook fan, sorry Lacy). I also want to thank everyone for enduring my fixation on "The ceiling is the roof." I would also like to apologize in advance because I will literally never stop saying it. It will be my battle cry for this year as long as I live. It's just funny. I love Jordan so much, but that is comedy gold y'all. Sorry. Got sidetracked again.

I get a lot of flack for how much I love sports, and I admit, it’s probably not good for my health. But sports presents opportunities to teach so many lessons that translate on so many levels. I think we may have learned them all in just one calendar year. I’ll probably stop being so obnoxious about this one day, but this is a first for me, because this one wasn’t about me. And that makes it so much sweeter. Feels a lot like redemption.