You and I

       This video comes from 2012 but, before we get to 2014, you need to know every song from The Peace of Wild Things. I've said it before, but will say it again: The Peace of Wild Things is the most completely satisfying and perfect album I have heard. Everything from the opening "Love Letters" to "Calm My Soul" is nothing short of amazing and this video, after a year, should have received a lot more attention than it has. 

       Check out the video for "You and I" below then get your copy of The Peace of Wild Things because there will be something on the album you should love; the songs speak honestly with full compositions and it was the best album of last year and deserves your attention before we head into 2014.

"You and I" Paper Route

- E

The Giving Tree

       This has nothing to do with my 'best of' lists, but the video's put together flawlessly, the song is, as expected from these guys, perfectly catchy and ready to play at least once more after the first listen, it's stuffed full of lyrics that manage to be both sweet and sad, and Higgenson's vocals are just so satisfyingly smooth and rough at the same time that I'm probably going to get stuck in a Plain White T's rut for a bit now. 

       Check out the video below and, if you did not get their Should've Gone to Bed EP, grab it off iTunes now.

"The Giving Tree" Plain White T's 

- E

Remember When (Push Rewind)

       I don't have time to write a full post right now and I apparently don't have the foresight to prepare something ahead of time, so just listen to this (on repeat). 

       I played Wallace's music so often last year that my friend now groans when she hears these opening notes and he was mentioned on last year's 'bands to watch in 2013' list because he should have so much more than he does now. Push Rewind was catchy as hell and you know that, even though they are so pop fueled it could rot your teeth, you just want to sing along to "Invincible" and "Keep Me Crazy".

       In 2014, we should all just accept Wallace's greatness and stop acting like him and his voice aren't perfect.

"Remember When (Push Rewind)" Chris Wallace

- E

Best Comeback

       Justin Timberlake. Justin Timberlake is the sole winner of this title (and of life). He took a hiatus from music during which time he focused on his acting career and we listened to the scraps he threw out like "Dead and Gone", "Carry Out", and "Follow My Lead" and waited anxiously for him to get over his acting stint and come back to our radios (and our hearts).

       "Suit and Tie" was the first song released from The 20/20 Experience in early 2013 and it was the first song about clothing that you accepted, without question, and gladly sang along to, since "Blue Suede Shoes". After that, singles began to tumble onto the radio; "Mirrors" stole our hearts, "Take Back the Night" proved that he would forever be the master of getting songs permanently lodged in your brain, and "TKO" set him as the king of pop (thenceforth and forever).

       He wins for dancing like this, singing like this (and forever providing us with that song), growing up in the spotlight but somehow managing to come out the other side seeming decent, rising from 90's fashion to a good fitting suit [and tie] (I can't), and giving us this SNL performance followed by this one, showing us all his fantastic range as an artist and giving us the first Christmas presents we could all, gladly, sing along with. 

       Justin Timberlake wins comeback of the year for 2013 by not even allowing us to notice that he left the music scene, but then giving us two albums in one year to remind us all of why he should stay.

       A lot of this was facetious, but Justin Timberlake did have the most seamlessly perfect comeback of 2013 (and possibly of all time) and he's ridiculously good-looking (he's been on television sets since the '90's and never has he appeared less than perfect to the at home audience; I'm both awed and jealous) and definitely deserves comeback of the year. 

- E