Blog: Wake Up and Smell The Music

Whether it's the melody or lyrics, the catchiness or repeatability, the party starter or the emotive heart tugger, a song has to make a connection with you. It has to stop your mind whirling and say -- rather, demand -- "Stop and listen!". Of the hundreds of tracks we posted (and hundreds more we listened to) this year, these were the ones we most connected with. The ones that made us stop and listen every time. A quick note on the rules we followed. Basically, like last year, nearly everything released in the year - whether from [...]

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Simple Girl
• Local Natives - Sun Hands
• The Soft Pack - Mexico