The Key’s Year-End Mania: Michaela Majoun’s five most sonically addictive songs of 2012

For The Key’s year-in-review, we asked our trusted sources – our writers and photographers, XPN’s on-air staff, fellow bloggers in the Philly scene and even a few musicians – to send us their Top Five Whatevers. Could be the traditional music route – albums, songs, concerts of the year – or it could be only loosely connected. We’ll be sharing these recaps every day through to the end of the year. Today, XPN Morning Show host Michaela Majoun shares her five most sonically addictive songs of 2012.

By which I mean songs you just can’t get out of your head, not necessarily because of lyrical content or musical depth, but because of a sound that hooks you.  I suspect it has something to do with repetition and viscerally-felt clapping or drum noise and the other things noted below. There are studies about why music is addictive – read more here and here.

1. Django Django  “Default”  (I especially love the auto tuney parts.)

Django Django – Default from Django Django on Vimeo.

2. Electric Guest  “This Head I Hold” (The trancey rhythm, falsetto singing and catchy lyric: “Don’t think / take drink”)

3. The Avett Brothers  “Live and Die”  (The chorus, tempo, rhymes and simplicity…life and death!)

4.  Lianne LaHavas  “Is Your Love Big Enough?” (“Lo-oo-oo-ve…”)

5. Kopecky Family Band  “Heartbeat” (Claps, finger snaps and “oo-oo’s.”)

Then there’s…
Delta Rae “Bottom Of The River”
The Lumineers “Ho Hey”
The XX “Chained”
Martin Harley “Mojo Fix”
Ben Harper/Charlie Musselwhite  “I Don’t Believe A Word You Say“