Although Tegan and Sara have surpassed a decade in their career as working musicians, things are starting to take off for the two.
But though they’ve toured with the likes of Neil Young, Death Cab for Cutie, The Killers, Weezer and Paramore, their upcoming tour with fun. might skyrocket them into an arena that they’ve been working towards since they first started out. Well, there’s that, and the fact that their latest single, “Closer,” was covered on last night’s episode of Glee, the same hit TV series that helped make fun.’s second album, Some Nights, a breakthrough album.
Right now, the twins are on tour support of their newest album, Heartthrob, and I was lucky enough to score tickets. So, what better way to celebrate than to compile a list of my favorite Tegan and Sara songs?
10. I’m Not Your Hero (Heartthrob)
I’ve only had this track to listen to since January, but it has already become one of my favorite songs of theirs. I love the optimism of the second verse, when Sara says, “Learning all I know now/losing all I did/I never used to feel like I’d be standing so far ahead.” Though I’ve always loved the darkness and uncertainty that can sometimes come from the twins, this is truly a breath of fresh air, and a reminder that sometimes you just have to live in the light and enjoy life.
9. Living Room (If It Was You)
“Living Room” has a voyeuristic feel to it that will always remind me of photographers who photograph other tenants from their apartment window. It’s easy to close your eyes and imagine having an all-access view into the apartment of someone you desire. Is it creepy? Maybe a little bit. But it’s human, and it’s also an old track. Either way, there’s something endearing about it.
8. Feel It In My Bones (feat. Tegan and Sara, from Tiesto’s Kaleidoscope)
This track was the first time, to my knowledge, that most people heard Tegan and Sara dapple in electro/dance/house music. It was a breath of fresh air, and a reminder that the best dance tracks often feature artists with unique and unsuspecting voices.
7. Dark Come Soon (The Con)
I’ve always said that if you can understand and relate to The Con in a personal way, you’re in a dark place. This song only reiterates that. It’s different for everyone, but in the end, we all just need a little darkness to wallow in our sorrows.
6. On Directing (Sainthood)
This song is so sexy. Sainthood was pretty sexy, but this track has always knocked me on my back. Musically, it’s equivalent to the feeling you get when you meet someone who just steals you away. But this song is coy, it’s unsuspecting, and it leaves the listener with a lot of questions. Perhaps its mystery is what keeps bringing me back. That, or it reminds me so much of myself.
5. Nineteen (Get Along)
I fell in love with an acoustic version of Nineteen that Tegan and Sara did in Paris before a show. Unfortunately, it was an mp3 that had been ripped from a video, so I could never quite hear it. That, and Tegan accidentally repeated the first verse twice. Good thing they played it acoustic in their DVD, because this one is a keeper.
4. Someday (Sainthood)
This will forever feel like an anthem for anyone who feels like they’ve been put down. It’s so easy for the world to tell you no, when your heart and soul tell you yes. Luckily, Tegan and Sara face their fair share of hardships and know that even when things get good, someone will still need their encouragement. That’s why one of my favorite lines they’ve ever written will always be, “Mark my words, I might be something some day.”
3. I Won’t Be Left (So Jealous)
Relationships can be frightening, for one or both partners. Sometimes you just need that verbal reminder that running away from your problems won’t solve a damn thing.
2. Burn Your Life Down (The Con)
I’d heard this song so many times, but it wasn’t until I was going through some really terrible shit that I came to appreciate it. I don’t know how, or why. But something about hearing Sara’s voice saying, “Keep on fighting to remember that nothing is lost in the end,” really just kept me grounded and made me struggle through it.
1. Night Watch (Sainthood)
When I heard this song, the push and pull of the layered instruments really messed with my head. It was heartbreaking, truthful, self-deprecating and firm at the same time. Sometimes, doing what’s right isn’t easy, and doing what’s easy isn’t right. Needless to say, Sainthood was a work of art that Tegan and Sara labored over, and the picture that the music paints deserves to be hanging next to the damn Mona Lisa.
I hope you enjoy this list of songs I’ve compiled, but I’ve got a letter to write and a concert to get to.