This month was hard! So many bangers got frontpaged. Here are my picks for best of the month:

1) Happy Holidays by @redcatmusic

• I can't even begin to put into words just how infectiously groovy and "springy" this song feels. Every part of it just feels so good. Not too long, not too short, the perfect amount of variety and a clean, balanced mix.

2) Corrupted Love by @KawaiiKittyKore

• Such a spacey, ethereal beat, held up by some sugary chopped vocals and superb percussion. Not a fan of the fadeout but man, I could easy bump this on repeat for hours.

3) [BOF:TT] BROWN SUGAR RUSH! by @Febbs

• This song gets an incredible amount of mileage out of a simple progression, leveraging a high-octane beat and some very feel-good synths to create a jam that doesn't overstay its welcome. The mix sounds solid and it's so easy to pick out the individual elements.

4) Subterrane by @turquoisedeath

• This is such a lovely atmospheric track, the mix is very well-balanced, meaning this track is versatile enough to work as a dedicated song to listen to or as background for something more intensive. Love the bitcrushed melodies and the variety in percussion elements.

5) Endless vicious cycle by @Dieswyx

• I've somehow managed to go my whole life without hearing someone do DnB with such an ominous, evil vibe to it. This song sells itself on the deliciously sinister chord progressions, but what really drives it into Top 10 status for me is the absolutely rancid bass. Seriously, you're gonna want to wash your headphones after hearing a filthy bass such as this one.

6) Crystallize by @BRYGAR

• Such a chill song. Despite having a very complex and forward mix, this song conveys an aquatic vibe and an almost melancholic mood very well through its blend of snappy percussion, atmospheric synths and catchy vocal chopping.

7) Fuel Funk by @MELVINIZED

• Like a great burrito, this song so effectively draws multiple textures and flavors together into a single, cohesive product that feels greater than the sum of its parts. The mix is so clean, the bell synths have such an intoxicating metallic tone to them. Just a groovy banger of a track overall, with lots of variety to keep itself fresh and entertaining without feeling disjointed.

8) Moving On Frustrations by @baryiscool

• Every now and then you hear some chords that just so eloquently capture some kind of feeling in your mind. This one sings to me of dealing with some kind of loss or grief, with just the right amount of angst sprinkled in. The artist says this reminds him a bit of Linkin Park, and as a huge fan of that band, I don't quite see the resemblance from a compositional perspective. Maybe you could argue that the electric guitar is very Meteora-esque. From a mood perspective, though, I totally see it. Also, this song is just begging for vocals. Maybe I'll doodle up some lyrics for him, could be a fun little exercise.

9) Final Rank - Late Homework OST by @Bassclefff

• I have a very passing interest in the Silent Hill games, of which I assume the game that this track was made for is drawing from. That said, I do enjoy the second game's music quite a bit and I understand that the early games seem to have a thing for unusually jazzy stuff mixed with unsettlingly ethereal melodies. I dunno, as soon as I get PCSX2 fixed and play through the first 4 games I'm sure I'll be able to better put this into words. Very nice Y2K-esque beat.

10) Sunny morning by @fr0gpr0

• I can't help but crack into a dumb smile when I hear this. It is so unapologetically carefree. Not a complex track or arrangement but every piece performs its role flawlessly. It also reminds me of the music GrayStillPlays would use in his Sims 4 videos, so hey, extra nostalgia points from me.

As always, I've got a playlist of the songs here. Be sure to check out each song and give the artist a rating and comment!