The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 50 of 50, #10-#1

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 49 of 50, #20-#11

#20 The National - "Graceless" from "Trouble Will Find Me" - This song features one of my favorite choruses of the year.  The slow build-up pays off nicely, much like classics such as "Just Like Heaven" and "Can't Hardly Wait". - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8IS4YH_GGk

#19 Tegan And Sara - "Closer" from "Heartthrob" - From the twee all the way to performing at the Oscars and putting a song on pop radio, T&S have come a long way. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e9NSMY8QiQ

#18 Vampire Weekend - "Diane Young" from "Modern Vampires Of The City" - The title is a clever pun and a nice footnote about one of VW's best songs. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG6lTQNW04I

#17 Queens Of The Stone Age - "I Sat By The Ocean" from "…Like Clockwork" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9XzSK0MqeQ

#16 Jose Gonzalez - "Step Out" from "The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty Soundtrack" - The most bombastic song of 2013, which sounds even better when playing on a big screen showing the otherwise forgettable movie it accompanies. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT8ntIcTO4o

#15 Janelle Monae (feat. Erykah Badu) - "Q.U.E.E.N." from "The Electric Lady" - A great song that was pushed even higher by Erykah Badu's late-song rap. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEddixS-UoU

#14 Chvrches - "The Mother We Share" from "The Bones Of What You Believe" - One of the highest-charting re-apperances from the 2012 list and one of indie pop's greatest songs ever. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mTRvJ9fugM

#13 Capital Cities - "Safe And Sound" from "In A Tidal Wave Of Mystery" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47dtFZ8CFo8

#12 Jay-Z (feat. Justin Timberlake) - "Holy Grail" from "Magna Carta… Holy Grail" - Oddly enough, the Timberlake part is far better than the rest of Jay-Z's song. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YcIgow6TDk

#11 Janelle Monae - "Dance Apocalyptic" from "The Electric Lady" - The best R&B song of 2013. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaMBagakSdM

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 48 of 50, #30-#21

#30 Pearl Jam - "Sirens" from "Lightning Bolt" - Pearl Jam has released several brilliant ballads over the past decade, but this was by far the most successful. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQXP6TDtW0w

#29 Drake (feat. Majid Jordan) - "Hold On, We're Going Home" from "Nothing Was The Same" - As much as I loved Drake's mixtapes, this my favorite song of his. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxgqpCdOKak

#28 Lady GaGa - "Applause" from "ARTPOP" - Gaga doesn't get the hype that she used to, but I think her music is at least consistent if not getting better. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pco91kroVgQ

#27 Parquet Courts - "Stoned And Starving" from "Light Up Gold" - One of the most interesting new indie bands of the past few years. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5P1SzaJ3jk

#26 Kanye West - "New Slaves" from "Yeezus" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1uuSm0Gol0

#25 Eminem - "Berzerk" from "Marshall Mathers LP 2" - This song, which samples Billy Squier's "The Stroke", is Eminem's most interesting song in years. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab9176Srb5Y

#24 Queens Of The Stone Age - "My God Is The Sun" from "…Like Clockwork" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFca32_7YUU

#23 The Pixies - "Bagboy" from "Bagboy (Single)" - The first single off of The Pixies' upcoming 2014 album is a welcome return from the indie rock legends. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGdSYPh5_BI

#22 Pearl Jam - "Lightning Bolt" from "Lightning Bolt" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0lXz5jmWdc

#21 Nine Inch Nails - "Came Back Haunted" from "Hesitation Marks" - The best song off of NIN's best album since "The Downward Spiral". - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RN6pT3zL44

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 47 of 50, #40-#31

#40 Vampire Weekend - "Finger Back" from "Modern Vampires Of The City" - This song features one of my favorite choruses of the year. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oPbpPIG_mQ

#39 The National - "Pink Rabbits" from "Trouble Will Find Me" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCEr4XbyLR8

#38 Alice In Chains - "Hollow" from "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmSeWqmlqYs

#37 The Arcade Fire - "Normal Person" from "Reflektor" - You wouldn't expect it from The Arcade Fire, but the guitar lick that feeds into the chorus on this song is probably the most notable guitar lick of 2013. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEcu3-fxZSE

#36 Lorde - "Team" from "Pure Heroine" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JuxM-snGc

#35 Savages - "Husbands" from "Silence Yourself" - Pure, raw agit-rock. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmJ_mcvRQsI

#34 Kanye West (feat. God) - "I Am A God" from "Yeezus" - Obviously, this is the biggest guest appearance of the year, though it was an off-year for Nicki Minaj guest appearances. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5p5z5CIxiA

#33 Eminem - "Rap God" from "Marshall Mathers LP 2" - Eminem set a world record for most syllables rapped in a period of time on this track. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGs_qK2PQA

#32 Vampire Weekend - "Ya Hey" from "Modern Vampires Of The City" - Another Vampire Weekend song that featured prominently on the year-end best-of lists. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-BznQE6B8U

#31 The Pixies - "Indie Cindy" from "EP-1" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDa3cY7U6NA

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 46 of 50, #50-#41

#50 The Arctic Monkeys - "R U Mine?" from "AM" - A repeat appearance from 2012's list, which is even stranger as in 2015, it's finally reaching it's peak on the charts. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngzC_8zqInk

#49 Avicii (feat. Aloe Blacc) - "Wake Me Up" from "TRUE" - I like this version better than Aloe Blacc's solo version, which I didn't find in time for the 2013 countdown. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcrbM1l_BoI

#48 Nine Inch Nails - "Copy Of A" from "Hesitation Marks" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVB_DI4ajKA

#47 Kacey Musgraves - "Follow Your Arrow" from "Same Trailer Different Park" - Kacey Musgraves (who has a song in the top 10) is probably the most exciting new country artist in more than a decade. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ8xqyoZXCc

#46 Youngblood Hawke - "We Come Running" from "Wake Up" - It's a cheesy indie pop song, but as a Muse fan, I always love bombast done correctly. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ECw5DTULQ8

#45 Chvrches - "Recover" from "The Bones Of What You Believe" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyqemIbjcfg

#44 The Pixies - "What Goes Boom" from "EP-1" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWkD_-diYuI

#43 Haim - "Forever" from "Days Are Gone" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEwM6ERq0gc

#42 Phoenix - "Entertainment" from "Bankrupt!" - Phoenix continues their run as one of the best in indie pop, even if this album was less hyped than their last. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBsRvthVhdw

#41 Natalia Kills - "Problem" from "Trouble" - I'm not sure if she's trying to be a pop star or a riot grrl and I honestly don't care when her music is this good. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZrZI6OmezE

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 45 of 50, #60-#51

#60 Jim James - "State Of The Art (A.E.I.O.U.)" from "Regions Of Light And Sound Of God" - The highest-charting song from the debut solo album of the lead singer of My Morning Jacket. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUYf2yu78Ts

#59 Bastille - "Pompeii" from "All This Bad Blood" - One of the biggest Modern Rock songs of 2013, from the biggest Modern Rock act of the year. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F90Cw4l-8NY

#58 Drake - "Started From The Bottom" from "Nothing Was The Same" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubBzkZzpUA

#57 Frightened Rabbit - "State Hospital" from "Pedestrian Verse" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJb4uNi1VwU

#56 Phoenix - "Trying To Be Cool" from "Bankrupt!" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMDycg0Gn_Y

#55 Disclosure (feat. AlunaGeorge) - "White Noise" from "Settle" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkk2H3Ztrfk

#54 Regina Spektor - "You've Got Time" from "You've Got Time" - The theme song of the Netflix series "Orange Is The New Black". - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9_isl1jjHc

#53 The Arcade Fire - "Afterlife" from "Reflektor" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcKinnMXuKg

#52 Grouplove - "Ways To Go" from "Spreading Rumours" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGvHnDeS12o

#51 AlunaGeorge - "You Know You Like It" from "Body Music" - A repeat appearance from the 2012 countdown. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWR9MR5juWI

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 44 of 50, #70-#61

#70 Mons Montis - "Swept" from "Blalock's Indie Rock Playlist" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWYX6RD2IzY

#69 The Pixies - "Andro Queen" from "EP-1" - Every Pixies song on this year's countdown is also on the "Indie Cindy" CD, so they'll all be on the 2014 countdown as well. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10lyWR25_nQ

#68 Kings Of Leon - "Supersoaker" from "Mechanical Bull" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izzY55ACUQo

#67 Rhye - "Open" from "Woman" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sng_CdAAw8M

#66 Justin Timberlake (feat. Jay-Z) - "Suit And Tie" from "The 20/20 Experience" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsUsVbTj2AY

#65 U2 - "Ordinary Love" from "Mandela Soundtrack" - Nominated for the Best Song Oscar, but never stood a chance against the "Frozen" juggernaut, "Let It Go". - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC3ahd6Di3M

#64 Shooter Jennings - "Outlaw You" from "The Other Life" - I'm sure that there are other country punk artists, but from what I've heard, no one does it better than Shooter Jennings does. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJwCwGDqiWg

#63 Daughter - "Youth" from "If You Leave" - She'll probably always have a special place in my heart as the opening act I saw perform before The National. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QT5eGHCJdE

#62 Vampire Weekend - "Step" from "Modern Vampires Of The City" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mDxcDjg9P4

#61 Haim - "Days Are Gone" from "Days Are Gone" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUshy3OSDCA

Game of Thrones Season 5 Speculation - Part 10 - Sansa Baratheon / Davos Seaworth

STANNIS BARATHEON / DAVOS SEAWORTH

The last storyline that I expect to be covered in Season 5 of Game of Thrones is the portion of Stannis and Davos' stories that fill in the gap between their departure from the Wall and their arrival near Winterfell.


STANNIS BARATHEON

After having a series of interactions with Jon Snow before and after Jon becomes Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Stannis departs to the northwestern parts of the North to recruit the mountain clains to join his cause.  He eventually succeeds, marching his men and the Northerners south to Deepwood Motte where they are joined by forces led by the Mormonts to overthrow Asha (Yara on the show) Greyjoy's forces and liberate Deepwood Motte and join them and other Northern houses to his cause.  Stannis' forces then march towards Winterfell in the midst of a devastating blizzard, eventually stopping at a Crofter's village three days outside of Winterfell, where he plans to make his initial stand against the Boltons.


DAVOS SEAWORTH

At King Stannis' direction, Davos travels to White Harbor to treat with Wyman Manderly.  After a rousing scene in White Harbor's courtroom, Wyman orders that Davos be imprisoned.  Davos later finds out that Wyman faked his death in order to show the Lannisters that he was on their side and secure the return of his heirs.  Wyman sends Davos on a mission to Skagos to recover Rickon Stark and his direwolf Shaggydog.  If Davos succeeds in providing the North with a Stark heir, Wyman pledges his support to Stannis' cause, a key ally who could help recruit the rest of the North to Stannis' cause.


SEASON 5 ADAPTATION

Davos won't be heading to White Harbor and may not be going on any mission apart from Stannis this season.  There has been no casting of Wyman Manderly, no mention of White Harbor as a location this season and Davos is currently in Castle Black, a location that he's never been to in the books.  It's possible that he may be sent on a mission to Last Hearth to recruit Rickon, but there's nothing but speculation to base this on at this time.  In all likelihood, Davos will accompany Stannis on his march to Winterfell.

I think that Stannis will be spending more time at the Wall this season than he does in ADWD, but otherwise the story will stick close to what happens in the books.  I expect a battle scene in Deepwood Motte and possibly the battle of the Crofter's Village (aka the Battle of Ice) that will likely involve a lot of Freys drowning in an icy lake, though there's a lot of ground to cover so it's possible that the arrival of Theon will be the end of the storyline for Season 5.


MY SEASON 5 PREDICTIONS FOR STANNIS BARATHEON / DAVOS SEAWORTH'S STORIES:

Stannis and Davos will spend the first half of the season at Castle Black, treating with Jon Snow and the Night's Watch.  They will depart from Castle Black (leaving Melisandre, Selyse and Shireen at the Wall) and reappear at Deepwood Motte, defeating the Ironborn and capturing Yara Greyjoy.  Their forces will then march on Winterfell in the midst of a blizzard, settling at the Crofter's village and preparing to do battle with the Boltons and Freys that are stationed in Winterfell.  Their Season 5 storyline will end with the capture of Theon Greyjoy.  At Castle Black, Selyse Baratheon will attempt to sacrifice Shireen Baratheon, only to be stopped by Melisandre, who is setting Selyse up for some mysterious purpose.

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 43 of 50, #80-#71

#80 The Pixies - "Another Toe" from "EP-1" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH-vzQwcf4c

#79 Neko Case - "Man" from "The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unNa-9qGkfI

#78 T.V. On The Radio - "Mercy" from "Mercy" - Luckily, Blalock's posted this single in their playlist, otherwise I might never have heard it. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Ji2sxk0Uc

#77 Courtney Barnett - "Avant Gardener" from "How To Carve A Carrot Into A Rose" - Pavement meets Alt-Country on this new track from one of the hottest new voices in indie rock. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcnIhzaDTd0

#76 The Mavericks - "Come Unto Me" from "In Time" - As Monty Python would say "And now for something completely different".  There's something about the tempo and swagger of this song that appeals to me in a way most songs of this genre don't. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JH3MsPlwKs

#75 Angel Haze - "Echelon (It's My Way)" from "Dirty Gold" - Yet another track from one of the best up-and-coming rappers. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMw65FwtlOI

#74 James Blake - "Retrograde" from "Overgrown" - The prominence that this track had in the pilot for the HBO series The Leftovers probably pushed it up the chart significantly. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p6PcFFUm5I

#73 Eminem - "Rhyme Or Reason" from "Marshall Mathers LP 2" - A re-purposing of the Zombies' "Time of the Season" pushes this song towards the top. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1W-uILRTiU

#72 Ra Ra Riot - "Beta Love" from "Beta Love" - A repeat appearance from the 2012 list. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9GNLOUlMGg

#71 Pearl Jam - "Mind Your Manners" from "Lightning Bolt" - A few years from now Pearl Jam will be inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame in their first year of eligibility.  At that point, people who stopped following them twenty years ago will look back on their catalog and realize that they've always been outstanding. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWQYYavheUA

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 42 of 50, #90-#81

#90 The Arctic Monkeys - "Do I Wanna Know" from "AM" - One of the biggest Modern Rock hits of 2013 and the song that brought the Arctic Monkeys to the mainstream. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpOSxM0rNPM

#89 Idina Menzel - "Let It Go" from "Frozen Soundtrack" - The biggest musical phenomenon from the biggest film phenomenon in years. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk

#88 Katy Perry - "Roar" from "Prism" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CevxZvSJLk8

#87 Fall Out Boy - "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)" from "Save Rock And Roll" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkIWmsP3c_s

#86 Bruce Springsteen - "High Hopes" from "High Hopes" - This song should factor prominently on the best of 2014 list as well. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOPDhoZH91g

#85 Los Campesinos! - "Avocado, Baby" from "No Blues" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-M_m1I1uKU

#84 Rtpj - "Emigre" from "Blalock's Indie Rock Playlist" - I couldn't find a link for this video on youtube.

#83 Vampire Weekend - "Worship You" from "Modern Vampires Of The City" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu5PD02s05I

#82 The National - "Don't Swallow The Cap" from "Trouble Will Find Me" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFnA-8H-5lo

#81 AlunaGeorge - "Attracting Flies" from "Body Music" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d_HD89ZlJE

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 41 of 50, #100-#91

#100 Beck - "Don't Act Like Your Heart Isn't Hard" from "Don't Act Like Your Heart Isn't Hard" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT5mv1Nn0x8

#99 Beyonce (feat. Jay-Z) - "Drunk In Love" from "Beyonce" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1JPKLa-Ofc

#98 Jay-Z - "Heaven" from "Magna Carta… Holy Grail" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCsIUOmNtvc

#97 The National - "Demons" from "Trouble Will Find Me" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N527oBKIPMc

#96 Alice In Chains - "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" from "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0_2Wq9Aos4

#95 The Little Ones - "Argonauts" from "The Dawn Sang Along" - A repeat appearance from the 2012 countdown. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqlRElbxazs

#94 Vampire Weekend - "Don't Lie" from "Modern Vampires Of The City" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Zmyh1PbW4

#93 The National - "Lean" from "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Soundtrack" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33XSGTXEOp8

#92 The Arcade Fire - "Here Comes The Night Time" from "Reflektor" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fFAKrIntzY

#91 Justin Timberlake - "Mirrors" from "The 20/20 Experience" - I never would have believed that Justin Timberlake would be nearly as prominent as The National on one of my countdowns, but he is.  Life is funny sometimes. Lol - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuZE_IRwLNI

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 40 of 50, #110-#101

#110 Shad - "Fam Jam (Fe Sum Immigrins)" from "Flying Colours" - Another year, another great Canadian rap song on the countdown that wouldn't be there if not for Blalock's Indie Rock Playlist because I never would have heard it. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u9JoEYxFnw

#109 Miley Cyrus - "Wrecking Ball" from "Bangerz" - A great song, even if the singer lacks credibility. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8

#108 Chance The Rapper (feat. Childish Gambino) - "Favorite Song" from "Acid Rap" - Well, obviously it wasn't my favorite song, but it was my favorite Chance The Rapper song of 2013. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mtA9GvpzwU

#107 Talib Kweli (feat. Black Thought, Rah Digga And ALBe. Back) - "Art Imitates Life" from "Gravity" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y4GA_eWpfM

#106 Queens Of The Stone Age - "Fairweather Friends" from "…Like Clockwork" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ljOltpaUQo

#105 Haim - "Falling" from "Days Are Gone" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIjVpRAXK18

#104 Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - "Any Weather" from "Unvarnished" - A timeless punk / classic rock song, in that I had to look it up to make sure it wasn't a cover of one of her 80's hits. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N8IJL2MpfE

#103 Alan Wilkis (feat. Childish Gambino) - "More Than Normal" from "PRINT" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrDI7raXecU

#102 Vampire Weekend - "Everlasting Arms" from "Modern Vampires Of The City" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6FjwUwJup0

#101 Youth Lagoon - "Dropla" from "Wondrous Bughouse" - Possibly the most hypnotic indie pop song of 2013. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1XpNwKPTA8

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 39 of 50, #120-#111

#120 Sleigh Bells - "Bitter Rivals" from "Bitter Rivals" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr-ahiFDkts

#119 Vampire Weekend - "Obvious Bicycle" from "Modern Vampires Of The City" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANznirklths

#118 Queens Of The Stone Age - "If I Had A Tail" from "…Like Clockwork" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjYZToXuJaM

#117 Lady GaGa - "Gypsy" from "ARTPOP" - "Artpop" got mediocre reviews, but songs like "Gypsy" are as good as anything GaGa did in her "prime". - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHKXFXXUe-A

#116 The Cold War Kids - "Miracle Mile" from "Dear Miss Lonelyhearts" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F6gAN6MOII

#115 Mystikal - "Hit Me" from "Hit Me" - Mystikal will have a high-charting song in 2014 or 2015 with his collaboration with Mark Ronson, but for now, this is an excellent example of his unique style of hip hop. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgn53ogEm98

#114 Franz Ferdinand - "Right Action" from "Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqTsUtQLRFk

#113 Portugal. The Man - "Hip Hop Kids" from "Evil Friends" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk4r_vnQPx0

#112 Chance The Rapper - "Chain Smoker" from "Acid Rap" - Chance the Rapper is one of the best new hip hop artists of the past decade and this was his most acclaimed song, if not his highest-charting song on this countdown. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bigsk2g7xO8

#111 Cayucas - "Cayucos" from "Bigfoot" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deeq8HcWzzk

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 38 of 50, #130-#121

#130 M83 (feat. Susanne Sundfor) - "Oblivion" from "Oblivion Soundtrack" - A great track from a mostly-forgotten sci-fi movie. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mkUp1V3ys0

#129 The Arcade Fire - "Supersymmetry" from "Reflektor" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7UFvwguCPU

#128 Los Campesinos! - "Cemetery Gaits" from "No Blues" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irSOwulDsPE

#127 Krewella - "Come And Get It" from "Get Wet" - I'm not usually a fan of this genre of music, but Krewella's hooks are outstanding. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iFR754-E98

#126 Justin Timberlake - "Drink You Away" from "The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2" - How strange is it that the best R&B singer around is the former lead singer of a boy band? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T6QCHWi7GQ

#125 The Hold Steady - "The Bear And The Maiden Fair" from "Game Of Thrones Season 3 Soundtrack" - This song is the ASOIAF equivalent of a bar song and it's performed perfectly by the ultimate indie bar band, adding a little punk edge to Season 3 of Game of Thrones. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgiTB2NFvAM

#124 Frightened Rabbit - "Dead Now" from "Pedestrian Verse" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg8BTGBRBl0

#123 Queens Of The Stone Age - "I Appear Missing" from "…Like Clockwork" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvOOya9uSAU

#122 Vampire Weekend - "Hannah Hunt" from "Modern Vampires Of The City" - I think this was Spin Magazine's #1 song of 2013. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJCIhDQkqTQ

#121 Tove Lo - "Habits (Stay High)" from "Queen Of The Clouds" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh2LWWORoiM

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 37 of 50, #140-#131

#140 Churchill - "Change" from "Change" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im8zYhFB0JA

#139 The National - "Humiliation" from "Trouble Will Find Me" - I love the subtle dig on Axl Rose that's seeded in the chorus of this song. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2oMKlzInPk

#138 Alice In Chains - "Voices" from "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YDPNl7PeUU

#137 Lana Del Rey - "Young And Beautiful" from "The Great Gatsby Soundtrack" - Lana had a big 2012 on the countdown and she'll have a big 2014 as well. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_1aF54DO60

#136 Lorde - "Ribs" from "Pure Heroine" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTC4JshmUog

#135 Hanni El Khatib - "Nobody Move" from "Head In The Dirt" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxcA5yyR5rc

#134 The Uncluded - "Eyeball Soup" from "Hokey Fright" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCRSCDix7f0

#133 Kelly Clarkson - "Underneath The Tree" from "Wrapped In Red" - The better, though less popular, Christmas song from Kelly Clarkson in 2013. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM2Fnp_qnE8

#132 Jay-Z (feat. Frank Ocean) - "Oceans" from "Magna Carta… Holy Grail" - Following up on their brilliant collaboration from a few years back, Jay-Z and Frank Ocean make another brilliant pairing of hip hop and R&B. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tovscaS3Qo

#131 Franz Ferdinand - "Evil Eye" from "Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIR5vBiC3ig

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 36 of 50, #150-#141

#150 Portugal. The Man - "Modern Jesus" from "Evil Friends" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8e1sSNsf44

#149 The Meat Puppets - "Leave Your Head Alone" from "Rat Farm" - This track starts at the 11:05 mark in the album video. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snsDKPuSxAc

#148 M.I.A. - "Bad Girls" from "Matangi" - A return appearance from the 2012 list. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uYs0gJD-LE

#147 Pearl Jam - "Getaway" from "Lightning Bolt" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6F8AdBF0qw

#146 Queens Of The Stone Age - "Like Clockwork" from "…Like Clockwork" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f49yRhJ0NjI

#145 Pearl Jam - "Let The Records Play" from "Lightning Bolt" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPIrFyszpek

#144 Kanye West - "Blood On The Leaves" from "Yeezus" - Definitely the only song on the countdown to sample "Strange Fruit". - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0QcxWPB59o

#143 The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Sacrilege" from "Mosquito" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmRI3Ew4BvA

#142 Atlas Genius - "Trojans" from "When It Was Now" - One of the biggest Modern Rock hits of 2013. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd2yr12abg8

#141 The Fratellis - "This Old Ghost Town" from "We Need Medicine" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxqEw_YUJz0

Game of Thrones Season 5 Speculation - Part 9 - Sansa Stark / Brienne Of Tarth

SANSA STARK / BRIENNE OF TARTH

This essay will be almost completely based on speculation because Sansa and Brienne's AFFC chapters have almost completely been covered on the show and security has been closely guarded, preventing useful leaks from revealing information about the adaptations.  I'm writing about these two characters in the same essay because I believe that their paths intersect early in Season 5.


SANSA STARK

Nothing new has been (officially) written about Sansa Stark since AFFC was published in 2005.  She hasn't been featured in any of the Winds of Winter preview chapters either.  This wouldn't be a problem except most of her remaining book material was covered in Season 4.  Sansa spends almost the entirety of AFFC hiding in the Eyrie under the guise of Alayne Stone, dealing with the Lords Declarant of the Vale as they investigate the murder of Lysa Arryn and then as they attempt to force Littlefinger to abdicate as Lord Protector of the Vale.  It isn't until her final chapter in AFFC that she leaves the Eyrie, which needs to be abandoned for the winter.  During the evacuation, Sansa deals with Robert Arryn, whose brattiness makes the trip difficult and Myranda Royce, who seems to be attempting to deduce Sansa's true identity.  The most important moment of the chapter occurs when Littlefinger announces that Sansa will be married to a young man named Harry the Heir who is improbably Robert Arryn's heir.  At their wedding, Littlefinger intends to reveal Sansa's identity and  rally the Vale behind her as the rightful Lady of Winterfell.

I don't think that any of this will happen in Season 5.  Sure, Robert (known as Robin on the show) will continue to be a pain, but the Lords Declarant already know Sansa's true identity because she revealed it to them at Littlefinger's trial.  I do think that Harry the Heir will be eliminated from the show because he can easily be replaced with Sansa being betrothed to Robin Arryn for the time being.  Robin is aged up on the show and while he's a bit of a weakling, he's shown no signs of the shaking fits or frailty that his counterpart in the books have shown.  Also, the Harry the Heir storyline is very convoluted and avoiding it would be a smart decision for the show-runners.

Since the book storyline is out, what will happen in Sansa's story this season?  Based on the trailers that have been released so far, Sansa will be spending the first few episodes in the Vale and then travel to Winterfell to interact with the Boltons.

My theory for what happens in the Vale is that we join the action as Sansa, Littlefinger and Robin Arryn continue their tour of the Vale, introducing Robin to his people.  This is confirmed based on a recently released image that shows Littlefinger, Sansa and Lord Royce sitting in the stands, observing some sort of tournament or event.  It's also confirmed by an EW article that shows a shield that Robin uses during Season 5.  My theory is that Brienne and Pod will somehow interfere with this event, leading Sansa to dismiss them (she has an army and a country with great defenses to protect her, so why would she need one "knight" and one "squire" instead?) and Littlefinger dispatches soldiers to kill them (probably without Sansa's knowledge).

Shortly after that event, Littlefinger will travel to King's Landing for some reason (the Queen's request, having Sansa's marriage to Tyrion nullified by the Faith, or officially adopting his niece "Alyane" and making her his heir, perhaps) and re-join Sansa on the way to Winterfell for the wedding of Ramsay Snow to "Arya" Stark.

Sansa's role in Winterfell (which was confirmed by the second trailer which shows Knights of the Vale in Winterfell and upon close inspection shows Sansa and Littlefinger arriving with them) is still up in the air.  She could be there as "Arya", "Alayne" or as Sansa Stark herself.  Given that the EW article mentions that Ramsay will have someone new to torment this year and that there will be three weddings this season (Dany's, Tommen's and probably Ramsay's), it seems likely that Sansa will not be marrying Ramsay as fArya or as Sansa (a young girl who looks like Arya and has been cast as "Winterfell Worker" will likely play the role of fArya and be rescued by Theon later in the story).  The role that Sansa will be playing in Winterfell this season will likely be an undercover role as "Alayne", taking up the slack of Wyman Manderly and Lady Dustin, Northern Lords from ADWD who heckle and torment the Boltons and Freys, while scheming to eventually betray them.

Beyond her involvement with Brienne and her trip to Winterfell for Ramsay's wedding, it's hard to say what's going to happen to Sansa this season.  No matter how much she stays in the shadows in Winterfell, Theon will recognize her, so they'll interact, which may lead to interactions with Roose or Ramsay Bolton.  Stannis will probably arrive near Winterfell this season, so the opening salvos of that battle will occur while she's in Winterfell and perhaps the Knights of the Vale will be used in some sort of betrayal in the manner that the Manderly forces will be used in Winds.


BRIENNE OF TARTH

Brienne's story from AFFC has been heavily altered and mostly covered already.  If this season is going to use any of Brienne's remaining book plot, it's going to require a lot of backtracking.

In AFFC, Brienne travels through the Crownlands, the Vale and the Riverlands, searching for Sansa Stark.  Along the way, she meets up with Pod and several colorful characters who appear to have been written out of the show.  I expect her travels to Cracklaw Point and her interactions with Randall Tarly to be dropped, but it's still possible that she might travel into the Riverlands this season and possibly even encounter Lady Stoneheart or some facsimile of that storyline towards the end of the season.

While traveling with Pod last season, Brienne traveled along the Eastern Road on the way to the Vale, eventually running into Arya and the Hound, leading to a potential fatal duel between the Hound and Brienne.

Leaked photos from Season 5 indicates that Brienne's story will start in the Vale and in all likelihood, that means that she'll run into Sansa and Littlefinger while she's there.  Based on her fugitive status in several brief scenes during the trailer where it appears she'll be running away from the kings of the Vale and racing through the Riverlands, it seems that meeting didn't go very well.  It seems like Sansa will reject her help and possibly order her arrest.  It's also possible that Sansa sends Brienne on some sort of Stoneheart-style mission, possibly involving Jaime.

One aspect of Brienne's AFFC storyline that I'd like to see in the show is her interactions with Septon Meribald, one of GRRM's best characters from the book, a holy man who travels the Riverlands, helping the smallfolk.  My favorite part of his appearance is the "Broken Man" speech that he gives to Brienne and Pod.  This may be represented in a gender-swapped situation in the form of an elderly woman who was cast for this season to serve a multiple episode role interacting with Brienne.  I hope that's the case and would like it very much if the Quiet Isle was also somehow involved, but that seems less likely.

There is one shot from the second trailer that's generated a lot of conversation.  The shot features Brienne and Pod standing next to a structure in a snowstorm.  Perhaps this means that they are traveling to the North (to interact with the Boltons, Sansa or Stannis?) or that it's snowing in the Riverlands, but I think the most likely explanation is that the scene takes place in the mountains of the Vale (where it's already snowing) during the first few episodes of this season.

With no other information, all I can do is make vague guesses about Brienne's role in Season 5.


MY SEASON 5 PREDICTIONS FOR SANSA STARK AND BRIENNE OF TARTH'S STORY:

Early in Season 5, Sansa Stark will interact with Brienne of Tarth, rejecting her offer of protection and either dismissing her or sending Vale guards after her.  From Brienne, Sansa will learn that her sister is still alive, though she'll later learn that her sister has been found and will be marrying Ramsay Bolton at Winterfell.  After Littlefinger leaves the Vale for King's Landing, Sansa will travel to Winterfell for the wedding and continue to plot revenge against the Lannisters, Boltons and Freys.

Brienne will locate Sansa and after failing to join her service as a protector, she'll be forced to leave the Vale and be pursued through the Riverlands.  At some point she'll have lengthy interactions with an elderly woman who may or may not be based on Septon Maribald.  At this time, I don't know the direction her story will take, but it's possible that she might be on some sort of mission involving Sansa, Arya or Jaime.

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 35 of 50, #160-#151

#160 Bleached - "Dead In Your Head" from "Ride Your Heart" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCN9FCQ_P84

#159 Sara Bareilles - "Brave" from "The Blessed Unrest" - As much as some would like to label Sara Bareilles as a one-hit wonder, she keeps cranking new hits out, year after year. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQsqBqxoR4

#158 Little Mix - "Salute" from "Salute" - It seems that this band was the manufactured product of a reality show, but when the songs are this good, who cares? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjpa0SMOug0

#157 The Band Perry - "I'm A Keeper" from "Pioneer" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXKgFeq9DQw

#156 Eminem - "Brainless" from "Marshall Mathers LP 2" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97qheCrwnf4

#155 Kellie Pickler - "Bonnie And Clyde" from "The Woman I Am" - Another reality show contestant (Idol this time) appears on the countdown, with this "outlaw" country-rock tune. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83Kd9yEKVk

#154 Big Sean (feat. Kendrick Lamar And Jay Electronica) - "Control (HOF)" from "Control (HOF)" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2fjiHpzBxU

#153 Foxygen - "No Destruction" from "We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace And Magic" - The music of Pavement continues to impact contemporary indie rock, as evidenced by this high-charting classic from indie hippies Foxygen. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87jIdvGPDj4

#152 Atlas Genius - "If So" from "When It Was Now" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi3Gv1udO5Y

#151 Coldplay - "Atlas" from "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Soundtrack" - Coldplay will probably have a large impact on the 2014 countdown, but this is their only contribution to 2013. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsm88tX8CIA

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 34 of 50, #170-#161

#170 Jim James - "A New Life" from "Regions Of Light And Sound Of God" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrwajfX2fy4

#169 Justin Timberlake - "Let The Groove Get In" from "The 20/20 Experience" - A throwback to early 80's R&B.  If you listen to it without realizing it's Justin Timberlake, you'd never figure it out. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHsrWuYomiI&list=RDKHsrWuYomiI

#168 Fergie feat. Q-Tip And GoonRock - "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" from "The Great Gatsby Soundtrack" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZgjmE6xdaw

#167 Conway - "Big Talk" from "Big Talk" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0mQ4JI_gaM

#166 Kanye West - "Bound 2" from "Yeezus" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBAtAM7vtgc

#165 Angel Haze - "A Tribe Called Red" from "Dirty Gold" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGEKm3NA9Is

#164 Little Mix - "A Different Beat" from "Salute" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSU7SPLzvNg

#163 Jay-Z - "100$ Bill" from "The Great Gatsby Soundtrack" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsfwHcHvWtY

#162 Empire Of The Sun - "Alive" from "Ice On The Dune" - This song was prominently featured in the Dumb and Dumber sequel, not that anyone saw it there. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPKAwJKGSDc

#161 Icona Pop - "All Night" from "This Is…Icona Pop" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FWRT9C9XMQ

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 33 of 50, #180-#171

#180 Tegan And Sara - "I Couldn't Be Your Friend" from "Heartthrob" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z592oUdYFUw

#179 The Polyphonic Spree - "Popular By Design" from "Yes, It's True" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEbT-Gw15_I

#178 Max Frost - "White Lies" from "Low High Low" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDeV0sEjplI

#177 Davis Fetter - "I Won't Let This World Break My Heart" from "Blalock's Indie Rock Playlist" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9feRoWsf0Y

#176 The Thermals - "Born To Kill" from "Desperate Ground" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLlonHZP9Fk

#175 The National - "I Should Live In Salt" from "Trouble Will Find Me" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poidrR0ggAI

#174 Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic And Pat Smear - "Cut Me Some Slack" from "Sound City - Reel To Reel" - A repeat appearance from 2013, "Sound City" was the first appearance of this song on an LP. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBd9330h9kI

#173 The Wild Feathers - "Backwoods Company" from "The Wild Feathers" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1eYfrT-hBw

#172 Telekinesis - "Power Lines" from "Dormarion" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgZdDydRJtU

#171 Prince - "Breakfast Can Wait" from "Art Official Age" - Prince's best song in years, a welcome return from the actual King of Pop. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHbyNrGXpAA

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 32 of 50, #190-#181

#190 Sia (feat. The Weeknd And Diplo) - "Elastic Heart" from "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Soundtrack" - As highly as this song charted in 2013, I expect the album version to chart even higher in 2014. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWZGAExj-es

#189 Youngblood Hawke - "Stars (Hold On)" from "Wake Up" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2ymZ90dDNI

#188 Jason Isbell - "Super 8" from "Southeastern" - Isbell's performance of this song on Austin City Limits, probably propelled it upward by at least 100 spots. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fr2Gv3HyqA

#187 Hayden Panettiere - "Nothing In This World Will Ever Break My Heart Again" from "Nashville: Season 2 Soundtrack" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebgfoQuJQdU

#186 Ra Ra Riot - "Binary Mind" from "Beta Love" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYmA0UuW1dU

#185 Skylar Grey (feat. Eminem) - "C'mon Let Me Ride" from "Don't Look Down" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhxPBrxxaqc

#184 Jay-Z - "FUTW" from "Magna Carta… Holy Grail" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0rHeA2Kgxc

#183 Rich Homie Quan - "Type Of Way" from "Still Goin' In (Reloaded)" - Not really my preferred type of hip-hop, but a great song is a great song. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KKbdErJkiY

#182 David Bowie - "I'd Rather Be High" from "The Next Day" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JuagF-Eq2A

#181 Goodie Mob (feat. V) - "Amy" from "Age Against The Machine" - It seems like every year there's a politically incorrect R&B song in the countdown and Cee-Lo and Co. provided it this year. Lol - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVJZL8y-TOk

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 31 of 50, #200-#191

#200 Iggy And The Stooges - "Job" from "Ready To Die" - There weren't very many songs on the countdown from "Ready To Die", but there were a lot of tracks that fell just short.  "Job" would have fit in with any of the Stooges' albums from their prime. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwFspkNyTiw

#199 The National - "I Need My Girl" from "Trouble Will Find Me" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Tod1_tZdU

#198 Frightened Rabbit - "The Woodpile" from "Pedestrian Verse" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY4j8Ow-CTs

#197 Lady Gaga (feat. R. Kelly) - "Do What U Want" from "ARTPOP" - Lady Gaga isn't nearly the pop culture sensation that she was 7 or 8 years ago, but I think her music gets better with each album.  It's definitely more creative and artistic, but yet less popular.  Go figure. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGAttBYFUB0

#196 Kings Of Leon - "Don't Matter" from "Mechanical Bull" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rowFbNYZwXs

#195 Haim - "If I Could Change Your Mind" from "Days Are Gone" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljg6g7BAdQo

#194 Broken Bells - "Holding On For Life" from "After The Disco" - A song that will appear on the 2014 list, no doubt, and probably end up ranking higher. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhBewKu80Mg

#193 Speedy Ortiz - "Hitch" from "Major Arcana" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfsXK9Lgitk

#192 Jake Bugg - "There's A Beast And We All Feed It" from "Shangri La" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi9_oBDqYAo

#191 The Transplants - "Back To You" from "In A Warzone" - Former members of Rancid and Blink 182 turned out another great Transplants album in 2013. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22MAP7bDXnc

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 30 of 50, #210-#201

#210 The Band Perry - "Done" from "Pioneer" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4emYaDbaJ8w

#209 Daft Punk (feat. Panda Bear) - "Doin' It Right" from "Random Access Memories" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W4ooVNr82U

#208 Wavves - "Demon To Lean On" from "Afraid Of Heights" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG8HCFQa3OQ

#207 The Naked And Famous - "Hearts Like Ours" from "In Rolling Waves" - Yet another song that ranked far lower that it should have.  TNaF is one of the best indie bands around these days. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqUJdcCjUIA

#206 Ghost Beach (feat. Noosa) - "Close Enough" from "Blonde" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2d5MKoqZKY

#205 Best Coast - "Who Have I Become" from "Fade Away" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClS402whwPA

#204 Angel Haze - "Deep Sea Diver" from "Dirty Gold" - Is Angel Haze the next big thing or just the best rapper most people have never heard of? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zriJACIjx-M

#203 Lucius - "How Loud Your Heart Gets" from "Wildewoman" - This song builds up slowly, but once it hits that peak of its chorus, you'll never forget it. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsGnNCmUdKA

#202 Ted Zed - "I Don't Mind" from "I Don't Mind" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1j4EcCU3NM

#201 Avicii - "Liar Liar" from "TRUE" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOsOcopQ4HY

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 29 of 50, #220-#211

#220 Dawes - "From A Window Seat" from "Stories Don't End" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH8Jjz6PRYk

#219 El-P And Killer Mike - "Run The Jewels" from "Run The Jewels" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsaObN54JS8&list=PLWShn-yKxWrIT22KjJORxfexXZuapuyDu

#218 Fitz And The Tantrums - "Break The Walls" from "More Than Just A Dream" - Fitz and the Tantrums had several hits in 2013, but my favorite song of theirs "Break the Walls" wasn't one of them. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CyAruneYJI

#217 David Bowie - "How Does The Grass Grow?" from "The Next Day" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0ImaQtmrzo

#216 Neko Case - "City Swans" from "The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG-KerH8Ze8

#215 Queens Of The Stone Age - "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" from "…Like Clockwork" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kzKfwwDFRc

#214 Fantasia - "Get It Right" from "Side Effects Of You" - It seems like the American Idol stars are usually good for one truly great song per album. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yWem55bjOU

#213 Kid Cudi (feat. King Chip) - "Just What I Am" from "Indicud" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDeoVnhX9cg

#212 Classixx - "Holding On" from "Hanging Gardens" - Not surprisingly, a band called Classixx produced a song that sounds like it's been around for much longer than it actually has. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPuB8yyPIG4

#211 Dido (feat. Kendrick Lamar) - "Let Us Move On" from "Girl Who Got Away" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnrswAX5qFo

Game of Thrones Season 5 Speculation - Part 8 - Dorne / Jaime Lannister

HOUSE MARTELL


House Martell and Dorne in general are slowly introduced in ASOIAF, mentioned only in passing in A Game Of Thrones, but later becoming more important when Tyrion betrothes Myrcella to Trystane Martell in A Clash of Kings, but much more significant with the arrival and death of Oberyn Martell in A Storm of Swords.  It isn't until AFFC that the story actually takes us to Dorne, however, with POV chapters from Arianne Martell, Kingsguard knight Arys Oakheart and Doran Martell's personal guard Areo Hotah.  ADWD also has a Dornish storyline told from Quentyn Martell's POV.

Areo's first POV chapter begins with Dorne in an uproar over the death of Oberyn Martell.  Doran Martell, the Prince of Dorne is visited by three of the Sand Snakes (a nickname given to Oberyn's bastard daughters), Obara, Nymeria, Tyene and his daughter, Princess Arianne.  Obara wants to lead Dornish invasions of Oldtown and King's Landing.  Nymeria wants to assassinate Cersei, Jaime, Tywin and Tommen Lannister.  Tyene asks Doran to marry Myrcella to Trystane and crown Myrcella the Queen of Westeros in the Dornish tradition (Myrcella is older than Tommen and in Dorne, the oldest surviving child inherits regardless of gender, whereas in the rest of Westeros male children inherit ahead of female children).

Doran refuses the Sand Snakes and has them imprisoned to prevent them from acting independently, but he doesn't imprison Arianne, who carries out a variation on Tyene's plot, commonly referred to as the Queenmaker (QM) plot.

Arys Oakheart is the Kingsguard knight assigned to protect Myrcella while she was in Dorne and he has fallen in love with Arianne Martell.  Arianne manipulates Arys into assisting her in a plot to crown Princess Myrcella Queen and start a war between Dorne and the Lannisters.  With the help of Arys and a number of other conspirators, Arianne spirits Myrcella out of Sunspear and prepares to put her on a ship to Hellholt, where she'll be crowned.  When the group arrives at the ship, they're confronted by Areo Hotah, who had been informed of the plot and a dozen crossbowmen.  Arys charges at Hotah, getting riddled with arrows before Hotah cuts him down.  In the confusion, a Dornish knight named Darkstar attempts to kill Myrcella, who survives by random luck, but loses an ear in the attack.  Darkstar escapes but the other surviving conspirators are arrested.

Arianne spends a lengthy period of time imprisoned by Doran, who eventually releases her and explains that he has freed the Sand Snakes and the other members of her conspiracy, though they have been taken out of the picture in various ways.  Doran reveals to Arianne that she had been secretly betrothed to Viserys Targaryen, but since he was killed in the Dothraki Sea, Arianne's younger brother Quentyn has been sent to Essos to marry Danerys Targaryen and bring her and her armies to Westeros.

Quentyn successfully arrives in Meereen and presents himself to Dany, but unfortunately his timing couldn't be worse, as she is planning to marry Hizdahr zo Loraq in order to quell the uprising inside Meereen and Slaver's Bay.  Dany doesn't send Quentyn away, however, telling him that it's still possible that they may end up going to Westeros together, but that hope is squashed when Dany takes him to see her imprisoned dragons and his answers reveal to her that he doesn't have it in himself to be the conquerer Dany needs him to be.  After Drogon returns to the fighting pits and Dany flies away on his back, Quentyn conspires with sellswords to try to steal and ride one of her dragons, in the hopes that doing so will prove himself a worthy husband.  He does seem to be having success taming Viserion with a whip, but Rhaegal attacks him from behind, burning him to a crisp.  He survives for a brief period of time before eventually dying from his wounds.

The news of Quentyn's death is not known in Dorne in the last Areo Hotah POV chapter in ADWD, where Doran meets with Arianne and the Sand Snakes, where he reveals that along with sending Balon Swann to Dorne with Gregor Clegane's skull, Cersei also intends for him to bring Myrcella, Trystane and Doran back to King's Landing and have Trystane murdered by soldiers posing as bandits in league with Tyrion.  In response to his news, Doran dispatches them on various missions that will advance the Martell cause (for better or more likely for much worse).  Obara is to lead Swann in pursuit of Darkstar to avenge the attack on Myrcella, Nymeria (who wants to murder Cersei, Jaime and Tommen) is being sent to King's Landing to sit on Tommen's Small Council (seriously, Doran?) and Tyene is being sent to King's Landing to join the Faith and get close to the new High Septon.  It's also very obvious that another Sand Snake, Sarella has infiltrated the Citadel in Oldtown, disguised as a man and training to become a Maester under the name of Alleras (I know, right?).  Arianne is instructed to remain with Doran, though in preview chapters from Winds, it's revealed that she's been sent to meet with Jon Connington and Aegon.


JAIME LANNISTER

One of the first pieces of leaked information about Season 5 was an audition video featuring an actress from Lost, auditioning to be one of the Sand Snakes.  The audition tape was interesting for many reasons, but the most mind-blowing reveal was that Jaime Lannister was going to Dorne, a location that he never visits in the books.  It was speculated and later officially revealed that Bronn would be accompanying him into Dorne as well (in the books he is mentioned frequently but not seen on page after turning down Tyrion's request to be his champion).

In AFFC and ADWD, Jaime spends a few chapters in King's Landing, attending his father's funeral and his *cough* nephew Tommen's wedding before being sent to the Riverlands to oversee the surrender of various castles and wrap up the end of the War of the 5 Kings.  After leaving King's Landing, Jaime first travels to Harrenhal, where he meets with Ser Bonifer (who I think will represent the Faith at Cersei's trial by combat) and then Darry where he meets with Lancel, who renounces his title and decides to join the Faith.  Jaime then travels to Riverrun where he negotiates the surrender of House Tully, unsuccessfully with the Blackfish and then successfully with Lord Edmure.  Edmure surrenders Riverrun to Jaime, but not before allowing the Blackfish to escape.  Jaime sends Edmure to Casterly Rock where he'll be held prisoner and then departs for Raventree.  At Raventree, he negotiates the surrender of House Blackwood, ending the War of the Five Kings.  As he travels back to King's Landing, Jaime is approached by Brienne, who claims that she's found Sansa Stark, but is actually taking him to Lady Stoneheart.  Other than the encounter with Brienne and the various Winds of Winter plots that were set up, the most significant moment in Jaime's chapters (and possibly the only aspect that will end up on the show) is when Jaime receives a letter from a desperate Cersei, begging him to return to King's Landing and fight for her in her Trial By Combat.  Jaime burns the letter, an act that essentially ends his relationship with Cersei.


SEASON 5 ADAPTATION

According to Season 5 interviews, we'll get more in-depth information about the fate of Gregor Clegane this season than we do in AFFC, specifically what Dr. Frankenstein procedures uses to remove Gregor's head and still have him available as Ser Robert Strong (or Gregor Clegane as he'll probably be referred to on the show).  The status of Gregor's head will be the first part of the Dorne storyline this season, as Cersei will send the head to Dorne in one of the first episodes of the season.

Gregor's head will be traveling to Dorne with Jaime Lannister and Bronn.  This is backed up by a mountain (get it?) of evidence showing that these two will be going to Dorne in a major departure from AFFC (even Bronn has a storyline that keeps him near King's Landing in AFFC).  The trailer for S5 reveals the reason why Cersei sends Jaime to Dorne when a box from Dorne arrives and opens revealing the head of a venomous snake holding a necklace belonging to Princess Myrcella.  The box has been sent (or is designed to look like it was sent) by the Sand Snakes, Oberyn Martell's bastard daughters, as a threat to the life of Myrcella.  This implied threat will prompt Cersei to send Jaime on some sort of rescue mission.

Three of the Sand Snakes have been cast for this season and they'll mostly have the same roles that they do in AFFC and ADWD.  The on-screen Sand Snakes are Tyene, Nymeria and Obara.  There are other Sand Snakes, but they are either too young for the Game or in Oldtown (Sallera = Allares) and are unlikely to play major roles in S5.  Arianne Martell has been written out of the show and there is strong evidence from trailers and promotional materials indicating that Ellaria Sand will replace her on the show, abandoning Ellaria's pacifist role from ADWD.

Doran Martell will remain the patient schemer from the books, though his plans may be accelerated by the necessity of the show's ramped-up pace and his plans involving Quentyn and Arianne will definitely be changed, as neither Martell heir will be involved in the show.  Instead, the role of Doran's heir and the Prince of Dorne will be filled by Doran's youngest (and on the show) only child, Trystane Martell, who is betrothed to (and according to leaks from filming very much in love with) Princess Myrcella.

Rounding out the major players in Dorne this season are Doran's personal bodyguard Areo Hotah and a mystery cast member who is unexpectedly in Dorne, which isn't where he or she is supposed to be this season (I'll get to him later).

There are two major plots that take place in Dorne, which I'll refer to as the Queenmaker (QM) plot and the Fire And Blood (F&B) plot and both plots will be included this season in one capacity or another.

With Ellaria assuming the role of Arianne Martell and Arianne's co-conspirators being replaced by some or all of the Sand Snakes, I expect the Queenmaker plot to go down very similarly to how it went in AFFC.  There won't be an Arys Oakheart substitute or Darkstar.  I don't expect any major characters to be killed in the process of the QM plot (though maybe one of the Sand snakes or Ellaria will die as a result to show that the scheme had consequences).  I also don't expect Myrcella to be maimed.  I'm not sure what role Trystane will play in the QM plot, if any, but I think that Jaime and Bronn will work with Doran and Areo to stop the plot before Myrcella can be crowned, with many fight sequences taking place in the process, including those that have already been seen in the trailer.

Given the show's advanced pace, it's possible that Myrcella does end up getting crowned and dies as a result of the QM plot.  The details of the Valonqar prophecy in show-canon will be key in predicting where this story will be headed and since Myrcella is probably doomed already, the show may just cut to the chase and take care of that "loose end" this season rather than take up time later.  Bronn may also be doomed in this storyline, as it's unclear what role he'll play in the last two books / seasons and characters that exist on borrowed time don't last long on this show (for example, Roz and Locke, so watch out Olyvar and Myranda, the bell may toll for thee this year as well).

Another sign that Myrcella might not make it out of Season 5 alive is that the elimination of Quentyn Martell, Arianne Martell and Aegon Targaryen from the show will likely mean that Trystane Martell, the Prince of Dorne will need to be the focal point of a hybrid of the Fire And Blood plots from AFFC and ADWD.  Since Trystane is both betrothed to and in love with Myrcella, the only way for him to fill that role is if Myrcella dies.

So I'm going to go ahead and make that prediction now... Myrcella... gold shall be your crown (from the Sand Snakes) and gold shall be your shroud.  Sorry, but Myrcella Baratheon will die as a result of the Queenmaker plot this season. 

I don't know who will kill her, how or why.  If she does die as a result of the QM plot, I would expect it to be the final scene of an episode in the middle of the season, episode 5, 6 or 7.

I also think that one of the Dornish characters will die as a result of Myrcella's death.  To figure out which one, I'll rely on the source material to eliminate a few candidates.  Tyene and Nymeria are sent to King's Landing in ADWD to join the Faith and Tommen's Small Council, so it seems likely that they'll survive to play that role in Season 6.  Ellaria's role in Winds is unknown, but if she's taking on Arianne's role, she's likely to survive the season.  Plus, she's a notable actress and a known character from Season 4.  While that's an argument for her death having more impact, I think it will instead be a reason to keep her on the show for next season.  Obara is sent on a mission to hunt down Darkstar in a storyline that has been dropped from the show, so I think she's the best candidate to die in response to Myrcella's death.

The F&B plot will need to be significantly altered from AFFC.  Doran can't plot to marry Arianne to Viserys or send Quentyn to marry Danerys since Arianne and Quentyn aren't involved in the show.  If the F&B plot is going to be included (and it doesn't make sense for it not to be), it will need to involve Doran's only son Trystane and it will need to be a modification of either the original F&B plot or the Aegon plot.

There's a lot of speculation regarding Trystane's role this season, with half of the speculators expecting him to be Aegon in disquise and the other expecting him to simply be the heir to Dorne, but be intended to marry Dany.  In my opinion, the Aegon storyline will be dropped completely from the show because Aegon's story hasn't been told thoroughly enough, he wasn't mentioned in the House of the Undying and he won't be involved in Tyrion's story this season.  It would be much easier for the show to have Trystane end the season betrothed to Dany than it would be to introduce a character of that signifigance out of the blue with the pretense that he'd always been there, just in disguise.  The show simply hasn't laid out the groundwork for Aegon the way that the books did.

My prediction also ties into a reported "mystery cast member" appearing in Dorne during filming and the reporter who noticed this arrival being instructed not to name the character (meaning it's not Jaime or Bronn).  I think that this mystery character is Varys.  After losing Tyrion in Volantis, I believe that Varys will stop in Dorne on his way back to King's Landing to murder Pycelle (and apparantly Kevan Lannister, who is returning this season).  I think that the Doran Martell's scheming will be combined with Varys' and Illyrio's scheming (possibly in a retro-fit manner that isn't exactly cohesive, but oh well) from the start of the series to create a conspiracy to marry Dany to Trystane Martell upon her arrival in Westeros, giving her a powerful ally in Dorne and a foothold in Westeros. 

I believe that the F&B conspiracy be revealed after the failed Queenmaker plot and that Ellaria and the surviving Sand Snakes will be made aware of the conspiracy in the final scenes in the Dornish storyline, when Doran sends Nymeria and Tyene to King's Landing with Jaime and Bronn while Trystane and Ellaria will remain in Dorne to prepare for Dany's arrival.


MY SEASON 5 PREDICTIONS FOR DORNE / JAIME LANNISTER'S STORIES:

Jaime's story will open with the funeral for his father, Tywin Lannister.  Shortly after the funeral and Tommen and Margaery's wedding, Cersei will show Jaime a package received from Dorne containing a snake holding Myrcella's necklace in it's fangs.  In response, Cersei will send Jaime to Dorne to rescue Myrcella. 

Before Jaime arrives in Dorne, Doran Martell will meet with three of Oberyn Martell's bastard daughters, known as the Sand Snakes, Nymeria, Tyene and Obara and Oberyn's paramour Ellaria Sand.  Each will present a plan for revenge against the Lannisters that Doran rejects.

The Sand Snakes and Ellaria sneak Princess Myrcella out of Sunspear, intending to crown her and start a war between Dorne and the Lannisters.  The scheme will go badly due to the intervention of Areo Hotah, Jaime Lannister and Bronn.  Myrcella and Obara Sand will be killed in the confusion.

In the aftermath of the Queenmaker plot, Doran Martell will meet with Varys as they finalize their conspiracy to betroth Prince Trystane to Daenerys Targaryen, arranging a marriage and Dornish alliance to be enacted when she arrives in Westeros.  After explaining the plot to Trystane, Ellaria and the remaining Sand Snakes, Doran dispatches Nymeria to King's Landing to take his seat on the Small Council and Tyene to King's Landing to infiltrate the Faith Militant, while Ellaria and Trystane remain in Sunspear to prepare for the arrival of Dany.

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 28 of 50, #230-#221

#230 Angel Haze feat. Sia - Battle Cry" from "Dirty Gold" - The same deal also seems to apply to any song featuring Sia, which is especially great since her big breakthrough came in 2014. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvvRNPOJPH0

#229 Speedy Ortiz - Fun" from "Major Arcana" - An aptly titles song. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HemOTLw6ds8

#228 Lisa Loeb - A Hot Minute" from "No Fairy Tale" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rXjvJxaxgk

#227 Lee Ranaldo And The Dust - Lecce, Leaving" from "Last Night On Earth" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPBFyjmLGk8

#226 OneRepublic - Counting Stars" from "Native" - A great song by a not-so-great band is still a great song. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT_nvWreIhg

#225 Gov't Mule (feat. Elvis Costello) - Funny Little Tragedy" from "Shout!" - This is actually on the B side of the Gov't Mule album, but like most of the tracks on that B-Side, I liked it much better than the original. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt0Sb8YVO3U

#224 Au Revoir Simone - Crazy" from "Move In Spectrums" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp052xQ-BsQ

#223 Texas - Hearts Are Made To Stray" from "The Conversation" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIBzSQkwuWY

#222 The Arcade Fire - It's Never Over (Hey Orpheus)" from "Reflektor" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fENVQJGc18

#221 Jimi Hendrix - Earth Blues" from "People, Hell And Angels" - By far the oldest song on the countdown, it was released on Jimi's latest posthumous release. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GKxtOgEtlg

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 27 of 50, #240-#231

#240 The National - Sea Of Love" from "Trouble Will Find Me" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIWmRbHDhGw

#239 David Bowie - The Next Day" from "The Next Day" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wL9NUZRZ4I

#238 Franz Ferdinand - Treason! Animals." from "Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-5-U2Ssql4

#237 New Politics - Harlem" from "A Bad Girl In Harlem" - A huge hit on the modern rock charts and a very fun song. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVOUTkFkMNU

#236 Lorde - White Teeth Teens" from "Pure Heroine" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD_PyhJehjA

#235 The Virginmarys - Just A Ride" from "King Of Conflict" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svu5T8xW2EA

#234 The Fratellis - Until She Saves My Soul" from "We Need Medicine" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeFR7i6ogZA

#233 The Colourist - Little Games" from "The Colourist" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAoT2ze_XHI

#232 Kodaline - After The Fall" from "In A Perfect World" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-6sDRrBznE

#231 El-P And Killer Mike (feat. Big Boi) - Banana Clipper" from "Run The Jewels" - It certainly does seem like any song featuring Big Boi has a shot at making the countdown. Lol - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjMgYvoJ-UY

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 26 of 50, #250-#241

#250 The Thermals - "The Sword By My Side" from "Desperate Ground" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrUWx766Rhk

#249 Kate Nash - "Sister" from "Girl Talk" - I really like the pop to punk transitions that occur on the best songs on "Girl Talk".  It's like a plot twist built into a song. Lol - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYuIzoq0K2E

#248 Of Montreal - "She Ain't Speakin' Now" from "Lousy With Sylvianbriar" - A hooky song from one of the most interesting bands to ever appear on one of the countdowns. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dotee5k_Vj4

#247 Eminem - "So Far" from "Marshall Mathers LP 2" - Eminem and Rick Rubin worked a LOT of samples into "Marshall Mathers LP 2" to create Eminem's most creative sound in a decade.  "So Far" builds around Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good". - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc1-Cs90pBU

#246 Queens Of The Stone Age - "Smooth Sailing" from "…Like Clockwork" - Any stoner metal song that manges to work the lyric "I blow my load on the status quo" without sounding crude or pretentious is a winner in my book. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QetvK6ldl2s

#245 The Killers - "Shot At The Night" from "Direct Hits" - I'm not sure exactly when The Killers became a stadium rock band, but this might be the official tipping point. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4YK-DEkvcw

#244 Queens Of The Stone Age - "The Vampyre Of Time And Memory" from "…Like Clockwork" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxwzjLkb8e0

#243 Jay-Z - "Picasso Baby" from "Magna Carta… Holy Grail" - The making of the music video for this song was turned into a documentary that aired on HBO. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBroYeiUYMM

#242 Alice In Chains - "Phantom Limb" from "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBcJiqw5aec

#241 Frank Turner - "Recovery" from "Tape Deck Heart" - This song made the top 20 of the Billboard Modern Rock Charts.  Five years ago, if you told me that a Frank Turner song would chart with that much success, I probably would have laughed. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1L5zJ2afLs

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 25 of 50, #260-#251

#260 Tech N9ne (feat. Serj Tankian And Krizz Kaliko) - "Straight Out Of The Gate" from "Something Else" - It's always nice to hear from Serj Tankian, one of the vocalists from the greatly missed System of a Down. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4kkzsRJObE

#259 The Uncluded - "Delicate Cycle" from "Hokey Fright" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHYhzg8QWbI

#258 Drake - "Worst Behavior" from "Nothing Was The Same" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CccnAvfLPvE

#257 Will.I.Am - "Bang Bang" from "The Great Gatsby Soundtrack" - Baz Luhrman is by far the best thing artistically to happen to the members of the Black Eyed Peas in a decade. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqjl4nRSorM

#256 Superchunk - "Me And You And Jackie Mittoo" from "I Hate Music" - This song has a timeless quality to it and if I didn't know better, I could have placed it anywhere in the last 50 years of popular music. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUxkZreYiQs

#255 Big Country - "Another Country" from "The Journey" - Another "one-hit wonder" that continues to churn out great music long after they faded from the mainstream. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVhCkWmZEPw

#254 Free Energy - "Electric Fever" from "Love Sign" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKdTNUBO3fc

#253 Cage The Elephant - "Come A Little Closer" from "Melophobia" - One of the most popular songs on the modern rock charts in 2013, but far from my favorite song of theirs, as I much preferred the raw sound of their first album. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVYup3Qwh8Q

#252 Eminem - "Survival" from "Marshall Mathers LP 2" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlmezywdxPI

#251 Goodie Mob - "Southern Girl" from "Age Against The Machine" - A bonus track on Age Against The Machine that might not even have arrived on my radar if I didn't get the deluxe version of the album. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXCx7W39R9Q

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 24 of 50, #270-#261

#270 Natalia Kills - "Saturday Night" from "Trouble" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cnD_efmM6s

#269 Holychild - "Happy With Me" from "Mindspeak" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1RCPzR1qEw

#268 Queens Of The Stone Age - "Kalopsia" from "…Like Clockwork" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slk-Zo5mGVw

#267 Karen O. And Ezra Koenig - "The Moon Song" from "Her Soundtrack" - Nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song, but it didn't win. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twg25xkACwo

#266 The Neighbourhood - "Sweater Weather" from "I Love You" - One of the most popular songs on the rock charts in 2013. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCdwKhTtNNw

#265 Fitz And The Tantrums - "6:00 AM" from "More Than Just A Dream" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxYoJIyVOkQ

#264 B.O.B. - "Paper Route" from "Underground Luxury" - He has great flow and his backing music tends to be stellar.  If his lyrics improve, I think he could be one of my favorites, but it hasn't happened yet. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99LQ3zo8DU

#263 Eminem (feat. Rihanna) - "The Monster" from "Marshall Mathers LP 2" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHkozMIXZ8w

#262 Lisa Loeb - "The 90's" from "No Fairy Tale" - One of the best things that I've noticed in putting these lists together is that artists who have faded out of the mainstream long ago can continue to make great music, even if most people don't notice.  Lisa Loeb released a fantastic album in 2013, even though she's widely considered a one-hit wonder. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ash4UhShpfk

#261 Jim James - "Actress" from "Regions Of Light And Sound Of God" - Another great solo song from the lead singer of My Morning Jacket. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0XznJKhIvk

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 23 of 50, #280-#271

#280 M.I.A. - "Come Walk With Me" from "Matangi" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_11uQVI21mQ

#279 Linkin Park And Steve Aoki - "A Light That Never Comes" from "Recharged" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToHo29kD9Go

#278 The Lonely Island (feat. Adam Levine And Kendrick Lamar) - "YOLO" from "The Wack Album" - The best Lonely Island video from SNL this year. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Otla5157c

#277 Icona Pop - "Girlfriend" from "This Is…Icona Pop" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5_5s5jCYUg

#276 Device - "Vilify" from "Device" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K1q1pw04Bs

#275 Lorde - "Buzzcut Season" from "Pure Heroine" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pstVCGyaUBM

#274 Pearl Jam - "Swallowed Whole" from "Lightning Bolt" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiJoIQhw7TE

#273 Andrew Stockdale - "Meridian" from "Keep Moving" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMn_wuWo6j8

#272 Pearl Jam - "Infallible" from "Lightning Bolt" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3jNbm1XDbM

#271 A$AP Rocky (feat. Drake, 2 Chainz And Kendrick Lamar) - "Fuckin' Problems" from "Long Live A$AP" - One of the funniest things about rap songs with a lot of guest stars is that sometimes (like in this case), the featured artist is by far the least famous performer on the track. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liZm1im2erU

The Top 500 Songs Of 2013 - Part 22 of 50, #290-#281

#290 Alice In Chains - "Pretty Done" from "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh_xt71CycY

#289 Birdy - "Words As Weapons" from "Fire Within" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zbe3RdLlJs

#288 Hanni El Khatib - "Skinny Little Girl" from "Head In The Dirt" - Just because the Black Keys didn't release any new music in 2013 doesn't mean that their music won't be represented on the countdown… - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi-dRZIuOXU

#287 Waaves - "Gimme A Knife" from "Afraid Of Heights" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL3qmWk-Cdk

#286 Toro Y Moi - "Cake" from "Anything In Return" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edmofSJFEtw

#285 Johnny Marr - "Generate! Generate!" from "The Messenger" - Another great album from the guitarist from The Smiths. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2CWYQZciuU

#284 The Dismemberment Plan - "Invisible" from "Uncanney Valley" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dinWoTOLAt0

#283 Jay-Z (feat. Rick Ross) - "Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit" from "Magna Carta… Holy Grail" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZgZVl-V-Bk

#282 Sky Ferreira - "I Blame Myself" from "Night Time, My Time" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWo7SC-tG4U

#281 Fitz And The Tantrums - "Out Of My League" from "More Than Just A Dream" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4mbxaa3XL8

Game of Thrones Season 5 Speculation - Part 7 - Theon Greyjoy / Yara Greyjoy

THEON GREYJOY / YARA GREYJOY

While it's unlikely that we'll see Euron, Victarion or Aeron Greyjoy this week and any appearance by Balon Greyjoy would be a surprise, the Greyjoys (barely a factor in the past two seasons) will have a presence in Season 5, with Theon playing a significant role and Yara (Asha in the books) also having a place this season.


THEON GREYJOY

Unlike the stories taking place at the Wall, Theon's storyline is well into ADWD, with most of the first two chapters having been adapted in Season 4, with Theon being introduced as Reek and helping Ramsay Snow take Moat Cailin by "pretending" to be Theon Greyjoy, helping Ramsay to gain legitimization as a Bolton.  His story in Season 4 ended with the Boltons arriving at Winterfell, where they'll be spending Season 5.

In ADWD, the Boltons are in the ruins of Winterfell to marry Ramsay to Arya Stark and become the Lord of Winterfell, solidifying Bolton control over the Lords of the North.  The "Arya" in question actually Jeyne Poole, a friend of Sansa's who hadn't been seen since the chaos after the arrest of Ned Stark, when Littlefinger offered to "take care" of her.  The wedding is attended by the Freys and a number of important Northern Lords, most importantly Wyman Manderly of White Harbor and Lady Barbrey Dustin of Barrowton.  Tensions run high as the Northerners have little love for the Boltons and even less for the Freys as a result of the Red Wedding.  Theon is forced to vouch for the authenticity of the fake Arya (fArya), as he was the ward of Ned Stark and grew up with Arya.  The wedding goes down without a hitch, though Ramsay uses the bedding as another opportunity to torment both Theon and fArya.

While the Boltons turn their focus towards the impending battle against Stannis' army and keeping the Manderlys and Freys from killing each other, Theon has intriguing encounters with Lady Dustin and the washer women who accompanied the singer Abel to Winterfell.

Lady Dustin asks Theon to take her down to the Stark crypts beneath Winterfell, where she explains that she hates the Starks for the same reason that Theon does, because she always wanted to be one, but never could.  She also makes a point of noticing the swords that are missing from the crypts, which the reader knows were taken by Bran Stark and co. during A Clash Of Kings.

When Abel's washer women repeatedly take an unusual interest in Theon, he deduces that they are trying to escape from Winterfell.  When the washer women take Theon to meet with Abel, it's revealed that Abel is in fact Mance Rayder and the washer women are the spearwives that Melisandre sent with Mance to rescue fArya.  Theon, who had previously been "psychologically restored" in the godswood when he saw Bran's face in a weirwood tree and heard him whisper his name, agrees to help Mance and the spearwives with their plan.  Theon's final chapter concludes when the escape attempt is discovered and Theon leaps from the battlements with Jeyne in tow.  At the end of the final Asha chapter in ADWD, Theon surprises his sister at Stannis' camps (he's been taken prisoner by Umber soldiers allied with Stannis who were positioned outside the walls of Winterfell) and introduces himself as Theon, reclaiming his identity.


YARA (ASHA) GREYJOY

Asha's story in AFFC begins as she deals with the aftermath of the death of her father (Balon Greyjoy) and the return of her uncle Euron, who has crowned himself the King of the Iron Islands.  When her uncle Aeron calls a Kingsmoot to elect the rightful King, Asha and her uncle Victarion (among others) each make unsuccessful bids for the crown, eventually losing to Euron, who promises to conquer Westeros using Dany and her dragons.  Asha flees back to her stronghold in Deepwood Motte, where she plots a scheme to use Theon to overturn the results of the Kingsmoot, achieving her "Eureka" moment at the exact same time that Stannis' army arrives at Deepwood Motte.

In the ensuing battle, Asha is captured by Stannis, who treats her as a trophy to hold up as an example to Northerners that he's defeated the Iron-born and driven them from the North.  Asha acts as the POV character for Stannis' march on Winterfell, which ends at a Crofter's village in a potentially strategic location, where Stannis' army makes camp and waits for Roose Bolton to make the next move and start the battle.

It's unknown if the Theon chapter in Winds will be included in this season, but if it is, the story will pick up in the final prep stages of Stannis' attack as Stannis contemplates executing Theon for the sack of Winterfell and the murder of Bran and Rickon Stark.  When Asha's pleas to spare Theon fall on deaf ears, she settles for convincing Stannis to execute Theon in front of a weirwood tree, where it's strongly implied that something shocking will happen.


SEASON 5 ADAPTATION

Unlike the sets representing Braavos and Meereen, the Winterfell set has been airtight and the information that's been released from this storyline officially hasn't been particularly useful, consisting mainly of images of Theon as Reek and the Boltons greeting someone important, possibly Ramsay's bride-to-be.

There haven't been any major casting notifications that are significant to Theon's storyline, either.  Wyman Manderly hasn't been cast and neither has Lady Dustin (they'll be replaced by generally unruly and Frey-hating Northern extras), but the biggest question mark that needs to be resolved is the identity of fArya.

Since the first Season 5 trailer was released on January 29th, there's been a lot of theorizing that Sansa Stark will be traveling to Winterfell and marrying Ramsay Snow in place of her sister, Arya.  This is likely born out of the ambiguity surrounding Sansa's Season 5 storyline (she's almost completely caught up with the books) and the lack of information regarding the adaptation of the Winterfell storyline.  I'll be dealing with these rumors more during Sansa's essay, but suffice to say, I don't think that this is the direction that the show will go.

The next theory involves the character of Myranda, who was first introduced in Season 3, seducing Theon as psychosexual torture before he was castrated and mutilated by Ramsay.  She later appeared in Season 4 when it was revealed that she was having a sexual relationship of some nature with Ramsay.  She will be appearing in Season 5, which leads many to theorize that she'll be posting as Arya in place of Jeyne Poole, who was included in the first episode of Season 1, but not seen since.  I don't think that this will be the case, though, as Myranda is far too old to convincingly play Arya and seems to hold a prominent position within the Dreadfort, meaning that she would never be able to successfully pose as Arya Stark, even with Theon's endorsement.

There's always the possibility of a new character being created or the actress that played Jeyne Poole four years ago could return without an official casting announcement, but at this time, I can't determine exactly how this aspect of the story will be adapted this season, though I do think it will be adapted.

Theon's scenes with Lady Dustin will be left out of the show, as Jon Snow is aware that Bran and Rickon are still alive and can notify any Northern Lords of this fact as he pleases, eliminating the need for their survival (the reason she wanted to go into the crypts and inspect the statues) to be proven.  Wyman Manderly's epic trolling of the Freys will be replaced by general contempt displayed by Northern Lords.  I expect that Mance's role in this storyline, which is only a few scenes, will remain the same in the adaptation.


MY SEASON 5 PREDICTIONS FOR THEON GREYJOY'S / YARA GREYJOY'S STORIES:

Theon's S5 story will begin as the Boltons are establishing themselves in Winterfell and welcoming Northern Lords and armies to the castle for Ramsay's marriage to either an impostor Arya Stark or Sansa Stark.  Theon will vouch for the authenticity of Ramsay's bride at their wedding.  I can't say at this time whether or not the bedding scene will happen, as that will depend on who the bride is.  Theon will continue to be tormented by Ramsay and have small interactions with random Northerners and Dreadfort men.  While walking through the Godswood, Theon will see Bran Stark's face in a weirwood tree and hear him say "Theon", partially restoring his identity.  Theon will assist Mance Rayder in his plan to rescue fArya, leaping out of a window into the snow piling up around Winterfell.

Yara's S5 story will pick up in Deepwood Motte, which is held by Yara and her Ironborn soldiers until Stannis' forces arrive, capture Deepwood Motte and take Yara hostage.  Stannis' forces march on Winterfell in the midst of a blizzard that forces them to wait at the Crofter's Village, where Theon is brought after being captured by Northern soldiers allied with Stannis.  Theon will be held prisoner and have conversations with Stannis and Yara while Stannis makes the final preparations for the battle and Roose Bolton sends out his first wave of troops.