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Wednesday, December 1, 2010
 

And it continues.  Below you'll find the third part of my favorite songs list.  As usual, every downloadable track posted throughout the week comes from the pool of nearly 500 that I shared over the last 11 months.  Also, just so you know, this list is not exactly a good representation of my top albums of 2010 (I'll divulge those next week).  Enjoy.





- 30 Through 21 -

30)  :Nocando - Hurry Up And Wait:  You know what's crazy?  Kanye West is not the only person who put out some hip hop this year.  Surprising, I know, but this guy called Nocando also had a rather nice effort, and it featured this sharp-witted track.  From Jimmy The Lock.

29)  :The Shins - Goodbye Girl (Squeeze Cover):  The original version of this is definitely a charmer, but somehow James Mercer and Co. have managed to take that particular quality to another, much higher level.  I think you sort of have to dig this.  From Levi's Pioneer Sessions.

28)  :The Electronic Anthology Project - What If Your Dull (I Would Hurt A Fly):  Built To Spill re-imagined by its own Doug Martsch and Brett Nelson as an 80s act with a slew of moody synths?  My first instinct was to yell no, but I took a chance and ended up being rewarded with something pretty cool.  From the band's self titled album.

27)  :The Black Angels - Telephone:   The Black Angels have never been a shining example of what it means to be accessible, so it's a little strange for me to hear them doing something that actually has a hook.  Fortunately, infectious fits them well.  From Phosphene Dream.

26)  :Fol Chen - In Ruins:  While I've yet to find a Fol Chen full length that I'm willing to repeatedly revisit, the band does seem to be great at putting out at least one or two nice singles per release.  If only all their stabs at electro-pop were as good as this track.  From Part II: The New December.

25)  :Splinters - Dark Shades:  2010 had all sorts of all-girl retro/garage rock bands come out of the woodwork (each with varying degrees of success), but I swear Splinters were the only ones that sounded as though they were actually having any fun.  Be sure to wear dark shades for this.  Or else.  From Kick.

24)  :Freelance Whales - Generator Second Floor:  Not surprisingly, Freelance Whales are firmly situated on this year's list of buzz bands.  Partly due to them having some great songs (like this one, which is by far my favorite by them), but mostly because everything they do just sounds incredibly welcoming.  From Weathervanes.

23)  :MGMT - Flash Delirium:  Sure, their sophomore effort turned out to be the most divisive record in recent memory, but that doesn't mean I can't absolutely love this quirky beast.  There's a flute!  Who does that?  Too bad the rest of the album was kind of terrible.  From Congratulations.

22)  :Everest - Let Go:  To be honest, I didn't expect this song to make my year-end list.  It has a very slick and produced sound that I figured I would quickly tire of, but instead I ended up unable/unwilling to escape from it.  I need to pick up their album.  From On Approach.

21)  :Janelle Monae - Tightrope:  Confession time!  I'm not a huge fan of Janelle's album.  I think this is an awesome track (even if it is as scatterbrained as can be), but most of that LP comes off as something that only a teenage girl should be jamming.  Sorry, world.  From The ArchAndroid.

- John Laird -



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