- About   -   Contact   -   Links   -   Tools   -   Archive   -   Film -



Friday, December 3, 2010
 

And so it ends.  Below you'll find the fourth 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.

By the way, if you'd like to see this list on one particular page then you can do so right here.





- 10 Through 1 -

10)  :Tame Impala - Alter Ego:  I tend to prefer my psych rock to, well, rock, but this is such a great listen that I had to throw out my usual criteria.  Beatles-esque vocals?  Dreamy soundscapes?  Yeah, I'm definitely in for as much of that as I can get.  From Innerspeaker.

09)  :Spoon - Written In Reverse:  While I love to Spoon to death, on occasion I do wish they'd let go, get loud and break something.  That's not quite what's achieved here, but it's more unhinged than usual and Britt Daniel's inspired vocals always make me crank the volume.  From Transference.

08)  :She And Him - In The Sun:  Not that I wanted them to go away or something, but I didn't expect this duo to come back bigger and better.  So, I'll just say it, M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel are magic together, and there is no end to their sugary sweet pop.  From She And Him: Volume Two.

07)  :The Black Keys - Tighten Up:   Was there a more liked song than this in 2010?  I doubt it.  Everyone on Earth has heard it roughly 25,000 times, and yet no one seems ready to toss it aside.  Personally, I don't think I'll ever tire of the stellar breakdown at the 2:35 mark.  From Brothers.

06)  :The Arcade Fire - Ready To Start:  Oddly enough, I sort of hated the super mainstream version of the Arcade Fire that seemed to come out of nowhere this year.  Actually, I'm still not in love with it, but this grandiose piece of pop is just fantastic.  Only the Arcade Fire could pull off being so overly dramatic.  From The Suburbs.

05)  :Japandroids - Art Czars:  2010 didn't deliver much in the way of rock anthems, but I suppose that's not a big deal since this duo made sure to put out the only track that probably would have gotten it right anyway.  It's OK if you walk around and emphatically point at people while listening to this.  From the Art Czars 7".

04)  :Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union:  I don't mosh.  Physical contact with strangers is just not something I feel the need to engage in.  However, whenever I hear this raucous track I immediately want to double fist a couple of Lone Stars, find a mosh pit and then fucking rock as hard as possible.  From The Monitor.

03)  :The Mynabirds - Numbers Don't Lie:  This was one of the first songs that I liked this year (it was posted on 1/21), so to say that it "stuck" with me would certainly be an understatement.  Laura Burhenn sounds as lovely as can be in this charming slice of soul.  From What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood.

02)  :Sleigh Bells - Tell 'Em:  In perhaps what was the most impressive feat of the year, Sleigh Bells released this three minute track and instantly went from buzz band to legit sonic attack fun force.  Overwhelming?  Sure, but that's the point.  Now get on the bandwagon before it runs you over.  From Treats.

01)  :The Morning Benders - Excuses:  Boom.  Here it is.  Warm, infectious and just straight up the all-around best thing that 2010 delivered unto my ears, this song is good enough to make your life better.  Share it with everyone you know - friends, , family, co-workers and even those you don't like.  From Big Echo.

- John Laird -



Unless otherwise expressly stated, all text in this blog and any related pages, including the blog's archives, is licensed by John Laird under a Creative Commons License.