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 -
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