Below you'll find my favorite songs list.  As usual, every downloadable track 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.  Enjoy.

- 50 Through 1 -

50)  :The Heavy - How You Like Me Now?:  Technically this song is from 2009, but that Kia commercial with the fun-seeking toys debuted earlier this year and that's when I feel as though the world was exposed to this incredibly catchy bit of neo-soul.  Expect to hear it at sports stadiums forever.  From The House That Dirt Built.

49)  :The Ting Tings - Hands:  Want to know the trick to this song?  Don't think of the Ting Tings.  This is a straight up dance track (with producer Calvin Harris' hands all over it) and expecting novelty pop like That's Not My Name or Shut Up And Let Me Go will only lead to unattractive facial expressions.  From a currently untitled LP.

48)  :The Long Tangles - Dry Room:  Courtney Hans and Earl Vallery are a couple of the nicest people in the Austin music scene and, as you'll see in this Mates Of State-esque track, whatever they're involved in always seem to exude the utmost charm.  From the Blueprints And Maps EP.

47)  :Pepper Rabbit - Older Brother:   Considering that they're only a duo, Pepper Rabbit seem to a have a wealth of sounds in their arsenal.  Fortunately, and perhaps more importantly, this track shows that they know how to weave all of it into something great.  I still need to seek out their album.  From Beauregard.

46)  :Antarctica Takes It! - Constellations:  Singer/songwriter Dylan McKeever finally put out a full length and, while it didn't exactly live up to my way too high expectations, I thought it managed to deliver a couple of indie pop gems.  This is one of them.  From Constellations.

45)  :Minus The Bear - My Time:  If I made a guilty pleasure list there's a good chance this would rest at the very top, as there isn't a single moment of it that doesn't make me mumble "full retard" under my breath.  Still, it's a fun listen and there's something endearing about their attempt at full on pop.  From Omni.

44)  :Josh Ritter - Change Of Time:  Despite not being able to name more than a handful of his tunes, I still think of myself as a Josh Ritter fan.  He always does a great job of crafting folk music that's accessible and interesting, and this is proof of that.  From So Runs The World Away.

43)  :Botany - Feeling Today:  Bedroom projects are as hit or miss as anything these days, so it's especially nice when something this good comes along.  I love its simplicity.  By the way, the "about" section for Botany over at Western Vinyl is amazingly ridiculous.  From the Feeling Today EP.

42)  :Now, Now - Neighbors:  This song first made an appearance here at SOTO not all that long ago, but it's so accessible I feel as though I've been listening to it for years.  My guess is that Cacie Dalager's infectious voice is what's to blame.  From the Neighbors EP.

41)  :Venice Is Sinking - Tugboat (Galaxie 500 Cover):  Recorded live in a theater, this track has a particular amount of warmth to it that really makes for a great listen.  Plus, as I said in my original post, I love it when a band makes a song their own and doesn't just "cover" it.  From Sand And Lines.

40)  :Warpaint - Undertow:  I know a handful of people who don't necessarily find Warpaint all that appealing, but I've had a hard time getting enough of them.  This particular moody track reminds me of the now defunct art rock band Denali.  From The Fool.

39)  :Robyn - Dancing On My Own:  Robyn seemed to have roughly one million singles/remixes floating around this year.  Some were good, some weren't, and for whatever reason out of all that this particular song stuck with me.  I recommend dancing to it with some sort of pulsating light.  From Body Talk: Part 1.

38)  :School Of Seven Bells - Windstorm:  This band is at their best when they go all-out sonically, and that's exactly what the trio (although, now they're a duo) does in this track.  No question that this is my favorite song on their sophomore effort.  From Disconnect From Desire.

37)  :Animal Prufrock - 0 + 0 = 0:   This came out of nowhere about two weeks ago and thoroughly impressed the hell out of me.  In fact, after just a single listen I knew it would make this list.  Hard to say if I've come across anything more honest or intimate this year.  From Congratulations; Thank You And I'm Sorry.

36)  :Marnie Stern - Transparency Is The New Mystery:  I know Marnie's expected to crank out some sort of frantic guitar wizardry in everything she does, but I think the lady deserves some real credit for shifting gears.  The Karen O-esque vibe and variety of layers make this one neat listen.  From her self titled effort.

35)  :White Denim - Home Together:  Watching as White Denim has gone from incomprehensible noise generators to actual song makers has taken a few years, but I'm glad I got to witness the evolution.  I think it allows me to have a higher appreciation for adventurous pop tracks like this.  From Last Day Of Summer.

34)  :The Tallest Man On Earth - King Of Spain:  As can happen from time to time, I find this to be such an amazing track that it ends up on repeat and keeps me from fully loving the LP it comes from.  Kristian Matsson is easily the best new folk artist of 2010.  From The Wild Hunt.

33)  :The Corin Tucker Band - Doubt:  This is probably a little higher on the list than it should be, but it gets an extra helping of love simply because I can't get over how great it is to hear something/anything from the former Sleater-Kinney wailer.  From 1,000 Years.

32)  :Slow Club - Giving Up On Love:  Retro pop like this has been done a million times over, and yet here it is still appearing as a favorite of mine.  What can I say?  I still really like the genre.  Now excuse me, I need to get back to bouncing around and singing.  From Yeah, So.

31)  :Menomena - TAOS:  Despite having listened to it more times than I can count, this track continues to catch me by surprise.  I mean, Menomena getting a bit aggressive and sounding like an off-kilter version of the Black Keys is a weird thing to comprehend.  Sounds rather cool though.  From Mines.

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.

20)  :The Octopus Project - Fuguefat:  Somehow this famed local act keeps getting more experimental and more accessible at the same time.  It makes zero sense, I know, but at least the music being pretty great is something we can all agree on.  From Hexadecagon.

19)  :Gigi - No, My Heart Will Go On (With Chorus):  I've been a big fan of this 60s style pop gem for most of the year, but it wasn't until I went to make this list that I realized it was because of the way it feels/sounds as though it was effortlessly tossed together on some random afternoon.  From Maintenant.

18)  :TV Girl - If You Want It:  Candid and overly inviting.  That's what pops into my head when I hear this perfectly hazed piece of pop and its description of a girl-related situation gone south.  Why haven't more people been talking about this duo?  From the band's self titled EP.

17)  :Broken Bells - The High Road:   Does Danger Mouse sleep?  Every time I turn around the guy has a new project that's responsible for at least one stellar track.  It's crazy.  This is very adult alternative, but it's so well made that I can't help but dig it.  From the band's self titled effort.

16)  :Cymbals Eat Guitars - Ballad Of Big Nothing (Elliot Smith Cover):  This cover was posted way early in the year and it really isn't all that different than the original, but it still stuck with me.  I just really like the extra bit of pep that Joseph D'Agostino's vocals give Smith's song.  From the single version of Wind Phoenix.

15)  :Cults - Go Outside:  A friend of mine recently attacked me for liking this and called it coffee house pop.  I can see where he's coming from with that statement, but I still totally love this track.  It's easily one of the most relaxing listens of the year.  From the band's self titled 7".

14)  :Tennis - Take Me Somewhere:  Have to give it up to this duo.  I figured they would take a good chunk of time to follow up the string of charming pop tunes that blew up the internet this summer, but instead they bounced right back with a full length and this fantastic song as the lead single.  Nice work, Tennis.  From Cape Dory.

13)  :Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La:  Despite a year in which fuzz-filled pop music managed to get into areas you didn't know you had, I still wrapped 2010 feeling as though these ladies had the best single from the genre.  Talk about catchy.  From I Will Be.

12)  :Fitz And The Tantrums - MoneyGrabber:  Most of their album didn't do much for me (too much Elton John-esque filler), but I can't vouch for this soul pop gem enough.  Now if only I could get coordinated enough to sing and dance at the same time.  From Pickin' Up The Pieces.

11)  :Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You:  This has novelty written all over it, and I really don't care.  It's an insanely fun track that's meant to be blasted as you jump around your bedroom and pretend that you can actually sing.  Only people who hate fun don't like this.  From The Lady Killer.

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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