50)  :The Strokes - Under Cover Of Darkness:  The latest Strokes full length wasn't exactly their best work, but I found it hard to escape this song.  The guitar riff is just too good, and I love how catchy every single moment of it is.  This is from the Angles LP.

49)  :Charles Bradley - The World (Is Going Up In Flames):  Anything that comes from the Daptone roster is bound to impress me in some way or another, so it makes sense that this beast of a soul artist would have a spot in my year-end track list.  You need this.  Find this on No Time For Dreaming.

48)  :Veronica Falls - Come On Over:  I liked this song when I first shared it, but it wasn't until the last month or so that I realized I actually love it.  It's just so well crafted, and I pretty much adore the songwriting.  This is from the band's self titled effort.

47)  :Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Morning Thought:  This band has been riding a fairly large wave of buzz all year, and this easy-to-love pop track makes it obvious as to why so many people are willing to champion them.  This is from It's A Corporate World.

46)  :J Mascis - Is It Done?:  I found it hard to buy into a lot of J Mascis' solo effort, but there are a few tracks on it that I've been unable to escape at any point in 2011, and this is one of them.  Every time I hear this I want to sit by a fire, get drunk, and sing loudly.  This is from Several Shades Of Why.

45)  :Robert Ellis - What's In It For Me?:  There are pretty much no country artists working right now that interest me in any sort of way, and I'm slowly realizing that's because none of them are as good as Robert Ellis.  You can locate this track on Photographs.

44)  :Elaine Greer - Earth Stands Still:  Over the last half year or so Elaine Greer has entered my world of local artists to watch out for, and this song alone has kept her there.  What a stellar piece of pop it is.  Find it on the Annotations full length.

43)  :Future Islands - Before The Bridge:  This is such an overly dramatic effort that I thought at some point in the year I'd just tire of it and never give it another listen.  I was way wrong.  It can't be escaped.  Own this track forever via On The Water.

42)  :The Rosebuds - Second Bird Of Paradise:  Only the husband/wife duo of the Rosebuds could break up their marriage and then still release a track as slick as this one.  Way to keep it real, Ivan and Kelly!  This is from Loud Planes Fly Low.

41)  :Battles - Ice Cream (Featuring Matias Aguyao):  Let's face it, Battles just aren't as good without Tyondai Braxton.  With that being said, though, I really dig this track and think that it's an absolute blast to listen to.  This is from Gloss Drop.

40)  :Damien Jurado - Nothing Is The News:  This track is almost too new to include here, but over the last couple of weeks I've grown rather attached to it, and I just had to put it on my list.  I highly recommend that you grab a nice pair of headphones before hitting play!  Maraqopa is out February 2.

39)  :Okkervil River - The Valley:  This local act did a lot of great stuff in 2011, and yet the one thing I feel the need to champion the most is this intro track to their latest LP.  Surely you can't deny its knack for making you want to fist pump.  This is from I Am Very Far.

38)  :Rome - Two Against One (Featuring Jack White):  Danger Mouse has been on a roll for an eternity, so I get why it should be easy to love anything that sports his name  With that being said, I think the self titled LP from his spaghetti-western inspired work is mostly a miss with the exception of this slick tune that features Jack White.

37)  :Toro Y Moi - Still Sound:  I tried to love this band's latest full length, but it just never really happened.  Still, I think this is a fantastic bit of retro fun, and I strongly recommend you blast it on repeat for a good day or so.  The track is from Underneath The Pine.

36)  :Leatherbag - Imitation Generation:  Randy Reynolds (aka Leatherbag) is one of my favorite local artists, and that has been further planted in my head by the fact that I've been unable to escape this clever number at all in 2011.  It's from Yellow Television.

35)  :The War On Drugs - Baby Missiles:  If you're looking for a song that will launch you into some sort of classic rock infused trip down memory lane, then this is it.  Just remember to come back to the real world at some point soon.  This is from Slave Ambient.

34)  :Generationals - Goose And Gander:  If I was only making a list of catchy songs then this little pop number would be much higher than 34.  Seriously.  It will get lodged in your head immediately, and you'll be unable to escape it.  Find the track on the Actor-Castor LP.

33)  :La Snacks - Christ Sakes And Milkshakes:  The Austin-based La Snacks put out a 7" this year that features two excellent tracks.  I'd like to tell you why I went with this breezy piece of indie rock over the other tune, but I have no clue.  This is from the AA 7".

32)  :The Bandana Splits - Sometimes:  The Bandana Splits are one of my favorite new bands.  Their debut is really good, and this lead-in track off of it is one of the better retro pop tunes to come out in a while.  The LP is titled Mr. Sam Presents The Bandana Splits.

31)  :Pepper Rabbit - Rose Mary Stretch:  Pepper Rabbit made this list last year, and now here they are again with another very well crafted, charming pop song.  I think it's safe to say they're going to be around for a while.  You can find this track on Red Velvet Snowball.

30)  :First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar:  To be honest, this track came out of nowhere for me.  I had heard of the band and knew they were supposed to be solid, but I didn't know they were churning out stuff as good as this moody number.  It can be located on The Lion's Roar.

29)  :The Rural Alberta Advantage - Stamp:  I'm still not entirely sure where I stand on RAA's sophomore effort, but I do know for certain that this is an absolutely fantastic track.  On another note, their drummer needs a solo project.  This can be found on Departing.

28)  :Bleached - Searching Through The Past:  All the lady-lead fuzzy retro pop that was everywhere last year seems to have gone elsewhere in 2011, so I'm extra thankful that Bleached were around to deliver this bouncy tune to me.  This is from the Searching Through The Past 7".

27)  :Peter Bjorn And John - Second Chance:  Aside from the fact that this track might feature the best usage of a cowbell in years, I mostly just want to high five these guys for always coming back to us all with something different.  Find this on Gimme Some.

26)  :Beirut - Santa Fe:  There were fewer things that I listened to this year that managed to stay as fresh as this track.  It's just a delight on the senses, and you might have issues if you can't find at least one thing to like about it.  This can be located on The Rip Tide.

25)  :Acid House Kings - Would You Say Stop? (DaveDag Remix):  The original version of this is a great track that I listen to often, but for months now I've repeatedly found myself a tad more attached to the 90s style arrangement of this remix.  Find it on Music Sounds Better Remixed.

24)  :Empress Hotel - Bell Rings:  These guys delivered this track to my ears way back in January, and throughout the year it's managed to constantly impress.  If you like your pop music well made and full of warmth, then this is for you.  Find it on the band's self titled EP.

23)  :My Morning Jacket - Holdin' On To Black Metal:  Was there a stranger song than this in 2011?  I think it's OK to say no and leave it at that, but feel free to tell me otherwise.  Until then, I'll just get back to singing this gem as loudly as I can.  Find it on Circuital.

22)  :The Kills - DNA:  I greatly adore the meaty music in this track, but I have to admit that I've been coming back to it all year because of Alison Mosshart, who for every moment of the runtime sounds more alluring than anything you're likely to find on this planet.  This is from Blood Pressures.

21)  :EMA - The Grey Ship:  Because this thing is over seven minutes and features a weird pace that sometimes make it feel even longer, I'm calling this the "most rewarding" track of 2011.  Show a little patience, and you'll be given a huge, swirling effort that will instantly make you a fan of EMA.  This is off of Past Life Martyred Saints.

20)  :Phantogram - Don't Move:  I've yet to get around to listening to Phantogram's latest EP.  That's partly due to me just not having done it yet, but it's mostly because I'm stuck on this gem and feel no reason to move on.  Find this song on the Nightlife EP.

19)  :Girls - Vomit:  Girls went from being a band I didn't like all that much to one that I now love, and it all started with the help of this song.  It's just one of those efforts that I can't help but repeatedly get lost in.  This track is from Father, Son, Holy Ghost.

18)  :David Vandervelde - More Than You Can Feel:  When I came across this track earlier in the year it only took a single listen for me to realize it would have a spot on this list.  Sure, it's almost too dramatic for its own good, but I'd think you'd be hard-pressed to find something that feels more genuine.  This is a one-off single.

17)  :Mikal Cronin - Apathy:  2011 has delivered plenty of things that are great to listen to in the car, but I think this might be my favorite track to blare.  I like the lyrics, it's catchy, and I really dig the raw sound.  Find it on Mikal Cronin's self titled debut.

16)  :Cymbals Eat Guitars - Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name):  I wanted Cymbals Eat Guitars to follow up Why There Are Mountains with something bigger, and they did.  All the proof you need can be found in this swirling, eight and a half minute beast.  This is from Lenses Alien.

15)  :Cults - You Know What I Mean:  This is one of those bands that I imagine many of you are torn on.  They have a rather generic approach to things, but then they have inspired tracks like this that are pretty much impossible to not love.  Find it on their self titled debut.

14)  :Yuck - Coconut Bible:  While the world was celebrating Yuck for a slew of other tracks, I was sitting off by myself with this overly catchy piece of indie rock on repeat.  Consider me thrilled that it now has an official home on the special edition of Rubber.

13)  :Alexander - Truth:  Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros are an act that I mainly just appreciate, so I wasn't exactly excited when it was announced that their frontman had readied  a solo project.  Then this track came along, and I immediately had to hear what else he had done.  Find it on Alexander's self titled debut.

12)  :Low - Especially Me:  As is the case with quite a few of the songs on this list, this is one that I find myself swept up in whenever I hit play.  I blame the ominous feel of the music and the fantastic songwriting.  You can find this track on C'mon.

11)  :St. Vincent - Cruel:  You could say my biased love for Annie Clark is why this is so high on the list, but then I'd argue that the guitar work alone warrants this spot.  Plus, are artsy tracks like this supposed to be so catchy?  It's weird, and I adore it.  This is from Strange Mercy.

10)  :Yellow Ostrich - Hate Me Soon:  There was about a month or four this year where I just walked around with this track stuck in my head.  Fortunately, it's such a good pop song that it being lodged upstairs didn't register as much of a problem.  This is from The Mistress.

09)  :Wild Flag - Romance:  While I'm mostly just thrilled about Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss being back together and making music, I also think this is the straight up best rock track that 2011 delivered.  You have no choice but to play it as loud as possible.  Find it on the band's self titled debut.

08)  :Tennis - Origins:  To be honest, I didn't know Tennis could be this good.  If their upcoming full length has at least one other song on it that's as great as this one, I will gladly go ahead and guarantee it a spot on my 2012 album list.  This is from Young And Old.

07)  :Purity Ring - Belispeak:  I was instantly a fan of this song the first time I heard it, but it was seeing all of its electronic wizardy played out on stage at Fun Fun Fun Fest that made me place it so high on the list.  What a dynamic effort.  This is from a split 7" with Braids.

06)  :Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down:  Last year the Dum Dum Girls landed on this list with a jangly piece of retro pop, and now they're here with something totally different - a big, slow burning ballad.  What other tricks are they hiding up their sleeves?  This is from Only In Dreams.

05)  :Tune Yards - Powa:  Merrill Garbus churned out a few tracks this year that are deserving of a spot on this list, but at the end of it all this is the one I found myself most attached to.  I think it has something to do with how inspired and oddly danceable it is.  Find it on WHOKILL.

04)  :Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks - Senator:  I finally fulfill my dream of seeing Pavement live, and then Malkmus returns with a song that sounds like him thunderously high-fiving his old band.  Coincidence?  I think not!  That's just the world throwing some good will my way.  This is from Mirror Traffic.

03)  :Oh Land - Bloodbuzz Ohio (The National Cover):  This is actually the first cover to ever make its way into the top five of this list.  I love that it isn't drastically different than the original, and yet Oh Land still manages to make it her own.  This is a one-off single.

02)  :TV Girl - Baby You Were There:  Thank whoever that this overwhelmingly charming pop tune is barely over a minute and a half.  It makes me feel like I haven't burned an eternity during the nearly one zillion listens I've given it in 2011.  Find it on the Benny And The Jetts EP

01)  :AgesAndAges - So So Freely:  This is it!  I don't know if you've heard this or even remember when I first shared it, but in my world it has been a dominating pop force.  It makes me want to run around outside and celebrate whatever is around.  You and everyone around you need this.  From Alright You Restless.

- John Laird -



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