2010 Songs: 21 - 40

Getting to the good stuff...

21. "All Talk" by KiD CuDi ft. LCD Soundsystem, Cha Tha Ripper and Christian Bale (mixtape release)
"You're the one who runs / so I'm the one who hunts you"

Kicking off with Christian Bale's famous rant, this pre-Man on the Moon II mixtape release made use of the best parts of "Dance Yrself Clean".

22. "Hurricane J" by The Hold Steady (from Heaven is Whenever)
"You're a beautiful girl / and you're a pretty good waitress"
"They didn't name her for a saint / they named her for a storm"

Craig Finn is back with more compelling tales of Minnesotan fuckups.

23. "Empty-Hall-Sing-Along" by Woodpigeon (from Die Stadt Muzikanten)
"Thank god for you but / I don't care if we make it there / I won't be alone for long"

One of many worthy songs off of a very good and underrated album. Great song title, as well.

24. "As We Enter" by Damian Marley & Nas (from Distant Relatives)
"Nzuri sana / switch up the language and move to Ghana"

Not a huge fan of either individually, but this track is nonstop from 0:03.

25. "Dilly" by Band of Horses (from Infinite Arms)
"Dig a hole in the ground / for your wedding ring"

Ben Birdwell and his group of interchangeable bandmates keep losing ground from their debut, this jaunty track notwithstanding. Bring back Matt Brooke, please.

26. "I Need a Dollar" by Aloe Blacc (from Good Things)
"(Hey hey)"

There are probably only five songs that I knew would make the top 100 list less than 20 seconds into a first listen. This is one. Also, its another TV theme song (HBO's How to Make It in America, which I didn't watch).
27. "Get Back" by Woods (from At Echo Lake)
"Perfect time for / get back or get right"

Woods is my favorite among the current crop of mega lo-fi bands. They were also #27 on last year's list, so there's that.
28. "Generator ^ Second Floor" by Freelance Whales (from Weathervanes)
"Don't fix my smile / life is long enough / we will put this flesh / into the ground again"

I am always a fan of tracks narrated by or sung by dead people. Honorable mention to Johnny Cash's "Ain't No Grave", which was both.
29. "The Poor Boy Can't Dance" by Barton Carroll (from Together You and I)
"You never had your fun with an American / but I can tell you that its alright"

Just a pleasant song from a pleasant singer-songwriter. (not on grooveshark, listen here)
30. "Last Chance" by Nicki Minaj (from Pink Friday)
"Uh / gun cock / pause / and I’m well aware of the gun laws"

I was tempted to put her verse from Kanye's "Monster" on the list instead, since nothing on her debut album matches its insanity. This comes the closest, albeit with a more poppy sheen.
31. "Arkansas" by Damien Jurado (from Saint Bartlett)
"Fade out / this is where the credits roll"

Sufjan may have stalled on his 50 states project, but Jurado is working modestly more quickly through them in song titles. I count 6 states to date. All very dusty ones.
32. "Let Them" by jj (mixtape release)
"Let them stay / let them say / let them lie / let them snitch / let them be / let them die"

Strange year for jj. They follow up the uniformly excellent No 2 with the lifeless No 3, but release two excellent rap-influenced singles: "My Way" featuring a Lil' Wayne sample and the tough talking, sweet sounding track above.
33. "Only the Young" by Brandon Flowers (from Flamingo)
"And the sun will shine again"

Brandon Flowers' solo album sounds exactly like a Killers album, with all the good (hooks) and bad (lyrics) that implies.
34. "Learning" by Perfume Genius (from Learning)
"But you / will learn / to mind me"

Haunting piano and vocals. Exceptionally creepy lyrics.
35. "Folk Bloodbath" by Josh Ritter (from So Runs The World Away)
"And I'm hoping that it ain't true / that the same god looks out for them / looks out for me and you"

With its apt title, this song is a bloodstained mishmash of several infamous folk and blues killers/victims.
36. "We Used To Wait" by Arcade Fire (from The Suburbs)
"We used to wait for it / now we're screaming / sing the chorus again"

I loved Funeral, and yet I can't help but find The Suburbs kind of ridiculous. Great, great music, but far too full of itself. Pitchfork Reviews Reviews put it best: "The Suburbs is a pretty good record if you can get past the pomposity, the lyrics about hating the suburbs that would have gotten laughed out of my high school literary magazine, ... the self-seriousness, ... [and] Win’s belief in his own messianic power." Tough but fair.

37. "Burden of Tomorrow" by The Tallest Man on Earth (from The Wild Hunt)
"I drink my water when it rains / and live by chance among the lightning strikes"

One of the better Dylan acolytes recording today (Swedish division).

38. "Dark Trance" by Free Energy (from Stuck on Nothing)
"And oh / whoa / whoa / whoa"

One of the better 80's recreationists recording today (non-ironic division).

39. "The Cave" by Mumford & Sons (from Sigh No More)
"And I won't let you choke / on the noose around your neck"

A Grammy nominee for best new artist that is actually a new artist? The category, incidentally, is defined as: "For a new artist who releases ... the first recording which establishes the public identity of that artist". Its hard not to have same opinion of the Grammy's as the bellhop who Homer gave his Be Sharps Grammy to.

40. "I'm Not Signifying" by The Rolling Stones (from Exile on Main Street: Deluxe Edition)
"When you're lying on the ceiling baby / And I'm gazing on your floor"

I already had an album's worth of excellent Exile outtakes, so the new material on the bonus disc to the Deluxe Edition was a wonderful surprise, even if it wasn't quite vintage Stones. This bluesy track comes the closest for me of recreating the original sound of their days at Nellcôte.

2010 Songs: 41 - 60

At the midpoint...

41. "Dance Yrself Clean" by LCD Soundsystem (from This is Happening)
"Break me into bigger pieces / so some of me is home with you"

While another track featuring a sample of this song was more immediate (and thus higher on the list), the 9-minute original from LCD Soundsystem's potential swan song was also a highlight.

42. "O.N.E." by Yeasayer (from Odd Blood)
"No / you don't move me any more"

The acronym is from the song's first line: "One's not enough". "Ambling Alp", released in late 2009 as an advance single from Odd Blood was #8 on last year's list.

43. "Dirty Cartoons" by Menomena (from Mines)
"Go home / I'd like to"

While Mines is a bit of a letdown after Friend and Foe and the strong solo work by Ramona Falls and Lackthereof, Menomena is still one of the most creative, unique and exciting bands recording today




44. "The Adventures of Isabel" by Natalie Merchant (from Leave Your Sleep)
"Showed no rage / showed no rancor / turn the witch into milk and drank her"

Lyrics come from a poem by Ogden Nash. Our daughter likes it as much as we do.

45. "Trouble Comes Running" by Spoon (from Transference)
"Are you picking up / are you picking up what I'm putting down?"

While Transference is nowhere near the pop-rock masterpiece that Ga x 5 was, Spoon continues to make music that sounds both original and familiar at the same time

46. "Tom Cruz" by Plants and Animals (from La La Land)
"We're dying to be friends"

Source of the seemingly random title: "Our drummer titled that song as if we were Tom Cruise, hopping up and down on that couch on Oprah.” One of my very favorite albums of the year.

47. "Off the Ground" by Citizen Cope (from The Rainwater LP)
"Take the good with the bitter"

Slinky beat, mumbled lyrics, damned catchy.



48. "Until the Last" by The Album Leaf (from A Chorus of Storytellers)
<instrumental>

Each album, LaValle seems to add more vocals and at the expense of the instrumental-only tracks. Fortunately, his latest still includes a few choice examples of the latter.

49. "Magic" by B.o.B. ft. Rivers Cuomo (from The Ad ventures of Bobby Ray)
"See, I'll deceive you with my intergalactic ether"

A bit too glossy for my usual tastes, this song was played during the 7th inning stretch of the Giants playoff games at AT&T Park (aka There's Magic Inside^TM). So, yeah, it makes the list.

50. "You Are My Sun" by Sun Kil Moon (from Admiral Fell Promises)
"Leona (repeat)"

Mark Kozelek often walks the fine line between gorgeous and dull, but it's great when it works.


51. "The Ghost of Rockschool" by Belle & Sebastian (from Write About Love)
"I've seen God in the sun / I've seen God in the street / God before bed and the promise of sleep"

After God Help the Girl, Murdoch returns to the full band for their first album of nostalgic pop in four years. Great moment of quiet at 2:45 before the final build and refrain.

52. "Cease to Know" by Eluvium (from Similes)
"My eyes choose to blur / and my body unwinds"

As with The Album Leaf, I wasn't overjoyed to hear that Matthew Cooper was adding vocals to the newest Eluvium album. Fortunately, the understated singing and simple lyrics just add another lovely, languid instrument to the mix. While the song is (perhaps) about death, the lyrics above could also describe the effect the song can have on the listener.

53. "Trick Pony" by Charlotte Gainsbourg (from IRM)
"C.C. Rider riding"

The album Beck would make if he was a French actress who enlisted Beck to help him/her make an album.

54. "The Shore" by Basia Bulat (from Heart Of My Own)
"All over your eyes the storm is nearly over"

Nice combination of Bulat's vocals and her playing something called a "hammered harp"

55. "Afrikaan Passport" by The Shivers (from Sunset Psalms)
"All my friends say / he's a rebel"

It's hard to find much information about this band or album, but what I have heard I have really liked.

56. "Long Hard Times to Come" by Gangstagrass (from Justified)
"The devils hugging on my boots / that's why I own the gun"

Surprisingly, this is the only song on the list this year to come from an FX Network theme song.

57. "Acts of Man" by Midlake (from The Courage of Others)
"And when the acts of man / cause the ground to break open / Oh, let me inside, let me inside / not to wait"

"Roscoe" was my #6 song of 2006, but I didn't really love The Trials of Van Occupanther. On their follow-up, Midlake did a much more consistent job perfecting their Renaissance-Faire-rock sound.



58. "Bible Thumper" by Solid Gold (from Bodies of Water)
"Hands that smell like gasoline / but I'm too cold to burn"

So... despite all efforts to avoid something like this, apparently this came out in 2008. I was tempted to replace it with something that just missed the list, but #58 is too high for that. Also, I like the song. So, we'll just pretend that it came out in 2010, OK?

59. "Communion" by Maximum Balloon ft Karen O. (from Maximum Balloon)
"Gimme that beat!"

Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio released a solo project as Maximum Ballooon in 2010, with all vocals provided by guest artists, including Karen O on my favorite track.



60. "Please Speak Well of Me" by The Weepies (from Be My Thrill)
"But to never regret / means you have to forget / and I don't think that I could"

Not much to the song, other than Deb Talan's unique voice

2010 Songs: 61 - 80

Continuing with the list. For 61-80 all songs are available for streaming through the Grooveshark widget

61. "Tighten Up" by The Black Keys (from Brothers)

"I don't need to get steady / I know just how I feel / telling you to be ready / my dear"


Great band. Good album. And yet the best element of the Brothers experience was pulling the once jet black CD out of the computer after its first play and wondering what the hell just happened.

62. "Citizen" by Broken Bells (from Broken Bells)
"What is, just is, I know / So we're trapped by answers"

Danger Mouse continues his tour through indie music royalty, partnering with James Mercer of the Shins to form Broken Bells. 

63. "Catholic Pagans" by Surfer Blood (from Astro Coast)
"Please don't padlock your parent's bomb shelter"

I love the simplicity of this song, and the Beach Boys-like vibe that extends beyond just the band's name. The Obama reference at the end comes out of nowhere.

64. "Do-Wah-Doo" by Kate Nash (from My Best Friend Is You)
"I think she's a bitch"

Fulfills my snarky British songstress quota

65. "The Undoing" by Interpol (from Interpol)
"Me suelto / me suelto en el deshacer"

Has it ever been a good sign when a band releases an eponymous album this late in their career? Liz Phair doesn't think so. That said, "The Undoing" could have been on Turn on the Bright Lights, or at least Antics. Also, awesome random Spanish is awesome.

66. "Breeze" by Xavier Rudd (from Koonyum Sun)
"And you / will touch their souls"

It's overly earnest, somewhat generic hippie music (I mean, look at that cover), but that's not always a bad thing. Its not like I am going to learn to play it on the bongo or anything.

67. "Someone's Missing" by MGMT (from Congratulations)
"With a long sigh let the hissing in / stones deformed by gentle kissing and / all the closed eyes start to glisten / but it feels like someone's missing"

Congratulations is a change of pace for MGMT. I certainly would have been fine with another Oracular Spectacular instead

68. "I Am Not a Robot" by Marina and the Diamonds(from The Family Jewels)
"Guess What?"

I have now exceeded my snarky British songstress quota

69. "Atlas" by Fanfarlo (from Twilight: Eclipse)
"And maybe you will be the one / who'll draw the line in the sand / for us to cross"

A nice B-side from an underrated band.

70. "Some of Kind of Nature" by Gorillaz ft. Lou Reed (from Plastic Beach)

"They need the eat, and they-they wear phony clothes / they sit with barbituates and filled with gold"

Now Albarn needs to convince Lou Reed to join for the next The Good, The Bad & the Queen album

71. "Someday Maybe" by City Lights (from Burned Out Bright)

"We all hate our jobs / talk shit about the ones we love / but I know i can do no wrong with you"

Other than being based in San Francisco, I know nearly nothing about the band

72. "Go Do" by Jónsi (from Go)

"You wish silence released noisy drummers / you wish white noise surrendered to summers"

I want to presume that his Iclelandic/Hopelandic lyrics with Sigur Ros are more subtly inspiring than the somewhat literal "the world is AMAZING" English lyrics on his solo album

73. "Daisy" by Fang Island (from My Best Friend Is You)

"make your ideas stick in the mud / like the trees they are"

I have probably heard this song more than 30 times this year and I just realized the lyrics are actual words and not strange chanting. One of my favorite 2010 album covers, for some reason.

74. "Hands" by The Ting Tings (from Hands - Single)

"Clap your hands if you're working too hard"

Seriously? More female britpop?

75. "Dear God, I Hate Myself" by Xiu Xiu (from Dear God, I Hate Myself)

"And I will always be nicer to the cat / than I am to you you you you"

Lest I be accused of liking too much happy music.

76. "Clive Tanaka y su Orquesta" by Neu Chicago (from Jet Set Siempre 1°)

"I'll grab a shovel, you grab a spade"

Downloaded on December 16th, this is the very last song on this list to be added to my library

77. "Beat the Devil's Tattoo" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (from Beat the Devil's Tattoo)

"Everyone is king when there's no one left to pawn"

BRMC is carving out a nice niche as the perpetual soundtrack to Sons of Anarchy

78. "Belly of June" by Horse Feathers (from Thistled Spring)

"We're no longer young / we're lazy and lithe / and our age makes us dumb"

Horse Feathers has long been a favorite (they are the "H" in the logo), though after three albums many of the songs have begun to run together

79. "Come Home" by Chappo (from Plastique Universe)

"Take everything / my iPod"

An iPod commercial with a song that name-checks the iPod? Those rascals at Apple! Microsoft would get pilloried if they did it, but name checking Excel doesn't really get it done anyway.

80. "Marchin' In" by Lo-Fi-Fnk (from Marchin' In - Single)

"From now on to march / what's mine what is ours"

Funky Swedish nonsense