Klap's Top 30 Songs Of 2010
Procrastinating finals and LSAT study to bring you this wonderful list.
Hope everyone has a lovely winter/summer break, rec me albums I
haven't heard. Also, if anyone's going to be in Vegas for New Year's, do
tell. |
| 30 |  | Tomba
Disturbed
Disturbed - The vilest, most revolting dubstep mix I?ve ever heard. Listening to
the full 35 minutes is like excavating a sewer, and it?s beautiful. |
| 29 |  | Foals
Total Life Forever
Spanish Sahara - Few songs this side of post-rock do buildups quite as
exquisitely as ?Spanish Sahara.? |
| 28 |  | She and Him
Volume Two
Home - Seeing this performed at Coachella while the sun set and Zooey
absolutely killed it as the crowd sang along was one of the best concert
experiences of my life. |
| 27 | | Porter Robinson
Say My Name
Say My Name - That first drop is guaranteed to get the fists pumping, but it?s
the second that blows the doors open and shows that this 18-year old prodigy
knows his electro. |
| 26 |  | Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Let It Sway
Everlyn - There?s something to be said for perfect power pop, and this song
might be the closest Boris Yeltsin have ever come to simple perfection. |
| 25 |  | Taylor Swift
Speak Now
Enchanted - You know how I know you're gay? |
| 24 |  | Arcade Fire
The Suburbs
The Suburbs - Arcade Fire?s third record was kind of a disappointment for me,
but for the first five minutes they had me quite excited with this gem of a
melody. |
| 23 |  | Delta Spirit
History from Below
Ransom Man - The kind of old school ballad that I imagine listening to by the fire
with a half-empty bottle of whiskey . . . in the middle of the woods. |
| 22 |  | Skrillex
Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Noisia Remix) - Noisia proving they can
dominate in any genre they please, and Skrillex with another great mix to build
on top of. |
| 21 |  | Free Energy
Stuck on Nothing
Dark Trance - Arena rock lives! |
| 20 | | Big Boi
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Legend of Chico Dusty
Tangerine ft. T.I. and Khujo Goodie - An impossible to resist tribal beat, guest
spots that don?t quit, and Boi?s standard superb flow . . . a microcosm of The
Legend of Chico Dusty as a whole and my favorite song off it. |
| 19 |  | Wolf Parade
Expo 86
Little Golden Age - I?ve always been a Spencer Krug fan but Dan Boeckner
absolutely steals his thunder on Expo 86 with this highlight, a nostalgic look
back at college done right and one that hits home as I prepare to graduate. |
| 18 |  | Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Gorgeous ft. Kid Cudi - ?Is hip-hop just a euphemism for a new religion? The
soul music for the slaves that the youth is missing?? Uh, yes. And there have
been few better holy bibles than Kanye?s newest and this song in particular,
especially when Kanye reminds us not to forget about his black balls. How could
we? |
| 17 |  | Ra Ra Riot
The Orchard
Boy - When those drums crash in and that bass line starts running things like a
conductor with a out-of-control case of ADHD, I just want to dance along and
practice my falsetto along Wes Miles? angelic voice. |
| 16 |  | Geographer
Animal Shapes
Verona - Never heard of this band until I saw them open for Stars and their
simple but energetic live show blew me away. ?Verona? was the best, with its
heartbreaking lyrics and awesome wood block. |
| 15 |  | Stars
The Five Ghosts
Changes - Amy Millan?s finest hour. When they closed their L.A. show with this,
it was straight up magical. |
| 14 |  | The Black Keys
Brothers
Never Gonna Give You Up - You?d be forgiven for thinking this came out of some
Sun Studio in the late ?50s / early ?60s, but the Keys? cover of this Jerry Butler
standard is spot-on. Not to be confused with Rick Astley. |
| 13 |  | Japandroids
No Singles
Younger Us - If this had been on their debut it would have been my favorite
song. ?Remember that night you were already in bed / said ?fuck it? got up to
drink with me instead? was the theme of my summer. |
| 12 |  | The National
High Violet
Conversation 16 - High Violet always seemed to me like an album that was
greater than the sum of its parts rather than sporting any truly amazing songs,
at least compared to some of the National?s past individual efforts. But
?Conversation 16,? with its relentless drumming, haunting background vocals
and typically great lyrics, almost makes it. |
| 11 |  | Jonsi
Go
Go Do - Go Do? is such a fantastic opener because it is Jonsi?s debut album ? a
sugar rush of eternal optimism, buttressed by an everything-and-the-kitchen-
sink instrumental mentality and that indescribable feeling that everything is
going to be okay. |
| 10 |  | Surfer Blood
Astro Coast
Catholic Pagans - For all the lyrical nonsense thrown into the second stanza,
?Catholic Pagans? was the love song of the year for a gorgeously pragmatic
declaration in the wrenching first verse. |
| 9 |  | Defiance, Ohio
Midwestern Minutes
Hairpool - Ever feel like you?ve been away from home for too long, and when
you return everything seems different, like there?s some kind of disconnect
impossible to see and define but there nonetheless? Defiance, Ohio know too,
and they?ve made the perfect song for it. |
| 8 |  | The Tallest Man on Earth
The Wild Hunt
King of Spain - This was the song that got my over Kristian Matsson?s
sometimes grating voice and made me love him. Also helps that it has some of
the best lyrics and affecting melody on the entire Wild Hunt record. |
| 7 |  | Rogue Wave
Permalight
Solitary Gun - It took four albums, but Rogue Wave finally made the
prototypical power pop tune, all muscular melody, irresistibly catchy lyrics and
the kind of song that just refuses to grow old. |
| 6 |  | Deerhunter
Halcyon Digest
He Would Have Laughed - The biggest grower on this list, this was the last song
I warmed up to on Halcyon Digest, but when I finally did I don?t know how I
could?ve preferred any other song on the album to this. The poignant second
half and the way the song just cuts off so abruptly is brilliant. |
| 5 |  | Noisia
Split the Atom
Machine Gun - Noisia previously had been a strictly drum & bass group, but Split
the Atom and lead-off track ?Machine Gun? opened the world up to a whole
new, aggressive Noisia that brushed aside genre tags with ease. Party starter of
the year. |
| 4 |  | Cee Lo Green
The Lady Killer
Fuck You - It?s a shame the radio censors had to neuter this song, because the
general public is missing out on one of the great mainstream pop songs of the
past several years. |
| 3 |  | Spoon
Transference
Goodnight Laura - Who knew that Spoon, a band so meticulous and spartan in
their image and sound, would create one of the most touching songs of the
year? Britt Daniels, too, can love. |
| 2 |  | Titus Andronicus
The Monitor
The Battle of Hampton Roads - ?Is there a girl at this college who hasn?t been
raped / is there a boy in this town that?s not exploding with hate / is there a
human alive ain?t looked himself in the face without winking or saying what
they mean without drinking who will believe in something without thinking
what if somebody doesn?t approve / is there a soul on this earth that isn?t too
frightened to prove?? Is there anything about this song that hasn?t already
been said? |
| 1 |  | Steel Train
Steel Train
Fall Asleep - Sometimes the best songs are those that don?t take any extra
thought to delve into, any unnecessary analysis or self-introspection.
Sometimes the best songs just click, hitting home with visceral emotion and
lyrics that don?t skip around the point but take aim right at it. Anyone?s who?ve
ever lost someone, whether emotionally or literally, can relate to this song,
which speaks to loss and hope better than almost any other song I?ve ever
heard. And frankly, that ragged guitar solo is genius. |
|
