The plan is to roll out about 10 songs a day for the next five days or so. After that, my write-ups/reviews will get a bit more substantial. I anticipate this will take me about a month to roll out with the time I need to devote to writing. So, patience! Today I offer up a special Honorable Mention and the first two songs on my list.
Also of note: I've tried to include YouTube videos whenever possible. Most are the real deals, but I've also decide to include some fan-made videos (particularly for mixtape standouts or hard-to-find gems), be they live tracks or simply audio only videos. I'll do my best to indicate the "real" from the amateur. I debated about providing mp3 links for those songs without videos, but I didn't want to tangled in that mess. Hype Machine and MySpace are good, legit sites for casual listening anyway.
Lastly, though I would like to consider my list finalized, I realize with today's saturated music market that it's virtually impossible for me to hear not just everything, but even everything I might want to listen to. So, this list is by no means definitive. It is simply my own personal guide through the songs which kicked my ass this year, and one I thought would be fun to share. So I hope you enjoy reading it -- and watching and listening too, when you can.
To begin, this year, an Honorable Mention award must go to:
The Field's From Here We Go Sublime
If one were to listen to all the critical brouhaha over From Here We Go Sublime, you'd think the Field, a.k.a. producer Axel Willner, stuffed his full-length debut album with impenetrable, joyless and cerebral IDM-style techo epics, the kind music most of us peons just don't "understand". What first-time listeners, be they fans of electronic music or not, would actually discover is a stunning sequence of warm and immensely satisfying micro-house gems, each sensual track aimed right at your heart, soul and feet. Though Willner's fondness for -- and, it's worth noting, his mastery of -- repetition may irk dance music neophytes, the surprising variety of textures and sounds remains one of the album's central pleasure: From the gorgeous glide of "Over the Ice" to the smile-inducing (and Lionel Richie-sampling) "A Paw in My Face"; from "The Little Heat Beats So Fast"'s bump-'n'-grind ecstacy through "Everyday"'s propulsive plunge toward euphoria; and from the almost-anthemic stomp of centerpiece "Silent" down to the... well, sublime closing title track, Willner's range of accomplishments over the span of the disc's hour is nothing short of miraculous. So this year, an honorable mention must go to the Field, for although none of the tracks from his incredible album grace this list, it's not a matter of quality. Just call it a kind of Sophie's choice for yours truly.
And now onto the real deal. Here's today's crop of songs:
100. Chromatics – "Running Up That Hill"
I have trouble resisting a great Kate Bush cover ("OH! Oh-oh! OH! Oh-oh..."). This elegant neo-disco rendition swaps the urgency and gallop of the original for twilight, Italo atmospherics, replete with itchy funk guitars and billowing synth waves brought down to a simmer. Similarly, Ruth Randalet's plain cooing etches out a tale of dancefloor heartbreak.
99. Liars – "Plaster Casts of Everything"
Year in and year out, the Liars thwart expectations with their constant experimentation and devil-may-care attitude. This year, they just wanted to kick some faces in. "Plaster Casts" is relentless taking-names, head-thrashing, knob-at-11 rock 'n' roll and even if its probably their most "conventional" record to date, they don't give a shit. (Video - Official)
98. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – "Sons of Cain"
97. Tracey Thorn – "It's All True"
Funny how Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" had a bigger year than, err, a lot of the songs on my list (or any list, for that matter). To ice the cake on the jukebox classic's banner year, Killa Cam lifts the tune's iconic piano-riff for his playful, lyrically baroque and emotionally acute tale of hard knocks and sex jokes. (Video - Audio Only)
95. Patty Griffin – "No Bad News"
From front porch country to Sufjan folk pop, "No Bad News" exists a reminder of Griffin's full and vital songwriting prowess, a spirited, near-relentless barn-burner at turns defiant and tenderhearted. A political plea through and through, "No Bad News" busts out the foot-tapping soul and sunshine just long enough for the clouds to stay away. (Video - Live)
94. Björk – "Earth Intruders"
A match made in pop heaven which doesn't quite scale any stairways to it, this Björk and Timbaland collaboration still contains plenty of ear-popping moments: the funky rain dance opening beat, the Playskool keyboard-riff, the mistress of weird getting all "Army of Me" happy/crazy, the man from the 'Big VA' pulling out everything but the rabbit. Sold. (Video - Official)
After enjoying tremendous success with last year's King and the instant classic "What You Know", plenty tossed of or simply ignored T.I.'s (admittedly underwhelming) T.I. vs. T.I.P. and, more cruelly, this throne-securing, rock-tinged banger. "I composed several classics / You know, like 'Top Back', 'Dope Boy', 'Bring 'Em Out' and 'What You Know' about that." Another jewel on the crown. (Video - Official)
92. Róisín Murphy – "Overpowered"
The bass line swiggles and scurries around the assembly-line beat, the horror house synths punctuate the haunted melody, and soon enough we're caught in Murphy's web of delirious Europop. However dark the setting, it's Murphy's burgeoning, overflowing libido and savvy pop instincts which make this both a needed fix and a timeless remedy. (Video - Official)
91. The Game [ft. Kanye West] – "Wouldn't Get Far"
Kanye West churns out these kind of laidback, sample-dressed street soul productions in his sleep, but his pairings with the rap's rogue rascal, The Game, work especially well as they seem to tap into the rapper's boyish charm and the producer/superstar's penchant for head-bobbing hooks. Video hoes will never be looked at quite the same again. (Video - Official)
