Here are my top 30 songs of the year. My liking for songs tends to shift, so if you asked me in a month or so, the order of this list would undoubtedly be different, but I think this does accurately reflect my favorite 30 songs. Enjoy.
30.
Pursuit of Happiness (Feat. Ratatat and MGMT) - Kid Cudi Very very catchy, and I absolutely love the backing stuff that Ratatat did. I'm a fan of Kid Cudi's voice as well.
29.
New Moon Rising – Wolfmother Wolfmother, the kings of making classic rock in the modern age. Amazing guitar riffs combined with a voice that sounds like a cross between Ozzy and Robert Plant. This was by far the best song off their ’09 release, Cosmic Egg.
28.
Come Alive (War of the Roses) - Janelle Monae One of my favorite voices, and a fantastic, creepy song.
27.
Cousins - Vampire Weekend (Link is to youtube, Web Sherrif is out making people take down this mp3)
Sneak peek single off of the upcoming Vampire Weekend album. Not much to say about it other than very very solid, and I'm excited for the album.
26.
Bricks Part 1 - Fishboy I love Fishboy. Their brand of pop and their singers voice just absolutely get me every time. This 1:26 long nugget is extremely catchy and enjoyable. For earlier stuff, check out "Parachute" and "Taqueria Girl" of of their 2007 album, Albatross: How We Failed To Save The Lone Star State With The Power Of Rock And Roll.
25.
Hold the Line (feat. Mr. Lex and Santigold) - Major Lazer Horse noises, crazy surf guitars and cell phones ringing. Most high energy song of '09, and so damn catchy.
24.
Quiet Dog - Mos Def One of the best song from the album that got me in to Hip-Hop, Mos Def's "The Ecstatic". The beat is nothing more than some sparse percussion, really bringing out Mos Def's voice and rhymes.
23.
Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fantastic dance type track. Love the vocals.
22.
Julia - The Very Best The Very Best is Radioclit, British producer, and Esau Mwamwaya, singer from Malawi. Julia is the highlight of their album, Warm Heart of Africa. One of my songs of the summer.
21.
Auditorium (feat. Slick Rick) - Mos Def The best track from The Ecstatic. Features a really cool middle eastern beat, and a guest verse from Slick Rick.
20.
Trash - The Whip My favorite dance song of all time, hands down. I love the way it builds, the dark atmosphere, and the killer guitar.
19.
Revenge (feat. Flaming Lips) - Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse An album which was never actually released, due to an issue with the label. It's got a good backstory, if you're interested in checking it out. The album is called Dark Night of the Soul. I wasn't a huge fan of the album, but this song is absolutely fantastic. The first line, "Pain...I guess it's a matter of sensation" always sticks in my head forever.
18.
Nitro - Cool Catz I said that Trash was my favorite dance song ever, but this song makes me want to dance more than any other song. The little synth riff that comes in a little ways in and goes throughout the song is the catchiest thing ever. Party hip-hop at its best (and the only rap song my Dad loves).
17.
Friday XIII - Deer Tick Smith Hill - Deer Tick I couldn't decide between these two fantastic songs to represent Deer Tick's 2nd release, Easy. Americana/folk ballads, and all sung in a voice that you either love or you hate. I love it.
16.
Treat Me Like Your Mother - The Dead Weather I worship Jack White, that is fact. A lot of people didn't really like The Dead Weather, but I really like it. Horehound is definitely one of my top albums of the year, and this is one of the many standout tracks (it was a tough call. Also check out 60 Feet Tall. Hell, just listen to the whole album). Oh, and they were superb live.
15.
Ain't No Rest For the Wicked - Cage the Elephant I first heard this song on the radio, and wound up buying (and loving) the album. Then I went to Outside Lands and saw them live. Damn. They put on a hell of a show, their lead singer is a complete maniac on stage. And they sound really good. Love the slide guitar.
14.
Nightingale / December Song - Sunset Rubdown A stellar track on a largely disappointing album. Sunset Rubdown is the side project of Spencer Krug, of Wolf Parade. They have a very unique sound, and I love it. I purchased some old material of theirs, and was very excited when this song and one further up the list came out. Unfortunately, the rest of the album was a letdown, but this song and the other one are no worse for it. Love the lyrics in this one.
13.
Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo) (Feat. Mos Def and Jim Jones) - Blakroc Blakroc is the collaboration between The Black Keys and a bunch of rappers. On the whole, it wasn't as good as it sounded like it could have been, but this song is awesome. The riff is rock solid, and the "la la la"s stick in your head for hours. Mos Def's singing is great, and Jim Jones' rapping is damn good. All around solid blues/rap track.
12.
My Girls - Animal Collective I'll talk a lot more about this album in my albums of the year list. The call and response singing on this song is really cool, and I just love the soundscape they assemble underneath it. For a heightened listening experience, I would suggest
this fan video which may very well be the coolest music video ever.
11.
Got Nuffin' - Spoon Not much to say about this one, other than fantastic. Just listen and hear it for yourself.
10.
Bull Black Nova - Wilco I love the way the piano chords drive the song. And the noise-rock jam at the end is killer. Great song. Oh yeah, and its about a dude who murdered his girlfriend.
9.
Never Had Nobody Like You (feat. Zooey Deschanel) - M. Ward The only M. Ward song I own. I don't know what it is, but there is something about it that makes it incredibly enjoyable to listen to. My appreciation of music is very mood based, but this is one of the rare songs that is always good, regardless of what I'm in the mood for.
8.
Living Thing - Peter Bjorn & John There's something about this song, and the whole album, that just makes me want to move. I dunno. I guess you could call it groove. Or something. Just listen.
7.
Generator ^ Second Floor - Freelance Whales One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, it really just boils down to that. Amazing folk song with some really cool instrumentation.
6.
In the Flowers - Animal Collective My favorite song from Merriweather Post Pavilion. I can never get enough of the way the song just explodes at 2:30. This is more than a song, its an experience. Best enjoyed at high volume.
5.
Swimming in the Flood - Passion Pit My favorite song from Manners, a fantastic album. This song always gives me the very strong feeling of floating underwater in a cold pool on a hot day. It's a good feeling.
4.
I Start to Run - White Denim This song definitely wins best bass line of '09. Look for this in my Albums of the Year.
3.
Idiot Heart - Sunset Rubdown Modern day guitar gods. The song starts intense and never lets up.
2.
Laundry Room - The Avett Brothers Thats the MP3, but
this is the best version of the song (its the first song on that video). This is
the most beautiful song I've ever heard. Perfect melody, and the vocal harmonies take it to a whole nother level.
1.
All We Want, Baby, Is Everything - Handsome Furs I don't know what it is, but this song has it. Something about the vocals, the ringing guitars... It's just perfect.
