20. You Are A Tourist - Death Cab for Cutie
Contrary to myth, Death Cab is capable of writing good songs even when Ben Gibbard is happily married.
19. Mein Land - Rammstein
This song reminded me why I loved Rammstein in the first place.
18. Hank is Dead - Red Fang
A surprisingly catchy sludge metal song with a classic Sabbath feel.
17. Second Song - TV on the Radio
I feel like I'm listening to Funkadelic and the Bee Gees at the same time. And it's awesome.
16. Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys
The Boys made be growing old, but their music hasn't aged a day since License to Ill.
15. The Floor - Ty Segall
This song is all about opposites. Loud vs. soft, fast vs. slow, acoustic vs. electric. "The Floor" is always switching up something, making for one of the most interesting garage rock songs this year.
14. Machu Picchu - The Strokes
The Strokes' comeback packs power into their signature sound with some ferocious guitar work.
13. Otis - Jay-Z & Kanye West
Two of the most successful rappers of all time rap over an instant-classic Otis Redding sample about how successful at rapping they are. Not bad.
12. Don't Carry It All - The Decemberists
The Decemberists take a less literate approach and add some vintage Neil Young vibes to create a folk-rock masterpiece.
11. Revolving Doors - Gorillaz
Expanding on Plastic Beach's more electronic sound, "Revolving Doors" is a bouncy, techno gem.
10. Belong - Pains of Being Pure at Heart
An excellent mix of fuzzed-out guitars, synthesizers and pop hooks. It's indie rock with a punch.
9. Sammy Davis, Jr. - Movits!
So fresh. The Movits mix swing and hip-hop seamlessly and create one of the most unique sounds I've heard this year. The horn section adds a funky vibe to the stompin' groove. Who knew Swedes could have so much swag?
8. Ghost on the Dance Floor - Blink-182
Blink-182's return signaled that they haven't lost their touch, and "Ghost on the Dance Floor" kick starts the album and keeps the momentum going. It's got one of the best harmonies I've heard in the verses and the main riff packs a major punch. Travis, as usual, is on fire and puts power behind a more complex song structure with a stadium sized chorus.
7. Circuital - My Morning Jacket
On Circuital, MMJ takes prog-jam rock and puts it on an epic stage. It builds from a murky guitar riff and eerie vocals to a triumphant fanfare, and back again.
6. Yonkers - Tyler, the Creator
Shut up about the lyrics, cus the shock value will wear off. What's important here is Tyler's new production style. It's dark, it's scary, it's creepy. But most importantly, it's fresh. The staggering beat, raw vocals and inventive production have paved a new path for underground hip-hop.
5. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys
The Black Keys and Danger Mouse make a formidable team. After last year's "Tighten Up," I was excited to see what else they could come up with. They struck gold again with "Lonely Boy." The Black Keys still pack in all of their quirkiness even in a stadium-sized song. Thrown in a devastatingly catchy chorus, and they've got another hit on their hands.
4. Black Tongue - Mastodon
All the brutality and proggyness of Mastodon packed into a 3 minute song. Troy's vocals have really grown and become a monster of their own. "Black Tongue" has everything: powerful riffs that punch your face off, trippy prog sections, and a twin guitar solo to top things off. It seems that Mastodon can do no wrong.
3. Codex - Radiohead
Though not the obvious hit single from King of Limbs, "Codex" has my vote for most mesmerizing song on the album, if not the whole year. The atmosphere of the song is so surreal and it takes you to a place where all the sounds and instruments are organic and part of the world around you.
2. Perth - Bon Iver
I had a hard time picking just one song from this album, but the opening track seemed to possess everything that made Bon Iver great. It's intimate, epic, majestic, and has an inventive guitar lick. It's a carefully orchestrated song that is always throwing something new at you.
I'll give this song the edge over "Whirring" simply for that monster synth line. This song is one of the few this year that seemed to be pushing into a new and undiscovered territory. The Joy Formidable nails the arrangement on this song. The verses keep the song brewing, the smoldering choruses and the epic coda that builds until the song explodes. I chose "The Greatest Light" as the song of the year because its had the most impact on my songwriting and guitar tone. Though I still can't figure out how Ritzy plays guitar, this is one of the most powerful songs to come out this year.
So I'm a little behind schedule, but if you're lucky, I'll give you my top albums of the year as a second Christmas present for you all.
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