2010 Must-Have Jams

Jeff | December 27, 2010 | Categories: Randomness

Every December, my friends and I create Top Ten lists of our favorite songs of the year. The rules are quite simple:

There can only be ten songs (Sound obvious? It should).
For the most part, the songs have to be released during the year. The only exception is you hadn’t heard of the band until this year.

Here’s my list (in no particular order except that I saved the heavy music for the end).

ONE: Local Natives – Who Knows Who Cares

I just can’t get enough of Local Natives. I’m a huge fan of their sound. I like the two- and three-part harmonies that reside throughout their entire “Gorilla Manor” album. This video makes me want summer (even though it just got cold in Texas). I was fortunate enough to see them live at Austin City Limits back in October.

TWO: Gotye – Hearts a Mess

This song came out in 2006, but I hadn’t heard it until a few weeks ago. Thanks to Matt Higgins for sharing it with me!

THREE: Chiddy Bang – Under The Sheets

Chiddy Bang is my kind of hip hop. One guy raps and the other makes awesome beats using samples from songs you’ve probably heard (MGMT, Ellie Goulding, Kate Nash)

FOUR: Yeasayer – ONE

Yeasayer has a very unique, electronic-based sound. Our pal @MartinHooper once described it as “Music for robots” and I have to say I agree.

FIVE: Neon Trees – Animal

Neon Trees is more poppy than I usually fall for, but this song does it for me. I’ll admit I wasn’t thrilled when I started hearing it in commercials for Las Vegas, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the song.

SIX: Two Door Cinema Club – Come Back Home

Two Door Cinema Club is a band from Ireland. I’ve jammed their album “Tourist History” quite a bit this year. The album’s only fault is that it’s too short (32 minutes).

SEVEN: BT – Every Other Way

BT has been one of my favorite artists since I heard his album “This Binary Universe” back in 2006. He writes his own software applications to produce the “stutter edit” you’ll hear throughout his albums. This song, from the album “These Hopeful Machines,” is quite a diversion from the 2006 instrumental album. It features vocals from Jes Brieden.

EIGHT: Norma Jean – A Media Friendly Turn For The Worse

I’ll be honest, I hadn’t heard much Norma Jean until this release (“Meridonial”). I found it to be a little less raw than previous releases (not a bad thing). The whole album is great, but this song gets the job done. The vocal melodies and rhythms are not predictable, which keeps the song interesting after 20 listens.

NINE: As I Lay Dying – Upside Down Kingdom

I’ve been a fan of As I Lay Dying for several years now. They are definitely in my top 3, as far as metal bands are concerned. This song is full of some tasty licks, which is what earned it a spot in this list.

TEN: Oh, Sleeper – The Finisher

This album actually came out in 2009, but I didn’t find out about the band until earlier this year. It’s a concept album based on the final battle between the devil and God. The first 9 songs are written from the devil’s perspective and the last song (“The Finisher”) is written from God’s perspective. My favorite lyric from this song is “From the armory, the angels sing. You will fear them when they lift their wings.”