2010 soundtrack (part one of three)

i like to ask people about their favorites (color, flavor, children's book, smell, sound), but i don't much like figuring out my own. i have a complicated, conflicted relationship with superlatives. still, i'm a sucker for a good end-of-year list, and my dear friend casey recently posted her top 50 songs of 2010. she's a list maker; i'm not so much. nevertheless, her list inspired me to think up my own. after i got done listing my top songs of this past year, with a few cuts and additions, i was at 31. these aren't necessarily the most musically impressive songs, but they are the songs that, for better or worse, came together to create my soundtrack of 2010. a quick note: i've broken the list up into three parts (10 songs a day), giving a general sense of how the songs rank, but i'm not numbering the songs beyond that. it'd be too hard. i'm starting today with the bottom of the list. be warned: i'm not great at describing/ dissecting music. click on the song for a free download or stream. oh! happy new year.

block after black – matt & kim
i heard matt & kim for the first time not long after i moved to portland in 2008. my friend randi took me along to the show with the promise that we were about to see ‘the cutest band ever.’ she did not disappoint. matt and kim look ridiculously happy and excited whenever they perform. that translates to their music, which is, by and large, fun and poppy and fast-paced. anyhow, i think their style has definitely grown since their earlier stuff, they’re experimenting with new sounds and rhythms in ‘sidewalks.’ the best example of all this comes in ‘block after block’. (runners up: i also really enjoy ‘cameras.’)

believer – goldfrapp
i'm a sucker for a good electro-pop-dance number. believer satisfies all of that. plus, this song reminds of randi and bree. anything the does that makes me happy.

i feel better – hot chip
this entire album hooked me. i like how they turn out solid, techno beats with lyrical substance (usually). i had a hard time choosing the song from this album that i liked the most. there are a lot of great contenders – among them ‘brothers’ and ‘one life stand.’ ultimately, i went with ‘i feel better’ because i really appreciate the orchestral beat that runs through the song.

flash delirium – mgmt
this album wasn’t received so well. i can understand why; its sound was a pretty significant departure from their earlier album. that said, there’s a lot to like about a few of the songs. i like flash delirium in particular because it takes you in about eight different directions in just four minutes. and most of those directions are good.

giving up the gun – vampire weekend
vampire weekend has appeared on nearly every year-in-music list i've come across recently. initially, i was a little surprised. i didn’t dislike the new album, but it didn’t leave me with much of a lasting impression. so, i gave into the critics and went back and gave it another listen. i'm glad i did. giving up the gun includes a lot of what makes their music good, but it’s clear (at least to my ear) they were stretching themselves a bit. (runner up: horchata. probably, in part, because i really do love horchata.)

lost in the world – kanye west
this is one of the best collaborations of the year, i think. before hearing this song, I’m sure a bon iver-west duo would have seemed very strange. it still does, to a certain extent. and yet this song does a great job of melding their two styles. as much as kanye annoys me, there’s no arguing that he’s incredibly talented. (runner up: power. it reminds me of dancing with jasper. and i really dig the chanting in the background.)

the cave – mumford and sons
this band was a lock for a place on this list. the vocals aren't overly produced. it's a good, natural voice. i also love me some banjo. this year, especially, i've come to appreciate stripped down music. just nice voices, nice instrumental work and a slight twang. mumford and sons – and the cave, in particular – does all of that to great effect. also, though sad, the lyrics are pretty wonderful. (runner up: ‘little lion man.’)

new favourite moment – northern portrait
i came across this band while living in sudan, thanks to one of my roommates. “new favourite moment” quickly became an ipod staple as i'd walk to the bus stop every morning, sweating along the way.

teenage dream – katy perry
this song is a given. i don’t love katy perry, but there really is no avoiding the fact that “teenage dream” is infectious in the best possible way. it reminds me of rocking out with casey and randi and jasper. if you haven’t come across it on the radio, turned the speakers up to max and danced like an idiot while waiting for a light to turn green, i suggest you do so immediately.

boy – ra ra riot
not long after i got back to portland, i saw ra ra riot play live. they were a little disappointing. and, somewhat unfairly, that performace has stuck with me and sort of poisoned my initial fondness of this band. still, that night was a pretty damn good one, and this song reminds me of the excitement of just getting home and how possibilities seemed infinite in that way they sometimes do.

bonus non-2010 song: baibaba bimba – tenniscoats
a friend of mine submitted this song for a collaborative fall mix we made over at ‘would you jump rope.’ i quickly over-listened to it. still, it’s a beautiful, sweet, meandering song. perfect for the fall. i love the singer’s voice and the quirky sound her instrument (i wish i knew what it was called!) turns out. this list wouldn’t have been complete without this one.