2010 soundtrack (part two of three)

ambling alp/ o.n.e. – yeasayer
i almost forgot to include this band in my wrap-up, which is ridiculous considering just how much i listened to this album over the past year. funnier still, when i finally remembered that yeasayer deserved a place on the list, i couldn’t decide which song was my favorite. i listened to ambling alp more than is healthy, but still have not overdone it. the lyrics, at the time i found the song, just really resonated. similarly, i can listen to o.n.e. on repeat. so, i'm taking the easy way out and picking them both.

cpr – typhoon
this was a late addition to the 2010 soundtrack. typhoon is an amazing local band that i wish i had discovered earlier, but, as they say again and again, better late than never. i like this song in particular for the calm, even vocals and beat that runs through it, it’s almost meditative, but still lively in a certain way. and then there’s the really great reversal at 3:30, where they strip everything except for this ‘oh ah oh ah’ chorus and then start building back the song all over again. (runner up: ‘starting over’)

bullfighter jacket – miniature tigers
this song starts strong and never lets up. i always find myself obnoxiously singing along to those first ‘yah yah yah yah yah.’ the lead singer’s voice is nice and i like the dreamy echo that the producers added to it. there’s a nice contrast between his somber sounding voice and the excitement of the rhythms that make up the song’s foundation. it was a close call between this song and ‘japanese woman.’ really, though, the entire album is a nice listen. it was my carving-pumpkins soundtrack this october.

10 mile stereo – beach house
right or wrong, i find beach house to be a smarter version of best coast. that's not to say i don’t like best coast; i exhausted their album nearly as much as i did beach house’s. but i also made the mistake of reading their lyrics. anyhow, both of these bands do that great dream-pop sound that seems to be coming back with a vengeance. i'm not complaining in the least – i really like the dream-pop sound. i had a hard time choosing a best for beach house, i also really enjoyed ‘zebra’ and ‘used to be.’ ultimately, ’10 mile stereo' was the winner, mostly for it’s forward-looking lyrics, lyrics that i found comforting while i was gone: 'they say we will go far, but they don’t know how far we’ll go.'

dancing on my own – robyn
i remember casey sending me this song before i got back to portland. i just kept hoping that it would last long enough as a hit so that i could greet it on a portland dance floor. seems silly now, considering i don’t think i've been to a dance party yet where this made an appearance. this song is an addictive one – i find myself humming the chorus all the times – and so is its singer. i can’t really separate the tune from her crazy dancing in the video. of course, this song deserves some crazy dancing. in case you’re over the original, here’s a nice, slowed-down remix.

vesuvius – sufjan stevens
i first heard this new album through npr’s first listen. i was at work and just needed some background noise. i remember liking bits and pieces of it, particularly ‘too much,’ but i didn’t go back and listen to the album in earnest until a month or so a good, on the prodding of a friend. i still love ‘too much.’ it's catchy and fast-paced. but, vesuvius beats it easily for best song of the album. i love the melancholic, slow-moving rhythyms blended with the tambourine and electric sounds. and then, the speed-up about two-thirds of the way in, really surprises you – or it did me – in a very nice way. i also have to encourage you all to listen to ‘impossible soul,’ the 26-minute song in this album. it takes a while, but around 15 minutes (i think) your investment totally pays off.

crash years – new pornographers
i hadn’t given the new pornographers much of a listen until my friend jeff included them in mix that he sent out this summer. that first song, ‘moves,’ is still one of my favorites of this album, but ‘crash years’ is the song that has stuck with me. i like the sound of the layered vocals in this album. you don’t hear that too much, at least not in the music i've been occupying my time with. i'm also a sucker for the little whistly bit at the three-minute mark.

home – edward sharpe
i am such a sucker for this band – and for this song in particular. there's something really beautiful about the dueling vocals and the accent in their speech. whenever i hear this song, i just imagine two people, really in love, smiling at one another. i love where they slow the song down and talk to one another. so cute. then they pick up again with some epic sounds. plus how can you not love lyrics like this: ‘well, holy moly, me-oh-my, you’re the apple of my eye’? answer: you can’t. i should probably confess that i first heard this is sudan when i was feeling more than a little homesick myself. (runner up: ’40 day dream’)

dance yrself clean – lcd soundsystem
from the very first couple beats, this song gets me tapping my foot. it starts off very slowly and calmly but builds up to a really gripping techno extravaganza. maybe i’m alone here, but i defy anybody to listen to this and not start moving – even if with just a slight head bob. it's the perfect song to listen to when you just need to move, to empty your head and, well, without being too cute, ‘dance yrself clean.’

down by the water – drums
embarrassing as this may be, i first heard this song on gossip girl, which, i will happily tell anybody, has an amazing soundtrack. anyhow, i couldn’t get the chorus out of my head for the rest of the day. the drums had been on my radar since sudan, where i saw their music video for ‘let’s go surfing’ on mtv arabia. i like their sound, and this song is definitely the best of it.