Thursday, June 30, 2011

Top 30 Songs of 2011 (So Far...)

Well, we're halfway home on this year. Where has the time gone? It's been a fabulous year for songs but a not-so-good period for albums. Of course, I'll have a countdown of albums in December that will probably include bands and artists like Robyn Hitchcock, Fleet Foxes and the Feelies, but I'm hoping the second half of the year will prove fruitful and provide much of the list.

As for the caveats to remember from today's list, no band can be listed more than once. This is usually a big problem, but it wasn't so bad this time around. That probably means no one album is sticking with me. In fact, the only problem was whether to pick "New Beat" or "Still Sound" from Toro Y Moi. I also stayed away from covers. If I had included them, "Oh Boy!" from She & Him, as well as a few others from the excellent 'Rave On Buddy Holly' would be here. You can bet Weezer's take on the Cars' "You Might Think" and the Neko Case/Nick Cave version of the Zombies' "She's Not There" from the upcoming 'True Blood' compilation would also make the cut.

That reminds me, there is a song (or two) on this list from albums that have not as of yet been officially released. If the label has made the individual song available (such as Stephen Malkmus' "Senator"), then it's eligible. One more thing. I decided not to include any of the "new" songs from the recently leaked 'Toy' by David Bowie... although "Hole in the Ground" would be here if I had. Enough said. Let's listen.

30. La Sera - Devil's Hearts Grow Old
29. Cloud Nothings - For No Reason
28. The Smithereens - Sorry
27. Bell X1 - Velocro
26. Charles Bradley - The World (Is Going Up in Flames) (mp3) BUY
25. Ron Sexsmith - Get in Line
24. Sloan - Unkind
23. Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears - Booty City
22. Here We Go Magic - Song in Three
21. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
20. Mike Watt - Arrow-Pierced-Egg-Man (mp3) BUY
19. Crystal Stilts - Through the Floor
18. Stephen Malkmus - Senator
17. Black Lips - Modern Art
16. Exene Cervenka - Already in Love (mp3) BUY
15. Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose
14. Jonny - Candyfloss
13. The Sea and Cake - Up on the North Shore
12. Cut Copy - Need You Now
11. Toro Y Moi - Still Sound (mp3) BUY
10. Paul Simon - The Afterlife
9. The Strokes - Under Cover of Darkness
8. The High Llamas - Fly Baby, Fly (mp3) BUY
7. The Joy Formidable - Whirring
6. The Feelies - Should Be Gone (mp3) BUY
5. Sade - Love is Found
4. The Cars - Blue Tip
3. Robyn Hitchcock - Light Blue Afternoon
2. The dB's - Picture Sleeve
1. The Rosebuds - Woods (mp3) BUY

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