2012 Favorite Songs - Numbers 40-21

Again, continuing my list of 2012 Favorite Songs:

40. Bloc Party - "The Healing"



Absolutely gorgeous track off their latest record. The interplay between the guitars and Kele Okereke's voice is stunning.

39. Kate Boy - "Northern Lights"



Bouncy and gurgly synth-pop track from the Swedish duo that is catchy as the flu.

38. Schoolboy - "Zombies Ate My Neighbors"



One of the best bass music tracks of the year.

37. Young Magic - "You With Air"



Trippy and druggy track from the globetrotting trio that just gets denser and denser as it goes along.

36. 501 ft. Belle Humble - "Headrush"



Usually my favorite dubstep tracks have a more pop leaning slant to them. This collaboration between 501 and Belle Humble hits all the right marks, with the drop punctuating what is going on with the singer.

35. Diamond Rings - "I'm Just Me"



Although his sophomore album was a slight letdown, songs like this have me holding out that he has some brilliant records in him. Great hooks, great beats, and lots of attitude propel this new wave influenced track.

34. The Helio Sequence - "Downward Spiral"



Though I am not a huge Helio Sequence fan, this track resonated with me in a deep way. I love the lonely melodies and delicate voice in this haunting track.

33. Martyn - "We Are You In The Future"



Tranced out dance track from producer Martyn that brings me back to the halcyon days of early 90s raves.

32. Matthew Dear - "Up & Out"



This Talking Heads-esque coiled up funk-rock track gets under your skin in a slightly sinister way.

31. Yeasayer - "Henrietta"



Liquid synths wash over a dubby bassline in this atmospheric track off the latest Yeasayer record Fragrant World.

30. Autre Ne Veut - "Counting"



Dramatic alt-R&B track from Arthur Ashin, otherwise known as Autre Ne Veut, which is a loving tribute to his dying grandmother.

29. Alt-J - "Breezeblocks"



Mixing traditional folky alt music and homespun vocals with electronic experimentation lifted this song into something special. The swirling ending is particularly memorable.

28. Tame Impala - "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards"



Taking a more keyboard-centric approach for this album, Tame Impala still knows how to whip up a song into a hallucinogenic frenzy.

27. The Twilight Sad - "Sick"



This stark, haunting ballad off their latest album is a stunner.

26. Lemonade - "Neptune"



While the entire album failed to live up to this track, "Neptune" is so strikingly beautiful and lush it doesn't come as much surprise that it eclipsed everything else.

25. Grizzly Bear - "Gun-Shy"



A more streamlined approach seemed to suit Grizzly Bear well on their latest record. "Gun-Shy" stood out for me because it is one of their most simple tracks, but has a lot of interesting things going on in the background that linger long in the memory.

24. Deftones - "Entombed"



I admit I like Deftones' softer side. This gorgeous ballad off their new album is the perfect match of atmospheric guitars and vocalist Chino Marino's restrained singing.

23. Gojira - "Liquid Fire"



Of course, when I do want to bang my head, I just have to turn to French death metal aces Gojira, who added more texture and bite to their intense attack on this brooding track.

22. Crystal Castles - "Kerosene"



Haunting and sinister track off their latest record is a strange lullaby to protect from the horrors of the world, with Alice Glass promising to "protect you from all the things I've seen."

21. Diplo - "Express Yourself"



Twerk it.