2012 Songs of the Year: Numbers 100-81

2012 was a blisteringly fast year. There was so much amazing music this year I had trouble narrowing the lists down into something manageable. Here is the start of my countdown of my favorite tracks of the year. It will conclude on Friday, and the following week will have my list of favorite albums.

I limited the list to 100 songs and only one song per artist. Additionally, not all of these songs were official "singles," in fact, most of them are deep album cuts that I preferred. Without further ado, here is Numbers 100-81:

100. Teengirl Fantasy - "Do It"

Moving towards a more streamlined sound didn't earn Teengirl Fantasy many new fans, as their latest record Tracer failed to garner much attention. Despite this, the single "Do It" with Romanthony on vocals is simply a delicious slice of thumping house music. Its euphoria is catchy.

99. Mux Mool - "Get Yer Alphabets (Guns)"



From his hyperkinetic record Planet High School, this track is a typical frenzied look into the mind of this challenging producer. Plus, it is plain grimy fun.

98. Rihanna - "Jump"



Jumping on the dubstep bandwagon (no pun intended), this Stargate/Chase & Status-produced track gives Rihanna some needed edge on her lackluster record Unapologetic. Doesn't hurt that it has a killer sample of "My Pony."

97. Simian Mobile Disco - "A Species Out Of Control"



Sensual and sinister electronica track from the ever-morphing soundboards of Simian Mobile Disco. This song will make you dance and give you some nightmares.

96. Dada Life - "Feed The Dada"



Total guilty pleasure here. Silly, fun, and stupid, this electro house track would not get out of my head.

95. Menomena - "Pique"



Dramatic and haunting, this track gets to me every time. Featuring a gorgeous cinematic sweep, and some of the most emotionally biting vocals of the year.

94. School of Seven Bells - "Lafaye"



Lush and dreamy, "Lafaye" was a striking highlight on School of Seven Bells' album Ghostory, which was their first record to make an indelible impression on me.

93. Orbital - "Straight Sun"



Way past their storied heyday, Orbital confounded my expectations with their album Wonky by making not only one of the best records of the year, but one of their best albums. "Straight Sun" was a straight up dance track with a great forward movement and delicate melody.

92. John Talabot - "Journeys"



Working with Ekhi of Delorean, John Talabot crafts a swirling mass of synths and percolating percussion that is a glorious anthem to sun kissed days.

91. The 2 Bears - "Work"



From one of the silliest records of the year, "Work" is fun house track from two members of Hot Chip, who are hardly slumming on their moonlighting gig.

90. Squarepusher - "4001"



Frequently threatening to go off rails, "4001" was the amazing lead off track on Squarepusher's record Ufabulum that always seemed to regain balance whether it was through drill n' bass breakdowns or skyscraping drops.

89. Eternal Summers - "Millions"



"Millions" is the kind of track that is so immediately catchy and addictive you want to hear it over and over.

88. Clams Casino - "Swervin'"



For me it is impossible for me to review a Clams Casino record without mentioning the word "liquid." "Swervin'" is the perfect example of how he can submerge his sounds in thick layers of reverb, the notes and beats flowing into one another, bathing your ears in a warm glow.

87. Danny Brown - "Grown Up"



Bratty and uproariously funny, "Grown Up" is the best rap track of the year.

86. Lone - "Raindance"



I admit it, I am helpless to resist a 90s rave inspired track. This song is amazing.

85. Sleigh Bells - "Never Say Die"



Sleigh Bell's second album Reign of Terror took a long time to sink its claws in me. It is a subtler album than their debut and doesn't knock it out of the park the first spin through. But given time, the scope and sweep of the record become apparent. The tightly spun web of guitars and keyboards reaches a furiously powerful crescendo towards the end that is nothing short of breathtaking.

84. Death Grips - "Lil' Boy"



While their album Money Store is by far the better record, this track off their second album of 2012 NO LOVE DEEP WEB is too damn good to ignore. Blistering raps over skittering drum programming and blasts of deep bass and synths make this unable to be ignored.

83. Deerhoof - "Zero Second Pause"



I am not going to lie. Until this record, I hated Deerhoof. For some reason Breakup Song spoke to me, its punk/funk/dance mashup was too good to resist. "Zero Second Pause" feels like every era of the Talking Heads smashed into a slick groove.

82. Hot Chip - "Night And Day"



Dance track as addictive drug.

81. Porcelain Raft - "Drifting In And Out"



All evidence to the contrary, chillwave is still alive and well, just no one calls it such. Italian producer Mauro Remiddi who records under the name Porcelain Raft released this gorgeous single that tows the line between chillwave, dream pop, and shoegaze, to glorious effect.