Favorite Song of the 00s: Burial - "Archangel"

Burial's sound is so distinctive and oft copied that one forgets sometimes how brilliant his early work truly is. On his second record, the masterful Untrue, single "Archangel" stands out more from an emotional standpoint than an aural one. The manipulated Ray J sample adds needed warmth and depth to what is generally a chilly atmosphere. Over a clopping 2-step beat, Burial seamlessly melds together ethereal synths, harsh bass, and the clipped sampled vocals that are twisted and turned into itself. The doubt over a relationship is made to feel tangible and real. This haunting track will linger long in your memory.

Favorite Song of the 90s: Everything But The Girl - "Good Cop Bad Cop"

Who knew that venturing into electronic territory would not only rejuvenate Everything But The Girl but would also give them their best album, Walking Wounded. The lovely closing track is one of those achingly intimate tracks that burrows into your heart and mind and never leaves. It is a simple track that expresses the feeling everyone has had at some point in their lives, that they love someone that doesn't return the feeling.

2013 Favorite Songs (10-1)

And we finally reach the creme de la creme, my Top Ten Favorite Songs of 2013:

10. Nine Inch Nails - "Satellite"



Damn funky, and extremely catchy, "Satellite" off of Reznor's latest opus Hesitation Marks is textbook NIN, sinister and slinky, and ultimately booty shaking.

9. FKA twigs - "How's That"



Mixing trip-hop's sense of dread with beat music's warped style and mood, vocalist FKA twigs, working with top notch producer Arca, crafted this amazing single off her EP2. The song takes a while to take shape, its fractured beats never really letting you sink into a groove. But it is all due to the commanding vocals from FKA twigs that draw you in, a whisper, a coo, beckoning you into her dark, twisted world. Expect great things from this lady.

8. Blood Orange - "Chamakay"



Heartbreaking track from Blood Orange, the solo project of producer Dev Hynes, featuring vocals from Caroline Polachek from Chairlift. Over a languid, tropical vibe, Hynes and Polachek's vocals wind in and out of one another, each unsure of each other, and unable to make a relationship work with all the lies and game playing. The haunting lines "I'll never leave you if you're thinking that it's all the same/I'll never trust you if you're thinking that it's just a game" echo throughout the track, showing the impasse that can't be overcome.

7. When Saints Go Machine - "Iodine"



When Saints Go Machine cannot be called direct. Their experimental electro-pop tracks deal more with mood, texture, and atmosphere rather that getting straight to the point. Their lyrics are especially impressionistic and very open to interpretation, with single "Iodine" not being an exception. I have pretty much no idea what this song is about, however, their use of warm electronics and singer Nikolaj Manuel Vonsild's fragile, tender voice bring all the emotion and longing that is needed. This is pure pop feeling at its finest.

6. Local Natives - "You And I"



Local Natives took a monster leap into the upper echelons of indie rock with their second record Hummingbird. "You and I" is the soaring, emotional first track on the record that sets a high barrier for the other tracks to follow, and from there, the record becomes more and more sublime. This single always stands out for me, with its lush bed of guitars and keyboards, and Kelcey Ayer's gorgeous voice, and its sad dissection of a failing relationship, with Rice singing "When did your love, when did your love go cold?/The closer I get, the farther I have to go/To places we don't know." Quietly heartbreaking.

5. Drake - "Hold On, We're Going Home"



Sort of the yin to Local Native's "You and I" yang, Drake's self-proclaimed "wedding song," is not quite as straightforward as it sounds (why does this girl act different around Drake for instance?), but all thematic quibbles aside, this is the best damn pop-R&B track of the year. Drake assumes a slick Marvin Gaye persona on this track, and rides it home on its insistently good vibe.

4. London Grammar - "Wasting My Young Years"



Propelled by the striking vocals of Hannah Reid, London Grammar's "Wasting My Young Years" is the haunting centerpiece to their record If You Wait. It perfectly captures youthful doubt that a relationship is holding one back from actually living. Reid makes these doubts so palpable, you feel each pang deep inside.

3. Chvrches - "Gun"



If I could, I would easily put every song on The Bones of What You Believe on this list. As I have limited myself to one for each artist, I will go with "Gun," the ultimate kiss off song. And it doesn't hurt that this is some of the catchiest synthpop you will hear all year.

2. Tove Lo - "Habits"



Odd for me that the best, catchiest pop song of the year is also one of the saddest tracks I have ever heard. Singer Tove Lo wrenches every emotion she can as she tries to forget a lover that has either left her or passed away. As she numbs herself with drugs, alcohol, and one night stands, his memory keeps coming back to haunt her and you feel her anguish. Anyone who has lost their one great love should be devastated by this track. This song should have been huge.

1. James Blake - "Retrograde"



Damn you James Blake. Just as I was about to give up on you, you had to go and release "Retrograde," possibly the finest song of your career and now my favorite song of the year. That gorgeous croon, the delicate, fragile humming over somber piano chords and muted drum programming, erupting into such a emotional whirlwind. For the first time I felt your presence in a track, inhabiting it like an ancient ghost. When the analog synths kick in like air raid sirens from the underworld, my heart drops, your voice in agony over an unrequited love. You drop back into almost silence, keeping me tightly in your grasp. The aching refrain of "and your friends are gone/and your friends won't come" the perfect encapsulation of feeling lost and lonely in this world. Bravo.

2013 Favorite Songs (20-11)

20. Pet Shop Boys - "Vocal"



On their massive return to form record Electric, the Pet Shop Boys once again hit the dance floor with a bevy of club ready tracks. The rave-inflected closing track "Vocal," hits all the right buttons: an infectious melody, pounding drum beats, and more wry vocals from Neil Tennant.

19. Jade De LaFleur - "Jaded"



Carefully controlled and minimal in its execution, Jade De LaFleur's exquisite ballad is a haunting exploration of the search for love. Every emotion is laid bare over an icy facade that wants to let warmth in, but keeps pushing it away.

18. AlunaGeorge - "Your Drums, Your Love"



While AlunaGeorge didn't get the huge push that Disclosure did, they still, for me, are the more warm and inviting of the two records. More pop oriented than Disclosure's debut record Settle, Body Music had many charms. One of which was single "Your Drums, Your Love," a slinky, slippery mid-tempo ballad that feels like the aural equivalent of a bowl of soup on a cold day. Tasty.

17. Esben and the Witch - "The Fall of Glorieta Mountain"



Gorgeous vocals, atmospheric guitars and electronics punctuate this haunting track from the UK trio. Its stark beauty and hold on tone and mood is simply breathtaking.

16. Justin Timberlake - "Blue Ocean Floor"



Justin Timberlake always impresses me more when he goes outside his comfort zone. While there are a ton of other tracks on The 20/20 Experience I easily could have placed here, the one track on there that I always came back to was "Blue Ocean Floor." Over a minimal backing of backwards sounding piano chords, keyboards, and breathy vocals, Timberlake laments love lost. It is a quiet masterpiece.

15. Phoenix - "SOS In Bel Air"



Channeling their best ELO, Phoenix kick things into high gear with this blast of over-the-top pop.

14. Disclosure ft. AlunaGeorge - "White Noise"



Built around a sproingy bass line, this slamming track from Disclosure was a constant go-to party track for me. Plus I love the lyric: "if you want to get tough/then let's play rough."

13. Lapalux ft. Kerry Leatham - "Without You"



Languid and haunting, Lapalux's single "Without You" sounds like film noir as music. Dark shadows lurk in every corner of this track, smoke trails off the ends of cigarettes into nothingness, and an enveloping fog covers everything in loneliness.

12. Jon Hopkins ft. Purity Ring - "Breathe This Air"



Purity Ring's Megan Jones adds her wistful vocals to this thumping, minimalist techno track from producer Jon Hopkins. While the track appears as an instrumental on his brilliant album Immunity, this version with vocals makes an already great track even better.

11. BANKS - "This Is What It Feels Like"



BANKS' warm vocals are the perfect foil to the icy production work (courtesy of Lil Silva and Jamie Woon) on this track which is all glacial synths and groaning bass, which appears to be a slowed down sample from Ginuwine's "My Pony."

2013 Favorite Songs (30-21)

We've hit the mid-point of the countdown of my favorite songs of 2013. Here are Numbers 30 through 21:

30. Sigur Ros - "Kveikur"



Embracing a harsher, more industrial feel to their latest record Kveikur, Sigur Ros, which is more known for its delicate swirl of sound, threw caution to the wind with intense, dense meshes of guitars and more strident percussion. Title track "Kveikur" lurches and moans like a ship going down in a storm.

29. Danny Brown ft. Purity Ring - "25 Bucks"



Brilliant collaboration between rapper Danny Brown and alt-synthpop duo Purity Ring. Brown's reflections of growing up around extreme poverty, crime, and drug use contrasted with the earthy, poetic ruminations from vocalist Megan James.

28. Darkstar - "Timeaway"



Gorgeous, impressionistic synthpop from Darkstar. The chiming keyboards wash over you, transfixing you into a hypnotic state. Sublime.

27. Sleigh Bells - "Young Legends"



I will admit that Sleigh Bell's third record Bitter Rivals was a huge disappointment for me, finding the duo sort of stuck in a rut. The one huge surprise was "Young Legends" which found the band tuning down the guitars and going for a more synth-centric sound, which suits the band perfectly. If they had taken more chances like this, it would have made for a much more memorable album.

26. Lorde - "Royals"



The ubiquitous single from teenage sensation Lorde is still striking in its simplicity. Just muted handclaps and clicks and droning bass lines push Lorde's earthy vocals along in her dissection of our materialistic culture.

25. My Bloody Valentine - "who sees you"



Shoegaze legends My Bloody Valentine return with a new album and show everyone how it is done. "who sees you" is a natural progression from their classic record Loveless, with almost backward masked drums propelling the phalanx of chainsaw guitars into an orgiastic fury of bliss.

24. Arcade Fire - "Afterlife"



On the sprawling and experimental Reflektor, "Afterlife" stands out as the most traditional track. Not to take away from any of the other pleasures on the record, this track just stood out for me because in its simplicity it speaks louder and clearer. This bouncy, synth-bass driven track reaches for the heights of heaven, while its narrators search for meaning in this world.

23. Cut Copy - "In Memory Capsule"



On its rave and house happy new record Free Your Mind, Cut Copy threw out tons of epic bangers that are bound to pack dance floors. What really spoke to me on the record was the most Cut Copy-esque track, the joyous and celestial "In Memory Capsule," whose candy colored synths are guaranteed to get you high on their own accord.

22. Foals - "My Number"



Foals' latest record Holy Fire didn't knock my socks off like Total Life Forever did, which is not to say that it didn't have songs that sure did. First single "My Number" finds them throwing down a booty shaking, funky guitar/synth workout. Just try to stop yourself from dancing.

21. Vampire Weekend - "Hannah Hunt"



Vampire Weekend's record Modern Vampires of the City is like a great collection of short stories. Album standout "Hannah Hunt" condenses the tale of a relationship unraveling during a move cross country into a compact 4 minutes. When the drums kick in and Ezra Koenig blows the roof off with the lyrics "If I can't trust you then damn it, Hannah/ There's no future/ There's no answer/ Though we live on the U.S. dollar/ You and me, we got our own sense of time," you can feel hearts shatter to the ground; devastatingly brilliant.

2013 Favorite Songs (40-31)

Continuing the countdown of my Top 50 Favorite Songs of 2013 with Numbers 40 through 31:

40. Joel Compass - "Fucked Up"



UK singer Joel Compass was one of the standout future R&B stars of 2013. His single "Fucked Up" is a stately dissection of regret, his voice projecting all the emotions the narrator is going through as he slowly realizes that one stupid mistake will cost him everything.

39. Queens of the Stone Age - "My God Is The Sun"



I was lamenting to a friend that I really didn't have many pure rock records on my lists this year. The only record I consistently went to was Queens of the Stone Age's brilliant return ...Like Clockwork. Single "My God Is The Sun" is just a driving track that gets my blood pumping.

38. Daughter - "Shallows"



Reminiscent of atmospheric bands from the 4AD heyday, UK trio Daughter masterfully use atmosphere and texture to draw you in deeply. From their evocative debut record If You Leave, "Shallows" is a gorgeous track of carefully intertwined echoing guitars and hushed percussion. Singer Elena Tonra's voice beautifully portraying a woman's loss of self after losing her lover.

37. Young Galaxy - "New Summer"



A stunning, slow-burn synthpop track about fleeting youth and escaping the rapid passing of time, "New Summer" is one of the most infectious, and wistful tracks that captured my ear.

36. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "We No Who U R"



Dark, somber, and slightly sinister, "We No Who U R" is a veiled portrait of the all-encompassing purview of the Internet and social media. Cave's voice delicate, yet rich, almost resigned to life in this age. The words at the end "We know who you are/We know where you live/And we know there's no need to forgive" echoing out, almost in a mantra-like calm.

35. Tim Hecker - "Black Refraction"



Haunted and fractured piano piece from Tim Hecker's masterful record Virgins. The gorgeous melody plays against itself as it slowly decays into nothingness.

34. Young & Sick - "Continuum"



Young and Sick, a music and art collective based in LA, have very limited musical output, but what they have released is simply sublime. "Continuum" is a particularly lovely R&B influenced electronica track that slowly unfurls, like smoke off a cigarette.

33. BASECAMP - "Smoke Filled Lungs"



Nashville trio BASECAMP draw inspiration from R&B, bass music, and electronica, and come up with their own unique spin. From their debut EP, "Smoke Filled Lungs" is a blissfully atmospheric track that features one of the most emotionally compelling vocals I have heard in a long while.

32. Nero - "Into The Past"



Nero have always had a very cinematic outlook to their music. Their contribution to the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby takes things to the next level, with sweeping strings adding to the 3D extravaganza of the track. Simply stunning.

31. Boards of Canada - "Come to Dust"



Boards of Canada's latest record Tomorrow's Harvest is perhaps their most somber and grey record, lacking some of the playfulness of their earliest records. With tracks like the lumbering "Come to Dust," Boards of Canada still know how to create a palpable sense of dread and decay.

2013 Favorite Songs (50-41)

Once again, and how quickly it seemed to come this year, it is time for my picks for top songs and records for the past year. This week I will focus on my favorite songs and then follow up next week with top albums. I limited my picks to 50, with only one song from each artist. Starting off the countdown, here are my picks from Number 50 to Number 41:

50. Charli XCX - "What I Like"



Although UK singer/songwriter Charli XCX is probably best known for writing for others, including a credit on Icona Pop's global smash single "I Love It," however, her own output is equally impressive. Her debut record True Romance never really took off here in the States, which is shame, because it is packed full of pure pop goodness. One of my favorite singles from the record is "What I Like," a blissfully chilled out take on the first steps of a relationship.

49. M.I.A. - "Exodus"



Matangi is the first M.I.A. record I just couldn't get behind, though it does feature some of her best work. "Exodus," which rides along on a sample from The Weeknd and tight production from Switch, is a stunner. Over pounding drums and mourning synth strings, M.I.A. laments a world obsessed with material things, asking over and over "Baby you can have it all/Tell me what for?"

48. Low - "Just Make It Stop"



Quietly insistent, this track from Low builds almost unbearable tension. Gorgeous harmonies carry over a gorgeous bed of piano, guitar, and drums, while the lyrics are a haunting exploration of how the weight of living in this world can almost be too much to take.

47. Raleigh Ritchie - "Stay Inside"



UK singer Raleigh Ritchie sings longingly of wanting to stay in and not have to face the cruel harsh world in his single "Stay Inside." Over a minimalist backing, merely clapped percussion and a simple synth hook, the song slowly insinuates itself in your head.

46. Katy Perry ft. Juicy J - "Dark Horse"



While many accused Katy Perry of jumping on the trap bandwagon with this single, it is actually a pretty edgy track in its own right, and Perry holds her on against Juicy J. Completely addictive.

45. Purple - "The Club"



Part of the mysterious Weddit collective, London producer Purple makes club music for clubs you probably don't want to visit. Dark, sinister, and filled with dread, "The Club" mixes warped vocals, muted trap-beats, and ghostly synths to haunting effect.

44. Tegan and Sara - "Guilty As Charged"



A bonus track on their infectious pop record Heartthrob, "Guilty As Charged" is a neon-bright synth-pop track that is irresistible.

43. Son Lux - "Alternate World"



Fragile vocals propel this stunning track from Son Lux, which deftly combines the electronic and organic.

42. Atoms for Peace - "Before Your Very Eyes"



No one does on-the-edge quite like Thom Yorke, especially on his solo work and in his collective Atoms For Peace. "Before Your Very Eyes," the opening track on their debut record Amok, runs over skittering percussion, brittle guitars, and a surprisingly melodic bassline. Yorke's vocals run from edgy to hauntingly tender throughout, never quite comforting you completely, but allowing for a sliver of warmth to sneak in.

41. Beacon - "Bring You Back"



2013 seemed to be a year for minimalism in electronic music, at least for me. Brooklyn duo Beacon brought an elegant perfection to their brand of minimalist synthpop on their debut record The Ways We Separate. "Bring You Back" is perhaps the finest example from their record, a beautiful mix of chilly keyboards, muted programming, and Thomas Mullarney's aching croon.

2012 Favorite Songs: Numbers 20-1

And finally, here are my 20 Favorite Songs of 2012:

20. Santigold - "Disparate Youth"



Dubby track from Santigold which is her doing what she does best; laconic delivery over martial snares, machine gun blasts of guitars, and swooning synths.

19. Brandy - "So Sick"



Among all the amazing tracks on her latest record, "So Sick" is by far the standout. Over a slowly simmering groove, Brandy's slightly gruff voice provides stark emotion to a track about staying with someone even though you know it's the wrong thing.

18. Knife Party - "Internet Friends"



Probably one of the most ubiquitous tracks on the electronic music circuit this year. And even though it was played to death, it still has that ability to grab you each time. Sick drops.

17. Burial - "Kindred"



Over it's haunting 11 minute runtime, "Kindred" shows a muscularness here that has been heretofore unseen, instead of feeling like a passive listener, traveling silently through urban streets, you feel like your feet are on the pavement, the danger around you, the clipped vocal samples are either the passers-by around you or the voices in your head. Again, Burial is a master at letting pauses and silences speak volumes. The final movement of the track breaks through the grime and darkness, a lighter synth pattern emerges alongside a more ethereal vocal sample. Pure brilliance.

16. Bear In Heaven - "Sinful Nature"



One of the densest synthpop tracks of the year. The droning and swirling synths are hypnotic and captivating. The last minute of the track is an aural bong hit.

15. Miike Snow - "Pretender"



The characters in Miike Snow's album Happy For You all reach their own epiphanies, the man in "Pretender" realizing he is going through the motions of his life when he notes ""I didn’t wanna wake up/But then I felt your touch/Now I notice that I drink too much." The music gets more and more out of control as his mind tries to figure out how he got there. It is a captivating experience.

14. Two Door Cinema Club - "Sleep Alone"



Ostensibly a track about the drudgery of life on the road, "Sleep Alone" has a lot of alternate interpretations. For me, this song came out at a very emotional time for me, and it became all about wanting to finally be myself and not be something for others. His haunting declaration at the end "I don't know if in the morning I will be here/And if so/Let it be known/That I was worthy, I was worthy, I was worthy" never fails to bring me to tears.

13. The Presets - "Ghosts"



Who knew synthing up a sea shanty could result in one of the most breathtaking tracks of the year?

12. The Big Pink - "77"



Haunting, piano led ballad from the usually loud guitar based band. For me, the song is about addictions and losing all those around you. The lyric "I wish I had/77 ways to say no" becomes more and more hopeless and despondent as the track progresses.

11. Niki & The Dove - "DJ Ease My Mind"



A lot of my favorite tracks this year had to do with the power of music over the listener. In Niki & The Dove's "DJ Ease My Mind" the narrator uses music to make her forget the pain of a breakup; losing herself in the lights and sounds of a club.

10. Saint Etienne - "Tonight"



Unlike Niki & The Dove, Saint Etienne focus on music as elation. If you don't understand the excitement and buzz that comes from going to see one of your favorite bands live, you will never understand the beauty of this track.

09. Jessie Ware - "Wildest Moments"



"Maybe in our wildest moments/ we can be the greatest/maybe in our wildest moments/ we can be the worst of all." Simple lyrics, but perfectly captures a relationship that shouldn't work but somehow does.

08. Beach House - "Myth"



What I love about a lot of Beach House songs is that their impressionistic nature allows them to provide a basis for your own interpretation of the lyrics. "Myth" is one of those songs that can be about death, a breakup, a relationship; it is malleable enough to assign whatever you like to it. For me, the song is about life and death, how we get so caught up in relationships and the minutia of it all, never really seeing how fleeting everything is. The simple lyric "What comes after this/
Momentary bliss?" speaks volumes.

07. The xx - "Unfold"



Pure xx here: skeletal guitar work, lots of echo, space, and silence, and the careful interplay of vocals between Oliver and Romy. This track stuck with me for the longest time; the tale of unrequited love getting more and more poignant with each listen.

06. The Weeknd - "Initiation"



The dark, sinister centerpiece to Echoes of Silence, its brooding nihilism is both repellent and oddly enveloping.

05. Halls - "White Chalk"



Coming across like the bastard love child of Talk Talk and James Blake, Sam Howard, better known as Halls, combines his love of organic instrumentation with the experimental nature of UK bass music to create this other-worldly track that perfectly integrates the two together. When the sound drops out and angelic chorus kicks in, your stomach will leap.

04. Purity Ring - "Saltkin"



There are an embarrassment of riches on Purity Ring's debut album Shrines, and I am not quite sure why this one song kept bringing me back to it. I love the merging of Megan Jones' childlike, simple vocals and the dense swirl of synthesizers and chaotic Dirty South beats. In theory it should not work, but somehow under their brilliant hands it becomes something sublime.

03. Icona Pop - "I Love It"



Best pop song of the year, hands down. Try to escape its catchy clutches.

02. Usher - "Climax"



Usher has never been one for minimalism, and neither has producer Diplo. Who knew that the two together would produce an amazingly restrained track that is all build up with no release. Just when you think the track is going to explode, it folds within itself, the perfect framework for a track that is all about resignation and defeat.

01. Sun Airway - "Laketop Swimmers"



"Laketop Swimmers" is all about mood and atmosphere. Backwards sounding synth strings and a dreamy pace create an indelible feeling of time lost and an almost unbearable sense of melancholy. Looking back at halcyon days never to return, summer memories getting packed up in the rush of life/school/work, the ache in Jon Barthmus' voice is palpable. When the last crashing wave of synths fades out you feel your heart slowly breaking. I have played this track over 300 times this year, and it never ceases to be wondrous.

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.

2012 Favorite Songs - Numbers 60-41

Continuing my countdown of 2012 Favorite Songs:

60. Blackbird Blackbird - "Happy With You"



This EP took a long time to grow on me, mainly because it adheres a little to close to the sound perfected by Radio Dept., but somehow it won me over. This song particularly took hold in my playlists, its charm undeniable and the way it just grows and grows into something almost chaotic is breathtaking.

59. Perfume Genius - "17"



One of the bleakest and most haunting tracks on his album Put Your Back N 2 It, and also one of the most gorgeous tracks.

58. Beacon - "Feeling's Gone"



I love how this hushed, minimal track suddenly changes into a blissed out dance track midway through.

57. Passion Pit - "It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy"



One of the weirder songs on their album Gossamer, only because the lyrics paint a bleak relationship picture and then the chorus seems to subvert everything that came before it, while the song hits amazing heights. The contrast between the lyrics and the music is confusing yet intriguing.

56. MS MR - "Bones"



Dark and somber, and one of the most striking singles of the year.

55. Monsta - "Hold On (Skrillex and Nero Remix)"



Although I am not a huge fan of putting remixes in my lists, I do think this is an amazing reworking of the this track, featuring some amazing builds from Nero and Skrillex's fierce drops.

54. The Raveonettes - "Curse The Night"



On the surface this is just a pretty song, but there is something within it that always pulls me deep below into its melancholy depths.

53. Elite Gymnastics - "Life/Trap"



This track found new life in drum and bass for me. I love its undulating flow.

52. Kindness - "House"



There is a melancholy feel to this track, but somehow it ends up rather hopeful at the end with the singer telling his lover "I can't give you all that you need/but I can give you all I can feel."

51. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - "American Dream, Pt. II"



From a muted beginning into a pulsating, throbbing dancefloor banger, this is one of the many fun tracks off this producer's debut album.

50. XXYYXX - "About You"



While he is still trying to figure out his own personal sound, 17 year old producer Marcel Everett comes pretty close to marking out his own territory with this rumbling, avant R&B track, featuring twisted vocal samples over buzzing synths and basslines.

49. Phantom - "Scars"



Slow building and sensual take on R&B and trip-hop from the Finnish duo.

48. Bat For Lashes - "Laura"



While her latest album left me wanting, this standout track is Bat For Lashes to a T, dramatic, soulful, and haunting.

47. The Invisible - "Lifeline"



Atmospheric and poignant song about being the overwhelming nature of life.

46. Man Without Country - "Clipped Wings"



Gorgeous, swirling synth pop.

45. DIIV - "Doused"



From one of the best indie-guitar pop albums of the year, this track is a driving phalanx of ringing, chiming, and oceanic guitars.

44. Eddi Front - "Gigantic"



Stark and minimal, this track equating a dissolving relationship with a divorce, is quietly devastating.

43. Chromatics - "Kill For Love"



Slight robotic and off-kilter, this track has a warm underglow that sweeps over you while the synth strings swell and guitars chime.

42. Young Galaxy - "Youth Is Wasted On The Young"



"I wouldn't mind dying at all/if it weren't for the songs I'd miss." Enough said.

41. Arca - "Self Defense"



Genre twisted bass track from this up and coming producer.

2012 Favorite Songs - Numbers 80-61

Continuing my list of 2012 Favorite Songs, here are numbers 80-61:

80. Azealia Banks - "Aquababe"



Proving over and over she is not just a flash in the pan, Banks put out a mixtape featuring this slamming track produced by Machinedrum.

79. Killsonik - "Bloodlust"



Blisteringly heavy dubstep track featuring a killer drop.

78. Liars - "Brats"



You never know what Liars are going to do each album. For their latest they dusted off their synthesizers and made a dark electronic album. "Brats" is the most danceable and most structured song, but of course, being Liars, it is full of manipulated vocals that are twisted and turned throughout the run of the track.

77. AlunaGeorge - "Just A Touch"



While we still await a full-length from the London duo, they still tease us with singles here and there, like this slinky modernized take on 90s R&B.

76. Marina and the Diamonds - "Bubblegum Bitch"



Pure pop perfection.

75. Light Asylum - "Heart of Dust"



In describing this duo, I usually say "they're like La Roux, fronted by Grace Jones." It gets the point across. This is an amazing aggro-electro track.

74. Lower Dens - "Propagation"



Dreamy, drugged out shoegaze track that is haunting in its simplicity.

73. Fiona Apple - "Werewolf"



One of the more straightforward tracks off her latest album, which still retains her oddball charm.

72. Mount Eerie - "The Place I Live"



One of the gorgeous highlights off his album Clear Moon, "The Place I Live" is most humanely intimate and also universally expansive.

71. PS I Love You - "Don't Go"



Just a tightly coiled rock song with a fabulous sense of drama.

70. Hospitality - "Sleepover"



Gorgeous, jangly indie guitar pop with some lovely, melancholy lyrics.

69. Karin Park - "Tiger Dreams"



Although she will never lose the comparisons to Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife/Fever Ray, this is still a killer track.

68. Solange - "Locked In Closets"



Finding her own voice finally, Solange crafted this slinky, slick R&B track that showcased her new found strength as a songwriter.

67. Errors - "Magna Encarta"



Even though the Scottish trio has added more vocals to their mix, the focus is still their odd take on dancey synth pop, which was gloriously represented on their latest record by this fantastic track.

66. Paul Banks - "Summertime Is Coming"



Showing that he is still the heart and soul of Interpol, Paul Banks' new record is full of his interesting take on relationships with "Summertime Is Coming" closing things off in his own wry way.

65. A Place To Bury Strangers - "Dissolved"



Foregoing sheer noise for more subtlety, "Dissolved" moves from atmospheric shoegaze ballad to forceful motorik intensity in 5+ minutes of masterful songwriting.

64. Cloud Nothings - "Our Plans"



Clearly having Steve Albini come in and provide focus to Cloud Nothings was a good thing. There were almost too many great tracks on their new album to choose from. This is one amazing indie-rock track.

63. The Walkmen - "Heaven"



Until the release of this record, The Walkmen have always been "could have beens" with me, never quite living up to the promise of their earlier work. Somehow their new record Heaven seemed to click on almost every level with me. The title song to the record is a homage to the years this band has been together and how they continue on despite setbacks and wanting to give up at times. The music is familiar but warm, and is just a kick ass rock song.

62. Lana Del Ray - "Born To Die"



All backlash against her aside, you can't dismiss Lana Del Rey. Her debut album is wildly inconsistent but it sticks so well to its aesthetic you are eventually won over to its charm. The title track is both languid and bold, sassy and understated, and ultimately her signature song.

61. Beyonce - "I Miss You"



I panned Beyonce's album 4 back when it came out; lifeless, soulless, and reeking of corporate hands all over it. One song completely stood out among the dreck, this lovingly penned track from Frank Ocean that contains more emotion it its 3 minutes than the whole of the album combined.

30 Day Song Challenge: Day One - Your Favorite Song

Day One: Your Favorite Song
The Smiths
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"

Favorite song is a little difficult to come up with, as I have far too many songs I love I could never ever say that one was definitively my favorite song. I guess this is more of a if-I-absolutely-have-to-pick-one it would be The Smiths "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out."

In 1986, while everyone else in my class was listening to Bon Jovi and all the other hair metal bands, I was searching far and wide in the barren wilds of Savannah, Georgia for the college radio music I only was able to hear on frequent trips to Athens, Georgia to see UGA football games with my parents. It was the MTV show 120 Minutes that provided the only oasis in the desert of crap music I was forced to endure, and it was this video that drew me into the song.

I'd already loved The Smiths from their debut and Meat Is Murder, and countless singles, but The Queen Is Dead was the album that stuck with me the most. The simple and melodic "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" still captivates me to this day. The lyrics expertly straddle the line between maudlin and over-the-top, never going too far over one edge or the other, transcending to sublime. The delicate cry of the strings perfectly intertwines with the chiming guitars. Being an "arty" kid stuck in a small town growing up was the perfect backdrop for what The Smiths wrote about and stood for, and this song will always bring me back to those days when the only thing laying before you was an endless sea of possibilities.