In My Esteemed Opinion

1. Sunset Rubdown
"Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings"
More of a three-act tragedy than merely a song, Krug slowly builds the tension until finally peaking with an uncharacteristically crisp hair-metal guitar solo, before easing into an 80's synth-pop dance beat. Track of the year, no battle.

2. TV on the Radio
"Wolf Like Me"
The guitar riffs slowly emerge through the thick haze of feedback and distortion, the drums and vocals kick in to provide a reference point in the blinding musical surge. It seeps deep into the bones and possesses one's senses. You are the werewolf; this track is the full moon. You don't listen to this song; you survive it.

3. Midlake
"Roscoe"
Probably the only track on the list anyone will be listening to in 20 years. Inviting and warm, "Roscoe" is a soothing throwback to the age of soulful singer-songwriters. A perfect soundtrack for melancholic mountian men or cruising in your 1970 Trans Am, top down in the middle of August. (I stole that last one from a friend)

4. Man Man
"Van Helsing Boombox"
Man Man reigns in some of their unbridled, volatile energy to craft a sublime, subdued, bluesy melody. Honus Honus's distinct growl hopelessly yearns for a woman using poetic, vivid, and well-structured lyrics. Vaudeville piano melodies stumble against a lazy bass line, while a brain-dead kick drum keeps pace. The funnest drown-my-sorrow-with-malt-liquor track of the past decade.

5. The Knife
"Silent Shout"
Chilly and otherworldly, Silent Shout haunts one's senses long after the song ends.

6. Islands
"Swans (Life After Death)"
The title of my blog should give you a clue as to how much I enjoy this track. It's a joyous, optimistic ode to death and the impending apocalypse.

7. Voxtrot
"Sway"
The prettiest song of the year.

8. Final Fantasy
"This Lamb Sells Condos"
Lively keys mingle with energetic violins and tightly arranged symphonic elements to emerge with a bouncy and exhilirating, tightly wound tune. Best Lyrics: "And his massive genitals refuse to cooperate/No amount of therapy can hope to save his marriage." Runner-up: "Conjured up a fire mage/Burned off both his eyebrows and half a head of hair."

9. Margot & The Nuclear So and So's
"Quiet As A Mouse"
A foot-stomping indie classic.

10. His Name Is Alive
"C*A*T*S"
Syrupy electric beats wobble like sheets of aluminum while Andy FM's soft vocals hypnotize the listener into a sublime daze.

11. Beirut
"Mt. Wroclai (Idle Days)"
Makes you feel like you are attending an Ukranian wedding.

12. Swan Lake
"All Fires"
"...must burn a life to live."

13. Sparrow House
"When I Am Gone"
Gorilla vs Bear said it best when he wrote, "Wes Anderson, I well expect this to be prominently featured in your next film."

14. Lil' Wayne & DJ Drama
"Georgia...Bush"
Empathy infects every facet of contemporaneous society. Wars continue to rage in the Middle East, Katrina hits, and hardly a collective peep is heard from the music industry. Why aren't more musicians writing songs about these events? Baby Weezy is, and this is one fiery condemnation of the Bush administration's lackluster response to Katrina. Bravo, Lil' Wayne.

15. Tap Tap
"100,000 Thoughts"
A lo-fi, fuzzed-out, twangy little diddy with a liberal dose of handclaps.

16. Two Gallants
"Las Cruces Jail"
Dusty, country-influenced track that gallops with the force of a locomotive.

17. Cold War Kids
"Hospital Beds"
The soulful piano riff and passionate vocals may leave you covered in goosebumps.

18. Shout Out Out Out Out
"Dude You Feel Electrical"
You are electric?

19. Junior Boys
"Double Shadow"
Nothing will get your entire car doing shoddy interpretations of the robot faster than this song. A focused, centered dance track that does nothing spectacular or wildly different, but still comes across fresh and engaging.

20. Klaxons
"Gravity's Rainbow"
A mescaline-laced roller coaster of love.

21. Annuals
"Carry Around"
"I've got magic in my head/Magic up my nose/Magic coming out my fingers/Magic coming out my eyes/I've got magic coming out every-fucking-where I look."
No arguments here.

22. Peter Bjorn and John
"Amsterdam"
Maybe it just reminds me of my trip to this eccentric city.

23. I'm From Barcelona
"We're From Barcelona"
A celebratory anthem about friendship performed with an earnestness unseen since those Mentos commercials.

24. Josh Ritter
"Girl In the War"
A folksy, natural, acoustic tune reflecting on war.

25. Phoenix
"Long Distance Runner"
I couldn't totally snub these french new-wave rock sensations.

26. The Fiery Furnaces
"Teach Me Sweetheart"
It might give you a headache, but I find it brilliant.

It's a little redundant when comparing it to my best albums. As you can see, I don't listen to many singles, just albums.

I had a particularly hard time leaving off ; "Wildcat" by Ratatat, "I Have No Sister" by Oh No! Oh My!, "Louie Louie" by Teitur, and "Shakey Dog" by Ghostface Killah. Consider these understudies, or add them on and call it an even 30.