The Strokes - Angles

Angles, the fourth record from NYC rock kings The Strokes, is a far cry from their early albums. Once dubbed the ‘saviors of rock’ by many fans and critics, the band has undergone a series of recording and style changes that sets their latest album apart from the edgy, fuzzy sound of albums like Is This It and Room On Fire. Some of the change has to be attributed to frontman Julian Casablancas’ venture into solo territory; his album Phrazes for the Young also has a much more polished sound than that of his previous work with The Strokes. Nevertheless, the tighter sound is an interesting evolution for the band, and one that should be met with considerable praise.

“Everybody’s singin’ the same song for ten years,” yells Casablancas on first single ‘Under Cover of Darkness,’ and that couldn’t be truer. Ever since the band’s critically acclaimed debut album Is This It, fans and critics have been praying for a worthy follow-up, but they have been mostly disappointed with what they’ve been given. If you’re looking for a return to early 2000s form, you’ll again be disappointed, but if you want some tight catchy rock tunes, this is the record for you. The guitar hooks on ‘Under Cover of Darkness’ and especially album opener ‘Machu Picchu’ are so infectious you’ll need to be sedated to stop from whistling them. One of the most striking changes for the band is the emergence of a rhythm section that does more than just keep time. The Strokes have always been a guitar driven band, but on Angles there are some great drum patterns and fills to complement the onslaught of awesome guitar riffs. Casablancas’ vocal performance is spot-on throughout, as his tired drawl shifts between ranges effortlessly.

The real problem here is that after a rocking start, the album loses steam rather quickly at around the halfway point. Some of the songs in the final half sound like filler, and they failed to keep my attention at a few points. Overall though, the quality here is very good, and even though at some points it really does sound like Casablancas forced some of his solo work onto his band, they perform it flawlessly. A few of these songs will be finding their way onto my year-end list for sure. 4/5.

Since it’s been a while since I posted last (finals and all that), here are some scores I’ve given for other recent releases (or impending releases).

The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck – 4.3/5

The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns – 3.7/5

Low – C’mon – 3.4/5

Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care – 4.2/5

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

They're baaaaaaaaaack...renowned English quintet Radiohead dropped their eighth studio album last week, almost completely by surprise. Sure, there had been talk of the band being in the studio, various random singles released between In Rainbows and now, but Thom Yorke and Co. still managed to catch everyone off-guard by announcing The King of Limbs less than a week before its release.

I suppose it would be wrong of me not to fully disclose my love for Radiohead before writing this review. After all, being my favorite band, there is obviously going to be some bias here. If I give it a good score, it's going to be taken as fanboyism, and if I give it a bad score, you might just say it simply didn't reach my lofty expectations. (Side note: If you haven't put on a good pair of headphones, lain in bed, and given Kid A an attentive, zero interruption listen, stop reading this and do that right now.) That being said, I will try to review this record as neutrally as possible, but I'll let you know now, it is damn good.

The King of Limbs is pretty much an amalgamation of everything Radiohead has done since the Kid A days, yet it is unique in its own right. The band has continued to craft its unique blend of haunting electronics and driving rock, but the difference here is that this record is groovy in places, something that we don't see from them often ("I Might Be Wrong" and "Where I End and You Begin" are the only examples that come to mind immediately). But while those moments were just changes of pace on their respective albums, groove is a real theme on this latest record. The driving drums and great guitar/bass lines in "Little by Little," "Lotus Flower," and the awesome "Separator" really showcase the band's ability to make you get up and dance a little. (And don't we all wish we could dance like Thom Yorke in the Lotus Flower video?) "Separator" in particular continues a trend of incredible album closers for Radiohead; they seem to have this knack for ending their records on exactly the right note. The Jonny Greenwood guitar riff that jumps in about halfway through the song is just glorious. I have a feeling that Separator will end up being one of my very favorite RH songs.

Not that the album is without its abstract moments and its pretty ones. "Codex" really invokes memories of "Pyramid Song," while "Give Up The Ghost" might be the most starkly pretty song the band has ever written. Opener "Bloom" is the most Kid A-esque, with a jumpy beat and processed Yorke vocals soaring above the whole affair. Oh yeah, Thom Yorke has still got it folks. His vocals carry the entire album, but especially shine on "Give Up The Ghost."

Really I only have two complaints, and one is just a mark of the strength of this record. Midpoint "Feral" is a little weak, it feels like it was supposed to be an instrumental break in the vein of "Treefingers" but it doesn't have the same effect. Also, the album feels too short, like the ideas explored weren't fleshed out as fully as they could have been. I have hope that this isn't the last we'll hear from Radiohead this year, though. As Yorke so sweetly croons on "Separator," "If you think this is over, you're wrong." 4.7/5.

A music-related thought I thought I'd share

Recently I've been listening to a lot of stuff that I loved a year or two ago and fell out of loving. Maybe I latched onto something else, maybe I overplayed it, who knows. The thing that occurred to me as I listened to mewithoutYou's magnum opus Brother, Sister, was that music is simultaneously living and static. It breathes life into a dead and tired brain, yet it is always the same, consistently providing the same comfort, entertainment, and food for thought as it did the first time it was listened to.

This is interesting in a couple ways; first, music provides a base that you can always trust and come back to. The notes never change, and to me music gives a sense of order to my life. At the same time though, having a large variety of options helps me to not stay in a rut and keep life interesting. (I suppose to make this whole thing make sense it would help y'all to know that I am listening to some sort of music probably 8+ hours a day.)

Another thing this made me consider is that since music remains static, our perceptions of it are ever-changing. Sometimes I'm just not feeling an album one day, but the next day I listen to it again and it's like being reborn. Music is alive in this sense just like your friends. One day they can bother and annoy you, and the next day you want nothing more than to talk to them for hours on end.

Cut Copy - Zonoscope

Sleep-deprived review coming up so ignore any typos or sentences that don't make sense.

Australian synth-pop group Cut Copy have been making folks (like me!) get up and dance since 2004, but they've only really been in the limelight since 2008's wildly popular and successful In Ghost Colours. That album featured a seamless flow of impossibly catchy dance tunes the likes of which hadn't been seen since Daft Punk's Discovery. The undeniably infectious tunes have even broken through the indie/mainstream wall, I heard 'Lights and Music' being played at Easton last time I was there. When they announced a follow-up, it seemed impossible that the greatness of In Ghost Colours could be duplicated. Well, it may be impossible, but 2011's Zonoscope is definitely an admirable effort.

Much like IGC, Zonoscope begins with a flurry of instant-favorite songs, with relatively mellow 'Need You Now' setting the stage for the bouncy 'Take Me Over' and the interestingly different 'Where I'm Going.' The former is pretty standard Cut Copy material, but the latter dumps the synths and catchy vocal choruses for a vaguely bluesy beat and chanted 'yeah!'s. It's a fairly drastic change in style for a pretty consistent band, and while the song stands out well on its own, the flow of the record is somewhat disrupted by it. After that detour into new territory, the synths kick back in on Pharaohs and Pyramids and everyone can start dancing again.

The remainder of Zonoscope sees the band continue to stick true to their guns, pumping out the kinds of songs that made them who they are. Unfortunately, the 15 minute final track, 'Sun God,' is a bit overbloated and doesn't really have enough ideas to warrant its length. All in all though, Zonoscope is a solid third album from a band that I've come to expect good things from. 3.8/5.

Choice Tracks

Take Me Over: http://theneedledrop.com/?p=1954

Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution: No Youtube link yet:(

Pharaohs and Pyramids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqPEW2OVxyA

What's Next in 2011?

2010 was a wonderful year for music, but 2011 has the potential to be even better! Here are some notable artists that should be releasing albums in the coming year (and by notable I mean stuff I am personally looking forward to :p)

Radiohead - "No Title" - The mega-influential English quintet has been recording for the past half-year or so, and rumor has it that they are done with a new set of songs and are currently in the process of figuring out what to do with them.

Expected release date: February/March

The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck - Prolific singer-songwriter John Darnielle's primary group will be releasing their newest record this year.

Expected release date: March 29

Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean - Folk singer-songwriter Sam Beam's newest record promises to be a stunning change of style from previous releases based on early singles.

Expected release date: January 25

The Decemberists - The King Is Dead - This influential modern indie rock band continues their run of genre-defying releases with a countryish new record.

Expected release date: January 18

Deltron 3030 - Deltron Event II - A record which I consider to be the "Duke Nukem Forever" of hip-hop albums, this decade-in-the-making sequel to Del, Automator, and Koala's futuristic debut record looks like it might finally come out this year, based on reports from Del that all recording is in fact finished.

Expected release date: Sometime?

Coldplay - "LP5" - Chris Martin has promised that Coldplay's fifth (and final?) record will be even more ambitious than the excellent Viva la Vida. Based on what I've heard, my expectations have been tempered a bit, but we'll see.

Expected release date: Spring/Summer 2011

The Shins - "No Title" - Rumors abound about a new Shins album finally being released this year, but with a new lineup (with Modest Mouse's drummer!) and frontman James Mercer's involvement in other projects, this one will probably show up late this year if ever.

Expected release date: Late 2011

Explosions in the Sky - "No Title" - The bombastic post-rock outfit from Texas promised fans a tour as well as a new record in 2011.

Expected release date: Spring/Summer 2011

Modest Mouse - "No Title" - This is mega-hopeful on my part, but Isaac Brock said in June that Modest Mouse spent the first half of the year writing and recording "random shit" so please please please get that shit together!

Expected release date: Late 2011 if at all

Those are the ones I'm super excited about but there are a bevy of other groups also planning releases for 2011, including:

Kanye West/Jay-Z

Mogwai

Red Hot Chili Peppers

R.E.M.

CAKE

Fleet Foxes

Lupe Fiasco

The Avalanches (?)

I'm sure there will be more surprises too!

Best(ish) Albums of 2010

So, another year has passed, and it's been a great one for music in general. Many new discoveries were made, old favorites were renewed, and many of my favorite artists came out with long-anticipated new releases. Singles are nice, but the true measure of a great band is whether or not they can bring it all together for an entire album, and these albums did a pretty good job of that. I'll preface this with two things; first, these are not the 'best' albums released this year by any artistic standard, they are just what I enjoyed the most. Second, I did not include any EPs on this list, so although you may have seen Geographer take two of the top three songs on my 'best songs' list, you won't find that record here (I still recommend it highly!).

Honorable Mentions:

20. Hot Chip - One Life Stand

Britain's dance-rock supergroup of sorts has been one of a few bands in the genre to enjoy crossover success of some kind, and their mainstream appeal became full-fledged this year with One Life Stand. Catchy dance tunes are still the norm for Alexis Taylor and Co., but this record is permeated by great somber tunes such as 'Alley Cats' too. This record really focuses on love of all shapes and sizes, and it's tough not to give a little love to Hot Chip in return.

19. Best Coast - Crazy For You
This was the debut record for California stoner queen Bethany Cosentino, and the title of the album pretty much says it all. Cosentino really wants to be with this dude. Pretty much every song features her pining after presumably the same guy, and it's safe to bet that much of her longing is brought on by the ganja. Thing is, it works. The lyrics are very relateable, and the fuzzy surf-rock hooks make this the perfect album for chillin' on the beach.

18. Ratatat - LP4

This NYC indie-electronic duo's fourth studio album has been widely criticized for being a collection of B-sides just lazily thrown together, indicating a lack of drive to try new things. I beg to differ, because if every band's B-sides were this good it would be impossible to put a list like this together. This record features just as many danceable, catchy hooks as their previous work, and as the old saying goes, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

17. 65daysofstatic - We Were Exploding Anyway
This criminally underrated post-rock group from England also released their fourth studio album this year to almost zero fanfare. 2010 was a major changing period for 65dos, as they fully abandoned their old all-out guitar assault sound in favor of a predominantly electronic sound. The band didn't lose their edge though, as the riffs on this record still hit just as hard, albeit with a different bite. Listen to the opening beat of 'Mountainhead' for an idea of what I'm getting at.

16. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

At this point we've all come to expect a lot from Win Butler and friends, perhaps unfairly, but their majestic anthems about loss have caused much of the independent music world (and maybe the mainstream world too, considering this record debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts) to place them on a pedestal. Perhaps it is unfair to judge this band based on their past work, but it's really hard to compare them to anything else. As such, this record was a minor disappointment for me (not that I blame them, they'll probably never top Funeral). However, even a slightly disappointing Arcade Fire record is good for one of the best of the year. The band takes the listener on a stellar journey full of depressing lows and cathartic highs.

15. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

This 20-year old British folk singer came out with her second album this year, a sweep-you-off-your-feet collection of gorgeous acoustic folk tunes. Marling sounds wise beyond her few years, both in the quality of her voice and her mature lyrical themes, making this collection of songs all the more impressive. Let's hope this is the beginning of a long, prolific career.

14. Michael Cassette - Temporarity

Boy, was this record a blast from the past. This well-respected underground producer's first solo album features heavy use of 80s-style electronics, drowning the listener in a deluge of ridiculously catchy synth hooks. You can bet that this some of this stuff will be on the playlist at any dance party I throw.

13. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

James Murphy hit the big 4-0 early this year, and on this LCD record (possibly their last) you can definitely tell it's something he thinks about. A lot. Despite the final two songs being a bit boring, there is enough good stuff in the first seven to make this a really great record. From the joyous celebration of partying in 'Drunk Girls' to the desperation of clinging to love in 'I Can Change,' Murphy just gets better and better with age.

12. Beach House - Teen Dream

Honestly, a week ago this wasn't on my list because I hadn't listened to it yet. If I made this list again in another week it might be even higher up. The Baltimore dream-pop duo makes exquisitely refined songs with aching melodies and beautiful reverb. It's like My Bloody Valentine and Enya had a baby, and it is glorious.

11. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

With his first proper album is four years, Sufjan Stevens underwent some drastic changes. Gone are the banjos and crooning passages about the unique locales of midwestern America. They were replaced by spare electronics and lots of introspection and demon-facing. The end result is a beautiful journey through the darkest places of Stevens' mind, and strangely enough, in the end it ends up being more uplifting than any record he're written before.

10. Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here?

One of the few good things still happening in Cleveland, Ohio (hurr hurr), drone outfit Emeralds have been nothing if not prolific, releasing cassette after cassette of material for the past five years. This year's full-length release Does It Look Like I'm Here is the most polished of the bunch, a sprawling mixture of ambient textures and schizoid synth melodies. The music swells and recedes beautifully, making this the perfect 'lie on your bed and think' album.

9. Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love

The legendary Scottish twee act returned with their 8th studio album this year, bringing to rest the genre-confusion of their past couple records and settling somewhere in the middle. Write About Love brilliantly combines the upbeat jazziness of The Life Pursuit with some of the quieter, more reserved tunes from their early releases. Sarah Martin steals some of the spotlight with more vocal work than we usually see, which is definitely a plus. All in all, this is just another great record from an excellent group of musicians.

8. Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History

These Irish youngsters debuted with quite possibly the most fun album of the year. The three-piece band features post-punk song structures that somehow dissolve into some of the bounciest dance music of the year, not to mention more catchy hooks than you can shake a stick at. Somewhat overlooked this year by many major publications, I think they'll hit the big time very very soon.

7. Matthew Dear - Black City

Longtime electrohouse producer Matthew Dear has long been behind some of the world's biggest dance hits, but it wasn't until recently he stepped to the forefront of his music and grabbed the mic. Black City is a dark affair; a collection of songs featuring Dear's deep baritone over squelchy beats and riffs that practically ooze. Dear uses his imperfect voice creatively, using it intricately to add a sense of foreboding to the beats. In the end, the mix is hauntingly beautiful, though it takes a few listens to really understand.

6. Fang Island - Fang Island

When I first heard Fang Island coming through my headphones on my way to campus, I kind of had to fight the urge to start skipping down the street. Fang Island describes their music as 'everyone high-fiving everyone,' and honestly, there really isn't a better way to describe it. Soaring triple-guitar melodies make statement after statement, and the few sung portions are joys to behold.

5. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

All it takes is the first few bars of 'Earthquake' to let you know you're in for something truly different with Deerhunter's latest record. The psych-rock group's latest effort is a spectacle, with its somber guitar lines accentuated by haunting ambient noise. Frontman Bradford Cox tackles aging and death in his lyrics, as is most apparent in the last song, 'He Would Have Laughed,' a tribute to recently deceased garage-punk icon Jay Reatard. The last few bars of that song might be the musical moment of the year, as the song twinkles out of existence abruptly mid-bar, mirroring the unexpected death of Reatard. Sadness has never sounded so pretty.

4. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

Gorillaz, being a one-man show run by former Blur frontman Damon Albarn, have always relied on guest appearances to take the stellar music to the next level. Albarn really hit the jackpot in that respect on Plastic Beach, landing awesome guest spots from Bobby Womack, Little Dragon, Mos Def, and Snoop Dogg. Albarn calls it "the most pop album I've ever made in many ways," but the truth is it may be the best album in the Gorillaz trilogy.

3. Sleigh Bells - Treats

I'm not sure the world was ready for Derek Miller to wait on Alexis Krauss' table at a Brooklyn cafe. The two began to talk about music and the rest is history. Sleigh Bells strange combination of loud-beyond-belief guitars, drum machine rumbles, and Krauss' relatively soft voice singing though the chaos, is a new phenomenon in the music world. The energy of Sleigh Bells is unparalleled by any group today, and with their music now being used in major advertisements, Sleigh Bells are on their way to being more than just an indie phenomenon.

2. The National - High Violet

Matt Berninger just has a way with words. The Brooklyn-via-Cincinnati group just keeps putting out solid records about ordinary American adult life, and this is probably the best of the bunch. What makes the National so great is the fact that the lyrics are so relateable; Berninger is a normal, troubled guy just like most of the rest of us, and he does a brilliant job of turning his feelings into beautiful poetry. Combine that with masterful songwriting and you've got one of the best bands making music out there today.

1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Wow. For the majority of the year I didn't think any record would top High Violet in my mind. Then some guy named Kanye released a record and I played songs off that record 244 times in the ensuing week. That made me take notice. Kanye West's magnum opus is a masterpiece in American hip-hop and the best album released this year. The tight production, the funny rhymes, the move from epic egotism at the beginning to bleak self-hatred at the end. Kanye may not be the best rapper out there, but he sure as hell is the best hip-hop producer, and has a bevy of high-profile friends to make up for whatever skills he lacks (not many). Competitors will be hard-pressed to make sure this isn't the best hip-hop record of the decade to come.

That's it for 2010, see you in 2011!

Top 50 Songs of 2010

So, the end of the year is nigh, and thus time for end-of-the-year best-of lists! 2010 was a wonderful year for music, with the potential to get even wonderfuller (*cough*Radiohead*cough*). This week I'll present my 50 favorite songs of 2010 (in some semblance of order). Next week you'll get my 20 favorite albums. So, without further ado, here's the list!

50. Slowdance - Matthew Dear

49. Indestructible - Robyn

48. Lucidity - Tame Impala

47. Celestica - Crystal Castles

46. Ready to Start - Arcade Fire

45. Shutterbugg - Big Boi

44. Latin America - Holy Fuck

43. Too Much - Sufjan Stevens

42. Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National

41. Drugs - Ratatat

40. Wut - Girl Unit

39. Runaway - Kanye West

38. Empty Room - Arcade Fire

37. He Would Have Laughed - Deerhunter

36. Careful Crossers - Fang Island

35. Sorrow - The National

34. I Feel Better - Hot Chip

33. Drunk Girls - LCD Soundsystem

32. Rill Rill - Sleigh Bells

31. Little People (Black City) - Matthew Dear

30. I Didn't See It Coming - Belle and Sebastian

29. Rambling Man - Laura Marling

28. On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz

27. Power - Kanye West

26. Crockett's Theme - Michael Cassette

25. Pow Pow - LCD Soundsystem

24. Does It Look Like I'm Here? - Emeralds

23. Kids - Sleigh Bells

22. Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club

21. Take It In - Hot Chip

20. Boyfriend - Best Coast

Singer/guitarist Bethany Cosentino's debut was a wistful, funny group of catchy songs about love and weed, and her first single was the best of the bunch. "Boyfriend" is a firsthand account of longing after a boy, but realizing that his current girlfriend is way more qualified than you are.

19. Only Girl (In The World) - Rihanna
After Rihanna's much-publicized run-in with Chris Brown and the introspective outpouring of emotion that manifested itself in Rated R, Rihanna returned this year doing what she does best; making catchy as hell pop singles. Only Girl (In The World) is a raucous return to form for the pop star, with a hook that is as irresistible as any out there.

18. I Want The World To Stop - Belle and Sebastian

The Scottish twee icons released one of their best albums to date this year in Write About Love, and this is sure to become one of their most recognizable songs. "I Want The World To Stop" features a fun guitar hook and the same pleasant wistfulness we've all come to expect from B&S.

17. Viktorious - Big K.R.I.T.

Definitely the shortest entry on this list, the Mississippi rapper's track about his climb to fame and representing his home state is a masterpiece of flow and lyrical brilliance.

16. Schizophrenia - Jukebox The Ghost

This piano-pop group began their rise to fame this year after they appeared on Letterman to perform this insanely infectious single. (Watch the Letterman performance to see lead singer Ben Thornewill do hilarious things with his eyes!)

15. Conversation 16 - The National

Brooklyn-via-Cincinnati group The National put out perhaps their best album this year, and "Conversation 16" is one of the standout tracks. Singer Matt Berninger uses his addictive deep baritone voice to lament 'I was afraid/I'd eat your brain,' to show he's scared of turning his lover into someone as depressed as he is.

14. Doncamatic (All Played Out) - Gorillaz

After releasing his critically acclaimed album Plastic Beach earlier in the year, Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn began recording more music while on tour for a promised second Gorillaz release on Christmas Day. This is presumably one of the tracks from that forthcoming album, a hopping vocal-intensive song featuring British soul singer Daley.

13. Daisy - Fang Island

Brooklyn outfit Fang Island released an album of the year contender with their self-titled debut, and 'Daisy,' a raucous romp of dueling guitars and catchy hooks, sets the tone for the rest of the record.

12. Empire Ants - Gorillaz

Gorillaz' third album Plastic Beach is a sprawling genre-defying journey to a new world, and it couldn't be as good as it is without some excellent guest appearances. This is one of the best, as Little Dragon contributes vocals to this standout.

11. Desire Lines - Deerhunter

This standout track from Deerhunter's 2010 record Halcyon Digest seems to be moving quickly and slowly simultaneously. Singer Bradford Cox croons 'Walking free (whoa-oh)/Come with me (whoa-oh)/Far away (whoa-oh)/Everyday (whoa-oh) before the song twirls into a trippy guitar breakdown.

10. Fuck You - Cee-Lo Green

By now you've all heard this insanely catchy soul single from newcomer Cee-Lo Green. His tale of pursuit of the girl of his dreams is one of the anthems of 2010.

9. Hell Of A Life - Kanye West

Kanye hit the mic again this year in a big way; his record My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy has received spectacular reviews from critics and fans alike. 'Hell Of A Life' contains the central theme of that record...'No more drugs for me/pussy and religion is all I need.' We hear you Yeezy, we hear you.

8. I Walked - Sufjan Stevens

This gorgeous piece of minimalistic pop really brought the new Sufjan to light. Stevens pleads his case to a lost love, explaining what went wrong and hoping things can be made better again.

7. Eat That Up, It's Good For You - Two Door Cinema Club

Two Door Cinema Club's debut album passed relatively unknown in the States, which is a shame. Their new brand of catchy, danceable pop-rock songs is irresistible, as showcased on this track.

6. Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells

Once the rapid-fire drum machine of 'Tell 'Em' first reaches your ears, you know you're in for something special. This song is just that, with Alexis Krauss' vocals bursting through the chaos that swirls around them.

5. England - The National

High Violet really is an incredible album, and this is the best song off it. Matt Berninger sings of cathedrals and the pain of separation over a majestic piano melody.

4. Tenderoni - Kele

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke took a break from his main band to go solo this year, and an intriguing collection of moody electronic songs was the result. This is the best of them though; 'Tenderoni' is a different breed of dance track, with a catchy falsetto chorus at its forefront.

3. Kites - Geographer

Another one of the criminally under-noticed bands of 2010, San Fransisco indie group Geographer crafted its own brand of electro-pop, with beautiful vocal melodies and soothing cello backing each of the songs on 2010's Animal Shapes EP. This is an excellent track from that EP, with the most enthralling intro of the year.

2. All Of The Lights - Kanye West

Majestic. Epic. Bombastic. All are words that can describe the best track on Kanye West's acclaimed 2010 masterpiece My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. 'All Of The Lights' a story of redemption, a fitting soundtrack to Kanye's recent life struggles.

1. Verona - Geographer

I really didn't want to put two Geographer songs in the top 3, but I really had no choice. This song's perfect blend of melodies and gorgeous vocals made it the perfect choice for my favorite song of 2010.

So there you have it! Tune in next week sometime for my 20 best albums of 2010!