1. “High Come Down,” Junior Boys
Less poppy than The Postal Service and less repetitive than Underworld. “High Come Down,” as well as the album “Last Exit,” grasps a unique and delightful combination of lyrics, beats and instrumentals making a relaxed but dynamic electronic album.2. “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,” Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon’s music can be described as nothing short of weird. Rock and roll music with satirical lyrics. His musicianship is great and the stories he weaves in his songs are fun, some times disturbing and above all else ridiculous.
3. “I Luv U,” Dizzee Rascal
“I Luv U” is definitely the epitome of what Dizzee Rascal’s music is all about and is one of my favorite songs of all time. His beats in this song are outrageous, a little on the raw side, complex and masterfully put together. The sound that is created is over the top and unique.
4. “Kill,” Jimmy Eat World
This is another song that is one of my all-time favorites. “Kill” has simple and straightforward lyrics with a great combination of acoustic and electric instruments. I love this song because it does what I believe music should do. It grabs you and makes you feel something. The song is romantic and excruciatingly, perhaps even painfully, sad. Every time I hear it I say to myself, “Man, I know how he was feeling.”
5. “A Kind Of Magic,” Queen
I love Queen. The guitars, bass lines, vocals — everything about their music inspires me. To be honest, it makes me smile, though I could not tell you why.
6. “Ocean,” Venus DeMars
Dark, glam and transsexual rock-and-roll. Venus DeMars is the musical genius behind the Minneapolis band All The Pretty Horses. The instrumentals urgently drive the song forward, while Venus’ voice is deep and relaxing. Every time I hear the song I melt into it’s simple and infectious sound.
7. “Either Way,” Guster
Guster is one of my all-time favorite bands. I love the fact that all parts of their songs are musical. Their vocals are used as instruments to create a unified, flowing, and graceful quality in all their music. They have a fantastic sound and unique style using a wide range of instruments. In my opinion, truly one of the best bands out there.
8. “One More Time/Aerodynamic,” Daft Punk
This particular song is from Daft Punk’s “Alive 2007” album. It combines two of their most well-known songs into one track. Daft Punk has always been one of my favorite artists to listen to because of their fresh and electronic sound. They take ideas and sounds from other musical pieces or other groups and make it their own. Daft Punk takes something old, refreshes it and puts their own spin on it. Each track, and album, has a distinct and thrilling evolution as it progresses; this evolution creates a story within each song and album. When I hear their music I almost have to get up and dance. Long story short: I love it.
9. “Africa,” Toto
This is easily one of the most embarrassing songs that I could possibly put on here. I like this songs poppy and catchy sound. This is one of those songs that comes on and I can’t help but sing along. It’s upbeat, fun and everybody knows it.
10. “Into The Airwaves,” Jack’s Mannequin
Jack’s Mannequin is Andrew McMahon’s side project. The album “Everything In Transit” is a concept album; the songs work together and bounce off each other to create a story and a montage of feelings as the album plays. The album is piano rock at it’s finest. The sound is infectious, melodic and draws you in.