Best of 2008: 40 -31

Best of 2008: 40 - 31


40. Songs Remind Me of You, Annie, Don't Stop
RIYL: pulsating beats, dance-floor fairy tales, Kylie Minogue, hearing your songs on the radio


39. Swimming Pools, Thao, We Brave Bee Stings And All
RIYL: banjo accents, down home romps, Simone de Beauvoir, pushing the doubt to the side of your mouth


38. Curs in the Weeds, Horse Feathers, House With No Home
RIYL: intimate vocals, cello & violin hooks, Iron & Wine, The Grapes of Wrath


37. Tired, Adele, 19
RIYL: elcronic bleeps, orchestral backing, Amy Winehouse, pronouncing "nothing" as "nuffin"


36. Feedback in the Field, Plants and Animals, Parc Avenue
RIYL: whistling intros, whammy bars, The Band, mating in the out-of-doors


35. Martha Ann, David Karsten Daniels, Fear of Flying
RIYL: catchy choruses, Jeff Tweedy lead, No Depression, Wila Cather


34. Spiralling, Keane, Perfect Symmetry
RIYL: syncopated yowls, Talking Heads, sing-speaking breakdowns, '80s dance


33. I'm So Paid, Akon feat. Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne, Freedom
RIYL: going 90 in a 65, giving shout-outs to a younger brother named "Boo," keeping a sawed-off under the front seat, having those dollar bills rain on you


32. Sleepdriving, Grand Archives, The Grand Archives
RIYL: delicate harmonies, epic outros, Band of Horses, staring at the stars through the sun roof of the Jetta


31. Gamma Ray, Beck, Modern Guilt
RIYL: simple guitar licks, Dressy Bessy, airy background vocals, New Wave cinema

Best of 2008: 40 - 31