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Best Songs of 2010 (So Far) -- Part Two

'I Can't Go for That,' The Bird and the Bee
Here's an interesting concept for an album: A record devoted (except for one song) to the music of Hall and Oates. But the Philly soul rockers are no guilty pleasure for this duo, who also introduced a younger generation to the Bee Gees classic 'How Deep Is Your Love.' This bass-heavy disco take, plus singer Inara George's pleasing vocals, make this a more than worthy tribute.

'Stylo,' Gorillaz
While Damon Albarn is the solitary man behind the band, he always gets help from surprising sources. This time it's 66-year-old soul legend Bobby Womack, whom you can picture holding a sweaty rag while singing with a pained expression, and Mos Def, who bookends the synth-heavy song.

'Ain't No Grave," Johnny Cash
There's something morbidly fascinating about an artist who creates music as he's dying. With the clock ticking, he knows he has precious little time to make one last statement. Here, the country legend -- giving Brother Claude Ely's gospel standard life in his fading breaths -- seems to taunt death, claiming, "There ain't no grave that can hold my body down."

'Flume,' Peter Gabriel
This musically sparse song, which lends power and emotion to the Bon Iver original, seems destined for a tear-jerking movie scene. Gabriel's latest album, 'I'll Scratch Yours,' features covers of Paul Simon, Neil Young, Radiohead and others. The follow-up will feature them returning the favor, leading us to wonder: Can Radiohead pull off 'Sledgehammer'?

'My Brain,' Mose Allison
Back in the day, Allison inspired British blues rockers like the Who, which covered his song 'Young Man Blues.' Now 82 -- but not sounding a day over 70 -- Allison offers a jazzy twist on the Willie Dixon blues classic 'My Babe.' Allison's nimble piano proves, as he sings, that his brain is still steady working.

'You Run Away,' Barenaked Ladies
This is not the quirky, peppy Barenaked Ladies of 'One Week' fame. But it's also BNL without co-frontman Steven Page, who left the Ladies after his drug problems sullied the band's playful image. This slow tune is apparently addressed to Page, declaring, "I tried to be your brother/You cried and ran for cover." While it shows there can be life after Page, we have to ask: When's he coming back?

'The Blackest Lily," Corinne Bailey Rae
Backed by a warm, heavy bass line, Rae starts out seductive, then loses it in the chorus, which become a cacophony of fun. While written in pain -- Rae's husband, Jason, fatally overdosed in 2008 -- this rousing number is far from a downer.

'Valleys of Neptune,' Jimi Hendrix
It's hard to imagine a new song from someone who died nearly 40 years ago -- especially when that person is guitar god Jimi Hendrix. But this one somehow surfaced in an album of mostly covers and alternative takes, giving us one more dose of Hendrix's psychedelic rock.

'Babyfather,' Sade
We're not going to tell you what you should listen to during a lead-in to what we'll just call a "passion encounter." But if we did, we'd surely note that you can't go wrong with the calming music of Sade. While most of the songs touch on love, this sweet single is about the joys of parenting. Kid backing vocals, sensibly meshed in between Adu's warm leads, lend this a feel-good innocence.

'Here Lies Love,' David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, featuring Florence Welch
This is from a concept album of the same name about the life and love of Imelda Marcos, the former Philippine first lady (and owner of many shoes). The album features more than 20 guest vocalists, including Cyndi Lauper, Tori Amos and Martha Wainwright. This Byrne and Fatboy Slim track, pairing orchestral music, techno injections and Welch's swirling harmonies, leads us to ask: How long before the Broadway musical?


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c

not to offend anyone but who made this list i mean put people like lady gaga black eyed peas katy perry i dont know someone that is actually good

June 11 2010 at 1:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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It's good to see a list like this that doesn't just conform to the mainstream crap that we're forced to endure on a day-to-day basis. Whilst I don't agree with every song on this list, I'd much prefer to have my eyes opened to new music rather than just have a countdown of the most recent dribble by the Black Eyed Peas or Pitbull or whatever other morons are currently plaguing the charts. :)

April 24 2010 at 7:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Anne

What a sad selection........ who's picking these?

April 24 2010 at 6:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ian

all these are good ?
try listening to new band LAST OF THE PILOTS on my space awsome trust me

April 24 2010 at 5:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jerry

Try listening to the New album from Slash there are great songs on that, something for everyone.

April 24 2010 at 4:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Lissa

who r these artists? this list is so so so WRONG!!! Find better songs that people hve actually heard of.

April 24 2010 at 2:14 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Pete

Who made this list ? While iv heard of all the artists i haven't herd any of the song.

April 24 2010 at 12:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
kidlypy

Who's favourites are these? I think you lot have lost it!

April 24 2010 at 11:56 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to kidlypy's comment
carl

frightening to think these are the best songs of the year, have i been asleep since december or something?

April 24 2010 at 3:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply