2010 Song Project - Countdown - #160-#151

#160 The Constellations - "Felicia" from "Southern Gothic" - A funky pop song with a hooky chorus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X46e4Qnr1TY&ob=av2e


#159 Take That - "Affirmation" from "Progress" - The most unlikely song on the 2010 countdown, Take That's reunion album was mostly unremarkable, but "Affirmation" sounds like one of those great synth rock songs from the 80's (think Tears For Fears or Flock of Seagulls).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQIPEC46TUQ


#158 Vampire Weekend - "White Sky" from "Contra" - Another great song from Vampire Weekend's classic album "Contra", "White Sky" has a light afro-pop sound to it and the usual great lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhdqfX44zUM


#157 Frightened Rabbit - "Not Miserable" from "The Winter Of Mixed Drinks" - Frightened Rabbit adopted an sweeping epic sound on "The Winter of Mixed Drinks" and that sound is best illustrated when Edge-like guitars start swirling around the chorus of this brilliant track, one of the band's best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv0xsCh6ZOg


#156 Marina And The Diamonds - "Girls" from "The Family Jewels" - One of the countdown's wildest acts, Marina and The Diamonds is as over-the-top as Mika and as radio-friendly as Robyn. "Girls" is a fun high-wire act of a pop song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O2W18RE6nI


#155 Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - "Where Was My Brain" from "The Brutalist Bricks" - A lean and mean punk song from one of the best underground artists in indie rock. The title of this album is derived from a lyric in this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M64ZjKOLm8o


#154 The Gaslight Anthem - "American Slang" from "American Slang" - The title track from The Gaslight Anthem's breakthrough (if not mainstream at least underground) album, "American Slang" is one of the best songs from the Springsteen influenced rock act in 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZKq6ZnWH-E&ob=av2e


#153 Sara Bareilles - "King Of Anything" from "Kaleidoscope Heart" - Sara's best song since "Love Song", "King" is a bouncy pop song with an excellent Sheryl Crow meets Alanis Morissette chorus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR7-AUmiNcA&ob=av2e


#152 Band Of Horses - "On My Way Back Home" from "Infinite Arms" - The most roots rock song on "Infinite Arms", "On My Way" could have been a track from a Fleet Foxes album with its great lyrics and tone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmVlHNDk_hM


#151 Los Campesinos! - "Straight In At 101" from "Romance Is Boring" - A high-energy indie pop song with some deceptively filthy lyrics hidden in the light-hearted beatsand tone. "I think we need more post-coital and less post-rock" ranks among the best lyrics of 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhTKKtdxKOY