I love lists! Really, I do! It seems only fitting that I unleash a list  enumerating my favourite tunes of the decade, because really, it’s what everyone else is doing. I know I’m a little late on this, but I’m doing it anyway! There was lots, and lots and lots of really good music released in the last 10 years… making creating this list a daunting but fun task. So, here goes nothing:

100. Stand Up – Ludacris

From Ludacris’ 2003 album, Chicken-n-Beer, Stand Up gets the booties shaking in the big room clubs, with it’s large beat, and Luacris’s commands When I move, you move.

99. Beeper – Sinden & The Count

This catchy tune was my introduction to Sinden and the Count of Monty Christal (Hervé) in the summer of 2008. With its thick base, and catchy rhymes, it had me looking the other way about the subject matter. It still has me bopping away a year and a half later.

98. New Soul – Yael Naim

Yael Naim was one of many artists made popular by Apple’s marketing team. You can’t fault them though, they have good taste, and New Soul deserves recognition for its beauty and honesty.

97. Hide & Seek – Imogen Heap

This song will always remind me of The OC. With the elegant use of a vocorder (I didn’t know that was possible!), Heap created a signature track, with beautiful simplicity, that stroke a chord with many, including Jason Derülo who heavily used samples from Hide & Seek in the now popular tune Whatcha Say.

96. 1, 2, 3, 4 – Feist

Made popular by Apple’s brilliant marketing campaign for the iPod, Canadian darling, Feist, found near overnight success with the very catchy 1, 2, 3, 4. The tune even earned her a spot on Sesame Street!

95. My Girls – Animal Collective

With a lovable, almost Beach Boys-esqe experimental style, Animal collective got a lot of attention for their album Merriweather Post Pavilion in 2009. For me, My Girls was the stand out track on the album.

94. Me Gustas Tu – Manu Chao

Lovable multi-linguist, Manu Chao earned a place in my heart with Me Gustas Tu (I like you) from the 2001 album, Próxima Estación: Esperanza .

93. Rebellion(Lies) – Arcade Fire

From The Arcade Fire’s debut album, Funeral in 2004, Rebellion (Lies) is a good example of the quality of the entire album. Beautiful, and highly repeatable!

92. Buick City Complex – Old 97’s

From the 2001 album, Satellite Rides, Buick City Complex not only speaks for the accomplishments of The Old 97’s this decade, but it also specks for the troubled times of the automotive industry that was a major focus so many times over the past decade.

They’re tearing the buick city complex down
I think we’re the only people left in town
Where are you gonna move, where are you gonna move?
Do you wanna mess around?

Love it.

91. Hopefully – My Morning Jacket

Hopefully, from the 2001 album, At Dawn, is a helpless love song that always grabs my attention when I come up on iTunes. The stand out jewel from My Morning Jacket’s releases.

A note one this series: I can’t be giving away the full 100 tracks. That just wouldn’t be right. So, as you can see, I’m trying a new thing with the Amazon mp3 clip widgets from their affiliate program. You can listen to a bit, and buy if you like. Remember, support the artists you love by going to shows, buying their material, and spreading the word about their greatness!

Animal Collective joined BBC Radio 1’s Rob da Bank in the BBC Maida Vale Studios on Monday to record two particularly dreamy tracks for us faithful radio listeners. It has taken me a while to succumb to the Animal Collective phenomenon, but these recordings have got me. I’ll be seeking out my very own copy of Merriweather Post Pavilion, the album with the super trippy cover. Apparently the four guys from Maryland, who have been playing music together in various permutations since grade school, named this album after an outdoor venue in Columbia, Maryland thatthey hold very close to their hearts.  Though it’s quite early in the year, I expect that this album will make it on to many Top 10 of 2009 lists, considering the massive critical aclaim and popularity it has seen thus far. Check out the new album, if you haven’t already, and enjoy these radio rips of their recent Maida Vale Session:

Taste & What Would I Want Sky

Both tracks are previously unavailable, and atest to Animal Collective’s love of experimentation. Don’t try to put Animal Collective in a box, because they won’t fit!