Part Three: 20-16
20. "All My Friends" - Franz Ferdinand
I've seen the LCD Soundsystem original atop a few best of the year lists, and I do like that version. However, when you hear it coming through the pipes of Alex Kapranos, you have to wonder if James Murphy didn't have them in mind all along. We've been fortunate that the quartet of Franz Ferdinand have been rather prolific in their short career - Murphy, as well, thankfully - and this LCD b-side gave us something more to water our taste buds before a new album.
19. "We Takin' Over" - DJ Khaled featuring T.I., Akon, Rick Ross, Birdman and Lil Wayne
I like this song for two reasons in particular. One, DJ Khaled is utterly fascinating. He's not a DJ in the traditional sense of one who scratches records. In fact, he only produced two songs on his album. What does he do, then? Well, he yells, alot - mostly "We dah bes.'" Of course, what makes this song stand out amongst the many guest spots is the verse from Lil Wayne - "I am a beast/ Feed me rappers or feed me beats." Wayne charges a lot for a guest verse - but when you hear shit like this, you understand why.
18. "Umbrella" - Rhianna
Rhianna just gets better with each successive single - and with "Umbrella," she straight up hits the mark. The Jay-Z verse at the intro is not up to standards, but thankfully, it is over before it starts and Rhianna gets to take over the track. A dark beat that isn't what you'd expect for a declared "summer anthem," "Umbrella" shows that the boundaries of R&B are continuing to be pushed.
17. "Woody Woodpecker" - Dan Deacon
The opening track on Dan Deacon's Pitchfork dreamboat (aka Spiderman of the Rings) should be annoying as shit. It's a three minute dance song build around a continuous sample of the cartoon character's obnoxious chirp. Couple that with a creepy old man laugh and you get a song that is somehow catchy, despite the odds. Just a couple years ago, something like this would be considered avant garde - however, as ears become accustomed to weirder sounds, Deacon is reaching a level of success that borders on mainstream.
16. "(Antichrist Television Blues)" - Arcade Fire
The best part about this song is that its original title was "Joe Simpson." The Arcade Fire manage to write a song about a pop culture figure without being tongue-in-cheek, cynical, or, thank god, preachy. Plus, you're talking about some of this year's most poignant lyrics - "Want to hold a mirror up to the world/So that they can see themselves inside my little girl."
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