Nevermind The Posers

TNT’s Top 5
5. “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train – I know that this song is over played and has been a hit since 2009, but I still love it; it definitely defined most of my summer soundtracks.
4. “Black Crows“ by HoneyHoney – What a song, what a band!  This was my favorite HoneyHoney song of the summer.
3. “Camera Talk” by Local Natives – “It’s alright, the camera’s talking / Oh / And even though I can’t be sure / Memory tells me that these times are worth working for.” =  🙂
2. “Daisy” by Fang Island – YES!  Fang Island is another amazing Brooklyn-based band that everyone needs to get addicted to.  Take a road trip and blast this song.  Yes, there are lyrics, they do make sense, but you don’t need them.  Your only responsibility is to have fun and whip out the air guitar every now and then.
1. “Burn It Down” by AWOLNATION – This chick has definitely gone AWOL.  Motherfucker, burn it down!  This song fits into any and every second of the summer, therefore, you need to blast it.

Daniel Edward’s Top 5
5) “Ghost” by Fefe Dobson – I was ambivalent about her music until I heard her sing an acoustic version of “Ghost” and then heard the album version.  It’s fun, sassy and a great song to jump around to.
4) “DJ Got Us Fallin in Love Again” by Usher – Usher is another artist I neither loved nor hated, but I can’t get this song off repeat.
3) “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant – I just love this song.
2) “Karate” by Kennedy – The song may be a few years old, but I just discovered it this summer.  The funky disco beat and tongue-in-cheek lyrics are ridiculously catchy.
1) “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn – Robyn’s first single from her latest album Body Talk Part 1 is one of her best yet.  Dancey yet melancholic.

Hoverbee’s Top 5
5. “Two Weeks” by Grizzly Bear – It’s not the typical kick off your shoes and party summer song, but still so beautiful.  Picture yourself relaxing on the beach or catching some rays by the lake.
4. “Paisley Pattern Ground” by Black Hollies – What better time for psychedelia than summer?
3. “What We Do” by Devo – It’s a great song to listen to while you do what you do at the beach or with good friends.
2. “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – I love this song so much I’ve nearly played it to death over the last couple months.
1. “Got Nuffin'” by Spoon – This song is off an album that came out way before the summer but got crazy radio play so I can’t help but associate with the good times I’ve had.

Angela’s Top 5
These are all songs I’ve been bumpin’ in the car all summer.  It’s most of what I heard on the radio the most and when it was on, I was like, “yea, that’s good.”
5. “Cooler Than Me” by Mike Posner
4. “My Chick Bad” by Ludacris
3. “Bottoms Up” by Trey songz
2. “Find Your Love” by Drake
1. “Lil Freak” by Usher

Klone’s Top 5
Just a heads up, not all of my tracks will be new or even from this summer, but the tracks that I’ve been rockin’ steadily on my iPod and in my car all summer long.  These are effectively the top 5 tracks of my summer soundtrack for 2010.  (Goodbye summer, we will miss you.)
5. “City of Hate” by The Toadies – Got to check out a preview copy of their new, yet old (See Hoverbee’s review for full details) album Feeler (2010) and this was the ONLY track worth even listening to.
4. “Symphonies (Remix)” by Dan Black (featuring Kid Cudi) – A lovely blend of hip-hop and low-fi/pop goodness from Dan Black and Kid Cudi.  I love Dan Black’s Radiohead quality, and anyone looking for some of his earlier work that you might not realize you’ve probably already heard, check out his former project The Servant and their track “Cells”.  The instrumental version of the song was used in the Sin City movie trailer.
3. “Alejandro” by Lady GaGa – I know, guilty pleasures be damned, but I definitely was rocking this one to the point of memorizing the lyrics.  Shit happens.  😉
2. “Time” by Hans Zimmer – An instrumental track off of the Inception Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.  Awesome meditative quality, this song has definitely been inspiring some real creativity for me lately.
1. (TIE) “Burn It Down” & “Guilty Filthy Soul” by AWOLNATION – I was introduced to these guys very late in the summer here, but they both became instant repeat play tracks for me.  They have great party-atmosphere appeal and incredible energy, it’s hard to not get instantly addicted to their sound.

Honorable Mentions (I have no real rationale for why these didn’t make the list, but they did get significant play-time on planet Klone): “The Clincher,” “Jars” and “Letter From a Thief” by Chevelle, “I Will Not Bow,” “Give Me A Sign” and “Follow Me “ by Breaking Benjamin, “You and Your Heart” by Jack Johnson, “I’m Not Over” by Carolina Liar and “Sweet Soul Sister” by The Cult.

Mark’s Top 5
5. “Head Over Heals” by Tears for Fears – The last real favorite tune of the summer, thanks to the recent amazing show put on by TFF in Montclair.  A reminder of how great and underrated some of the new wave acts of the 80s were, and of the few acts of the era that really transcended the new wave label and became much more, like TFF.
4. “Ascension” by Dead Can Dance – A very simple, but dark and melodic piece that echoes the sounds of knights and the renaissance. Listen and imagine two knights of the round table squaring off in an abandoned castle… kick ass.
3. “Allelujah (Noisy Church mix)” by Recoil – Deep, dark and breathy hip-hop beats that accompanied me on many late-nite drives, acting as my soundtrack to the sights of dawn.
2. “Utopia” by Brendan Perry – The first single to be released from Dead Can Dance co-conspirator Perry, features a beautiful mixture of drum machines, building strings and melodic harpsichords laying the groundwork for lyrics of self-discovery tinged with sadness.  One of the best tracks of not just the summer, but the year.
1. “Little Secrets” by Passion Pit – The poppiest, happiest and by far the best danceable song of 2010.  The breakout star of my summer long multiple mood music playlists.

Honorable Mentions – “Blue Skies” by BT ft. Tori Amos – I rediscovered this amazing dance/rock tune during a long, late night drive down the shore mid-summer.  I forgot how much you can mosh, as well as dance to this track.  B to tha T never fails to surprise me sonically, even after all of these years.  “Burial (DJ Mehdi Mix)” by Miike Snow – Thanks to the incessant commercials from Palm’s Pre phone, this inescapable tune became pretty much an immediate favorite of mine, especially during DJ sets.  Luckily, it happens to be good, and an improvement over the original version both in mood and beauty, at least to me.