And now for part two of my year-end list of favorite songs.

20 – “Twice If You’re Lucky” – Crowded House. Anytime Neil Finn releases an album, he gets a spot in my year-end countdown. This track claims his spot for 2010, another in his long line of perfect pop pieces. I think he can roll out of bed and write two of these without any effort.

19 – “Sleep Forever” – Crocodiles. They were nice enough to put out a stellar shoegaze track, so I’ll return the favor and slap in into my top 20.

18 – “Heaven’s on Fire” – The Radio Dept. Our first entry from Sweden. There will be more. There’s something about this song, especially the instrumental break in the middle, that makes me think of early 90s r&b. I can imagine the band dressed like Boyz 2 Men – matching sweater vests, baggy shorts, tall, wool socks, and hiking boots – doing a simple, choreographed dance to that section. Makes me laugh every time I hear it.

17 – “Comin’ Through” – The War on Drugs. A little Verve-like, a little psychedelic, a little jammy. All good.

16 – “Boyfriend” – Best Coast. One of the defining sub-genres of 2010 was the rise of retro, girly, garage rock. Out of a slew of fine artists and songs, this is the best example of that sound.

15 – “I Saw the Light” – Spoon. Spoon never blows you away, but their albums never disappoint, either. The extended instrumental outro to this is fantastic.

14 – “Love Fade” – Tamaryn. Dream pop + shoegaze = delight.

13 – “Holiday” – Vampire Weekend. Another song that has faded a bit of late, mostly because they sold the rights to not one but two different ad campaigns for the holidays. Still, the finest song on one of the most enjoyable albums of the year.

12 – “Tin Man” – Future Islands. The most distinctive vocals of the year carry this surprisingly catchy song. I found myself growling “I am the Tin Man,” often, while my daughters gave me strange looks.

11 – “Month of May” – Arcade Fire. The Arcade Fire is now three-for-three on albums. Each of their full length releases has been excellent, this year’s <em>The Suburbs</em> the latest in that line. This simple, punky track was the most direct expression of the frustration of growing up in the suburbs.

Check back tomorrow for the final ten songs.
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