The Top 5 Songs of 2010 (So Far...)

We're officially halfway through 2010, and damn there was some good music that came out!  Here's the best of it.

5. "Infinity Guitars" by Sleigh Bells, from the album, Treats - I could throw down a lot of criticism on Sleigh Bells for their repetitive music and meaningless lyrics, but instead I choose to love every bit of the dance rock madness that they put out. "Infinity Guitars" stands tall above the rest for the last 40 seconds only. A distorted, bass-heavy breakdown that shatters all preconceived notions of what "heavy" music really is. God, I love it so much! Speakers up as loud as they can go, people! Don't half-ass this stuff!

4. " Up in the Dark" by The New Pornographers, from the album, Together - The New Pornographers have always had a pretty tight sound, but they've rarely sounded as perfect as they do on this standout track from their awesome new album. The vocal back and forth between Carl Newman and Neko Case obviously steals the show here, but the rest of the band are playing their hearts out as well. Few songs have been able to illicit such joy from me, but this one does it without missing a beat.

3. "One Touch" by LCD Soundsystem, from the album, This is Happening - James Murphy has never been one to shy away from long-ass tracks, but even an 8-minute dance song seems like he may be pushing it a bit. On paper, at least, because "One Touch" is not only one of the catchiest songs of 2010, but one of the most consistently captivating ones as well. Between the unparalleled production and the artist's engaging wordplay, there's so much to love about this song and almost nothing to hate.

2. "Flash Delirium" by MGMT, from the album, Congratulations - When I reviewed Congratulations a few months ago, I was quick to point out that it's a very difficult album to get into. After a few weeks of letting it digest, I handed it a 7/10 rating and went on my merry way, not realizing that the album wasn't yet finished with me. Since then, Congratulations has become a frontrunner for "Album of the Year" and "Flash Delirium" plays a large role in that. According to my iTunes, I've logged over 45 listens to this song in the last 3 months alone and I'm still not tired of it! If you haven't heard it at least 5 times, you're missing out There are always new things to discover.

1. "Zebra" by Beach House, from the album, Teen Dream - I first listened to Teen Dream at the beginning of the year when it released. It wasn't until several months later when I would cross paths with it again. During that second run through, this song stuck out and it hasn't left me yet. Every other song on this list is an upbeat, fun track. That really speaks a lot to what I've been into this year. The fact that "Zebra" - a methodical, passionate, ballad by any standard - takes top honors here is a testament to its brilliance. It is one of the most beautifully simple songs I've ever heard, and I'm in love with it. You should be too.