2005 Songs of the Year, Part 3 of 3

10. Sufjan Stevens - "Casimir Pulaski Day": mp3
(link removed)The more I listen to Illinois, the more trouble I have connecting with parts of it, but this song gets me every time. The melody is beautiful and the words: cancer, a lost love, and questioning one's faith? That's pretty powerful stuff.

9. LCD Soundsystem - "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House," MY HOUSE.
mp3 (link removed)

8. Frida Hyvonen - "Drive My Friend": mp3
(link removed)Found the album a little disappointing the long run, but this track - a woman with a new romantic infatuation driving the boy in question to the airport, and trying bravely to stay optimistic - offers a realistic perspective that's hard to find in anything, much less pop music. Great voice/piano playing, too.

7. Mia Doi Todd - "What If We Do": mp3 (link removed)
My God. This is like the great lost 70s singer/songwriter track that Joan Baez never got around to. Without the schmaltz, even. Just listen to it.

6. Liam Singer - "One Day": mp3 (link removed) (now with correct link - sorry!)
This guy has so much potential. "Father I See" was the song that got me into him, but then I discovered this gem hiding at the end of the record. The best song played by anyone on a piano all year. Except the #1. Can't wait to hear his next effort - hopefully it's longer than 27 minutes.

5. Richard Hawley - "The Ocean": mp3
(link removed)The male equivalent to the Mia Doi Todd song, only Frank Sinatra-style. He almost out-Franks Frank, honestly - the production is more swelling and epic than anything from the real crooner era, with a cinematic majesty that's almost overwhelming. Hawley's voice alone could carry this tune, but with that backing it becomes magnificent.

4. Sea Snakes - "A Pall Bearer's Calendar": mp3
(link removed)I don't care if this came out in 2004. I don't care if the band broke up. I don't care if their label, Threegut Records, called it quits. This song is fucking amazing and I like the accompanying album is better than just about anything released this year or last.

3. Of Montreal - "The Party's Crashing Us": mp3 (link removed)
Pop song of the year. Infectious beyond belief. I like "Since U Been Gone" and "Hollaback Girl" as much as the next indie yuppie, but if these guys ever got on the radio, heads would explode.

2. Smog - "Drinking At The Dam": mp3
(link removed)I didn't like Smog. I gave him a chance and found him too stark to hold my interest. Then a friend put this transcendent God-given creation on a mix and I listened to it about a million times. "Oh-oh" backing vocals haven't been this amazing since Palace Music's "Gulf Shores" way back in the day. From here, A River Ain't Too Much Too Love rocketed into my heavy rotation and almost cracked the top 10.

And (drumroll) the song of the year?

1. Ryan Adams - "Starlite Diner": mp3 (link removed)
Oh, like this one was a shocker.

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You can see my top 30 albums of the year here. I've moved some of the bottom around a bit, but that's reasonably accurate.

Happy Holidays, gang. Thanks for reading the last few months, and I promise even more awesome songs, witty banter and more importantly, comic book coverage next year. Any requests?

Up next: A 2006 preview with exclusive new tracks, a 2005 Albums I Forgot For My List round-up, and maybe if you guys promise to be nice, a few Dave Greenwald 2005 cover songs.