Best of 2010 - Adele to Band of Horses

I sat down last week with my iTunes account to put together my Best of 2010 list.  I kept it simple.  Anything added in 2010, regardless of when it was actually released, was eligible.  If the song moved me, made me want to dance or was just something I kept going back to it made the list.  I've already promised to give a copy of the list away to anyone who emails me with their Guerilla Holiday acts, but I'm also going to share it here over the next couple of weeks (yes, there are THAT many songs.)  Some are radio hits you'll recognize, some a random cuts that will never in a million years be released as singles.

Picking favorites of favorites seems impossible, so I'm just going to alphabetize by artist, no counting down here.  Rather than embed the videos, I'm just going to give you links, to keep the post size down.  I'm also planning to post an entire YouTube playlist on the last day.  Please tell me what you think about my choices - and share the songs I may have missed.

Adele - Rolling in the Deep
"Don't underestimate the things I will do"

This is a brand new song from Adele.  I've been waiting for new music from her for what seems like forever.  She's got an incredible voice and the driving beat on this one makes me want to stand up and dance around the room.  I've never had a breakup that made me wish this passionately for my ex to learn a lesson, but if I ever do, this will be on heavy rotation.  For now, I'll just play it when I'm working on building a little attitude.

Arcade Fire - Ready to Start
"I would rather be wrong
Than stand in the shadow of your song
My mind is wide open
Now I'm ready to start."

Another song with a great, driving beat.  This one makes me want to push forward, to keep reach for those goals.  Arcade Fire is hit or miss with me, but this is one of those time when the song was exactly right - lyrics, melody and beat, it's the full package.

Atherton - Sing You a Song
"If I could be the light
The shines on the house tonight"

This album was recorded in 2008 just down the road from me in Provo, UT.  I discovered it digging through the music collection at the Public Library - what a GREAT find.  Gorgeous music, reminds me of Ryan Adams and Wilco.  This is the kind of album I like to listen to at the end of a long day when I just want to kick back and breathe in life.

The Avett Brothers - Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
"Decide what to be and go be it."

I could (and have) gone on for days about my love of The Avett Brothers, their songs are raw, powerful and insightful.  If I can't convince you to give them a listen, try reading this article and see if you aren't converted.  Their songs make up my walking music, I know that at least one song will click with something in my mind and will turn my walk into both physical and mental exercise.  This song rocked my world from the second I heard it.

Band of Annuals - Thought I'd Have Learned
"And if I wake tomorrow, honey, well, I'll be surprised."

Fair warning, this one is dark and moody, but I'm of the opinion that we all need some moody music in our collection, if for no other reason that to take us back to those days as teenagers as we laid in a dark room and listened to dark music thinking we'd never survive high school.    Depressing or not, the haunting melodies pull me right in and make me ever so glad I'm no longer that teenager.

Band of Horses - Laredo
"Oh, I'm at a cross roads with myself"

I love the entire Infinite Arms album, so picking a favorite was very, very difficult, I ended up choosing the first song I heard off the album, Laredo.  At first listen I thought it was a song about travel, which I loved.  Only through repeat listens did I really understand the song.  And I LOVE songs that get deeper and richer with multiple listens.

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The Sunday Creative - Obsolete

I'm so glad Justine agreed to host the Sunday Creative for Maegan for a while.  Since it is the only challenge I participate in regularly, I would have missed my weekly push to try something different.  I fell in love with my idea for this photo right away, but I'm not completely thrilled with the photos, but with a little help from PW's actions and some textures I think it is at least interesting.

My parents built a new house about 15 years ago on a vacant piece of land about a block and a half from the house I grew up in.  I'm from a small town where we all pretty much live by the motto of using what you have and making it work.  So the fact that the plot of land had 3 buildings: a couple of small sheds and an old outhouse didn't faze my family.  We didn't even consider having them removed.  Instead my parents made some repairs to the sheds, added shelves, power, paint and siding and now have a workshop/garage and storage shed.  The outhouse was more of a problem.  Who wants to look out their back window at an outhouse?

My dad cleverly hid the outhouse behind some trellis fencing and now uses it as a tool shed.  So while it may be obsolete as an outhouse its still useful and proves that small town ingenuity can be an amazing thing.

I discovered this cd and band at the library this week - what awesome luck:  Band of Annuals - "Thought I'd Have Learned."

Check back in tomorrow for a very special Saturday Guest Post!

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