The Best Songs of 2008

You'll see from this week's playlist that my taste in music runs the gamut. Electronic to rock, R&B to pop, and everything in between. I guess you could call it "eclectic."

For your enjoyment, here are my picks for the best songs of 2008 (done countdown-style).



First up: Honorable Mention - ten excellent tracks that didn't quite make the cut as part of the year's ten best. (Put on the playlist in no particular order.)

Kim & Jessie - M83
Love Sweet Sound - Groove Armada
4 AM - Kaskade
Fix It - Ryan Adams
Sing the Changes - The Fireman
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi - Radiohead
Can't Go Back Now - The Weepies
The Minnow and the Trout - A Fine Frenzy
I'm Amazed - My Morning Jacket
Squeeze Me - Kraak & Smaak
Gorgeous - Idina Menzel

And now, I present to you my choices for the ten best.

First off, positions 10 through 6...

10. Disco Lies - Moby
9. Mercy - Duffy
8. Hare Krisna - Thievery Corporation
7. Spiralling - Keane
6. How Deep Is Your Love - The Bird and the Bee

And finally, the cream of the crop...

5. Alex Boom Selector - Velella Velella
It's the Shins meet Jamiroquai meets the Sylvers on this electro-funk jam from one of Seattle's best bands.

4. 4 Minutes - Madonna/Justin Timberlake
For the first single from her "Hard Candy" album, Madonna teamed up with two of the biggest men in the music business - uber-producer Timbaland, and the always hump-a-licious Justin Timberlake. The result was this synthesizer-driven masterpiece.

3. Wave Goodbye - Bottle of Justus
With the release of "Say It Now," their latest CD, in January, this little-band-that-could proved beyond a doubt that they are aiming for the stars. "Wave Goodbye" is the pièce de résistance of the entire set; a track worthy of a place on radio playlists beside such bands as the Killers and Kings of Leon.

2. Like Any Woman Would - Patti Scialfa
The wife of Bruce Springsteen - a member of his E Street Band - released her third solo album late last year, and this track is positively killer. Street-corner, back-porch rock-and-roll at its best.

And finally...The best song of the year comes from the British band Morcheeba. Following several critically acclaimed albums in the late 90s and early 00s, the band jettisoned their sultry and popular lead singer Skye Edwards in favor of Daisy Martey. That unfortunate union produced 2005's lackluster "The Antidote," a CD that showcased Martey's absolute lack of vocal range. Many fans, myself included, feared the band had made a fatal mistake in dumping Edwards (who, by the way, went on to record one of the best albums of 2006 as a solo artist).

Realizing their mistake, the band dumped Martey almost immediately and returned to the studio in 2007 to record "Dive Deep." Rather than search for a new lead singer, however, the band made the conscious decision to rotate guest lead singers on each of the tracks. The result was a much needed (and very welcome) return to form. The first single from the set features veteran British songstress Judy Tzuke on lead vocals, and it is my choice for the Best Song of 2008...

1. ENJOY THE RIDE - Morcheeba