Year's end

Some years I like doing Top Ten lists because it's easy to choose favorite records. This year wasn't one of them. It's not like there was a bumper crop of awesomeness; I'm just not discerning enough to pick ten. I submitted my list to the City Paper, but then I remembered about ten records I also liked as much.

I wouldn't grant me any authority when it comes to this stuff. I spend a lot of time listening to music I don't personally give a hoot about, and eventually a version of Stockholm Syndrome takes root. I start liking a Dogs Die in Hot Cars song, for example. So take this list with a grain of salt--there's definitely records on here I wouldn't have listened to twice if listening to music wasn't my job. A job I'm very lucky to have in any event.

In no order, then, and I apologize in advance to anyone appalled by my weakness for pop-punk or my appalling taste in general.

Team America: World Police soundtrack
Favorite tracks: “America, Fuck Yeah”; “Freedom Isn’t Free”

U2, How to Dismantle an Atom Bomb
Favorite tracks: “Vertigo”; “Miracle Drug”

Kanye West, The College Dropout
Favorite tracks: “We Don’t Care”; “Jesus Walks”

Prince, Musicology
Favorite tracks: “Cinnamon Girl”; “Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance”

Snoop Dogg, “Drop It Like It’s Hot”

Franz Ferdinand, S/T
Favorite track: “Take Me Out”

Interpol, Antics
Favorite track: “Evil”

Say Anything, Say Anything Is a Real Boy
Favorite tracks: “Woe,” “Spidersong”

Scissor Sisters, “Tits on the Radio”

Robyn Hitchcock, Spooked
Favorite tracks: “We’re Gonna Live in the Trees,” “Television”

Adem, Homesongs
Favorite track: “We Are Your Friends”

DrugMoney, Mtn Cty Jnk
Favorite track: “I Know”

A.C. Newman, The Slow Wonder
Favorite track: “Miracle Drug”

Good Charlotte, The Chronicles of Life and Death
Favorite track: “Predictable” (Hey, you gotta give em points for titling a song this)

Travis Morrison, Travistan
Favorite track: “My Two Front Teeth”

The Streets, A Grand Don’t Come for Free
Favorite track: “Dry Your Eyes Mate”

k.d. lang, Hymns of the 49th Parallel
Favorite track: “Hallelujah”

American Music Club, Love Songs for Patriots
Favorite track: “Patriot’s Heart”

The Faint, Wet From Birth
Favorite track: “Erection”

Pedro the Lion, Achilles Heel
Favorite track: “Foregone Conclusions”

Eminem, Encore
Favorite track: “Mosh”

Green Day, American Idiot
Favorite track: “Jesus of Suburbia”

Danger Mouse and Jemini, Ghetto Pop Life…
Favorite track: “The Only One”

MF Doom, Mm..Food
Favorite track: “One Beer”

Simple Kid, 1
Favorite track: “Average Man”

Tulsa Drone, No Wake

Donovan, Beat Café

Sum-41, Chuck

Drive By Truckers, The Dirty South
Favorite track: “The Day John Henry Died”

Elliott Smith, From a Basement on the Hill
Favorite track: “King’s Cross”