12.31.2010

Scott's Top 15 Songs of 2010: Part II

Happy New Years eve everyone! I hope that some good timez go down. Here's part two of my list.

10. Die Antwoord - "Evil Boy"



South African Zef rap trio Die Antwoord had a pretty successful year, mystifying audiences overseas with their debut $O$. Videos like "Enter the Ninja" and "Zef Side" became Youtube sensations thanks to the members' cartoonish posturing and scattershot humor. In my opinion, however, "Evil Boy" was the star of the circus and the best music video of the year. The ragged haircuts, the folktale monsters, the genitals, the District 9 prawn arm, Yolandi Vi$$er's creepy seduction of a very confused Diplo--all these elements coalesce in a video that bounces Pong-style from shocking to hilarious and back again. Take the visuals away and you're left with a solid banger featuring one of Ninja's best hard spitting raps.

9. The Ocean - "She was the Universe"

Leave it to a metal song from a concept album about The Brothers Karamazov and the evolution of Christianity to feature one of the catchiest hooks of the year. "She was the Universe" may be almost all massive guitars and syncopated snare pummeling, but The Ocean's new vocalist Loic Rossetti provides the track with a melodic immediacy rarely present within the sludgy depths of post-metal.

8. Yelawolf - "Pop the Trunk"



I have to admit that I wasn't really impressed by Yelawolf's stripped down Southern style at first, but "Pop the Trunk" helped turn me around. Catfish Billy's slippery flow defies all haters as he deftly dances around the sparse production, and the synthesized horns during the chorus are simply huge.

7. Sleigh Bells - "Rill Rill"

Coincidentally, Sleigh Bells' excellent debut Treats dropped just as I was getting into Funkadelic's Maggot Brain, the source of the sample that fuels "Rill Rill." "Can You Get To That"'s chilled out acoustic guitar line provides an excellent contrast to Alexis Krauss' heavily processed vocals. A perfect summer track.

6. Chromeo - "Night By Night"



"Night By Night" is one of the few '80s throwbacks that doesn't annoy me--Chromeo's unapologetically slick production refuses to neglect solid songwriting. P-Thugg's talkbox trades off with Dave 1's vocals during the memorable chorus, while the recurring harmonized guitar leads bring to mind Judas Priest hitting the dance floor. The duo show off some pretty flashy licks during the instrumental break, as well. Check out the video: Dave 1 knows how to dance.

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