Bring Out Your Tunes: 10 from 2010

Here are ten songs from 2010 that made me happy.  In some cases, they were new music for 2010, but others were just new-to-me music.  From English ingénues and smoky jazz vocals to a rapper's rhythms and rhymes, I am glad to have encountered these artists and been exposed to their work, as I have found I like much of their respective catalogues.

Click the links to enjoy the songs.  I like to think you might find something from the list that will pique your ear.  And perhaps it will make your personal favorites for 2011.

I'm about to go make a playlist of these tracks for my iPod, an aural time capsule from my previous twelve months.

Brandi Carlile, Give Up the Ghost -- "Bend Before it Breaks"

Loved her breakout single, "The Story."  And this track form her latest album captures that same lilting, raspy vocal styling that drew me to her in the first place – and that soul-touching melancholy.

Melody Gardot, Worrisome Heart -- "Worrisome Heart"

Simply listening to this track, or Melody Gardot in general, transports you to a small table in a darkened nightclub...which really isn't my scene.  But, her sounds is so captivating.

Meaghan Smith, The Cricket’s Orchestra -- "I Know"

Just listen to it.  Go on.  Listen.

Mos Def, The Ecstatic -- "Quiet Dog (Bite Hard)"

Mos Def lays it down here.  Samples and rhythms and rhymes.  He unleashes percussive raps that force you to nod your head to the beat.

Angels and Airwaves,  We Don’t Need to Whisper -- "Hallucinations"

Grand swell of sound.  Epic. Blends with the sort of whiny vocals that are a staple of the music on teenagers' iPods, but here it's given a richer musical background.

Augustana,  All the Stars and Boulevards -- "Boston"

Light piano intro, almost music box-ish.  Then, the raspy vocals.  The chorus is catchy and has a certain emotional investment that suggests there's a good story behind this song.  And, I can always be plied with some cello in the background.

Emerson Hart,  Cigarettes and Gasoline -- "Friend to a Stranger" [Clicking link downloads .mp3]

I don't know why this song wasn't at the top of the charts.  It should have been a hit.  If I ever make a movie, I'll put it on the soundtrack and give it exposure.

Georgia Fields,  Something Borrowed, Something Blue -- "Something Borrowed, Something Blue"

Fun and inventive use of a child's farm toy.  Bouncy.  Catchy.  This is insidious in all the proper ways.

Caro Emerald,  Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor -- "That Man"

This throwback has a Raymond Scott vibe.  The vocals and melody are a real treat.  Oh, you’ll be singing this one for at least 17 days, if not the next two months.  You're welcome, in advance.

Kate Rusby,  Make the Light -- "Let Them Fly"

I love the sound of this folksy gem from Yorkshire, England.  It's like her music has some calming effect.  It's hard to be in a disagreeable mood when you have her tunes piping through your headphones. I shared another tune of here in a previous post.