NUMBER 1: “ALL I WANT” - LCD SOUNDSYSTEM - FROM THE THIS IS HAPPENING LP ON DFA RECORDS

I know I’m not telling you anything new when I say that James Murphy is a relatable man. And even mentioning “Losing My Edge” as a kind of record nerd statement of intent seems like a cliché of LCD Soundsystem writing at this point. But it’s true; an important part of the band’s appeal is the consistent reminder that he understands and sympathizes with the listener. He has a “white label of every Detroit techno hit” and his greatest daydream is Daft Punk playing at his house. It’s an obsessive subculture that he’s singing to but he doesn’t pander, he’s part of it. Hey you holding the import Primal Scream LP, it’s ok, it’s safe here.

“All I Want” though, offers reflection on a different kind of shared experience. If we’re really being honest with ourselves, any kind of fanatical hobby comes from a certain amount of neuroticism and “All I Want” proves that Murphy gets that too. As someone that just spent an irresponsible amount of time cataloging his favorite songs of the year and posting them through various social networking services with equal parts of contradicting humility and vanity, I hear the act of following a line like “Wake with a start / and the girl and the dog are gone / so you pack up your things / and head into the great unknown” with a line like “From now on, I’m someone different / ‘Cause it’s no fun being predictably lame”  as an encouraging nudge of confidence. It’s lyrics like these even more so than all of the Bowie and Eno nods that make this a song for record nerds - for a group of people that know that they probably take themselves too seriously while not taking life seriously enough. 

BONUS: James Murphy and Co. created a pretty fun series of behind-the-scenes videos while making this year’s This Is Happening. Check out the first of 8 here.

2010 Top 10:

1) “All I Want” - LCD Soundsystem

2) “Taxi” - Ski Beatz ft. Mos Def and Whosane

3) “Hang With Me” - Robyn

4) “CMYK” - James Blake

5) “Trouble Comes Running” - Spoon

6) “Odessa” - Caribou

7) “Tightrope” - Janelle Monae ft. Big Boi

8) “Blame Game” - Kanye West ft. John Legend

9) “Desire Lines” - Deerhunter

10) “Your Sweet Boom” - Jamie Lidell