The Rob Gordon Half-Time Songs Shuffle

So to conclude our three-part series, here are the rest of my 20-ish favorite songs of the year thus far, Rob Gordon style.

Gnarls Barkley – “Crazy”: mp3
But Dave, it doesn’t have a bridge! Or a genre! But it’s the biggest song of the year anyhow. Crazy like a fox.

Final Fantasy – “This Lamb Sells Condos”: mp3
Nerdy as I aspire to be, I’m not a huge fan of Final Fantasy’s He Poos Clouds – unlike a mess of other bloggers. Still, “This Lamb Sells Condos” is a beautiful, disturbing song made more tenderly horrific by its very aestheticism. Good Hodgkins has some words from Owen Pallett – Mr. Fantasy himself – on the song’s grisly origins.

Rose Melberg – “Irene”: mp3
Assuming Double Agent Records doesn’t shoot me a restraining order, I’m going to keep posting this track until every last one of you has heard it and adores it. It’s just that kind of song: jazzy and sweet, with the kind of loose, staccato rhythm that works so much better on piano than guitar. And the harmonies? Like seven samurai.

Pants Yell! – “Southend-On-Sea”: mp3
I don’t know what to tell you about this track except that Asaurus Records and acoustic guitars can do no wrong by me. Viva la indie-pop!

Ghostface Killah – “Shakey Dog”: mp3
I’m on this track like holy shit! Please, 2006, more hip-hop like this guy.

Camera Obscura – “Hey Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken”: mp3
I’m more sold on this album with every spin. This is the first song, and maybe not the best (that honor goes to the title track, “Let’s Get Out of This Country”), but it’s easily the most dynamic with a chorus that’s utterly unstoppable. If only Belle & Sebastian sounded more like this, huh?

There are more songs yet to be added to this list as the year wears on, (Sufjan Stevens’ “The Henney Buggy Band,” Thom Yorke’s “The Eraser” and the entire Pipettes album) but those will have to wait their turn. For more of the half-year in review, don’t miss the still-fresh Half-Time Songs of the Year introduction and parts one and two. Let me know if I missed anything.

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The Rob Gordon Shuffle is a weekly Sunday rundown of fascinating songs without particular regard to genre or timeliness. It is absolutely not a top 5.

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