6. Gillian Welch - "The Way It Will Be"
Gillian and David have been playing this one for years -- glad to see it finally recorded properly. Simply put‚ it's crushing.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - "We Almost Lost Detroit"
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. We Almost Lost Detroit
Just about any track on Dale Jr. Jr.'s It's A Corporate World could make this list the album is so strong‚ but they owned this Gil Scott-Heron cover. Check out this live version.
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8. My Morning Jacket - "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)"

This tune is a great example of how MMJ keeps evolving in a healthy way. With every record they put out they expand their sound a bit‚ but in this case they take a huge leap (and risk!) in songwriting. They sound vulnerable here -- the premise of the song could be perceived as naïve or even like a bunch of hippie utopian nonsense to salty fans. But that's what works. They go for it and it sounds sincere. And it sounds like they're challenging both their audience and themselves to dig deeper.

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9. Stephen Malkmus - "Brain Gallop" and "Share the Red"
Stephen Malkmus
Malkmus' Mirror Traffic is filled with great songs. So much so‚ that I couldn't pick one. So here are two -- "Brain Gallop" has that classic Malkmus delivery and his awesome‚ blissed-out guitar work. "Share the Red" is all about the sentiment of the lyrics. Malkmus rules.



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10. American Babies - "Streets of Brooklyn"
American Babies Streets of Brooklyn
In addition to writing great hooks and interesting sounding music‚ Tommy Hamilton of American Babies has blossomed into a songwriting voice that provides powerful insight about everyday life for everyday people. Shit‚ don't we need that? This song came out months before the Occupy movement happened‚ but has a verse that taps into the frustration so poignantly.