Best Songs of 2008 - #25 - #21

25. "Second Chance" by Liam Finn - The son of the legendary Neil Finn offers up a sweet number with a wonderful falsetto (I'm sensing a trend in this countdown). This song breezes along until the tempo ramps up and the keyboards swell. Great intro, too.


24. "Falling Down" by Oasis - I haven't given two spits about Oasis since Be Here Now. Everything since that 1997 album has been a weak attempt at trying to recapture the gold that was Definitely Maybe and What's the Story, Morning Glory. On "Falling Down" Noel takes the lead vocals and he's seems to have integrated some to the driving beats he may have picked while collaborating with the Chemical Brothers.


23. "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes - This is like a song out of time. Its style and production almost convinces me that "White Winter Hymnal" is actually a lost recording from forty years ago. Short, sweet, and one of the best vocal performances of the year.


22. "California Girls" by The Magnetic Fields - Shoe-gaze meets '60s girl pop. The Beach Boys may of loved the ladies from the left coast, but our singer sure has a bone to pick... or is that a battle axe? There's lots of great imagery on this track.


21. "Discipline" by Nine Inch Nails - Oasis, the Magnetic Fields, and Nine Inch Nails all in one post? It's like the '90s never ended! To tell you the truth, I probably wouldn't have heard this song if it wasn't for Trent Reznor giving The Slip away for free online. It's a surprisingly solid record and "Discipline" is the standout track. It's got a few of Reznor's signature sounds. Haunted house piano line? Check. White noise machine? Check. Tortured, nasally singing? Check. But it's all wrapped around an infectious disco beat and some great "doot-doot-doots". Also, since the song is called "Discipline", I can't help but like how Reznor starts to sing too early and catches himself. It maybe a bit obvious, but it works. (The Saturday Night Fever mash up video is perfect.)