# Best Indie Rock Songs 2010, Vol. I: Deerhunter, Freelance Whales, Broken Bells, Arcade Fire, Fang Island, The Walkmen, Caribou

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2011/01/ircs-top-indie-rock-songs-2010/
- Published: 2011-01-19T23:01:13-05:00
- Author: Max Hammer

Deerhunter's 'Halcyon Digest' LP was one of the best albums of 2010

In the end, 2010 turned out to be another blockbuster year for indie rock (and its
many related and sub genres) music. So much so that many people, including us, are
still catching up, digesting, listening to, and analyzing 2010 releases. We don’t
feel any necessity to follow the packs and get out best-of, year-end list by a certain
date, but generally, we like to get the majority of it wrapped up no later than **
Valentines Day**, or about the time that the **Noise Pop Festival** in **San Francisco**
starts – in the third week of February. Therefore, as many of you have probably 
already noticed, there are lots of ‘best of’ and ‘top 2010’ band playlists and polls
that have been running, and now it’s time to focus on songs.

So far, we’ve published the Top 50 No.1 Songs of 2010 of the songs featured on IRC
throughout the year, which were tallied each week via the popular [Top Ten Songs](https://indierockcafe.com/op-ten-songs)
listings.

“Helicopter”– **Deerhunter **from _Halcyon Digest_

The same concept will continue in 2011, wherein we tally the songs that were listened
to, and downloaded, the most the week previous, and then we list the [Top Ten Songs](https://indierockcafe.com/op-ten-songs)
for that week based solely on whichever songs we posted during that week – such 
as the Best New Releases weekly series, and other common posts to provide readers
and visitors a reliable place to go every week, or a few times a week, to find, 
stream and download the best new indie rock music, get cool deals and interesting
news, view artist and band profiles, stream special playlists and mixes full of 
carefully chosen tracks, and find terrific, but rare new releases that are often
times no where else on the web.

Related Post:  Best Indie Rock Songs 2010, Vol. II: Foals, Deerhunter, Wolf Parade,
Titus Andronicus, Andrew Bird, No Age, Warpaint, LCD Soundsystem

![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/arcade_fire_suburbs.jpg?
w=500&h=457)

“The Suburbs” – **Arcade Fire **from [_The Suburbs_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003X73QA8?ie=UTF8&tag=indroccaf-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B003X73QA8)

We hope that you find this first volume of our top songs of 2010 enjoyable, and 
that perhaps you will discover some songs that you really dig but had never heard
before.  As much as possible, we have avoided duplicating songs that are currently
featured in the popular post, The Top 50 No. 1 Songs of 2010 playlist and poll. 
and hopefully, you voted for your favorite song. Because the No. 1 song of the week
for the weekly Top Ten Songs list means that hundreds of other great 2010 songs 
were not included in that poll.

![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/freelancewhales.jpg "freelancewhales")

“Hannah”_ _ – [**Freelance Whales**](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/day-three-at-sxsw-neon-indian-memory4.html)
from _Weathervanes_

Stayed tuned also for our Best Albums of 2010 series. Yeah, we know, everyone else
has already put out their top albums of 2010. We don’t think that means we should
put out ours at the same time as everyone else. Plus, it takes time to put such 
lists together – especially since there were so many amazing releases in 2010, from**
Arcade Fire** and **Broken Bells** to **Deerhunter **and **Fang Island**. Another
reason we wait to put out a Best Albums of 2010 list until January, is that we think
it’s a bit pretentious to be releasing best of lists before the end of the year.

In the meantime, enjoy the best songs of 2010.

“The High Road” – [**Broken Bells**](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/best-new-releases-of-week-part-two1.html)
from _Broken Bells_

Over the next few weeks, we’ll analyze the number of times the songs in these playlist
have been streamed, downloaded, and “favorited”. Sometime later this month, we’ll
collect those statistics for our top songs of 2010, and then publish a final list
that will be separate from the No. 1 Songs playlist/poll. Hopefully, we’re not confusing
you.  The bottom line is that we love the fact that our regular visitors and new
visitors help determine what are the most popular songs of those that we post on
IRC.

Related Post:  Best Indie Rock Songs of 2010, Vol. IV - Dead Weather, Foals, The
Radio Dept., Beach Fossils, Weekend, The National

It will be very interesting to see which songs all you guys like the most. We also
encourage you to leave comments about; it only takes a few people to start the ball
rolling on interesting comment threads about the songs in this special post. The
songs are not in any particular order of importance.

Note: This songs are not in order of importance; they are random. Also, many of 
the albums that these songs appear on are among the Best Albums of 2010. Even better,
many are on sale from Amazon for $5, just click on the album title to order.

[“Round and Round” ](http://www.naturalismo.us/Ariel Pink - Round and Round.mp3)–**
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti** from_ Before Today_

“Photojournalist”_ _ – **Small Black** from _New Chain_

Brooklyn's five-piece band are one of our break-through bands of 2010

“Life Coach” – **Fang Island** from [_Fang Island_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038ECT7M?ie=UTF8&tag=indroccaf-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0038ECT7M)

“Dynomania” – **The Vermicious Knids** from [_The Vermicioius Knids _](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035JPT0O?ie=UTF8&tag=indroccaf-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0035JPT0O)

[“Automatic”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/twintigers.mp3) – **Twin
Tigers** from _Gray Waves_ (special: $5)

![twodoorcinemaclubcover](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/twodoorcinemaclubcover.
jpg "twodoorcinemaclubcover")

“What You Know” – **Two Door Cinema Club** from _ Tourist History_

“Golden Haze”_ _ – **Wild Nothing** from _Golden Haze_ EP

“This Is Real” – [**Best Coast**](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/san-franciscos-noise-pop-showcase-vol-i2.html)
from _When I’m With You/This Is Real 7″_

![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/513Cy8YokfL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)

“Leave House”_ _ – **Caribou** from_ Swim_

“Hot Sprawl”_ _ – **Man/Miracle** from _The Shape of Things_

“By and By”_ _ – **Lay Low** from [_Farewell, Good Night’s Sleep_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038PC1WY?ie=UTF8&tag=indroccaf-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0038PC1WY)

![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/51up38B3d9L._SS500_.jpg)

“Communion” – **Maximum Balloon **from [_Maximum Balloon_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043CPWLI?ie=UTF8&tag=indroccaf-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0043CPWLI)

[“Huffy Ten Speed”_ _](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/BodyLanguage.Speaks.HuffyTenSpeedSingle1.mp3)–**
Body Language** from _Speaks_

“Stranded” – **[The Walkmen](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/01/ircs-top-indie-rock-songs-2010/=The+Walkmen&x=11&y=11)**
from _Lisbon_

![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/61qyda3xn1L._SL500_AA280_.jpg)

“Sunhands”_ _ – **Local Natives** from_ Gorilla Manor_

[“Swim Until You Can’t See Land”_ _](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/02%20Swim%20Until%20You%20Cant%20See%20Land5.mp3)–**
Frightened Rabbit** from _Swim Until You Can’t See Land 7″_

“Bloodbuzz Ohio”_ _ – **The National** from _High Violet_

![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/sheandhimvolumetwo.jpg "
sheandhimvolumetwo")

In The Sun”_ _ – **She & Him** from [_Volume Two_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BXMHWW?ie=UTF8&tag=indroccaf-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B003BXMHWW)

[“I Walked” ](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/01%20I%20Walked.mp3)–
[**Sufjan Stevens**](https://indierockcafe.com/2011/01/ircs-top-indie-rock-songs-2010/=sufjan+stevens&x=0&y=01)
from _The Age of Adz_

“Blood” – **The Middle East** from _[The Recordings of The Middle East](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002QFMMQW?ie=UTF8&tag=indroccaf-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B002QFMMQW)_(
see Note 1)

Related Post:  Best Indie Rock Songs of 2010, Vol. III - Two Door Cinema Club, Dolorean,
Dead Weather, Mumford & Sons, Joze Gonzalez

![](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Titus_Andronicus_-_The_Monitor.
jpg)

“A More Perfect Union”_ _ – **Titus Andronicus** from _The Monitor_

“Stranger”_ _ – **Dr. Dog** from _Stranger_

“Rather Be Dead”_ _ – **Bottle Up & Go** from _Bottle Up & Go EP_

“Latin America”_ _ – **Holy Fu\*k** from _Latin_

[“Drunk Girls”_ _](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/drunkgirls4.mp3)–**
LCD Soundsystem **from _This Is Happening_

“Passive Idol”_ _ – **Twin Tigers** from _Gray Waves_

[“Everyone’s Hip” ](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/8284.mp3)–** Jaill**
from _That’s How We Burn_

_In this list, the main difference between the IRC Readers’ Choice Poll for the 
No. 1 song (out of 50 No.1’s through the year) and our choices for Best Indie Rock
Songs of 2010 is that here we are not including any of the No. 1 songs from the 
Top Ten Songs weekly feature. Obviously, one is the readers’ choice, and the other(
this one) is our choice for top songs that didn’t place No. 1 for one reason or 
another. The purpose of this poll/playlist is to segregate the all of the non-No.
1 songs of 2010, and instead use the songs that appeared in the No. 2 – No. 10 positions
throughout the year._

_Note 1: This album was originally released in October of 2009, but didn’t really
hit popularity until early 2010; therefore, we’re making an exception for an exceptional
album._