The You Wildin' Top Sixty Songs of 2008:36-34

36) Gang Gang Dance- House Jam
Critics consider Gang Gang Dance's style to to be neo-primitivist or neo-tribalist. And even though such classifications make me want to take the L train to Bedford, find the first dude in American Apparel glasses and punch him, one can definately hear the influences of world music on the New York trio's last album Saint Dymphna. Their experimental electronic power-pop reminds me of the Go! Team, except it's much hipper and significantly darker. At times, Gang Gang's sound can get a little muffled, even at points in their wild single House Jam. Nevertheless, this track is inventive, oddly captivating, and ridiculously hip.

35) TI featuring Rihanna- Live Your Life
I am surprised that I let this song fall all the way down to number 35 on this list. I, like the rest of the free-world, love this track. TI is the living epitome of swagger. Just Blaze manages to make a sample from one of the cheesiest songs imaginable (the Moldovan band O-Zone's Dragostea Din Tei) sound cool. And the chorus is basically perfect.

34) Adele- Tired
In the last few years we have seen a revival in soul, largely due to white English girls. When I first heard Amy Winehouse's Back to Black or Duffy's Rockferry, I wondered how far traditional organic instrumentation could take these girls. And then there is Adele, who at times sings over minimalist piano, and at others, makes songs like Tired. This mellow epic perfectly fuses live and electronics elements (great synthesized arpeggio) even adding some symphonic components in the latter half of the song. Plus and as always, Adele's voice is unswervingly lovely. Great song...good times, good times.