{stylish photo by nancyo23}

I hope I'm not getting too granular with my listage, but given the empowering nature of  turning the page on the decade, I can't help myself--I wanted to make sure that that certain song gems didn't go unrewarded for their brilliance.

Thusly, I compiled the below list of songs released in the last decade that are total A+++, but who's album didn't make it on my favs of the decade list... either because the song is from an EP or single; the album is good, but not as solid as the 75 albums that made my list; a bunch of other albums by the band/artists appeared on the list; or I just was bad with tabulating and this should have been on the list based on the strength of said song alone.

Please enjoy the below a recap of the top 10 songs from the last decade that amaze me beyond belief (and didn't make my favorite albums of the decade list). What amazing splashes of song brilliance rocked your 2000-2009? I bet between all of us we could make the most amazing quad-mix cd ever!

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Tonight is the second night of this year's Noise for the Needy festival and tonight's trifecta of shows is a great assortment of Seattle bands with some out of towners thrown in for extra buzz.

I'm particularly excited to see the Sunset Tavern show with Adam Stephens and the Finite Plain headlining. Adam as you may or may not know is one half of the intense folk-rock-sters Two Gallants - a group that has never disappointed. I'm not sure what Adam's non-2G shows are like, but if this video (above) is an indication of the harmonica goodness we have in store tonight, it's going to rule.

If you're looking for something else tonight, here's a full list of the grand Noise for the Needy showcases tonight.

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at Bumbershoot 2008

The standing ovation Two Gallants received afterwards did not feel forced, and neither did the depths of this, probably my favorite performance of Bumbershoot 2008.

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Two Gallants played a sold-out show at the Tractor as part of this weekend's Noise for the Needy festival.

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This JUST in: local non-profit Noise for the Needy has just pre-announced some great show dates for their forthcoming 2008 musical festival.

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at The Crocodile

What struck me about the two piece (Adam and Tyson) was how much sound they were able to create with just a couple instruments (harmonica, percussion, guitar, vocals).

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The new Two Gallants EP, The Scenery of Farewell, is set to be released this summer on Saddle Creek. And to celebrate - we've got an MP3!

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at Austin

Read about some of their fave performances from SXSW 2006, including Okkervil River, Art Brut, The Rakes, Billy Bragg, the Long Winters, Galactic Heroes, Figurines, The Gossip, the Magic Numbers, and more. Viva le Austin!

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A marriage of Adam's fiercely raw vocals with crashing cymbals and a furiously picked guitar melody, this track builds like a carousel spinning slightly off its axis, tipping and whirling as it gains pace.

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Bright Eyes' contribution here, "Napoleon's Hat," is probably the most vicious, existentially-riveting protest song recorded in the past few years.

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