Tucked away under the Music/Video tab at the top of the page, our Click Hear section is a regularly updated MP3 and music video blog where we post our favourite finds from every corner of the vast, unending Internet. From rap leaks and new indie singles to an ever-growing amount of NSFW music videos, the Click Hear department is an exciting beast. Below, we've run down the top 20 Click Hear posts of 2010 as determined by your visits.
So have a look at what we're simply calling Exclaim!'s Top 20 Click Hear Chart of 2010:
20. White Lung - "Sleep Creep"
Before they were crowned Exclaim!'s punk queens (and king) for their excellent It's the Evil LP, Vancouver post-punk growlers White Lung stoked our anticipation with the track "Sleep Creep" back in May. Punishing drums, scratchy guitars, a melodic bass line and Mish Way's inimitable vocals were a surefire sign that something big was on the way.
19. Black Mountain - "The Hair Song" (video)
Right before they dropped their third album Wilderness Heart, Vancouver retro-rockers Black Mountain unveiled a video for their lead single "The Hair Song." Jamming out in some wild West Coast forest, the video also featured a kid on his skateboard and a teen love story, thereby tugging all the right heartstrings.
18. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Gathering Storm" / "Moya" (Live at ATP)
The news that Montreal instrumental rock titans Godspeed You! Black Emperor had reunited was incredibly exciting for all of us, but it was also difficult to know that their debut performance would be thousands of kilometres away at ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas. Fortunately, some high-quality footage made its way online, and while the visuals were a little hazy, the epic, heavy sounds came through in full clarity.
17. Born Ruffians - "Sole Brother"
Say It, the sophomore effort from Ontario pop minimalists Born Ruffians, wasn't exactly the explosive commercial or critical success it could have been. Regardless, anticipation for the album was clearly high as readers came in troves to check out lead single "Sole Brother" back in February.
16. Kanye West - "Power" (Mastered Version)
Though over-saturation made his presence tiresome, there was no denying the massive cultural impact Kanye had in 2010. When we first heard the final version of "Power," we knew this was his year. From the "Jesus Walks"-style production to a well-placed King Crimson sample, this was the first sign of Kanye's big things to come.
15. My Chemical Romance - "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)"
My Chemical Romance's triumphant return Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys proceeded its lengthy album title with an even longer lead single in "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)." As expected, the track is a juiced-up, obnoxious radio rock anthem with hooks aplenty and ridiculous lyrics about drugs, love and putting the pedal to the metal.
14. Baseball Project - "Don't Call Them Twinkies" ft. the Hold Steady's Craig Finn
The Hold Steady's Craig Finn stepped up to join a pinch-hitting team to record a single for the Minnesota Twins. "Don't Call Them Twinkies" also features Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey, Zuzu's Petals drummer Linda Pitmon, and is a working-class anthem sure to get you in the mood for some baseball.
13. The Hold Steady - "The Weekenders"
Brooklyn post-punk pop rockers the Hold Steady released a new album called Heaven Is Whenever in May, and the pre-album anticipation must have been killing you, because our stream of album track "The Weekenders" caught some major attention in April.
12. Kanye West - "Lost in the World" (ft. Bon Iver)
Easily Kanye's least favourite Click Hear track, "Lost in the World" was one of the only unsanctioned leaks from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Pissed at the incomplete version floating around the Internet, Kanye even threatened to cancel his G.O.O.D. Fridays over the leak. It was worth it, though, as "Lost in the World" featured everything from Justin Vernon's Auto-Tuned crooning to fist-pumping Balearic beats and minimalist synth swells.
11. K-os - The Anchorman mixtape
Canadian rapper K-os hinted at his long-awaited return on The Anchorman Mixtape for quite a while, but the release kept getting delayed. When the mixtape finally did drop, it had some of his most ambitious work yet, including collaborations with Drake and Sebastien Grainger. In true mixtape form, it also included gaudy, terribly Photoshopped album art.
10. Justin Bieber - "U Smile" (800% Slower Remix)
In the world of mainstream philistines, there was no bigger artist in 2010 than floppy haired teen creep Justin Bieber. Thinking we couldn't face him any longer, our world was shook by this incredible interpretation of the Biebs' "U Smile." Slowed down 800 percent, the irritating tween pop anthem became a transcendent piece of modern classical bliss that some likened to "Sigur Ros doing Vangelis covers in a cathedral being washed away by the sea."
9. M.I.A. - "Born Free" (video)
Before she was beefing with journalists and trying to promote her notoriously shitty // / Y / record, M.I.A. had us all on edge with this controversial clip for "Born Free." The nine-minute video, directed by Romain Gavras, features a heavily armed SWAT team who, it's later revealed, are hunting red-headed kids. Either you have a problem with gingers or you just love some controversy. Whatever the case, M.I.A.'s clip was heavily viewed.
8. Die Antwoord - "Evil Boy" (video)
South African rap weirdos Die Antwoord are nothing if not a music video band. All of their clips have experienced massive viral fame, and their video for "Evil Boy" was no different. Who could blame you for repeat viewings of a video that features a zeffed-out Diplo sporting a boner while Yo-Landi Vi$$er draws a pentagram on his chest with her lipstick. Meanwhile, MC Ninja is rapping into his own massively extended penis. Some serious WTF-worthy gold.
7. Klaxons - "Twin Flames" (video)
This video deserves the No. 1 slot in a new category called "Most Fucked Up Thing Ever." Post-nu-rave rockers Klaxons gave their track "Twin Flames" one of the weirdest videos we've ever seen, involving some sexual hinting into a full-on orgy between lubed-up man-woman hybrids. Proving that you like a generous dollop of weird sex with your British buzz bands, this video was up there on our most-viewed list.
6. Gucci Mane - Jewelry Selection mixtape
Leading up to his post-prison album The Appeal, Atlanta rap hero Gucci Mane was his usual prolific self with a string of mixtapes. Jewelry Selection not only featured the expected corny-ass album art, but also 13 new songs and three interludes from the man born Radric Davis. Like many of Gucci's projects, it was another hit-or-miss affair, but it certainly didn't fail to peak your interest.
5. Shad - "Yaa I Get It" (video)
In hindsight, there's no denying the cultural impact that Shad had on 2010. His TSOL album won fans worldwide and nearly clinched the Polaris Music Prize. Back in April, we knew this project was something special when we premiered the video for lead single "Yaa I Get It." Black and white and down to earth, this was the arrival of a new Shad.
4. Eminem - "Love the Way You Lie" (ft. Rihanna) (video)
Not to question your taste, dear Exclaim! reader, but we must admit we were a little shocked by how many of you viewed this clip. Maybe you were hoping Rihanna would throw some punches on an actor playing Chris Brown, or maybe you just love some Megan Fox, but what you got was a melodramatic, big-budget video set to some of Eminem's worst lyrics ever. Hope you liked it!
3. Feist - Look at What the Light Did Now (sampler)
Prior to the release of Feist's Look at What the Light Did Now documentary, we offered a four-song stream from the DVD's bonus CD. Stripped-down performances of "My Moon My Man" and "Strangers," as well as Chilly Gonzales solo piano covers of "Sea Lion Woman" and "1234" had many of you listening obsessively. One commenter described is as "lullaby rock for the lost generation. And, really, you can leave out the rock bit."
2. Jack Black and Jason Segel - "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy 2010" (video)
While we posted a lot of Christmas music this year, none drew the same amount of hits as Jack Black and Jason Segel's animated send-up of David Bowie and Bing Crosby's "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy." In true Jack Black fashion, the cover features over-the-top synth strings and guitar shreddery, adding some goofball cheese to your Christmas playlist.
1. Flaming Lips - "See the Leaves" (video)
A note to would-be viral video directors in 2011: just set the music to a bunch of naked people doing pretty much anything. If there's one thing we learned in 2010, it's that the most successful videos are often the most NSFW. This one features a naked girl wandering through fields, city streets and parking garages as the hand-drawn scribbles covering her nether regions slowly disappear.
So have a look at what we're simply calling Exclaim!'s Top 20 Click Hear Chart of 2010:
20. White Lung - "Sleep Creep"
Before they were crowned Exclaim!'s punk queens (and king) for their excellent It's the Evil LP, Vancouver post-punk growlers White Lung stoked our anticipation with the track "Sleep Creep" back in May. Punishing drums, scratchy guitars, a melodic bass line and Mish Way's inimitable vocals were a surefire sign that something big was on the way.
19. Black Mountain - "The Hair Song" (video)
Right before they dropped their third album Wilderness Heart, Vancouver retro-rockers Black Mountain unveiled a video for their lead single "The Hair Song." Jamming out in some wild West Coast forest, the video also featured a kid on his skateboard and a teen love story, thereby tugging all the right heartstrings.
18. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "Gathering Storm" / "Moya" (Live at ATP)
The news that Montreal instrumental rock titans Godspeed You! Black Emperor had reunited was incredibly exciting for all of us, but it was also difficult to know that their debut performance would be thousands of kilometres away at ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas. Fortunately, some high-quality footage made its way online, and while the visuals were a little hazy, the epic, heavy sounds came through in full clarity.
17. Born Ruffians - "Sole Brother"
Say It, the sophomore effort from Ontario pop minimalists Born Ruffians, wasn't exactly the explosive commercial or critical success it could have been. Regardless, anticipation for the album was clearly high as readers came in troves to check out lead single "Sole Brother" back in February.
16. Kanye West - "Power" (Mastered Version)
Though over-saturation made his presence tiresome, there was no denying the massive cultural impact Kanye had in 2010. When we first heard the final version of "Power," we knew this was his year. From the "Jesus Walks"-style production to a well-placed King Crimson sample, this was the first sign of Kanye's big things to come.
15. My Chemical Romance - "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)"
My Chemical Romance's triumphant return Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys proceeded its lengthy album title with an even longer lead single in "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)." As expected, the track is a juiced-up, obnoxious radio rock anthem with hooks aplenty and ridiculous lyrics about drugs, love and putting the pedal to the metal.
14. Baseball Project - "Don't Call Them Twinkies" ft. the Hold Steady's Craig Finn
The Hold Steady's Craig Finn stepped up to join a pinch-hitting team to record a single for the Minnesota Twins. "Don't Call Them Twinkies" also features Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey, Zuzu's Petals drummer Linda Pitmon, and is a working-class anthem sure to get you in the mood for some baseball.
13. The Hold Steady - "The Weekenders"
Brooklyn post-punk pop rockers the Hold Steady released a new album called Heaven Is Whenever in May, and the pre-album anticipation must have been killing you, because our stream of album track "The Weekenders" caught some major attention in April.
12. Kanye West - "Lost in the World" (ft. Bon Iver)
Easily Kanye's least favourite Click Hear track, "Lost in the World" was one of the only unsanctioned leaks from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Pissed at the incomplete version floating around the Internet, Kanye even threatened to cancel his G.O.O.D. Fridays over the leak. It was worth it, though, as "Lost in the World" featured everything from Justin Vernon's Auto-Tuned crooning to fist-pumping Balearic beats and minimalist synth swells.
11. K-os - The Anchorman mixtape
Canadian rapper K-os hinted at his long-awaited return on The Anchorman Mixtape for quite a while, but the release kept getting delayed. When the mixtape finally did drop, it had some of his most ambitious work yet, including collaborations with Drake and Sebastien Grainger. In true mixtape form, it also included gaudy, terribly Photoshopped album art.
10. Justin Bieber - "U Smile" (800% Slower Remix)
In the world of mainstream philistines, there was no bigger artist in 2010 than floppy haired teen creep Justin Bieber. Thinking we couldn't face him any longer, our world was shook by this incredible interpretation of the Biebs' "U Smile." Slowed down 800 percent, the irritating tween pop anthem became a transcendent piece of modern classical bliss that some likened to "Sigur Ros doing Vangelis covers in a cathedral being washed away by the sea."
9. M.I.A. - "Born Free" (video)
Before she was beefing with journalists and trying to promote her notoriously shitty // / Y / record, M.I.A. had us all on edge with this controversial clip for "Born Free." The nine-minute video, directed by Romain Gavras, features a heavily armed SWAT team who, it's later revealed, are hunting red-headed kids. Either you have a problem with gingers or you just love some controversy. Whatever the case, M.I.A.'s clip was heavily viewed.
8. Die Antwoord - "Evil Boy" (video)
South African rap weirdos Die Antwoord are nothing if not a music video band. All of their clips have experienced massive viral fame, and their video for "Evil Boy" was no different. Who could blame you for repeat viewings of a video that features a zeffed-out Diplo sporting a boner while Yo-Landi Vi$$er draws a pentagram on his chest with her lipstick. Meanwhile, MC Ninja is rapping into his own massively extended penis. Some serious WTF-worthy gold.
7. Klaxons - "Twin Flames" (video)
This video deserves the No. 1 slot in a new category called "Most Fucked Up Thing Ever." Post-nu-rave rockers Klaxons gave their track "Twin Flames" one of the weirdest videos we've ever seen, involving some sexual hinting into a full-on orgy between lubed-up man-woman hybrids. Proving that you like a generous dollop of weird sex with your British buzz bands, this video was up there on our most-viewed list.
6. Gucci Mane - Jewelry Selection mixtape
Leading up to his post-prison album The Appeal, Atlanta rap hero Gucci Mane was his usual prolific self with a string of mixtapes. Jewelry Selection not only featured the expected corny-ass album art, but also 13 new songs and three interludes from the man born Radric Davis. Like many of Gucci's projects, it was another hit-or-miss affair, but it certainly didn't fail to peak your interest.
5. Shad - "Yaa I Get It" (video)
In hindsight, there's no denying the cultural impact that Shad had on 2010. His TSOL album won fans worldwide and nearly clinched the Polaris Music Prize. Back in April, we knew this project was something special when we premiered the video for lead single "Yaa I Get It." Black and white and down to earth, this was the arrival of a new Shad.
4. Eminem - "Love the Way You Lie" (ft. Rihanna) (video)
Not to question your taste, dear Exclaim! reader, but we must admit we were a little shocked by how many of you viewed this clip. Maybe you were hoping Rihanna would throw some punches on an actor playing Chris Brown, or maybe you just love some Megan Fox, but what you got was a melodramatic, big-budget video set to some of Eminem's worst lyrics ever. Hope you liked it!
3. Feist - Look at What the Light Did Now (sampler)
Prior to the release of Feist's Look at What the Light Did Now documentary, we offered a four-song stream from the DVD's bonus CD. Stripped-down performances of "My Moon My Man" and "Strangers," as well as Chilly Gonzales solo piano covers of "Sea Lion Woman" and "1234" had many of you listening obsessively. One commenter described is as "lullaby rock for the lost generation. And, really, you can leave out the rock bit."
2. Jack Black and Jason Segel - "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy 2010" (video)
While we posted a lot of Christmas music this year, none drew the same amount of hits as Jack Black and Jason Segel's animated send-up of David Bowie and Bing Crosby's "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy." In true Jack Black fashion, the cover features over-the-top synth strings and guitar shreddery, adding some goofball cheese to your Christmas playlist.
1. Flaming Lips - "See the Leaves" (video)
A note to would-be viral video directors in 2011: just set the music to a bunch of naked people doing pretty much anything. If there's one thing we learned in 2010, it's that the most successful videos are often the most NSFW. This one features a naked girl wandering through fields, city streets and parking garages as the hand-drawn scribbles covering her nether regions slowly disappear.
