While the dawn of the internet age has benefited the music fan in more ways than we can count on two hands, there’s one thing missing from the good old days: the countdown. For years, the highlight of the day used to be racing home from school to plow three Coke Classics and gear up to see if Patience would maintain the number one position on Dial MTV or if Skid Row would overtake GnR. Somewhere between then and now, album reviews became omnipotent, but highlighting the great individual songs – the hit single if you will – faded away. Besides, Adam Curry was the man.

So anyway, it’s with that in mind that we decided to churn out the HT Occasional Countdown – a top ten of sorts consisting of some of the best new songs across a variety of HT friendly bands. There’s no real basis upon what makes the list, besides what gets the most play on our respective iPods, but hopefully you will enjoy the selections.

10) Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit – Wayne Rooney from A Larum

There’s no way a song dedicated to one of footy’s top-selling Wallbangers doesn’t crack the top ten.

9) Lotus – Bellwhether from Hammerstrike

It’s about time somebody responded to the ubiquitous request for some more freaking cowbell.

READ ON for more of the first HT Occasional Countdown…

8) Nels Cline – Onan Suite Part V: Seedcaster from Coward

Has anyone seen Nels’ marbles? Listen to this weirdo jam really loud through headphones a few times though, and it’ll start to make sense.

7) Frightened Rabbit – Good Arms, Bad Arms from Liver! Lung! Fr!

Apologies if I’m droning on over these guys lately, but there has to be some objective in the subjective and this acoustic Good Arms, Bad Arms highlights a another side of the world’s greatest Scottish emo band.

6) Michael Franti & Spearhead – Hey World (Remote Control Version) from All Rebel Rockers

“How you feelin?” jokes aside, I look forward to new Franti albums as much as any, and in this case, the Sly & Robbie team-up in Jamaica lent itself to less preachy and more fun, producing one of his best yet.

5) The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – Them Old Days Are Gone from The Whole Fam Damnily

Try n’hot to ann’hoy t’ho m’hany of yer fr’hiends, cause sing’hin with all these H’s is add’hictative.

4) Old Crow Medicine Show – Highway Halo from Tennessee Pusher

While Tennessee Pusher strayed somewhat from the old-timey feel of their magnum opus O.C.M.S., Highway Halo will have you grabbing the moonshine Mason jar and heading out to the rocking chair.

3) Passion Pit – Better Things from Chunk of Change

And here you thought you already knew about hippie crack…

2) Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – Milk Thistle from Conor Oberst

While it would easy to tag Souled Out or Get Well Cards as the best song on the album, Milk Thistle offers a captivating look at kicking the bucket highlighted by a multitude of airtight similes – one of the best lyrical tunes in recent memory.

1) Garaj Majal – Hotel from W00t

Garaj Majal churns out the back alley funk so gritty-like that a Kevin Bacon ten-speed bike fight might just break out.