The Best Songs In Dallas Music, 2010: Damaged Good$ Calls Out Its Haters (Even If The Rest Of Us Didn't Realize There Were Any) at No. 25

By Pete Freedman Mon., Nov. 29 2010 at 4:34 PM

[At the end of each of the last two years, we spent the final few weeks of the year counting down the best music that the local scene has had to offer. This year's no different -- well, except that, this year, our original list of songs to be included for consideration was significantly larger than the lists we started with in previous years. So, no, determining the best songs of this year wasn't an easy task. As such, we expect that your opinions and ours won't be the same. But we're also guessing that you don't spend your nine-to-five gig sitting around listening to local music all day like we do. So there. Over the next few weeks we'll be presenting our favorite local songs of the year, counting down from No. 25 to No. 1, one track a day. Today we take an in-depth look at song No. 25 on the list--and, please, feel free to click after the jump for a free download of the track. Keep checking back to see how the list pans out as we move closer to No. 1. And, after the jump, check out songs No. 50-26 in the Top 50 list that will update as it grows...]

Damaged Good$'s Theodroe and Coool Dundee

In recent months, a whole spate of intelligent, forward-thinking local hip-hop acts have stepped up and announced their presences in big ways. But let's not forget who spurred this whole scene along in the first place.

Bonus mp3: Damaged Good$ -- "WEHATEDAMAGEDGOOD$TOO"

In 2009, Damaged Good$ first emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the local hip-hop scene thanks to Hello World, which found the duo of Theodore Beard and Coool Dundee skillfully rhyming over a collection electronica-infused beats provided by the London-based DJ Xrabit, who claimed to have discovered the Texas friends over MySpace.

And, in 2010, the duo tried proving itself capable of standing on its own two feet. With $pread Luv, Not Germ$, a mixtape released slowly over the course of a few months and some charity fundraising concerts, they did just that.

This time around, the twosome moved past the old-school party rap its debut had introduced them as and appeared much more comfortable expanding its efforts -- track to track, the release included slow jams, dub step and, OK, more than a few party rap anthems still, like the best song on the release, "WEHATEDAMAGEDGOOD$TOO."

Over a Rusko-swiped, Nintendo-referencing beat, the duo's rallying cry bitterly takes to task the hip-hop heads not yet impressed with their offerings.

After hearing this song, though, it's tough to imagine that there any any who still remain in that camp.

The Top 50 Local Songs of 2010 (Links to music videos and free song downloads available where applicable; links to streams where neither a download nor video exists.)
50. Dear Human - "Waiting"
49. Nervous Curtains - "All Yesterday's Parties"
48. Spector 45 - "Try Try Try"
47. Smile Smile - "Beg You To Stay"
46. Robert Gomez - "A Natural State"
45. Florene - "Parc Bitch"
44. Mount Righteous - "Eat Your Wife and Kiss The Barbecue"
43. The Strange Boys - "Be Brave"
42. Soft Environmental Collapse - "A Horse & Buggy Complex"
41. Deepspace5 - "Killing With Kindness"
40. Sextape -- "Lubricated Intimacy"
39. Museum Creatures - "Song ABC"
38. Ocelot - "Beating Hears"
37. Sir Silky - "The Squeeze (The Answer)"
36. Bone - "Homegurl"
35. Ishi - "Come Closer"
34. Hoyotoho - "Born Black"
33. Dorrough - "Get Big"
32. Katie Carroll - "Paper Girl"
31. Final Club - "Ruded"
30. Treal Lee & Prince Rick - "Throwed Off (Fuck Errbody)"
29. South San Gabriel - "All Night Long"
28. The Rocket Summer - "Walls"
27. Darktown Strutters - "Lucifer Rising"
26. School of Seven Bells - "Windstorm"
25. Damaged Good$ -- "WEHATEDAMAGEDGOOD$TOO"
24. ????????
23. ????????
22. ????????
21. ????????
20. ????????
19. ????????
18. ????????
17. ????????
16. ????????
15. ????????
14. ????????
13. ????????
12. ????????
11. ????????
10. ????????
9. ????????
8. ????????
7. ????????
6. ????????
5. ????????
4. ????????
3. ????????
2. ????????
1. ????????