The Best Songs in Dallas Music, 2010: PlayRadioPlay! Becomes Analog Rebellion and Overtakes The Machines at No. 11

By Pete Freedman Fri., Dec. 17 2010 at 4:47 PM

[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. 11 on the list -- and, please, feel free to click after the jump to grab a free download of the track. Also after the jump, check out songs No. 50-12 in the Top 50 list that will update as it grows...]

As 2009 came to a close, Aledo's Daniel Hunter was undergoing a major change. He was just 20 years old at the time and still performing under the name PlayRadioPlay!, but he'd already gone through the major label ringer. Island Records has released his debut EP in 2007, and then his first full-length release, Texas, in 2008. But even after splitting with his label in late 2008, Hunter still didn't seem satisfied with the direction his music was taking him.

So, in a pretty bold move, Hunter ended 2009 by forcibly changing that direction. He changed his performance moniker to Analog Rebellion, and, come 2010, started releasing music on his own -- lots and lots of music.

Over the course of these past 12 months, he's released 65 songs through all the various full-length, EP and B-side compilation albums he's put out this year.

So, yeah, one of them was bound to be pretty good.

Bonus mp3: Analog Rebellion -- "You've Been Had (Machine)"

Actually, most of his songs were pretty good. It's been a banner year for Hunter -- and one that's seen the now-21-year-old break out creatively in a big, big way.

And, by leaving behind his electro-pop roots for a new, far heavier-hitting sound that culls influence from the likes of the Pixies, the Secret Machines and the Paper Chase, he's indeed found himself settling in quite comfortably in his new direction -- something apparent immediately upon listening to his debut release under the Analog Rebellion name, and his first releaze of the year, Ancient Electrons, which, sure enough, stands as one of the best full-length releases of the year from the region.

Highlighted by tracks like "You've Been Had (Machine)," in which Hunter is capably able to flex his creative muscle and discerning ear and blend a whole variety of elements (even adorning his new rock sound with electronic flourishes carried over from his old persona), Electrons is a fascinating, impossibly catchy listen. Even more impressive? The fact that it sounds so incredibly well-produced, even though Hunter, almost defiantly, self-produced it all in his Aledo home.

In a year in which many young area talents have introduced themselves so well to the local listening public, Hunter may have made the best case for being an artist worth watching well into the future.

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. The Burning Hotels - "Austin's Birthday"
23. Doug Burr - "At The Public Dance"
22. The Flowers of God feat. Sarah Jaffe - "Tunnelvisionary"
21. Dondria -- "You're The One"
20. Sundress - "Locust"
19. Blixaboy - "Lion Eyes (featuring Emil Rapstine)"
18. A.Dd+ feat. Brown of Sore Losers - "Likeamug"
17. The Secret Handshake - "Every Single Time"
16. Lalagray - "The Hard Part"
15. Sore Losers - "Free Loaders"
14. Leg Sweeper - "Sexy Weekend"
13. Midlake - "Rulers, Ruling All Things"
12. Ryan Thomas Becker - "So Speak"
11. Analog Rebellion -- "You've Been Had (Machine)"
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