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"  1. &amp;quot;Jingle Bells,&amp;quot; Julian Koster  It&amp;#039;s been said that the violin is the closest instrument to the human voice, but we&amp;#039;re going with the singing saw. In a perfect world, Koster&amp;#039;s ultracreepy take on this yuletide standard would be in heavy rotation at Home Depot. Best of all, no bells, just saw. 2. &amp;quot;One Last Round,&amp;quot; Ron Sexsmith  Rarely has the notoriously meticulous Sexsmith crafted a better melody and narrative than this one -- in which what seems like a gorgeous drinking song on first pass reveals itself as a sharp comment on American consumption. 3. &amp;quot;Grounds for Divorce,&amp;quot; Elbow  As it should, this tightly wound Zeppelinesque foot-stomper reeks like a bartender&amp;#039;s rubber mat; it&amp;#039;s about a bender at the corner pub, in which the &amp;quot;seldom-seen kid&amp;quot; in the chorus is the dead friend they&amp;#039;re toasting. Cheers. 4. &amp;quot;She Left Me for Jesus,&amp;quot; Hayes Carll  &amp;quot;She says I should find Him and I&amp;#039;ll know peace at last / If I ever find Jesus I&amp;#039;m kickin&amp;#039; His ass.&amp;quot; Pansy-ass country-radio programmers screamed blasphemy, but the true offense was denying their audience this song. 5. &amp;quot;Auctioneer,&amp;quot; the Broken West  There&amp;#039;s a glut of fashion-obsessed L. A. bands. This one uses the piano, hand claps, tambourines, and lush choruses -- but only in short bursts. Any remaining Matthew Sweet and Jellyfish fanatics will fall for this tale of an intimidating chanteuse.  RELATED STORIES:  ANDY LANGER: Best Unheard Songs of 2007  CHUCK KLOSTERMAN: Seven Questions for Musical Discussion  BLOG OF LISTS: Five Hilarious New Videos Every Friday!   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a5315/best-rock-songs-of-2008-1208/>