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“The Rake’s Song” |
| The Decemberists | ||
| Colin Meloy not so much sings but bellows, with chilling bravado, his unsurprisingly clever libretto about infanticide. | ||
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-Claire Tiller
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“Horchata” | |
| Vampire Weekend | ||
| Those clever Ivy League boys are at it again with their pop tricks. This time they’re spreading the knowledge with a certain flavor of Spanish drink and world music, but it doesn’t make the outcome any less palatable. Every nation has an irresistible melody worth catching in your head and Vampire Weekend wants you to know that. | ||
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-Andy DeLoach
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“Demon Host” | |
| Timber Timbre | ||
| “Demon Host” is a stripped-down track that blends folk and gospel into a dark, beautiful confession. Taylor Kirk’s vocals are haunting and could easily pass as the ghost of Ricky Nelson. With little accompaniment and a simple chord structure, this song radiates a soulful, old-time vibe that makes you wonder if this tune wasn’t being played around campfires and front porches 100 years ago. | ||
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-Chad Helminak
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“Alligator” | |
| Tegan and Sara | ||
| With a hynpotizing array of twinkling bells, high hats, and piano chords, this irresistible track from Tegan and Sara has surely sparked many impromptu dance parties. | ||
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-Jon Kjarsgaard
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“Fire” | |
| Kasabian | ||
| This is a tale of two songs. It begins as a dusty sounding cowboy song with a plodding beat and Tom Meighan’s lazy, drawling vocals. The chorus, however, explodes into a hipster disco groove complete with a funky bass-line and epic harmonized cries of “I’m on fiiiiiiire.” It sounds about as contrasting as Jackson, Wyoming and New York City — but it works. | ||
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-Claire Tiller
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“Cannibal Queen” | |
| Miniature Tigers | ||
| The Miniature Tigers have a knack for creating likable songs, filled with hooks that seem to flow effortlessly into the next. Such is the case here — a tight and well-balanced track that keeps switching riffs and moods just enough to stay constantly fresh. It’s nearly impossible to ignore how charming and well-crafted the lyrics are, as they move quickly through the bouncy guitar riffs. | ||
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-Chad Helminak
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“Low Rising” | |
| The Swell Season | ||
| Glen Hansard uses his white boy soul voice to master a certain bittersweet feeling that most lovers experience when their emotions swings from joyous to draining. It’s worth the fight if we listen to Glen and Marketa but there will only ever be small victories without a winner — but you gotta do it for love and “Low Rising” is a testament for the reasons why. | ||
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-Andy DeLoach
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“11th Dimension” | |
| Julian Casablancas | ||
| The first solo single from the Strokes’ frontman captures something of the essence of ’80s American electro, brought up-to-date. The chattering synths and reedy guitary lines are perfectly integrated and convincing inventions. | ||
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-Jon Kjarsgaard
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“Lisztomania” | |
| Phoenix | ||
| The Frenchmen’s bouncy blend of synth and guitar pop-rock smartly avoids gimmick or syrupy sweetness and entices instead with irresistible energy and the band’s obvious affinity for making music. | ||
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-Claire Tiller
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“Silvia” | |
| Miike Snow | ||
| “Silvia” carries a complex and grand sound, but it certainly doesn’t alienate the listener. Many of the instruments and sound effects found on this lengthy track are used exceptionally well and complement the laidback, unflinching piano and vocals. After listening to this track and deciding that you want to tell your friends about how amazing it is, please don’t forget that Miike Snow is the band’s name, not a person. And the double “I” in the name is neither a typo nor an optical illusion. | ||
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-Chad Helminak
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“Caterpillar Playground” | |
| Nurses | ||
| The Portland transplants create a wonderfully whimsical song that sounds one part retro foreign film score, one part stuck inside on a rainy afternoon, and all parts quirky pop perfection. | ||
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-Claire Tiller
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“Summertime Clothes” | |
| Animal Collective | ||
| A collage of sound bytes, repetitive electric guitar, and the inclusion of a thumping beat with remnants of cultish vibes. A build and relief occurs when distinctive Animal Collective upbeat vocals sway in. The lead singer’s light and airy sound contrasting with the semi-dark lyrics and back beat makes “Summertime Clothes” a brunette in a realm of blonde pop culture. | ||
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-JoAnn Schinderle
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“Know Better Learn Faster” | |
| Thao | ||
| Who says a break-up record must sound sad? It’s hard not to get sucked in by Thao Nyguen’s quirkily endearing vocals and confessional lyrics, and enlisting cameos from Andrew Bird (violin, whistle) and Blitzen Trapper’s Eric Earley (slide guitar) are never bad ideas either. | ||
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-Jon Kjarsgaard
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“Quiet Little Voices” | |
| We Were Promised Jetpacks | ||
| We Were Promised Jetpacks livens up any dance party with this frantic four-minute workout. Although songs with a fever pitch rate such as these often lose sight of the lyrics, We Were Promised Jetpacks beautifully articulates that even quiet little voices aren’t always quiet. | ||
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-Julie Gong
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“People Say” | |
| Portugal. The Man | ||
| The best part about every Portugal. The Man release is that each one has a different sound but still manages to have an overall cohesiveness between them all. Church Mouth leaned towards psychedelic rock while “People Say” off of The Satanic Satanist combines a funky guitar/bass with an organ to create a sound that would not seem out of place in a Southern church. The beginning guitar part sounds more like a jam that would normally be placed towards the end of the song and because of this, the track immediately stands out. Coming from one of their more accessible albums, “People Say” can be enjoyed by nearly anyone while sipping sweet tea on a porch in the summer. | ||
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-Lindsay Juley
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Great song choices, agree with most
and I like the way you set it up.