Posts Tagged: Favorite New Songs

Listen / MP3 / Music — 4 Comments
19
Nov 09

U.S.E – River of Love

U.S.E River of Love listenPhoto by Sarah Murphy Jurado

Holy crap is “ River of Love” cheesy. I mean, it’s called River of Love, seriously, by the group United State of Electronica – a band that self identifies as “disco pop.” Completely, unabashedly, poppy and over the top – the little snare hit, the snappy guitar riffs, and of course the alternately auto-tune-crooning and soaring-coed-chorus vocals.

From the first twenty seconds of this song you know exactly what the next three and a half minutes are going to sound like, the lyrics are the same old same old talk about love and girls and boys and yadda yadda… So why can’t I stop listening to it?!

This song is like a bag of mothafuckin’ Skittles — bright, sweet, unsophisticated, you were supposed to outgrow that sweet tooth years ago — but damn if you don’t want just one more taste. Keep this one on stand-by for 3 am makeouts in the summertime.

MP3: U.S.E – River of Love

U.S.E’s Loveworld is out now via Rebel Group. Buy the album at Insound or at Amazon.

Listen / MP3 / Music — 5 Comments
18
Nov 09

Little Dragon – Runabout

Little Dragon Runabout listenPhoto courtesy of Little Dragon’s Myspace Page.

Is there something in the water in Gothenburg, Sweden? The Knife, The Tough Alliance, Jose Gonzalez, Jens Lekman, and now Little Dragon – those damn Swedes just keep pumping out irresistible pop melodies in a variety of weird incarnations.

Little Dragon’s track “Runabout” is certainly a slice of quirky pop, but it is uniquely, wonderfully sun-soaked; the soundtrack to a leisurely bike ride on the nicest day of summer, when you’re headed to your best friend’s house or the beach or a BBQ. A whistling flute echoes the nouveau-nu-wave synth line echoes singer Yukimi Nagano’s light-as-a-feather voice, while groovy almost-Caribbean percussion keeps it all moving along. I’ve heard it snows in Sweden, but listening to “Runabout” makes you question the very existence of something called winter.

Elegant percussive flourishes abound, the bass-line hits that unobtrusive-yet-omnipresent spot all good bass-lines strive for, and Nagano repeating “Runabout…runabout the streets…” sounds like a prescription for fun.

All in all, a tightly crafted piece of danceable pop that should be firmly entrenched in your “recently played” to prevent depression until spring comes. I would say more, but I have to go dance with my new girlfriend Yukimi. Continue reading →

Listen / MP3 / Music — 11 Comments
18
Nov 09

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Hysteric

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Hysteric listen

Karen Dancing In The Rain (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Osheaga 2009 Montreal) by Anirudh Koul

Rarely am I at a loss of words. Rarely is “wow” the only thing I am able to express audibly. “Hysteric,” when played live, is one of the few songs that make the words fall out of my head and out of my reach. Continue reading →

Listen / Music — 10 Comments
16
Nov 09

Vampire Weekend – Cousins

Vampire Weekend Cousins listen

When I first heard Cousins, I watched it at seven in the morning on a Thursday in a grainy Youtube video, all strobe light and dancing kids, and I did everything that fantastic and lucky weekend singing to myself the precious few syllables that I understood. “Me and my cousins and you and your cousins I can feel it coming.” And the drums and the drums and the drums and the way the guitar slid and the bassline. The words were different then and unintelligible. It was very breathless. I hear it now (the album version for the first time, tonight) and it is a different animal entirely, but no less stunning and no less breathtaking. The truth of the matter is, in my mind, that Vampire Weekend have not released a single bad song, and I have always had incredible faith that they will never release a bad song. Cousins is the logical continuation of this wonderful streak of utter awesome, in that it is utterly awesome. It was utterly awesome in March when that Youtube video surfaced, and it is utterly awesome right now while I play the album version for perhaps the hundredth time trying to make sense of my feelings. What follows is the best I can do. I truly do not have the words for this band. They will not stop impressing me. Continue reading →

Listen / MP3 / Music — 13 Comments
16
Nov 09

Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells listenPhoto by Punk Photo

Sleigh Bells is the loud, creative forced brought to life by Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss. Derek played in a hardcore band, and Alexis well, she was a, uh… school teacher who played in a pop group in her teenage years. With a winning combination like that, you’re bound to to make some noise. Sleigh Bells are, by most accounts, a new band with a fresh take on pop music, and their EP really hits it out of the park.

They demanded everyone’s attention at this year’s CMJ with their loud and undeniably enjoyable set. Sleigh Bell’s EP/introduction to the world, the Magic Metal CDR sounds like what Discovery’s album would sound like if they pumped the volume up to max.

Sleigh Bells’ defining moment, and my favorite song of theirs so far, “Crown On The Ground” is the perfect mix of Beyonce’s “Upgrade U” and Wavves’ “So Bored“.

MP3: Sleigh Bells – Crown On The Ground

Sleigh Bells have also released a new track not found on their Magic Metal CDR. It’s called “Infinity Guitars” and it easily become my second favorite Sleigh Bells track.

MP3: Sleigh Bells – Infinity Guitars

Read on for three other Sleigh Bells tracks: Continue reading →

Covers / Listen / MP3 / Music — 5 Comments
11
Nov 09

Free Atlas Sound Virtual 7″

Free Atlas Sound Virtual 7 covers
Deerhunter’s Badford Cox wants you to download this virtual 7″ single, released under his Atlas Sound moniker, for free on his blog. It features a fantastic cover of The Five Discs’ “Doctor” backed with a track called “The Screens.” I didn’t really get into Atlas Sound’s last album, Logos, but these tunes really hit the spot on a miserable Hump Day like today.

Atlas Sound – Doctor (The Five Discs cover)
Atlas Sound – The Screens

[Download Virtual 7"]

Listen / MP3 / Music — 7 Comments
11
Nov 09

Delta Spirit – People C’mon

Delta Spirit People Cmon listenI was immediately drawn into “People C’mon” by Delta Spirit off their debut album, Ode to Sunshine. They have been compared to Cold War Kids, and with reason, but that’s not a bad thing in my book.

The piano melody about half way through the song combined with some “papapas” and “lalalas” by lead singer Matthew Vasquez make the song for me. Scratch that: everything makes this song–it’s simply just well put together. And hey, they’re the kind of band that uses trash can lids as an instrument. So if you’re into that sort of thing and don’t find it overly trite, then you’ll probably find yourself quite pleased and even have a new favorite band to keep an eye/ear/whatever out for.

Delta Spirit – People C’mon

Buy Ode To Sunshine at Amazon or at Amazon’s MP3 Store.

Listen / MP3 / Music / Music Videos — 10 Comments
9
Nov 09

Girls, The 101-Word Album Review

Girls, The 101 Word Album Review listenI’ve held off posting about Girls because of certain reservations I had about them. Specifically, I can’t listen to the lead singer’s voice for a long period of time. But whenever I do sit down to listen to their album, Album, I’m not overwhelmed or blown away, as their 9.1 Pitchfork rating might imply.

I will admit, however, that “Lust For Life,” as well as “Laura” and “Hellhole Ratface” are essential and should be required listening in 2009. But take these tracks out of the equation and you are left with little to get excited about — a directionless Elvis Costello/Brian Wilson tribute album.

Download to my favorite songs off Album or stream the whole thing, and then watch a NSFW/XXX music video. Continue reading →

Listen / Music — 26 Comments
9
Nov 09

Lady GaGa – Dance In The Dark, New Album

Lady GaGa Dance In The Dark, New Album listenSpeakers opens to distortion, faceless moans and the words “silicone, saline, poison, inject me baby. I’m a free bitch, I’m a free bitch”. This is how Lady GaGa kicks off her most intricate and engaging song yet.

The tremendous chorus, “baby loves to dance in the dark, cos when he’s looking she falls apart” is heartbreaking and is empowered by a later lyric, “she looks good, but her boyfriend says she’s a tramp.”

“Dance In The Dark” has a fragile quality to it. The luminous synth feels strained, yet the vocal track resolute. The song’s sincere-sounding back story of the marginalization of women and potentially abusive relationships is a surprising change of pace for Lady GaGa, who has made a career out of sensationalizing fame and sex.  Continue reading →

Listen / MP3 / Music — 8 Comments
6
Nov 09

Wolf Gang – The King And All Of His Men

Wolf Gang The King And All Of His Men listenI’ve been listening to a lot of happy music this month. That’s a trend I don’t want to end just yet, and it’s a trend that Wolf Gang perpetuates with excellent single “The King And All Of His Men.”

Think the glitzy pop of The Killers without the self-seriousness, or MGMT minus the heavy beats (maybe even a little bit of Empire of the Sun?),  “King And All Of His Men” rocks out with pounding piano chords, swirling synths, and epic “oohs.”  The sound is unique, catchy, and just BIG.

This is full, expansive, music, building towards an ending complete with tribal drums, hand-claps, choral harmonies, and layers and layers of sound. “King” will surely be filling arenas, and should be filling your iPod headphones for the rest of the day, if not the year.

Wolf Gang – The King And All Of His Men

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