Category Archives: Gotta Hear This Music

Top Indie Songs of 2012: Pop and Electro (11-20)

What is this nonsense, you ask, posting yet another 11-20 list? How can I withold the Top Ten Indie Rock songs from you still? Relax, my pretties. You will find these indie pop gems just as satisfying as the coveted forthcoming indie rock songs. This year’s list has more pop and less electro. If that means anything to you, don’t worry, there’s plenty of electro too.

Sporegod by Zhectoid
Sporegod by Zhectoid

 

The Best Indie Pop of 2012

  1. Van She – Idea of Happiness
    From “Idea of Happiness” July, 2012

    Hey, were you a fan of Duran Duran at one point? How about New Order? “Idea of Happiness” is an example of the way new wave has been invented as electro. Much of it isn’t the hard-edged new wave of Blondie or the quirky new wave of the Talking Heads. Some of it was addictive pop rock that sounded a lot like Van She.

    Which is not to say that Van She is derivative. This electro album has a tropical theme, and not just because the album has songs called “Jamaica” and “Calypso.” Van She kept it electro, but seems to have found his sounds from the tropical instruments on his midi player.

    Jamaica” is another great song on this album, arguably better even than “Idea of Happiness”. But since I burned up “Jamaica” when it was a single in 2011, “Idea of Happiness” is what makes it on the 2012 list.

    Get Idea of Happiness.

  2. Die Antwoord – Baby’s On Fire
    From the album Ten$ion, January 2012

    This South African rap-rave group is way over the top and that’s part of their charm. They bring big beats and big bling with a wink and a nod. Are they being artful? Ironic? Sincere? Who gives flying ninja? Just dance. If you like this, check out “I Fink U Freeky” on the Top Ten Dance Songs of 2012 playlist.

    Get Ten$ion.

  3. Sam Sparro – The Shallow End
    From the album Return to Paradise out Dec, 2012. 

    Frankly, most of Sam Sparro’s stuff is too diva house for my taste. It doesn’t bother me that the songs are gayer than a pink petticoat at the Pride parade (Mika, anyone?), it’s just a little too clean and pretty for my tastes. But “The Shallow End” has won me over.

    This one is catchy enough to cross over to my Top Dance Songs of 2012 list, but I think when it is competing against a bunch of bangers it doesn’t get a chance to shine as much as it does here.

    Have you ever been a part of a scene? A place where, if only there were clothes on the floor, you’d feel for certain you were tearing it up like you do in your room when no one’s watching? This infectious groove is a tribute to beautiful scenesters dressing up and looking pretty at the club. It has horns. It has woo-hoos. Not just team whoops but singular shouts and rising “Aaaahhhhs!” “The Shallow End” is a reminder of why disco is making a come-back.

    Get Return to Paradise.

  4. Future Screens – Don’t Stop

    Alas, I don’t have this track to give you, but you can stream all four songs off their 2012 self-titled release, and pay any damn price you please. Three cheers for Bandcamp!


    Get Future Screens.

  5. AlunaGeorge – Your Drums, Your Drums, Your Love
    Single released December, 2012

    I like AlunaGeorge, but I love this song. Due to a remix competition there were tons of remixes of this in 2012, but none of them have the odd little pitch-shifted robotic sample, so I’m sticking with the original.

    Lyrically, I also like the idea of the song. “You say that I’m going nowhere” she sings, and then “I’ve been trying to reach you for so long,” conflating the idea of moving towards your dreams with the idea of moving closer in a relationship. And so many can relate to the idea that it’s hard to move forward when the people you care about don’t believe in you. It’s a simple, poetic expression of a familiar feeling.

    Get the remixes of “Your Drums, Your Drums, Your Love.”

  6. Bago – Forget You
    From Sunday’s Best mixtape, August 2012

    Fans of Portishead, Hooverphonic, CocoRosie, and Lana Del Rey take note. I got your dark and sexy middle-of-the-night kiss off song right here. It’s good for fucking, and it’s good for “fuck you.”

    Bajo doesn’t have a major label release; you can get more of her songs on her Soundcloud.

  7. Noisettes – That Girl
    From Contact, September 2012

    If you find The Noisettes are only 17th on this list, it’s because I was disappointed that every song on their 2012 album Contact wasn’t an absolute classic, because that’s what I’ve come to expect after the release of Wild Young Hearts. Unfair, I know. Lots of keeper tracks here, but “That Girl” was the instant addiction.

    Get Contact.

  8. Shindu – Just Go
    From the May 2012 EP, Just Go

    Shindu doesn’t have an album with a major label, but check out the remixes and mixtapes on her Soundcloud.

  9. Alex Winston – Fire Ant
    From King Con, April 2012

    Almost as good as “Sister Wife,” Alex Winston’s single about the trials of being a Mormon wife. The single for that came out in 2012, but both are on her 2013 album King Con.

    Get King Con.

  10. Purity Ring – Fineshrine
    From the July 2012 album, Shrines

    Listening to this album reminds me of the crisp futuristic vibe from the first Ladytron album. Not that they sound similar, more that hearing it, I thought, these ladies know what the future sounds like. If you like this song, you will like the whole album. M83 fans, or anyone who likes slow electro with complex layers, will like this.

    Get Shrines.

There’s still the Top Ten Best Indie Pop Songs of 2012 to come, as well as The Top Ten Indie Rock Songs of 2012 and there’s hip-hop coming too. For the harder dance sounds, check out the Top 20 Dance Songs of 2012 Part I and Part II. And the Top 20 Indie Rock list has been kicked off for those who like it a little more crunchy. Plenty of downloads for everyone!

Top Ten Dance Songs of 2012

The Best Dance Songs of the Year

fanning my vagina for these hot dance songs

With joy I present the hottest dance songs of 2012. These have been tested on random samples of teenage girls, drag queens, and punk rock kittens. Well, actually just on me, but those folks all live in my heart. And deep within my heart, when they hear these tracks they dance.

Top Dance Songs of 2012

  1. Azealia Banks – 212
    From the June 2012 EP 1991
    This properly belongs on my hip-hop list, and you’ll find it there, but it deserves the top spot on my Best Dance Songs list. I tried to avoid duplication, but it truly deserves a high-ranking spot on both lists. I only DJed a few times in 2012, but every time I did, this was the song that people came up to me and asked who the artist was. The beat is positively primal and her fast simple rhyme scheme will have you trying to rap along. You’ll find Azealia is too fast for your tongue, so you may as well give in and let the rhythm move you.
  2. Brodinski (feat. Louisahhh!!!) – Nobody Rules The Streets
    Released June 12, 2012 on the single Bromance #3
    Those who turn their noses up at dance music often complain about the repetition. “Nobody Rules These Streets” is a perfect example of how repetition in dance music succeeds. Louisahhh!!! only has one sentence in this song, and she sings it many times, but I don’t think a single time is identical to any other time. With every measure, Brodinski brings takes the song somewhere new. This is the hottest drop of the year, for dark sexy moments where the ladies bend their legs and dip as low and slow as they can. Even though the song only has one line, “Nobody Rules These Streets” still tells a story: Louisahhh!!! is a big fish in a big, dirty, nasty pond.
    If you like this one, also check out “Tonight’s the Night” on the Top Dance Music of 2012 11-20 list.
  3. Lisa Mitchell – Neopolitan Dreams (Sound Remedy Remix)
    First posted May 24th, 2012 on Indie Shuffle
    You may have noticed that I don’t put a lot of dubstep on YNFB/FIF. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s that I like it in small, exceptional doses. I prefer it to change the mood, not to set the mood for the whole night. Whether you’re hesitant to get on board with dubstep or a longtime fan, check out Sound Remedy’s remix, as it is truly exceptional. He somehow manages to take this light and pretty pop song and make it both dubstep and glitchy 8-bit. Positively a gorgeous remix that’s bringing something new and unique to the dubstep genre.
  4. Robert DeLong – Global Concepts
    From the October 2012 EP Global Concepts
    Robert DeLong is the electronic musician I am most excited about for 2013. He makes electro with percussion that gives a nod to the Jamaican sound popularized by artists like Diplo and MIA. Maybe it’s because of the unexpected two-step pulse, or maybe it’s because he uses, like, REAL drums. “Global Concepts” is filled out with effects that sound like a rain stick. As a bonus, DeLong’s lyrics aren’t the same crap you usually get with dance music. Sure, the refrain “Did I make you fucking dance” is as good an anthem as any, but the rest of the song is filled out with lines like “After I die, I’ll re-awake / redefine what was at stake / from the hindsight of a god.” And who uses words like “entropy” in a dance song? It’s nice touches like this that make Robert Delong one of my favorite discoveries of 2012.

    NPH and Grover like the Top Ten Dance Songs of 2012
    Five More: Bring It!

    Continue reading Top Ten Dance Songs of 2012

It’s All Pinkerton’s Fault — Of Adorable Monsters and Lazy Women

Meet my new friend Pinkerton. He’s 12 weeks old, with a bladder capacity of three hours, less when he’s excited. This can get in the way of getting you those Best of 2012 lists. But I always have an excuse, don’t I?

11 week old Maltese puppy
The source of my distraction

His name is Mr. Pinkerton Floyd, which is a reference to: Continue reading It’s All Pinkerton’s Fault — Of Adorable Monsters and Lazy Women

Top Indie Songs 2012: Rock (Part I: 11-20)

These are not quite the top ten indie rock songs of 2012, but are still some of the best bands you shouldn’t miss out on hearing.

Note that I’ve used the phrase “indie rock” very loosely here. I’m only striving to make a distinction to break these up into the vaguest of genres. So you can look forward to a hip-hop list, a dance list, and an indie pop list. This mostly means rock, but they’re just as much defined by what they’re not: dance-y. These are the (second) best songs of 2012 with more grit than groove.

Top Indie Songs of 2012 comes with art!
“Talliff” by Matt Lyon via City of Vultures

 

As usual, to download the song, right-click on it and choose “Save as.” Also, please note the music player at the bottom right of the screen that enables you to preview all the songs on this page as a playlist.

  1. Little Jungles – Nothing Will Grow

    Hey, Little Jungles, what happened? Your Bandcamp said way back in January of 2012 that this song would be on the forthcoming album I Would Kill For Some Sunlight. And here it is January 2013 and that album appears to be still forthcoming. “Nothing Will Grow” indeed. Ah well get this song from Bandcamp, where you can name your price.

  2. Moonface – Teary Eyes and Bloody Lips

    I wish Spencer Krug would pick a band and stick with it. He’s all over the place, sometimes in Sunset Rubdown, last seen in Wolf Parade and now he’s the primary voice behind Moonface. Every year I think the gent has produced nothing new, I come to find he’s in some other project. Fortunately he has a distinctive voice and amazing lyrics, so I tend to realize it’s a Spencer Krug song the first time I hear it. This one sticks out for the line “Teary eyes and bloody lips make you look like Stevie Knicks.” I think that makes you look more like Tina Turner, but I guess that wouldn’t rhyme.

    Buy the Moonface album With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery
    Continue reading Top Indie Songs 2012: Rock (Part I: 11-20)

The Top Twenty Dance Songs of 2012: Part I

I have three lists to get through here, the top dance songs, the top indie pop and the top rock songs, and I want to get those top tens to you as soon as possible. So no descriptions for most.

This is not a list of the best dance songs I discovered in 2012, I take care to determine that these songs actually first appeared in 2012. For remixes that can be tricky, so I’m giving credit to the first blog (as far as my research can show) to post the remix. It’s also a way for me to give a nod to the music blogs that helped make 2012 another fantastic year for music fans.

Want to put it in your pocket and take it home with you? Right-click on the song and select “save as” to download. But you knew that already, you crafty babies.

Top Dance Songs of 2012
Image via Freebx

image via Freebx

The Best Dance Songs of 2012 11 – 20

  1. Gotye – Somebody That I Used to Know (Hypercrush remix)

    First posted Feb 26th, 2012 on D Squared
    “Yeah let’s fuckin’ RAGE!”  Honestly I think this should have been in the top ten but I just found it last week and, erm, well the top ten list is already written. Your remix still rages, Hyper Crush.

  2. Carousel – Let’s Go Home (Sound Remedy Remix)

    First posted on Hilly Dilly Oct 21, 2012

    For a while, I skipped this song, because it starts out all slow and pretty—not what is called for when getting your dance on. But this is just the sign of a finely crafted dance song. Dance music has a lead-in to make it easier for the DJ to mix, Sound Remedy just chose to do this with a lovely opening rather than the naked bass, as weaker DJs do.But the song doesn’t show why it’s one of the best dance songs of 2012 until 1:49, when it drops some retro 80s-esque bliss on your ears.  At 4:20 you get a siren and a bit more flair, and the song explodes into a synth wet dream.

  3. Ruda Krishna – Tonight’s The Night

    Posted ONLY on Aerial Noise April 13th, 2012

  4. Ladyhawke – Black White and Blue (Treasure Fingers remix)

    Treasure Fingers actually posted this on their site April 4th 2012. The first blog to post it was  Panda Toes Mar 6th, 2012

  5. Childish Gambino – Heartbeat (Dino Roc and Chris Jones remix)

    First posted on White Folks Get Crunk March 2nd, 2012

    This is my second-favorite remix of “Heartbeat”, the best remix of is the Justin Faust remix from 2011.

Ready for more of the best dance songs of the year?

dance! Continue reading The Top Twenty Dance Songs of 2012: Part I

Rules for Shows #5: Genre Affects Dress

tumblr_lhg94uD1Y81qz4cuyo1_500.jpg

When I was a tween I went to my first R&B show (I believe it was EnVogue). I had been to oodles of shows so I knew the uniform: comfy jeans, comfy shoes, clever T, and discernible lack of hat. But there was a secret I didn't know about EnVogue fans: they dress up for a show like they are going to the prom. They get their hair styled, they wear suits and not dresses, but actual gowns. Gowns I tell you. They complete the look with the perfect prom accessory, a limousine. Not just one couple or ten, but droves of them. Three R&B shows later I discovered maybe it wasn't just EnVogue after all. Some people get dressed up for shows.

 

I'm not saying you need to follow a dress code by genre system. I may wear a tutu at any time, and I support your right to do the same. But some people do like to fit in, and might like knowing this stuff. I'm just saying if you are going to a kind of show you've never been to before, it might help to ask a knowledgeable type what people are likely to wear. Because if you show up dressed for the Prince show at the Gwar show you are going to stand out, and ruin your fancy shoes.

Posted via email from Like Dancing About Architecture

Best Music of 2011: Best Indie Rock Part II

Here’s the second half of my Best Indie Rock of 2011 selections.

roman-noir.com Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme (B.) - The Black Queen / Memories of Retrocity

Image credit: roman-noir.com Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme (B.) – The Black Queen / Memories of Retrocity

Grouplove – Naked Kids (3:29)

I’m a sucker for harmonies and handclapping. Both are in abundance. This is one of those bands I discovered because cool DJs keep remixing them. I look forward to getting to better getting to know their sound in 2012.

Gauntlet Hair – Top Bunk (4:43)

That echoey guitar and croon combination creates some surreal magic in “Top Bunk.” Sounds like: Animal Collective made a mainstream surf album. And what’s with that drum that sounds like an explosion at the bottom of the ocean? How are they producing that dub-step worthy bass out of an ordinary drum kit? If you like music that sounds like the soundtrack Venice Beach surfers hear as they drown, get this whole album, because it’s equally, oddly, delish.  Just for fun, here’s a video of “Top Bunk” made with old Shwarzaneggar movies. It’s well-produced but I can’t imagine it’s official, what with copyright and all.

Handsome Furs – Repatriated (4:48)

The word “mature” comes to mind: musicians that have been doing this for a while and have put some thought into the lyrics and how it all comes together. The guitarist plays around a bit, showing off but not too much, while the percussion trades off with a variety of synth melodies. Sadly, I haven’t heard the rest of this album, so please share in the comments if you can tell us if the other songs are as good as “Repatriated.” If this song ended at 3:40 it would still be one of the year’s best, but it goes on for another minute just to make sure you know: Handsome Furs know how to rock.

Heartsrevolution – I.D. (3:54)

In the proud tradition of Le Tigre, Heartsrevolution is an indie pop band fed on the mother’s milk of riot grrrl punk rock. “I.D.” goes back and forth between the identity politics of war and pop music. It’s framed as a prayer so when she says “I think we got a bad connection… Can you hear me now CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? NOW?” the urgency is to a savior that doesn’t seem to be listening. My favorite part is where she puts a new spin on that pop-shlock icon when she says that her fear “is that the world will be filled with Britney Spears. ‘It’s Britney Bitch. And I’m not that innocent.’ We’re not that innocent.” But she’s not (only) talking about pop music fans, she’s talking about the claims about American jingoism’s good-vs.-evil motif. She’s saying we know the war cries are a bunch of BS. Suffice to say, there’s a lot more going on in this band than a bunch of crystal bling on a pink ice cream truck. If you like electro but wish you could find something with a bit more substance, Heartsrevolution may be the flavor you crave.

 

I.D. “LYRICS VIDEO” from HEARTSREVOLUTION on Vimeo.

Jon Fratelli – Rhythm Doesn’t Make You A Dancer (3:15)

Jon Fratelli can’t seem to get his shit together. First the Fratellis make it big, and he quits the tour because he got too effing “tired.” Then he formed the truly fantastic Codeine Velvet Club, and quits it before they have a chance to build any kind of legacy. But what he lacks in caffeine/direction he makes up for in talent. It’s straightforward indie rock, with rollicking guitars, “Whoah-ohs,” and charming lyrics about life on the road and the women he meets along the way.

Mister Heavenly – Bronx Sniper (3:39)

You can listen to Mister Heavenly’s entire album on Youtube, which is how I can tell you it’s a solid work with ample variety between songs. I wanted to pick one song from Out of Love and while I think “Bronx Sniper” is my favorite, the songs are so wonderfully different from one another you may find another suits you better. It’s no surprise, as Mister Heavenly is made of folks from The Shins, The Unicorns, Islands, Man Man and Modest Mouse. They even got Michael Sera to play bass for them on tour. Something good is bound to come of such a combination, and it seems that they’ve lent their talents in equal proportions.

Oberhofer – Away FRM U (3:42)

This single appeared in 2010 but it didn’t get released on Amazon til 2011, so it’s fair game by my rules. Oberhofer sounds a bit under-produced in a world of Britney Spears, and that’s a good thing. It sounds like they recorded it on the second take, capturing all of Oberhofer’s emoting, whistling, and glockenspiel-tapping in its random, glorious splendor.

Oh No! Yoko – Go Alien (3:22)

Initially “Go Alien” sounds like a Jonsi clone, which we could stand to have a few more of, so that’s fine. But twenty seconds in, some banging drums and guitar-slapping let us know that this isn’t all going to be lullaby music. I like that the build-ups and breakdowns in this song don’t fit the standard chorus-to-refrain ratio. Where most songs kind of do the same thing for a minute and then give you a repetitive refrain, Oh No! Yoko seems to change course every thirty seconds, taking you on a nice ride.

Patrick Wolf – The City (4:12)

Patrick Wolf put out a ton of material in 2011. Most of it struck me as a pretentious but I’d listen to it again. Perhaps his seriousness keeps “The City” from slipping too far into bubblegum territory. It’s a new wave love song in the tradition of Crowded House or Tears For Fears. I love the piano melody, and only wish it were louder in the mix.“ The City” harkens to the days when a saxophone was a perfectly fine backing instrument for a rock song.

Pete & the Pirates – Come To The Bar (5:40)

Hey, who uses this much flanger anymore, or at least uses it well? This song is an anthem, a song to dedicate to your friend who’s just gotten out of a long-term relationship or failed the bar exam. It seems all these years we’ve been in need of a song that proclaims “Get back into the rhythm of things and come to the bar!” So thanks for that, Pete.

Polarsets – Leave Argentina (3:23)

Polarsets have put out one of my top-5 favorite albums of 2011, and “Leave Argentina” is just one song worth checking out (See my Best electro of 2011 list for a few others). The first thirty seconds of this song are nothing to get excited about, which makes the contrasting burst of sound all the more compelling when he breaks into the refrain. There’s all kinds of bells and electronic percussion and general exuberant wackiness. The refrain of “Leave Argentina” is one of many reasons Polarsets is one of the bands to keep an ear on in 2012.

Scattered Trees – Four Days Straight (3:43)

It’s a simple guitar melody, some slow drums, occasional handclaps, and a few well-placed backup harmonies. When simplicity works, it’s all the more effective (see: The XX), and this Chicago band has pulled off a song just as catchy as some of the pop numbers with double the instruments, clappers, and singers.

The Submarines – Fire (4:19)

I haven’t had a chance to listen to the rest of their latest album, but “Fire” is a sign that The Submarines are just as good as they were on the last one (which is worthy of blowing your milk money). It’s hard to believe it only takes two people to make songs this infectious. Maybe the synergy comes from the fact that they’re married. Maybe it is because singer Blake Hazard is a Harvard-grad whose great-grand-pappy wrote The Great Gatsby. Whatever the case, I hope this couple stays lovey-dovey long enough to get the fame they deserve.

Aren’t they cute?

The Black Keys – Lonely Boy (3:12)

This is probably the most over-played song on this list, but The Best Indie Rock of 2011 wouldn’t be complete without it. Thank goodness we have the Black Keys to pick up where the White Stripes abandoned the cause of reminding us of rock and roll’s long-time love affair with the blues. The Black Keys are back with another album, chock full of guitar-bragging in the fine tradition of Billy Gibbons and Angus Young.

The Go! Team – Buy Nothing Day (3:58)

The Go! Team are happy to present another album of songs for cheerleaders to rock-out to. If you’re looking for songs to do kartwheels and splits by, this is the one for you, and this here’s the finest track. Bonus points for naming their title track after the anti-consumerist holiday, though from vague lyrics are more likely to inspire a round of beers than a revolution. There’s a terrific Go! Team remix in my Best Dance Songs of 2011 list.

The Naked And Famous – Girls Like You (6:04)
The Naked And Famous – Punching In A Dream (3:58)
The Naked And Famous – Young Blood (4:06)

Three reasons for three songs by Naked & Famous :

  1. they’ve put out arguably the best album of 2011.
  2. “Young Blood” is arguably the best song of 2011.
  3. they’re the up-and-coming band to watch for 2012.

Naked & Famous makes songs that are instantly likeable that I never seem to tire of. Add these to your heavy rotation, serve them at breakfast lunch, and dinner. They will only grow in your favor.

The Raveonettes – Evil Seeds (4:17)

When it comes to dark, shoegaze-y rock born of some shadow-world version of 50s LA surf-rock, the Dum Dum Girls are not alone. The Raveonettes have produced another album for people who like their guitars with maximum fuzz.

The Wombats – 1996 (4:20)

The Wombats make rock music that’s as close as it can be to being described as “cute” without crossing the line into twee. “1996” is a full-blown nostalgia trip for twenty-somethings. If you liked “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” or “Kill the Director” or “My Circuitboard City” here’s more of the same.

The Ting Tings – Hang It Up (3:24)

I didn’t want to like this song because I overplayed The Ting Tings’ first singles until I was sick to death of girl rap-singing over guitar and a catchy beat. I thought I was through with all that, but “Hang It Up” refuses to be ignored. I forget to not like it, catch my head nodding, and when the guitar breaks out 1:40 I’m all “sweeeeet!” My apologies, Ting Tings. You still got it.

Those Dancing Days – Fuckarias (2:55)

Fast drums and shrill synth and then it’s all over too quickly. Another in the category of great-bands-from-Sweden, Those Dancing Days are an all-girl rock band in the tradition of the Go-Gos and Sleater-Kinney. While their last single was more in the pop tradition of the Bangles this songs shows that Those Dancing Days can rock out like the late-90s girl groups.

Speaking of Sleater-Kinney, the Portlandia star is still making music, with her band Wild Flag. Perhaps should have been on my Best-of list, no?

Tune-Yards – Bizness

The first time I heard TuNe-YaRdS I thought they were some sort of Afro-Carribean revival. And maybe they are, despite the fact that singer Merrill Garbus is not an African dude, but a petite woman as white as a stationary shop. It’s not really cleary what genre TuNe-YaRdS is trying to be, which is half of what makes them so great. The other half is that crazy voice, that swoops off in a thousand directions, at times pretty, at times raucous, at times soulful, but never predictable.

Zoey Van Goey – You Told The Drunks I Knew Karate

You know how your best friends are your partners in crime? How half the amazing pranks, road trips and crazy antics of your life only happened because of some off-hand brag or dare you had to live up to? It’s about time someone wrote a song about it. “You Told the Drunks I Knew Karate” is a fun and clever duet in the tradition of alt-folk story-telling. If you like Hello Saferide or the Moldy Peaches, be sure to give this one a listen.

Posted via email from Like Dancing About Architecture

Best Music of 2011: Best Electro (Part II)

Best Electro of 2011 Part II

art by Javier Medellin Puyou

Image by Javier Medellin Puyou

Kids Of 88 – My House (3:58)

Hey dudes: if you’re looking for a song to sing at your woman while you jump around the dancefloor–this is the one.Try dancing like a maniac while mouthing “I’m gonna take you back to my house! I love the feeling when you touch me baby!” and surely you will get laid.

M83 – Midnight City (4:03)

This sounds like it should have been the lead single on the Tron soundtrack. After releasing countless albums, M83 is finally starting to get radio play with this song. No wonder, as the beat makes it a little less dreamwave than most of their other stuff. It’s hard to tell where the vocals end and the synth begins. And the passioned cry, “The city is my church!” never gets old.

Mr. Little Jeans – The Suburbs (Arcade Fire Cover) (5:12)

Remember when Arcade Fire won that grammy and everyone was all, “Who’s Arcade Fire?” Strange times we live in. They wouldn’t let me on their selection committee, but I suspect one of the reasons they won was for the lyrics that explore suburban angst. Arguably the best of these is this song, “The Suburbs,” a song I can’t seem to get tired of.This cover slows it down for a sexy groove that makes the beauitful lyrics easier to understand.

Neon Hitch – Gucci Gucci (Kreayshawn Cover) (2:40)

Another fun cover that’s a bit easier to sing along with than the original. If you haven’t heard of Kreayshawn yet, just-you-wait. She’s an up-and-coming Oakland rapper, who courts controversy by being not only white, but having a uniquely Oakland-hipster style. Far as I can tell, she doesn’t seem to give a fuck, which is the best way to be. The original “Gucci Gucci” is in my collection, but I recognize that it can be a bit too…boldly obnoxious for many. 2011 was a year for sexy slow-downs, and this one contrasts nicely with Kreayshawn’s brazen and clever lyrics.

Neon Indian – Polish Girl (4:24)

There’s a lot of weird, delightful little sounds in “Polish Girl.” It’s easy to get lost in wondering what toys he’s using to create this-or-that sound. Then I remember the lyrics, and get pulled back into the story of the song, until I hear that sound that’s like Mario just won a green 1-up shroom, and I’m pulled back into the swirly goodness. When there’s too much greatness to concentrate on at one time, you know it’s a song that’s going to stay on the heavy rotation for many months.

Polarsets – Morning (3:43)

Pure, perfect electro.So happy, it almost sounds like calypso. Yet it manages to avoid sounding too sacharine. Maybe it’s because of the emotion in his voice, but it all just works. If you like this song, get this album. One of the year’s best.

Polarsets – Sunshine Eyes (3:40)

No really, you should get their album. Listen to “Sunshine Eyes” and get a lesson in how a perfect new wave song is built. Pure delight from beginning to end. Sounds like: the montage music for your summer romance.

Teams – Stunts (5:26)

The heavy beat on “Stunts” would have made this a good fit for the “Best Dance Music of 2011” list, but the lack of vocals takes some of the energy out of it, so I put it here instead. If you’re a fan of Ratatat and Caribou this may be the fix you need.

The Knocks – Make It Better (3:53)

You love whistling, right? You love a head-bopping, disco beat with a melody that’s easy to sing along with right? Well then give this a listen.

The Rapture – How Deep Is Your Love? (6:27)

I was very excited to hear the new Rapture album, and while I can’t recommend the whole thing, this song is a winner. Part of what makes the Rapture so great is Luke Jenner’s emotive vocals, and this one is no exception. Four cocktails down, you will have trouble not singing “How deep is your love!” not as a question, but as an exclamation to be shouted to the fullest.

Yacht – Paradise Engineering (3:46)

At the beginning of the year, I was obsessing over their new song “Dystopia (the Earth is On Fire).” Well, I overplayed it and now I’m sick of it. But then I discovered that “Paradise Engineering” is even better. Both songs give a nod to the catastrophic state of the world channeling it all into blissed out disco denial. It’s a soundtrack for oblivious consumerism in a broken world, which makes it more than good pop: it’s the zeitgeist of the 21st century.

 

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Best Music of 2011: Best Indie Rock

Best Indie Rock of 2011 PART I

So begins at last my list of the finest songs of 2011. Last year I was all upset about the whole idea that one could even begin to honestly determine the very best songs put out in a year. Not because tastes differ too greatly, but because there’s just too much good music.

This year I realized I could have thrown together a list in late December, which is what everyone wants. No one gives a damn about 2011 in February, right? But for some reason I couldn’t stop myself from pouring through everything I’d played on my radio stream, in search of something I’d missed. Some time in January, I realized that I don’t do this for you (sorry, readers). I do it for me, so I can be sure nothing gets lost in the music world’s relentless drive toward newer-better-bolder. So these songs of 2011 may be five minutes ago, but they’re worth looking over twice.

 

The Best Indie Rock of 2011 PART I

There’s just too much goodness to fit in one post. In no particular order… image thanks to <a href=

Image thanks to http://ginamyte.tumblr.com

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Best Music of 2011: Best Electro

Best Electro of 2011 – PART I

Electro Boner

Image via LaughterKey

At last, the best electro of 2011. I’m not ranking these, they’re in alphabetical order. Forthcoming is the second half of this list, as well as the Best Indie Rock and the best Dance and the Best Chill Music. It’s about time, eh?

 

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