With that said, this is the first in what will be a series of posts throughout the years of the songs that I'm really enjoying at the moment. This isn't an all-inclusive list, its simply a smattering of the songs that I either have something I'd like to talk about or I just want other people to listen to them. Or, even, both. Note the absence of Miss Del Rey, who I figured you might want a reprieve from hearing about.
Here we go. The song titles link to YouTube so that you can check them out for yourself with instant ease.
Of Montreal - "Spiteful Intervention" - I've mentioned this song already in my review of Paralytic Stalks last week, but just to rehash what I said there: This is, in my opinion, the best of Montreal song in years. It is the perfect marriage of Kevin Barnes songcraft with the dark emotional themes present on the album. It's one of those songs you sing along to with a smile on your face, despite lyrics that don't seem exactly smile-inducing.
The Weeknd - "D.D." - I've only just recently fully jumped on board the Weeknd hype train. I've had the first two mixtapes sitting around for awhile now, but it wasn't until the third (and latest) mixtape, Echoes of Silence, came out that I've taken the time to acquaint myself with the mostly-mysterious R&B act that the internet has gone wild for. "D.D.," the first track, was all I needed to hear for me to know that I had been foolish for waiting so long to check this guy out. It's a passionate and epic take on Michael Jackson's already-awesome "Dirty Diana," and it succeeds in every way possible. It's such an awesome cover, and a great track in itself. If you've been on the fence about the Weeknd mixes (despite the fact that they're free...), then please make this your introduction. Now.
Grimes - "Genesis" - I know very little about Grimes. I could look up things about her, but at the moment, I'm almost happy not knowing as much about her. She's Canadian and she makes cool sounding music, that's about all I feel like I need to know. Her forthcoming album, Visions, is far more interesting than any words I'd use to describe it (electronicky? dreamy?). "Genesis" is the song that's won me over the most of hers so far. Even if I can barely tell what she's singing over the swirling electronics, again, it doesn't even matter. This is a very pretty song. I don't know if I could describe it any better than "pretty." Because that's what it is. Pretty. And, pretty damn good.
Tribes - "We Were Children" - Yeah. You know those songs that you hate to love? This is that. I haven't even figured out why yet. Every time I hear this song, part of me is like "Listen to those lyrics...this song is embarassing." Yet, another part of me is like "I don't know...it's catchy and the kind of song that begs to be blasted from the car stereo." If this song had come out in the summer, it'd be a no-brainer for the drive to the beach. As of now, it's a conflict. An enjoyable conflict.
Zola Jesus - "Vessel" - This is a holdover from last year. The entire Zola Jesus album Contaus was one that I enjoyed last year, but didn't give enough attention to. Keeping this song in my playlists now is a reminder that I need to listen to that album more. Also, by the way, YOU need to listen to this album more.
Porcelain Raft - "Unless You Speak from Your Heart" - Probably the best song I've heard in 2012 so far, honestly. It's just completely amazing and it blows me away every single time I hear it. Everything from the first note of the song dropping through the last second is just pure bliss. It's a John Lennon song if John had a chance to experience music in the post-chillwave world of 2012. It's just a good song.
Mr. Gnome - "Wolf Girls" - Mr. Gnome is another holdover from 2011, a band I had every intention of listening to last year but just never got around to it. Listening to it now just makes me kick myself. It's a really great album and this is probably my favorite song from it. I still struggle to define what this band sounds like, though I don't think they have any high-concept sound. Its somewhere between The Decemberists and, maybe, Queens of the Stone Age. Maybe.
M.I.A. - "Bad Girls" - After all the dust has cleared, I'm pretty comfortable admitting that /\/\/\Y/\ wasn't a bad album at all. It definitely zigged when we all thought it would zag, but it was an overall enjoyable album. This, her latest single, expands on one of the unused tracks from that era (and which appeared on her mixtape from last year) in an explosive way, making M.I.A sound fresh, fun and (best of all) exciting. If this is a preview of what we can expect in a new M.I.A. album this year, than you can sign me up.
Lower Dens - "Brains" - File this one under "artists to watch." I started listening to this song only of sheer curiosity after seeing it mentioned on a few reputable blogs, without much previous knowledge of this band. It's a bit of a grower for me, every time I hear it, I appreciate it a little more. Reminds me of The Drums, as if produced by DFA.
Eight-Bit Tiger - "In Our Next Life" - On a whim ( a whim, by the way, is the absolute best way to discover new music), I checked out the latest album by a band called Eight Bit Tiger. I expected some sort of chiptune thing in the vein of Anamanaguchi, but was (pleasantly) surprised to find just as much organic life in the album as synthetic. This song has especially been a highlight for me, reminding me of a lot of the indie rock songs I was into in the mid-2000s (Broken Social Scene comes to mind). This song is probably going to be a fixture in my playlists moving forward through 2012.
Anyways, that's that. I'd like to say that this will be a monthly feature, but really its dependent on how much time I have in a month and how much music I get a chance to listen to in a month. Still, this will be an often-enough feature.
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