"Tears" - Kitsune Parisien II - We Are Knights
WE ARE KNIGHTS | Tears
Sounds like: Radio Dept | Apparat
This dreamy, electropop lazy-summer-anthem makes you feel like everything in the world is just right.
"Amongster" - Give You the Ghost - POLIÃA
POLICA | Amongster
Sounds like: 90’s R&B and 00’s trip-hop had a baby that grew up to be a hipster.
Other notable tracks: Dark Star | Lay Your Cards Out
ANNA CALVI | Wolf Like Me (TV on the Radio cover)
I think Anna owns this song now.
"Serpents" - Tramp - Sharon Van Etten
MUSIC | Sharon Van Etten - “Serpents”
Yesterday Sharon Van Etten released her much awaited sophomore album, “Tramp.” And while Tramp is far more prolific than last year’s Epic, it does seem to lack just that - epic music. Sharon Van Etten is many things, but a master lyricist she is not. However, she has a knack for turning simple and repetitive lyrics into extremely layered and beautifully orchestrated stories that follow you around. After giving Tramp a few listens, it seems that perhaps this skill wanes over the course of creating a full LP, as to where her EP was likely just the small collection of songs she could really fill with that je ne sais quoi before going idle and spilling out droning cliches that rest on her magnificent and unique voice.
Sadly, and much akin to Lana del Rey’s new album, Sharon’s first single from Tramp is the highlight of the album. “Serpents” has the relativity and cynicism of Aimee Mann, the grandiose of Florence + the Machine, and the tortured sound of Cat Power.
Other notable tracks: Give Out | Warsaw
"Where The Kids Are" - Where The Kids Are - Single - Blondfire
BLONDFIRE | Where The Kids Are
Sounds like: Metric | The Naked and The Famous
Other notable tracks: L-L-Love
"Rock Bottom" - Pablo Sebastian
PABLO SEBASTIAN | Rock Bottom
Sounds like: Owl City | Chris Garneau
Where you’ve heard it: Last week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy
"Got It, Lost It" - Vacation - Big Scary
BIG SCARY | Got It, Lost It
I can’t get over how much this guy sounds like Jeff Buckley, nor how much I love this song.
"Movin' Away" - Circuital - My Morning Jacket
MY MORNING JACKET | Movin’ Away
Beautiful and bittersweet new album from My Morning Jacket.
"Harvest Moon" - Beauregard - Pepper Rabbit
PEPPER RABBIT | Harvest Moon
Sounds like: Arcade Fire | Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros | Beirut
Other notable tracks: Tiny Fingers | Red Wine | Older Brother
"Gone the Bells" - Paranoid Cocoon - Cotton Jones
COTTON JONES | Gone the Bells
Sounds like: Slow Club | Stars
Other notable tracks: I Am the Changer | Cotton & Velvet
"Ghost Towns" - The Family Tree: The Roots (Deluxe Version) - Radical Face
RADICAL FACE | The Family Tree: The Roots
”Ghost Towns”
While everyone is clamoring over the new Feist album, I am elated over the long-awaited follow-up to Radical Face’s 2006 album, Ghost. Ghost and, specifically, it’s big(g-ish) hit “Welcome Home, Son” were the musical highlights of that year for me. I was beginning to think he wouldn’t come back to me ever again. So it was the greatest surprise when I logged into iTunes this afternoon to see this new LP waiting for me.
If you’ve never heard Radical Face you are totally missing out. Radical Face is Ben Cooper, whose voice you may recognize from the band Electric President. Radical Face is his much more mellow and experimental project. It’s reminiscent of early Sparklehorse and really quite touching.
Here is the ever so epic “Welcome Home, Son” off of the Ghost LP, which is a musical masterpiece and easily one of my top five favorite songs of all-time.
"Cannons" - The Year of Hibernation - Youth Lagoon
YOUTH LAGOON | Cannons
Sounds like: Twin Sister | Baths | The Besnard Lakes | Cocorosie
Other notable tracks: Afternoon | July
"Nothing (edited version)" - Nothing - Indie Spotlight Download - Young Man
YOUNG MAN | Nothing
Sounds like: Radical Face | Perfume Genius | Electric President
Other notable tracks: Tired Eyes | Strangers | Hands
"Coming Down" - Only in Dreams - Dum Dum Girls
DUM DUM GIRLS | Coming Down
Sounds like: Alela Diane | Karen O | PJ Harvey
Other notable tracks: Baby Don’t Go | Always Looking | Teardrops on My Pillow
"Thinking About You" - Winter - Big Scary
BIG SCARY | Thinking About You
Sounds like: Jeff Buckley | Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Other notable tracks: Autumn | Falling Away | Deep Freeze
