Yes, 2012 has been underwhelming in the new music category. And yes, I am realizing that I ignored/missed some great music last year.
So to rectify this, below I have listed five songs I am digging right now that were released in 2011 and rightfully should have been in my Top 40.
Click on the links below to hear songs from the artists. Check! Them! Out!
“Someone That I Used To Know” by Gotye (featuring Kimbra)
“Someone That I Used To Know” is a runaway freight train of epic proportions. How else do you describe a song that has 120 million YouTube views?! Such a great kiss-off track. It comes on slow and explodes with Gotye’s instantly memorable chorus. PS: “Cameo Lover” Kimbra is a talent worth checking out too.
“Winter Beats” by I Break Horses
“Winter Beats” sounds like what M83 might sound like if Anthony Gonzalez recorded in an igloo. The song opens with swirling keys that create a sense of icy enchantment. Maria Linden had me at the line, “Don’t let that cold blood freeze.” Winter should feel this alive. Bonus Note: Yet another great act from Sweden.
“It’s Real” by Real Estate
As effortless as a summer’s breeze, not to mention as pleasing, “It’s Real” is ear candy of the finest caliber. Sorta reminds me of if the Beach Boys had a nerdy baby with the Strokes who wanted to wear sweaters instead of leather jackets and wanted to talk about leaves rather than, you know, the beach. OK, that was the longest sentence ever. Completely unlike New Jersey’s Real Estate, who don’t belabor points.
“Spitting Blood” by WU LYF
In WU LYF’s “Spitting Blood”, the words “golden sun god” mutate into “goose so odd” and “goo so ahhhh” in the blink of an eye. I can’t remember the last band I enjoyed so much while not understanding 90 percent of their words. Part of it is the stroke victim vocals and the juxtaposition between the stroke victim vocals and the glossy tones of their guitars. It all leaves me wondering: What would an intelligible WU LYF song be like? On second thought, I don’t want to imagine it.
“July” by Youth Lagoon
I praised “July” on this blog last month. Nothing has changed since. I still love this song.
Yo dawg, I really dig that Winter Beats song. I really like Somebody that I Used to Know when it came out, too. (That shit was popping in New Zealand last fall er spring in NZ.) But yeah, then I heard it a lot and some stuff. But still, good song.
That’s the advantage of avoiding the radio. Although I guess that song would be hard to avoid, in general.
What are you listening to?