Idealize LA

Beach House at Bowery Ballroom

2012-05-16T15:22:00.001-04:00

Beach House played a mesmerizing set of hits at Bowery Ballroom last night. Bloom is out now, and by many accounts that matter will be the album of 2012.

Thanks to @bqnguyen for snatching tickets, and to the bowery ballroom bouncers for snatching the set list just so I couldn't have it.

Flutes, New Hot Chip

2012-05-11T13:27:00.001-04:00

An innocuous introduction, of course. Each layer of the build adds so much; bass guitar, drum loop, synth waves, vocal, the high hat. It's an entirely purposeful soundscape that wastes no sound, and those used are perfectly distinct. There is a lot to be excited about.

In Our Heads is out June 12 on Domino.

"Tobyjug"

2012-05-03T13:41:00.000-04:00

KROKODIL, from St. Vincent

2012-04-26T12:26:00.001-04:00

St Vincent live at the Met, Geoff Leung 2011

There's certainly nothing wrong with the pretty floral arrangements of Strange Mercy, but really this is what we've been hoping to hear from Annie Clark. Strange because, if we were looking for metal or ugly teeth-baring screams why would one ever expect it to come from Ms Clark? Or better, why would we want it to?

But we want to see St. Vincent violently shake her guitar to squeeze out every last bit of feedback. We are craving to see the possessed look in her eyes when she screams into the microphone: "Shut up so I can think."

St. Vincent - Krokodil (A-side from KROKODIL)

Beach House B-side: "Equal Mind"

2012-04-24T09:55:00.002-04:00

This is incredible. And it didn't even make the LP.

buy the single, Myth
via Fader

Spring Mixtape

2012-04-12T10:25:00.001-04:00

Tracklist follows.

Dr. Dog - Shadow People
Deep Sea Diver - You Go Running
Heartless Bastards - Parted Ways
The Lumineers - Ho Hey
Sun Airway - Oh, Naoko
Nicolas Jaar - And I Say
Bright Moments - Milwaukee Protocol
Memoryhouse - Walk With Me

"You Go Running"

"Another Girl" -- Jacques Greene

2012-04-10T11:21:00.000-04:00

Built around two infinitely-repeated vocal samples, "Another Girl" is an intro to building a mix. In the extended introduction, enough variation circumvents the boring repetition that is so popular in DJ music. The loops build to a climax and it sustains. Throughout, it only requires that you close your eyes to see each of the waveforms of the song's building blocks.

Best of SXSW: Daughter

2012-03-27T12:13:00.001-04:00

Daughter live at Red Eyed Fly and Hotel Vegas. Austin, TX 2012.

In a quiet front room on Red River Road Daughter played an arresting set of understated folk songs. Sincerely sung lyrics and perfectly grown songs made space for polite drums and open, broken hearts.

"Landfill" buy His Young Heart

"Home" buy The Wild Youth

Best of SXSW: Chairlift

2012-03-26T14:42:00.000-04:00

Chairlift live at Stubb's BBQ.

Best of SXSW: Neon Indian

2012-03-23T13:09:00.004-04:00

Neon Indian, live at the Hype Hotel for vanityfair.com.

"Polish Girl" (buy Era Extraña)

Best of SXSW: Of Monsters and Men

2012-03-22T12:41:00.000-04:00

Of Monsters and Men, live at the W Hotel for Nylon and Guess.

Easily one of the most poised to breakout bands of SXSW, Of Monsters and Men are the most probable love-child of Arcade Fire and The XX. The Icelandic group combines uplifting arrangements with contrasting vocal styles. Their debut, My Head Is An Animal, is already full of songs ready to soundtrack childhood-books-turned-movies. If you feel too old to enjoy them, relax, you aren't.

"King and Lionheart" buy the EP, pre-order the LP

Best of SXSW: Polica

2012-03-21T14:51:00.001-04:00

Minneapolis-based Polica picked up some of the week's best buzz. Here they are opening for Lionel Richie and The Dream at ACL Live for Billboard, and later, playing the Brooklyn Vegan main stage.

Buy Give Up The Ghost.

Best of SXSW: La Sera

2012-03-21T12:56:00.001-04:00

La Sera at the Warby Parker Citizen's Circus, Austin, TX.

"Devils Hearts Grow Gold" (buy)

Best of SXSW: Kindness

2012-03-21T12:29:00.004-04:00

Kindness at the Windish Agency Showcase at Mohawk.

via @BQNguyen

Kindness - Swingin' Party

Best of SXSW: Norah Jones Performs Her New Album

2012-03-20T11:57:00.000-04:00

Norah Jones performs her new album for the first time at La Zona Rosa. Photos for vanityfair.com.

Best of SXSW: Santigold at Stubb's

2012-03-20T10:58:00.000-04:00

Santigold for vanityfair.com

Santigold - Disparate Youth

Best of SXSW: Lionel Richie at ACL Live

2012-03-19T19:38:00.002-04:00

Shot for vanityfair.com

And I Say, NIcolas Jaar

2012-03-05T10:01:00.000-05:00

Nicolas Jaar - And I Say (featuring Scout Larue)

Buy Jaar's LP, Space Is Only Noise.

Lil Wayne, "Sorry For the Wait"

2012-02-29T12:49:00.001-05:00

Lil Wayne - Sorry For the Wait

Sampled with 2011's most ubiquitous track, Lil Wayne's lyrics here are by far hip hop's most inspired.

She pop X I smoke O’s, tic-tac-toe / And I stink cause I got a lot of shit on my mind / They say numbers don’t lie, is that a 6 or a 9? / I stand in front of the clock cause I’m ahead of the time

Out Getting Ribs

2012-02-14T15:02:00.002-05:00

This song will make you wish that you had someone to despise. Happy Valentine's Day.

Zoo Kid - Out Getting Ribs

Buy the King Krule (formerly Zoo Kid) EP here.

Hours

2012-02-01T11:41:00.000-05:00

Tycho - Hours (buy)

Cool and serene like a sunrise and moving water. A pitch-shifted melody obscures its dance-time rhythm, but "Hours" is still reassuring enough to use as your morning alarm.

Tycho plays Music Hall this week.

Serpents

2012-01-19T11:05:00.001-05:00

Sharon Van Etten - Serpents (buy)

It's self-important like an impending climax or a bridge-crossing-car-scene from a movie. The guitar slides ride above urgent drumming while Van Etten's voice is self-assured as if it were preparing to face difficult obstacles and great waves.

Tramp is out on Jagjaguwar February 7.

Wicked Game

2012-01-10T12:46:00.002-05:00

Widowspeak - Wicked Game (buy)

This song could only be covered with an effortless waif of a voice like this one. Because of its gentle delivery, the words don't ring with the sincerity of the original, but the sound is just perfect.

Finns Det En Så Finns Det Flera

2012-01-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

Veronica Maggio - Finns Det En Så Finns Det Flera

This is the pop song I was looking for all year. It's as if Yelle and Casiokids got together to write a chorus to make you say "Mmm... that feels good, let's listen again."

Via Said the Gramophone's Songs of The Year 2011.

Wye Oak Live at The Rock Shop

2011-12-15T19:25:00.000-05:00

The set included a faithfully rendered Aaliyah cover as well as "Strangers," the Kinks song that they covered for AV Club.

"Siamese"