IndieSeed

New Kid Cudi Video Features MGMT & Ratatat

2010-03-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

Listen. Kid Cudi and MGMT are both A-Okay in my book. But the most significant inclusion here, is the marvel-inducing riffs of Ratatat. It's been a little while, no doubt, but Ratatat's trademark sound is back. Listen for it Kid Cudi's fun new video 'Pursuit of Happiness':

New Yeasayer Video

2010-03-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

Yeasayer is back with a brand new video. In this one, we're given a small glimpse of the future, in which turntables and guitars seem to have been replaced by cheesy, illuminating crystals and there's some ominous shape-shifting fellow who shows up to the dance party that reminds us of Critters 2 (anyone? anyone?) Check out Yeasayer's video for O.N.E.

"O.N.E." by Yeasayer from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

New Gorillaz Video

2010-03-02T05:27:00.000-08:00

Today the Gorillaz released a new video for their single 'Stylo'. While previous videos have been entirely animated, this Gorillaz track is live-action with more realistic CG characters. Oh, and there's also an interesting cameo...

Check out the video on YouTube .

Tiger's Pandering Apology Playlist

2010-02-24T11:25:00.000-08:00

If you're like millions of other golf fans... Americans... Or even if you just have an address somewhere on this planet... Tiger Woods had something to say to you last Friday. He wanted you to know that he made a mistake and most importantly? He was 'sorry'. A little piece of every last one of us died the day we found out that an immensely rich and famous pro athlete had been cavorting with attractive cocktail waitresses.

So for all that pain and suffering you certainly endured... for all that weight you lost after those sleepless nights... for those golf lessons you were inspired to buy for your uncoordinated kid... Tiger just wanted us to know... 'he's sorry.'

We'll leave the pandering to Tiger. We're not really here to play the holier-than-thou game or stir up the blood in the media shark pool. Actually, we're just here to stalk Tiger's children on their way to school. Or maybe follow his mom to a Jenny Craig meeting...

We kid, we kid... we actually just want to listen to some good music, and we'll use the rise and fall of a sports icon as our opportunistic springboard.

(Check out Tiger's playlist after the jump)

Her Space Holiday - Sleepy Tigers
And it all started out so well... The perfect lazy Saturday song for young love... it doesn't hurt when you're a professional athlete and a model.

The Avett Brothers - Ill With Want
But before doubt and suspicion creep in, The Avett Brothers have just the sick, daunting feeling that sets it all up.

Of Montreal - Women's Studies Victims
Of Montreal always has just the right self-depreciating, sleazy and promiscuous words to fit the mood.

Ben Kweller - Sawdust Man
When it's all said and done, the man who stood on top just blew away when the breeze came.

Sufjan Stevens - The Mistress Witch from McClure
It's another thing when you're kids have to discover their father's transgressions.

Discovery - Swing Tree
The Discovery of a few texts messages led to the Swing of a golf club and the crashing into a Tree.

Shiny Toy Guns - Chemistry of a Car Crash
It took the cops and media a long time to piece it all together, but eventually the true chemistry behind the crash was revealed.

Bat for Lashes - Sleep Alone (909s in Dark Times mix)
I would imagine on the couch... or probably in one of the other 14 bedrooms in the mansion.

MillionYoung - Soft Denial
"Hey, it's me... Tiger. Um, I'm gonna need you to change your phone number and voice mail... and uh... stop talking about me on your MySpace page..."

Amanda Blank - Shame on Me
Public speaking may not be Tiger's thing... He used thousands of words to ramble this incoherent message over and over again.

Maps - Lost my Soul
Nothing seems more pertinent than the lyrics of Maps: 'I found it all, but I lost my soul...'

Jay-Z - Lost One
Who better than to preach the downside to fame and fortune than Jay-Z...

The Apologetic Playlist of a T...

Kanye's 'Coldest Winter' Gets a Remix and a Video

2010-02-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

We're getting pretty far removed from Kanye's 808's and Heartbreaks album to have a new video from it. But, Kanye's 'Coldest Winter' gets all dolled up for the occasion. Sporting a wedding dress, gratuitous slow-motion cleavage shots, and some haunting Reapers in a Sleepy Hollow-like foggy forrest.

Check out "Coldest Winter (Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam)":

Which Band Are You Here To See?

2010-02-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

When you walk into a music club, and the guy at the door asks which band are you here to see? What should you say? Did you know that you're answer can actually affect how much money the respective bands take home that night?

A discussion has been brewing of late within the local DC music scene, kicked off last week by local hip-hop artist Head-Roc's rant on the practice of door-polling at music venues.

Washington City Paper ran a follow up piece on the matter even more recently titled "Sins of Admission: Why It's a Problem When a Club Asks, 'Who Are You Here To See?'"

Is this an unfair way to determine a band's payment? Is it a cop out for music venues to defer marketing responsibility to desperate musicians? Does it create an unfair bias against out-of-town bands?

Or is this a fair practice that benefits hard-working and talented musicians? What do you think?

VAMPIRE WEEKEND DEBUTS VIDEO FOR 'GIVING UP THE GUN'

2010-02-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

Vampire Weekend's bizarre new video features a lot of tennis and some guest appearances by the likes of Rza and Jake Gyllenhaal. Without further ado, check out Vampire Weekend's video for 'Giving up the Gun':

CARIBOU HAS NEW VIDEO FOR 'ODESSA'

2010-02-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks back Caribou released their first single from their upcoming album. The single is called 'Odessa' and today got it's own music video that starts out with a woman walking with a bloodied face. Check it out:

DOWNLOAD NEW BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE TRACK

2010-02-19T06:42:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since we had an official album from Broken Social Scene. We've seen members spin off to do solo work (um... Feist, anyone?) and had a handful of 'Broken Social Scenes Presents:' albums. But, not since 2005 has the band released a real Broken Social Scene album. The band's freshest won't come out until May 4th, but they've put up one song on their website that's free to download just to let us know they mean business. It's called 'Sick World'.

This time around, BSS has slimmed to a mere 6 members but most of the old cast is slated to make guest appearances as the likes of Feist, Metric, Do Make Say Think, Sea and Cake, Pavement and Tortoise lend their talents to the track list.

NEW PASSION PIT VIDEO FOR 'LITTLE SECRETS'

2010-02-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

Manners is straight-up loaded to the gills with an engaging, experimental mix of poppy electronic tracks. From 'Moth's Wings' to 'Sleepyhead' to 'The Reeling'... Passion Pit have proven real hit-makers. This time around, Passion Pit gives us a video for yet another can't-miss hit: 'Little Secrets'

Check their latest video for 'Little Secrets' over at MTV.

TEGAN & SARA DROP NEW VIDEO FOR 'ALLIGATOR'

2010-02-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

Tegan and Sara's Sainthood came at us in late 2009. Today the twins released the official video for (my favorite track on the album) 'Alligator':

Tegan and Sara - Alligator [Official Music Video] from NicoleIsMyName on Vimeo.

PLAYLIST: SO-I-SETTLED-FOR-YOU VALENTINE'S

2010-02-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

For some of you, Valentine's Day is a wondrous time to spend with your most beloved. It can be a time of reflection or re-dedication, to have and to cherish that important person in your life as long as you possibly can.

For others, the big V-Day can be a devastating reminder of your own loneliness. Who wants to see so many other couples happy, when you can't find that shared comfort with someone yourself??

Well, this mix isn't for either of the above. This special Valentine's Day playlist is for the vast majority of you who are in relationships but probably shouldn't be. You know what I'm talking about... at least your friends know what I'm talking about when they talk about your dullard boyfriend behind your back.

This is for that certain someone who you once slept with and then started dating and now lingers in your one-bedroom apartment as a constant reminder of your shallowness and low self-esteem. This is for that ex who you keep calling at 2 in the morning because you're afraid of sleeping alone. If you see nothing but a reflection of the lie that you call a relationship every time you stare into your partner's eyes? Yes! Yes! Yes! This is the playlist for you.

'Doesn't she realize this cold, falling rain is an

obvious metaphor for our depreciating relationship?'

(Check out our So-I-Settled-For-You Valentine's Day Playlist after the jump)

Ben Folds - You to Thank
Nothing complicates a break-up quite like a marriage.

Beach House - Real Love
Maybe it's the lyrics ('real love, it finds you somewhere with your back to it."), or maybe it's the dreary piano that makes me think this song is more about how 'Real Love' doesn't exist.

Hot Chip - Crap Kraft Dinner
We don't even have 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'... we just have a box of cheap macaroni with a packet of dried chemical cheese. At least it was on sale for .79 cents. We'll always have that...

OK Go - Oh Lately It's so Quiet
After she's done tormenting you, certainly she's found somebody else to make completely miserable... or at least someone to complain about you to.

La Roux - I'm Not Your Toy
Oh, oh, look at me, I see right through you and your shallow games 'cuz my name is La Roux and I have really fancy hair...

David Gray - Ain't No Love
Never before has a more beautiful song been written to tell someone that you don't love them. Now that's like getting down on one knee just to say, "I think we should see other people."

Micachu - Eat Your Heart
This little critter (every time I hear this band name... I think of some little Pokemon-esque creature) just wants to nibble and gnaw away at your emotions.

Black Ghosts - Some Way Through This
When push comes to shove, and pinch comes to... strangle... Love can be an ugly, messy, violent beast of a disease. Or, ya know... all peaches and rainbows.

Cold War Kids - We Used to Vacation
It's not you, it's me... and my alcohol problem... and those annoying kids you helped spawn... and how my soul feels like it's rotting away from the inside every time I look at you, and- okay, honestly? It's really just you.

Blitzen Trapper - Not Your Lover
Dreams are so much more honest than real life. (Especially sexy dreams!)

The National - Start a War
Between you and me? You could do way better than her anyway. Better a war than the slow-death you're suffering now.

Stars - Your Ex-Lover is Dead
When it's all said and done, you'll look at this new stranger you once shared a life with and you might not even remember what they meant to you... in this case, you might not even remember their name.

So-I-Settled-For-You Valentine...

The Antlers' Video for 'Bear'

2010-02-12T06:17:00.000-08:00

Not only did The Antlers' moody masterpiece Hospice make our Top 25 Albums review of 2009. Their song 'Bear' also cracked our Top Ten Songs of 2009. Today, the band released a music video for 'Bear'.

What do you think?

PLAYLIST: SNOW-DAY, FEB 10

2010-02-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

Here in DC (and across many parts of the country) we've been on the ass end of a winter blizzard pound-fest. This past weekend's snow-tally (between 2 and 3 feet!) topped all previous records for the DC Metro area and prompted virtually everything in the area to shut down for multiple days. If that wasn't enough? Just as DC started to pick itself back up from the snowy ground... Wednesday brought even more snow. It's still falling as I type this, but it seems as though we may be in store for another 20 inches.

What's this have to do with music? Obvious. Music- like fireplaces and Baileys- is crucial to snow days. The best way to avoid cabin fever is with a cuddle-buddy, a handle of booze and some snowy-day tunes. Click 'Read More' below to take a listen to our 12-track snow-day playlist.

After an early morning adventure into the snow today the first thing I did was throw my wet socks into the dryer. The second thing I did was make a mix. Let's take a look at some of the cold-fighting highlights:

Kings of Convenience - Mrs. Cold
Any Kings of Convenience track would actually do. They have such a chill sound for tooling around the house. This track just so happens to be called 'Mrs. Cold' so it's a toe-thawing two-for.

Passion Pit - Sleepyhead
If you're anything like this blogger, you didn't want to get out of bed today. And surprise, surprise! You don't have to get up or go to work for the rest of the week because your car is currently under three feet of compressed snow/ice. Stay in bed and listen to the bizarre, high-pitched melodies of 'Sleepyhead'.

Miike Snow - A Horse is not a Home
What would a snow-day playlist be without some Miike Snow? These crisply manufactured beats might actually be enough to pull you out of bed, but if you're seeking sensical lyrics, you might be a tad disappointed. 'A Horse is not a Home' still has me scratching my head. But, I can't help but bob it, too.

Spoon - Mystery Zone
Spoon crooner Britt Daniels' voice is like rubbing two sticks together. The result is hot music, steaming with energy and passion. This is a song of other-worldly escape. So pack your bags, and if you can manage, escape to Spoon's 'Mystery Zone'. Maybe it'll be warmer there.

Vampire Weekend - Horchata
Too literal? Maybe. But today, when I was trekking out for coffee, all I could think about was a Balaclava and how warm my face would be if I were wearing one. Sipping on some hot 'Horchata' wouldn't be the worst thing either, ya know?

Bon Iver - Woods
Every so often, Bon Iver retreats to rural Wisconsin, locks himself in a cabin and records music. 'Woods' is the result of Bon Iver's snowy isolation. He's certainly captured the feeling of cabin fever and put it to music. Now if he can just find you a store that still has a carton of eggs left.

Discovery - Swing Tree
Discovery generates an electric-sounding beat to solve any power outage. Even if it's not enough, 'Swing Tree' is the kind of summery goodness that should get your blood pumping and warm your soul. Still not enough to solve your power outage? Maybe you should look for a shelter... check into a hotel?

Yeasayer - I Remember
Yeasayer manages to encapsulate the childhood nostalgia of snowfall. Musically, this is the perfect snow flake or the wispy whiteness of a fresh snow bank. I just don't remember those snowfalls ever being this bad...

Modeselektor - The Rapanthem
A long, winding journey down the frozen caverns of electronic and hip-hop. Modeselektor has a way of casting a wintery mood over intricate beats. This icy track should have you thawed out long before the pipes.

The Antlers - Two
"Too cold to care and too sick to shout," were the words that struck me when I first listened to 'Two'. It's days like today that The Antlers seem to provide just the right atmospheric soundtrack to. If you listen carefully to the heavy lyrics you'll hear about battles with eating disorders, failing relationships and dysfunctional families. Today, this song can just help battle the cold.

Blind Pilot - Paint or Pollen
Don't have someone to snug up to? This song may feel lonely, but might provide a little warmth. Or you could just- ya know- drench your hot chocolate in Grey Goose. That'll probably make it better too.

Mumford & Sons - White Blank Page
This is what I see when I look out the window; A solid, 'White Blank Page' of snow halting my visibility about five feet in front of my face. 'Winter Winds' and 'After the Storm' would have also been suitable track additions, but any song from the brilliant Sigh No More is the perfect melancholic release for your big day at home.

You can listen to the 12-track playlist below:

Snow Day Playlist Feb 10, 2010

Weekly Round-Up: New Music Feb 10

2010-02-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

Record amounts of winter snow weren't all that descended upon us this past week. I've given up on shoveling, so it's time to cozy up with some cocoa and headphones. Click 'Read More' to see what music the internets have heated up to cure our February blues after the jump.

Broken Bells (DJ Dangermouse meets Shins' frontman James Mercer) is releasing their first album March 9th. They recently revealed their first music video and if you travel over to their myspace page, you'll be delighted with the sound of a second single, 'Vaporize'.

The Eels released another video in the same nostalgic-old-home-movie vein as their last one. This time around the video is for 'Unhinged'. Squeamish viewers should be warned- there are super-creepy, nightmare-inducing dolls.

YACHT covered the Weezer classic 'Holiday' which can be streamed here .

Jonsi, who comprises one half of the duo Sigur Ros, is soon releasing a solo album. His first video for 'Go Do' can be see below.

SPOON RELEASES VIDEO FOR 'WRITTEN IN REVERSE"

2010-02-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

It's only been a few weeks since Spoon released their latest album Transference, but it feels like a millennium has past without any treat of visual accompaniment. Well, this morning, Pitchfork has the Spoon to sate your sweet tooth- a studio-session comprised video for 'Written in Reverse'.

TOP 125 SONGS OF 2009: MASTER LIST

2010-02-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

If you'd rather just see them all in one place? Here is the master list for our Top 125 songs of '09. No slow-loading MP3 embeds or cluttering opinions on this one. This is your one-stop shop.

(Check out the complete List after the Jump)

125- Patrick Watson - Big Bird in a Small Cage
124- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Young Adult Friction
123- Bat for Lashes - Daniel
122- Chris Garneau - Dirty Night Clowns
121- Blockhead - It's Raining Clouds
120- Miike Snow - Black and Blue
119- Dirty Projectors - Two Doves
118- The Atlas Sound - Walkabout (feat. Noah Lennox)
117- Givers - Up, Up, Up
116- Basement Jaxx - Raindrops
115- The Books - Cello Song (feat. Jose Gonzalez)
114- Our Book and the Authors - The Fire
113- Discovery - Osaka Loop Line
112- Silversun Pickups - Growing Old Is Getting Old
111- Bill Callahan - All Thoughts are Prey to Some Beast
110- Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension
109- Islands - No You Don't
108- Wale - TV in the Radio
107- LCD Soundsystem - Bye Bye Bayou
106- Wild Beasts - This is Our Lot
105- David Gray - Transformation
104- Phoenix - Fences
103- Gossip - Dime Store Diamond
102- Major Lazer - Keep it Going Louder
101- Freelance Whales - Starring
100- Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
99- Real Estate - Fake Blues
98- Fink - Sort of Revolution
97- Ugly Purple Sweater - Jumbo Slice
96- The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)
95- The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
94- Washed Out - Feel it all Around
93- La Roux - In for the Kill
92- Moby - Shot in the Back of the Head
91- Health - Die Slow
90- Eels - Fresh Blood
89- St. Vincent - Actor Out of Work
88- Depeche Mode - In Chains
87- Miike Snow - Burial
86- Noah and the Whale - First Days of Spring
85- The New Pornographers - Hey, Snow White
84- Thom Yorke - Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses
83- Fanfarlo - The Walls are Coming Down
82- Yacht - Psychic City (Voodoo City)
81- Charlotte Gainsbourg - Trick Pony
80- Discovery - So Insane
79- Neon Indian - Deadbeat Summer
78- Matt and Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare
77- Delorean - Seasun
76- Our Book and the Authors - Kids
75- The Big Pink - Domino
74- Fever Ray - When I Grow Up
73- Dirty Projectors - Knotty Pine (feat. David Byrne)
72- The Flaming Lips - Watching the Planets
71- VHS Head - Rent Responsibly
70- Devendra Banhart - 17th and Valencia Roxy Music
69- Wale - Pretty Girls (feat. Gucci Mane)
68- F*ck Buttons - The Lisbon Maru
67- Other Lives - Black Tables
66- Passion Pit - Little Secrets
65- Bon Iver - Brackett, WI
64- Deadmau5 - Strobe
63- N.A.S.A. - Spacious Thoughts (feat. Tom Waits)
62- Girls - Lust for Life
61- Muse - Uprising
60- Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - Cool Yourself
59- White Rabbits - They Done Wrong / We Done Wrong
58- Moderat - Les Grandes Marches
57- Florence and the Machine - Kiss with a Fist
56- Metric - Help, I'm Alive
55- Wilco - Everlasting Everything
54- M. Ward - For Beginners
53- Phoenix - Lisztomania
52- DJ Dangermouse and Sparklehorse - Just War (feat. Gruff Rhys)
51- Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Skeletons
50- The Temper Trap - Sweet Dispostion
49- Edward Sharpe and the Magnificent Zeroes - 40 Day Dream
48- Peter Bjorn and John - Last Night
47- Mew - Introducing Palace Players
46- Andrew Bird - Tenuousness
45- Bon Iver - Blood Bank
44- Eels - Prizefighter
43- Florence and the Machine - You've Got the Love (xx remix)
42- Discover - Orange Shirt
41- The Mountain Goats - 1 John 4:16
40- Kevin Drew - Love vs. Porn
39- The Xx - Islands
38- We Were Promised Jetpacks - It's Thunder and It's Lightning
37- The Antlers - Kettering
36- The Low Anthem - Charlie Darwin
35- The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (feat. Ezra Koenig)
34- Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move
33- Julian Casablancas - Glass
32- Years - Kids Toy Love Affair
31- Avett Brothers - Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise
30- Junior Boys - Parallel Lines
29- Freelance Whales - Generator ^ 1st Floor
28- Phoenix - 1901
27- Miike Snow - Animal
26- Royksopp - Royksopp Forever
25- Metric - Twilight Galaxy
24- Fanfarlo - I'm a Pilot
23- Mumford and Sons - White Blank Page
22- Monsters of Folk - Baby Boomer
21- Bear Quartet - Millions
20- Passion Pit - Moth's Wings
19- Califone - Funeral Singers
18- Muse - Undisclosed Desires
17- Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)
16- Animal Collective - My Girls
15- Dirty Projectors - Cannibal Resource
14- Blakroc - Ain't Nothing Like You (feat. Mos Def and Jim Jones)
13- Matt and Kim - Daylight
12- The National - So Far Around the Bend
11- Our Book and the Authors - Watch Me
10- Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
09- The Antlers - Bear
08- Them Crooked Vultures - No One Loves Me and Neither Do I
07- Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
06- The Xx - Crystalized
05- Edward Sharpe and the Magnificent Zeroes - Home
04- Miike Snow - Cult Logic
03- Phoenix - Love Like a Sunset Pt 1
02- Animal Collective - Brother Sport
01- Deadmau5 - Ghosts N' Stuff (feat. Rob Swire)

TOP SONGS OF 2009: 10-1

2010-02-03T07:23:00.000-08:00

Here's the Top Ten. It's so late you probably don't even care, let alone remember any of these bands anymore (The Yeah Yeah Yeah's are so six months ago!) Better late than never. Perhaps you missed some of these in 2009, or maybe now is a good time to revisit. Here's our Top Ten songs of 2010...

(Click 'READ MORE' below to see our TOP TEN)

10- Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Another artist I regretfully under-represented on the list. Veckatimest was one of the year's best albums. 'Two Weeks' may have been the best of the bunch, but- okay... fine. I messed up. There should've been more Grizzly Bear.

9- The Antlers - Bear

From one bear to another. The Antlers' 'Bear' is another dreary morning song from Hospice, that decides to get up and go outside in spite of it all, finding bright rays of positivity shining through the fog. What's fantastic about this album, is that like a movie score, you'll find the same chords and vocal arrangements called back in later songs. Much to my delight, the beautiful melody of 'Bear' gets play in various other places through the album.

The Antlers - Bear

Found at abmp3 search engine

8- Them Crooked Vultures - No One Loves Me and Neither Do I

One of those rock super-bands so perfect, you can't imagine its pieces in bands before it. But then you realize that its members are responsible for Led Zepelin, Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age. If you're counting that's almost forty years of rock history all getting poured into the same bowl, and the concoction derived from the collaboration brings out the best in all of the previous flavors. 'No One Loves Me and Neither Do I' really kicks into another gear at 2:45 in, reminding us that rock n' roll is very much alive.

7- Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Karen O ices her rock-star status with this one, demonstrating her vocal range from soft and dreamy to the shrill screams of 'Off, off, off with head!' The year's best danceable rocker, 'Heads Will Roll' stands head and shoulders taller than its decapitated competition.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Found at abmp3 search engine

6- The Xx - Crystalized

Forget Taylor Swift. Not because Kanye says so, either. But because this is what real teen angst should sound like. The Xx have an understated lo-fi sound that's balanced with dark, angst-filled lyrics that take young love seriously. There's an echo of Billy Corgan from Siamese Dreams in the young voices of Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft, but there's an unexpected maturity as well.

The XX - Crystalised

Found at abmp3 search engine

5- Edward Sharpe and the Magnificent Zeroes - Home

Edward Sharpe is the name of a fictional character in a script written by the band's lead singer. In the script Edward Sharpe is a messiah-like character sent down from the heavens to save the world, but all he keeps doing is falling in love instead. On the album's center-piece 'Home' we're treated to a folksy, romantic dialogue that pits the vocals of Jade Castrinos and Alex Ebert together in an old-timey love duet.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home

Found at abmp3 search engine

4- Miike Snow - Cult Logic

There's a hidden moment, lost at the back-end of a Thom Yorke's 'The Eraser'. As the song starts to fade out, there's this echoing, hypnotic electronic sample. I'd listen to it over and over, fast-forwarding through the entire song to precisely 2:52 in just to hear that brief clip. All the while, I wished Yorke had made this little moment into a song of its own. Yorke may have moved on, but to my delight, 2009 brought along Miike Snow. The sample may not be exactly the same, but once you've listened to the break down at the end of 'The Eraser' listen to 'Cult Logic' and tell me that's not the same energy coursing through the song. While Radiohead was busy releasing Kid A, Amnesiac and In Rainbows, the minds behind Miike Snow were producing Brittney Spears singles, but in 'Cult Logic' the two mediums seem to meet somewhere in the middle.

3- Phoenix - Love Like a Sunset Pt 1

For my money, there's a song on the heralded Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix that stood out far beyond all the others. Serving as a sidestep from the playlist of beer and car commercial pop anthems is 'Love Like a Sunset Pt. 1'. The track has no lyrics but shows the group's range as they progress through an epically sprawling electro-rock journey. The song is a patient release- a reminder of Phoenix's ability to stand out in a crowded field of bland rock. (Check out the short 'Love Like a Sunset Pt 2' for the masterful continuation of the thought, a song filled with hope that may have been better named 'Love Like a Sunrise.'

2- Animal Collective - Brother Sport

The Baltimore-based trio isn't going to give you focus-grouped, audience-approved sound clips. Their music is intentionally designed to be a jarring juxtaposition set to disarm your musical expectations. Yet beneath the chaotic, schizophrenic noise, the patient consumer actually finds the rewarding harmonies amidst the samples, chaotic percussion and looping vocals. In 'Brother Sport' it's not long before medicine tastes like candy and the viral melody of "open up your... open up your... open up your throat..." is soon uncontrollably coursing through the channels of your brain. With Animal Collective the fulfillment comes in the aftertaste.

1- Deadmau5 - Ghosts N' Stuff (feat. Rob Swire)

Not so much the critically acclaimed track, as much as it's the song I responded to the most in 2009. 'Ghosts N Stuff' is an out of body experience set to a haunting synth beat. The track is so good (or maybe the remainder of the album is so mediocre) that there's a reprieve of the song with 'Moar Ghosts N' Stuff' which carries one the B-movie macabre with an opening sound clip from 'The Brain From Planet Arous'.

Music Code Provided by MusicVideolife.com

TOP SONGS OF 2009: 25-11

2010-02-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

I told myself I had to finish by the end of January. Well... I didn't miss the self-imposed deadline by much. In retrospect, 125 songs was a burly task to plunge into (the biggest pain is finding MP3 embeds now that I'm having difficulty with LaLa.com). Chalk it up to a learning experience though. Maybe next time I'll only do a Top 50 and be done. But enough with the negativity, because we're finally into the top 25. I tried to space out artists who appeared more than once on the list, but there is one exception- a single artist who garnered two spots in the top 25. Any guesses? (uh- below is a hint.)

(Click 'READ MORE' below to check out our 25-11)

25- Metric - Twilight Galaxies
Emily Haines has a way about her that kind of makes you fall in love. The poetic rock star and her band Metric released another satisfying album this year. 'Twilight Galaxies' gets the nod, but choosing just a few songs from this album to represent it was as tough a decision as any.

24- Fanfarlo - I'm A Pilot
I hate to keep drawing the comparison, but this is the best Arcade Fire song I heard all year. (It's not a bad thing).

Fanfarlo - I';m A Pilot

Found at abmp3 search engine

23- Mumford and Sons - White Blank Page
The London folk scene has been the root of some exciting new things lately. At the top of that pack is Mumford and Sons' recent trail-blazing release. A hearty album with tracks like the passionate, angst-filled 'White Blank Page' catapults the Mumford family band amongst the ranks of London folkers like Noah and the Whale.

22- Monsters of Folk - Baby Boomer
This band comes just as advertised, and the ironic name only proves it. Indie-folk favorites, the likes of Conor Oberst and M. Ward churn out a state-of-the-art folk sound in this collaboration.

Monsters Of Folk - Baby Boomer

Found at abmp3 search engine

21- Bear Quartet - Millions
Bear Quartet is a Swedish band that has been consistently making music for two decades now to minor acclaim and minimal commercial success. 'Millions' is a stand-out track off their latest, but I wouldn't expect the quintet to break from their under-selling mold anytime soon.

(Embed not available, but you can listen to 'Millions' here. )

20- Passion Pit - Moth's Wings
What a bizarre voice squeezed inside such fun, dance-inducing melodies. We've come a long way from to the polished recording of the five-piece band's album Manners. In 2007, lead-singer Michael Angelekos was performing the song's solo with only his lap-top as a romantic gift to his girlfriend for Valentine's day.

Passion Pit - Moth's Wings

Found at abmp3 search engine

19- Califone - Funeral Singers
Much like Mumford and Sons or Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, comes Califone's lo-fi indie folk that puts the onus on the mood and emotion of the music. The album is actually a companion to a film 'All My Friends are Funeral Singers' written and directed by band frontman Tim Rutili.

Califone - Funeral Singers

Found at abmp3 search engine

18- Muse - Undisclosed Desires
Does Muse lose points for being polished and popular? Not in my book. 'Undisclosed Desires' still knows how to push all the same buttons.

17- Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)
I remember driving around my hometown having just gotten my driver's license and playing a taped recording I had gotten off a friend of some unknown rapper named Jay-Z. I must have listened to 'Reasonable Doubt' until that tape was worn to dust. More than a decade later, Jay-Z is far from an unknown, but with tracks like 'Empire State of Mind' he's still the best.

Jay-Z - Empire State Of Mind [Ft. Alic

Found at abmp3 search engine

16- Animal Collective - My Girls
There's something truly refreshing about this song. Though Animal Collective has all but been crowned kings of an experimental, indie-rock movement, the group doesn't seem to be turning their noses up to anyone. They're just a couple of dudes from Baltimore who go to work and have mouths to feed just like the rest of us. 'My Girls' shows us just that- as innovative or experimental as their sound is, they're just trying to provide for their families too. Did I also mention that this song might blow your mind?

15- Dirty Projectors - Cannibal Resource
The problem with having so many songs from one artist on a list? You start to run out of things to say without repeating yourself. 'Two Doves' and 'Stillness is the Move' were both amazing songs from Bitte Orca but it's their man-eating album-mate 'Cannibal Resource' that stole the show.

Dirty Projectors - Cannibal Resource

Found at abmp3 search engine

14- Blakroc - Ain't Nothing Like You (feat. Mos Def and Jim Jones)
One of the year's more ambitious projects was released late in '09 to varying results. The Akron-based rockers (The Black Keys) have been at it for years. On this effort, they teamed up with a slew of young hip-hop talent to create a hybrid album. No doubt, it was more successful than most (see also Lil Wayne) attempts, and the track featuring Mos Def and Jim Jones stands out above the rest.

Blakroc: Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo) Ft. Mos Def and Jim Jones from Jonah Schwartz on Vimeo.

13- Matt and Kim - Daylight
Their music may not be calculus, but the couple gets the maximum effect out of their two instruments.

12- The National - So Far Around the Bend
No official release in '09 from The National (But it sounds like we may get one in 2010!) but the band was in top form in this track from the Dark Was the Night compilation.

11- Our Book and The Authors - Watch Me
I'll take another moment to remind you how underrated this Montreal-based band is. Maybe the auto-tuner threw people off, but songs like 'Watch Me' prove a nice balance.

Watch Me - Our Book & the Auth...

TOP 25 ALBUMS OF 2009

2010-01-29T12:02:00.000-08:00

Without spending too much time on this, I wanted to lay down, in no particular order, my favorite/most-listened to 25 albums of the 2009 season. You may have been following our countdown of the Top Songs of 2009, but here we get a chance to recognize more than just stand-out tracks. Listed below aren't just the best 30-second samples on iTunes, we give you 25 albums that play as a cohesive unit.

(Click 'READ MORE' below to check 'em out)

Various Artists - Dark Was the Night

The Xx - The Xx

Our Book and The Authors - Our Book and the Authors

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Metric - Fantasies

Miike Snow - Miike Snow

The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

The Eels - Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire

Matt and Kim - Grand

The Antlers - Hospice

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

Fanfarlo - Reservoir

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

The Decemberists - Hazards of Love

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Passion Pit - Manners

Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

Wale - Attention Defecit

Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young

Freelance Whales - Weathervanes

Years - Years

Surfer Blood Release First Video

2010-01-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

Building their momentum at the end of 2009, like a wave crashing into the beach, was Surfer Blood. With Astro Coast the Floridian band gives mouth-to-mouth to the shark-ravaged genre of Surf Rock. This isn't your father's Beach Boys though. This album is a modern update with some seriously rich guitar work and a deep queue of original tracks.

(Click READ MORE to check out the band's first video)

It may be a little early to start doling out awards for 2010. But Surfer Blood is certainly in contention for one. The band has one of the coolest album covers I've ever seen. Check this bloody thing out:

How messed up is that? One of the album's better tracks is 'Swim' which strikes a few chords that'll scratch your itch for that lost Weezer sound from the 90's. Today the band released a fun video for the song:

BEST SONGS OF 2009: 50 - 26

2010-01-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Top 50 of 2009 is here! You can catch up by checking out our lists for 125-101 , 100-76 and 75-51 . We've been having some issues embedding LaLa.com MP3s on the site (perhaps in relation to Apple's buyout of the company?), which is why you'll see a variety of players embedded below. Otherwise, we shall plunge right into 50-26 after the jump.

(Click below to see our Top 50)

50- The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
Where have you heard that song? Is it from the (500) Days of Summer soundtrack? Virtually every commercial you saw in the last several months? The correct answer would be 'All of the Above'. There's a savvy appeal that makes this song so damn contagious.

49- Edward Sharpe and the Magnificent Zeroes - 40 Day Dream
Maybe the best part of it all, is that there's nobody named Edward Sharpe in this ensemble. Alex Ebert is in fact the lead-singer of the group, injecting a little bit of the blues into their stylish, psychedelic folk with lyrics as smooth as, "she got jumper-cable lips, she got sunset on her breathe."

48- Peter Bjorn and John - Last Night
Hot on the tails of their 2008 release Seaside Rock, came Living Things less than a year later. A more complete work for the Swedish group, songs like 'Last Night' are proof that Peter Bjorn and John have found a successful working relationship between pop and experimental music.
(You can stream the song for free over here .)

47- Mew - Introducing Palace Players
A band with a sense of humor, this Danish trio actually refers to their sound as 'pretentious art rock'. Their latest EP, No More Stories... features 'Introducing Palace Players' which at times has you thinking Dirty Projectors. At other times the soaring, harmonic vocals collide with the raw, abrupt edge of the song's guitar riffs. There's a wonderful duality that plays throughout the track.

46- Andrew Bird - Tenuousness
Perhaps it's a disservice to the entire album that this is the only representative on the list. Truth be told, Bird's Noble Beast is loaded with songs that deserve our applause. 'Tenuousness' stands out as one of the whistling vocabulist's more charming, hopeful songs.

45- Bon Iver - Blood Bank
It's funny that Bon Iver makes the list twice without having a full-length release in 2009 (Nor should it be seen as a slap-in-the-face to the aforementioned Andrew Bird). 'Blood Bank' fits perfectly within the emotional spectrum of Bon Iver's last album, For Emma, Forever Ago.

44- Eels - Prizefighter
If 'Fresh Blood' (#90) was the band's left hook. 'Prizefighter' is the group's knock-out right. The Eels throw down like they mean in it in this bloody-knuckled anthem.

43- Florence and The Machine - You've Got The Love (xx remix)
With a shout-out to Florence Welch for creating the original, The Xx trade-in Welch's overwhelming belt-it-out vocals for the simple and understated charm of Romy Madley Croft.

42- Discovery - Orange Shirt
What the hell is this? At first listen it sounds more like some Top 40 hip-pop conjured up by Chris Brown. But who is it? Two white boys (from Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot, respectively) experimenting with styles that go way beyond electro-pop or hip-hop.

41- The Mountain Goats - 1 John 4:16
In the trio's 17th studio album, they loosely rely on biblical thematics, but you wouldn't know it unless you see the track titles. Each song has been written under the inspiration of a bible verse. In this case, the verse is about finding comfort in knowing God is with you. The song is sung from the perspective of an imprisoned man finding solace in the rain.
(You can stream the song for free over here .)

40- Kevin Drew - Love vs. Porn
A super lo-fi production from a Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene. This time he's solo, and featured... wait for it... wait for it... on the Dark Was the Night compilation. Never before has someone sung a song so artful and beautiful about porn (and its consequences?). The lyrics are ripe with double-meaning as you digest, but the resulting sound is one that's ultimately graceful in its honesty.

39- The xx - Islands
A big year caps off for these British kids and their unique sound. Their freshman release has figured heavily into our top 125 of 2009 list, and you just might see more of them as the countdown continues.

38- We Were Promised Jetpacks - It's Thunder and It's Lightning
First off, major points scored for the band's name. Citing the Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit as musical influenced, this fellow Scottish quartet plays some moody, progressive rock tracks like 'It's Thunder and It's Lightning' that are stocked full of wailing emotion... and adorable Scottish accents.

37- The Antlers - Kettering
The Antlers released Hospice in 2009, a moody album that centers around an emotional core that's able to tap into the sentimental without feeling melodramatic. If you haven't heard Hospice yet, stop reading and listen to the song below. Then go download the entire album and absorb one of the year's best start-to-finish works.

36- The Low Anthem - Charlie Darwin
Drawing on a range of comparisons from Paul Simon to The Fleet Foxes to Tom Waits, The Low Anthem have been gaining a broad following in the past year. On tracks like 'Charlie Darwin', singer Ben Knox Miller's voice is reserved, presented in high castrati tones. This is just one of his many vocal deliveries- a major attribute to the group's sound, as his vocal range opens up into an all out ass-kicking, smoker-lung wail in other tracks.

35- The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (feat. Ezra Koenig)
Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig, meet Esau Mwamwaya from The Very Best. The lead-singer for the very white Vampire Weekend is actually pretty well-versed in the Afro-beat flavorings that The Very Best put out and the resulting collaboration is a downright awesome dance-fest... even if you dance like a white boy.

34- Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move
The sound of the Dirty Projectors three harmonizing voices do more to make a case for the group than any summary of words ever could. There's great reason 'Stillness is the Move' is the track most prominently featured off of Bitte Orca.

33- Julian Casablancas - Glass
While other songs from Casablancas' Phrazes for the Young have gotten most of the attention, it's 'Glass' that I keep coming back to and hasn't gotten enough play.

32- Years - Kid Toy Love Affair
A very odd little choice for the list. Do Make Say Think's Ohad Benchetrit performs solo as Years and 'Kid Toy Love Affair' is a short burst of orchestral brilliance. The multi-instrumental piece twists and winds you down a path of spiraling emotions. The explosion of symphonic sound is terrifying and beautiful, hopeful and foreboding all at once.

Kids Toy Love Affair - Years

31- The Avett Brothers - Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise
There's no way around taking flack for this choice. At worst, The Avett Brothers can be described as sappy, yearbook-quote fodder. Their album- the band's most successful release to date- is sold to latte-sipping suburbanites at Starbucks. Yet, the album is also really good- solid enough to cling to even when your snobbish instincts tell you to reject them and their newly acquired popularity.
(You can stream the song for free over here .)

30- Junior Boys - Parallel Lines
'Parallel Lines' has one of those base-lines that sounds like the beating of a heart. Over the course of the song's vibrant six and a half minutes, you can hear as the heart pumps blood to all of it's appendages. The contemplative vocals breathe life into the musical bloodstream and the song absolutely pulses with life.

29- Freelance Whales - Generator ^ 1st Floor
Filled with youthful promise, the Freelance Whales have touched upon a fantastic balance of folk and electronic sounds. On the dreamy electronic end of the spectrum, they've drawn Postal Service comparisons, on the multi-instrumental folk side they draw Arcade Fire comparisons. We'll have to keep listening to see if they can live up to the comparisons.
(You can stream the song for free over here or read our concert review and see video of this song here .)

28- Phoenix - 1901
All right, all right... it's hard to deny the force that is Phoenix, their recent album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and specifically this song. Is '1901' referring to a year? The song's catchy chorus line, "falling, falling, falling..." feels more like the appropriate anthem of the year 2009 than it does the first year of the twentieth century.

27- Miike Snow - Animal
There isn't much more to say about Miike Snow's infectious self-titled release. The hooks may be safe, but there's something refreshing there. With some great beats and electronic accents on tracks like 'Animal', this is what i like to call 'smart pop'.

26- Royksopp - Royksopp Forever
Royksopp introduces an orchestra alongside their electronic beat. The evolution of this song is a thing of poetry. The perfect lead-in to the Top 25... (coming soon!)

BROKEN BELLS VIDEO FOR THE HIGH ROAD

2010-01-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

What does DJ Dangermouse do when he's not mashing Jay-Z and the Beatles together? How does he spend his time when he's not laying down beats for Cee-Lo's raspy-crooning in Gnarls Barkley? This time around, Dangermouse joins musical forces with The Shins frontman James Mercer to form Broken Bells and both entities bring the best of their talents to the project.

We can expect the full-length album March 9th, but until then enjoy the bizarre video in which Mercer and Dangermouse wander down a dark highway with flashlights and vague strangeness ensues:

The High Road

Broken Bells | MySpace Music Videos

ZEUS RELEASES FIRST MUSIC VIDEO

2010-01-27T08:53:00.000-08:00

Zeus is certainly a name you'll be hearing in 2010. Not just because he's a Greek God... in fact, the God of Gods, but because they're an indie-rock band whose debut album gets released in February of this year.

As is always fun, we can play the Six-Degrees-Of-Broken-Social-Scene game, and connect band members Mike O'Brien and Carlin Nicholson to BSS's Jason Collett. The two did back-up vocals for the singer's solo stuff. Now, they've formed a band of their own, and Zeus is a really fun, light-hearted rock outfit.

The video also does the band great service. Director Adam Makarenko lends some incredible stop-motion visuals to the band's song, 'Marching Through Your Head':

NEW YEAH YEAH YEAHS VIDEO - SKELETONS

2010-01-26T12:46:00.000-08:00

We were pretty partial to the YYY's last video 'Heads will Roll' which prominently features a seemingly Michael Jackson-inspired dancing werewolf. Not to mention, it's an incredible song. Today, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's continued to push all the right buttons as they revealed a video for another favorite: their latest single, 'Skeletons'.

Check out the black and white video for 'Skeletons':