Blog: What's on the Hi-Fi

Fredrika Stahl "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" from Sweep Me Away Sony Music Entertainment France Listen to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" MP3 Yes, its rooted in a beloved child's song. And yes, it is the soundtrack to a ubiquitous Nissan Juke advert. But get back here, there is more to this track than this may have you think. Fredrika Stahl carefully sidesteps the pitfalls which are inherent in playing with such a well known melody. This [...]

Amy Seeley "Mile Marker" from Plum Coulee Self-released 2010 Listen to "Mile Marker" MP3 "Mile Marker" is one of those tracks that we keep coming back to. The keyboard-driven instrumentation is restrained yet insistent, with Amy's emotive voice front and center. There is a charm and clarity which [...]

Crystal Fighters "Champion Sound" from Star Of Love Zirkulo Records Listen to "Champion Sound" MP3 Crystal Fighters are an international London-based collective, fusing uplifting progressive dance music with old world Basque folk music. The group draws inspiration from the 80's Spanish / Basque "anti-todo" ("anti-everything") youth movement, taking their name from an unfinished opera written by singer Laure's deceased grandfather during his final months of insanity. The group has worked to expand upon the wild [...]

Lockerbie "Laut" Album TBD Listen to "Laut" MP3 Icelandic post-rock band Lockerbie gained some small momentum opening for For A Minor Reflection in 2008 but didn't gel as their initial lineup. The new group has pulled together to create "Laut", a thoughtful, melodic and evocative track that shines a shimmer with a welcome worn hat. The opening salvo of the song feels like it can't wait to explode into epic reverie and it does. Lockerbie [...]

Destroyer "Chinatown" from Kaputt 25 January 2011 Merge Records, Rough Trade Listen to "Chinatown" MP3 Destroyer, led by Vancouver native Dan Bejar, is soon releasing Kaputt , an excellent album that will be spending quite a bit of time on our hi-fi. The album opener is the soft rock, slow-burner "Chinatown". The album continues with eclectic and intriguing smoky turns on pop, mixing sax and horns with electric guitars and electronics. [...]

Jonquil "Fighting Smiles" from One Hundred Suns Dovecote Records 2010 Listen to "Fighting Smiles" MP3 Jonquil was formed in Oxford, UK by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Hugo Manuel. The band has since released two albums including Sunny Casinos and Lions . On their most recent EP release, One Hundred Suns , one can find the lovely, sunny pop track "Fighting Smiles." The song is filled with warm, willing [...]

Jonquil "Fighting Smiles" from One Hundred Suns Dovecote Records 2010 Listen to "Fighting Smiles" MP3 Jonquil was formed in Oxford, UK by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Hugo Manuel. The band has since released two albums including Sunny Casinos and Lions . On their most recent EP release, One Hundred Suns , one can fine the lovely, sunny pop track "Fighting Smiles." The song is filled with warm, willing [...]

Lovers "Boxer" from Dark Light Badman Records 2010 Listen to "Boxer" MP3 Lovers are the Portland, OR band fronted by the wistful and glossy throated voice and lyrics of Carolyn "Cubby" Berk. On their new release Dark Lights the three-piece show a smart, full sound of melancholy that rises above the shallow platitudes of most of the moribund set of today. On the fine track "Boxers", Berk and company [...]

Family of theYear "Let's Go Down" From Songbook Washashore Records (US) / CRC (UK) / Volvox (France) 2010 Listen to "Let's Go Down" MP3 With the track "Let's Go Down", Family of the Year highlight their debut full-length with an unabashedly bright sing-a-long, plain and simple. From Silverlake, California, Family of the Year delivers a particularly well-timed, toe-tapping call to come together on that perfect summer evening. Be sure to [...]

Click here or on the image below for our staff picks for the best songs of 2010. Listen to the Best Songs of 2010 MP3 And check out our special Best Songs of 2010 Podcast at Tracklist THE LATE CALL [...]

Houses "Soak It Up" from All Night Lefse Records 2010 Listen to "Soak It Up" MP3 We generally never get so lazy as to let an artist explain their album but in the case of Houses effort All Night the effort and the story is worth the pass. "I got laid off from my job at the end of last year and decided I needed a [...]

The Tallest Man On Earth Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird Dead Oceans 2010 Listen to "The Dreamer" MP3 The Tallest Man On Earth is Kristian Matsson from Dalarna, Sweden. After fronting fellow Swedes Montezumas he released two full length albums ( Shallow Grave and The Wild Hunt ) but has really caught lightning in the bottle with the faultless Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing [...]

Thieving Irons "Babylon is Burning" From The Midnight Hum Seabird Recording Company 2010 Listen to "Babylon is Burning" MP3 After years recording and touring with Pela, Nate Martinez (aka Thieving Irons) has completed his first solo album. This Midnight Hum is a collection of songs written and produced by Martinez with Mike Brown co-producing. On "Babylon Is Burning" Martinez explores the [...]

Pomegranates "Skull Cakin'" From One Of Us Afternoon Records 2010 Listen to "Skull Cakin'" MP3 Having released two albums in two years (2008's Everything Is Alive and 2009's Everybody, Come Outside !), Cincinnati band Pomegranates have finally hit pay dirt with their latest LP One of Us . Led by founders Jacob Merritt (drums) and Isaac Karns (vocals, guitars, keyboards) the art-punk band [...]

Small Black "Photojournalist" From New Chain Jagjaguwar 2010 Listen to "Photojournalist" MP3 Brooklyn based synth quartet Small Black's debut album New Chain shows an impressive progression from their self-titled EP. The band kept the melodic but refreshingly experimental sounds from standout track "Despicable Dogs" and built a solid freshman output. From New Chain comes the quirky, chillwave track "Photojournalist." Filled with [...]

Wild Palms "Draw In Light" One Little Indian 2010 Listen to "Draw In Light" MP3 Things have moved quickly for the Chatham/Southgate band Wild Palms. After just over a year of playing together the band fronted by singer Lou Hill stands to make some quality noise on the indie music circuit. With comparisons that run the reference gamut from Can to Cut Copy to New Order, the band has a lot to live up to in the future. [...]

Clock Opera "Once And For All" From Kitsuné Maison Compilation 10 2010 Listen to "Once And For All" MP3 The latest single from London's Clock Opera is "Once And For All", an uplifting electro "chop pop" (self-described) charge coupled with Guy Connelly's imploring vocals. Word has it that the track is inspired by a play from the Belgian performance company Ontroerend Goed entitled Once and for all we're gonna tell you [...]

Glasser "Home" From Ring True Panther 2010 Listen to "Home" MP3 Following-up on last year's EP Apply and various appearances including opening spots for the likes of XX and Jonsi, Glasser (a/k/a Cameron Mesirow) has released her exciting debut Ring . On the release, Cameron worked with producer Ariel Rechtshaid, experimenting with, developing and opening up many tracks which she had originally recorded herself (rather [...]

Museum of Bellas Artes "Watch the Glow" from Days Ahead Force Majeure / Transparent 2010 Listen to "Watch the Glow" MP3 Following-up on their excellent release "Who Do You Love", Stockholm's trio Museum of Bellas Artes are back with a new 4 track EP Days Ahead . The track "Watch the Glow" plays on the crunchy Balearic sound of their earlier release, teasing out the pop-bliss memories of summer. Check [...]

Lelia Broussard "Satellite" from Masquerade Elle Beezley 2010 Listen to "Satellite" MP3 Though she is only just 21 years of age, Lelia Broussard sound revels in a soulful and intelligent sound. On her new release Masquerade, Broussard has combined the sounds of her Southern Louisiana home with a Philly pop sound. "Satellite" is the lead single from the album (released on Nov. 2). The track pulses with an uptempo, washboard [...]