"Untitled" collage on paper by Hisham Akira Bharoocha.
I Break Horses—Hearts"Winter Beats" [MP3]
Not to generalize or anything, but Swedish bands seem to always take all the things we like about a musical genre, and warp it so that it becomes something otherworldly. Here, '90s shoegaze gets a Swedish massage, with arpeggiated synthesizers taking the place of hazy guitars.
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Radiohead—The King of Limbs (Singles)We were bugging when we saw Radiohead with two drummers recently, and this track makes good use of both of them. Buy this album
Washed Out—Within and Without (Bonus Track Version)"Eyes Be Closed" [MP3]
Lush doesn't even begin to describe this track. It's like swimming in a warm pool in slow motion.
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CANT—Dreams Come TrueA moody, atmospheric song-poem from Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor . . . at least until the big drums kick in and it becomes an unexpected dance jam. Buy this album
SBTRKT—SBTRKT"Hold On" (feat. Sampha) [MP3]
We didn't see it coming, but with James Blake and now SBTRKT, dubstep is turning out some legitimately great R&B jams.
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Nika & Rory—I'm Not Going Anywhere"I'm Not Going Anywhere" [MP3]
You can't recognize it right away, but this is Nika of Zola Jesus fame (or infamy). Here, she turns out the kind of uplifting and beautiful auto-tune-pop we knew she was capable of, but totally didn't expect from her.
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"Belispeak" (Single) [MP3]
This Canadian duo manages to split the difference between dubstep and electro-pop, so you can nod your head as you sing along.
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Little Dragon—Ritual Union"Ritual Union" [MP3]
The title track from this Swedish group's third album is like a lost Prince B-side; soulful, tense, and unforgettable.
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Gardens & Villa—Gardens & Villa"Star Fire Power" [MP3]
We like the chugging propulsion in this track. It keeps driving until the only logical conclusion is to listen to it again. And again.
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Lana Del Rey—Video Games"Blue Jeans" [MP3]
We'll skip over the whole internet debate about Lana Del Rey's image and videos, and focus on the music. Because we dig the poppy Mazzy Star thing she has going on here.
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Youth Lagoon—The Year of HibernationThis is one of the most emotionally gripping tracks we've heard in a while. It blows our mind that it was made by a college kid from Boise. Buy this album
Feist—Metals"Anti-Pioneer" [MP3]
We've been waiting patiently for this one and it was completely worth it. Something about Feist's voice against the sparse instrumentation just slays us.
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