Music

• Previous 03/31/09
• 04/17/09 Next

• April 9, 2009
• Seasonal Playlist

Sonic Youth

Tune in to spring's rebirth with our latest (and best ever) Playlist—18 downloads just for you.

Drawing by April Lee, "How Far Will This Take Me?," (detail) 2006. Courtesy of the artist.

We'd love to brag about how this is the best R29 Playlist we've ever made (and it is), but it seems a little unfair because we are just benefitting from a particularly strong period for music. 2009 has been great so far—bands we've come to love over the years are releasing some of their best material ever, and new bands we hadn't even heard of are blowing us away daily. This Spring Playlist reflects our excitement...and with easy downloads you can spread the love for free.

If you don't want to download individual tracks, here's our Spring 2009 Playlist in 1:10 continuous minutes [MP3].

Phoenix—Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
"1901" [MP3]
Most people know Phoenix by now after their song "Too Young" made a prominent appearance in Sophia Coppola's Lost in Translation. This song is pretty much just as a catchy but with enough New York rock attitude to easily best an actual New York rock band. Buy this album

Micachu & The Shapes—Jewellry
"Golden Phone" [MP3]
East London's Micachu is a new young talent who seamlessly blends electronic dance music and R&B with gorgeous vocal arrangements. Though she has been asked to compose music for the London Philharmonic, you're more likely to hear this track on a dancefloor than a concert hall. Buy this album

Grizzly Bear—Grizzly Bear
"Cheerleader" [MP3]
A brand new track from indie rock's most anticipated release of the year, Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest. We always knew that Ed Droste was a great songwriter, but with each new release he is becoming one of our favorite singers. Sublime. Buy this album

Dirty Projectors + David Byrne—Dark was the Night
"Knotty Pine" [MP3]
A natural collaboration for the benefit compilation Dark Was The Night, Dirty Projectors seem like the true inheritors of the art rock throne, a genre that David Byrne practically invented. Rather than two separate voices trying to outdo one another, the band and the legend meet on common ground and create something organic and unforgettable. Buy this album

White Rabbits—It's Rabbits Frightening
"Percussion Gun" [MP3]
Produced by Britt Daniel of Spoon, this is the first song off the second album by White Rabbits, an indie rock band from Missouri who now live in Brooklyn (natch). It's a heavily percussive track that relies on pounding tom toms and scratchy guitar, with ethereal vocals floating over the top. Resist the urge to keep this one on repeat and move on to the next song. Buy this album

All MP3s are for sampling purposes only. Please go out and buy the artists' records. If anyone would like for us to remove a track, please email us at feedback@refinery29.com.