This week brings fresh tracks from bigwigs like the Arcade Fire and Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, as well as familiar indie favorites such as Deerhunter and Best Coast. And, as per usual, we’ve also showcased a slew of great, new bands that are impatiently waiting to top your summer queue (Active Child, First Rate People). The bounty abounds! Be sure to Right Click + Save As your next ten after the cut.
1. Deerhunter – “Revival” The curt title and the song’s first couple seconds give a good sense of the reinvigorating rapture to come. On Deerhunter’s first proper release since last year’s fantastic Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP, it looks like Bradford Cox’s melodies are more complex than ever.
2. Active Child – “When Your Love Is Safe (Classixx Remix)” If we could be so bold as to coin another genre for this soulful Active Child reworking, courtesy of LA’s DJ duo Classixx, we would call it “slo-fi” because the synths and R&B-flavored coating are draped ever so gracefully across Pat Grossi’s ethereal original.
3. The Arcade Fire – “Modern Man” Arguably the standout track from The Arcade Fire’s highly anticipated third album, The Suburbs, “Modern Man” is something else, right from the beginning. The unexpected time signature shifts and melancholia in Win Butler’s throat are practically begging for a visual interpretation. (Throwing you a bone here, Terry Gilliam.)
4. Jamaica – “Short and Entertaining” Having cut their teeth on previous single, “I Think I Like U 2“, Jamaica have perfected the glam-pop hair band pose, consistently delivering riff after riff and hook after hook of aural pleasure. Look out for their aptly titled debut, No Problem, on August 23.
5. Best Coast – “Boyfriend” When she’s not thinking of her cat, Snacks, or munching on herbal snacks, Bethany Cosentino is probably gushing about her beau, Nathan Williams of Wavves. But we can’t really complain, considering her endearingly lovesick lyrics and her utter fuzz-pop supremacy.
6. Cullen – “Easily Impressed” Melbourne’s one-man powerhouse, Cullen, sounds like The Postal Service reborn as Phoenix. His soft delivery and sweeping synth lines over Royksopp-esque electronic flourishes are perfection.
7. Kele – “Everything You Wanted (RAC Remix)” The life of the Bloc Party, Kele Okereke is no stranger to danceable tendencies. The highly reliable Remix Artist Collective have reinvigorated the original cut from The Boxer to the point where we can definitely say that, yes, it is everything we wanted.
8. The Pipettes – “Stop the Music” Although, these days, they sound nothing like their humble girl-group throwback roots, the duo of sisters Gwenno and Ani Saunders manages to makes the kind of swoony chorus that makes you go weak at the knees.
9. First Rate People – “Gentleman’s Club” A sumptuous blend of their ’90s pop and electronic influences, the newest single from these First Rate People hits all the right places and even features some backing vocals from Born Ruffians’ Luke LaLonde. We cannot get enough of their quirky, layer-cake ballads.
10. Young Galaxy – “Queen Drum” From the first kick, the Montreal quartet hits the ground drumming, building major momentum all the way to the chorus. Once you hit the otherworldly breakdown, you’ll know this project of ex-Stars‘ Stephen Ramsay is a keeper.
Download the mix all at once here.
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