The summer of lo-fi music has come to a close — it’s getting cooler out, and we need to refresh our iPods with some new music. So give your fingers a little warm-up stretch and get ready to “Right Click, Save Link As,” because after the jump we present 10 essential downloads from our latest Viva Radio show that we consider required listening at Flavorpill HQ. Enjoy!
1. Wild Nothing – “Cloudbusting” A mountain of echoing synthesizers, reverberating vocals, and a pumping bass drum. Before this song, we, too, were skeptical of anything categorized under the “dream pop” genre. [Download Now] via Gorilla Vs. Bear
2. Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait for the Others” Let’s celebrate the release of the new Grizzly Bear video. Featuring a masked fencer, the video uses the wonders of stop motion to animate inanimate objects, ultimately drowning the fencer in a pile-up of random knick-knacks. The song sounds like the opposite of this. [Download Now] via Pretty Much Amazing
3. Au Revoir Simone – “Another Likely Story (Neon Indian Remix)” Cute synth song turned into an arpeggio-fueled disco song. ’80s tom-tom drums included. [Download Now] via Pitchfork
4. Kid Cudi – “Pursuit of Happiness feat. Ratatat and MGMT” Ratatat supplies the beats, MGMT sings the chorus, and Kid Cudi lays down the rhymes. [Download Now] via Audio Muffin
5. Girls – “Lust for Life” Unexpectedly refreshing indie pop/punk that is greeted with “Bah Bah Bahs” midway through the track. [Download Now] via Matador Records
6. Thao and the Get Down Stay Down – “Know Better Learn Faster” In the words of The Fader, “It might brighten the path in Ireland or anywhere else you might slip on some dewy moss and need to unwind with thick beer.” In other words, the song has a pluckity guitar riff and guest stars Andrew Bird on the violin/whistle. [Download Now] via The Fader
7. Speech Debelle – “Better Days feat. Micachu” Winner of England’s Mercury Award for best album of the year. Classic hip-hop drum beats with unlikely instrumentation and an even more unlikely guest, Micachu (Micachu and the Shapes), singing the the chorus. Read our interview with her here. [Download Now] via Pop Tarts Suck Toasted
8. Sunset Rubdown – “Black Swan” Another video celebration. The music video incorporates indie rock inkblots during the chorus and skeletons stabbing in unison during the verse. Unlike the Grizzly Bear video, “Black Swan” matches its aesthetic counterpart. [Download Now] via Ohmpark
9. Raekwon – “Surgical Gloves” The fiercest song the word “gloves” has ever been in. [Download Now] via Winnie Cooper
10. Rain Machine – “Smiling Black Faces” The side project of TV on the Radio’s Kip Malone. We always knew that, beneath Malone’s ferocious beard, he was just a jolly indie rocker who writes hopeful songs involving a dash of sleigh bells. [Download Now] via Stereogum