Rudimental - “Baby (feat. MNEK and Sinead Harnett)”
Home was sometimes a mess, but “Baby” is where Rudimental thrived. Paired with British dance music vocal darlings MNEK and Sinead Harnett, Rudimental have created a dance floor or art gallery filler that is cool rather than melodramatic.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - “So Good At Being In Trouble”
One of my favorite tracks of 2013 is from the sophomore effort by Unknown Mortal Orchestra which, by the way, has some of the grooviest bass lines I’ve ever heard. I never would have imagined that psych rock could be so soulful.
Thee Oh Sees - “I Come From The Mountain”
I’ve been a big fan of modern psych rock ever since I was introduced to Chicago’s own Cave a few years back.
Bands like Cave and Wooden Shjips (both put out great albums this year too, by the way) are pioneering this new form of psych that really stresses driving, grooving bass lines, a Kraut-y motorik drum beat, and guitars in discord. Thee Oh Sees arguably put out the best version of this in 2013 with the creepiest cover art of the year for sure.(Source: Spotify)
A couple of weeks ago, I made Zach put together a list of guitar albums that he thought I might like because I really feel like I’m not hip on what kids these days are into. He sent me some truly fantastic recommendations, including the duo Deap Vally. This sounds like The Kills circa Midnight Boom; it’s just a crazy wall of guitars, drums, and the gruffest, dirtiest vocals you’ve heard all year. Well done, ladies.
(Source: Spotify)
Every once in a while, comes a R&B ballad that catches your ears and your soul. Shout out to the lil sis for this share. Sam Smith, from Disclosure’s popular song “Latch,” makes his own with this track. The best part of it is how organic the vocals and instrumentation is. It’s as if Smith is performing in your room itself.
A “fuck the haters” anthem from a sweet voiced gal. If you’re not paying attention, how vicious this is might pass you by. There’s plenty of meta-commentary here with Tinashe deciding to “switch it up” vocally and beat wise at the same time. This is fantastic.
Coming to you from “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” soundtrack, Sia, Diplo, and The Weeknd. That is all.
Zedd - “Stay the Night (feat. Hayley Williams)”
Gosh, this song is breathtaking.
I don’t listen to music as much as I did when I started SFTL, but every once and a while I go through the old collection and let the nostalgia wash over me. Jens’ newest album was a very welcome visit from a close friend I haven’t seen in a while, but for me none of the songs compared this minimalist track on “When I Said…,” which still stands nearly a decade later as one of my favorite albums of all time.
British duo IYES brings us a synthy, passionate tune with “‘Til Infinity.” A nice addition if you like artists like CHVRCHES, Lorde, and MSMR.
