10. Bodies of Water, "Like a Stranger"
The sleeper hit of 2011, Bodies of Water's "Like a Stranger" has a skulking, vamp-y beat and theatrical feel, like a duet in a Broadway musical. Husband-wife duo David and Meredith Metcalf alternate between hushed intensity and soulful crooning, but always with a playful wink, and as the horns join in, the whole thing feels like a celebration.
9. Unknown Mortal Orchestra, "How Can You Luv Me"
A funky, quirky jam that resonates with old-skool funk sensibilities, UMO's "How Can You Luv Me" has a catchy chorus that burrows in your skull, and lithe, spring-y beat that inspires bad dancing. Ruban Neilson has an impassioned, skitterish way of singing, and when he belts out the refrain, you feel like he's truly singing for love.
8. The War on Drugs, "Baby Missiles"
The tour-de-force of War on Drugs front man Adam Granduciel, "Baby Missiles" is the anthem of a wandering soul, and perfect music for blasting while rolling down the highway. A repeated motorik beat lends it a sense of forward-motion, while Granduciel's twangy vocals and impassioned harmonica-playing posit him as the new Springsteen, a relatable everyman trying to figure things out.
7. The Babies, "Breakin' the Law"
The great thing about "Breakin' the Law," the breezy single from Vivian Girls' Cassie Ramone and Woods' Kevin Morby, is that it feels like a classic punk jam -- so much so that it's come on shuffle a few times when I wasn't paying attention, and I could have sworn it was Joe Doe and Exene Cervenka crooning. This a tune about reflecting on youthful craziness with a smile, and a little alt-country lilt.
6. Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi feat. Jack White, "Two Against One"
A tune from the Rome album, the soundtrack to a spaghetti Western that doesn't exist -- "Two Against One" is sinister, windswept, and atmospheric, all handpicked guitar and Jack White's warbly vocals, as he paints a world of showdowns and masked avengers, where one keeps their enemies "closer than a mirror ever gets to me." Chilling.
5. YACHT, "Dystopia"
A gutsy, snarky diatribe about the end of the world, "Dystopia" serves its pseudo-apocalyptic vision with nervy, DFA-style electro-pop, Claire Evans crying out vehemently, "The earth, the earth, the earth is on fire" and "Let the Motherfucker burn!" It's a rager for smart kids, and the video (shown here along with counterpart jam "Utopia") is just so fantastically nerdy (Evans and front man Jona Bechtolt running/biking through space, trying to avoid being sucked into a black hole) it makes me love it even more.
4. The Black Lips, "Time"
On the surface, this is such a simple, straightforward punk song and yet...it's pretty much dead on in its execution. Guitars are jangly and brash, drums are steady and the vocals are imbued with a sort of drunken honesty as the band -- now less rapscallious hooligans and more an established force on the scene -- encapsulate their growth and future with no frills lyrics: "Time is moving on....But I keep on moving, moving...moving right along." love it.
3. Mayer Hawthorne, "The Walk"
How perfect is this song? A poppy, sunshine-y nugget of retro-inspired joy, Mayer Hawthorne's "The Walk" is ear candy for people who grew up listening to Motown on oldies radio and feel instantly lighter when they hear The Temptations' "My Girl." "The Walk" is nearly as good as "My Girl," with an infectious piano line, breezy chorus of "Shoops" and Hawthorne's (/Andrew Cohen's) smooooth falsetto. Plus the video is kick-ass.
2. Foster the People, "Pumped Up Kicks"
In some ways, "Pumped Up Kicks" IS the song of the year -- it's certainly the song I heard most this year blaring from car speakers / rando stores / the soundtrack to Gossip Girl (who were actually a little late on this one.) It's a funny song in some ways -- a sort of sassy, electronic dance groove with a skulking bass line and semi messed-up lyrics about kids with cool sneakers running away from a gun-wielding psycho. And yet it is absolutely infectious, so much so that hearing just the first few notes will get my head bobbing.
1. Cults, "Go Outside"
An internet sensation turned lead single on one of my fave records of the year -- Cults' "Go Outside" is a pure gem of sparkling pop goodness, and its online popularity is especially awesome (/ironic!) given its lyrics insist on outdoor activity (rather than indoor Internet-browsing.) But mostly I love this song because it's so well done -- the intro sample from cult leader Jim Jones ("To me death is not a fearful thing; it's living that is treacherous..."), the crisp xylophone and sweet-as-honey vocals, and the fact that "Go Outside" -- despite its dainty charm -- ultimately turns out to be precisely non-romantic, as front woman Madeline Follin concludes "I want to live my life and you're just in my way." Subvert your expectations, go outside, and live.
Stream tunes 10-1 right here -- thanks for listening!
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