Winter 2023 New Music Playlist

 

Listen on Spotify, enjoy!

1. "ILYSM"  –  Wild Pink

2. "new body rhumba" – LCD Soundsystem

3. "This is Not Our World" – Moby, Indochine

4. "Another One" – Scott McMicken and the Ever-Expanding

5. "From the Hill" – Nation of Language

6. "Oceans Niagra" – M83

7. "Really Really Light" – The New Pornographers

8. "Fallout" – Yo La Teno

9. "Tropic Morning News" – The National

10. "Gamma Rays" – Temples

11. "We Never Went Away" – Ladytron

12. "Enjoy Your Life" – Famingosis

13. "Just Before the Morning" – Local Natives

14. "Weird Goodbyes" – The National, Bon Iver

15. "I Would If I Could" – Daniel Avery

16. "Future Falling" – The Album Leaf

Spring 2018 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist (except "Find a Way to Keep Me" by Field Music and bonus tracks "Shades of Blue," "You Are Here," and "She May She Might" by Yo La Tengo).

1. "Always Ascending" – Franz Ferdinand
2. "The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs" – Wye Oak
3. "Out of the Pool" – Yo La Tengo
4. "Lemon Glow" – Beach House
5. "Don't Move Back to L.A."  – Okkervil River
6. "Under the Wheels" – Calexico
7. "This Is That" – David Byrne
8. "Mr. Tillman" – Father John Misty
9. "Wait By the River" – Lord Huron
10. "Algernon" – A Beacon School
11. "Leave It In My Dreams" – The Voidz
12. "Runnin'" – Wajatta
13. "The Ceremony of Innocence" – Moby
14. "Emerald Rush" – Jon Hopkins
15. "Find a Way to Keep Me" – Field Music
16. " More" – Jamison Isaak

Here's to 2018 – New Releases Ahead by Favorite Bands (David Byrne, Franz Ferdinand, Moby & more)

What a difference a year makes... I combed through the lists of upcoming releases looking for reasons to be hopeful about 2018 and found just a few: Moby, Franz Ferdinand plus all those unreleased tracks by the Gorillaz promised ahead. Then yesterday one of my top musical heroes David Byrne not only announced a new album in 14 years (!) American Utopia but he also gave a talk in NYC entitled "Reasons to Be Cheerful." I tuned into the online stream (archived on Facebook and YouTube), hanging on every word from this wise and witty shaman. Byrne espoused about his latest project, Contemporary Colors, along with answers to world problems large and small. His talk was set to carefully chosen, although some completely random, visuals just like those at groundbreaking concerts as frontman for The Talking Heads. 

Check out the first single from the album "Everybody's Coming to My House" via the video below with fitting artwork of the artist by Doug Henders. This tune produced by longtime pal Brian Eno features danceable beats, poetic lyrics – stream of consciousness, about ordinary but which say much more – and those unmistakable vocals that have been copied, but never exactly replicated. As if 2017 wasn't awesome enough musically with a new album (after many years) from another all time fave band LCD Soundsystem, with this new music on repeat for my ears I am not only cheerful, but one extremely happy music fan. It's simply the same as it ever was!

UPCOMING NEW RELEASES IN 2018:
January 19 – De Lux, More Disco Songs About Love (Innovative Leisure)
January 19 – The Go! Team, Semicircle (Memphis Industries)
January 26 – Django Django, Marble Skies (Ribbon Music)
January 26 – Calexico, The Thread That Keeps Us (Anti-Records) 
February 9 – Franz Ferdinand, Always Ascending (Domino)
February 9 – MGMT, Little Dark Age (Columbia)
March 2 – Moby, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt (Mute)
March 9 – David Byrne, American Utopia (Todomundo/Nonesuch Records)
March 9 – of Montreal, White is Relic/Irrealis Mood
March 16 – Yo La Tengo, There's a Riot Going On (Matador Records)
March 16 – The Decemberists, I'll Be Your Girl (Columbia)
April 6 – Wye Oak, The Louder I call, The Faster It Runs (Merge)
April 27 – Dr. Dog, Critical Equation (Thirty Tigers)
April 27 – Okkervil River, Rainbow Rain (ATO) 
Gorillaz – TBD
Arctic Monkeys – TBD
Vampire Weekend  – TBD

Fall 2015 New Music Playlist

Here's another playlist to catch up on new releases by fave bands such as Deerhunter, YACHT, Beach House, Yo La Tengo and more. There are also songs by new configurations of musicians (EL VY) plus solo work by Martin Courtney and Chris Walla. As always, there are a few newbies to welcome to the music scene fold: Maury and Legs. Listen on Spotify via this link or as a YouTube playlist.

1. “Return to the Moon” – EL VY

The National’s Matt Berninger and Brent Knopf (Ramona Falls, Menomena) have been talking about collaborating for years, and now a debut album by their musical project EL VY is ready for a listen. This is the title track for the collection, a bouncy, fun tune with rambling lyrics and sing along chorus.

2. “Breaker” – Deerhunter

Atlanta’s indie rock quartet Deerhunter has released its seventh studio album since 2001, Fading Frontier, written by songwriter Bradford Cox after he was hit by a car and the accident became a musical turning point. The song “Breaker” finds Cox sharing lead vocals with guitarist Lockett Pundt for a lighter pop sound.

3. “I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler” – YACHT

L.A. band YACHT was formed in Portland in 2002 by musician/producer Jona Bechtolt and singer Claire L. Evans. They craft fun dance punk songs with a lyrical depth as exhibited in this title track for the band’s sixth album.

4. “61 Cygni Ave” – Neon Indian

Neon Indian is the stage name of Alan Paloma, a Mexican born musician from Denton, Texas. He recently released the third album since 2008, VEGA INTL. Night School, full of funk influences and swirling dance beats as found in “61 Cygni Ave.”

5. “Pretty Pimpin” – Kurt Vile

Kurt Vile is a former member of Philly band The War on Drugs who just released his sixth album since 2008, believe I’m going down… As a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Vile’s goal was to present songs that have a lo-fi sound, as if they're written and played on his couch.

6. “Friends” – Raury

 Raury is a young musician from Atlanta who fearlessly mixes soul, hip hop and folk. Last year he put together a mixtape and soon signed with Columbia Records. This friendly, open composition, “Friends,” is off his second album All We Need.

7. “Rickety” – Yo La Tengo

Hoboken’s Yo La Tengo has released a mix of covers along with a few originals like “Rickety” for its fourteenth full length album, Stuff Like That There. This memorizing tune showcases the band’s strength in acoustic arrangements and sweetly sung vocals.

8. “Mountain at My Gates” – Foals

Foals is an indie rock quintet from Oxford, England.  “Mountain at My Gates” is a single from the band’s fourth studio album, What Went Down, with lead guitarist and vocalist Yannis Philippaki leading the band’s driven sound.

9. “Falling” – Here We Go Magic

NYC-based band Here We Go Magic is known for its buoyant songwriting and energetic arrangements as witnessed in “Falling.” This tune is off the fourth album since 2008, Be Small.

10. “Northern Highway – Martin Courtney

Martin Courtney is a vocalist and guitarist for the New Jersey band Real Estate, now based in Brooklyn.  His solo debut Many Moons strives for a more personal level of songwriting that tilts towards pop, as achieved in the endearing tune “Northern Highway.”

11. “Jabberwocky” – Panda Bear

Noah Benjamin Lennox is the musical mastermind behind Panda Bear, releasing five solo albums since 1999 while Lennox collaborated in Animal Collective. This Baltimore native is now living in Lisbon, indulging in experimental psych pop with this lush composition, “Jabberwocky,” off the EP Crosswords.

12. “Top of the World” – Legs

Brooklyn indie quartet Legs has a tag line that it “makes music for the body” as this song fuses soul and Nu-disco for an instant dance party. “Top of the World” is off the band’s self-released debut album Altitud.

13. “Let It Grow” – Maximum Balloon, Karen O, Tunde Adebimpe

Maximum Balloon is Dave Sitek’s side project when he finds time away from being a producer/guitarist with TV on the Radio. This infectious single -- with a strummed rhythm supplementing the drums -- for an upcoming sophomore album, “Let It Grow,” enlists a charming collaboration with vocals by Karen O and TV on the Radio’s Tende Adebimpe.

14. “One Thing” – Beach House

Baltimore duo Beach House, French-born singer Victoria Legrand on keyboards and guitarist Alex Scally, released a second album this year called Thank Your Lucky Stars (the sixth full length since 2004).  The drifting tune “One Thing” is emblematic of their dream pop music, imparting an elegant wash of sound.

15. “Doll’s House” – Youth Lagoon

Youth Lagoon is the moniker of Boise, Idaho musician Trevor Powers, who has released a third album since 2010, Savage Hills Ballroom. His songs are always densely presented and deeply personal, even in this instrumental song “Doll’s House.”

16. “Kanta’s Theme” – Chris Walla

“Kanta’s Theme” is the enigmatic opening track for Field Manual, the first solo release since Chris Walla left Death Cab for Cutie. This change, along with a move with his family to Norway, found him reflective and seeking musical renewal as he started plugging in tape machines to create loops.

Yo La Tengo @ Town Hall NYC December 5th

James McNew w/married couple Georgia Hubley & Ira Kaplan

Devoted Yo La Tengo (YLT) fans streamed into the Town Hall in Manhattan without the storied venue Maxwell's on the band's home turf of Hoboken, New Jersey across the Hudson River. This relocated annual holiday show also celebrated the group's thirtieth anniversary and the reissue of 1993's Painful LP as Extra Painful, loaded with bonus tracks.  I was one of the few newer devotees  in the crowd, after being smitten with their thirteenth album Fade which I picked for my list of  Top Ten Releases of 2013.  As they took the stage with waves, the strains of my very favorite song "Ohm" broke the game plan. I figured I'd be waiting for this song to be rolled out much later, maybe even during an encore. This seemed to make sense, since it's the most popular tune with the cute videos from their last album -- full of simple truths such as in the chorus: "But nothing ever stays the same, nothing's explained." The lilting melody chugs along a slightly messy foundation like life itself, and I couldn't help but hold my heart to express the inner emotional pull.

After hearing the song you most want to hear first, then what?  Busting conventions is what this group is all about, made clear from the very start of the concert. So I sat back and enjoyed the ride, as the band plucked from its vast catalogue with only one other pick from Fade.  (It was another easy going tune with three-art harmonies, "It's Not Enough," rounding out that genre along with "Upside-Down" from 1992's May I Sing With Me and the super sweet song about first love, "Our Way To Fall" from 2000's And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out.)  In softer moments, drummer Georgia Hubley takes the lead vocals and quiets her instruments to hush the sound for sublime songs like "Little Eyes" from 2003's Summer Sun and "Tears are In Your Eyes" also from And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out.  YLT also loves to indulge in psychedelic jams, usually as a way to crank up a song to conclusion, however the instrumental "I Heard You Looking Pain," from that reissue Painful, seemed to drag on with the volume way too loud. 

Yo La Tengo's Hoboken cohorts The Feelies warmed up the reflective glow from the adoring audience in stripes and plaids, and returned to fill in as needed. For example, Dave Stamm joined YLT for two early songs he originally recorded with the band, adding to the rockabilly with jangly guitar lines. The night ended with both groups on stage gamely covering The Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty In Pink," almost thirty years to the day the song ended a set at Maxwells -- now that's longevity. Videos and set lists below...

The Feelies Set List

Lo Ya Tengo Set List

SET LIST TRANSLATION:

Ohm

Moby Octopad

Upside-Down

Tears Are In Your Eyes

Mr. Tough

Is That Enough

Little Eyes

The Cone of Silence

The River of Water

Yellow Sarong

Sudden Organ

Sugarcube?

Barnaby, Suddenly Working

From a Motel 6 

I Heard You Looking 

Our Way to Fall

Top 20 Songs of 2013 with YouTube Playlist

Here's my picks for the best songs of 2013 -- tunes that thrilled at first listen and continued to be faves to revist throughout the year.  It's not a ranked listing but curated as a playlist, as always kicking off fast and fun then meandering through other musical approaches from there.  I chose official videos for this post, all except Okkervil River's "Down Down the Deep River," which is also the name of an upcoming film Will Sheff is creating about his childhood hometown through a kickstarter campaign. So I inserted the trailer for that since there's no official video for the song itself.  This movie is definitely on my list for in 2014...

Find a straight up listening session here or click on the videos and let 'er rip!

1. "If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On the Dance Floor)"– Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
2. "Dumb Disco Ideas"– Holy Ghost!
3. "Song for Zula" – Phosphorescent
4. "It All Feels Right" – Washed Out
5. "Right Action" – Franz Ferdinand
6. "Sharpteeth" – The Octopus Project
7. "Come Save Me" – Jagwar Ma
8. "High School Lover" – Cayucas
9. "Ohm" – Yo La Tengo
10. "The Perfect Life (featuring Wayne Coyne)" – Moby 
11. "Don't Swallow the Cap" – The National
12. "Shuggie" – Foxygen
13. "In the City" – Caveman
14. "Your Life Is a Lie" – MGMT
15. "Varsity" – Smith Westerns
16. "Reflektor" – Arcade Fire
17. "Down Down the Deep River" – Okkervil River
18. "The Truth" – Dr. Dog
19. "Rose Quartz" – Toro Y Moi
20. "Sun Blows Up Today" – The Flaming Lips

Top Ten Releases of 2013 With Video Highlights

Here is a slightly ranked profile of my personal faves for Top Ten Releases of 2013.  As I compiled the list, I realized that I'm lucky to have seen all but TWO bands in concert (can you guess which ones?) To accompany each pick, I found a live video to show the band in action -- most in mid-size venues that I prefer, so not to get overwhelmed or lost in the crowd. However, the best one for Yo La Tengo is from the Pitchfork Music Festival, perhaps a nod to my own experience this year at the massive ACL Music Festival in Austin, Texas. Late night television is also an impressive source for catching performances of kinds of new music, all online afterwards so there's no need to stay up late! And of course, some are directly from the NMMatterscorp YouTube channel archives as bands toured in support of these albums. With that I give thanks as always to my video guy Paul and his calm, steady hand with the flip camera. Plus, be sure to check out the honorable mentions at the end of the post. Onward!


1. Arcade Fire, Reflektor
Reflektor, the highly anticipated fourth album by Arcade Fire, finally arrived at the end of October but most of the fans attending the not-so secret show in Brooklyn on October 18th were already well acquainted with it.  (Maybe if I had my hands on a preview, we wouldn't have been punked by the stage switch captured in this video, knowing there would be plenty of congas needed -- all is forgiven, really I need to move on!)  The band had wanted to collaborate with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem and DFA Records for 2010's The Suburbs, but he was unavailable at the time.  Yet the delay actually seems beneficial in retrospect, now that the influx of EDM has everyone used to getting their groove on.

2. Moby, Innocents
Moby utilized a spirit of collaboration for his eleventh studio album, Innocents, enlisting the likes of Damien Jurado, Cold Specks and (my favorite) Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.  In this video after the shoot for fave track, "The Perfect Life," a sing along breaks out as Coyne applied his frontman skills to get everyone to join in, including this fan -- no matter how many times I hear this song! Moby is still working the full band sound that he returned to for the last album, 2011's Destroyed. (I caught him live that year at Moogfest 2011 after I interviewed him in his new home of L.A. a few months earlier.)  However, he can still work that trademark magic with heart-swelling instrumentals, as in the opening track "Everything That Rises" and "Going Wrong." 

3. The National, Trouble Will Find Me
For their fourth album, Trouble Will Find Me, The National continues to explore its treatise of deeply sincere indie rock.  While I was in the throngs for their show at ACL, a guy commented how he just loved the voice of singer Matt Berninger and I had to agree, being smitten since first listen. The band has plenty of admirers and there's no pressure for detractors, so polarizers can just join in or go home. 

4. Phosphorescent, Muchacho
Matthew Houck of Phosphorescent has another voice in indie rock that caught my ear right away.  There's a slight twang from Alabama roots and deeply personal lyrics provide an instant connection with fans during his sixth studio album, Muchacho. "Song for Zula" was heard everywhere yet I never tired of it, a sure sign of the everlasting power of great music. This year, I saw a some of Phosphorescent's set at ACL after being up close and personal at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, both memorable moments with a veteran road warrior just strutting his stuff.

5. Franz Ferdinand, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action
Scottish indie rock quartet Franz Ferdinand returned with its fourth album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, conjuring up the amped up energy of their self-titled debut in 2004.  I finally witnessed the lads live in Austin, a set full of cheeky fun with impressive new songs, formidable old hits and unexpected covers (Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" of all things!) 

6. Okkervil River, The Silver Gymnasium 
Okkervil River's seventh album, The Silver Gymnasium, finally brought me into the fan fold of this Austin band.  The thematic pull of a New England childhood certainly helped, but it was the rollicking, tuneful songs as conveyed by singer/songwriter Will Sheff that had this new material on repeat. Seeing their solid set at ACL just sealed the deal for a Top Ten spot.

7. Yo La Tengo, Fade
Hoboken's own indie rock trio Yo La Tengo released its thirteenth full length album this year, Fade.  While the lilting closing track, "Before We Run," was plucked for my Early Summer 2013 Playlist, "Ohm" and "It's Not Enough" are also beloved tracks from this collection.

8. Portugal. The Man, Evil Friends
Portland-based Portugal. The Man knows how to compose soulful alt rock that easily translates epic swells of emotion. I saw the band headlining CMJ 2011 at Terminal 5 and caught a glimpse of them recently at ACL, with an expanded lineup confidently presenting the new songs of this seventh album, Evil Friends. The music is timeless with the best intentions, a straight forward approach to the simple joy of rocking out.

9. Ra Ra Riot, Beta Love
Indie pop outfit Ra Ra Riot released its third album, Beta Love, back in January before heading out on tour (I caught them live at a hometown show in NYC after interviewing frontman Wes Miles). They forayed into electronica as the band regrouped as a quartet, resulting in a new danceability that left some fans confused but others, like me, thrilled.

10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mosquito 
NYC's indie rock trio, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, returned to the scene with another blast of no hold barred musical creativity. The single, "Sacrilege," was featured on my Spring 2013 Playlist, with the powerhouse vocals of Karen O matched by a choir no less.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (Other albums on heavy rotation throughout this year)

Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City

Caveman, Caveman

Youth Lagoon, Wondrous Bughouse

Unknown Mortal Orchestra, II

Jagwar Ma, Howlin

Yo La Tengo's Musical Equation In Videos For "Ohm" and "Is That Enough" (Upcoming Tour Dates)

Yo La Tengo (Photo by Carlie Armstrong)

Yo La Tengo has released a companion video to the animated wonderland that represented "Ohm," where a cigar smoking baby commandeers a vintage VW bug while a mathematical equation scrolled on a white board uses band names, musicians and lyrics to answer the question "Who is Yo La Tengo?" In the comments section there's a request for these storyboards, and the band has offered up their breezy song "Is That Enough" as background. The videos are directed by Donick Cary with Sugarshack Animation, utilizing an angular edginess that recalls some of my very favorite cartoons such as Clone High and Sheep in the Big City. (Stay tuned for a special cameo at the end!)

Both songs are off Yo La Tengo's latest album, Fade (Matador Records), which is lucky number thirteen for this group that formed in 1984.  Since 1992, the line up has remained the trio of Ira Kaplan, James McNew and Georgie Hubley. I chose the closing track, "Before We Run," for my Early Summer 2013 New Music Playlist. It's a mesmerizing tune sung by Hubley, and along with these two gems, I wouldn't be surprised if this album is on my Top Ten List for 2013.  Below the videos are a few tour dates in the U.S., before the band heads to Europe.

Tour Dates:

8/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ FYF Festival
9/13 – Ithaca, NY @ The State Theater
9/14 – Hamilton, ON @ Supercrawl Festival
9/15 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
9/17 – Nelsonville, OH @ Stuart’s Opera House
9/20 - Dekalb, IL @ Otto’s
9/21 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
9/22 – Byers, CO @ Riot Fest

Youtube Playlist of Early Summer 2013 New Music Songs

With the redo (or upgrade if it's fine by you) of YouTube channels, I had a bit of a learning curve putting together another playlist for my latest collection of new music.  Again, I never know what I'll find online there to check off the list of sixteen songs.  There are some live, some officially live and some videos with the recorded music showing live concert video.  All of my fave online radio stations are represented this go around, from KCRW and WFUV to KEXP.  Plus there are a few other outlets that were new to me and a fan's entry in this visual representation of my Early Summer 2013 New Music Playlist. Link here to the YouTube page or watch below.

Early Summer 2013 New Music Playlist

With Memorial Day the official start of summer, it’s time for another playlist to indulge in over the long weekend (along with the long awaited, new episodes of Arrested Development).  Highly anticipated albums by Vampire Weekend and The National, were released this month, along with new music by Deerhunter and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.  Newcomers such as CHVRCHES and Hands fill out the list with new tunes from Yo La Tengo, Foals and Telekinisis and more.  Time to fire up the grill and crank the tunes.  Link to listen here, enjoy!

1.  “Varsity” – Smith Westerns

Chicago-based band Smith Westerns returns with their sophomore album in June, called Soft Will.  This teaser single “Varsity” shows the songwriting chops of brothers Cullen and Cameron Omori, as they embrace a classic pop ethic with their indie rock quartet.

2.  “Argonauts” – The Little Ones

The Little Ones is a six-piece indie pop band based in L.A. “Argonauts” provides a quirky, memorable tune for their sophomore album, The Dawn Sang Along.

3. “Ghosts and Creatures” – Telekinesis

Telekinesis is the musical project of Seattle native Michael Benjamin Lerner.  For his third album of indie rock, Dormarion, he traveled to Austin, Texas to record with Spoon drummer Jim Eno. (Eno’s studio is on Dormarion Lane.)

4. “My Number” – Foals

English indie rock band Foals recently released a third album, Holy Fire.  Singer Yannis Philippakis leads the charge over tightly wound layers of percussive instruments in “My Number.”

5. “Penny” – Hanni El Khatib

Hanni El Khatib grew up skateboarding in San Francisco and wrote music on the side while working at the skateboard fashion label HUF. Now a singer-songwriter based in L.A., he continues a cool skater vibe for his second album, Head in the Dirt (produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys).

6. “If You Didn’t See Me (Then You Weren’t On the Dance Floor)” – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

Detroit’s indie pop songwriting duo, Daniel Zott and Daniel Epstein, expand their band to a four piece for their Patterns EP.  This single showcases their vocal harmonies and electronic embellishments plus a welcome sense of fun.

7. “Diane Young” – Vampire Weekend

NYC’s alt rockers Vampire Weekend released their third studio album this month, Modern Vampires of the City.  The four-piece made a deliberate decision to expand into other genres for drawing influences, evidenced in the rockabilly attitude of “Diane Young.”

8. “Never Seen Such Good Things” – Devendra Banhart

Prolific singer-songwriter and visual artist Devendra Banhart has released his eighth album of folk-inspired rock, Mala.  His minimalist approach showcases the vocals and carefully edited instrumentation.

9. “Trouble” – Hands

Hands is an indie rock band from L.A. formed by Geoff Halliday and Ryan Sweeney in Philadelphia, before switching coasts.  “Trouble” is the catchy single for their debut full-length, Synesthesia, full of swirling synths and intertwining melodies.

10. “Demons” – The National

Indie rock royalty The National just released its sixth album, Trouble Will Find Me, with “Demons” showcasing Matt Berninger’s melancholy baritone.  Backed by two sets of brothers, Berninger and band are now based in Brooklyn after finding each other in Cincinnati in 1999.

11. “Holy Roller” – Thao & The Get Down Stay Down

“Holy Roller” is the stand out single from San Francisco-based Thao & The Get Down Stay Down’s fifth album, We the Common. Thao Nguyen’s eccentric vocals playfully provoke within the alt folk/rock continuum. 

12. “The Missing” – Deerhunter

Deerhunter’s sixth album, Monomania, contains a collection of ambient noise rock along with shoegazing tunes such as “The Missing.”  The indie band was founded in 2001 by drummer/keyboardist Moses Archuleta and singer Bradford Cox (who also has a solo project, Atlas Sound).

13. “Recover” – CHVRCHES

Scottish electro pop trio CHVRCHES (pronounced Churches) has already made an impact with their debut EP, Recover.  The song "Recover" charges along with breathy vocals by Lauren Mayberry, with bandmates Iain Cook and Martin Doherty to complete the sound, recorded in a Glasgow basement.

14. “Before We Run” – Yo La Tengo

Indie rock stalwarts Yo La Tengo released its thirteenth album since forming back in 1984, called Fade.  “Before We Run” provides closure as the last track, a floating meditation sung by Georgia Hubley, sweetly building with percussion, horns and strings.

15. “Here I Am” – Adam Green & Binki Shapiro

“Here I Am” is the first track from the duet album by Adam Green (of the Moldy Peaches) and Binki Shapiro (of Little Joy), appropriately titled Adam Green & Binki Shapiro.  Their minimalist approach recalls a 1960s baroque pop, their voices melting together effortlessly.

16. “Plastic Cup” – Low

Indie rock band Low formed in 1993 with a “slowcore” mantra of slowed down tempos and minimal instrumentation, manifest here in “Plastic Cup.”  Based in Duluth, Minnesota, the group has released their tenth album, The Invisible Way (produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco).