it's sensible

so i went away for a weekend, and apparently everybody has decided without me that foster the people have delivered the song of the summer. it has the words 'kicks' in it and sounds appropriately lazy for a summer song and has a bassline and everybody is cool with that.

what the heck, you guys?

if you had all had the decency to ask my opinion on this - i got opinions - i would have steered you firmly in the direction of metronomy's The English Riviera. i've been over at loose lips more often now that baby brother is writing for them, and mik's given it a glowing review, which is good enough for me. it's doing to the summer of 2011 what Oracular Spectacular did to 2008; giving just enough dance pop and tempo to make a sunday barbecue work, but leaving you with a somewhat darker undertone that, after everybody's gone home, will have you staring at an unattended pool noodle as it lackadaisically traverses an empty pool at dusk, wondering how the fuck you ended up here.

metronomy - the bay


metronomy - loving arm

amor fati

perfect for a sunny sunday, washed out has let us into his head with a little taste of the upcoming within and without. stepping out from behind the faded indifference that has come to be the hallmark of much of his music, Amor Fati is a little more forward and poignant, but doesn't stray too far from the original washed out model, and goodness am i taken. have a listen, and feel free to join me in my laborious (albeit mental) wait for the july 11 release.

washed out - amor fati

all is silent now

oh hello. i didn't see you there.

so instead of providing any sort of exposition, i do believe i'm just going to leave you with a host of interesting songs, and you may make of them what you will.

el perro del mar - change of heart (robyn's rakamonie remix)


bombay bicycle club - dust on the ground (banjo or freakout remix)


i break horses - hearts (rar mix)


nicolas jaar - keep me there

you were meant for me

hey mac!

okay so i'm usually skeptical of compilation albums - bad memories of much dance '99 i s'pose - but it would seem that some of my favourite purveyors of ye fynest musiks are making a tribute album and it seems swell. the reason being, of course, that the subject material is buddy holly, with his trendy glasses and swing-inducing basslines. the album, adorably titled 'rave on buddy holly', is set to feature the likes of my morning jacket, florence + the machine, and (inexplicably) kid rock, plus the black keys, and my personal favourites, zooey and m. ward, which i've provided to you below. have a listen, get excited, and hey, take a little time to sift through some of the man's original tunes. you might be surprised at what you find your head bobbing along to.

she & him - oh boy (buddy holly cover)


the black keys - (ummm, oh yeah) dearest (buddy holly cover)

everything could change

oh hey there's a new rac mix out and it sucks and i fucking hate it.

noah and the whale - tonight's the night (RAC mix)

i'm moving past the feeling

there are no words.

no words to do it justice.



mr. little jeans - the suburbs (arcade fire cover)


also this asobi seksu remix is pretty swell.

asobi seksu - perfectly crystal (beach fossils/spirit animal remix)

playing for the heart and the soul

if one were to be so inclined to combine crystal castles and florence + the machine, the result might sound just a bit like austra. this Toronto-based (!!!) trio has been gathering a little attention lately, first with a NOW magazine cover locally and more recently a feature up on iTunes, and deservedly so - their brand of goth-tinged electronica is instantly memorable. the mix of vocals and instrumentals strikes a new balance on every track of their debut Feel It Break. Lead singer katie stelmanis' operatic voice will hit a nerve you probably didn't even know was there, and if the above photo is any indication, it would seem she's kind of a secret hottie. check out the lead single Lose It and slightly heavier dance-y Beat and the Pulse below.

austra - lose it


austra - beat and the pulse