doug nelson: DISENGAGE!

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A Sweet Summer’s Night On Hammer Hill, by Jens Lekman
Not the best song on Jens Lekman’s “Oh You’Re So Silent Jens,” Summer’s Night gets the award for most atmosphere. I defy you to not get a kick out of the lead-in to the chorus.

Crazy Butt, by Sound Advice
I guess mashups are soooo olllld, but rarely one combines two great songs as well as Sound Advice’s crossing of Notorious B.I.G. and Gnarls Barkley.

I See A Darkness, by Bonnie “Prince” Billie and Johnny Cash
I won’t argue that Cash improves on the original (one of my favorite-est songs), but he certainly lends it a severity and air of experience.

Spirit Ditties of No Tone, by Deerhoof
“The Runners Four” is an album that pivots on its amazing little pop details, and demands repeated listens simply because Deerhoof cleverly restrains their best moments. Example: Spirit Ditties has a FANTASTIC guitar riff that only takes up about 15 seconds of the whole song.

Sheena Is A Parasite, by the Horrors
I posted this video a while ago, but the song deserves a repost. This is the kind of iron-file explosiveness that the Liars and Six Finger Satellite almost attained, but with a sly Gang of Four flavor. Sorry, that’s all the stupid name-dropping I’ll do here.

Heart’s A Mess, by Gotye
Gotye was hailed as another Avalanches competitor, but really, they’re not even close. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy Heart’s A Mess, a song that grows in its unique earnestness with each listen.

Hold Up, by Girl Talk
Hold Up is my song of the year.

Wildcat, by Ratatat
Wildcat is just what we expected from the new Ratatat: Round sounds, pulsing guitars, and a sonic level of finery that gives it an almost tactile sense. While it’s not going to knock Seventeen Years off my faverites list, Wildcat has ruled my office rock-outs for a month now.

Music is My Hot, Hot Sex, by CSS
Mele and I have a mutual obsession with Brazilian band CSS, headed by Lovefoxxx. Music is just a glimpse at a catalog of hot guitars, hot accents, and intriguingly paced lyrics. Also, check out their Let’s Make Love And Listen Death From Above, the title of which enthralls me.

Spoon Me, by Ohm
I don’t know anything about Ohm. But that’s some fun keyboard.

Part Timer, by the Young Knives
I need to find some more Young Knives so I can figure out if this is a fluke or actually standard material, because Part Timer is awesome. One of the catchiest choruses I’ve heard all year.

Young Folks, by Peter Bjorn and John
This song has been on nearly every music blog at this point, but if you haven’t heard it by now, here’s the place to check it out. HEY YOU. DO YOU LIKE BELLE AND SEBASTIAN? CAMERA OBSCURA? STUFF LIKE THAT? OKAY LISTEN TO YOUNG FOLKS.

Some Velvet Morning, by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood
Another track from Optimo’s amazing How To Kill The DJ Pt. 2, Some Velvet Morning is a weird, golden relic from an age I couldn’t begin to understand.

I Wish That I Could See You Soon, by Herman Düne
Hey, Herman Düne has horns! While they’ll never (NEVER) top Suburbs With You and Not On Top, at least Herman’s incredible songwriting skills are getting the attention and funding they deserve.

Heartbeats (OneMusicSession), by The Knife
Not really a fall thing, but a recent cover (featured next!) got me listening to Heartbeats again. I would argue that the OneMusicSession mix is both a) radically different from the original b) one of the ten best songs I’ve ever heard in my life.

Heartbeats, by the Scala & Kolacny Brothers
It’s Heartbeats with a chorus and piano. This cover’s simplicity gives it an eerie Midwestern Christmas-night church feel to me, but listen and let me know what you think.

Moving To New York, by the Wombats
This whole song feels like fall.

Love to Love You, by UFO
Ever since I found this one, it’s been fluxtuating between 3 and 5 stars on iTunes. Listen at high volume.