100 Favourite Tracks of 2010: Part III

Ray: You wanna get deep on this shit? All them Catholic scholars say, Everything that we do depends on the free choice. But at the same time, they say we need the grace of God to do what's right and follow that Jeannie. If I do something wrong, it's because God didn't gave me the grace to do what's right. If this world stinks, it's His fault. I am only working with what I've been given.

Jean: So, that way, the people they found with bullet holes in their skulls, they're God's fault? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?

Ray: I'm ashamed of nothin'. I didn't make the world.

Jean: But you aren't doing anything to make it better.

Ray: Yeah, then I'll roast in hell

- vocal sample from The Funeral, (1996) between Ray (Christopher Walken) and Jean (his wife), in No Good Deed Goes Unpunished


ceo - Come With Me
Delightful uplifting synthy bliss. Mama-mia indeed.
[official] [last.fm]

Gayngs - The Gaudy Side of Town (mp3)
Amayzing. Supergroup Gayngs released this as the first single from the album "Relayted". This supergroup started by Ryan Olson features Justin Vernon of Bon Iver fame (he seems to be everywhere these days), members from Megafaun and Solid Gold, as well as psych-rockers Leisure Birds. See the entire roster here. Delicious music and it is incredible how all 23 people can coalesce into such a wall of sound - beautifully layered, resulting in a melting pot of rap-inspiration, falsetto highs, breathy ethereal vocals (seems to be a mainstay these days too) and R&B influences.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Crystal Castles - Vietnam
Needs no introduction. It's Crystal Castles, what more can I say?
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Delorean - Real Love
Balearic dance beats provided by Catalans Delorean, so awash in the bright rays of the sun it might make the sun retreat in favour of letting this song shine.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Sufjan Stevens - I Walked
What is Sufjan Stevens not capable of, one might wonder? I have no answer to that. Even more variety added to his increasing repetoire. A brooding electronic beat with reverby vocals.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

As The Stars Fall - No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
I love the sample used in this song, probably the inspiration for the title as well. Well used vocal samples are always appreciated by me. Evocative instrumental piece that conveys the sadness of the entire situation they are in, the sadness of Ray's and his family's warped view of Catholic grace (Waddell, 2003).
[official] [bandcamp] [last.fm]

Broken Bells - The High Road
Calm and collected guitar strumming that belies the seeming urgency as Mercer urges "Come on and get the minimum, before you open up your eyes." Danger Mouse aka Brian Burton makes up the other half of this illustrious duo.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

The Drums - Best Friend
Quirky indie pop.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work
Count on Kitsuné to identify an awesome band when they see one. Super catchy synthpop with upbeat hooks and rapidfire vocals.
[official] [myspace] [last.fm]

Inch Chua - Hurt
Local dynamo gives us a treat with her first full length release "Wallflower" which you can get for free at her bandcamp site. Her heart on her sleeve, right there for all to see once again as she sings with such panache and as if she's trying to prevent all her emotions from spilling out of her diminutive body.
[official] [bandcamp] [last.fm]

playing in the park until the sun goes down

Recently, I was at Ritual Cafe in San Francisco’s Mission District downing quad lattes with my old friend Angus. At one point, he noticed an acquaintance who entered the cafe. Within three seconds of him standing up to greet her, I had pulled out my iPhone and was hitting refresh on my incoming tweets and email. I had nothing important to check. The entire encounter took fewer than two minutes. When the woman looked over to introduce herself, there I was with my sweaty hands gripped around my phone. I suddenly realized, I’ve become that guy.

Of course, I’m not the only one. Everyone alone at a table at Ritual was either typing on a laptop or thumbing a smart phone. When I see a guy alone at a cafe without a device open, I assume that he’s either got the iPhone antenna problem or that he’s a serial killer.

- Dave Pell, Tweetagewasteland


Broken Bells - October
Set to an amorphous world of 3D, this trippy journey into the unknown was realised by Flash developer Richard Lehmann and illustrator Matthew Hollister. The group’s 3-D project allows surfers to navigate, save and share a strange universe of mathematical equations, geometric shapes and evocative illustrations. (wired.com)

In a similar vein to their first single, The High Road, October is atmospheric as it is affecting. The content of the 3D journey is befuddling, what with all the random stuff, but overall, it contributes to the trippiness of this song. The two precocious talents in music making straddle the fine line between insanity and brilliance to produce mellow trip rock. A fine track this is.

Mystery Jets - Dreaming of Another World
From their latest offering "Serotonin", they introduce some pop sensibilities to their rockin' and rollin' stuff that is totally feel good. It's true when I say a smile would break across your face in no time once you start listening to the song.

we're bound to wait all night

I was sitting across from the rotating sign
For the Liberty Brass Turning Company

Automatic Screw Machine Products


And brooding about our fathers
Always on the make to make more money

Screw Machine Products Automatic


Tender wounded brassy unsystematic
Free American men obsessing about margins

Machine Products Automatic Screw


Selling every day of their God-damned lives
To some Liberty Brass Turning Company

Products Automatic Screw Machine


Until they were screwed into boxes
And planted in plots paid and unpaid

Automatic Screw Machine Products


- LIBERTY BRASS by Edward Hirsch




Menew - Don't Give Up On Us Now
I've got to give much props to the music supervisor, a certain Alexandra Patsavas, of Chuck. She makes the most awesome song choices, totally apt for the situation, emotions, amplifying everything that the scene is trying to portray many times over. Take this song for instance, it cues at the instance when Chuck is tossed into the van after getting caught. He was utterly distraught at seeing his dad being shot by Shaw and everything seems bleak for Team Bartowski, as he says "There's no one left to save us." A glimmer of hope beckons as Devon asks Ellie if she's ready to do this (to save Team Bartowski), to which she firmly agrees. It's very apt in that while Chuck has all but given up, a glimmer of hope came from Ellie, Devon and Morgan, who haven't given up on saving them.

Miike Snow - Billie Holiday
Here's some Miike Snow who seem incapable of doing anything wrong in their eponymous album. Said track was supposedly exclusively available only on the CD release in Japan. It's got Miike Snow stamped all over it, the electro-reverbs with groovy synths coupled with really poppy hooks.

Broken Bells - The High Road
Broken Bells is a collab between Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley fame and James Mercer of The Shins. Beautiful soulful indie rock song, marrying obscure(?) lyrics about drugs with a touch of electronica to produce a charming song that speaks volumes about the prodigious talent these two have.

School of Seven Bells - Babelonia
Definitely a different direction as compared to Alpinisms. While still featuring the hushed lustre of the twins' vocals, it feels more textured and less dreamy, the expansive soundscape serves as a wonderful medium for their vocals to express themselves.