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]

make a little room for me tonight

That's because I just made it up. Even you are - maybe not - yes, you are probably a hypervillain. Yojiro, of course, is an extreme example. And you know... ...an interesting variation in her own way. The only hypervillains we needed in the old days were feudal lords and fathers. Now, with equal rights, everyone wants to be one. Not that it's a bad thing, of course. We all know - take the lid off something that stinks and you find a manure bucket. Tear away the pretty formalities and the bad is out in the open. Formalities are just a bother, so everyone economizes and makes do with all the plain stuff. It's actually quite exhilarating, natural ugliness in all it's glory. Of course, when there's too much glory, the hypervillains get a little annoyed with each other. When their discomfort reaches a peak, altruism is resurrected. And when that becomes a mere formality and turns sour, egoism comes back. And so on, ad infinitum. That's how we go on living, you might say. That's how we progress. Look at England. Egoism and altruism have been in perfect balance for centuries. That's why she doesn't move. That's why she doesn't progress. The English are a pitiful lot - they have no Ibsen, no Nietzsche. They're all puffed up like that, but look at them from the outside and you can see them hardening, turning into fossils.

- Professor Hirato in Natsume Sōseki's Sanshirō


Mystery Jets - Flash A Hungry Smile
Serotonin (pronounced /ˌsɛrəˈtəʊnɪn/) or 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter, biochemically derived from tryptophan, that is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and central nervous system of humans and animals. It is a well-known contributor to feelings of well-being. (wiki)

I like this gem from their album "Serotonin". It really does make one feel happy. Light and breezy melodies abound, cheeky whistling coupled with awesome rhyming lyrics make this a joy to listen to.

The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
In the same vein as the the indie poppiness of Flash A Hungry Smile, this quartet comprising of Jonathan Pierce, Jacob Graham, Adam Kessler and Connor Hanwick show they know how to have tonnes of fun. Catchy hooks and beautifully flippant lyrics (one wouldn't be faulted for thinking Jonathan Pierce was singing obama instead of oh mama), it is a real delight and a good wake up song. Oh, and who could forget the beach?

The Drums - Book of Stories
Filled with more hooks yet again, The Drums seem to have perfected their recipe of indie pop. But contrasted to Let's Go Surfing, Book of Stories is eminently about heartbreak as he wails "i thought my life would get easier, instead it's getting harder". He has no qualms about wearing his heart on his sleeve amidst that echo laden guitaring.