- "Clean" by Big Data (ft. Jamie Lidell): On the other end of the musical spectrum, where grace and subtlety are traded for bubblegum froth, you have "Clean." It's catchy, it's fun, it's everything a summer song should be. The vocals have a pointed, almost Stevie Wonder-esque quality that totally rules, and they shape the song with ease. Beneath the vocals are stuttering synthesizers and an oomfing digital drum loop, both of which work very well. This might be the toe-tappiest song of the summer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US2Ud9u9y8s
- "Don't Wait" by Mapei: Kinda like Lauryn Hill mixed with M.I.A, Mapei's "Don't Wait" manages to be soulful yet poppy, unique yet familiar. The groove is undeniable, so massive and intrusive you feel it in your bones, rattling joints and vibrating marrow. I'm also a big fan of the harmonizing vocals that are drenched in synth, sounding like an android is singing backup. Pretty neat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPo7iNKoCGQ
- "FourFiveSeconds" by Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney: Alright, alright - I'll say this upfront: I cannot stand the lyrics to this song (it's positively choked with slang. "I'm FourFiveSeconds from wildin'"? Really?), but it's nonetheless a great little tune. Rihanna's vocals are vibrant and lush, while McCartney stamps it with his signature style (the bright guitar, the ringing gospel organ). If there's a bum wheel, it's Kanye, but he manages to stay out of the way pretty well. This song is as engaging as it is ironic, and if you can get past the superficial lyrics, it's well worth your time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt0g4dWxEBo
- "Ghost" by Mystery Skulls: It might be repetitive, it might be over-familiar, but "Ghost" is still about as cool as a graveyard in January. That synth, man - good God, it's awesome. The thing sweeps over you like a tidal wave, and thankfully there's a strong hook keeping you afloat, or else you might drown. The chorus is memorable not for its hook, but for its phrasing - words devolve into random syllables, becoming popcorn puffs of music that you can't help but love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlEb3L1PIco- "Guess What" by The Highly Suspect: The Highly Suspect is rock and roll. There's an aura of grit, of swirling dust, of dripping sweat and dinge in every song. "Guess What" typifies this atmosphere, with sloppy guitar work, over-sized drumming, and vocals that tiptoe the line between tough guy and trying-to-be-tough guy. Best of all is the arrangement, which alternates between delirious, Pogo-hopping double-time and head-banging half-time. It all culminates in huge guitar chords and slamming toms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb0wG52oCVc
- "The High Road" by Joss Stone: While the original version of this song is excellent (written and recorded by Broken Bells), Stone elevates this thing to a whole other level. The Soul is here, and God, how we missed it. The searing (or should I say "soaring?") vocal performance by Joss Stone is, frankly, transcendent. She's a bundle of raw nerves, jittery and fiery and intense. Every affectation, every pronunciation, is perfect. The supporting instrumentation is also great, from the lead guitar to that royal organ. This was a good song made perfect by a few extra ounces of passion and creativity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_30HngwTZg
- "Home in the Sky" by JJ Grey & Mofro: If all this pop stuff is too much for you, if you're more of an in-the-pocket, country-fried jive turkey, then "Home in the Sky" should be just what the doctor ordered. Heartfelt, honest, and totally unpretentious, this 70's-sounding ditty is a dandelion seed of sound. The whole thing is a slow burn, culminating in a finale that won't fail to give you goosebumps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx3vYuVKtRU
- "OctaHate" by Ryn Weaver: This song had me within its first precious seconds, when a mallet percussion instrument (a xylophone or marimba, I can't tell which) takes center stage to plunk out a timid rhythm. From there on in, you might think you're listening to a pretty status quo synth-heavy pop tune. You'd be wrong. Although this is familiar territory, the vocals make it stand out against its slew of contemporaries. They are passionate and textured, which elevates this from stock to stupendous. Solid stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68wuJ2ACi5s
- "The Power of Love" by I Fight Dragons: If there's an award for "Funnest Song" somewhere out there, then this should have won it a dozen times over. This is a cover (originally by the infamous Huey Lewis for the Back to the Future soundtrack), but it's a frickin amazing one. The opening vocal aria, Back to the Future's main theme, is both impressive and tongue-in-cheek. What follows is three minutes of pure pop glory. There's a delicious guitar solo, a few groovy changes to the arrangement, and, best of all, a random smattering of 8-bit Nintendo sound effects sprinkled in the background. I Fight Dragons is a great band, and here they proclaim it to the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl6Ery4Q_uE
- "Ruckus in B Minor" by Wu-Tang Clan: What I like best about this song is that if you were somehow able to mute the vocals, it would still be terrific. Why isn't more hip-hop like this? Ripe with musicality, built around real instruments and interesting arrangements? With "Ruckus," the incomparable Wu-Tang achieves rap nirvana. The music is tremendous, and the rhymes spun around them are equally impressive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-XwMytbaIE
- "Stranger" by The New Basement Tapes: Woah, what an amazing song. The New Basement Tapes (a super-group formed to add melodies to discarded Bob Dylan lyrics) seamlessly blend the old with the new, taking decades-old tropes and repackaging them with ingenuity and creativity. In this song, you start with mid-70's country and end in contemporary folk-pop. Pretty cool. It's the arrangement that really shines, starring jangling percussion, an airy violin, and a guitar solo of liquid steel. "Stranger" is stunning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMez3q_TVb8
- "Sun" by Two Door Cinema Club: Although the vocals are far from confident (in the eternal words of Randy Jackson, they're "a bit pitchy"), "Sun" is an upbeat, springy tune. The hook is simple and sickly sweet, the bass bounces like a yo-yo, and the brass section (yeah - you read that right) gives the whole thing personality and spirit. It's terrific. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKyK1Mme9Sc
- "Ten Speed (Of God's Blood and Burial)" by Coheed and Cambria: Whenever I worked out this summer, whether it was running a brisk 5k at dawn or biking across town at dusk, this was the song I listened to. "Ten Speed" manages to capture the essence of everything Coheed and Cambria does well: electric vocals, confident musicianship, an over-the-top production...it's all here. I love how the percussion plays off the guitars, and how they contrast with the vocals. Each second propels you forward, pumping your adrenaline with the beat. As far as pop-metal goes, it seldom gets any better than this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgb5ATrZocA
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| "Sun" music video - perfectly sums up summer for me |
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