WORDS Brian Carroll
iTunes gift card in your stocking? Awesome! Now, don’t just spend it on boring, artsy schlock to out-blogospherize your neighbors. Here’s a solid list of ten 2013 pop / rock songs that won’t leave you wondering where the beef is:
The Naked And Famous - “Rolling Waves”
Anthemic, oceanic lady-balladry alla Grimes augmented with real rock juevos in the chorus. A sweet antidote to the unpleasant wave of so-so divas polluting the pop spectrum.
Jonti vs. Big Scary - “Slumming It In Paradise”
Inventive, snipped-up shuffle pop - like Boards of Canada drunk and stage crashing at a Chicago jazz club. This track may not have the most solid repetitious ground to stand on, per say, but that’s the point. If you can handle leaping from idea to idea like Spider-Man, this is your party jam. The most hip-hop oriented track on the list, alternately punctuates rhythm and melody (with a male and female singer embodying those respective elements) in a stalwart, balanced approach.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - “War Zone”
This Tom Tom Club-inspired stomp through a boyish fantasy Africa resolves to an intricate, jammy crescendo, with twangy electric guitar leads hidden in the saccharine mix.
Obits - “Spun Out”
Like Tom Petty in “surf mode.” Need we say more?
The Hawk In Paris - “Freaks”
These vampy fellas get bonus points, if not cool points, for attempting to hang a Spaghetti Western matte painting (complete with whistling) behind a Goldfrapp-derived club thumper.
Foxygen - “San Francisco”
The cheeky MGMT clones of Foxygen throw out a bevy of classic rock impersonations on their wonderful 2013 LP, but none are quite as immediate (and brave) as when they unapologetically channel the Mamas and the Papas on this catchy, silly parody of late 60’s bubblegum. They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore.
Lucy Schwartz - “Ghost In My House”
Schwartz has the sort of oblong, non-threatening affect you’d expect from a pop-friendly female rocker like Emily Haynes, but in this beast of a build-up she unexpectedly tommy guns a hornets’ nest throughout a vaguely Native American-scaled piano dirge. Airtight, whip-smart percussion follows a snarling synth guitar burst, leading to an energetic climax. Wait for it...
Jimi Hendrix - “Earth Blues”
While most classic rock comebacks of 2013 fell somewhat flat, the new release from the Jimi Hendrix camp was obviously comprised of unreleased studio recordings from the glory days themselves. The LP kicks off an afternoon’s worth of heavenly blues jams with this uptempo, locomotive, slam dunk.
Max Frost - “White Lies”
Upon hearing the opening seconds of this less-controversial (and musically superior) sister song to the rapey megahit ‘Blurred Lines,’ it becomes evident that Frost has taken a few lessons at the Solo McCartney School of Moogy Three-Minute Pop Songs. As this title track bounces along, Frost outshines his super-serious synthpop peers with a four-chord acoustic guitar lead-in (analog instruments in 2013?) and an infectious Seventies charm. Blisteringly catchy.
Arcade Fire - “Reflektor”
The title track from the self-important Canadian quintet finds them once again balancing anxiety with masturbatory gasps of confidence, but newly toe-tap worthy. As the band fruitlessly attempts to swat off second-guessing through a funky, messy Bowie encapsulation, they reward repeat listens with a begrudging acceptance of both their egotism and laurels. Pasting bits of their influences over a bloated string finale doesn’t exactly equate to loosening up, but we’ll take what we can get from a band this uptight. The best parts of the track allow us to hear the band squirm outside of their comfort zone, which actually entertains us, a feat they’ve been reticent to accomplish since their debut EP. While singer Win Butler recently declared that their official request for concert audiences to dress up in formal attire was “super not mandatory,” the $80 ticket prices most likely are.