“Islands (CHLLNGR RemiXX)” – The XX & CHLLNGR

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The XX are no musical secret, having won the hearts of music bloggers everywhere over the last year, including mine. I love Islands on its own, but CHLLNGR’s spin on it is amazing. While the overall mellow tone isn’t changed too much, there’s enough of a difference to make it stand out on its own – I kind of love it more than the original, in fact.

“Old Stone” by Laura Marling

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A friend of mine saw Laura Marling recently after having been introduced to her only the morning before, and it reminded me how much I love her. Old Stone was the first of her music I ever heard, and it remains my favorite song. It’s so very melancholy, but not so much so that it drags you down. I’ve spent countless hours listening to it over and over.

“Dixon’s Girl” by Dessa

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Goddamn, is this a fun track to listen to. It’s a fun sort of sound, not quite hip hop, not quite funk, not quite R&B. Dessa’s managed to find a balance between genres that makes it hard to pin her down, and that’s always my favorite type of music, no matter the original genre. Her voice is smooth and her rapping lovely to listen to – apparently she’s also a spoken word artist, and it shines through in her work. That, plus the music provides a package quirky and interesting enough to separate her from the pack. I’m totally in love.

“Never Win” by Fischerspooner

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I haven’t paid much attention to Fisherspooner before, and I have no idea why that is. They’re the perfect blend of rock and electropop I love so much lately, especially in this track. They’re funky, fun to listen to, and even have elements of Pink Floyd’s Another Brick In the Wall without sounding like an outright cover or pure sample. It’s interesting and fun, everything I like in a good electropop track.

“Madder Red (Dr Rosen Rosen Remix)” by Yeasayer & Dr Rosen Rosen

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I could go on and on about how much I love Yeasayer. I’ve been in love with their Odd Blood album ever since it was released, and often have to force myself to listen to other music from time to time. Madder Red isn’t my favorite off the album (that title is a tie between Ambling Alp, ONE and Love Me Girl), but it’s still a damn good song.

The original Madder Red is a sort of experimental groove track, and Dr Rosen Rosen’s remix turns it upside down and breathes new life into it. His remix mellows it out, but doesn’t make it boring. Usually I’ll take anything Dr Rosen Rosen does, after his excellent history with remixes (Lady Gaga’s Telephone, for one), and I’m almost never disappointed. I love when remixes are just as good as the originals.

Give the original Madder Red a listen:

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“Home” by Marc Broussard

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I’m going to be on planes all day today as I move across the country to become a SoCal girl, and as I tried thinking up songs in my vast library that were on topic, Home jumped out at me. I’ve loved this song for years now, having been enchanted by the dark guitar, the heavy drumbeats and Broussard’s gravelly voice practically made for singing the blues.

But what gets me most about this song is that while the lyrics start out as a journey somewhere — home, perhaps — it’s that they suddenly turn around around and begin to sing of a different sort of home halfway through. The sort of home a musician or listener finds in music, that place deep within where dirt roads and crowded places and airplanes fade away because there’s nothing but beautiful sound.

“Seven (The Twelves Remix)” by Fever Ray & The Twelves

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God, Karin Dreijer Andersson is one cool lady. She used to make sweet music as one half of The Knife, before taking a break for a few years and coming back as solo act Fever Ray. Her music’s been just as great, her distinctive voice putting her a head above the current female electronica pack. And while her music is great on its own, The Twelves have taken Seven and turned into something worthy of the disco era. It’s funky and fun and every other adjective you could come up with to describe what boils down to a damn good time for your ears.

“Help, I’m Alive” by Metric

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Can you feel my heart beating like a hammer?

In the past, Metric have been the kind of band that were sort of hit and miss with me. I’ve never fully liked every single song on their albums, but the ones I do like, I love to an almost obsessive degree. Help, I’m Alive is at the very top of that list, and it’s a hell of a song. Emily Haines’ voice has always been one of my favorite things about Metric, and she’s great here, showing off her range. Musically, it’s a simple song that drives the point of the lyrics home — it’s repetitive, obsessive, and when it finally breaks for the chorus, it’s sweet relief.

“Colors” by April Smith & The Great Picture Show

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Like the lighthouse guides a shipwrecked sailor safely from sea
I’ll wear your colors til you come back home to me

This song is such a joy to listen to. April Smith’s voice immediately hooks you, and her bandmates compliment her nicely, without allowing the music to overpower her. It’s a buoyant song, filled with handclaps, a wealth of instruments (One of which is the accordion, my perennial favorite, and what I think is a kazoo. Don’t quote me on it, though.) and even brighter lyrics.

“Love is a Bird (feat. Yael Naim)” by Variety Lab

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From what little I’ve heard of Variety Lab, they tend to go the more upbeat electro-pop route, which makes this call back to the thirties and forties an incredibly pleasant surprise. The music sounds like it’s coming out of a gramophone – except for the last minute or so, where it swells and clears up, bringing us back to the present in an incredible way – and Yael Naim’s voice flows like she was made just for this. It’s a gorgeous track all around.