I've been doing a decent job playing the new tunes that come through my inbox on the show now and then - I know I try to focus on each week's new releases, but sometimes it's fun to look ahead and check out what we have to look forward to. But a few of those tunes have ended up in regular rotation in OtO HQ, so I thought I'd share.
The Ruby Suns - "Cranberry"
(from Fight Softly, out March 2 on Sub Pop)
Based on the sheer number of times I've listened to this, it's already a contender for my favorite songs of 2010 list. Two songs in one, "Cranberry" evolves from an organic, pulsing rhythm layered with streaks of vocals to a punchy synth line providing the foundation for a gorgeous melody that builds to a snowball of a chorus. There I go - totally listened to it five times again.
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Tunng - "Don't Look Down Or Back"
(from ...And Then We Saw Land, out April 1 on Thrill Jockey)
I went through a little Tunng phase a few years back where I got into one of their albums, and then devoured everything else I could get my hands on. This song evolves too - from something I initially found relatively disappointing (straight vocals, a plucked guitar?) to something so sweeping and epic it actually took me by surprise. Like, stop what you're doing and stare at the speakers for a beat surprise. Delightful.
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The Besnard Lakes - "Albatross"
(from The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night, out March 9 on Jagjaguwar)
By now I've heard all of The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night, but I keep coming back to this first track I heard. The best line? "And I have to admit / things got weird for a bit." That alone should keep this in regular rotation for the rest of the year.
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Caribou - "Odessa"
(from Swim, out April 20 on Merge)
Caribou's an act I never paid that much attention to, but as my love of electronic-y things seems to increase and increase (due to lots of time spent in the gym, and lots of time lately just spent craving good beats), I find myself really looking forward to hearing the rest of Swim. This reminds me a lot of The Whitest Boy Alive, with elements of Hot Chip thrown in too. Actually, I think it's time to stop writing this so I can go download and check out Caribou's last album, Andorra.
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