Two Old
Freelance Whales - Weathervanes. This was the first studio album by Freelance Whales, back in 2009, and I doubt I've listened to any other album straight-through more times than this one. The calmly energetic feel and cutely poetic lyrics are woven together into a modern romantic's giddy lullaby - I giggle every time I hear lines such as "Shut me up with your long tube socks; they don't scream 'hey let's just be friends'" and "Please don't put your face into your hands, we could be friends". If you don't want the full journey, check out "Hannah", "Starring", and "We Could Be Friends".
Destroyer - "Bay of Pigs". Shout-out to Josh G. for introducing me to this in Chicago back in 2009; when he got the vinyl for it, he was adamant that the first listen be done laying on the apartment floor with eyes closed. It was a beautiful way to experience this wandering, thoughtful 13+ minute song. I've also used it on repeat when I need to focus or block out noise.
Two New
Coleman Hell. A new obsession! Thanks to Google Play for the recommendation. Coleman Hell seems to combine my love for energetic indie pop and vocally-driven dance music; iTunes describes him as a "genre-mingling dance popster", which feels appropriate. "2 Heads" brought him to fame, but also check out "After Hours" and "Devotion".
Lo-Fang - "You're the One That I Want". A haunting rendition of the song written for the film version of Grease in 1978 - this version couldn't be further from the original! I heard it on the HBO series The Leftovers (highly recommended), and its tone fits that show perfectly. "#88" and "Boris" are two other solid tracks from his debut album Blue Film.
