On Repeat: Dirty Projectors - "Ascent Through Clouds"

I just realized that it's been a long time since I've posted one of these! I've become obsessed with plenty of songs over the past four years, but sometimes struggle to find the time to write about everything that I would like to.

In trying to get back to this post, I will start with Dirty Projector's "Ascent Through Clouds" off of their latest album, Dirty Projectors.

The track is neither the best nor my favorite on the record, but does have a feature that appeals greatly to my ear. Between the slightly-rambling verses and chorus are electronic non-vocal breaks. I can best describe the style of these breaks as tribal glitch. While the sound was clearly created by something other than a traditional instrument, it's rooted in a steady, deep drum beat.

And that's why, of all the tracks of the album, it's one that I put on repeat most often. It provides a certain primal satisfaction.

If you haven't heard the record, it's pretty fantastic from start to finish. It was released on February 24 of this year.

On Repeat: "Retrograde"

James Blake's latest album, Overgrown, has been one of my favorites of 2013. The stand out track for me has been no. 5, "Retrograde;" I love the melodic vocal loop that weaves itself throughout the song. It also shows the actual chops that Blake has that can sometimes get lost in his production.



James Blake's latest album was released on April 9.

On Repeat: "Joy"

I swear that this song is also my name is not the only reason that I like it. Iron & Wine wrote a beautifully simple love song for his wife. It almost makes me feel as though I know the feeling of being in love.



Iron & Wine released their most recent album, Ghost on Ghost, on April 16, and it is already one of my favorites this year.

On Repeat: "Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns"

If there's one truth in music, it's that a little bit of Neko Case makes everything better. The Dodos realized this and featured her on "Don't Try and Hide It" from No Color. AC Newman has, of course, realized this for years and has worked with her in the New Pornographers for fourteen years. In recording his third solo album, Shut Down the Streets, he hasn't forgotten and recorded with her on one of the tracks. Inevitably, that track is the stand-out of the record!

Listen: "Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns"

On Repeat: "Backseat Freestyle"

I'm pretty slow to start listening to new hip hop, but after seeing the praise that this artist's latest album, good kid, m.A.A.d city got (it came in third on my combined critics list), I knew that I should probably check it out.

This track quickly became one of my favorites. Because the track is fairly simple, I think it may be the best show of his talent on the album.

On Repeat: "Armed for Peace" & "Up Past the Nursery"

Suuns may be my new favorite band. About a week ago, I somewhat randomly decided to check them out and quickly fell in love with their sound. It's experimental, though they excel at keeping the end result simple and straightforward. Also, they know how to rock out when needed. At times, the vocals call to mind the British band Clinic, which may be why I've loved this so much!

In all honestly, their entire debut album, Zeroes QC (2010), has been on repeat since I first heard it. "Armed for Peace" and "Up Past the Nursery" are easily my favorite tracks on the album.

"Armed for Peace" opens the album. The buildup of the song gets me excited every time, so much so that I have been listening to it two or three times before allowing the song to finish.



"Up Past the Nursery" is probably the more experimental of the two tracks, with each syllable of the vocals delivered in a staccato style. What really gets me on this song, though, is the melodic bassline that comes in towards the end of the verses. It's surprising and works really well!

On Repeat - "Shivers"

I saw the Divine Fits live just the other night (stay alert for an upcoming post on that). Before the show, I was introducing a good friend to the band's music and was trying to determine what my favorite song on their album, A Thing Called Divine Fits, was. While I do love all of the tracks on the release, "Shivers" easily stands out. Beautiful and haunting, it's the best use of Britt Daniel's voice (well, besides everything Spoon).



The song is a cover of a song by The Boys Next Door (aka, The Birthday Party), legendary rocker Nick Cave's first band.

On Repeat: "Tessellate"

I wish I had known about Alt-J (∆) earlier this year, when they officially released their debut album. Though I seen the name floating around the blogosphere, it wasn't until I heard a cover of this song by Mumford & Sons that I really became familiar with them. Instant love; even better, the video for the track is one of the best of the year!

On Repeat: "The Way We Get By"

Ever since the release of the excellent debut album from the Divine Fits, A Thing Called Divine Fits, earlier this week, I have also been delving back into the work of Britt Daniel's other band, Spoon. I "rediscovered" Kill the Moonlight and especially the second track. I had forgotten how much I loved this album when I was first introduced to Spoon, but I've been playing it non-stop since!

On Repeat: "Thinkin Bout You"

It's been a few weeks since Frank Ocean spilled his heart on channel Orange. It's an incredible release...and one of the few R&B albums I've been able to get really into. For me, the stand-out track of the release is "Thinkin Bout You," the first real track of the album. Perhaps what stands out the most on the track is the rap-like delivery on the verses, showing him as an artist who can incorporate hip hop into his music in a way that goes beyond just having a rap verse on a song.

On Repeat: "Honeycomb"

While critically praised and a relative commercial hit, Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion, released in 2009, had its detractors, due to both the poppier sound presented and being their most accessible release. I'll be honest, I loved that album, but the band promised early on the press for the follow-up that they would not be aiming for the same sound.

"Honeycomb" is the first song released for the album and they seem to be telling the truth when they say that the album will be less "pop." Although I came in at Merriweather Post Pavilion and it has been my most-loved album by the band, I'm loving this track and greatly looking forward to Centipede Hz in September.

On Repeat: "The House That Heaven Built"

See...punk rock can be inspirational, too. Japandroids prove that a fuzzy, guitar- and drum-heavy song can be somewhat uplifting and in a way that manages to avoid feeling lame or Saturday Morning Special-ish.



The band released their sophomore album, Celebration Rock, two weeks ago. I'm still waiting to get my hands on a vinyl copy of it (back-ordered at the local record store).

On Repeat: "We Can't Be Beat"

The Walkmen release their new album, Heaven, this coming Tuesday and I'm already pretty obsessed with the release (thank you for streaming, NPR!). While all the songs on the album are great, I've become especially partial to the opening track, "We Can't Be Beat."



It reminds me of The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows." Not in style, necessarily, though they both excel in their sparseness, but in the sentiment. It's a love song, in a way, but not one of grandiose sentiment, it's simple and honest, noting that life and love are not perfect.

On Repeat: "Simple Song"

With the many changes that The Shins made in their five-year hiatus (new members and new sound), I didn't think Port of Morrow would manage to produce some of my favorite Shins songs. Time has proven me wrong and I really enjoy the new album. Possibly my favorite song on the album is "Simple Song."

On Repeat: "Feathers"

Despite some initial trepidation due the change of their sound, I've come to really love Fanfarlo's new album, Rooms Filled with Light. "Feathers" is not so easily my favorite track on the album (there are a lot of gems). Once again, I'm a sucker for this chorus!

On Repeat: "Night Swim"

My knowledge of and experience with Frankie Rose goes back only as far as about the release of her excellent new album, Interstellar, which was about three months ago. In that time, she has quickly become one of my new favorites. While the album has many excellent tracks, "Night Swim" might be my favorite. I love how crisp and fresh her vocals sound on the chorus!

On Repeat: "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"

I guess my '90s nostalgia is creeping back up again. Recently, I haven't been able to stop listening to the Smashing Pumpkins' "Bullet with Butterfly Wings."



I heard the song a couple of months ago when I was traveling in Chicago and found a good indie/alternative rock station (and, no, I wasn't familiar with the song beforehand). I only recently acquired the album on which it appears, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, and this is certainly one of the standout tracks on the album.