Entertainment
good listener
our five favorite songs of the week!
Frontman Richie Follin and the rest of the band's shaggy crew make the kind of low-fi pop music that sounds distant- kind of like they're playing from really far away, or maybe even under water. But '60s-tinged melodies, catchy hooks, and a myriad of instruments (twinkly bells interspersed with fuzzy guitar riffs) transform a traditionally melancholic sound into something way more uplifting. We saw the band perform live last night (opening for Follin's younger sister, Cults), and were seriously impressed. They managed to fill pretty much the whole space and start a low-key dance party by the time "I See It Coming" came around. LIZA DARWIN
Rye Rye and Robyn- "Never Come Around"
They may have first leaked the track a few weeks ago, but Rye Rye and Robyn's dangerously addictive song is finally available to buy this week on iTunes- meaning we no longer have to keep refreshing the YouTube page when we want to listen to it....for probably the millionth time. It should go without saying that this best-of-both-worlds instant hit will be making multiple appearances this weekend. LD
Dog Is Dead- "Glockenspiel Song"
I'm a sucker for group vocals and Nottingham, England-based quintet Dog Is Dead busts them out at the very start of this catchy, kitchen-sink pop song. This is big music--trumpets, bells, chiming Two Door Cinema-style guitars, tempo changes, a cappella breaks... There's even a howling sax solo that actually sounds cool-- no small feat. Their new EP, Your Childhood, is only available in the U.K., but hopefully that will change soon. ELLEN CARPENTER
I'm sure Beruit's Zach Condon doesn't know this, but the trumpet line on his band's jolly new uke-centric single, "East Harlem," is almost exactly the same as the chorus of Shania Twain's "You're Still the One." Not that there's anything wrong with that. EC
Every so often, a song written in a completely foreign language comes along and takes me by surprise. "Vondt i hjertet" by Norwegian band Razika is pretty much the perfect example, seeing as even though I can't understand a word of it, I plan on listening to it all weekend long. Aside from boasting syrupy sweet melodies and a nostalgic harmony, the poppy, young girl group has somehow made punk sound pretty, without diluting its intrinsic edge. Hard to believe? Listen to it and see for yourself! P.S. Does anyone want to translate it for us? ALI HOFFMAN
