Best Songs of the Year 2011: 75-51

As promised on Friday, here's the second chapter of the first Bloodbuzzed Songs of the Year, for tunes comprised from positions 75 to 51, with the grooveshark playlist to listen them and have your say. The third part will arrive on Thursday. Enjoy the music! 

75. For Jacob with Malaria- Boca Chica
74. Cuando Nadie Pone un Disco- Odio París
73. Promises, Promises- Pocketbooks
72. Bedroom Eyes- Dum Dum Girls
71. Gravestone Metaphor- Babette Hayward
70. World Around You- Rubik
69. I Don’t Believe in Love- We Are Trees
68. Will Do- TV On the Radio
67. Evil Seeds- The Raveonettes
66. Mentirosa- Manos de Topo
65. Endless Summer- Still Corners
64. Better Off Without You- Summer Camp
63. Chair- Big Deal
62. I Heard You Say- Vivian Girls
61. Rose Mary Stretch- Pepper Rabbit
60. She's Thunderstoms- Arctic Monkeys
59. If You Wanna- The Vaccines
58. Tree by the River- Iron and Wine
57. Summer Hits or J Plus J Don’t Like- Mazes
56. The Sun The Trees- Russian Red
55. Mission Bells- Armistice
54. Florence- Be Forest
53. Abducted- Cults
52. Bitter Branches- PJ Harvey
51. A Sail- Lisa Hannigan

Best songs of the year 2011... so far

It's middle June, and a good moment for taking a look to what has the year 2011 offered so far in terms of music. Here's a playlist with the best 25 songs (in my opinion, of course) of the year. Some songs have been dropped, because the selection followed two criteria: songs released during 2011, and just 1 song per group/artist, so I could include 25 different proposals. They are not in order of preference, just trying to combine them in a good playlist. Hope you enjoy!

1. Heart in Your Heartbreak- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
2. Calamity Song- The Decemberists
3. Helplessness Blues- Fleet Foxes
4. It Happened Today- R.E.M.
5. The Words that Maketh Murder- PJ Harvey
6. Black Night- The Dodos
7. Fast Fast- Let's Buy Happiness
8. Lose It- Austra
9. I Hate You But I Love You- Russian Red
10. Alien Girl- The Very Most
11. World Around You- Rubik
12. Impressions from a City Morning- Brown Recluse
13. Take Me Somewhere- Tennis
14. Jesus Came to My Birthday Party- The Middle East
15. Will Do- TV On the Radio
16. Funeral Song- Minks
17. Forget that You're Young- The Raveonettes
18. One Moment- Motorama
19. Even Though I'm a Woman- Seeker Lover Keeper
20. For Jacob with Malaria- Boca Chica
21. Reckless Serenade- Arctic Monkeys
22. Royal Blue- Cold War Kids
23. Exile Vilify- The National
24. Lippy Kids- Elbow
25. Go Outside- Cults

A song that I would definitely include is "Margot", by the great Nat Johnson, but I couldn't find it. And some songs that would have been on the list without the "just one song per artist criteria" are "Bitter Branches", "In the Dark Places" by PJ Harvey, "Überlin", "Oh My Heart" by R.E.M., "Think You Can Wait" by The National and "Down by the Water" by The Decemberists.

Discoverer 11: new indie findings

Round 11, here we go!

The Lollipops. Quality guitar driven indie-rock from Poland is what this young band offers us with their debut album "Hold!", just released. Sometimes recalling Ms. PJ Harvey, here you'll find garage rock, punk-pop ("Let's Go Baby") traces and some quiet, dream-pop passages (great "Girls Night Out"), always with the addictive and hazy voice of Kasia Staszko presiding the music. Below you can listen the whole record. Do it!
the Search Amazon.com for the lollipops holdlollipops HOLD!

The Very Most. Third time an EardrumsPop EP makes it on Discoverer series (Boca Chica and Baffin Island), but the reason is very simple: if you love indie-pop, you will love EardrumsPop. The Very Most (already mentioned on the Baffin Island post) are from Boise, Idaho, USA, and they are stunning craftsmanships of pop gems. They've been active since 2002, so there's plenty to discover. I strongly recommend you to start with the joyful "Alien Girl", standout track of this EP, and once you are converted, go for their third full-length, "A Year With The Very Most". You won't regret it.
The Very Most - ePop017 - digital single by EardrumsPop

The Ruling Class. Remember Madchester? The Stone Roses? Ok, let's admit it, "Umbrella Folds" seems like a less-danceable ripoff of "Waterfall"...but to heck with it. The music of this Swedish-British band, included on the "Tour de Force" Ep, released by the great Shelflife Records (another label to look closely) is so fun and exciting you shouldn't care that much about the revivalism thing. Listen to songs like "Marian Shrine" or "Sleeping Beauty" and you won't be able to do anything else than dancing and "tripping" (umm...be careful about that part).

Discoverer 9: new indie findings

Next round of indie proposals!

The Loom. This six-piece group from Brooklyn is among the most exciting discoveries I made recently. They debuted with “At Last Light Ep” in 2008, and after touring the US/Canada, they have completed their first album, "Teeth" (immediate release). Gorgeous instrumentation (horns, trumpets, banjos, ukeleles, keys, hand-clapping, besides guitars and percussion) and an intriguing combination of male/female vocals. Folk, glimpses of americana, indiepop, some electricity...A collection of epic tunes, beautifully crafted that recall so many bands (from Great Lake Swimmers to The National) and force you to count The Loom among the "bands to follow" closely this 2011.

Baffin Island. On Discoverer 7, I presented you the wonderful label EardrumsPop and its series of special, free EPs. After Boca Chica single, today I recommend Baffin Island, the collaboration between Melanie Whittle (from my beloved The Hermit Crabs), with Jeremy Jensen and Jake Hite (The Very Most). "Credentials" that announce what you'll find here: a taste of finest, sweet, delicate and charming indiepop. If you don't think "You Invited Me" is perfect, you don't have ears. And if you don't find "You Make Two Weeks Two Days" and "Darling Please Come Home" (Math and Physics Club cover) gorgeous, you don't have a heart.

Overlord. More Brooklynites and stunning indiepop you shouldn't miss. This is the project of George Pasles, who recorded the first Overlord albums on his own, with the help from members of A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Longwave, and Ui for live shows. But with "In Soviet Russia, My Heart Breaks You" (released on April), Overlord has become a real (and impressive) band, with Sarah Brockett (from the great Palomar), Tris McCall (My Teenage Stride), and Matt Houser (The Human Hearts), they have created a masterful album, where The Beatles meet The New Pornographers and 80s new wave meet The Byrds.
01 - overlord - What Do You Want Me For?
04 - overlord - I Don't Either

Discoverer 7: new indie findings

Back to Sunday's new proposals!

Cults. Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin met in 2010 in San Diego, and after moving to NYC for film school, they started to make music, releasing a free EP (available on their bandcamp space). The reception in the blogosphere was impressive, signing with Columbia for their forthcoming debut album (next month) and firing up the expectations for every movement they have done since then. And with a reason. Initially included into the  lo-fi pop movement (if that's a movement), after hearing "Abducted", "You Know What I Mean", the sublime "Go Outside" (oh glockenspiels!) or the single "Oh My God", one just wonder how long it will take for them to conquer the indiepop throne.

Abducted by cultscultscults
Cults - You Know What I Mean by cultscultscults



Grandfather Birds. Discovered thanks to my beloved Let's Buy Happiness (who I fervently praised on the first "Discoverer" I wrote) this band from Newcastle are a mixture between epic and pop, between atmospherics and rockier sounds, full of subtleties and rich sounding. But the best recommendation I can give to you is to check the following 4 tunes (especially "Higher Bridges" and "Grandfather's Bones") and judge by yourself. You won't regret it.

Boca Chica. More pop, this time from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and discovered thanks to the initiative of the amazing EardrumsPop, who periodically releases free digital singles of the artists under their catalogue, each single including 2 original songs and a cover from an underrated artist. Led by songwriter and singer Hallie Pritts, Boca Chica songs are mellow and catchy, at times closer to americana sound, but mostly in the realm of pure pop gems, like in the great " For Jacob with Malaria".

Boca Chica - For Jacob with Malaria by EardrumsPop
Boca Chica - Afternoon Tea by EardrumsPop