Here is some musical sugar and spice to cut through the ice of winter. (OK, so it’s 70 degrees and gorgeous in Austin, today.)
“Birth in Reverse” St. Vincent
Annie Clark is back with more of her dark, yet humorous rock. This one is a grower not a show-er in its melodic pleasures. The way she twists and tangles guitar, bass, drums, and her sinister vocals is fun as fuck and makes me excited for her new self-titled album out February 24.
“XO” Beyoncé
Gauzy synths meet a reggaeton beat for this dreamy, romantic track from the Yoncé’s surprise visual album.
“Hey Joe” Charlotte Gainsbourg
Beck brings the krautrock beat and Gainsbourg plays breathy seductress with weird enunciation over this excellent cover of the Leaves/Hendrix classic made for the Nymphomaniac soundtrack.
“Spiral (Radio Mix)” Todd Terje
This one of two new Terje tracks is one of his least dynamic and interesting takes on psychedelic dance, but he stills reigns as one of the kings of space disco.
“Null Results” Demdike Stare
Mysterious electronic artist Demdike Stare return with this brutal, slowly building, and totally terrifying revisiting of drum and bass.
This article appears in December 13 • 2013.