Month: December 2012

Now that the holidays are over and people are getting back to their regular routines, we had time to put together the November week-to-week playlists. The December week-to-week top songs will be thin because December is traditionally not a month that there are many new releases.  

The No. 1 songs for November, in chronological order, include recent lead singles from November releases by Dirty Projectors, Crystal Castles, Gospel Claws, and Sleeping Bag.

The Dirty Projectors, not surprisingly, dominated the month’s charts.  Their latest single,  “About to Die,” was not only the top single of the Top 10 Songs for the entire month of November, but also for the first week of November’s Best New Releases (Week of Nov. 6th).

“About To Die” – Dirty Projectors from About To Die EP

Prochet Collaboration with Kevin Parker Pays Off; Band to Watch Desert Noises

French multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and vocalist Melody Prochet, who goes by the moniker Melody’s Echo Chamber, achieved the No. 2 song for the first week of November’s singles with the song “Endless Shore” from her debut, self-titled album.  She’s been getting more and more attention lately in the U.S.  for her songs that are an intricate blend of layers of fuzzy, psych-tinged synth notes, sound effects, percussion and her incredibly sensual vocals.

“Endless Shores” was produced and engineered by Tame Impala band member Kevin Parker, which partly explains its success since it was released a few months ago. The No. 3 slot for the first week of November releases was the title track  of band to watch Desert Noises’ EP, I Won’t See You.

“Endless Shore” – Melody’s Echo Chamber from Melody’s Echo Chamber

“I Won’t See You” – Desert Noises from I Won’t See You EP

Melody Echo Chamber’s Two Singles Chart; Teen Daze Scores in Top Five

Melody’s Echo Chamber pair of singles from her new EP were popular with IRC listeners, producing the No. 2 as well as the No. 4 song of the week, followed at No. 5 by the lead single, “Spirit,” from  Teen Daze‘s newest album, Inner Mansions.

“I Follow You” – Melody’s Echo Chamber from Melody’s Echo Chamber

“Spirit” – Teen Daze from Inner Mansions

Top Ten Singles from New-to-Us Bands Grape Soda and Crushed Out

Kicking off the second half of the Top 10 Songs for the first week of November’s releases featured on IRC, as determined by listeners’ streams and downloads, was the No. 6 most listened to and downloaded song of the week, “Obvious Signs” from Grape Soda‘s debut LP, Form A Sign, followed at No. 7 “Weigh You Down” from lo-fi garage rockers Crushed Out‘s new album, Want to Give.

“Obvious Signs” – Grape Soda from Form A Sign on Kindercore Records

“Weigh You Down” – Crushed Out from Want to Give

Utah Farmer with Shins’ Collaborators and Team Genius Fill Two Slots

Ranking as the No. 8 single of the week was “Queen of the City” from Utah farmer/musician Joshua James‘ LP, The Top of Willamette Mountain. James was joined by two prominent multi-instrumentalists, Evan Coulombe and Richard Swift, best known for their work with The Shins. The No. 9 and No. 10 songs of the week, “Everything’s Alright” and “Roaring,” respectively, were originally featured in IRC’s band profile of  Team Genius, from Brooklyn.

“Queen of the City” – Joshua James from The Top of Willamette Mountain

“Everything’s Alright” –Team Genius (via MOKB) from Loud Songs

“Roaring” – Team Genius from New York Songs

Top 10 Songs – Week of Nov. 13th Best Releases

We love seeing which songs made it to the Top 10, and consistently, you guys pick the best singles from the weekly new releases, from virtually unknown DIY bands to some of the most popular artists in the indie rock genre (accepting, of course, that ‘indie rock’ is a broad genre that includes many sub-genres).

Crystal Castles easily captured the No. 1 spot for the top single for the week of Nov. 13th with the lead track, “Affection,” off their new album, simply titled, III (even though it’s actually their fourth LP release; hmmm).

“Affection” – Crystal Castles from III on Casablanca Records

Sufjan Steven’s New Christmas Track Jumps High; Crystal Castle Chart Second Single

The prolific talents of Sufjan Stevens are on full display once again with the release of volumes six through ten, called Silver & Gold, a continuation of his 2006 release of Songs for Christmas that contained the original box set of volumes one through five.

Silver & Gold, which we featured as the Album of the Week upon its release, contains a mind-boggling 58 songs of both new and original, mostly Christmas-oriented songs by Stevens’, as well as he and his ensemble’s renditions of dozens of traditional Christmas songs. The track, “X-Mas Spirit Catcher” scored as the No. 2 song of the week.

“X-Mas Spirit Catcher” – Sufjan Stevens from Silver & Gold

Not surprisingly, the second single, “Plague,” that was featured from Crystal Castles’ new LP in the Best New Releases for the second week of November owned the No. 3 slot on the list for the Top 10 Songs of November 2012, followed at No. 4 by the new single from the fantastic band El Perro Del Mar‘s new LP, Pale Fire. The No. 5 most popular song of the week was the lead single, “She Lives in an Airport,” by Guided By Voices.

“Plague” – Crystal Castles from III

“Hold Off The Dawn” – El Perro Del Mar from Pale Fire on The Control Group

“She Lives In An Airport” – Guided by Voices from The Bears for Lunch on Guided by Voices Inc.

Bottom Half of Top 10 Kicks Off by SVIIB and Social Studies

The fresh electro pop/dance single, “Secret Days,” from the New York indie rock duo School of Seven Bells, received nearly 52,000 plays and nearly 50 thumbs up comments on Soundcloud, and place at No. 6 for the week, followed at No. 7 from the San Francisco band Social Studies for their single, “Away for the Weekend,” from the album, Developer.

“Secret Days” – School Of Seven Bells from Put Your Sad Down EP on Vagrant Records

“Away For The Weekend” – Social Studies from Developer on Antenna Farm Records

First Album from Soundgarden in 16 Years; The Weeknd and Drake, and Clinic

After a long hiatus, the 90’s grunge/alternative rock band Soundgarden returns with an appropriate-titled single, “Been Away For Too Long,” to capture the No. 8 slot. The track is off the band’s latest album, King Animal, their first studio album since the release of 1996’s platinum album, Down on the Upside.

The final two songs of the Top 10 include, at, No. 9 the latest single – “The Zone” – from musician Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, featuring the popular artist Drake, who also makes a brief appearance in the music video as well.  The No. 10 song for the second week of November releases was the single, “For The Season” from the band Clinic.

“Been Away Too Long” – Soundgarden from King Animal on Universal Republic

“The Zone (ft. Drake)” – The Weeknd from Trilogy on Republic Records/XO

“For The Season” – Clinic from Free Reign on Domino Record Co.

Top 10 Songs for Week of Nov. 20th

The Arizona indie band Gospel Claws took the No. 1 song for the week of November 20th with the mellow track, “Pale Horse Dry Cleaning,” followed at No. 2 by Goldenboy, otherwise known as Shon Sullivan, a member of Elliott Smith‘s band before Smith’s untimely death.  Gospel Claws’ second single, “Hambone,” the lead single from the Put Your Sunshine Away LP, was No. 3 most popular song of the week.

“Pale Horse Dry Cleaning” – Gospel Claws from Put Your Sunshine Away

“Starlight Town” – Goldenboy from The New Familiar

“Hambone” – Gospel Claws from Put Your Sunshine Away

Artist of The Week, Goldenboy, and Sambassadeur

IRC’s Artist of the Week for the week of Nov. 20th, Thad Kopec, scored a number of positions on this week’s Top 10 Songs, including the No. 4 spot for his single “The World Was Young,” followed at No. 5 by Goldenboy with vocals posthumously from Elliott Smith on the song, “Summertime,” and the No. 6 song by the Swedish band Sambassadeur and their new single, “Memories.”

“The World Was Young” – Thad Kopec from Heart of Man

“Summertime” (featuring Elliott Smith) – Goldenboy from Blue Swan Orchestra

“Memories” – Sambassadeur from Memories/Hours Away 7″ on Labrador Records

Top Singles from Faunts, Elbow, and Thad Kopec

The No. 7 most popular song of the week was “What I’d Love To Hear You Say” from the new album by Faunts, followed at No. 8 by the newest single from Elbow, with the DIY band Midway in Wake taking the No. 9 spot with Thad Kopec, a former Artist of the Week, rounding out the Top 10 Songs with his track “White Wolf” from his Album of the Week, Heart of Man. The band Naomi Punk‘s single, “Burned Body” tied for the No. 10 spot.

“What I’d Love To Hear You Say” – Faunts from Left Here Alone

“Buffalo Ghosts” – Elbow from Dead in the Boot on Fiction/Cooperative Music

“Urban Vermin” – Midway in Wake from We Will Remain Sedate

“White Wolf” – Thad Kopec from Heart of Man

Tied for No. 10:  “Burned Body” – Naomi Punk from The Feeling

Top 10 Songs for the Week of Nov. 27th Releases Led by Sleeping Bag

The No. 1 song for the last week of November by the band Sleeping Bag combines jangling guitar, whistling choruses, and a catchy rhythm on the single, “Walk Home.” The single, from the band’s new LP, Women Of Your Life, is the kind of song that reminds us of a brilliant spring day with deep azure blue skies, and a light, pleasant breeze – something a lot of people dream about this time of year. The No. 2 song for the last week of November goes to the lead single from the Album of the Week by Winnipeg band The Departures. The new track, “Trojans” from Atlas Genius took the No. 3 spot for the week. The band’s new EP, Through The Glass, is worth checking out if you like this single.

“Walk Home” – Sleeping Bag from Women Of Your Life on Joyful Noise Recordings

“Pillars” – Departures from Still and Moving Lines

“Trojans” – Atlas Genius from Through the Glass EP on Warner Bros.

DIY Releases from The Eastern Sea, My Radio and Challenger

The new Christmas single from the band The Eastern Sea took the No. 4 song of the week with “This Is Christmas” from their new DIY album release, First Christmas, followed at No. 5 by the new single from another DIY release from the band, My Radio. Yet another DIY single, “I Am Swithces” from the band Challenger took the No. 6 spot.

“This Is Christmas” – The Eastern Sea from First Christmas (DIY release)

“Life Is A Bitch Slap” – My Radio from Starts In The East, Falls In The West (DIY release)

“I Am Switches” – Challenger from The World Is Too Much For Me (DIY release)

Giant Giant Sand, Departures, Teen Mom and Joan of Arc

Giant Giant Sand‘s latest single, “Detained,” took the No. 7, followed by the second Top 10 song from the Album of the Week by the Departures at No. 8. The No. 9 song of the week according to IRC readers/listeners for the week of November 27th went to the lead single, “You and Me,” from Teen Mom from the Mean Tom EP. The Top 10 for the last week of November wraps up with Joan of Arc‘s single, “King Song,” from their self-titled debut album.

“Detained” – Giant Giant Sand from Tucson [Deluxe Edition] on Fire Records

“Winter Friend” – Departures from Still and Moving Lines

“You and Me” – Teen Mom from Mean Tom EP on Analog Edition Records

“King Song” – Joan of Arc from Joan Of Arc Limited Edition LP on Joyful Noise Recordings

From Winnipeg, Canada, the band Departures are perhaps one of the most understated new bands of 2012. The band’s constantly shifting post punk and indie rock influences are apparent in the tangle of angular melodies, layering of guitars, shadowy synths, understated rhythms, and vocals that range from hauntingly hushed to shouting, throughout their debut album, Still and Moving Lines, which has been earning the band the all-important ‘blogger buzz’ and increasingly, recognition from the more mainstream, established press.

“For a band that’s only one album in,” wrote Evan Minsker of Pitchfork, “it’s impressive that they can seamlessly execute so many sonic shifts.” Tim Sendra, who writes for the All Music Guide, gave the album 4.5 stars out of five, writing: “…most of the album is restrained and doles out its pleasures in less immediate fashion. It may take a little effort to get to the pleasures…but it is definitely worth it because Still and Moving Lines is an impressively assured debut.”

Still and Moving Lines is a ‘grower’ – generally, the more you listen to it, the more likely you’re bound to come to appreciate just how good it is. The song that stands out the most on the first spin is “Pillars.” The blazing, melodic guitar jamming countered with edgier power chords, frantic rhythms, crashing cymbals, and shouting vocals on “Pillars” makes it seemingly the most accessible tracks on the album.

“Pillars” – Departures from Still and Moving Lines

The loudest, most energetic songs on the LP were wisely put back-to-back at the top of the track listing. But first, the opening track of the album is the haunting 72-second “At Rest, at Home,” followed by “Pillars” and “Being There,” the latter is a nearly five-minute onslaught of loud, distorted guitar layers grinding away, rapid-fire bass thumping, and furious drumming.

Departures takes the listener on adventurous, mysterious sonic journeys throughout the course of the 10-track LP, from melancholic electric experimentation, free form angular guitar jams and sluggish rhythms to full-on screeching, angst-driven walls of noise comprised of tangled, chaotic blasts of reverb and feedback. A couple of worthwhile examples include songs like “Cartwright, MB” and “Contempt.”

Another highlight (among many) on the album is the muffled “Winter Friend,” which conveys a sense of the frigid, isolating environment where nearly half of the year is spent indoors to stay warm. The song starts out with an erie, David Lynch meets X-Files sounding synth, and like other tracks on the album, it slowly builds momentum to a raucous climax. For the band members, the long days of darkness and confinement lend themselves to endless hours of practice, experimentation and honing their skills, which undoubtably facilitated the writing, recording and mixing of a superb album and one of the best debuts of 2012.

“Winter Friend” – Departures from Still and Moving Lines

The standout song, “Being There,” provides total bliss for lovers of lo-fi post punk where fuzzy, noisy guitars are on a rampage, blazing away unabated. The track also has the best guitar solo of any other on the album. The rhythm section is an integral aspect throughout the album as “Being There” demonstrates – the rhythm is bold, energetic, and calculating, somehow exerting a controlled anarchy. Switching gears, the track “Sleepless” is one of the most upbeat songs on the album, with atmospheric synth riffs, bongo style drumming, some “ooohs and ahhhs” and the calming, hushed vocals of Nicholas Liang, who is often a backdrop to the near constant wall of sound found throughout the LP.

“Sleepless” – Departures from Still and Moving Lines

Of the instrumental tracks on the album, the most memorable and poignant is found within the sweet sounds of “Swimming,” a track that conjures up all kinds of relaxing, hazy summer day images, like floating on a raft on a peaceful river surrounded by orange walled canyons, and serving as a contrast to the icier recordings on the album. One of the best aspects of Still and Moving Lines, in addition to its overall brilliance, is that there is absolutely no pandering to appeal to a mass audience. After spinning the album a number of times, listeners may detect the warmth underneath what is often a cold, hard exterior, and possibly come to the conclusion that, in the final analysis, Departures are a jam band, and a very talented one at that. In addition to being one of the best debut albums of 2012, Still and Moving Lines has put Departures on our list for the breakout bands of the year.

“Swimming” – Departures from Still and Moving Lines