TOPS - "Change of Heart"

Open up your heart and let the TOPS shine in.

D. Tiffany - "Tranq Moon"

Quietly insistent. This feels like music for a dance-party onboard Discovery. From the B.C. interior to the moon, D. Tiffany is making "lo-tech homemade house" for 1080p. First time I've heard of such a thing, but I want to hear more.

Common - "Kingdom" ft. Vince Staples

The upside of Hell On Wheels being put in production limbo, besides Hell On Wheels being put in limbo was it freed Common up to do some recording. This cut - with Vince Staples - feels like he's been rejuvenated behind the mic. "Kingdom" could've fit snugly on Like Water For Chocolate. Which, crazily enough, is some old-school shit at this point. God I'm old.

The Icypoles - "Babies"

It's super-precious, but what else would you expect from an album entitled My World Was Made For You if not heart-on-your-sleeve / caution-to-the-wind emotional honesty. There are songs about biking around town ("Round n Round"), a cover of a Prince tune ("Love Thy Will Be Done") and a Twin Peaks cover ("Just You") that tries to out-breathiness the queen of breathiness, Julee Cruise. But the simplicity and round-like nature of "Babies" is the standout track from this group comprised of members of Architecture in Helsinki. AiH's attention to pop-songcraft is present, but the bells and whistles have been whittled down to allow for the more direct nature of these songs. Lovely.

Yesway - "Howlin' Face"

One half of Yesway is Kacey Johansing, who I've posted about before (and whose album Many Seasons was my #15 album of 2010). Big ups to Andrew Jervis and his always-excellent Bandcamp podcast for playing material from Johansing's collaboration with Emily Ritz and bringing this great act to my attention. No question, Yesway.

Caribou - "Can't Do Without You"

Dan Snaith is the funkiest mathematician you'll ever meet. They should remake A Beautiful Mind about him and call it A Beautiful Sound.

The Donkeys - Ride the Black Wave

This album is out today. It's a trip. And it's worth the trip to your local record store. You can hear the whole thing below, but the first cut "Sunny Daze" should convince you to roll down your windows on the way home from said store.