London Grammar - "Into Gold"

London Grammar returns next month with its new album The Greatest Love. "Into Gold" is a slow-burning ballad about heartbreak and loss. 

Jam of the Day: Flume ft. London Grammar - "Let Me Know"

Australian producer Flume marries his stuttering, warped electronics with London Grammar's striking vocals on this excellent collaboration.

Jam of the Day: London Grammar - "Leave the War With Me"

Slow burning track from London Grammar's sophomore record Truth is a Beautiful Thing.

Jam of the Day: London Grammar - "Rooting for You"

New track from London Grammar with a stunning vocal from singer Hannah Reid.

Jam of the Day: Vallis Alps - "Young"

Aussie duo Vallis Alps come across like the lovechild of London Grammar and Purity Ring on this beguiling track from their debut EP.

Videos of the Week

Here are the videos that are jump-starting my weekend:



Cute, quirky, and strange Pee-Wee's Playhouse-inspired clip from tUnE-yArDs.



Colorful clip from Lily Allen.



This gorgeous track from Damon Albarn's solo record gets an iPad filmed travelogue video.



Almost one take clip for this simple, yet beautiful track from London Grammar.



Owen Pallett releases another track from his upcoming record In Conflict and gets Robert Binet, Choreographic Assistant of the National Ballet Of Canada, to choreograph this beautiful ballet.



Slightly surreal clip from Toronto synthpop group DIANA.

Video: London Grammar - "Sights"

Elegant, (almost) one-take video for London Grammar's seductive track "Sights."

London Grammar: "Devil Inside (INXS Cover)"

Striking cover of the INXS classic "Devil Inside" from London Grammar. The song was recently previewed in the Game of Thrones trailer for Season Four.

Videos of the Week

Here are the videos that made my week:



Over the top video from Katy Perry.

Stunning video from Forest Swords. Gorgeous, stop motion video from London Grammar. New video from Kelis showing her getting glammed up for some photo shoots.
Evocative black and white clip from The National.

Video: London Grammar - "Hey Now"

Beautiful stop-motion video for this slow burning track from London Grammar.

2013 Favorite Albums (40-31)

Continuing my list of top albums of the year, here are numbers 40 through 31:

40. London Grammar - If You Wait

London Grammar, a trio made up of vocalist Hannah Reid, guitarist Dan Rothman, and pianist and drummer Dot Major, made a buzz late last year with the single "Hey Now," which cribbed from the playbook of The xx, sparse instrumentation (delicate trills of guitar, plaintive piano, and dusky percussion) and intimate, emotionally charged lyrics, but went one step further with Reid's powerhouse voice that can go from a hushed whisper to full on wail in seconds. The band wisely realizes that Reid's voice is the star of the show, and steps things back to allow her to be the focus, but she has amazing control of her instrument, never letting it get too out of control, and reigning it back when necessary. Their debut If You Wait collects all of their singles from this past year with new tracks that seamlessly create a gorgeous collection of atmospheric pop that only falters every so slightly with some timidity that only comes with their youth, but foreshadows great things to come.

39. Letherette - Letherette

Wolverhampton duo Letherette, Andy Harber and Richard Roberts, made the best Daft Punk album of the year with their self-titled debut. While Letherette definitely draw their initial influence from the house music titans, it is merely a stepping off point for a record that is so much more than the sum of its influences. Granted, the first few tracks almost seem like Daft Punk-by-numbers, and by that point in listening to their debut I believed I had them pegged. But Letherette is structured more as a deep cuts DJ set, taking you on a journey, with many highs coupled with interesting sojourns into darker, more contemplative territory. With such insanely catchy tracks, Letherette made me forget all about the debacle that was Random Access Memories.

38. Phoenix - Bankrupt!

Phoenix' breakthrough album, 2009's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is still a headscratcher for me. While it is a really good alt-pop record, there is a huge disconnect with me about it. I loved the singles but the rest of the album left me wanting; it was just a little too quirky, and lacked a certain charm. Even more puzzling is how the band has erupted since then into a festival headlining, SNL guesting, sold out touring juggernaut of epic proportions. So with the release of their new album Bankrupt! I was expecting basically more of the same, but perhaps a little more cleanly polished guitar rock. Imagine my surprise on my first listen to Bankrupt! how gloriously weird it all is. Working with Cassius member Philippe Zdar, Phoenix have ramped up the synths this go around eschewing the sleek guitar pop of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix for a more technicolor/widescreen vision.

37. Daughter - If You Leave

When the first lines of an album are "Drifting apart like two sheets of ice, my love/Frozen hearts growing colder with time," you know you are entering dark and lonely territory. London trio Daughter, led by Elena Tonra, have crafted a debut album that picks over the minutiae of a failed relationship in intimate detail, but never feels overwhelmingly bleak. There is a delicate balance at work here, the softly reverberating guitars and intricate percussion work create a gorgeous sweep of sound that elevates these tracks to sublime beauty. There are touches of The xx's minimal guitar palate, The Innocence Mission's shy naivete, and hints of the legends of their past 4AD label mates Cocteau Twins, Dif Juz, and Mojave 3. Tonra's voice is an evocative instrument that is akin to Florence Welch's dramatic beast, but is far more reigned in and subtle. Daughter don't necessarily sound like any of these bands per se, but they are good stepping off points in comparison. With If You Leave, Daughter rise above their influences and create their own distinct sound.

36. The National - Trouble Will Find Me

It is easy to overlook The National. They aren't flashy, gimmicky, or trendy. In fact, they are probably the most reliable band out there at the moment, always putting out record upon record of comfortable, assured alt-rock. I am sure the band is not thrilled about being considered the musical equivalent to a Lazy-Boy chair, but there is something nice in knowing that you are going to get what you get with The National, and their haunting lyrics and subtle way with melodies is never less than stunning. With their last album High Violet, I thought I had reached the saturation point with the band, believing they had reached the ultimate rung in their upwards trajectory, and a much needed U2/Radiohead sound+game changing shift in their output was needed. Several listens in to Trouble Will Find Me, I actually began to think this was true. While most records from The National require a growing period before you understand what they are going for, with this record I just didn't get it. Throwing my hands up in frustration, I began to develop the thought that "gasp" could this be my first review of theirs that would be less than glowing. Trouble Will Find Me is by far the most subdued record from The National, and perhaps that is what struck me as so odd about the record. There were no immediately killer singles like "Bloodbuzz Ohio" or "Squalor Victoria" that grabbed hold of you. For the most part, these songs are languid and tranquil, the subtle shifts in tone and melody are almost imperceptible at times. Although the tag "grower" is often used with The National, here it is very apropos, and it is almost frustratingly so. But once it ultimately sets hold, Trouble Will Find Me is completely rewarding and another stellar release in their canon.

35. Suede - Bloodsports

When Suede's last album A New Morning came out in 2002, the lukewarm response from fans and critics alike essentially killed the band, seemingly for good. Their first two records, Suede and dog man star, were fueled by tensions between singer Brett Anderson's rock star excesses and guitarist Bernard Butler's more reigned in personality. After Butler left the band, the resulting records Head Music and Coming Up were more fueled by drugs and Anderson's almost suicidal need to live the life of a rock star. The inevitable come down from all that resulted in their most toothless record, one that almost faded into the background. In the interim, Anderson worked with some other artists (including some work with Bernard Butler), released some solo material, and also reissued Suede's first albums with the assistance of Butler. In 2011, Suede quietly got back together again and toured in support of the reissues. I was fortunate to see them perform at Coachella that year, and even without the drug soaked excesses of the past to fuel him, Anderson was a commanding presence on stage, showing everyone in attendance what it meant to be true rock star and front man. Against all odds, Suede are now back with Bloodsports, finding original producer Ed Buller back behind the boards, giving this project a much needed focus and burst of energy. This record bursts forth from the opening chords of "Barriers" and pulses with life up until the final notes of "Faultlines." As with David Bowie's new record, perhaps it was a good thing to take a step back and regain the urge to record again. This record is not just a return to form for Suede, it is one of their best records.

34. FKA Twigs - EP2

Enigmatic UK singer twigs, who goes by the rather clunky new moniker FKA twigs (a change at the behest of another artist called Twigs), follows up her first EP with four tracks produced by up and coming producer Arca (who worked on Kanye West's album Yeezus). Blurring the lines between trip-hop, Aaliyah/Timbaland future R&B, UK bass music, and the menacing, sinister throb of Mezzanine-era Massive Attack, EP2 is a thoroughly beguiling, addictive listen. These four tracks effortlessly flow into each other, utilizing the same elements (whispered vocals, warped samples, fractured beats, and haunted silences), but are offered up in different shades and perspectives.

33. Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Say what you will about Arcade Fire, but no one can slag them off as being reticent. If any band these days follows the maxim "go big or go home" they would be the poster child. Following their surprise Grammy award for best album for The Suburbs, Arcade Fire returns with Reflektor, an expansive double album that draws inspiration from the film Black Orpheus, the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, writings of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, Haitian rara music, as well as practically any art-pop record of the past 50 years, from The White Album, Low, and Achtung Baby. It is a go-for-broke record that is in turns brilliant, bloated, icy, hot, awe-inspiring, and head scratching but never less than intoxicating. Using the Orpheus myth as a jumping off part, Reflektor loosely trails through that epic of undying/unwavering love and its sad resolution, but fractures it through our age's over-saturation of media and information overload. It's a paranoid and shaky journey with lots of false steps, restarts, meanderings, but somehow all comes together to be a rewarding listen.

32. Cut Copy - Free Your Mind

Over the course of three albums, Aussie act Cut Copy have subtly been moving from more guitar-centric dance rock to full on electronic dance music, and never more so on their fourth record Free Your Mind, a trippy, sun-kissed love letter to the late 80s and early 90s summer of love in the UK. Drawing inspiration from Primal Scream's Screamadelica, acid house, and the whole Madchester scene (Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Charlatans), Cut Copy have come up with their most consistent and their most fun record. While many people will decry that Cut Copy have abandoned their New Order-hook galore sound for something more ephemeral, these tracks insinuate themselves within in you to where you can't get rid of them, and honestly, the whole record is a grower, with each listen revealing more and more going on behind the scenes.

31. Darkstar - News From Nowhere

I've stopped trying to figure out what UK electronic trio Darkstar are going to do next, as there is absolutely no way to determine it. Starting out on the Hyperdub label, the original duo of James Young and Aiden Whalley made waves with the brilliant track "Aidy's Girl's A Computer" that pointed them in the direction of UK grime/two step/dubstep. With their debut album North, the duo added a third member, vocalist James Buttery, and moved into dark synth pop territory. With tracks like their cover of the Human League track "(You Remind Me Of) Gold," they kept their coolly sensuous sound but added a human touch to their aesthetic. It was a challenging listen and showed the band's depth of talent. I was basically expecting more along the lines of North when word hit the street that their follow up was imminent. Confounding expectations, Darkstar has once again slid into new territory. New From Nowhere is 10 tracks that flow together seamlessly as one. While there are a few "singles" sprinkled in the mix, for the most part the music acts as a complete work. Drawing from more impressionistic acts like Animal Collective, James Blake, and Oneohetrix Point Never, these liquidy tracks bubble and shimmer and glow with a delicate light. Immersing yourself in this netherworld takes some time and effort, but once you allow it access to your mind and heart, it becomes one of the most gorgeous records you will hear all year.

2013 Favorite Songs (10-1)

And we finally reach the creme de la creme, my Top Ten Favorite Songs of 2013:

10. Nine Inch Nails - "Satellite"



Damn funky, and extremely catchy, "Satellite" off of Reznor's latest opus Hesitation Marks is textbook NIN, sinister and slinky, and ultimately booty shaking.

9. FKA twigs - "How's That"



Mixing trip-hop's sense of dread with beat music's warped style and mood, vocalist FKA twigs, working with top notch producer Arca, crafted this amazing single off her EP2. The song takes a while to take shape, its fractured beats never really letting you sink into a groove. But it is all due to the commanding vocals from FKA twigs that draw you in, a whisper, a coo, beckoning you into her dark, twisted world. Expect great things from this lady.

8. Blood Orange - "Chamakay"



Heartbreaking track from Blood Orange, the solo project of producer Dev Hynes, featuring vocals from Caroline Polachek from Chairlift. Over a languid, tropical vibe, Hynes and Polachek's vocals wind in and out of one another, each unsure of each other, and unable to make a relationship work with all the lies and game playing. The haunting lines "I'll never leave you if you're thinking that it's all the same/I'll never trust you if you're thinking that it's just a game" echo throughout the track, showing the impasse that can't be overcome.

7. When Saints Go Machine - "Iodine"



When Saints Go Machine cannot be called direct. Their experimental electro-pop tracks deal more with mood, texture, and atmosphere rather that getting straight to the point. Their lyrics are especially impressionistic and very open to interpretation, with single "Iodine" not being an exception. I have pretty much no idea what this song is about, however, their use of warm electronics and singer Nikolaj Manuel Vonsild's fragile, tender voice bring all the emotion and longing that is needed. This is pure pop feeling at its finest.

6. Local Natives - "You And I"



Local Natives took a monster leap into the upper echelons of indie rock with their second record Hummingbird. "You and I" is the soaring, emotional first track on the record that sets a high barrier for the other tracks to follow, and from there, the record becomes more and more sublime. This single always stands out for me, with its lush bed of guitars and keyboards, and Kelcey Ayer's gorgeous voice, and its sad dissection of a failing relationship, with Rice singing "When did your love, when did your love go cold?/The closer I get, the farther I have to go/To places we don't know." Quietly heartbreaking.

5. Drake - "Hold On, We're Going Home"



Sort of the yin to Local Native's "You and I" yang, Drake's self-proclaimed "wedding song," is not quite as straightforward as it sounds (why does this girl act different around Drake for instance?), but all thematic quibbles aside, this is the best damn pop-R&B track of the year. Drake assumes a slick Marvin Gaye persona on this track, and rides it home on its insistently good vibe.

4. London Grammar - "Wasting My Young Years"



Propelled by the striking vocals of Hannah Reid, London Grammar's "Wasting My Young Years" is the haunting centerpiece to their record If You Wait. It perfectly captures youthful doubt that a relationship is holding one back from actually living. Reid makes these doubts so palpable, you feel each pang deep inside.

3. Chvrches - "Gun"



If I could, I would easily put every song on The Bones of What You Believe on this list. As I have limited myself to one for each artist, I will go with "Gun," the ultimate kiss off song. And it doesn't hurt that this is some of the catchiest synthpop you will hear all year.

2. Tove Lo - "Habits"



Odd for me that the best, catchiest pop song of the year is also one of the saddest tracks I have ever heard. Singer Tove Lo wrenches every emotion she can as she tries to forget a lover that has either left her or passed away. As she numbs herself with drugs, alcohol, and one night stands, his memory keeps coming back to haunt her and you feel her anguish. Anyone who has lost their one great love should be devastated by this track. This song should have been huge.

1. James Blake - "Retrograde"



Damn you James Blake. Just as I was about to give up on you, you had to go and release "Retrograde," possibly the finest song of your career and now my favorite song of the year. That gorgeous croon, the delicate, fragile humming over somber piano chords and muted drum programming, erupting into such a emotional whirlwind. For the first time I felt your presence in a track, inhabiting it like an ancient ghost. When the analog synths kick in like air raid sirens from the underworld, my heart drops, your voice in agony over an unrequited love. You drop back into almost silence, keeping me tightly in your grasp. The aching refrain of "and your friends are gone/and your friends won't come" the perfect encapsulation of feeling lost and lonely in this world. Bravo.

Non-Sequiturs

Damn.

Beefy belly.

Hot beard and chest.

Sexy Daddy.

Beautiful fur.

So cute.

Grrrrr.

Another sexy Daddy.

Daddy day.

Beautiful.

Wet.

Handsome and amazing chest.

Adorable.

Bear contemplating.

UNF.

Sweet Jebus.

Striking profile.

Chesticles.

Drool.

Sweet face.

Sweet body.

Hmmmm.

Hot belly.

Hot man with an instrument, woof.

Bedroom eyes.

Bedroom everything.

I'm feeling peckish.

Gorgeous beard.

Lick.

Devour.

It's the 21st century, you would think we'd be able to perfect temperature control in an office building by now.

As my friend Stephen pointed out to me, if we are saying something bizarre is happening at Xion, then it is truly bizarre.

It looks very silly when you take a selfie with an iPad.

I have finally reached the age, I think, where exchanging Christmas gifts with family and friends is no longer necessary.

One of my favorite holiday pictures.

I miss having a solid door to my office.

Can we have a moratorium on arty photographs of doorways in foreign locales?

Someone explain to me why OneRepublic is still around?

Andrew and I ate dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant the other night and they had a telenovella on that was cut so frenetically I was surprised people didn't get whiplash from watching it.

Yeah, that would be bad.

I remember when all the big law firms in town had very lavish holiday parties. When the economy turned all of those parties went the way of the dodo. All they have at my firm is a "holiday breakfast" in the dining room.

Burial is back; and all is right with the world.

India's Supreme Court recriminalized homosexuality in one of its rulings. If I had any interest in going to that country, it has certainly been quashed.

SoundCloud can be frustratingly difficult to use sometimes.

I hate to say this is pretty true.

We got a large Bumble Christmas decoration that is about 2 feet tall and lights up. I love it.

Apparently, the firm's Christmas gift to me is the return of my office nemesis!

I almost forgot how good Cold Cave's album Cherish The Light Years is.

Someone hit my car on the way home from dinner last night. First accident I have been in since 1993. Luckily, the guy barely hit me, but it is still going to be a pain in the ass to get it taken care of.

Your cute for the day.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"A gardener told me some plants move, but I could not believe it
Til me and Hannah Hunt saw crawling vines and weeping willows
As we made our way from Providence to Phoenix

A man of faith said hidden eyes could see what I was thinking
I just smiled and told him that was only true of Hannah
And we glided on through Waverly/Lincoln

Our days were long, our nights no longer
Count the seconds, watching the hours
Though we live on the US dollar
You and me, we got our own sense of time

n Santa Barbara, Hannah cried, 'I miss those freezing beaches.'
I walked into town to buy some kindling for the fire
Hannah tore the New York Times up into pieces

If I can't trust you, then dammit, Hannah
There's no future, there's no answer
Though we live on the US dollar
You and me we got our own sense of time."

Vampire Weekend
"Hannah Hunt"

"Talk to me and watch me crumble
You will see you got mine down

Faithfully I will look over
There I'll find what you've become

(What you've become)

You help me lose my mind
And you believe something I can't define
Help me lose my mind, make me run back
What if all before
Keep, I need more time
How much longer
Oh I've been waiting for

Jealousy will be washed over
Carefully we look on through

Could it be easy to start over
Sound how I will bring you too

(What you've become)

You help me lose my mind
And you believe something I can't define
Help me lose my mind, make me run back
What if all before
Keep, I need more time
How much longer
Oh I've been waiting for."

Disclosure ft. London Grammar
"Help Me Lose My Mind"

"Nice and high and far apart
just like they said
I built this place with broken parts
just like they said
you chip away the old version of you
you'd be surprised at what you can do
I'm safe in here
irrelevant
just like they said

My voice just echoes off these walls

You feel me breathe
I am watching you
I see it all
the many ways you can't get to me
I see it all
I see the hell you put yourself through
oh the things I could do (if I wanted to)

My voice just echoes off these walls
my voice just echoes off these walls
I don't need anything at all
my voice just echoes off these walls

And I just slowly fade away

You will never ever get to me in here."

Nine Inch Nails
"Echoplex"

Appealing Things

Alyson Calagna at Xion: perfection
The bass line on the Disclosure track "White Noise"
19th Hole Arnold Palmer
Getting my year end lists done

Annoying Things

Peggy from accounting
The incessant chatter about the live version of The Sound of Music
People who constantly talk in slang or jargon