Jam of the Day: Young Galaxy - "Backwards Love"

From Young Galaxy's final EP Snow Leopard(the band has decided to go on indefinite hiatus), comes this throbbing midtempo dance track that is a fitting close to this band's wonderful output. They will be missed.

Jam of the Day: Young Galaxy - "Seeing Eye Dog"

Yesterday I listened to Young Galaxy's new record Down Time over a dozen times and each time it unraveled new riches. It is a subtle, hushed album that feels like an island in a storm. One of the standout tracks is "Seeing Eye Dog," which pulsates with soft synth pads and heartbeat-like percussion. It is a balm in these troubled times, relying on love to see one through dark days. I love these lyrics: "Our love is a buffer to the bullshit / Is a fire that burns right through it / These days I want to lean into — even harder than I have before." I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do, and also give Down Time a chance, and it will definitely feature high on my list of top albums this year.

Jam of the Day: Young Galaxy - "Under My Wing"

Pulsating beats and dreamy electronics buoy this subtle pop confection from Young Galaxy. It is the first taste of their new record Down Time.

Jam of the Day: Young Galaxy - "Stay for Real"

A call to arms to remain true to yourself and your ideals in the face of these troubled times, "Stay for Real" is Young Galaxy at their dream-pop best.

2015 Albums of the Year (Numbers 20-11)

And on it goes:

20. Julien Baker - Sprained Ankle

This record really blew me away this year. As intimate as it possibly can be, Sprained Ankle is wry, witty, and full of raw emotion. You sense she has lived deeply inside these songs, inhabiting them like a second skin.

19. Beach House - Thank Your Lucky Stars

Beach House surprised everyone with two albums and they couldn't be any more different. Depression Cherry, to me, was a droning, one note, beige mess of songs that made me feel that Beach House had lost their mind. Thank Your Lucky Stars feels like a mea culpa, and a welcome return to form.

18. Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool

This record throws together alt-rock, indie pop, shoegaze, Britpop, and a hundred other genres together in a mix that shouldn't work, but just keeps finding ways to creep back into your psyche.

17. Everything Everything - Get To Heaven

As I mentioned in my top songs countdown, Everything Everything are weird. Very weird. When I play this record for others, I get lots of head scratching. You either get them or you don't. I, for one, am very glad I get them.

16. Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late

If You're Reading This It's Too Late, is a dark, insular record that has no real "singles," but collectively shows Drake at the height of his powers.

15. Years & Years - Communion

Perfect blend of pop smarts, R&B sass, and dance floor power.

13. Young Galaxy - Falsework

The quirky Canadians once again work with producer Dan Lissvik, creating a sublime selection of arty synthpop.

12. Little Boots - Working Girl

While probably too arch and distant to be fully embraced by Top 40 radio, Little Boots' record Working Girl is one of the most hook filled alnbum recent memory. She is a jewel just waiting to be discovered.

11. Jamie xx - In Colour

Eclectic and thoroughly entertaining collection of tracks that hit on almost all of Jamie xx's influences.

Top 50 Songs of 2015 (Numbers 50-41)

I can't believe it's almost the end of another year. There was a lot of great music this year including some stellar songs. I don't have a requirement that a song be an official single from an album. As such, you are going to see a lot of deep album cuts on this list, as well as a lot of one-off's that aren't even off an album at all. With that said, let's get to it:

50. Boxed In - "False Alarm"



This album came out way at the beginning of the year, and remained in heavy rotation for most of it. I love this driving, funky track filled with luscious piano rolls.

49. Stonefox - "This City"



Simple and sweet. This song hit all the right indie pop buttons for me.

48. Annie - "Work X2"



Although she appears unhurried in getting another full length out, Annie at least keeps us teased with a slew of EPs. From the Endless Vacation EP, "WorkX2" is a frothy dance track that she does effortlessly.

47. Young Galaxy - "Body"



Young Galaxy never phones it in. Their new record Falsework is another impeccable slice of arty-pop. "Body" shows them throwing down squarely on the dance floor and taking no prisoners.

46. Tamaryn - "Sugar Fix"



Tamaryn has moved from their deep shoegaze roots into a new period of exquisitely rendered dream pop, touching on late period Cocteau Twins for inspiration.

45. Metric - "Cascades"



Loopy synth-pop track from Metric that always kept evolving during its run time, finishing off with an epic synth meltdown.

44. I'lls - "Let Me Just Have One"



I'll's have taken Kid A as a launching point and are making some for the most paranoid, creepy, yet somehow humane tech-pop. "Let Me Have Just One" aches with emotion even though it is wrapped in some of the coldest instrumentation.

43. FKA twigs - "In Time"



Even when FKA twigs throws together something relatively straightforward, there is an underlying tension that keeps one on edge. This is one gorgeous track, but you always feel like it might descend into madness.

42. Best Coast - "California Nights"



This is just one of those songs that make you want to get into a convertible, put the top down, hit the open road, and blast the music as loud as you can.

41. Everything Everything - "Distant Past"



You will either love or hate Everything Everything. There is no getting around the fact that they are pretty weird. I happen to like weird. This is pretty darn weird. And it's awesome.

Jam of the Day: Young Galaxy - "Body"

Thumping dance track from the absolutely brilliant new album from Young Galaxy called Falsework.

2013 Favorite Albums (50-41)

Last week I unveiled my Top Songs of 2013, and this week will be focused on my Top Albums. To get this week started off, here are Numbers 50 through 41.

50. Esben & The Witch - Wash The Sins Not Only The Face

On their second release, Wash The Sins Not Only The Face, UK trio Esben and the Witch continue their reverential exploration of moody, gothic inspired art rock. In revisiting their debut album Violet Cries (which I gave a very favorable review to here), I was still struck how dynamic their music was, but also how formal and rather stiff it could be. Expecting a similar palate of music and themes this go around, I was astonished from the open notes of "Iceland Spar" how more expansive and open their sound had gotten. It is still unmistakably Esben and the Witch, but where on Violet Cries they almost sought to be obtuse and off putting, here there is a warmth that was missing earlier, where now the songs tend to stick more to more standard song structures rather than meandering, but still allowing moments of experimentation and stark beauty.

49. Lorde - Pure Heroine

Although she is only 16, New Zealand singer Lorde (nee Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O'Connor) projects an image of a world-weary soul bored with all the trappings of our Internet age. While this could snarkily come across as the usual "teenagers think they know everything" cliche, Lorde is smart enough not to head down this path, choosing, for the most part, to use her critiques more towards expressing dissatisfaction, seeking more from life. Teaming up with writer/producer Joel Little for her debut Pure Heroine, Lorde works within a tightly controlled sound, however, these tracks, while thematically and musically linked, work together without sounding too monochromatic. While most people flocked to the record for her hit single "Royals," it was deeper cuts like "Ribs" and "400 Lux" that pull you in deeper and show the depth of her talent.

48. Gesaffelstein - Aleph

Probably best known at the moment for producing "Black Skinhead" and "Send It Up" on Kanye West's industrial leaning record Yeezus, French techno producer Mike Levy's debut record Aleph is a dense, foreboding set of dark techno. On listening to these tracks, one immediately sees what drew West to use the producer, as every square inch of each track is polished to a superhuman sheen, dripping with menace and darkness, even on the handful of more atmospheric numbers. Drawing from traditional techno to more intense genres like industrial and EBM, with even a slight touchdown in hip-hop, Levy has constructed an immaculately produced set of tracks. At over an hour, it is not an easy listen, with several of the tracks pummeling you with over-the-top aggression. The pacing, however, breaks up these intense assaults with carefully placed moments that pull you back into this sleek world.

47. David Bowie - The Next Day

From its defacing of the iconic album cover for "Heroes," The Next Day, David Bowie's 24th studio album and first record in 10 years, immediately announces itself as presenting the modern age Bowie through the refracted lens of his past work, specifically his storied Berlin trilogy. At 66, Bowie is no longer the restless chameleon who changed his persona and musical direction with each record; no longer does Bowie set trends or even attempt to stay in touch with current trends. The Next Day finally shows Bowie being comfortable with being Bowie, able to make music on his own terms without great expectations. Though this is Bowie's most relaxed set of music in years, perhaps decades, thematically it is one of his most introspective and melancholic, with these 14 tracks contemplating the past and the affects of age and memory, an album haunted by the ghosts.

46. When Saints Go Machine - Infinity Pool

Danish electro outfit When Saints Go Machine will likely never be accused of going mainstream; they are much too enamored of bending machine made sounds into the most twisted shapes imaginable. Over the course of two albums they have jumped back and forth from somewhat more traditional synthpop tracks (with a much needed edge) and extremely challenging soundscapes and musical experiments. I keep waiting for that one album from them that balances these two forces equally, creating that perfect blend of pop savvy and sonic exploration. Their last record Konkylie was about as close as they could get for me so far, with just a few too many tracks that skirted too close over the line at times into too experimental. The first two teaser singles for new record Infinity Pool immediately got my attention. "Love and Respect" featured a more hip-hop leaning bent, with boom bap programming and a guest turn from Atlanta rapper Killer Mike, showing a new edge previously missing from their records. While "Iodine," a more traditionally WSGM synthpop track, initially didn't make as stunning impression, its all-enveloping warmth and humanity washed over you so easily, taking you into its considerable spell. So with trepidation I received the full length album, really wanting every track to strike me the way these two did. While none of the remaining tracks hit the highs set by these two tracks, ultimately Infinity Pool works as a yang to Konkylie's yin, providing a similar experience, albeit one that is darker and more challenging, but yet still admirable.

45. Young Galaxy - Ultramarine

Montreal quintet Young Galaxy's first records went practically unnoticed by me, their Broken Social Scene/Arcade Fire-lite alternative rock was workman like and pleasant but lacked any type of individual spark that would make them transcend the comparisons with their countrymen. It wasn't until 2011's Shapeshifting that something interesting happened. The band, feeling a bizarre need to shake things up, sent the tapes for Shapeshifting over to Dan Lissik, former member of Swedish pop act Studio, who spread his Balearic magic over the album's 11 tracks. There was something fortuitous in this partnership as the resulting album gave the band much needed spark and buzz. It was an album of elegantly gorgeous synth pop that just got better and better with each listen. Wanting to keep their forward momentum going, Young Galaxy once again enlisted the production duties of Dan Lissik, and have come up with another insanely catchy collection of tracks that builds upon the foundation set by Shapeshifting.

44. Savages - Silence Yourself

We live in an age where there is so much technological overkill it is a wonder we can ever find peace and quiet these days, our senses overwhelmed to the point of exhaustion. London quartet Savages appear to be railing against this turn of events, proclaiming in their manifesto that "”The world used to be silent. Now it has too many voices. The noise is a constant distraction." They have even gone so far as to try and, while not outright ban use of cell phones at concerts, at least make the audience aware that they are missing out on the connection between the band and audience by focusing too much on technology. While their music might add to said noise, it it is definitely going to grab and hold your attention. Although I have yet to see Savages live, it has been reported (which wasn't word of mouth the best way to hear of a band in the first place?) that their live shows are a revelation, and if the music on their assured debut Silence Yourself is any indication, I can definitely see why. Missing the post-punk revival by at least 10 years, Savages don't wallow in the mire of Joy Division, but align themselves more with the economy of sound of early Wire coupled with the brash feminism of Siouxsie and the Banshees while still allowing more modern influences seep in here and there, be it PJ Harvey's commanding way with a riff, or Karen O's astonishing lead vocal presence.

43. ON AN ON - Give In

Rising from the ashes of indie stalwarts Scattered Trees, Nate Eiesland, Alissa Ricci, and Ryne Estwing decided to continue on under a the new name ON AN ON, and worked with Broken Social Scene producer Dave Newfeld for their debut record Give In. Despite only having two weeks to regroup and plan their new approach, ON AN ON have crafted a remarkably assured debut record which builds from the influences of acts like BSS, Arcade Fire, and Radiohead. Give In creates a nice tension between acoustic and electronic elements that seldom feels forced or rushed, while chief songwriter Eisland finds interesting turns of phrase that linger long in the memory. From opening track and first single "Ghosts" you know you are in for something special. Minimal drum programming and subtle atmospherics lead into booming drums and chugging guitar riffs that slowly gestates into something more epic yet still intimate. Eisland's haunting words "I was on the verge to scream/When you wouldn't scream about anything" pushing his friend to keep alive, and pushes the track into immortality.

42. Banks - London EP

LA singer BANKS releases her second EP of the year, the 4 track stunner London, showcasing her sultry delivery and immaculate taste in collaborators, aligning herself with up and comers SOHN, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Lil Silva, and Jamie Woon. BANKS hangs in a sort of netherworld between pop, R&B, electronic, and indie-alternative, never really putting her foot firmly into any one camp, choosing to float loosely over them all, taking what works best to suit her sexy voice.

41. Drake - Nothing Was The Same

For arguably the most popular rapper at the moment, Drake sure puts out some strange albums, full of inward looking lyrics and some of the most atmospheric and texturally interesting backing tracks. Most of his records ping pong back and forth between straight up rap tracks and R&B crooners, sometimes blurring the lines between both. I find him more interesting when he sticks to one over the other, his raps being more of his hyper-id personality, full of broad boasts and some of his most chillingly harsh attacks on women, friends, and family, while his more vocal focused tracks find him in a more contemplative mood, looking deep inside himself, being his most harsh critic. His last record, Take Care, is, for me, the most representative and best of his records, finding the right balance between his two personas. That is not to say that his latest record, Nothing Was The Same, is a less impressive release. It is still one of, if not the best hip-hop records of the year, but for me it is Drake really trying to find himself, and with that stretch, the record is a bold experiment that works almost all the time. But when you stretch this hard, it is bound to be a mess at points, and there is a lot to criticize here, but overall, these mistakes somehow make him more human.

Videos of the Week

Here are the videos that showered me with tinsel this week:



Moody animated clip from Young Galaxy.



Intense clip from Carcass.



Impressionistic video from Zula matches the mood of the song, which is about the loss of a twin sibling.



Completely over the top video from R. Kelly.



Julian Casablancas stars in this museum set clip for his collaboration with Daft Punk.



Gorgeous song from Mutual Benefit gets a video where a family photo shoot goes slightly awry.

2013 Favorite Songs (40-31)

Continuing the countdown of my Top 50 Favorite Songs of 2013 with Numbers 40 through 31:

40. Joel Compass - "Fucked Up"



UK singer Joel Compass was one of the standout future R&B stars of 2013. His single "Fucked Up" is a stately dissection of regret, his voice projecting all the emotions the narrator is going through as he slowly realizes that one stupid mistake will cost him everything.

39. Queens of the Stone Age - "My God Is The Sun"



I was lamenting to a friend that I really didn't have many pure rock records on my lists this year. The only record I consistently went to was Queens of the Stone Age's brilliant return ...Like Clockwork. Single "My God Is The Sun" is just a driving track that gets my blood pumping.

38. Daughter - "Shallows"



Reminiscent of atmospheric bands from the 4AD heyday, UK trio Daughter masterfully use atmosphere and texture to draw you in deeply. From their evocative debut record If You Leave, "Shallows" is a gorgeous track of carefully intertwined echoing guitars and hushed percussion. Singer Elena Tonra's voice beautifully portraying a woman's loss of self after losing her lover.

37. Young Galaxy - "New Summer"



A stunning, slow-burn synthpop track about fleeting youth and escaping the rapid passing of time, "New Summer" is one of the most infectious, and wistful tracks that captured my ear.

36. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - "We No Who U R"



Dark, somber, and slightly sinister, "We No Who U R" is a veiled portrait of the all-encompassing purview of the Internet and social media. Cave's voice delicate, yet rich, almost resigned to life in this age. The words at the end "We know who you are/We know where you live/And we know there's no need to forgive" echoing out, almost in a mantra-like calm.

35. Tim Hecker - "Black Refraction"



Haunted and fractured piano piece from Tim Hecker's masterful record Virgins. The gorgeous melody plays against itself as it slowly decays into nothingness.

34. Young & Sick - "Continuum"



Young and Sick, a music and art collective based in LA, have very limited musical output, but what they have released is simply sublime. "Continuum" is a particularly lovely R&B influenced electronica track that slowly unfurls, like smoke off a cigarette.

33. BASECAMP - "Smoke Filled Lungs"



Nashville trio BASECAMP draw inspiration from R&B, bass music, and electronica, and come up with their own unique spin. From their debut EP, "Smoke Filled Lungs" is a blissfully atmospheric track that features one of the most emotionally compelling vocals I have heard in a long while.

32. Nero - "Into The Past"



Nero have always had a very cinematic outlook to their music. Their contribution to the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby takes things to the next level, with sweeping strings adding to the 3D extravaganza of the track. Simply stunning.

31. Boards of Canada - "Come to Dust"



Boards of Canada's latest record Tomorrow's Harvest is perhaps their most somber and grey record, lacking some of the playfulness of their earliest records. With tracks like the lumbering "Come to Dust," Boards of Canada still know how to create a palpable sense of dread and decay.

Video: Young Galaxy - "Crying My Heart Out"

The Donna Summer/Georgio Moroder disco throb of Young Galaxy's single "Crying My Heart Out" gets a very surreal video.

Videos of the Week

Here are the videos that struck my fancy this week:



James Murphy's amazing remix of David Bowie's track "Love Is Lost" gets pared down to its essence here with a unsettling video featuring Bowie projections and marionettes.



Super heros are not immune to the effects of aging in this clip from Young Galaxy.



Somber video from Savages.



Typical hyper-kinetic video from Major Lazer.



Interesting and evocative clip from Australian singer Kirin J. Callinan.



Gorgeous and haunting video from Night Things.

Criminally Overlooked: Young Galaxy - "New Summer"

Gorgeous, Balearic-tinged synthpop from this Canadian pop band should have been a huge hit this summer. Their latest record Ultramarine was just re-released in a deluxe edition with 12 additional tracks, including several new songs and some remixes. Do yourself a favor and get on board with this wonderful band.

New: Young Galaxy - "Sea Drug"

On the heels of their excellent new record Ultramarine, Young Galaxy keep releasing material. This track has a subtle Caribbean/reggae feel to it.

New: Young Galaxy - "Crying My Heart Out"

From the deluxe version of their latest record Ultramarine, Young Galaxy release this Moroder-esque disco track.

Video: Young Galaxy - "New Summer"

Young Galaxy present this video for their single "New Summer" and give it a seemingly big-budget summer blockbuster like feel. They made the video as a way to get people to look at the song different. Without the visuals, the song comes across as a lovingly nostalgic reminiscence of days gone past. With the visuals it is haunting elegy to a world prior to destruction. It is an interesting look into the combined powers of visuals with words.

Videos of the Week

Somehow this year is quickly slipping by, June is just around the corner. These are the videos that kept me from shaking my head in disbelief:



Stunning black and white clip for this breathtaking track from UK buzz band London Grammar.



Fuzzed out pop song gets a strangely human and heartbreaking video.



Another hypersurreal and violent animated video from QOTSA's upcoming album ... Like Clockwork.



Strange, frenetic video from up and coming Danish singer MØ.



Pretty amazing single from Holy Ghost! gets a fun, colorful video.



Bizarre, CGI video from Young Galaxy that somehow fits the song's tropical vibe.



Amazing song from rapper Kendrick Lamar.

Album Review: Young Galaxy - Ultramarine

Young Galaxy
Ultramarine
Rating: Grrrr

Montreal quintet Young Galaxy's first records went practically unnoticed by me, their Broken Social Scene/Arcade Fire-lite alternative rock was workman like and pleasant but lacked any type of individual spark that would make them transcend the comparisons with their countrymen. It wasn't until 2011's Shapeshifting that something interesting happened. The band, feeling a bizarre need to shake things up, sent the tapes for Shapeshifting over to Dan Lissik, former member of Swedish pop act Studio, who spread his Balearic magic over the album's 11 tracks. There was something fortuitous in this partnership as the resulting album gave the band much needed spark and buzz. It was an album of elegantly gorgeous synth pop that just got better and better with each listen. Wanting to keep their forward momentum going, Young Galaxy once again enlisted the production duties of Dan Lissik, and have come up with another interesting batch of tracks that builds upon the foundation set by Shapeshifting. Ultramarine is not as brilliant or game changing as its predecessor but has its own charms and high points.

The one main change is the elevation of Catherine McCandless to main vocalist, forgoing any vocals from guitarist Stephen Ramsay. I enjoyed the back and forth between the two vocalists on Shapeshifting and it is the one element that I find missing from Ultramarine, however, despite this one major change the record as whole holds up remarkably well. Ultramarine opens strongly with the amazing single "Pretty Boy," a gorgeous, soaring track with undulating synth arpeggios, strings, and a bouncy drum track.



While the tracks on Shapeshifting moved and flowed in and out of each very well, there is a startling jump here and there in musical styles here on Ultramarine that takes a bit of getting used to before settling into a rhythm. From the shimmering synth pop of the opener, things take a sudden leap into sunkissed reggae and tropicalia on "Fall For You," which then springs into the fractured electro-pop of standout track "New Summer." Akin to my favorite track of last year, Sun Airway's "Laketop Swimmers," "New Summer" is an elegant ode to summer and it's intoxicating freeness that always seems to fade too fast.



From there the album ping pongs around, from the lovely dream pop of "Hard to Tell,"



slinky dance punk of "Out the Gate Backwards,"



to the wonky synth workout of "Privileged Poor,"



Young Galaxy finds away to always keep the listener guessing as to which direction they are headed. At times this approach can be a little bit exhausting as the flow of the album is a bit choppy. But the hooks and pristine production are too good to keep one from belaboring the point for too long.

Although Ultramarine lacks the OMG! moment that Shapeshifting brought to the band, but once you let the album work its magic over you it holds its own surprises. Young Galaxy feels more confident this go around, with a closer working relationship with Lissik bringing out their adventurous side, showing how they can effortlessly move between different genre experiments while still sounding like Young Galaxy. Ultramarine is a worthy follow up to Shapeshifting, and moves Young Galaxy into new and more varied territory.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Jam of the Day: Young Galaxy - "Pretty Boy"

Such an amazing song off their brilliant new album Ultramarine.

New: Young Galaxy - "New Summer"

Glistening synths propel this track from the upcoming Young Galaxy album, Ultramarine. The soaring chorus is infinitely moving.