TV on the Radio: Wolf Like Me. More than just about any other band, TV on the Radio makes music that makes me want to dance. And not shuffle-from-side-to-side dance, more like jump-in-the-middle-of-the-dance-floor-and-lose-my-sh*t dance.

I wouldn’t even qualify TVotR as a dance band, but the New York-based quintet certainly knows how to produce music that makes you want to move. Their sound is eclectic, ranging from trip-hop to a cappella to jazz and Wolf Like Me (from 2006’s Return to Cookie Mountain) is as dark and sexy as it is fun.

Talking Heads: This Must be the Place (naïve melody). This song has special meaning to me because it is my and my boyfriend’s “song”. It captures the uncertainty and exhilaration that accompanies love with David Byrne’s beautifully eccentric voice and the delicate musical arrangement.

My favorite version is from the 1984 documentary/live performance Stop Making Sense. In the film, David Byrne says that this is the only love song he’s ever written and as such, he is singing it to a lamp. Weird, wonderful, transcendent, just like the Talking Heads and just like love. Read More »

Straight to Hell: The Clash

Does this song sound familiar? If you are a fan of MIA (and who isn’t these days?) then it should–she samples this, my favorite song of all time, on her catchy single Paper Planes. Straight to Hell most deftly and beautifully represents everything that makes the Clash so singular and so influential, mixing Joe Strummer’s rusty voice with clever world music instrumentation, wit, and a political message.

Once Again: Girl Talk

The music of Girl Talk reminds me of cheerleading remixes on crack, and I mean that in the very best way. If you aren’t familiar with Girl Talk, it’s basically a DJ named Greg Gillis who mixes, to unexpected delight, any number of seemingly disparate songs together to create a sort of fun, danceable Frankenstein. My favorite part? Mixing The Whisper Song with the Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony. Brilliant.
Machine Gun: Portishead

After 11 years, Trip Hop pioneers Portishead have finally come out with a new album, Third. Portishead was one of my favorite bands growing up, so I was absolutely delighted when they released a new album after so long and even happier when the album turned out to be really, really good.

For me, the band was most successful when they were at their heaviest and darkest, and Third is full of that density. The first single off of the album is the relentless track Machine Gun, which juxtaposes lead singer Beth Gibbons’ rich lilt with persistent and ominous synthesizers. It’s a mixture of hard and soft sounds that is Portishead’s trademark and its done to beautiful, poignant effect in Machine Gun. Read More »