New Music of the Day, November 30:

Cold Cave, "Glory"

For this Throwback Thursday, how about a song that sounds like a lost New Order track from 1982? (Okay, a lost New Order track from an alternate universe in which Ian Curtis was still around and fronting the band in 1982).

New Music of the Day, November 29:

Rachel Platten, "Perfect for You"

I kind of feel bad for pop C-listers like Rachel Platten (even though I loathed her big hit, the supposedly inspirational female empowerment anthem "Fight Song"). If the sultry-yet-sassy "Perfect for You" had been recorded by a bigger star with a sexier star persona--say, a Selena Gomez or a Demi Lovato--it probably would have become a huge hit. As recorded by co-writer Platten, it will be lucky if it hits #46 on the Hot AC chart. It's still a great pop song, though.

New Music of the Day, November 28:

courtship., "Tell Me Tell Me"

A few days ago, I had to fish out my warm winter gloves, and I've noticed that my thoughts keep drifting to the same question: "How many weeks until spring comes again?" But when I'm yearning for spring, I can just put on this song by LA band courtship. The strummed surf guitar, the tapping woodblocks, the ringing chimes, the wispy vocals, the airy harmonies: they're the musical equivalent of a bright light to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder.

New Music of the Day, November 27:

Sleigh Bells, "Rainmaker"

I always find Sleigh Bells a little hit-or-miss, and most of their latest EP Kid Kruschev is a big miss for me, but I love the single "Rainmaker." It has an early 90s feel that triggers my nostalgia centers, but the unusual thing is that it's blending two very different styles of music from that era. The lyrics and impassioned vocals recall the edgy alternative rock band Curve, but a lot of the production touches come from the era's Top 40 hits, like the background moans that could be from Madonna's "Justify my Love" or the drum fills that sound almost identical to those on PM Dawn's "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss." It's an odd combination, but it adds up to the best song Sleigh Bells have released since "Comeback Kid."

New Music of the Day, November 26:

Ásgeir, "I Know You Know"

This song cleverly combines two of Iceland's major musical exports: Kaleo-style folk-pop and Bjork-style glitchy electronica. Even though some of the digital sounds in the mix are quite sharp and dissonant, Ásgeir's gentle voice, combined with the pastoral scenes in the video, makes the song feel soothing and organic, like the burbling of an electronic stream.

New Music of the Day, November 25:

School is Cool, "Fight of the Century"

For such a small country, Belgium sure does produce a lot of great English-language indie rock. Some of the credit for that probably has to go to radio station Studio Brussel and its long running alternative music program De Afrekening. I've definitely discovered a lot of great Belgian bands on the compilation CDs De Afrekening puts out every year, including School is Cool. Their new single "Fight of the Century" is a short, punchy burst of indie pop, perfectly balancing sweet harmonies and xylophone sounds with hoarse vocals, ragged call-and-response chants, and buzzing guitars.

New Music of the Day, November 24:

Touch Sensitive, "Known Better" and "Veronica"

Since it's Black Friday, that annual festival of overconsumption, I've got a double dose of songs from the fantastic new album by Australia's Touch Sensitive. As someone who only started listening to pop radio religiously in the early 90s, the production on these tracks is like a series of Proustian madeleines in audio form.

"Known Better" combines the shuffling beat from countless early 90s pop tracks with the sproingy sound I immediately recognize from Genesis' "I Can't Dance," then adds a pillowy, George Michael-style white soul vocal:

"Veronica" is funkier and filthier, a cross between Natural Selection's "Do Anything," Michael Jackson's "In the Closet", and the Janet Jackson/Luther Vandross duet "The Best Things in Life are Free." Except none of those songs just came out and asked "Am I the one you want to fuck all the time?" like this song does:

New Music of the Day, November 23:

DJs from Mars, "Harlem"

And now a special Thanksgiving treat: the musical equivalent of a sweet potato casserole, with marshmallows on the top and extra pecans.

New Music of the Day, November 22:

Bouwer Bosch, "Tiekiedraai"

It's Wednesday, and you know what that means: time to listen to some Afrikaans pop music. Wikipedia tells me that "Tiekiedraai" is a village in the Limpopo province, while Google Translate tells me that the Afrikaans word "tiekiedraai" means "twirl around" in English. Well, whatever this song means--and I seriously have no idea--it definitely makes me want to twirl around. The exultant whoops, the horns, the percussion--they all add up to one of the most joyous songs I've heard all year.

New Music of the Day, November 21:

Happy Hollows, "On the Wave"

I love it when singers who have a wide vocal range, like Sarah Negahdari here, don't try to do a regimented, showy vocal gymnastics routine, but instead just indulge themselves in the sheer pleasure of the voice as it slides from coos to growls, from ecstatic shrieks to whispers.

New Music of the Day, November 20:

All Tvvins, "Anything"

llVV, the debut album by Irish band All Tvvins, was one of my absolute favorites of 2016, packed with songs that were anthemic, but had quirky vocals, rhythms, and production touches. Their new single "Anything" is more straightforward pop, and it's a bit sparse lyrically. But its smooth production and crackling energy makes it a nice way to start the week.

New Music of the Day, November 19:

Gizmo Varillas, "Hold On"

Even though Paul Simon's Graceland received plenty of acclaim upon its release, it didn't have much influence on the sound of late-'80s pop music. So it's surprising to me how much Graceland influence there is in 2010s pop music, including this new track from Bilbao-born Gizmo Varillas. Light, airy, strummy, and sunny, it seems like the perfect song for a lazy Sunday.

New Music of the Day, November 18:

Charlotte Gainsbourg, "Deadly Valentine"

Charlotte Gainsbourg seems like one of those celebrities who'd be genuinely cool to know in real life. In her film roles, she's often projected this thoughtfulness, this sense of having a rich inner life. And over the years, she's made such great music, from "Lemon Incest," the controversial duet she made with her father Serge when she was only a teenager, to "If," her seductive 2004 duet with Etienne Daho, to her solo records.

Her latest album, Rest, came out yesterday, and it's a more somber work, with several songs alluding to her sister's suicide. But the Dev Hynes-produced "Deadly Valentine" is more energetic, wedding Charlotte's delicate murmur to a throbbing electro pulse.

New Music of the Day, November 17:

Sofi Tukker f Nervo, The Knocks, and Alisa Ueno, "Best Friend"

Sofi Tukker were a surprise Grammy nominee for Best Dance Recording last year--well, at least I was surprised--and now they're back with a posse cut featuring a bunch of other not-so-well-known dance-pop artists. I'd be curious to know if the video shoot was the first time they all hung out in person. The song feels like something that could have been stitched together digitally, with each act e-mailing in their vocals and instrumental contributions. Synthetic though it may be, the song's still an absolute banger. Play it on some headphones with good bass and enjoy.

New Music of the Day, November 16:

Cut Copy, "Black Rainbows"

There's been a common theme to my song selections the past couple of days, so the "Yellow Sun" logically leads to "Black Rainbows." This is one of the highlights of Haiku From Zero, the latest Cut Copy album, and like most of their songs it has a dreamy 80's dance-pop vibe, complete with funky slap bass and falsetto harmonies. I was trying to pinpoint which 80's artists this reminds me of, and it finally hit me: Chaz Jankel. Take a listen below, and tell me if I'm crazy.

                                                                         Cut Copy:

Chaz Jankel:

New Music of the Day, November 15:

Crystal Fighters, "Yellow Sun"

Crystal Fighters have been releasing music with tropical influences for years, before major pop acts started jumping on the "tropical house" bandwagon. So I can't blame them for going more pop on their most recent album, even if parts of this song veer alarmingly into Andy Grammer/American Authors territory. (I have low tolerance for ukuleles. Which might be why I've never visited Hawaii). But the distorted vocals insert some much-needed weirdness, and in the middle of November, with the hours of daylight starting to wane, it's nice to hear a song this...well....sunny.

New Music of the Day, November 14:

Beck, "Colors"

Here's a fact that sends shivers of dread through my aging body: Beck is now 47. And that's probably coloring some of the tepid critical responses to his new album Colors, which incorporates the current pop trends coming from artists a good two decades younger than Beck. But personally I'm glad that he's not just sticking to stately, slow, "mature" albums like Sea Change or Modern Guilt. Because the hypnotic psychedelic pop of "Colors" is a lot more fun. And are those pan pipes in the mix?

New Music of the Day, November 13:

Feeder, "Walk Away"

Putting new songs on a Best Of album is a tricky business. Do you go for something that sounds very "now" and thus stands out from the older tracks on the compilation? Or do you consciously try to imitate your classic sound?

Feeder opts for the latter approach on this song from their new "Best Of," which sounds a lot like the other singles they've released over the past 20 years. But more importantly, it takes just the best parts of those singles--the dramatic rising intensity of the verses, the explosive chanted choruses, the catchy harmonies, the pounding drums-- and recombines them into something exciting and new.

New Music of the Day, November 12:

Kayef, "Wir Sind Okay"

I've been enjoying this German dance-rap song for months, but I've hesitated to post it because I could have sworn that the lyrics say "Mein Kampf" several times and that...um...has some negative connotations. And yet it sounded pretty plausible, since that literally means "my fight" or "my struggle," and it's a cliche in rap to describe yourself as a fighter who's had to struggle--isn't that the topic of every other Eminem lyric? (I guess what I'm saying here is that Eminem is as bad as Hitler, and if you want more evidence of that, just check out the new Eminem track). But luckily, Kayef is actually rapping about "Mein Kopf" ("my head") aching after a terrible hangover. I also thought he was rapping about Ed Sheeran...and it turns out he actually is rapping about Ed Sheeran. See, his hangover is so bad that "Selbst Ed Sheeran ist grad zu laut" ("Even Ed Sheeran is just too loud").

New Music of the Day, November 11:

Lake South, "Cost of Living"

Staying in the antipodes for a bit longer, let's take a listen to New Zealand artist Lake South, who's released a whole album, "If You're Born on an Island the Ocean Heals You," about being from New Zealand and continuing to live there even as international investors have caused the country's property prices to skyrocket. The album's first single, "Renters," was actually explicitly about the nation's housing crisis. "Cost of Living" is a little vaguer; the chorus, "It's just the cost of living here/ Get used to it," could even be taken as an existential statement. And the singer's high, quavering voice, nearly submerged in a sea of reverberating synths, is the sound of a man barely keeping his head above water.

New Music of the Day, November 10:

Pnau, "Into the Sky"

The new Pnau album, Changa, dropped early this morning, and I have to admit I'm a little disappointed. It uses a lot of female soul vocalists, and I was hoping that Pnau member Nick Littlemore would sing on every track, because I love his voice, even though it's not for everyone. His throat-shredding shouts on Groove Armada's "Warsaw" (2009) and his euphoric squeals on Pnau's "Unite Us" (2011) are some of my favorite male vocals of the past decade. Although Pnau's also done some great stuff with other male vocalists, like on their amazing Elton John remix/mash-up album, Good Morning to the Night (2012).

"Into the Sky" isn't quite up to those levels, but it is damn catchy, with a great beat and some interesting instrumental textures.

New Music of the Day, November 9:

Chase Atlantic, "Keep it Up"

Speaking of things that all sound the same, I'd estimate that about 1 out of every 4 new bands on my MP3 player sound like The 1975. I think I have enough at this point to make a compilation CD, "I Can't Believe it's Not the 1975," that would be even better than the band's recent "I Like it When You Sleep..." album. Australia's Chase Atlantic are one of the best of this batch of 1975-alikes. (The sax bits on their songs help elevate them). And their most recent video doubles as a sociological study of the band's target listeners: bored teenagers with bad haircuts in desolate towns.

New Music of the Day, November 8:

Ben Pearce f Beckford, "Sounds the Same"

This is my 100th "New Music of the Day" post, and I've consciously been trying to post an eclectic mix of music I like, not just a bunch of songs that all sound the same. (Whether I've succeeded is up for debate, of course). And so I thought that "Sounds the Same" would be perfect for Song 100, especially because it's tagged as "House," a genre that was once plagued with soundalike singles, belted vocals from Martha Wash or Loleatta Holloway or one of their many imitators over a thumping beat. This new Ben Pearce song has more in common with early House tracks like Jamie Principle's "Your Love," which had a certain tinge of sadness and urban anomie to their lyrics and vocals.

New Music of the Day, November 7:

Matthew Good, "Bad Guys Win"

I only recently stumbled upon this song, which has been out for a few months now. I'll admit I haven't been keeping up much with Canadian rocker Matthew Good; even though I thought his eponymous band was turning out above-average singles in the late 1990s/early 2000s, they didn't rank among my very favorite Canadian bands of the era (like Sloan or Big Wreck). But in a year that's been pretty sparse for memorable guitar riffs, this song stands out. (The drums on this are pretty terrific too). And the lyrical content is pointed and relevant, especially today, when US elections are being held. So I thought it was the perfect day to post this and encourage my US friends to vote: it's one of the few things we can do to not let the bad guys win.

New Music of the Day, November 6:

POWERS, "Just Kids"

The latest single from LA duo POWERS is the kind of song that, if picked up by a major label and given some radio promotion, could blossom into a big hit. Not only is it a good song, with a talented vocalist and a slew of interesting little production touches, but it’s on trend with 2017 pop fashion (without sounding completely generic). It’s got tropical elements in the instrumentation, sultry female vocals, and lyrics about erotic desire. But like a lot of Trump-era pop (“I Took a Pill in Ibiza,” “Closer,” anything by Alessia Cara), there’s also a sense of melancholy pervading the song, from the ghostly choral effects at the beginning to the singer’s pleading “You and me” refrain toward the end. Is it a sadness that they won’t be “just kids” for long, or a desperate urge to shut out the rest of the world, leaving just “You and me/ You and me babe”?

New Music of the Day, November 5:

Hurts, "Ready to Go"

I've seen some long-time fans complaining that Hurts have sold out, as their 4th album Desire, has a more radio-friendly sound, in keeping with 2017 pop trends. And I can see where they're coming from; Hurts started out making moody synthpop, not miles away from late-80's Depeche Mode acolytes like Camouflage, and now they're starting to sound more like Maroon 5. But I'm really loving some of the tracks on this album, especially the George Michael-meets-Prince-ish "Boyfriend" and this one, where the funky bassline and throbbing beat work well in contrast with typically gloomy Hurts lyrics like "When the devil's dancing toe to toe/ When the reaper comes I'll be ready to go."

Bonus "Boyfriend":

New Music of the Day, November 4:

Alex Cameron, "Runnin' Outta Luck"

I’ve seen Alex Cameron play live twice now, and I think he’s a magnetic performer. Imagine a cross between his countryman Nick Cave and Brandon Flowers (this song’s co-writer): louche, seedy, swaggering, strutting, but just on the verge of camp. (He also looks at least ten years older onstage than he does in this video).

Some of Cameron’s songs deconstruct machismo, like live favorite “Marlon Brando,” which he needs to release as a single, even if it does include the word “faggot” in the lyrics. Others revel in it ironically—and “Runnin' Outta Luck,” with its “I’m a man on a mission/ You’re a stripper out of luck” chorus, makes a nice companion piece to The Killers’ excellent recent single “The Man.”

And as a bonus, here's a live version of "Marlon Brando": 

New Music of the Day, November 3:

Confidence Man, "Better Sit Down Boy"

I think I like this song and video even more the last single from Australian band Confidence Man, "Boyfriend (Repeat)," with its graphic scenes of Ken doll mutilation. I love how their sound combines the brash, bratty DIY style of early 80s No Wave music with more modern dance pop sounds. They end up sounding a bit like the Ting Tings, but more concerned with having fun than seeming cool.

New Music of the Day, November 2:

Talmont, "Moving Further than Before"

This is a 2017 song, but if you told me it was a 2002 song, I'd probably believe you. It reminds me a lot of jazzy trip-hop-influenced groups from that era like Koop or Bent. And this has all the ingredients that made those songs so successful: a steady backbeat, a memorable looping horn sample, and a sultry female vocal that sounds like it's emanating from the other end of a time warp.

New Music of the Day, November 1:

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, "Holy Mountain"

I know that a number of my friends hate this one, but I love it. In fact, it's probably my favorite Gallagher-related song since the Chemical Brothers' "Setting Sun" (which came out over 20 years ago). Part of that is the fact that the melody is cribbed from Plastic Bertrand's new wave classic "Ca Plane Pour Moi." But it seems to be reaching back even further, to some of the 60s bubblegum pop that influenced New Wave artists like Plastic Bertrand; the tinny organ on this reminds me of songs like Tommy James and the Shondells' "Mirage."

It's like an alternate universe Oasis, where Noel spent more time listening to American pop acts of the 1960s rather than British Invasion acts like the Beatles. And I love it. In fact, if anyone knows Noel's address, I've got some Five Americans and Ohio Express records I'd like to send him.