December Playlist

Let’s kick off the new year with a little bit of dancy music. Put on your brightest spandex tights, don those Wayfarer knock-off shades, and shake your turkey-and-gravy-stuffed booties.

Wolf Gang - Lions In Cages

A great catchy chorus – a perfect way to start off a year, a playlist and, ultimately, a day.

Hooded Fang - Promise Land

A second song from my favourite new band of 2010 (first one being “Highway Steam” in November). The cascading waterfalls of keyboard arrangements in addition to Morse code drumming are guaranteed to stick in your memory for a little while.

Bikini - American Mourning

Let’s continue the toe-tapping romp with a song from this scantily-named New York band.

Winter Gloves - Plastic Slides

The band hailing from Montreal has recently released a new album All Red. If you're a big fan of their poppy hooks and synth-laden melodies, you won't be disappointed by what you hear.

Cut Copy - Take Me Over

Crafting their own brand of 80s-tinged pop, Cut Copy's new album is already one of the most anticipated of the young 2011.

Black Keys - Tighten Up

A seemless blend of soul and rock, "Tighten Up" is a great high-energy song. The band is Black Keys. The album is Brothers.

Lalagray - Bag of Bones

A piano, a girl, and a hint of banjo in the background.

Sunset - Lunar Eyes

Dreamy, hazy pop ballad “Lunar Eyes” from appropriately astronomically-named band Sunset hailing out of Austin, Texas.

Jorge Ben - Força Bruta

From what turned out to be an eye-opening trip to South America (can a South American adventure be anything else other than eye-opening), my friend brought back this souvenir, a brass gem, from the 1970.

Deerhunter - Desire Lines

From one of the best albums of the year that has passed us by, I wanted to share another great song by Deerhunter (already featured in October playlist).

Colleen and Paul - Please Be Kind

Colleen and Paul is a reasonably-named duet between Colleen Hixenbaugh and Paul Linklater from Toronto. I am glad for the band name they went with their first names instead of the last names. Hixenbaugh-Linklater Overdrive would be a bit of a mouthful. The band kindly offers a free download of their song at Bandcamp.

Joanna Newsom - Soft As Chalk

Admittedly, Joanna Newsom’s voice and music are not for everyone, but even if you’re not her biggest fan, lend an ear to this beautiful, piano-driven track. Half way through, the song begins to strongly channel “Rhapsody in Blue”. Memorable and incomparable.

Mean Lady - Lonely

The song takes more than a minute to open up, but you won’t regret it, as you hear banjo kicking off this claps-and-bells track.

Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs - Beg Steal or Borrow

In his new album God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise, Ray LaMontagne is a little less soul and a little bit more country. I have to admit with every album he produces, my respect for him grows exponentially.

Leon Sommer - Re: No Subject

With one of the best song titles of the year in “Re: No Subject”, Leon Summer produces an intimate, gentle melody.

Honeybear - Bottom Over Top

By the time we get to “Bottom Over Top”, the inertia of the playlist has subsided and the tempo has slowed down. In this lo-fi, so-called bedroom recording, Honeybear reminds us of early Iron & Wine.

I Am The Dot - Formaldehyde

“Formaldehyde” (proper systematic name being methanal – thank you, 6 years of chemistry) will catch your ear, if you’re a fan of Portugal. The Man.

French Miami - Foolish

Just the right amount of swagger mixed with just the right amount of style in this track.

High Highs - Live In Dreams (Wild Nothing Cover)

There’s nothing really better than a really good cover version. Well, maybe except for a really good original song. That’s exactly what we’ve got on our hands in “Live in Dreams” by the High Highs, covering the original by Wild Nothing.

Download December Playlist .ZIP file