You guys wanna start doing a Song of the Day again? Of course you do. I've got a handful of early 2011 contenders, some stuff that probably should have been on my 2010 list, and some generally cool stuff I've been listening to lately. So let's put it on the blog.
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Alphabeat. You know if you were from Sweden, things would be different. But no, you have to be from Denmark, don't you? And now it's just so hard to keep track of you.
2008's euphoric "
Fascination" was my introduction to the band, one that came too late for inclusion in 100 Songs for 2008, but still.
2009's wonderful "
The Spell" cracked 100 Songs for 2009, and it pleases me to no end that it was one of Strong's favorite songs on that list, just because it goes against everything I know about his taste in basically everything.
The album came out in Denmark in late 2009, then in the UK in 2010, then in America ... never. And I kinda lost track of it.
Which is a shame because ...
wow.
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Even more than Pitchfork, the music website that had the most impact in shaping both my musical taste and general writing style was the wonderfully short-lived
Stylus Magazine, and especially their weekly feature
The Singles Jukebox. The website disbanded in 2007. I must have missed the memo when
The Singles Jukebox decided to
start their own website in 2009, but safe to say, I've been tearing through their archives ever since I found out about their triumphant return. This is absolutely one of my ten favorite websites in the world right now. When I talk about starting some kind of collaborative music writing project with Curt, Elliot, Jerry, etc., I basically imagine that we'll be doing this.
And, in addition to being just an all-around wonderful site, The Singles Jukebox
reminded me that Alphabeat still exists and is still amazing.
Alphabeat - "Hole in My Heart"
Where would this song have ranked on 100 Songs for 2010 had I been paying attention?
Probably between 45 and 50.
And, just a head's up ... tomorrow's Song of the Day is also Alphabeat.
