Article by: Pete Nema
As I listen through some of my playlists that I created over the past year, I realize there's a whole set of songs that haven't been getting enough attention.
Let me confess right now: I cheated a little bit. Although most of the songs are from 2010, there are two that were actually published in 2009; it's just that I didn't find out about them until 2010. And as I've said before, it seems unfair to exclude songs just because I can be slow to learn about them. But whether they are from 2010 or 2009, they have one attribute in common: They all somehow manage to tweak the pleasure centre in my brain. Hopefully you'll find a few in there that do it for you too. If that's the case, spend the time to investigate the band, and consider supporting the bands you like either through purchasing the album or going to see them if/when they play in your locale.
I've included download links where I was able to track down a legitimate source, so take advantage and add the downloadable songs to your collection (right-click the links to download). Enjoy!
Parlour Steps - "As The World Turned Out" from The Hidden Names (2009)
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Download: As The World Turned Out (right-click to download)
Menomena - "TAOS" from Mines
Frightened Rabbit - "Swim Until You Can't See Land" from The Winter Of Mixed Drinks
Manchester Orchestra - "I've Got Friends" from Mean Everything To Nothing (2009)
It seems everyone else knew about how great Manchester Orchestra was before I even heard their name.
Two Door Cinema Club - "Something Good Can Work" from Tourist History
Two Door Cinema Club recently played a show with Tokyo Police Club in Toronto. We have photos and a review from that show coming soon.
The Reason - "Come and Go" from Fools
The Reason has been getting some radio airplay with the track "The Longest Highway", another great song, but "Come and Go" can get stuck in my head for days at a time. It is one of my favourite tracks of 2010, and the reason Fools ended up in my Top 10 Albums of 2010 list.
Apache, The - "Robert Redford or Kristen Wiig (1973)" from Apache, The
Apache, The don't really want you to know who they are, and they claim to have broken up nearly as fast as they formed. In the process, they left behind this great and oddly named little track. The full album can be purchased CD Baby.
Sandman Viper Command - "Mushroom Samba" from Everybody See This
This young, Toronto band shows a lot of potential, both on and off stage.
Bend Sinister - "Things Will Get Better" from Spring Romance
Turin Brakes - "Sea Change" from Outbursts
Here are two bonus songs scheduled for release in 2011 that have already become a large part of my listening habits this year.
Little Comets - "Isles" from In Search Of Elusive Little Comets (Release Date: January 31, 2011)
The Liptonians - "You Know I did" from Let's All March Back into the Sea (Release Date: February 8, 2011)
Note: The inspiration for this article was from a late-night online listening party that started when Tiffany Leeson tweeted about what she was playing. I started to use her tweets as suggestions for my listening, and we ended up trading song suggestions. Many of these songs were suggestions I made to her.
