#73 Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla

Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla
Takk... (2005)
Other Songs to Check Out: "Sæglópur", "Sé Lest"
www.sigurros.com

When I first heard Icelandic band Sigur Ros, I didn't really get why everyone was so crazy about them. I mean, their music was beautiful, but I didn't really think it was worth all the hype. But as usual they grew on me, and now I find their ethereal music a breath of fresh air. "Hoppipolla" (which means "Hopping into puddles", yet another reason to love it) feels like you're flying high above the earth floating through clouds...I know it sounds cheesy but it's true! Even better is the fact that they've created their own language, Vonlenska (or Hopelandic), which is not in fact a language at all but in fact "a form of gibberish vocals that fits to the music". Basically the lead singer is using his voice as an instrument to convey emotions through noise instead of words. Of course I don't speak Icelandic so I can't tell the difference, but the result is moving all the same.

#72 Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy

Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy
Friendly Fires (2008)
Other Songs to Check Out: "Jump in the Pool", "Paris", "In the Hospital"
http://www.myspace.com/friendlyfires

I have a weird relationship with Friendly Fires. I don't know them personally (because if I did, my awesomeness factor would be through the roof)... but on a strictly music-to-person level, they are like the completely awesome friend who for some reason I ignored. In fact, when I came to do my post today, I was so sure I had already profiled Friendly Fires (who, from now on, I shall call FF) that I had to do a search to prove myself wrong. It started way back when I heard "Paris". Awesome tune. I loved it. It was on repeat for weeks straight. Then I forgot about FF, until I heard "In the Hospital". Once again, I was hooked, and it stayed on repeat for awhile. Again, I decided the rest of the CD was not good, and ignored FF. Then, I came across "Jump in the Pool". How did I miss this song on the first 20 listens of the album? Play, Repeat. And, yet again, I failed to give the rest of the CD a solid listen. Well, today while at work and listening to my favorite online radio station, I heard "Skeleton Boy". It's now by far my favorite song on the album. What started out as a one hit wonder-type relationship for me has turned into a full-fledged lovefest with everything FF has done. This it to take nothing away from the other three songs - in fact, I'd have no problem switching any of them with "Skeleton Boy" for the feature song. However, I'm on a streak of awesome music videos, so why stop now?

#71 Hot Chip - Over and Over

Hot Chip - Over and Over
The Warning (2006)
Other Songs to Check Out: "Ready for the Floor", "Shake a Fist", "Playboy"
www.hotchip.co.uk

I love Hot Chip. Sorry, let me rephrase that to make it more accurate...I love love love love love completely ADORE Hot Chip. But like many of their fans, I didn't start that way. I think when most people hear Hot Chip it's a bit too much to handle and they get scared away. But then you decide to give them another chance, and pretty soon you're humming their songs, and before you know it your entire bedroom is decorated with posters of them. For me, the switch came when I saw them absolutely kill it at Coachella 2007. These guys are creative and innovative and just plain wacky, and this music video is one of my favourites of all time.

#70 Fol Chen - Cable TV

Fol Chen - Cable TV
Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made (2009)
Other Songs to Check Out: "No Wedding Cake"
http://www.myspace.com/folchen

I have a bad habit of loving one song from an artist and not taking too kindly to the rest. That makes suggesting songs and new bands very difficult for me. My play list is 65% singles, 35% albums (and "albums" being defined as having at least 4 songs from the same album). Then, when you throw in the fact that I'm in love with a ton of bands who haven't even released a CD yet, you get one frustrated blogger attempting to recommend other songs to check out that he doesn't really believe in. Annnnnnyway, all this really has nothing to do with today's artist - Fol Chen and "Cable TV". I've been debating about whether to feature this song for a week or two now. I haven't even heard anything off the CD yet besides "Cable TV", "No Wedding Cake" and "The Believers". However, "Cable TV" is just TOO AWESOME to not give props too, no matter what the rest of the CD may sound like. I love the vocals, I love melody, I love the casual inclusion of "fuck" in the second verse (which, don't get me wrong, is a really weird thing to love about a song). Lastly, once again, we have a fantastic music video. There is so much good music these days, it's hard to not be excited about this year's future album releases (although this album is actually already released).

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#69 Wilco - Jesus, Etc.

Wilco – Jesus, Etc.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
Other Songs to Check Out: “She’s a Jar”, “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”, “How to Fight Loneliness”
http://www.wilcoworld.net/

Last week when I did my post on The Decemberists, I mentioned neglecting some indie bands I really like because I feel like most people who listen to indie music already know about them. Wilco is another one of those bands that I’m featuring because well I just think they’re important for any indie music lover to know about. This song is one of my absolute favourites of all time. I’m pretty sure that if I ever made a movie, this song would be in it. A friend sent me this song several years ago and it got me hooked on Wilco’s easy, weird, hard-to-define style.

#68 Little Comets - One Night in October

Little Comets - One Night in October
TBA (2009?)
Other Songs to Check Out: "Adultry", "Joanna"
http://www.myspace.com/littlecometsmusic

So many bands... so few available albums. Little Comets are another gem I've come across who've released a single, but haven't gone through with a full length feature yet. "One Night in October" gives everyone a reason to be excited though, with it's sheer funability flying off the charts (yes, we continue to create words here at SPR). The music video is more than fantastic, and I absolutely love when the singer's voice almost cracks at various times throughout the song. Rather than ramble on, this is an entry where I think I'll let the music video do the selling.

#67 She Wants Revenge - Tear You Apart

She Wants Revenge - Tear You Apart
She Wants Revenge (2006)
Other Songs to Check Out: "True Romance", "These Things", "Written in Blood"
www.shewantsrevenge.com

I just found this song earlier this week, and it's been driving me crazy trying to figure out where I've heard of this band, and specifically their song "These Things". I still haven't solved this mystery, and anyone who knows where I may have heard this song is encouraged to write in and let me know! Anyway moving on, two things that I'm super into right now are singers with deep voices, and dark videos. She Wants Revenge has perfected both of these things. I was debating whether to go with this song or another great one, "True Romance", but "Tear You Apart" won because of its fantastic video, which was directed by none other than Joaquin "crazy like a fox" Phoenix.

#66 Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone

Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone
TBA (2009? 2010?)
Other Songs to Check Out: "Merrymaking at My Place", "Acceptable in the 80s"
http://www.myspace.com/calvinharristv

Well how about that!? The song I so desperately wanted to profile yesterday was submitted today by a YouTube user. This song is going to be epic. Epic in the clubs, epic on the charts. It's going to be on Calvin Harris' next album, for which I have not been able to find a title or estimated release date. Everything that I love about dance music is in this song, and done so well that it should appeal to almost all types of music listeners. Because this is a radio rip (since this song has only been released once, to one radio DJ somewhere in the UK), near the end we get some radio talk as the song fades out. This video HERE, which is taken from a concert in Syndey, has Calvin Harris giving the fans a tease of his new material. It's only 45 seconds long, but what I would give to go to a Calvin Harris concert in the near future...

Oh, one last thing. If this video runs into the same problem the last upload of "I'm Not Alone" had, I would try to listen and absorb this song while you can as it might be removed in the next week or two.

#65 Dan Black - Alone

Dan Black – Alone
Other Songs to Check Out: "HYPNTZ", "Yours"
www.myspace.com/danblacksound

Okay I really really like this song, so instead of babbling on mindlessly I’ve attempted to compile all the reasons I adore Dan Black and "Alone" into this neat and succinct list:

1) This is one of the most brilliant and creative videos I’ve ever seen. I can’t take my eyes off it and I’ve watched it like 15 times.
2) Speaking of, this song is addictive. In fact, ALL his songs are addictive. I heard of him two days ago and I’ve been listening to him pretty much constantly since then.
3) He’s amazing, gorgeous, great style, and, well, we all know how I feel about accents.
4) No album yet but if his other songs are as great as the ones I’ve heard so far then I will be the first in line when it comes out.
5) I love the part around 2:08 when all the music drops off, and then he brings the beat back...killer.
6) He does a cover of Notorious B.I.G.’s "Hypnotize" that is totally original and unique. After you watch the video I’ve posted, I suggest clicking here to check out "HYPNTZ". Seriously. Do it. DO IT.

#64 SunLikeStar - 50/50

SunLikeStar - 50/50
Inverse (2002)
Othersongs to Check Out: "Day Survive", "So Clear, So Calm"
http://www.sunlikestar.com/main.epj

There was another song I wanted to profile today, but it's so new that I can't find a good video of it. Well, that's not true - there was a great video up yesterday on YouTube, but it has been taken down already by someone (presumably, the user... forced by either the artist or record label or what have you). So, instead I've chosen to go with some local content: SunLikeStar. Back in the day when I used to watch the local music station on TV in Vancouver (MuchMusic), they often would profile obscure Canadian artists at very late hours of the night. This band is one of the gems I came across on what is now a reality-tv-MTV-wannabee of a station. Part-rock, part-trippy, 50/50 is easily my favorite song by the now defunct band. Some of the members started a new band named The Art of Dying and play a style akin to a toned-down Linkin Park - which is unfortunate in my opinion. It's too bad that they changed their style seeing as this is one of the coolest songs no one in the world knows about.

Oh, and incase anyone is curious, the song I originally wanted to profile was Calvin Harris' new song, "I'm Not Alone". However, I'll wait until I get a good video of it before going into just how epicly-awesome it is.

#63 The Decemberists - Sons and Daughters

The Decemberists – Sons and Daughters
The Crane Wife (2006)
Other Songs to Check Out: “Shankhill Butchers”, “The Crane Wife 1 & 2”, “Summersong”
http://www.decemberists.com/

I’ve been neglecting a lot of my favourite indie bands because I assume that everyone’s heard of them already, but every once in a while I’m reminded that if someone’s a newcomer to the indie scene and looking to discover some great bands, it’s possible that they haven’t heard of some of my favourites. Thus I bring you The Decemberists. “Sons and Daughters” is the first song I ever heard from them, and I think it’s just a fun song to sing along to. They have a really excellent sound and I think are definitely necessary for any music enthusiast’s collection. Unfortunately the video is a fairly uninspired home creation (I know, I know, I’m a pretentious jerk), but it’s the only good one I could find for this song.

#62 Get Well Soon - Witches! Witches! Rest Now in the Fire

Get Well Soon - Witches! Witches! Rest Now in the Fire
Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon (2008)
Other Songs to Check Out: -
http://www.myspace.com/youwillgetwellsoon

Rarely will I post a song that I've only had the pleasure of listening to for less than a week. Such is the case with today's song. I first heard it maybe 3 days ago, and it's been played non-stop since. I haven't even heard the rest of the CD yet! First, I'm in love with the girl who wails at the very beginning of the song. I don't even know what she looks like, but I don't care. Then comes the clincher for me - the violin. Yes, I seem to have a bit of a violin fetish these days... but this little diddy is just crying out to be remixed in countless songs down the road. It starts off like something very familiar (maybe something to do with a graduation song, or a wedding song or something? I can't quite put my finger on it), and has an ending that blows my mind everytime. Lets not forget now, this is only 15 seconds into the song and I'm already proclaiming greatness. Rest assured, the rest of the song does not disappoint! A great deep voice, a haunting melody and a song written about witch burning. Finally, to top it all off, a great music video! What more could you want.

#61 Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele - Oh, Paris!

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele - Oh, Paris!
The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele (2009)
Other Songs to Check Out: "Meet me in the Garden", "Pierce Avenue", "When You Were Mine"
www.myspace.com/dentmay

I love music festivals. Not only can you enjoy all your favourite bands with thousands of other music enthusiasts, you can also make tons of new musical discoveries at the same time. Sometimes you don’t even have to go to a festival to appreciate this bonus. Case in point: I was recently browsing the website for this year’s SXSW, a festival I cannot attend, when I came across this picture of Dent May. I instantly wrote down his name as someone that I had to look up. This album is seriously fresh off the presses, as it was released less than two weeks ago. Though most critics seem to favour "Meet me in the Garden", this song is the one that's captured me. He may not be everyone's style, but if you're a fan of quirky music that doesn't take itself too seriously, he's worth a listen.

#60 Elbow - Mirrorball

Elbow - Mirrorball
The Seldom Seen Kid (2008)
Other Songs to Check Out: "Grounds for Divorce", "The Fix"
http://www.elbow.co.uk/

Elbow's "Mirrorball" is one of those songs that I'd kill to see in concert. To recap, the types of songs I'd kill to see in concert are:
* A loud, dance your feet off song.
* A head-bopping hipster song
* Anything Howie Day has produced
However, I love this one not because it's any of the above, but because it's one of those songs that you get completely lost in, one whose flowing chorus is just flat out majestic, and because it's a rock song with effing violins!! (I use the genre "rock" very loosely here). I've seen live youtube videos of "Mirrorball" (which, if you love the song, I highly recommend checking out as well), and it seems like nothing is lost when the song is transferred from studio-recording to live - often the hallmark of an awesome song.

Contest Winner and Happy Valentines Day

I'd like to congratulate Richard Hedley for winning our Tom Fun Orchestra contest! He'll be rocking out to Tom Fun in Vancouver tonight, along with taking home a free CD. Also like to thank the folks over at The Musebox for their contributions to the contest!

And a Valentines Day to everyone! I thought I'd do choose my song of the day with the theme of love in mind. It works out well because this was going to be my pick in one of the next 5 or 6 posts I had planned out anyway.

#59 Hook N Sling - The Best Thing

Hook N Sling - The Best Thing
The Best Thing (2008)
Other Songs to Check Out: -
http://www.myspace.com/hooknsling

There are wayyyy too many bands I'm waiting on for debut, full-length CDs. It's borderline frustrating. I guess that's part of the catch when listening to a lot of "remix-type bands" who spend a lot more of their time touring, DJing and remixing than creating LPs. "The Best Thing" has been one of my favs for awhile now, mostly for it's simplicity and the sweet grooves of line "I love you, I need you, I need it, I love you" that comes up 5 or 6 times during the song. The ignorant in me didn't even know this was a remix until I did a bit of research about the song before I decided to make this post. Full props to the 80s band Boom Crash Opera for writing a fantastic tune! After listening to both, I still fully prefer Hook N Sling's version.

#58 JOB2DO - Doo Doo Doo

JOB2DO - Doo Doo Doo
http://www.job2dothailand.com/

One of the things that BOY! and I were hoping would come from our international exchanges was a whole new list of music from around the world that we could share with you. Unfortunately I didn't bring back as much as he did (apparently Southeast Asia is not known for its hipster indie music as much as Europe?) but I did discover this super chill Thai reggae band called JOB2DO. I know what you're thinking - total gimmick music, right? Actually they're really good. With summer approaching not quite fast enough, we're all keeping our eyes open for that next band that's perfect for cruising around on warm lazy afternoons, and I promise you that JOB2DO will be my go-to band. Unfortunately I couldn't put their album name or any alternative songs because it's all in Thai (in fact I don't even know if the name of this song is actually "Doo Doo Doo"), but if you search for them I'm sure more of their stuff will come up.

CONTEST: Tom Fun Orchestra Tickets and CD!

If you're in Vancouver this Saturday, February 14th, you should head on over to Pub 340 to check out Tom Fun Orchestra, the eight member East Coast band whose energetic live shows are a performance not to be missed. We're even going to make it easy for you - we have two free tickets as well as a copy of their CD, "You Will Land With a Thud". All you have to do is send us an email with the subject line "TOM FUN ORCHESTRA" and you're entered in the contest. While you're at it, feel free to suggest something you'd like to see on the site - maybe an artist that you think we should know about or some features you'd like to see us include. Send it all to shuffleplayrepeat@gmail.com by Friday, February 13th 11:59pm Vancouver time. Good luck!

For more information on Tom Fun Orchestra: www.myspace.com/tomfunorchestra

#57 HEARTSREVOLUTION - Ultraviolence

HEARTSREVOLUTION - Ultraviolence
Kitsune Ultraviolence EP (2009)
Other Songs to Check Out: "C.Y.O.A."
http://www.myspace.com/heartsrevolution

Give this song 2 or 3 listens. In fact, give it 6 or 7. It will grow on you, trust me. When I first downloaded it awhile back (free promo download from Stereogum), I sorta shrugged it off as a bad Crystal Castles copy and proceeded to delete it. I couldn't get the song out of my head though, and eventually ended up downloading it again (thankfully the free-download promotion was still running). Now it sits near the top of my most-played songs and has me eagerly awaiting any hint of a full-length album in the near (or distant) future. Nothing else can really be said except to listen, dance and enjoy.

Friends of SPR: The Musebox

The Musebox
www.themusebox.net

The Musebox is a music marketing company that operates out of Toronto and New York. Much like us, they exist because of their incredible passion for music and desire to connect new bands to fans around the world. Not only is this company great for bands looking to increase their exposure, they’re also an excellent source for new music – so far we’ve featured several bands that are on their roster, including Paper Lions, DeVotchka, and The Clips, and there’s definitely more to come.

#56 Kylie Minogue - 2 Hearts (Studio Remix)

Kylie Minogue - 2 Hearts (Studio Remix)
Yearbook 2 (2008)
Other Songs to Check Out - "No Comply", "Room Without a Key"
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=61429652

I love remixes. I love remixes even more when they are so unique that you can barely remember what the original version sounded like. Studio just killed (in a good way) this Kylie Minogue song and turned it into something completely new. I love the fact that, unlike a lot of remixes I hear, they chose to not butcher the vocals. This version clocks in at just over 7 minutes, but there is also a "single" version that sits in around 4 minutes I believe. I highly, highly recommend going to listen to "No Comply" by this Swedish duo as well. Unlike 2 hearts, "No Comply" is written and created by Studio. Have a go and let me know what you think!

#55 Netherfriends - Tac Tac

Netherfriends – Tac Tac
Home Is Where My House Is (2008?)
Other Songs to Check Out: “Oh Hi Oh”, “Friends With Lofts”, "Stop Smoking Asshole Cigarettes"
http://www.myspace.com/netherfriends

I’m so in love with the found music demonstrated in this video by Netherfriends. Some bands spend thousands of dollars on extravagant recording equipment, and these guys are banging away on pots with wooden spoons. I would suggest heading to their site to listen to the studio versions of their songs, which are total symphonies of sound (Tac Tac includes some crazy jungle animal noises that totally works!). My only complaint is that this video takes a bit longer to load (at least for me), so I’d suggest taking it off HQ and giving it a few minutes so you can watch the full song uninterrupted.

TAC TAC
Uploaded by cosignpresents

#54 The Twelves - Works For Me

The Twelves - Works For Me
(Single Release - 2008)
Other Songs to Check Out: Humanitarianism (Twelves Remix), I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriennd How to Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=141507319

The Twelves were my favorite discovery of my European adventure. Comprised of 2 guys from Brazil, they appear to be on a mission to remix every single big hit that comes out on the indie circuit - and they do a mighty fine job of it. "Works For Me" is one of the few songs that they've actually written and created themselves (to my knowledge anyway), and is my version of a perfect dance song. The way the chorus flows is unlike anything I've heard, and while they lyrical content leaves something to be desired, it would be impossible not to dance to this song at a club. I don't think they've released a official CD yet, but if you head over to their MySpace (listed above), you can download pretty much everything they've ever created and/or remixed for free. How awesome is that?!

#53 - Architecture in Helsinki - That Beep

Architecture in Helsinki - That Beep
That Beep Single (2008)
Other Song to Check Out: Hold Music
http://thatbeep.com/

Ahhh, good to be back. And not only am I back, but I'm also armed with an arsenel of new music, some of it with a Euro-flavor from my travels, but most following my new love for the trend of electro-indie-pop-whatever-makes-me-dance music. For my first post of the new year, I debated whether to go with something totally obscure for the sake of street cred and appearing cool... or to go with something a bit more traditional, but something that I've listened to over 60 times in the past month (source: iTunes, which only gives you credit for a listen if you go up to the last 10 seconds of the song - therefore, I've easily listened to this song over 100 times because of my habit of never listening to a full song).

"That Beep" combines catchy lyrics, danceable beats and a music video that would make the Blue Man Group proud. I played this song so much that my roommate would walk around singing "beep beep beep beep beep", even though he admitted tremendous hate for the song. Listen, absorb, and dance to the wonders of Architecture in Helsinki.

#52 The Clips - Space Kidz

The Clips – Space Kidz
Matterhorn (2008)
Other Songs to Check Out: “Eyesuck”, “Kassel”
http://www.theclips.ca/

If you have a tendency to get addicted to songs to the level that it takes over your life, you may not want to listen to this one. “Space Kidz” by The Clips has set up camp in my brain and is not showing any sign of leaving anytime soon. True story: The other day I listened to this song three times in a row at work, and I was tapping my feet along to the beat so enthusiastically that my legs were a tiny bit sore afterwards. Finally I would like to add that I love the way the lead singer dances; next time I go to a club I’m going to pull out the sweet-indie-music-induced-trance moves and see what happens.

Top 10 - Best Songs From the First 51

If you're new to SPR, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to sift through the 51 entries we did when we first started last summer. So we've tried to make it easier on you by narrowing it down to our favourite 10 songs (we each chose only five of our own posts to avoid overlapping). It was so so hard to narrow it down to only five because we love all of the entries we've done so far, but at least it'll give you a place to start if you're new, and a quick refresher if you're a returning fan!

BOY!'s picks

#5 Interpol - Untitled
Click here for the original entry

#4 Kings of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance With You
Click here for the original entry

#3 The Presets - This Boy's in Love
Click here for the original entry

#2 Gotye - Hearts a Mess
Click here for the original entry

#1 Howie Day - Bunnies (Live Version)
Click here for the original entry

If there's one video for my to recommend from the first 2 months of submissions that I did, it would be Bunnies by Howie Day. I'm almost positive that this is a Live-only song, never having been professionally recorded and made for distribution. However, almost all of Howie Day's stuff is better live - when you get to see just Howie and his contraption of pedals, recorders and looping mechanisms. When I first posted this song, I used a YouTube version recorded in New York, which until about a month ago was the only decent-sounding version I could find. Recently I stumbled across a great website - http://www.moshcam.com/ - that features high-quality live videos of many great, new artists. What's great about Howie Day is that each live version of his songs sounds slightly different. If you listen to both the YouTube video and the following Moshcam video, I'm sure you'll hear (and yet appreciate) the differences between the 2 versions. Thus, I present to you: Howie Day - Bunnies (Live).



GIRL!'s picks

#5 3OH!3 - Electroshock!
Click here for the original entry

#4 Black Mountain - Druganaut
Click here for the original entry

#3 Midnight Juggernauts - Tombstone
Click here for the original entry

#2 Sufjan Stevens - The Mistress Witch From McClure (Or, The Mind That Knows Itself)
Click here for the original entry

#1 The Deadly Syndrome - Eucalyptus
Click here for the original entry

It's kind of hard to imagine that listening to The Deadly Syndrome's debut album, The Ortolan, on repeat for the last six months has not lead to me getting sick of them, but it's true - I love them just as much now as I did back then. This CD remains one of my favourites, and to top it off, their drummer, Jesse Hoy, was kind enough to do a guest blogger entry for us. Oh also they have a new video for their song "Emily Paints" (click here) and it's really great. Okay I think I should become the President of their fan club or something, so I'm going to stop here.

We're Back! PLUS: New Year's Resolutions

After five long, desolate, music-less months, we're happy to announce that SHUFFLE PLAY REPEAT IS BACK! For those of you who suffer from short-term memory loss, SPR is a music blog that's all about sharing new music with people who love it just as much as you do.

In addition to eating healthier, quitting smoking, and going to the gym three times a week, we at SPR have vowed that in 2009 we're going to involve you, our loyal fans, in the blog more. After all, this is a music-sharing democracy, not a dictatorship. But in order to do that, we need to hear from you! So talk to us - what do you love, what do you hate, what band have you just discovered and which album has been playing on repeat on your iPod constantly for the last 6 months? Or maybe you or someone you know is a musician and you want to gain exposure by being our pick of the day or, even better, a guest blogger! Whatever it is, drop us an email at shuffleplayrepeat@gmail.com