Here they are. Enjoy, folks:
"A Perfect Hand" by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim (with Steve Earle on the vocals):
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim I could see doing something together, but Steve Earle?! Doesn't seem to be in quite the same caliber, but he makes it work in this song! Unlike Byrne's unlikely 2008 smash with Brian Eno, "Strange Overtones", this one moves away from the Modest Mouse-y territory and goes more toward a gentle, even-keeled sound that sounds suitable enough for Steve Earle. Byrne is not heard anywhere in the vocals, it's just Steve Earle, but like I said, he makes it work here! Typically, the only Steve Earle I'd really go for is his late '80s hit, "Copperhead Road", but this one's good too, though perhaps that's mainly due to the fact that David Byrne is (instrumentally?) featured on this track. Well, it's unique to say the least!
"Norway" by Beach House:
Don't be fooled by the name "Beach House", this isn't happy, upbeat music. It's more like dreamy, trance-y music with that arpeggiated folk-rock guitar sound that seems to have become commonplace in indie rock these days. The lyrics are disjointed enough to be as trippy as the song itself is (and furthermore, the title - mentioned in the one-word chorus - seems even less relevant to the song than the rest of it, lyrically). But the simultaneous trippiness and dreamlike quality this song provides make it a winner for me!
"Stranger" by Dr. Dog:
Unlike the previous song mentioned here, this song IS happy and upbeat! It almost sounds like a song from the '60s with its uptempo beat and brass instruments mingling with its somewhat psychedelic guitar sounds. Lyrically it's a bit hard to tell whether or not this song is sincere, particularly in the chorus ("I do believe/That there's no more tricks up my sleeve/The good old days have past/And the good times after that/And slowly I become undone/A stranger with a strange act"). Perhaps they're not meant to be sincere or insincere, but just quirky. If that's so, this is another surefire winner for me from the indie rock world!
