Thee Oh Sees- "I Was Denied"

"I Was Denied" is actually my first taste of Thee Oh Sees, I downloaded it a month or two back after hearing good things about the band. The song is ripped from their 2010 album Warm Slime, out now on In The Red. Warm Slime is almost good way to describe this fuzzy slab of psych pop, full of clanging distorted guitars, frontman John Dwyer's manic yelps, and thunderous cymbal crashes. It's got this awesome lo-fi bluesy, punky stomp beat to it that brings to mind the work of King Khan (King Khan & BBQ show, King Khan & The Shrines) or The White Stripes. It's loud, it's catchy, it's heavy, it's slimey, just an all around good time. Definitely gonna check out the album, but for now enjoy "I Was Denied."

Thee Oh Sees- "I Was Denied" from Warm Slime (via MBV Music)

Tamaryn- "Sandstone"

I've only listened to Tamaryn's "Sandstone" a few times but I can already tell it's one of my favorite songs of the year. While we all keep waiting for that new My Bloody Valentine album, Tamaryn's about the closest you'll come to hearing something that sounds like Loveless. The song's droning bass lines, ethereal vocals and fuzzy guitar loops are most obviously indebted to the aforementioned shoegaze pioneers, though there are hints of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Beach House and A Sunny Day in Glasgow. Don't miss this one, definitely gonna be on my year end list.

Tamaryn- "Sandstone" from The Waves (via Pitchfork)

Ghettosocks - Out For Treats (2009)

Plain and simple -- even though this is a release from last year I feel that it's still worthy of mentioning. It's a shame how great new music can fall so low beneath the radar with artist pollution at an all time high, but I digress. Obviously,with any hip-hop single there's compromise of content. This is supposed to be Ghettosocks' stab at a pop song,and it's pretty clear some of these hip hop guys aren't pop music stars but, in my opinion at least, this is a solid single.With that said, this is also the most pop-oriented track on the album, which is absolutely worth picking up if you're into this old-school vibe. Every listen I'm find myself discovering that Mr. Socks is a Canadian hip-hop artist with all the right influences, hopefully you see it too. Luckily, even if you don’t see what I’m talking about there’s some delicious looking snacks that even Rachel Ray would want to rub all over herself all dirty-like.

Neko Case- Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (2006)

Neko Case is a member of the prolific Canadian supergroup The New Pornographers, but her solo material similar has a distinctly alternative country feel to it similar to Calexico, Cass McCombs or Camera Obscura. On Fox Confessor Brings The Flood, what I consider her best work, Case is joined by a talented array of musicians including members of Calexico and The Band. She uses her instantly recognizable beautiful voice, multi-tracked to create some of the most spine-tingling harmonies I've ever heard, to tell stories of nostalgia and heartbreak. The music behind her ranges from acoustic ballads to twangy rock compositions.