Phoenix - Victim of the Crime (buy)
Slightly embarrassed to admit that I didn't listen regularly to Phoenix before It's Never Been Like That. "Victim of the Crime," like most of Alphabetical is a slow-by-Phoenix-standards jam most notable for its staccato keyboard harmony. It's so simple, yet so awesomely timely. This texture isn't prominently used in much of any music--the only other use that comes to mind is on Dr. Dre's "Still D.R.E." from 2001. Alphabetical may be my least favorite Phoenix full-length, but if there's a time in the week for it, it's Sunday afternoon.
Washed Out - Feel It All Around (buy)
While we're turning the page back, there's no better Sunday go-to than Washed Out. The two singles that came from the summer 2009 EP stand far above the other four songs, but this dream-fi/chillwave feels like memories...
An excerpt from Marc Hogan's great write-up:
Pastiche and intertextuality are as ancient as postmodernism-- not to mention disco, hip-hop, and the remix-- but childhood memories, in particular, are present now like never before. Today's blockbuster movies are based on yesterday's beloved toys; today's wars and political battles are sequels, too. It isn't surprising that music would reflect the zeitgeist. What's striking is how an international cohort of rising artists has successfully translated this culture of watery VCR transfers and Fisher-Price cassette rips into 1980s-inspired psychedelic music.
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