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[dTunes is a community organized blog showcasing the musical tastes of Destructoid’s users. For two weeks, the editorial team is commandeering the series because, hey, we like music too. To further expand your horizons, make sure to check out the dTunes blog.]
I’m going to be real here. What you are going to hear here is the biggest pile of pretentious music you will probably discover on Destructoid. I really don’t want it to be pretentious, but I have a habit of rattling off bands that I like, only to have indie kids to say I am their new best friend, and everyone else look at me with pity.
Oh well.
However, I’m the one in charge tonight, and while you honestly might find my choice in music to be utterly disgusting, I just have to say this: You are probably right. Like all things in life, personal aesthetic is like a beautiful butterfly, individual in its glory. That is until you set it free on the internet, and everyone steps on it.
Let the music commence!
Bon Iver – Woods
Right now, Bon Iver is my musical go-to man. If you don’t know by now, Bon Iver is a musician with a story like this: he gets a liver disease, goes off to a Wisconsin cabin to angst away about his ex-girlfriend, grows a beard and deals with bears. His music tends to deal with mopey topics and stuff like that, all wrapped in a haunting falsetto and minor folk refrains. He’s also really damn incredible, and I’ve chosen Woods mostly because it slays me every single time I listen to it. It is a stunning play on Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek, and the overwrought auto-tune does something incredible with his voice. Too bad most of his fans hate this song in relation to the rest of his work, which is more folk in orientation, because I love this song.
Sufjan Stevens – Sister Winter
Ok, you have every right to hate me for this one. First of all, it’s a Sufjan Stevens song, a guy who had the balls to say that he was going to make an album based off every state in the US. Top it off, he makes songs about serial killers, bees, and zombies. But he is so. damn. talented. Like with everything else I listen to, I love his music, and he does some incredible things with layers. Each song is an orchestra of guitars, horns, drums, voices, and loads of bizarre audio tricks. Of course, the fact that I choose a Sufjan Stevens Christmas song is surely going to bring me ire. Sorry, but I got to be real: Sister Winter is damn straight amazing.
The Decemberists – We Both Go Down Together
I discovered this bad while living in London, and they changed my life. Seriously got me through some rough times. We Both Go Down Together is a great love song retelling the story of Romeo and Juliet, culminating in a suicidal jump from a cliff. If that’s too much, there’s always the Mariner’s Revenge. That song is a little better for those inclined to 18th century tales of roustabouts.
Union Station – The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn
The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn is a traditional bluegrass song performed by Union Station, the real musicians behind George Clooney and gang in O Brother Where Art Thou? It’s really an amazing song that really shows that American folk music can be neither crap or semi-pop callow music for the masses. Really great.
Basement Jaxx – Raindrops
Now to really change things up, I’m bringing out this pretty awesome and catchy song from Basement Jaxx. It has had some airplay in the UK, although I have yet to hear in in the States outside of a Rhapsody commercial. It’s a trippy dance tune that changes style halfway through, and really shows a pretty cool progression for the group. The whole album (Scars) is pretty great, and Raindrops is only a start.
CSS – Music is My Hot Hot Sex
CSS is this amazing band from Brazil that sings about raunchy things and having fun. Basically all you need from a lead singer that calls herself Lovefoxx. Good enough for an Apple commercial, good enough for you.
Some of you probably know this singer from her popular sophomore album, Begin to Hope. She’s an incredible singer with some awesome chops, all with a quirky and bizarre style that makes her unique. I really love her song Us from her first major album, Soviet Kitsch. It’s a sweet about love and all that, but damn if she doesn’t use some weird metaphors.
Yes. I know. The band I’m From Barcelona is a guy and 20 something of his friends singing songs about being friends and being from Barcelona. Even though they are from Sweden. Don’t be a player hater, this song is damn catchy and happy, you cannot be bitter when you listen to lyrics like “We’ll aim for the stars/we’ll aim for your heart/when the night comes/and we’ll bring you love/and you’ll be one of us when the night comes”. Actually, that just comes off creepy. Oh well!
The Pinker Tones – S.E.X.Y.R.O.B.O.T
This song is about a sexy robot. This video is weird. This song is great.
Anyway, that’s all I got for now! While this is only a small bit of the music I could have brought out (like the Nor Cal post-punk music, French alternative, tap dance-based percussion music, more girl rock, as well as my more mainstream music), I figure what you see above is a different typeof audio in your life. Like I said, it’s not for everyone, but hopefully you found something you might at least like a little bit.
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