Queens of the Stone Age - "Auto Pilot"

Queens of the Stone Age - "Auto Pilot": "...as in: I am, today, given the degree of jetlag I'm working with, not because I want to be."

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Heart In Your Heartbreak"

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Heart In Your Heartbreak": "The last few songs I heard from TPOBPAH, released after their last album, seemed to suggest the band was going in a lighter, twee-er direction...one that I wasn't particularly excited about. This new single is a welcome pivot - still very airy and sweet in parts, but a little more guitar and drums to give the song a a touch more punch, a little tartness in the saccharine. Very nice."

Small Black - "Photojournalist"

Small Black - "Photojournalist": "Subtly catchy within it's synth-powered wall of sound, this is the kind of textured dreampop that's admittedly my catnip."

Best Coast - "Crazy For You"

Best Coast - "Crazy For You": "For DWU. Miss ya."

Lene Lovich - "New Toy"

Lene Lovich - "New Toy": "Arty but poppy, classic new wave without sounding totally dated...but, really, it's just fun. And they used to play it on the radio! Guess all those (new) cool songs like this find their exposure out on the internet now..."

Wire - "A Flat Tent"

Wire - "A Flat Tent": "33+ years in, Wire really have no business sounding this good. This track (from their brand new album, Red Barked Tree) certainly recalls Pink Flag, their debut, but blends in fresh elements to create a fully modern interpretation of their original sound. And, have no fear, the whole album has an array of sounds and moods, so they're no one trick pony here, nor a simple rehash of their older selves."

Tina Turner & Barry White - "In Your Wildest Dreams"

Tina Turner & Barry White - "In Your Wildest Dreams": "Listen to Tina and Barry try to out-sex each other with suggested panting and thrusting in this a/c slow jam. It's a little too radio-polished and borders on cheesy in moments, but it is nice to hear two legends having some fun...and, for the most part, it works. For some reason, Tina also says 'hearts' as one would say 'Chassidic', with the hard 'ch', which has amused me ever since the first time I heard this song."

Class Actress - "Journal of Ardency"

Class Actress - "Journal of Ardency": "80s synth shuffle updated with a more modern aesthetic. Simple, but it's what's been helping me get through the last few days."

Those Bastard Souls - "Spaced Out" (demo)

Those Bastard Souls - "Spaced Out" (Demo - Darla 100 Version): "I was trying to find a song to end 2010 and kick off 2011 and I just couldn't find anything that summed things up, other than songs I've already posted (i.e. Breeders "New Year" or Walkmen "In The New Year"). So, instead, here's a mostly-solo rendition of "Spaced Out" (as otherwise performed by both The Grifters and Those Bastard Souls, full band). It's perhaps a little rough, but it has a certain naked straightforwardness to it."