Wild Flag - "Something Came Over Me"

Wild Flag - "Something Came Over Me": "It's got the right melodic elements of classic Helium, but it's sweeter than anything Helium ever did. I love Helium deeply, but it always felt sad, heavy, angry, strange...not light, like this. It still feels like the Helium I missed, but back in a newly structured environment (to its advantage) and not as a 90s retread. A belated welcome back Mary Timony. I'm happy this is also my New Year's Eve post - it's a look back, a look ahead, a mix of old and new, nostalgia mixing with wanting something fresh - which is kind of how I feel today as well. Hope everyone is sending 2011 out in style tonight."

Best Coast - "The End"

Best Coast - "The End": "I still haven't gotten over this record. I remember being in a London hotel, soaking in a bathtub (I so rarely find a tub that truly fits me, I have to take advantage of them when I find them), right after picking up the album, and listening to the whole thing all the way through. It had been cold and grey outside, plus I was loopy from jetlag, and I just lay there, losing myself in the tunes. It's hard for me not to think of that time when I play these songs back now."

LCD Soundsystem - "I Can Change"

LCD Soundsystem - "I Can Change": "It's a song that's kind of long, particularly for as little as it changes, but its appeal is in its musical simplicity, supporting the directness of the lyrics. I don't want to believe this band is technically done, but I am keeping my hopes up for whatever James Murphy brings us next."

Duran Duran - "Girl Panic!"

Duran Duran - "Girl Panic!": "I was pretty ambivalent to the new DD when I heard it earlier this year, but this song popped back into my head this week and I haven't been able to forget it since. They're definitely stealing from themselves, musically, but it's so much fun, with crazy Simon lyrics to match, that it doesn't matter."

Modest Mouse - "Convenient Parking"

Modest Mouse - "Convenient Parking": "This song reminds me of driving around in LA, listening to this album (The Lonesome Crowded West) over and over. Hearing it now makes me remember and appreciate those simpler times, but I still enjoy this record in its own right."