January to June: 6 Sick Sounds

We’re halfway through a rather decent year of music, so why not have a little review of the best singles and album tracks to come out the last six months?

January: Toro Y Moi – Say That

This summer melancholy came out at the wrong time, but it pretty much set the bar for what indie’s capable of in 2013. Including a lounge RnB aesthetic that outdoes most Pharrell efforts, a spliced up slice of 90s rave siren Cut Copy would be proud of, and a pristine keyboard intro as crystalline as the ice it thawed over wintertime, Say That will sound like the perfect soundtrack all year long.

February: Jamie Lidell – You Naked

Pretty little things you say and do, they make a man go mad! The Valentine’s month saw this futuristic funk ode from a rejuvenated Jamie Lidell. The self-titled album it’s from is still the best of the year thus far. I’m a big fan of Jimmy Edgar’s minimal cowbell deconstruction as well [MV].

March: Autre Ne Veut – Ego Free Sex Free

There’s been a lot of great indie-RnB this year e.g. inc. – The Place [MV], but only Autre Ne Veut is truly deviating from the blueprints set by Mr. Y Moi and The Weeknd. I’ve been curious about Autre ever since he collaborated on my favorite song of 2011, I Surrender [MV] on my favorite album of that year, the underrated Channel Pressure by Ford & Lopatin. This song continues the Ford & Lopatin sound of post-Prince pop and pre-singularity futures with a sensual bump ‘n’ grind that elevates from the Earth with a chorus afloat on anti-gravity laser beams.