Frequent Spins (2012.3)

If you haven't picked up on the hint from the links in these posts yet, you need to download Spotify. Now. It's free. Yeah, there's a pay version too, but if you're content with being able to listen—on your computer—to a pretty significant percentage of the music that's out there, you won't be disappointed.

Arrange - New Memory
It's been a few years since I've read Pitchfork regularly, but I owe my discovery of this ambient electro-pop band to Pitchfork's Spotify app, which makes it easy to instantly listen to what the indie snobs are excited about.

Beach House - Bloom
I wasn't as blown away by this band's first three albums as a lot of folks were, but count me on the bandwagon as of their fourth release, a gorgeous collection of dreamy indie pop.

Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
This indie art-rock band is a little outside of my wheelhouse, but I've known since I first heard 2005's The Getty Address there was potential they could eventually reel me in. This is probably their most accessible record, so I guess that's all it took.

Metric - Synthetica
I think I'd previously lumped this band into the "pretty good, but nothing to write home about" category, which isn't exactly a negative opinion, I realize. Then, a Joey Pants recommendation from last year influenced me to really give a good listen to this one, and it was well worth the effort.

Moonface - With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery
In the last Frequent Spins, I compared bands to baseball players. I didn't do that this time, but instead I'm going to make a different kind of comparison here: Moonface is another side project from Wolf Parade co-leader Spencer Krug. Although he took 2011 off (at least as far as new releases are concerned), the prolific Krug reminds me of William Tasker of The Flagrant Fan, It's About the Money Stupid, MLB Dirt and probably a few other blogs I'm not even aware he writes for. Krug is possibly the hardest working man in indie rock. Tasker is the hardest working baseball blogger I know.

Saint Etienne - Words and Music by Saint Etienne
This album seems like an exercise in nostalgia for the band, and much of it hits close to home with me as well. But, there's one line that makes me smile every time I hear it: "I knew he loved me because he made me a tape."

The Walkmen - Heaven
My good friend Sara characterized this one as much more positive than their previous efforts, and while it's not exactly feel-good music, that description is certainly accurate.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Americana
Neil and the Horse's venture into folk standards territory is a hit-or-miss affair, with plenty of material falling in between. Hits: "Oh Susannah," "Jesus' Chariot," "God Save the Queen." Misses: "Clementine," "Get a Job," "Wayfarin' Stranger."