Hella fun, this one - one of the best I've received yet through IMP - and proof that good things come to those who wait on more than one count. Most particularly, I've been hearing about Lykke Li and wanting to hear her, and "Let It Fall" lives up to the hype, a sparse, catchy, slightly fragile scando-pop thing in the vein of "Be Mine!", "Chewing Gum" &c, and totally delicious; also, I've been hearing about MGMT and was glad to hear "Indie Rokkers", a buzzy, moody, somewhat M83-meets-Arcade Fire-esque number that I like rather a lot.
Actually, the shadow of the AF hangs over several of the songs on the mix, most notably French Kicks' "Abandon" and the Handsome Furs' "Dead + Rural", both of which I also like. Elsewhere: the strangely funky (plus Bowie-eque bridge-featurin') "No One Does It Like You" by a group called Department of Eagles, which kicks things off and got totally stuck in my head the other day; Santogold's "I'm A Lady", groove and melody in equal parts (which I like in part because, not despite, the start-of-chorus hook is almost identical to that of "West End Girls"); the gleeful loopiness-tempered-with-real-pop-smarts of tracks like Ferraby Lionheart's "A Crack In Time", Elk City's "Loz Crusados" and Chairlift's "Evident Utensil" (a particular fave); the Carps' "All The Damn Kids" and Cut Off Your Hands' "You and I" bringing a bit of post-punk infused scuzzy modern indie rock (likewise, in a different way, the Maccabees' "First Love"); the anthemic surge of American Names" by Sebastien Grainger, well placed near the end; and a number of others, none of which fail to leave an impression.
(from Vina in New York City, NY)
