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What Pitchfork's Top 10 Songs of 2012 Say About Us

By Tom Hawking on

Seventeen years after Ryan Schreiber first started banging out reviews in his Minneapolis bedroom, Pitchfork’s end-of-year lists are probably the most anticipated in the music industry — both because for all its failings the site remains the Internet’s most popular and thus most influential hive of music criticism, and because it holds its lists until pretty much everyone else has published theirs. Over the last couple of years, we’ve amused ourselves by pondering what the songs in the ’Fork’s Top 10 say about its readership (which, of course, includes us) — and so, with the publication yesterday of this year’s winners, we’re giving the exercise another go-around. … Read More

Music

5 Albums to Stream for Free This Week: Liars, Japandroids

By Tom Hawking on

Welcome to another edition of our regular Monday stream-a-thon (delayed for a day because, like you, we were busy getting drunk yesterday). Happily, the extra day’s wait has allowed for the arrival of the new Liars album, which is the best thing we’ve heard in ages and which we’re thus vary happy to be able to share with you. There’s also the new Scissor Sisters album, which is perhaps not the musical extravaganza that the Liars record is, but is a bit of fun nonetheless. Elsewhere, there’s Neil Young and Crazy Horse exploring the history of Americana, Marissa Nadler being suitably mellow for a hazy Tuesday, and Japandroids being all shouty. Click through and get in on the action! … Read More

Partner Buzz

Celebrate Our SXSW Partnership with The Windish Agency with an Exclusive 8tracks Mixtape

By Sophie Weiner on

We can’t believe it, but it’s almost that time of year again — the near panic-attack inducing insanity of the SXSW music/arts/film/interactive/taco festival begins later this week… we can almost taste the free booze. This year, in addition to throwing our own awesome showcase, we’re beyond excited to announce our partnership with The Windish Agency for all of their incredible shows throughout the festival. We know actually being at SXSW isn’t an option for everyone — so that’s why we’ll also be teaming up with some of the coolest Windish artists to bring you exclusive interactive content and updates from the ground. Get ready for some surprises, and stay tuned.

Meanwhile, check out the line-ups for all of the Flavorpill sponsored Windish showcases below and download our exclusive 8tracks mixtape featuring some of the best Windish talent playing the festival this year. Downloads will be available till next Monday the 12th, so get them while you can, and we’ll see you in Austin! … Read More

Music

Download 10 of 2009′s Most Under-Appreciated Gems

By Zara Golden on

Best of the Year lists shouldn’t bring the end. After all, these lists make for a great way to catch up on all that you might have missed while you were spinning that new Phoenix album endlessly. Making this time of discovery easier yet, Insound.com has rounded up their 50 most downloaded of 2009, and is offering everyone 10 free MP3s for download.

Looking at their list, we’ve eliminated albums that weren’t from 2009, and skipped over the obvious-es–the Grizzly Bear’s, the Pheonix’s and the Passion Pit’s. Those are for everyone else’s lists. Here are 10 deep cuts, just for… Read More

Daily Dose

Daily Dose Pick: Noisevox

By Jessica Suarez on

MTV vet John Norris hosts this video site featuring HD interviews and performances from Dan Deacon, Animal Collective, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

Noisevox focuses on high-quality artist chats, paired with live sets. The clips go beyond the sound-bite, allowing Japandroids to tell medical horror stories and the Thermals to explain songwriting metaphors. Noisevox also offers interesting live takes, such as Arctic Monkeys‘ snarling cover of Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand.” … Read More