Staff Pix 11/1: 2014 CRATE!

Uh oh… I think our time machine malfunctioned 😣. We were planning to go to the Salem witch trials (for Halloween duh), but we ended up in… 2014! I sure hope we can get this thing up and running before Pharrell Williams shows up in that HUGE hat.

“CIRCLONTA6A[141.98][syrobonkus mix]” by Aphex Twin

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“A Beginner’s Guide to destroying the moon” by Foster the people

Hold onto your skinny jeans for this intergalactic, fantastically playful, and ever so 2014 tune. Foster The People are and have been indie mainstays since the release of their darling 2011 LP, Torches. But I have to confess something– I would trade 100 “Houdinis,” “Helena Beats,” or “Pumped Up Kicks” for one “A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon.” The production on this is simply stupid. Nutty, even. It grows exponentially until it reaches its biblical breakdown as Mark Foster cries out: “Yeah, you’ll never be whole / Until you lose control.” —Sofia Giarrusso

“archie, marry me” by Alvvays

Alvvays’ 2014 indie-pop classic “Archie, Marry Me” is the perfect anthem for those who find themselves yearning in the passionate heat of the summer. Forget the usual desolate melodies of unrequited love and listen as Molly Rankin’s vocals transform feelings of longing into acceptance. The track’s clearly desperate pleas for a committed future together and upbeat composition work in connection to create a beautiful symphony of unabashed love. I admire the utter honesty and truthfully poetic lyrics of “So honey, take me by the hand we can sign some papers / Forget the invitations, floral arrangements and bread makers.” Yes, let us scream so sincerely of our love for those near and dear to us and let us carry this pure innocence for the rest of our lives! Through thoughtful comparisons to the traditions of marriage, Alvvays yet again captures the shameless admiration that accompanies raw, unfiltered love. —Sophie Parrish

“unfucktheworld” by angel olsen

What’s even more distressing than our fashion choices in 2014? Angel Olsen’s “Unfucktheworld,” I would argue. Olsen’s vocals are muted, distant, far away. It’s as though you’re listening underwater, drowning, as she pours her heart out to an ex lover she’s hurt. “It's not just me for you / I have to look out too / I have to save my life / I need some peace of mind”. The soulful echoes are heartfelt and heartbreaking: “I am the only one now” and “You may not be around” on repeat, each with its own unique kind of pain. Maybe hearing the lyrics with crisp, clear audio would be too overwhelming, too sad. Maybe hearing them vaguely muffled is even worse. Regardless, you’re left with your heart bleeding next to hers: “I lost my dream, I lost my reason all again.” —Monika Krueger

“barcelona” by george ezra

In the midst of the chaos and weird fashion of 2014, George Ezra has graced us with songs about foreign towns in unique indie-pop-folk fashion. “Barcelona” is a nostalgic and lovesick ode to a long-lost love in… Barcelona. Ezra’s vocals are deep and intimate, and for 3 minutes we feel like we are being serenaded by a white man with a guitar. What begins as a typical journey of a man pining for a love, recounting sweet memories, the song comes back to Ezra’s ode to just shut his eyes and go back to the saccharine moments he once knew. We are reassured that at the end of the day, Ezra will be “lying right by your side, in Barcelona.” —Ari Mei-Dan

“2 on” by Tinashe featuring schoolboy q

Despite me being ten years old at the time, I felt a shift in the universe when Tinashe dropped “2 On,” a song far too wise for my young mind to handle. Right from that wobbly bass line, those early 2010s snaps, and Tinashe’s wispy vocals, it's  a hit. Tinashe begs to go even farther than those party stars who came before her. These other girls might like to party, but Tinashe likes to PARTAY. She doesn’t just want to drink, she wants to be TOO drunk. “When the drink be too strong / When that tree be way too strong” she laments, but instead of wallowing in hangxiety and regret, she shrugs. Might not remember last night, but being 2 On is always a good time. —Nathan Hilyard

PHEW! 2014 sure is crazy! But, we’ve run out of time… Oh no… its PARRELL!