Buried Beds – “Children of the Sea”

On the heels of their just-released short film Small Stories, Philadelphia chamber-poppers Buried Beds offer up ”Children of the Sea”, one of several live recordings on the Small Stories EP that accompanies the DVD. A gorgeous, rollicking introduction to the group’s nimble instrumentation and gorgeous harmonies, it’s a promising first listen to the group’s upcoming third LP. Expect big things from Buried Beds, who’ve previously shared the stage with The Head and the Heart and Dr. Dog. -WR

Cold War Kids – “There Is A War” (Leonard Cohen cover)

In anticipation of Leonard Cohen’s twelfth studio album, Old Ideas, Cults, Greg Dulli and numerous others have or are putting out covers of their favorite songs from the singer-songwriter. Tack the Cold War Kids onto that list with this stellar, surprisingly funky rework of the New Skin for the Old Ceremony deep cut ”There Is A War”. -WR

First Aid Kit feat. Conor Oberst – “King of the World”

If an album comes out and contains a track that we hadn’t heard prior to its release, does that track still maintain eligibility for Top Ten status?  Yes it does! Some of the best tracks of all time are located in the dark, dusty corners of albums. This little ditty comes off First Aid Kit’s Lion’s Roar, which dropped earlier this week. The final track is an upbeat piece with a cameo from Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst that comes out of left field in the best way possible. -WR

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Grouper – “Demona” (Dead Moon cover)

With “Demona”, Liz Harris, aka Grouper, gets a head start at beating her 2011 tally of two LPs, an EP and a handful of randomly released songs. Treated with the typically exorbitant levels of reverb that have become synonymous with Grouper, the ghosted track is apparently a cover of Portland punk-rockers Dead Moon’s “Demona“, though I bet the band would have a hard time telling. Breathtaking all the same, though. -MC

Justice – “On’n'On” (Rick Rubin remix)

Justice’s fairly underrated sophomore album Audio, Video, Disco was packed with hard-hitting club moments, but “On’n'On” was not one of them. The French duo has decided to release the single with four remixes done by Tiga, Erol Alkan, Video Village, and Rick Rubin. The last listed is the one that tickled our fancy, with the Beastie Boy producer turning “On’n'On” from a slow, dull march to a full on banger worthy of your soundsystem. The single is out Jan. 30th. -WR

Miike Snow feat. Lykke Li – “Black Tin Box”

I’ve never been to Sweden, but whatever’s in the water there seems to endow one with the gift of pop genius (see: Robyn, Max Martin, ABBA, The Knife/Fever Ray, The Tallest Man On Earth etc.). One of the nation’s brightest stars as of late, the lovely Lykke Li, teams up for with another indie pop trio Miike Snow to keep the legacy with this, the brilliant third single off of the latter’s soon-to-be-released LP. Happy to You, Miike Snow’s second full-length, will be released March 27th on Downtown/Universal. -MC

PO PO – “Final Fight”

Hat tip to Stereogum on sniffing out PO PO, some of the most promising noise/psych rock I’ve heard in a long time. The Philly-based duo is set to release their debut LP, Dope Boy Magick, later this year via Diplo’s Mad Decent imprint – a strong indication of the quality of the music. “Final Fight” is a noisy, drum driven machine that rocks as hard as it trips, and really, isn’t that what psych-rock should be all about? –MC

PO PO – “Final Fight”

SBTRKT – “Atomic Peace”

Once again, the rules of eligibility are called into question for our mp3 column. If a track was conceived in 2009, but never released until earlier this week, should it still be eligible? My ethics are saying yes. Or maybe it’s my ears. SBTRKT dazzles yet again as “Atomic Peace” pumps in and out with a rhythm that sticks to your ribs. Even in 2009, he was carving out his unique sound that you hear today.  -WR

Trust – “Sulk”

Fresh off her success behind the kit for Austra, Maya Postepski will release her debut LP as Trust with Robert Alfons next month. “Sulk”, the last song on the album is a four minute sprawl of moody synths and a hammering, dancefloor-ready backbeat. TRST is due out February 28th on Arts & Crafts. -MC

Young Magic – “Night In The Ocean”

Dream pop seems to be trending at the moment. The vast numbers of up and coming artists with a Dream Pop sensibility are enough to make one’s head spin, but this is a band that ventures to play with genre crossovers. Young Magic’s “Night In The Ocean” has all the familiar otherworldly beats and chords of your standard Shoegaze, but it’s not until the vocals set in that you get a glimpse at why Young Magic is so special. With Beck in slow motion-like intonation and a sweeping chorus of “It’s just another night in the ocean”, Young Magic prove again why they deserve another moment of our attention. -MC

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