The top mp3s have gone through many incarnations since the beginning of Consequence of Sound in 2007. What used to be an exhaustive roundup of all the singles, remixes, covers, and undiscovered gems emailed to us any given week evolved into a compilation whittled down to our 10 favorite new songs. For 2013, we’re again changing up the format with the hope of giving our selections some added weight. We’re still posting about our 10 favorite songs, but they’ll be ordered in quality from 10-1. Who takes home #1 in this inaugural week? You’ll have to click ‘Next’ to find out.
10. Eat Skull – “Space Academy”
Portland’s Eat Skull trade in the lo-fi fuzz-rock that’s perfectly suited for a smoky afternoon wandering through a forest in your favorite denim jacket. It’s no surprise, then, that they’ve teamed up with Woodsist for the release of their new album, III (due February 19th). The crackling warmth of early cut “Space Academy” shines through the layers of meandering guitar, a chilled synth rolling like an easy fog at the back of the mix. “That’s how it’s gotta be,” guitarist/vocalist Rob Enborn shrugs, the parading rock mammoth leading to a focused, swaggering instrumental outro. -Adam Kivel
09. Velour – “Speedway”
Bristol producers Julio Bashmore and Hyetal teamed up under the moniker Velour, fusing their respective house and bass strengths into one massive smash-up. The duo haven’t released anything for a few years, but a surprise update to Bashmore’s YouTube channel in the form of the ultra-swanky “Speedway” changes all of that. The track’s wonky synth bubbles, thrumming high end, loping rhythm, and sampled “Woaaaaah!” all scream swaggering triumph. Plus, the video is tagged with the logo for Bashmore’s Broadwalk label, so here’s hoping that means we can start looking forward to a full-length. -Adam Kivel
08. STRFKR – “Say to You”
There’s something different about STRFKR on “Say to You”. The synths aren’t pounding, the bass line isn’t funky. Instead, frontman Joshua Hodges sings quietly to the repetition of strummed chords. This is the third track the Portland quartet has shared from its forthcoming LP Miracle Mile (out February 19th via Polyvinyl Records), but unlike prior singles “While I’m Still Alive” and “Leave It All Behind”, STRFKR restrain themselves here, both in composition and instrumentation. The arrangement swirls in a circle, never veering too far from the established rhythm. The only major electronic dabblings — the bleep-bloops of a quirky keyboard — bookend the song. -Jon Hadusek
07. Sufjan Stevens – “Which One Are You?”
In 2009, Sufjan Stevens released The BQE -- a “mixed-medium artistic exploration” Of the Brooklyn-Queens expressway. Outtake “Which One Are You?” was left off of the album because of copyright issues pertaining to the song’s melody, but it’s now available for your listening pleasure. Overall, the song shares the aesthetics of the other pieces on The BQE: it’sstructured in movements and features numerous electronic instruments. Sufjan opens by plucking his ukulele and singing timidly. Then, electronic sounds creep in. He sings louder. In the final minute, the electronics take over and Sufjan’s voice is buried beneath them. Shame that such a dense song was cut from the album. -Jon Hadusek
06. Vessel – “Raven Banner”
Back in October, Bristol’s Seb Gainsborough (aka Vessel) released Order of Noise, a defiantly unique debut that screwed together various noises into something you couldn’t help but move to. Independently, each second of industrial noise and off-kilter synth suggested an eerie discomfort, but Gainsborough strings everything together expertly, luring you into the darkness. A newly unearthed outtake from that disc, “Raven Banner” spins and shudders under its own weight, constantly threatening to rip apart its own seams with pops of feedback and thumps of glistening synth. -Adam Kivel
05. Angel Haze – “On the Edge”
Azealia Banks and CoS’ 2012 Rookie of the YearAngel Haze went off on each other in a Twitter exchange yesterday. Haze thought Banks was dissing her in some tweets, and Haze rebutted by calling Banks a “charcoal skinned bitch.” Harsh stuff, and RapDose nabbed the whole exchange before it was deleted. Conveniently released alongside this e-spat comes Haze’s “On the Edge”, a diss track directed toward Banks. Produced by Diplo, the track sees Haze in her feisty element, tearing into her NYC rival with both her rhymes and off-the-cuff dialogue, which is present between verses. There’s an underlying story to this feud that reportedly involves Azealia rejecting Angel’s sexual advances (hinted at by the texting convo on the artwork), but Haze doesn’t mention it during the song. -Jon Hadusek
04. AlunaGeorge – “Diver”
In 2012, a few stunning singles from UK future-pop duo AlunaGeorge whetted our appetite for their debut album, Body Music(due sometime in June). After all of that serious anticipation, we finally get a sample of the album proper in the deliriously sly “Diver”. The combination of George Francis’ chopped electronic beats and Aluna Francis’ ultra-sheen R&B vocals puts the track very much in the vein of 2012 stars like Grimes and Purity Ring, though with a laser-focused pop accessibility. -Adam Kivel
03. The xx – “Sunset” (Jamie xx Edit)
The xx producer Jamie xx took Coexist’s “Sunset” and turned it into a chilly dance track. A house beat runs in the background until it’s muted, leaving Romy Madley Croft’s vocal track in a capella isolation. Though you might not expect it to be possible, she sounds even more sultry and cathartic when there’s no music behind her. The extended loops eventually return, giving “Sunset” an additional three minutes in duration. -Jon Hadusek
02. Azealia Banks – “BBD”
Revving up to what should be a huge 2013, New York rapper Azealia Banks dropped an early taste of what’s to come in the bombastic “BBD”. The production from Apple Juice Kid smashes elements of radar pinging trap production with dub bass wind-ups, while Banks’ insistence that “all my bad bitches do it” pumps the intensity. Though it has all the sounds of the present, she’s not afraid to wink to the past, referencing both Bell Biv Devoe and New Edition in the chorus. With this sort of killer instinct, they may say she’s “poison” for good reason. -Adam Kivel
01. Toro Y Moi – “Say That”
As a prelude to his upcoming album Anything in Return (out January 22nd via Carpark Records), Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bundick released “Say That” (and its weird/awesome video) earlier this week. Although his voice rarely deviates from a hazy deadpan, Bundick maintains excellent control over which notes he hits and holds. The chorus is a gentle plea: “Say that you’ll always remind me / Cause I can’t decide, if you are my love.” A dub-flavored drum pattern generates momentum, growing louder without obstructing Bundick’s alluring melody. -Jon Hadusek
