Kate-mas 2013

Much of the best new non-metal music that I heard in the past year came from Ben-mas 2012, a birthday mix that Kate sent me from England. Artists that I had never heard of or bothered to check out because they had names like Tinie Tempah, Mystery Jets or LCD Soundsystem have been getting stuck in my head and making their way onto my playlists. My response isn't quite as chic, but I'm giving it a shot.



 Kate-mas 2013

1. Japandroids, "The Nights of Wine and Roses"
2. Andrew W.K., "It's Time to Party"
3. Dr. Octagon, "Earth People"
4. Janet Jackson, "Rhythm Nation"
5. Kavinsky feat. Lovefoxxx, "Nightcall"
6. The Zombies, "Care of Cell 44"
7. King's X, "It's Love"
8. The Roots, "The Seed (2.0)"
9. Fiona Apple, "Hot Knife"
10. Santo and Johnny, "Sleepwalk"
11. The Jackson 5, "The Love You Save"
12. Danny Brown, "Radio Song"
13. Lily Allen, "LDN"
14. David Bowie, "Sound and Vision"
15. The Knife, "Heartbeats"
16. Jimmy Cliff, "The Harder They Come"
17. Clipse feat. Slim Thug, "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)"
18. The Afghan Whigs, "Crazy"
19. Penguin Cafe Orchestra, "Telephone and Rubber Band"
20. The Giraffes, "Jr. at His Worst"

 A semi-stylish mix, as imagined by someone who prefers Anthrax to Animal Collective.

Some of my favorite recent songs are here, via Fiona Apple, Japandroids, Danny Brown and the Drive soundtrack, plus a few tracks from the the mid-2000s, around the time I worked at Kim's Mediapolis and was momentarily hipper than I ever will be again. Thus, I'm offering the new Grimes song (from when it was called "Heartbeats" by the Knife) and Lily Allen's "LDN," which plays like a Kate e-mail set to music.

Otherwise, I've included a balance of yesteryear classics that I can't imagine anyone not liking. Only a sadist could resist the best of the Jackson 5, Bowie or Jimmy Cliff, and I still don't believe anyone who can't get down to "Earth People." Finally, headbanging biases appear in the presence of celebration icon Andrew W.K., Brooklyn surf-metal heroes the Giraffes and King's X, whom have now spent a quarter of a century as the world's most underrated hard rock band. The guitar and vocal harmonies in the outro to "It's Love" should be playing from stadiums, or at least from the listening devices of thoughtful English expats.