i always wanted to

I'm startled by the degree to which the Radio Dept.'s 2010 album Clinging to a Scheme has etched itself into my memory of this year. Every few weeks it seems a new track becomes the central focus around which the rest of the songs orbit. First, it was "David," that slinky, wistful affair punctuated by disco strings. Then "Memory Loss," which hearkened back to previous Radio Dept. standouts "I Don't Like It Like This" and "Pulling Our Weight," which is to say that it seems destined for a prominent place on the next Sofia Coppola soundtrack. Next, there was "This Time Around" which melodically feels straight out of the best of the 90s-era shoegaze catalogue but is itself totally devoid of the distorting effects those bands used to cover up the fact that their music was inherently, giddily pretty. And now I'm obsessed with "Never Follow Suit" with its audio sample from the graffiti documentary Style Wars, its offbeat reggae groove, and its subtle, insistent meditation on how fun it can be to be different/resistant: "I want to, I always wanted to belong to the freak scene or anyone who had set their mind to never follow suit again because they have to, I want to."

Update: Yo, check it, there must be something in the air because Radio Dept. just announced they'll be releasing a new EP entitled "Never Follow Suit" featuring that cut and three others. Plus a pair of U.S. shows. Plus a new single "The New Improved Hypocrisy" as a free download (follow the hyperlink). Plugged in and turned on, this guy.

Teengirl Fantasy. Let's talk about that name for a second. It draws from the M83 Saturdays = Youth aesthetic, current critical favorite Beach House's Teen Dream (and commercial star Katy Perry's Teenage Dream), and of course, that old Mariah Carey jam of yesteryear--so many referents, so much potential. The song itself pulls off something truly remarkable; it filters what sounds like a R. Kelly chest pounder through an electronic wash resulting in something both startlingly melodic and emotionally affecting.

Saw these girls play last Saturday. To my ears, punk music rarely sounds as good on record as it does live (and maybe it shouldn't), but there's enough of a garage influence at work in the Harpy's tunes to make some of their cuts worth listening to outside of their (awesome) live show. The song below is not my favorite, but it is their only YouTube video to my knowledge. I recommend their MySpace.