The Barometer: Neon Trees; Sex Beet; Kourtney Heart ft. Magnolia Shorty; Baths; Youthless; Bermuda Bonnie; Captain Beefheart; REM

What's hot on our playlist

John Hall
Friday 31 December 2010 01:00 GMT
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Neon Trees

Animal

The production suggests heavy record label investment, while the song itself recalls early Futureheads.

Sex Beet

Stay!

Bombastic lo-fi surfer punk. Tinny drums, echo-laden Dick Dale riffs and – buried deep beneath the fuzz – a layer of suitably snotty vocals.

Kourtney Heart ft. Magnolia Shorty

My Boy

This light and bouncy Kourtney Heart track features Lil' Wayne's Cash Money protégé's last recorded vocals.

Baths

Hall

A series of falsetto vocals, backwards tape loops and programmed beats that (somehow) recalls both Washed Out and Weezer.

Youthless

Golden Age

Pop music stripped back to its purest elements. Simple melodies you can't forget and a bass that begs you to dance.

Bermuda Bonnie

Houseboat

Awkwardly mixed and hampered by digital distortion, this cute little pop song is nevertheless full of promise.

Captain Beefheart

Sure 'Nuff 'N' Yes I Do

The late Captain Beefheart at his Delta blues influenced best. Sounding like a grumpier Howlin' Wolf, Beefheart was a true rock'n'roll hero.

REM

It Happened Today

Teaser single from the forthcoming 'Collapse Into Now' album. Not exactly a return to form but REM do sound more confident now than at any time in the past decade. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and The Hidden Cameras' Joel Gibb provide backing vocals.

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