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Listen Up!: The Singles Roundup - May 18, 2007

We're digging deep to bring you some under-the-radar artists this week, plus one big buzz band—Britain's garage goths the Horrors—who might actually be worthy of the hype. Crank up the headphones and give a listen.

Through the Sparks - "Falling Out of Favor with the Neighbors"
This Birmingham, Alabama quintet manages to sound jaunty and melancholy at the same time as they blend psych-rock and piano-pop, with a little hurdy-gurdy waltz in the bridge for good measure. No wonder their Skynyrd-loving neighbors don't like them.

The Bad Plus - "1980 World Champion"
Imagine the Vince Guaraldi Trio after a few triple espressos and you begin to get an idea of where this Minnesota jazz trio is coming from on this maniacal grin of a track. Drummer Dave King is a force of nature.

Mocean Worker - "Son of Sanford"
How can you not love a funky instrumental that name-checks one of the great cult classics of '70s sitcoms? A refugee from the drum 'n' bass scene, Mocean Worker has found himself a nice little pocket somewhere between Fatboy Slim's club-bombing dance tracks and Ursula 1000's retro kitsch.

The Horrors - "Count in Fives" [video]
For some reason we just can't get over the little people dancing at the edges of the screen in this video. It just confirms that, for all their goth exteriors and icy stares, the Horrors are really in this just to have a bit of fun.

Tarwater - "A Marriage in Belmont"
Mixing the earthy with the ethereal, this German duo sounds a little like Boards of Canada remixing a Church song.

Vandaveer - "Marianne, You've Done It Now"
A lilting clarinet and clattering, Tom Waits-y percussion set this playful piece of freak-folk apart from its peers. Vandaveer's Mark Charles Heidinger, formerly of an obscure indie-pop group called The Apparations, is clearly one to watch.

Shannon Wright - "Everybody's Got Their Own Part to Play"
Wright sings like a pissed-off Aimee Mann, wrapping this wistful piece of indie pop around her like a well-worn cardigan—but one that's starting to itch a little.

--Andy Hermann
05.18.07

Click here to read last week's installment of Listen Up!