The Belligerents - Such a Crime

Favorite lyrics: Washed up on the rocks again
And I can't climb

The opening of Such a Crime has notes dropping in from everywhere, adding instruments as the song adds seconds in a way that completely changes the melody with each new progression. Vocals stay in tune with the bass in a chorus that makes you want to scream it back to the band, even if it's through the stereo. It goes from summer-jam to techno vibe to accented punk, and it makes the song really diverse. There's also a voice-over that almost gives it a creepy feel, like it's trying to become a voice in your head, and with the break down after the first chorus, it has this slight feeling like it's out to get you. And you'll probably let it, because it sounds really good.

Glitter Pox rating: 81% contagious

Hope you catch it,
The Glitter Pox

Mansions - Seven Years

Fav Lyrics : If I don't believe in the afterlife does that mean I can't go?
Will it be me and me alone?

There's a Matthew Mayfield singer/songwriter vibe to this song that leaves you with a smoky burning feeling inside; the kind only great lyricists can accomplish, that can't be washed away by a followup pop song - it sticks there and it'll probably ruin your day in a good way. It's like crying during Where the Red Fern Grows, that depressed feeling that makes you somehow feel more alive. It's a powerful song, one you can really hear each word of - words that beg for empathy and definitely get it from these ears.

Glitter Pox rating: 76% contagious

Hope you catch it,
The Glitter Pox

Black Lab - This Night

Favorite lyrics: Take this night and wrap it around me like a sheet. I know I'm not forgiven but I need a place to sleep.

This song belongs on a show like Dexter, right after somebody gets murdered. It's dark and deadly, like whispered confessions. It leaves you with a shocked feeling, like you have no idea what just happened but you know it's something incredibly intense and with a body count. The ethnic twist of instrument puts you in a kind of foreign headspace, too, which makes this song stand out.

Glitter Pox rating: 81% contagious

Hope you catch it,
The Glitter Pox

The Dø - Too Insistent

Favorite lyrics: Should we act like people
Who think they have seen it all
They're so indifferent

The Dø does it right. Such a melodramatic song, set to a trumpet-blaring orchestral arrangement, sends mixed emotions. It has a sound and a story for both love and loneliness, so it's fitting. The way the chorus is sung is catchy because it's full of light longing - it has emotion, but it's not too heavy that it's slowed down and prevented from looping in your head. It's a simple song with a minor twist that makes it stand out.

Glitter Pox rating: 63% contagious

Hope you catch it,
The Glitter Pox

Jinja Safari - Forest Eyes

Fav lyrics: If I could design this day, I'd never let it get away.

Lion King + sunshine = this song. Everything about it is light, like the melody is floating aboveground and you have to keep reaching for it before it drifts away. Even the vocals are light and jumpy, like they can't stay grounded for too long. It doesn't use an excess of instruments or beats, but somehow it feels like an orchestra that pulls you in a million different musical directions until you throw away your compass and just run with it. This is what should be the soundtrack to every springtime adventure you get yourselves into.

Glitter Pox rating: 73% contagious

Hope you catch it,
The Glitter Pox

The Trouble With Templeton - Bleeders

Favorite lyrics: Fevers raging beneath those bones
But those tales you tell seem to hide you well.

It's hard to find a song that makes you want to sleep and amps you up, but there's both a soothing sound and an energetic, passionate side to Bleeders. It's a calm melody, but there's a lot behind it; right when you're about to close your eyes and fall asleep to the subtle sounds of exhale and consistently gorgeous guitar, the singer wakes you up with low calls of anger. And the story in the lyrics is really inclusive to the listener, like you're actually having this conversation full of bottled, unsaid words with an amazing background soundtrack.

Glitter Pox rating: 77% contagious

Hope you catch it,
The Glitter Pox

1,2,3 - Work

Favorite lyrics: There's one word that I would say to you, and it's a good word.

We saw 1,2,3 this week as an opening act for Yellow Ostrich, who we were really excited to see. We were casually sitting in tavern chairs and waiting for them to take the stage, not knowing that in three seconds 1,2,3's melodies would be some we'd be listening to nonstop for the next few days. We hadn't been this excited to buy a band's album in a while, despite the cover being distinctly creepy, because the taste of it that they played at the Beachland Tavern was infectious. Each of their songs has a different vibe, from old school rock to prom night slow dance to culturally-inspired intros; their music changes pace with each song, but they're not a new band still trying to find their sound - it's more like they're a band that can take any sound and make it theirs. They have well-written lyrics and a vocalist that sings in and out of his own voice, from subtle moans to falsetto growls. Mixed with some guitar work that grinds along your shoulder blades, drumming that makes you unconsciously tap along, and some tambourine/sleigh bells that rattle your mind, 1,2,3 knows how to serve some good music.

Glitter Pox rating: 98% contagious

Hope you catch it,
The Glitter Pox

Modern Skirts - Jane Child

Favorite lyrics: I won't tear your heart out like those other men

'Jane Child' isn't exactly in tune or evenly paced, but it's definitely well crafted. It's like being in the mind of obsession, a song that is partly enchanting and completely creepy. It goes from lyrics sung with determination and without music, steadily seeping into singsong - like the song is gaining momentum in insanity. You start to feel like you're becoming obsessed with Jane Child, too, as much as her name floats through your head after listening.

Glitter Pox rating: 90%

Hope you catch it,
The Glitter Pox

Wildlife - Sea Dreamer

We saw Wildlife at Daytrotter's Barnstormer tour, which was a fantastic line-up of bands playing in the middle of nowhere, in barns that you find on back roads. It was a lot of fun, and Wildlife is a band we discovered through that - they were the first act that night, and even though the rest of the bands were all fantastic, it was hard to follow their performance (even with the lead singer in a cast.) Each of their songs has a melody that shakes you up and makes you grind your teeth, choruses of anger and Manchester Orchestra-equivalent passion. Check out their new video Sea Dreamer and find out for yourself.