Honorable Mehntion #3

French Kicks: "Sex Tourists" (from Swimming)

I'm not sure what the lyrics have to do with sex tourism, largely because I can't understand most of them. This mid-tempo soul number with falsetto, tremolo guitar, a barely changing drumbeat and a monotone chorus somehow adds up to much more than the sum of its parts. Addictive.

Sally Shapiro: "Time to Let Go (Lindstrøm Remix)" (from Remix Romance Vol. 1)

Much like Lindstrøm's other works, this nearly eleven-minute track changes gradually, almost imperceptibly. Shapiro's vocal, though quite lovely in the original, barely makes an appearance here. When it does, it's just another layer. Toward the end a hook from another Shapiro track from Disco Romance shows up to surprise the listener. It's a treat to get lost in.

Air France: "No Excuses" (from No Way Down)

A lovely track from another group of Swedish disco fetishists, though it's probably not intended for the dance floor. It's more like having a dream about dancing.

Hercules and Love Affair feat. Antony Hegarty: "Blind" (from Hercules and Love Affair)

Antony should contribute vocals to every dance track from now on. By everyone.

The Last Shadow Puppets: "My Mistakes Were Made For You" (from The Age of Understatement)

I've got a secret fetish for some of the darker movie music from the 60s. This track, as well as several from the album, have a bit of a Bond theme/Andre Previn vibe. This song is probably the best of them.

Coldplay: "42" (from Viva la Vida)

No, I'm not being sarcastic. I think Coldplay is one of the most unfairly maligned bands in existence. I think most hipster critics who have never given them a decent review would love this track if they didn't know it was Coldplay. "42" changes gears almost seamlessly several times, shifting from a stripped-down ballad to a perhaps intentionally Ok Computer-esque paranoiac dirge and back again. It's probably the most well-executed song on the album.