Lykke Li — Love Me Like I’m Not Made of Stone

This morning, as I listened to the sounds of KEXP quietly emanating from my alarm clock, the above song came on, completely enveloping me. It may have been my sleep deprived state (having a 6 year old climb into your bed at 4:30am and toss and turn for the next 1.5 hours can do that), but I now can’t shake the song: the viscosity of utter sadness that is emoted by Lykke Li’s voice; the raw sound of depression and pain, personified.

Li, from Sweden, has been building a fierce following since 2008. “Love Me Like I’m Not Made of Stone” is from her stellar third album, I Never Learn, which came out May 2 of this year. She comes to the Paramount on September 17, 2014. Bring tissues.

OK Go — The Writing’s on the Wall

New OK Go video. The viral masters have done it again. I want to have the kind of fun they seem to have, all the time.

Spoon — Rent I Pay

Exciting news, kids. Spoon, those indie-rock darlings from Austin, Texas, have a new album coming out, titled They Want My Soul. This will be their eighth full-length album, and their first since 2010’s Transference.

The first single is above. Classic Spoon, and I hope the rest of the album is this raw. The overproduction of their last couple albums have rubbed me wrong.

FIDLAR — Cocaine

NSFW — this video is probably the most NSFW video I’ve posted on here. The song isn’t perfect, by LA punk band FIDLAR, whose debut album came out last year. But the video features one of my favorites, Nick Offerman (of Offerman’s Workshop), in a complete show of vulgarity.

And I loved it.

DJ Snake & Lil Jon — Turn Down for What

I’d hoped this video / meme would go away quietly, but it just keeps spreading. So I’m posting it out of necessity more than anything else. That said, it’s a super fun and slightly NSFW accompaniment for a rather obnoxious song by DJ Snake (a producer from France) and Lil Jon (a rapper and many other things, with surprising longevity).

Turns out, that’s a perfect combination.

Plaid — Wallet

It’s been a long time since I’ve actively listened to Plaid, but whenever I stumble upon them I end up asking myself why that is. Finding this video is no different. The band makes beautiful electronic rhythms that would enliven almost anything you could be doing with your day. The song/video above, for their song “Wallet,” is off of the band’s tenth release, which came out May 19.

Flume and Chet Faker — Drop the Game

Here’s an awesome collaboration between two people I wasn’t familiar with until I saw this video. Australians Flume (electronic producer, DJ, and apparent master of the remix — check out this one; Lorde has never sounded so good) and Chet Faker (electronic musician cut in the James Blake mold) have created a song that makes you wish you could move like the dancer in the video above. At a minimum, your head is bobbing up and down slowly while listening to the song in the background as you read this.

The song is from a collaborative 3-song EP that came out last year from the two musicians, called Lockjaw. This isn’t the first time they’ve worked together; Faker appeared on Flume’s 2012 self-titled debut album. Faker’s first full-length album, Built on Glass, came out in April of this year. If you like slower trip-hop grooves, or what might be more appropriately termed “post-dubstep” (groan), then you’ll love it.

This song has been in constant rotation in my ears now for nearly 24 hours straight. Thanks to @AMatthiesen for pointing me in this direction.

The Knife — Without You My Life Would Be Boring (Shaken-Up Version)

Here’s a bit of good news: On June 20 The Knife, Sweden’s craziest brother/sister duo, are releasing an album full of remixes from 2013’s Shaking the Habitual, called Shaken-Up Versions. Habitual was #29 on last year’s Bacon Calendar. I only liked that album so-so, which is why it was at #29. But if the above video is any indication of what to expect on the remix album, then I’m excited.

Kishi Bashi — Philosophize In It! Chemicalize With It!

Production value is everything when it comes to Kishi Bashi. And this video demonstrates this beautifully. His new album, Lighght (pronounced “Light,” apparently), comes out May 13, and he’ll be playing the Showbox a week later, on May 20. His live show is every bit as lush as his recorded work, and he is the master of the digital sequencer. It’s impossible to describe how amazing it is to watch someone sing multiple harmonies with themself on stage, live. Go, and marvel at the results.

Masuda Shacho Shobaihanjo Gakudan — Drunk March

I randomly discovered the work of Japanese director Shingo Hashimoto. He appears to mainly create crazy commercials for a grocery chain in Japan called “Family Mart.” But he also had this music video, for the song “Drunk March,” (I think), by a Japanese band called Masuda Shacho Shobaihanjo Gakudan (I think). I can find no more information about the song, the band, or the video, so all information above should be taken with a grain of salt.

Either way, great video. I want to do this with my next wedding party.

Cloud Control — Moon Rabbit

After hitting the 2014 Bacon Calendar at #20, Cloud Control continue to be in constant rotation over here at The Bacon Emporium. Here’s a new video from last year’s Dream Cave. These guys are one of many awesome bands playing Sasquatch this year. They’ll be performing during the first 3-day set, on May 24, 2014.

Iska Dhaaf — Everybody Knows

Nowadays, it’s quite the coup if you get Macklemore to show up in your video. But new Seattle duo Iska Dhaaf did just that. Iska Dhaaf is Nathan Quiroga (aka Buffalo Madonna from Mad Rad) and Benjamin Verdoes (from Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band). That’s some heavy-hitting local talent, and I’m anxious to hear what comes of the band’s debut full-length, Even the Sun Will Burn, slated for release on March 11.

Guided By Voices — Planet Score

I’ve never been a Guided By Voices fan — I always felt I missed my opportunity to get into them. But that won’t stop me from posting their latest video. “Planet Score” stars Breaking Bad’s Badger (Matt Jones) as a poor shot, with the Corddry brothers and a hot dog (Will Maier) alternately yelling at and encouraging him. It’s silly but funny.

Phantogram — Fall In Love

The second release from Phantogram, Voices, came out earlier this week, and it is — as expected — phenomenal. Watch the “Fall In Love” video above, fall in love with the band, purchase the album, then catch them live at a location near you.

Elbow — Fly Boy Blue / Lunette

Great new video from longtime fave Elbow. The band’s sixth full-length, beautifully titled The Take Off And Landing Of Everything, comes out in March.

You Me & Apollo: We Got a Roof

Just bought tickets to see Colorado’s You Me & Apollo at a show the first week of January, based 100% on their performance in the video above. No idea what the rest of their stuff sounds like, but I see they were at Doe Bay earlier this year, and that’s enough of a reputation for me to be interested. Looks like they’re playing TIMBRRR! later in the month, too.

Rilo Kiley — Emotional

Jenny Lewis’s former band has gotten better since they broke up. This song, “Emotional,” with its awesomely drawn out chorus “You’re so E-MO-TION-AL” and its guitar solo outro, is a perfect little pop rock song. I have yet to pick up the album of rarities the band released this year, from which this song is from — RKives — but I just convinced myself that that’s going to have to change.

I’ve been a fan of Johnny Flynn for a few years now, but his music is not really meant for constant listening. Consequently, I rarely find myself reaching (virtually) for his music. But this video is awesome, and if anyone can present a good theory to me on how they made it, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Here’s another band I haven’t paid much attention to: Fanfarlo. I like this song; it’s a bit of a disco / 80s music mashup, and it’s got me bopping along in my seat. Now I need to check out the rest of the EP that this song is from, The Sea, which came out a month or so ago.

I’m at a loss as to why I haven’t been paying more attention to Savages, from London. Their music is hauntingly perfect. And with this video, for the song “Marshall Dear” from their debut album Silence Yourself which came out back in May, I feel like I’ve been missing out. Correcting course now.