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Singles by Future Islands (4AD)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
Every time one of these darn songs pops up, I think "THAT one! That one's my favorite!" The music couldn't be more fun, I adore Samuel T. Herring's voice, and the two together make the most inexplicably perfect music.
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Delta Sands by Opal Onyx (Tin Angel)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
This amazing debut album is deliciously stunning and creepy, it just had to be in my top ten this year.
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Old World New Wave by Ides of Gemini (Neurot Recordings)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
The combination of the ethereal and the doom is what drew me to this sophomore album. When I first read comparisons to Siouxsie and the Banshees and Cocteau Twins (two of my dearly beloved), I thought it was a bit of a stretch. But I get it now. It has the aggression of early punk S&TB, both musically and vocally, but it's also haunting and beautiful like CT.
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Music from Republik der Wölfe by The Ministry of Wolves (Mute)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
The Ministry of Wolves is the collaboration of Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten and Crime & the City Solution), Mick Harvey (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds), Danielle de Piocciotto (co-founder of Germany's 'Love Parade') and Paul Wallfisch (musical director at the Theater Dortmund). This album is a soundtrack to ‘Republik der Wölfe’, a theatre production directed by Claudia Bauer which is based on Ann Sexton's poetic reworkings of Grimm's fairy tales. Did you get all that?
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To Be Kind by Swans (Young Gods)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
I like music to challenge me. And maybe I think listening to Swans makes you a smart person. And besides, Michael Gira is just a cool dude.
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Plowing into the Field of Love by Iceage (Matador)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
I'm guilty, I'd never given Iceage much thought before, but when I heard this album, I changed my tune. And they're Danish, so I'm totally on board.
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Conversations by Woman's Hour (Secretly Canadian)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
This London foursome's debut album has lots of elements I'm drawn to like a moth to a flame: charming female vocals with a throwback sound that incorporates the influences of 80s new wave and 90s trip hop and shoegaze.
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Occult Delight by Mode Moderne (Light Organ Records)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
These guys from Vancouver had me at "hello, we like Joy Division and The Smiths".
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Making Patterns Rhyme: A Tribute to Duran Duran by Various Artists (Modern/Manimal)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
This is a dream come true. Indie bands covering Duran Duran songs! Because I'm still a Duranie (and yes, I get their yearly calendar for my cubicle at work every year). Warpaint, Austra and Moby are featured on this album, just to name a few. And proceeds go to Amnesty International.
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Gold Nights by White Hex (Felte)
 BUY: Reckless / Permanent / iTunes / Insound / Amazon
This Aussie duo uses the influence of 80s coldwave & dark synthpop in a way that sounds fresh and sophisticated, a little like ‘witch house’. I've compared their sound to a mix of Bananarama, Propaganda, Book of Love and Switchblade Symphony. Now THAT'S a fun mix!
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Honorable Mentions:
Lightfoils, Hierarchy (Saint Marie)
Lia Ices, Ices (Jagjaguwar)
Tycho, Awake (Ghostly International)
Cocteau Twins, Heaven or Las Vegas & Blue Bell Knoll vinyl reissues (4AD)
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