This is a recently discovered song. Maybe that’s why it managed to creep up this far on the list, because it’s really fresh and exciting still. I had downloaded Katie Herzig’s album Apple Tree on NoiseTrade and I was pretty impressed by it overall, especially for an album given away free and legal. The sing ‘Forevermore’ was really cute and bouncy, and ‘Shovel’ was another favorite. But this song was my favorite and right now it’s popping up a lot on my playlists. Only time will tell how much staying power it will have, but for now I love it! The lyrics aren’t anything special, but the song is catchy and hooky. Number nine is from ‘Apple Tree’, which is probably still available for free download.
9- Hologram- Katie Herzig


If you’ve heard any amount of Japanese pop music, you know that it tends to sound very much the same. From song to song, from artist to artist, there isn’t a great deal of variation in the style and themes of the songs, or in the sound of the vocals. I don’t mean it to disparage it, because some of it is quite beautiful, it simply isn’t very unique sounding to those who aren’t well-versed in it. That’s why I was so surprised and impressed by the band Love Psychedelico. Not only is their sound completely unique, but their style is pretty unique to the world at large. The lead singer sounds almost bored as she sings, and the guitars are almost lazy, but it all comes off as melodic and punky nonetheless. I o love songs that are sung in different languages, and this song is great because it has Japanese lyrics as well as English that I can understand, so it’s the best of both worlds. The lyrics are cryptic and fascinating, and drop me down on a lonely Japanese beach. From ‘This is Love Psychedelico’ its:
8- Standing Bird- Love Psychedelico


I just adore the lyrics in this song. They’re simple and lovely, and they’re sung in such a plain unassuming way…. Complexity can be impressive, but keeping it simple has it value too. The subtle harmonies are just enough, and the instrumentation never takes attention away from the real point of the song, which is its message. The song has an innocence to it, and it carries the listener through a range of subtle emotions without ever becoming whiny or cheesy, twee or overly sentimental. This song is the personification of a beautiful summer evening stroll as the stars begin to appear. The seventh place goes to this song from the album ‘Hideaway’.
7- Hideaway- The Weepies