Chicago – It’s that pre-holiday time in December when you realize you’ve barely made a dent in your shopping list.  Relax. You’re online.  Check out these songs as your e-commerce soundtrack and start surfing the virtual aisles. You’ll be done in no time.  And while you’re at it, why not treat that special someone (you) in your life with that special something?

 

Lanterns On The Lake – “Buffalo Days”

“Buffalo Days,” a highlight from Lanterns On The Lake’s sophomore album Until The Colours Run is a towering call to arms. Like most of the band’s discography, “Buffalo Days” melds indie-folk intimacy with post-rock grandiosity. The song kicks off with light acoustic strumming before transforming into an Arcade Fire-esque anthem. While the track may feel bombastic at first, if you allow yourself to dispel your cool veneer and “show a little heart,” its beauty will enthrall you.

 

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Carousel – Into The Night

Carousel creates broadly accessible, hyper-melodic synth-pop ready for mass consumption. Their absurdly infectious new single, “Into The Night,” sounds like a cut off of M83’s Saturdays=Youth. The neon synth tones and lines like “Look at my eyes/It will be alright/We can just drive,” glisten with youthful wonder and freedom.

 

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Bear Hands – “Giants” 

Chances are Bears Hands sound like what you wished MGMT sounded like today.  “Giants,” the group’s first new release since their 2010 debut Burning Bush Supper Club, is packed with big corky hooks that will have Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden running for their money. “Giants”’ melodies recall the group’s past standout “What A Drag,” while lines like “never been in jail cause I never got caught” suggests that the song might be a companion piece to their single “Crime Pays.” Though Bear Hands may not be breaking new ground with “Giants,” they prove consistency can be just as rewarding.

 

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The Casket Girls – Same Side 

Savannah, GA dream-pop trio The Casket Girls’ single “Same Side” is a delightfully eerie slice of electro-pop. Sisters Phaedra and Elsa Greene’s vocals are equal parts harmonious and hypnotic, while Ryan Graveface’s (of Black Moth Super Rainbow and Graveface Records) dark-wave synth work creates a powerful underpinning. “Same Side” comes with its share of lo-fi edges, but within those blemishes lies its charm.

 

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Vancouver Sleep Clinic – Vapour

If you didn’t know better you might think Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s new single was a lost Bon Iver track. Vocalist Tim Bettinson’s voice bears striking similarity to Justin Vernon’s signature croon and musically, both projects explore the ethereal end of folk.  As the group’s name suggests, “Vapour” can put you in a slumber quicker than you can say For Emma, Forever Ago. Which isn’t bad a thing, since the song’s beauty is so comforting you can’t help but drift off to it.