The episode where we give thanks to the songs that got away. This is a mix dedicated to the best tracks of the year that flew under the radar. Sometimes they were quietly old acts in new clothes, other times they were brand new artists, regardless of the reason these songs are stellar and were sorely underrepresented in the blogosphere and hype machine. This mix also acts as a sort of best track of the year (b-side) mix. So get ready for the season of ‘best of…”

Tracklist:

1. “That Awful Sound” -- Jackson Scott, Melbourne

2. “Get It” -- Run The Jewels, Run The Jewels

3. “Mean Streets” -- Tennis, Small Sound EP

4. “Bathroom Laughter” -- Pissed Jeans, Honeys

5. “Living Lens” -- Mountains, Centralia

6. “On Fraternity” -- Dead Girlfriends, Stop Pretending EP

7. “Ego” -- Mr. Carmack, single

8. “Kerou’s Lament” -- Ellery James Roberts, single

9. “Sin Guia No” -- Juana Molina, Wed 21

10. “Dreamy Summer” - Moonface, Julia With Blue Jeans On

Maybe it's the fact that the holidays are approaching and people start to think about love, but this episode is full of buzzy new songs that seem to be about the varying stages of love or heartbreak. From Sky Ferreira's You're Not the One to an emotional cut from Mutual Benefit's Love's Crushing Diamond, this playlist ushers what can be the most lovely/cruel season of the year.

Track list:

1. "Tropical Oceans" -- DD Dumbo, DD Dumbo 
2. "Feel My Pain" -- Kurt Vile, Wakin on a Pretty Daze: Deluxe Daze (Post Haze) 
3. "Here Comes the Night Time" -- Arcade Fire, Reflektor 
4. "Goodbye Sasha" -- Misun, Single 
5. "Pursuit" -- Gesaffelstein, Single
6. "Realize You " -- Empress Of, Single
7. "Okay" -- Bad Bandit, Conifer  
8. "Don't Tell Me" -- Dale Earndhart Jr. Jr., The Speed of Things 
9. "You're Not the One" -- Sky Ferreira, Night Time, My Time
10. "Golden Wake" -- Mutual Benefit, Love's Crushing Diamond 

The Best Songs in Odd Time II

This week we are revisiting that juicy, albeit nerdy, topic of odd time signatures in popular music. Our first podcast on this topic, back in April, demonstrated that we were only scratching the surface - so we're back now to show off 10 more songs that effectively utilize odd time signatures in rock. Enjoy!

1. "5-4=Unity" - Pavement, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (5/4)
2. "15 Step" - Radiohead, In Rainbows (5/4)
3. "Moon" - Bjork, Biophilia (17/8)
4. "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush, The Kick Inside (Chorus is 4/4, 2/4,3/4)
5. "Blockhead" - Devo, Duty Now For The Future (11/8)
6. "I Say A Little Prayer" - Aretha Franklin, Aretha Now (10/4 verse, 11/ 4 chorus)
7. "Demons" - The National, Trouble Will Find Me (7/4)
8. "Cygnus, Vismund Cygnus" - The Mars Volta, Frances The Mute (3/4, 4/4, 23/8, 16/8... )
9. "Modern Man" - Arcade Fire, The Suburbs (9/8)
10. "Strange Reuninons" - Yeasayer, Odd Blood (5/4, 6/4, 5/4, 4/4)

After three years, one third of the Noise Pop Team, Jaime Nabrynski, is leaving San Francisco and heading to New York to make all her big city dreams come true. She will join us from time to time from the east coast, but for now we're sending her off the best way we know how... with a mix of the best songs buzzing around Internet.There are some amazing new tracks from Blood Orange, Bill Calahan, Parquet Courts, Clams Casino and many more

Tracklist:

1. “Best Friends” -- Holychild, single

2. “Chamaky” -- Blood Orange, Cupid Deluxe

3. “Tourniquet” -- Jeremy Messersmith, Heart Murmurs

4. “You’ve Got Me Wonderin’ Now” -- Parquet Courts, Tally Up All The Things That You Broke

5. “Edge” -- Haim, Days are Gone (UK Deluxe version)

6. “Small Plane” -- Bill Callahan, Dream River

7. “Still Not Falling” -- Shy Girls, Timeshare

8. “Truly Freaking Out” -- Tim Kasher, Adult Film

9.  “Super Kiwi” -- Yo La Tengo, Fade

10. “Crystals” -- Clams Casino, Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack

This episode, we are celebrating one of San Francisco's biggest events - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. We're playing the festival's legendary acts as well as some artists you may not know so well, but definitely should not miss.

Track list:

1. "Nick of Time" -- Bonnie Raitt, Nick of Time
2. "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" -- Richard Thompson, Rumor and Sigh
3. "The Plank" -- Devil Makes Three, Devil Makes Three
4. "Victory" -- Trampled By Turtles, Palomino
5. "Into the Wild" -- LP, Into the Wild
6. "Wolf " -- First Aid Kit, The Lion's Roar
7. "Let it go" -- Tumbleweed Wanderers, Worn Down Welcome
8. "Beach House" -- Cave Singers, Welcome Joy
9. "Tell Me (What's On Your Mind)" -- Allah-Las, Allah-Las
10. "Cold Beverages" -- G. Love & Special Sauce, G. Love & Special Sauce

Last episode, we played songs catchy and infectious enough to earn a spot on our Indie Song of Summer playlist. This week though, we're playing songs with structures and sounds a little too unique for summer pop, but just challenging enough to enjoy, from the appealing dissonance of Suuns to the curious and intense noises of Oneohtrix Point Never. 

Track list: 

1. "Byegone" -- Volcano Choir, Repave
2. "Birds" -- Death Grips, single
3. "Empty City" -- Dan Casey, Empty City  
4. "A Lizard State" -- King Krule, 6 Feet Beneath The Moon
5.  "Golden Arrow" -- Darkside, Psychic
6.  "2020" -- Suuns, Images Du Futur 
7. "Wayward Son" -- Zachary Cale, Blue Rider 
8. "Problem Areas" -- Oneohtrix Point Never, R Plus Seven
9. "What Death Leaves Behind" -- Los Campesinos, No Blues
10."Anytime Soon" -- Andy Stott, Adult Swim Singles Program 

Song of the summer starts like summer itself, hopeful, exciting, and you can't wait for it to begin. Once it's here you dive in, listening to it obsessively and it gradually becomes your temporary anthem. Undoubtedly Blurred Lines was the pop song of the summer, but we're going to explore the songs that kept the indie blogosphere buzzing from June-August instead. This episode documents what the indie songs of the summer were for 2013. Each of these tracks have been blasting from parks and backyard barbecues all summer long, soundtracking the season. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

1. "Doin' It Right" -- Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
2. "Royals" -- Lorde, The Love Club
3."Shout It Out" -- MIkal Cronin, MCII
4. "Step" -- Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of The City
5. "Collard Greens" -- ScHoolboy Q, Oxymoron
6. "The Mother We Share" -- Chvrches, Single
7 "When a Fire Starts to Burn" -- Disclosure, Settle
8 "She Will" -- Savages, Silence Yourself
9. "High School Lover" -- Cayucas, Bigfoot
10. "Bad For My Body" -- Deap Vally, Sitrionix

Outside Lands is over, marking the beginning of the end for summer festival season, and the end of the summer. But don't despair, there is plenty of new music to keep your spirits high. New tracks from Teen Daze, London Grammar, Fuzz and others. Plus, there's always Treasure Island to look forward to. 

Before the Internet changed everything there were two distinct and opposing types of popular music, Indie and mainstream. It was the head versus the heart,  the cool kids versus the pop kids and you had to come down on one side or the other. But the lines have been blurring over the past decade and those sides don't mean much any more. We now live in a world where pop music is so strange and creative that it's found acceptance with rock critics and indie snobs. Listen as we explore the genre-transcending melodies of Justin Timberlake, the indie-friendly quirkiness of Solange, (sister of mega pop star Beyonce) and the possibly ironic but ultimate acceptance of Hall and Oates.

Track List:

1. "#Beautiful" - Miguel and Mariah Carey, The Art of Letting Go
2. "Take Back The Night" -- Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
3. "Hey Love" --  Quadron, Avalanche
4. "Blurred Lines" -- Robin Thicke, Blurred Lines
5. "The Motion" --  Drake & Sampha, Nothing Was The Same
6. "Dance Apocalyptic" -- Janelle Monae, The Electric Lady
7. "Don’t Let Me Down" -- Solange, True
8. "I Love It" -- Icona Pop, Iconic
9. "Adorn" -- Miguel, Kaleidoscope Dream
10. "I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)" -- Hall & Oates