“Emmylou,” is a song by First Aid Kit a Swedish folk duo consistingKlara and Johanna Söderberg who sweetly pay tribute to country power couples so accurately that you forget the sisters are Swedish. “I’ll be your Emmylou, and I’ll be your June,” they sing over blazing steel guitar. “If you’ll be my Gram and my Johnny too.” The song’s video features the duo roaming Joshua Tree, where Gram Parson’s stolen body was cremated in 1973. They harmonize while building a bohemian shrine on the desert sand, complete with flowers, stones, and a painted psychedelic trunk. Rolling Stone magazine chose their song “Emmylou” as the number 10 “Single of the Year” in 2012.
“Seasons (Waiting on You)” is a song by American synthpop band Future Islands. It is the opening track on their fourth studio album Singles, and was released as the album’s lead single in February 2014. The song received much critical acclaim, topping The Village Voice’s annual year-end Pazz & Jop critics’ poll and also being named the best track of 2014 by publications such as NME and Spin. In 2019, it was named the 34th best song of the 2010s by Pitchfork, and was ranked 94th on Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Songs of the 2010s.
“Say My Name” is a song by Swedish singer Tove Stryke from her third studio album Sway (2018). It was released as the album’s lead single in April 2017 through Sony Music. The song was written by the singer, Elof Loelv and Tinashe “T Collar” Sibanda, with production by Loelv. “Say My Name” is a minimal electropop song with a prominent ukulele riff that Styrke convinced Loelv to integrate as a central part. She described the song as musically and lyrically different from the material of her previous studio album, and explained that working with Loelv helped her evolve her sound. “Say My Name” received positive reviews from music critics, who noted its simplicity and praised its catchiness. Commercially, the song managed to peak at number 85 on the Swedish singles chart, and marked Styrke’s return to the chart following a six-year absence. The music video portrays the singer in colourful and simple sets with infinity mirror effects.
“Rill Rill” is the lead single from Treats the debut studio album by American noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells, consisting of vocalist Alexis Krauss and producer/guitarist Derek Miller. One of the last of the major Williamsburg indie-rock groups to make their mark on the late aughts/early 2010s, Sleigh Bells helped define the ecstatic, head-banging noise-pop sound of the decade with their Funkadelic-sampling “Rill Rill.” The Brooklyn duo made electric guitars sound fresh, visceral, and cinematic for a new generation. “Rill Rill” will always be their demon-cheerleader ode to teenage solidarity.
“Pristine” is a song by Snail Mail the American indie solo project of guitarist and singer-songwriter Lindsey Jordan. Originally from Ellicott City, Maryland, Jordan first performed as Snail Mail live in 2015 at the age of 15, and attracted attention with the EP Habit in 2016. After signing with Matador Records, A new kind of rock wunderkind, while growing up, Lindsay Jordan took guitar lessons from Mary Timony of the great indie-rock bands Helium and Wild Flag. Jordan arrived fully formed at 18 years old on her debut LP, Lush, and its standout, “Pristine.” “Is there any better feeling than coming clean,” she sings, as her guitar slashes and shimmers and reaches for the next epiphany. “I’ve always been a really big fan of guitar solos,” she told Rolling Stone. “It’s nice to go see bands and hear guitar solos without people throwing tomatoes.”
