Over the course of a year, County Grind offers up a lot of music at the affordable price of free. Much of this tuneage is home-grown, and reflects the boundless interests of the local freelance corps contributing to the blog. Area hip-hop, goth, electronica, punk, folk, and ska all got their shine in 2010.
Here's a mixtape's worth of the impressive gems we foisted upon readers as we get ready to do it all again in 2011. Keep listening, South Florida!
1. The Jameses - "Rat People"
What we said about it: "It's sort of an anthem, and really epic." Need some more? Cop "Fifth Dimension" too.
2. Ghost Arm - "Relocative Frequencies"
What we said about it: "Talented Miami rap duo Ghost Arm ...would sound hot popping off of some wax."
3. Lavola - "The Queen is Dead"
What we said about it: "'The Queen Is Dead' shows the still-young band coming steadily closer to matching its live complexity and power on record." Need some more? Cop a live version of the track here.
4. The Methodaires - "High Grade"
What we said about it: "We are pretty excited to hear that a recorded effort by Fort Lauderdale's happening roots reggae/ska outfit The Methodaires will soon be spinning in our homes."
5. Kill Miss Pretty - "Judy Garland (Mozart & Friends Remix)"
What we said about it: "The already menacing 'Judy Garland' gets some more thuds and post-industrial scrape behind it."
6. Totem Pole - "Stained Glass On"
What we said about it: "Set against Middle Eastern strings, there are points in this song when
the listener will feel like they are in throes of an Ambien-induced
sleepwalking haze."
7. Guy Harvey - "Closest Thing (Sumsun Remix)"
What we said about it: "Once a melancholy track suitable to showcase the band's jangly pop at
its catchiest and most heartachey, the overall sadness of the song has
become starry-eyed and pulsating."
8. Young Jeezy - "And Then What (Sumsun Remix)"
What we said about it: "The result is something almost sicker than, or as ill as, before. Jay Jenkins would be so proud."
9. J-O - "My Smoke Song"
What we said about it: "This is warm-weather music following the weed-friendly lineage of the
Pharcyde and Souls of Mischief up through Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa."
10. Orion - "Ambush" featuring Manifesto, Serum, Sweet Jesus, LMS, SoloMan Spectrum and Thousand
What we said about it: "This is dark because these seven guys are merely mirroring their South Florida environs."
11. Millionyoung - "Calrissian"
What we said about it: "Sounding more like a full-band concept more than ever, our Glimpses of the South Florida Scene alum shows a twee side for 'Calrissian.'"
12. The Dewars - "Pedophile Pete"
What we said about it: "The Dewars are a magical set of twins who make hazy songs that are so dreamy and good."
13. Alexander - "I Am Barabbas (I Live Like You're Gone)"
What we said about it: "Alexander scales down the Death Cab for Cutie admiration here, opting instead for a visceral feel."
14. Lil Daggers - "Hungry"
What we said about it: "It's all so dirtily clean, perfectly busted, brutally good."
15. Plains - "Team Radio"
What we said about it: "'Team Radio' has all the fuzz and swagger of umpteen bands who use "Super" as a prefix."
16. Surfer Blood - "Box Elder (Pavement Cover)"
What we said about it: "Taking on an early Pavement track is likely to rustle up more high-brow plaudits."
17. The New - "Whoa Whoa"
What we said about it: "This is catchy rock 'n' roll in its purest form with a bit of 'bitch' thrown in for good measure."
18. The Band in Heaven "Dreams (Cranberries Cover)"
What we said about it: "The Band In Heaven
do it the best way they know how: with fuzzy, shoegaze guitars, and oh
so delicate."
19. Pretty Please - "Sugarcane"
What we said about it: "They turn the
sexy on high with some punk cabaret that borders on the baroque and
gypsy and with the gentle coos of "pretty please" comes off being a
little more hard-on inducing than danceable, lest of course, you are
comfortable dancing with that going on."
20. ANR - "Stay Kids"
What we said about it: "The titular song from the group's upcoming release rises from sweet falsetto and echoing keys to a crushing refrain that has us ransacking the house for our copy of The Outsiders."