5 songs you should have heard by now.

Like the title? I thought the blog was lacking snarky hipsterdom...

Department of Eagles: Teenagers
Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen's side project is making quite a name for itself these days. The new album, In Ear Park, has already garnered Pitchfork's seal of approval and with songs like "Teenagers" it's not hard to see why. From the waxy, Disney-like intro on, the song is a stroll down memory lane incorporating elements of 50's rockabilly in a way only a guy from Grizzly Bear could think of. The intermitent harp gives it a feel of sincerity and ambience. The whole thing is like a sleepy oldie you can't help but not fall asleep to.

Sigur Ros: Gobbledigook
If you're a fan of the band and haven't checked out the new album, do it...now. Gobbledigook is a riveting intro track for the album and everything about it (the name as well obviously) reeks of playfulness, not a characteristic often associated with the pride of Iceland. From the "lalalala's" to the hand claps to the frantic drumming, the song captures all the innocence and immaturity of a very danceable tune, while still maintaining the sonic beauty one has come to expect from a band like Sigur Ros.

Fucked Up Magic World
Yes! Finally the marriage of bongo drums and Hardcore...yeah I said it. Sometimes heralded as the "saviors of Hardcore", Fucked Up incorporates swirling guitar melody, screaming vocals and feedback awareness, and afro-beat percussion to create a truly unique listening experience. Imagine Santana, The Circle Jerks, and Sonic Youth all got together and made a funky rock n' roll baby of goodness.

The Roots: 75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)
The Roots latest release, Rising Down, is more of the bands new more modern, more aggressive musical direction. The great thing about "75 Bars" however, is the bareness of it. Black Thought's lyrics are shouted with an immediacy from a megaphone, yet feel far away. There's keyboard involved, but it's minimal and at times altogether absent. Holding the song together is ?uestlove's no nonsense drumming that brings the band back to their past and back to their roots (no pun intended).

Pearl Jam: Better Man (live at Bonnaroo)
Ok, so this song wasn't written this year...or this decade, but this mp3 is from their absolutely awe-inspiring three hour set from this past Bonnaroo Festival. You owe it to yourself to hear a crowd of nearly 80,000 drown out Eddie Vedder's voice on one of the band's most intimate songs. Oh, and for those of you who didn't get to experience this first-hand, imagine a quarter mile of lighters from the stage to the road.