I've been listening to the radio more often for the past few months. What songs are in? What songs are hip? What do people in 2010 bob their heads to?

Sad to say, the only songs I hear are ones that are fed to me like lustful chocolate. It tastes good, tastefully ephemeral. I will not list the songs I found to have a bitter aftertaste. There is no need to rant about it.

However, I found fresh music on kcrw's eclectic 24. Surely, many of the musicians who are featured on kcrw are not unknown. The songs are simple, complicated, but mostly fresh. Each song makes me want to know the artist behind it. I find myself frantically trying to absorb more of the musician through youtube. Sometimes, the songs are so fresh, I can't even find them on youtube!

One band I found to be constantly great is a Parisian band, Phoenix. Their songs are unique, yet like a well written paper, there is a unifying substance behind them. Similar beats, guitar strums, bass movements are kept throughout the albums, just presented in a different way.

I will always be keeping track of kcrw's playlists from now on.