Andreas Moss – “Stop Me”: At SXSW this year, an employee of Curb Records turned to me and warned me playfully that Andreas Moss was about to “blow the roof off the joint.” Right he was. Of all the artists I saw that first evening at SXSW he had the best vocal performance. In spite of his songs being huge (whether a club ready banger or a power balled) he had a down to earth demeanor that was consistent on and off stage. Moss kicked off his set with this song. It’s as fun and aggressive as I remember. More so, actually. If you like your synth pop with soul, Andreas Moss is your guy.

Arcade Fire – “Everything Now”: The title track of Arcade Fire’s just announced new record is more emotional, more atmospheric, and more pensive than anything we’ve heard on Reflektor. Yet, it feels like a natural progression. The song settles into a very familiar groove, but overlays it with a melody and layered woodwinds, strings and piano suitable for a sunset setting. The image of Win Butler singing “I want everything now!” into the barren wilderness is oddly wistful and subtly angsty.

Foo Fighters – “Run”: The almighty Foo Fighters released a surprise single that, as far as I can tell, is being nearly universally heralded as a return to form. The forgettable Sonic Highways and the improved follow up Saint Cecilia EP hold their own in certain ways for sure, but “Run” has the potential to be one of the THE summer anthems of 2017. It pays homage to tunes like “Times Like These” and “Rope” alike. I don’t know what to say other than this just has all the elements of a classic Foo Fighters song.