Indie folk duo, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, were back this year with She & Him’s Volume Two.

I really enjoyed this album, especially the cover’s of I Can Here Music and Gonna Get Along Without You Now, as well as the first single, In The Sun, but my favorite track is Don’t Look Back — a song about love that parallels the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

 She & Him – Don’t Look Back by voxmood

Purchase on iTunes.

Magic Kids is an indie pop rock band from Memphis.  They released their debut album, Memphis, this Summer and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I’m really digging these guys right now and can’t wait to hear more, probably because they remind me of one of my all time favorite bands — The Beach Boys.  In fact, The Guardian says “says their songs are so Beach Boys 1963-64, they should only be heard in a Duece Coupe.”

 The Magic Kids – Superball by plastiquenouveau

Purchase on iTunes.

Even more GOOD, courtesy of 35mmBeats.

First up, congrats to my sis!  She’s getting married today and i’m super happy for her.  Second, i’m officially on vacation as I write this and it feels GLORIOUS!  So, in celebration of both occasions, i’ve got two extra good picks for today’s edition of GOOD.  

I’m on the road for the next week, so the remaining posts will be short and sweet.  My goal was to have these all done way in advance and just set up auto-post, but procrastination got the better of me…but be sure to check out 35mmBeats for even more GOOD.

Japandroids is a two piece band from Vancouver, BC.  Tired of being forced to pick a label for their music, Brian King (guitar) and Dave Prowse (drums) decided that their sound was simply “post-nothing”.

2010 saw the re-release Japandroids’ two-pre-Post-Nothing EPs — LullabyDeath Jams and All Lies — compliled together as No Singles.  The EPs have been out of print ever since the original pressings (500 copies each on CD-R) quickly sold out.

Polyvinyl Records has a free sampler, which includes Younger Us, and a whole lot more.  Download the sampler here.

The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed back in 1997.  The band released their fifth album, Together, back in May, and features guest appearances by musicians such as Zach Condon of Beirut, Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent), Will Sheff of Okkervil River, and the horn players from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings.  I thouroughly enjoyed this record and it barely missed being in my top 10 albums of 2010.

 New Pornographers – A Bite Out of My Bed by rslblog.com   The New Pornographers “Your Hands (Together)” by Frontside