Of all the songs in the Daft Punk catalogue, I know it definitely seems odd that I'd choose to talk about "Derezzed," the hyper-energetic electronica hit from their acclaimed score for Tron: Legacy. Daft Punk is known for their pop anthem stand-outs like "Get Lucky" and "Starboy," and these songs continue to thrill music enthusiasts and jazzercise moms alike. The quality of their music is exhibited in their longevity. And if evergreen beats were ever a thing, I'd say they're best represented in Daft Punk's Tron album. 

"Derezzed" is obviously cinematic, punchy and fun. It perfectly encapsulates the sci-fi, action thriller nature of the film while being an absolute banger on its own. What I love about this song, and their decision to make a children's movie score in the height of their musical popularity, is the pure counterculture of it. The decision to continually choose projects that excited them instead of projects they "ought to pursue" made them a more groundbreaking and "rock-n-roll" band than most of their peers. It's for this reason that you can't help but respect Daft Punk's decision to step away from the industry. They pursued their craft and their genre when electronica and house music were mostly considered taboo and inaccessible. They brought house beats to the radio and made the world fall in love with them, all while being true to their original vision. They've proven they're a band worth watching, even though they've been mostly dormant for the last 8 years.

Seeing Daft Punk hang their helmets for good is a hard loss, but they've left us an incredible body of work that'll be worth returning to again and again. I recommend listening to all of Daft Punk's Tron: Legacy album on a night drive. "Derezzed" arrives about halfway through the album, and it's completely immersive and an absolute blast. Photo by Chad Batka.

At the close of a year which seemingly dedicated itself to uncertainty, London-based NIGHT FLIGHT voices the honest, coming-to-terms holiday feeling many of us are experiencing. Leading in with an already ruminative melody of light, bell-driven synth juxtaposed with a more cavernous effect from the electric guitar, “It Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas” lives up to its bittersweet name almost immediately. The chorus is wrapped in the subtle, comforting rise of voices joining together, conveying a palatable presence of holiday sentimentality, even in the recognition that there is something different about the season. This track is a commentary on loss binding itself to Christmastime and the desire to once again experience the familiar glee surrounding the season. Photo by Jonny Ruff.

At the end of a year that’s drained us in every sense, BTS’ “Life Goes On” is a song that feels like coming home. While the alternative hip hop and folk-leaning production are more restrained than the vibrant sound for which they’re known, it brings just the kind of comfort we’ve been afraid to admit we crave. Where August’s record-breaking “Dynamite” was a cathartic and welcome distraction, “Life Goes On” circles back to the very fears we’ve eluded, an invitation to simply exist without the pressure to present as though we have it all together. We don’t, and they don’t claim to, either; that sincerity is what creates a safe space to feel as deeply as we need.

"Life Goes On” became the first foreign language song to debut at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, but supporting BTS isn't about the records or numbers for me; I could wax poetic for ages on what their success means to me on as someone who grew up feeling “othered,” with no frame of reference for faces in pop culture who looked like me, who openly spoke an Asian language but didn’t get dirty looks at the grocery store like my family did. Their success comes from their ability to unify, with an earnestness and grace that transcends the boundary of language. It's a kind reminder that “like an echo in the forest,” our dark moments will eventually make way for something brighter ahead. Until then, "Life Goes On" is a hand to hold on the way. 

“Hospitality,” the latest single from singer-songwriter Darci Phenix, is an endearing and honest take on the highs and lows of growing up. Galloping drums and lazy guitars line the track as Phenix’s delicate yet confident voice carries listeners through a series of youthful hijinks. The Portland-based artist sprinkles dark humor and charming stories throughout the track to paint a tragic yet hopeful picture of adolescence. “I guess it only makes sense / that fucked up people make fucked up friends,” Phenix passively remarks. If the first half of the track holds a more bleak feeling, the second half is much more optimistic as triumphant horns fade-in, as if to announce better times ahead.

“Risk” is an exploration of the desire for tenderness and connection awake in the hearth of each person, and the courageous recognition that while the fear of being hurt will always be there, the only way to get closer to the possibility of basking in the richness of love is to take the risk. J.E. Sunde’s new album 9 Songs About Love features many different facets of love; and "Risk" depicts an honest and hopeful representation of the feeling that a particular love could be really wonderful, tied to the very real fear of the requirement of vulnerability for intimacy to exist. This track feels hopeful, instrumentally—sanguine with its touches of brass and sustained cheery guitar. Throughout much of “Risk,” it seems like Sunde is considering whether or not to be headstrong, but by the end, he makes it clear, “Love’s a risk that’s worth the risk.” Photo by Adam Wheeler.

The beauty of a tune with a timeless feel allows us to embrace its appeal at all times. This concept becomes a bit tricky when applied to a holiday tune, of course, but if there was ever a holiday tune recorded with the intention of removing the so-called "timestamp" surrounding its relevance within the calendar year, it would be the bird and the bee's 2020 Christmas single, "You And I At Christmas Time." The new gift from the Los Angeles duo instantly blends the warm familiarity of a song discovered in a bustling coffee shop with that of a holiday song that instantly grabs your attention. Inara George's luscious and breezy vocals couple with partner Greg Kurstin's instrumentation to create the perfect middle ground for the song to flourish; the catchiness of the piano and drum machine combination drives the song forward stylistically while also allowing a sense of time suspicion where the listener briefly forgets they're listening to a track for the holidays.

However, George's beautiful vocals and delivery, where love and peace are both evident, reminds us there's absolutely nothing wrong with listening to a holiday track or having a song to return to year after year. It's easy to tell the duo felt the holiday cheer while recording the song. Whether intentional or not, "You And I At Christmas Time" captures the romance of the holidays, with the perfect dosage of catchiness to evoke a beloved Gap holiday commercial from the 1990s—puffy jackets not included. "You And I At Christmas Time" can be found on the duo's new Christmas album, Put Up The Lights, available from No Expectations/Release Me Records.

An echoing guitar introduces this number off of Kacey Johansing’s latest album release, No Better Time, via Night Bloom Records. “Time Lapse Flower” is a poignant chapter in the album’s exploration of love, and like the album as a whole, begs some of love’s most mysterious questions. The lyrics begin as Johansing’s voice tenderly poses one of them: “What is it about us / makes it hard to leave?” The lyrics go on to call up images of nature’s beauty and its mystique, and Johansing’s voice seems a force of nature all its own. She has a gift for songwriting and for metaphor, and her vocals, light and airy, complement her words perfectly. With a backdrop of crisp and measured layered guitars and slow building percussion, “Time Lapse Flower” evokes the gentle, graceful, slow and steady but well-worthwhile progression of a flower’s bloom. Photo by Chantal Anderson.