Polly - Nirvana

       Nirvana is an American Grunge band from Seattle Washington.  It was formed in 1987 by lead singer Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) and bassist Krist Novoselik.  With their second album, Nevermind, (where this song is from) in 1991 they had incredible success and popularized Alternative Rock as a whole. Polly is not the typical Nirvana song, especially the insignificance of drums, but it is one of my favorites, and this is the MTV Unplugged version recorded in New York, 1993.  This song is about a 14 year old rape victim from Washington who was abducted in 1987 and tortured with razors and a blowtorch by Gerald Friends, and throughout the song she is portrayed as a caged bird. It's simplicity of chords and lack of electric guitars give a haunting sound to the very dark lyrics.

Violin Concerto: II - Philip Glass

       Philip Morris Glass is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the 20th century.   He was born in Maryland in 1937 and his interest in music started when he was a child and he played in his father's record store. He grew up studying music in different places with different people, and has since continued to have a very broad career. This is the second movement of his first major orchestral concerto, which he wrote in 1987 for violinist Paul Zukofsky. Glass was known for composing music for opera, film, and dance, and when transferring to this more ordinary genre he wanted to structure it in common terms: three movements as most concertos, and for a conventional sized orchestra. The second movement is my favorite because of the different moods and connotations in the different levels of instruments: the base is full of suspense, yet the lead violin is empowered by melancholy, and the way these two feelings grow together and integrate throughout the movement is both perfect and sensual. 

Vete - Lucybell

       This song is about trying not to fall in love, as a playful warning of what is to come.  This is one of the best songs by Lucybell, from their 1995 album Peces, although I must say, most of the others are excellent as well.  Lucybell is a Chilean band that formed in 1991 by lead singer and guitarist Claudio Valenzuela, and although all other members have changed through the years, he has kept their essence intact and together.

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

      Of Monsters And Men, formed in 2010, are a six-piece indie and folk band from Reykjavík, Iceland.  They are not very known yet, and this song, Little Talks, is their new self-released single.  Of Monsters and Men is characterized for their duet style, which I think is put to very good use specially in this song.

A Veces - Anita Tijoux

       Anita Tijoux, or Anamaría Merino, started her career in 1997 as part of the hip-hop group Masika, but her solo career, and her fame throughout Latin America took off in 2006 thanks to her collaboration with Mexican musician Julieta Venegas.  Her parents are both Chilean, but she was born in France since they were exiled during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship in Chile.  As a teenager she moved back to Chile and got involved in the hip-hop scene. This song, featuring Chilean rapper Hordatoj, is from her 2007 album Kaos and it is all about contradictions.

Memorize The City - The Organ

       The Organ is a band from Vancouver Canada which formed in 2001, however they broke up in 2006.  The Organ was an all girl band with influence from The Smiths and Joy Division, and you can definitely hear it in their music. However, Katie Sketch's voice is what gives The Organ its spice. This song is one of my favorites because of its original guitar and fast beat which in a way contradict eachother just as the thoughts and feelings in the lyrics.

Leif Erikson - Interpol

       Interpol is a band from New York City which formed in 1997 as part of the post-punk revival scene of the 2000's.  This is my favorite song by Interpol, and it is part of their 2002 album "Turn on the Bright Lights."  I find the song to be pretty straight forward, however it is impregnated with the metaphor of a viking sorf of violent and savage and sexual lifestyle (starting with the title: Leif Erikson who was the first Norse explorer to reach North America), yet the music and the voice are slow, quiet, and sincere giving the lyrics a completely different tone. Brilliant song.