Stop And Stand Still

Speaker Bite Me “Fistful Of Air” – This song feels just as weightless and intangible as its title implies. The beat creates a sensation of forward momentum that is countered by the stillness of the horns, which seem to float in mid-air like clouds of smoke. The song somehow finds a way to have it both ways — the feeling of endless motion, and the moment of perfect, motionless peace. It feels like running through cool air and having your mind go completely blank. (Click here to visit the official Speaker Bite Me site.)

Wir Sind Helden “Die Konkurrenz” – Wir Sind Helden sound like a band who probably have great, witty lyrics, but since I don’t understand German, I have no way of knowing for sure without resorting to running their words through Google Language Tools and getting an awkward translation that might be extremely confusing or misleading. Judith Holofernes’ inflections come across very deadpan and sassy, and there’s an exchange with a male vocalist that seems rather cute. All I know is that the title translates to “the contest,” and that the music gives me the impression that they would very much like to be its winners. (Click here to buy it from Amazon Germany.)