tuneage:

The Tough Alliance - “A New Chance (Juan Maclean remix)”

A problem I have with year-end lists is that mine quickly become outdated as I spend the first couple months of the following year playing acclaimed music catch-up. Last year for instance, I ranked M83 as my favorite album but over the past year, I came to appreciate 2008 releases by Air France (thanks Tuneage!), Vampire Weekend and Crystal Castles. Some spoilsports might argue that “such is life” and that it’s futile to fix the present, but an inaccurate list is a time capsule of taste and uh, why the hell not?

Hence this song: my favorite song at the moment and my personal pick for “best remix of 2009”. Those fleeting designations will no doubt change over the next few weeks, but it’s all about the message: Any day is a new chance—a new romance. The line about “a place where diamonds never fade away” is a red herring because the only such place is the here and now. In other words, embrace the present and give the new year and decade your fiercest enthusiasm.

Tristan’s Favorites for 2009:

• Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
• Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
• Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
• Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
• Pylon - Chomp More (reissue)

Also, I’m seeking submissions for my Tumblr-oriented “albums of the decade” poll. Submit a top-ten ballot if you’re into that sort of thing.