August 23, 2009

30. "New Slang" by The Shins (2001)



"You gotta hear this song; it will change your life I swear." With this, Natalie Portman hands her headphones to Zac Braff and the rest is indie-music history. After Garden State, The Shin's "New Slang" became a wry hipster anthem for the internet age, when musical went digital, albums died, and micro-listening was a mouse-click away. To be clear, The Shin's indie-gone-mainstream success, a precursor to a day when the likes of Grizzly Bear would debut in the Billboard Top 10, was not solely due to the movie or their song's ubiquitous online accessibility. "New Slang" is a brilliant song, perfectly updating the textured sonics of 60's pop music. So brilliant, it just may change your life.



Why listen?
Enjoy superb traditional pop craftsmanship in the vein of The Byrds or The Beatles. And because Natalie Portman said so.

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