We’re all really going to hate “Safe and Sound” by Capital Cities come August. The single from this LA-based duo is actually two years old, but you know how these things happen — the song is quickly gaining momentum and has become a staple on alt-rock radio stations across the country. The song is catchy as hell and seems to capture what is so great about this golden age of indie-electro dance rock.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47dtFZ8CFo8&w=560&h=315]
While “Safe and Sound” picks up momentum, Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” seems to be slowing down. This is an interesting phenomena. Following the Coachella ad and subsequent internet fake/real leaks, “Get Lucky” was about the only thing you heard for a week. The song seemed so ripe for repetition that there is even a one-hour-loop version so you don’t have to keep scrolling back to 0:01 every so often.
But what made “Get Lucky” so damn repeatable; it’s disco-infused rhythm courtesy of Nile Rodgers is proving to be a double-edged sword. Consider this: when every 18-34 year-old got their hands on “Get Lucky” at the same time last month the internet-nation collectively unabashedly over-played the song.
This sort of thing can happen with singles from highly-anticipated albums, but what makes “Get Lucky” different is that its repeatability proved intense but ultimately finite. As I write this a month later, listening to the single reminds me of the week of April 18th and that’s a problem. There has been many a column inch wasted on the acceleration of culture in our internet age and yet I think the release and subsequent over-playing of “Get Lucky” may prove one of the best examples of this ADD-driven phenomena.
Which is why I believe “Safe and Sound” is a better pick for the song of summer 2013. As I write this now, I’m sure there’s an intern at Taco Bell corporate who is suggesting they use Capital Cities in their next commercial and it’s only a matter of time before the NBA on TNT cuts to break with a rap remix featuring Taylor Gang.
So let’s all enjoy it before it gets appropriated for commercial use, over-played by nû-rock DJs and your weird cousin posts a low-quality YouTube version on her weird Tumblr.
That said, I still thoroughly enjoy the track. As indie-pop begins to emerge as the dominant sub-genre in the pop-music landscape (save your T-Swifts and K-Perrys), indie-electro acts are being closely monitored by taste maker blogs eager to find another feel-good, scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-on-a-warm-California-afternoon single. Let’s just hope it’s not another one from fun.(I don’t know how to punctuate this so I had to add this parenthetical).
If you don’t want a 38-year-old alt-rock disc jockey defining your summer, that’s quite understandable. Here are my top four Summer Jam picks:
Dumb Disco Ideas – Holy Ghost!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuAoGdWBaaY&w=560&h=315]
Unbelievers – Vampire Weekend
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1brykyPZtU&w=560&h=315]
Lose Yourself to Dance – Daft Punk feat. Pharrell
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fHi2hDGC_g&w=560&h=315]
4. The Kanye single that will inevitably change the way we think about music for a decade.
H.A.G.S.