I realized that the “Best of” title was silly. First of all, the fact that I could know all the best music of a single month at the moment that month was over was silly. Secondly, the thought of Spotify actually having all the best music is laughable. So, even with this 19-track playlist, I think “A March Sampling” is a much more apt title. Personally, the fact that no tracks off of Julia Holter’s Ekstasis could be included renders this list moot, but I finished it up anyways (Black Breath’s Sentenced to Life also could not be represented here, unfortunately). It’s sad, because this list will never be what I want it to be. Meanwhile, the underwhelming Port of Morrow gets one of its few interesting tracks represented. Sigh. Forgive my complaining, though - there is still a good amount of good music here. Ceremony’s Zoo grew on me quite nicely, and the single is wonderful. The Men’s new album is excellent, The Shoes’ single is as addicting as Tetris (resisted BTVS and drug references), Xiu Xiu released some gloriously weird tracks, Kiernan McMullan’s new record got an 8.9 from our very own Joe Brown… We really are spoiled when I can complain of such trivial things. Enough words - enjoy the mix. As is often the case, I like to follow up a serious, somber track at the end of the album with a fun little epilogue. [link]

Tracklist:

1. Ceremony - Hysteria // Zoo
2. Miike Snow - Paddling Out // Happy To You
3. Now, Now - Dead Oaks // Threads
4. Kiernan McMullan - What If // Two Years
5. Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s // Rot Gut, Domestic
6. Oberhofer - HEART // Time Capsules II
7. The Shoes - Time to Dance // Time to Dance
8. Yellow Ostrich - Elephant King // Strange Land
9. The Men - Turn It Around // Open Your Heart
10. Vcmg - Spock // SSSS
11. Nite Jewel - One Second of Love //  One Second of Love
12. Xiu Xiu - Hi // Always
13. s / s / s - If This Is Real // Beak & Claw
14. Tanlines - All of Me // Mixed Emotions
15. Unsane - Decay // Wreck
16. The Shins - The Rifle’s Spiral // Port of Morrow
17. Daniel Rossen - Silent Song // Silent Hour / Golden Mile
18. Mirroring - Silent From Above // Foreign Body
19. The Magnetic Fields - Andrew In Drag // Love at the Bottom of the Sea

- Tyler Hanan

“Time to Dance” - The Shoes

Jake Gyllenhaal works out, kills an excessive number of my peers, and looks damn fine doing it. I wonder if he sends letters to the police after each one. Did he go back to the Zodiac for pointers? And is hearing “Time to Dance” what sets him off each time, or is that just what he likes to chill out to after a hard night of bloodshed? Was his first victim actually an unfortunate fencing partner? So many questions, and I’m too distracted by the music and director Daniel Wolfe’s visuals to look for the answers. The Shoes’ Time To Dance EP is out now on Southern Fried Records. [link]

- Tyler Hanan