The 16 best songs I’ve heard in the last two weeks. Definitely the best 14 days of the year so far. What you’ll hear: indie rock, electropop, indie-pop, Afro-pop influences, a Springsteen cover version, r’nb, dreampop, coldwave, trip hop, folk and jazz.

Chvrches ‘Recover’
Best track so far from Glaswegian electronic band clearly influenced by The Knife.
[Chvrches]

Veronica Falls ‘If You Still Want Me’
A personal favourite from the London indiepop band’s second album, ‘Waiting For Something To Happen’.
[Veronica Falls]

Divine Fits ‘Hungry Heart’
Indie supergroup, makers of the best album of 2012, take on Bruce Springsteen for Triple-J’s Like A Version.
[Divine Fits]

Young Dreams ‘First Days of Something’
Norwegian indie-pop with some nice West African guitar touches
[Young Dreams]

Laura Stevenson ‘Runner’
Long-Island based indie songstress.
[Laura Stevenson]

Melt Yourself Down ‘Fix My Life’
UK jazz collective follow up last November’s ’We Are Enough’ (ITP #21). Like Pigbag meets Holy Fuck in a souk.
[Melt Yourself Down]

Lust for Youth ‘Chasing The Light’
Coldwave /gothy electropop from Swedish producer Hannes Norrvide.
[Lust For Youth]

Dean Blunt ‘Papi’
Trip hop noir from male half of Hype Williams. Surprisingly Bill Callahan-like delivery.
[Dean Blunt]

Gun Outfit ‘Flyin’ Low, Maria’
Lo-fi Pacific Northwest indie with 80s/90s alt-rock influences. Hints of psychedelia in the guitars, hints of early Courtney Love in the vocals.
[Gun Outfit]

Mikal Cronin ‘Shout It Out’
Power pop with hints of early Ben Kweller meets Beaulah’s Miles Kurosky from the sometime Ty Segall collaborator.
[Mikal Cronin]

Elephant ‘Skyscraper’
Dreamy indie-pop.
[Elephant]

Sun Kil Moon / The Album Leaf ‘Caroline’
Second track to emerge from their eagerly anticipated collaborative album Perils From the Sea.
[Sun Kil Moon] [The Album Leaf]

Anaïs Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer ‘Willie of Winsbury’
Traditional song from the folkies’ collaborative album Child Ballads.
[Anaïs Mitchell]

Autre Ne Veut ‘Play By Play’
R n’b track which builds to a euphoric, killer refrain.
[Autre Ne Veut]

Vondelpark ‘California Analog Dream’
Surrey trio on R&S label re-record old track, strip away clunky UK Garage beat and polish up everything else into something altogether more interesting.
[Vondelpark]

Tourist ‘I Have No Fear’
Tourist’s instrumental head-nodder ‘Placid Acid’ was featured in ITP#1 back in January 2012. On first listen this seems more minimal, but reveals itself as just as much of an earworm.
[Tourist]

Takeaway