Ninja Gang by Boltoph

I can't really love Boltoph's lyrics, but everything else about Ninja Gang sounds great to me. The laid back guitar line over the hip-hop beat just fits right.

http://www.songfight.org/music/ninja_gang/boltoph_ng.mp3

Cash Machine by Two Ton Boa

I had the pleasure of seeing Two Ton Boa open for the Dresden Dolls. They had two bass players, no guitar, and an odd looking drum set. Using just a bass and relatively low female singer to carry the melody makes songs like Cash Machine stand out from the crowd of heavy rock songs out there.

http://killrockstars.com/bands/twotonboa/audio/CashMachine.mp3

A Girl Like You by Mexican Institute Of Sound

A Girl Like You starts with the sort of beatboxing and repeating guitar line you might hear on a recent Tom Waits song. But then it throws in lots of other instruments and electronic effects, with a female singer over the whole thing. It's a strange, irresistibly toe-tapping experience.

http://aurgasm.us/music/andrew/Mexican%20Institute%20of%20Sound%20-%20A%20Girl%20Like%20You.mp3

Habitual Ritual by Revolution Void

Habitual Ritual a relaxed journey filled with keys, a sax, and turn table scratching. Fine modern jazz.

http://www.archive.org/download/revoid_2004_04_04.flac16/revoid_2004_04_04_t03_vbr.mp3

Cry 4 Help by Har Mar Superstar

Kill Rock Stars is not a place you'll typically find anything as funky as Har Mar Superstar's Cry 4 Help. If you've got any groove in you, it'll get you moving.

http://killrockstars.com/bands/harmarsuperstar/audio/Cry_4_Help.mp3

Accelerator by A Kid Named Ace

All of A Kid Named Ace's songs are super cute, and Accelerator is one of his best. The ending just brings a tear to my eye.

http://www.songfight.org/music/accelerator/akidnamedace_accel.mp3

Fortnight by Sleepy Town Manufacture

Fortnight has some subtle touches. For example, worked into part of the beat is a pop that sounds like the crackle of a record player. It changes the mood of what would otherwise feel like a heavier, more aggressive piece.

Also available in ogg vorbis at about half the file size.

http://www.archive.org/download/sute016/06_Fortnight.MP3
http://www.archive.org/download/sute016/06_Fortnight.ogg

Jumpers by Sleater-Kinney

Jumpers is loud, energetic, and dynamic. Perfect for making you jump around.

http://subpop-public.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/audio/2382.mp3

Chance At Greatness by Canasta

Canasta tries to convince you to be satisfied with the ordinary, everyday life, and throw away your Chance at Greatness. Their hooky orchestral pop makes a pitch for mundanity sound more compelling than it has any right to.

http://audio.canastamusic.com/FindTheTime/Canasta-FindTheTime-ChanceAtGreatness.mp3

Hakol Kashura (Everything's Alright) by Habanot Nechama

Hakol Kashura (Everything's Alright) is built around a repeating guitar lick, with layers of Hebrew language vocals, various percussions, and lead guitars laid over it.

http://aurgasm.us/music/julija/Habanot%20Nechama%20-%20Hakol%20Kashura%20(Everything%27s%20Alright).mp3

Better At Rapping by MC Frontalot

Typical self-deprecating lyrics meets atypically minimal production, as the Frontalot dreams of being Better at Rapping. Fortunately, his self-effacing tendencies come in creative packages that often succeed in getting a laugh.

http://frontalot.com/media.php/500/MC_Frontalot_-_Better_At_Rapping_%28CP08_Version%29.mp3

Sometimes It's Hard To Keep Yourself Moving by Forkbomb

Good news for me. Puce is back to songfighting under the name forkbomb. He's part of the current fight, Somtimes It's Hard to Keep Yourself Moving.

http://www.songfight.org/music/sometimes_its_hard_to_keep_yourself_moving/forkbomb_sihtkym.mp3

Driver Education by Amy Ray

Amy Ray has a peppy fun rock tune called Driver Education that came to my attention for being featured on Oddio Overplay's Tunes in Overplay back in June of 2005.

http://www.daemonrecords.com/amy/Driver%20Education.mp3

Climbing The Mountain by Podington Bear

This song was put out in the first month of Podington Bear's year long project to make a new song three times a week. It was the start of Climbing The Mountain.

http://podingtonbear.com/podcasts/JanuaryOriginal/ClimbingTheMountain.mp3

You Are In Love With Me by ADD

The narrator of You Are in Love with Me is obviously in love with whoever he's addressing, but his sad circumstance is only made worse by the fact that he can't say anything that makes the title seem like anything more than wishful thinking.

http://actdead.com/mp3s/add-youareinlovewithme.mp3

Our Love Violates Corporate Policy by Hostess Mostess

Hostess Mostess is at his best when he's doing simple guitar based pop, and that's just what you get with Our Love Violates Corporate Policy. It took him second place in a Song Fight sporting some terrific cover art.

http://www.songfight.org/music/our_love_violates_corporate_policy/hostessmostess_olvcp.mp3

Pushin On by Freddie Cruger featuring Linn

This Aurgasm song is aimed at the wage slaves who find a way to keep Pushing On, helping them along with a funky bassline to nod their heads to.

http://aurgasm.us/music/Freddie%20Cruger%20-%20Pushing%20On%20(feat.%20Linn).mp3

Revolution Now by Josh Woodward

Revolution Now rocks my eardrums, even if it never explains what this revolution is about.

http://www.joshwoodward.com/mp3/TheSimpleLife/JoshWoodward-TheSimpleLife-105-RevolutionNow.mp3

Waste Of TV by Brad Sucks

I find TV pretty uncompelling since the advent of this medium we're using here now, so when he calls himself a Waste of TV, it's even more self deprecating to my ears than his usual fare.

http://media.bradsucks.net/albums/gwam/05_-_Brad_Sucks_-_Waste_of_TV.mp3

Highway by State Shirt

Highway is a mournful, nostalgic indie rock tune State Shirt did for a Song Fight way back in 2001. It also appears on his 2004 album, Don't Die.

http://www.songfight.org/music/highway/stateshirt_highway.mp3

A Thing For Me by Metronomy

A Thing For Me looks like it was great fun to shoot. They find plenty of variations on ball bouncing off the lyrics and they do it all with an enthusiasm to match the joyful pop song.

http://www.motiongraphics.it/video08/dicembre/metronomy.mov

Swimming Pools by Thao Nguyen and Get Down Stay Down

Thao and her backing band Get Down Stay Down make catchy indie folk. Swimming Pools tempers its band playing footage with public mischief and strange weather.

http://krs5rc.com/krs/bands/thao/video/swimmingpools.mov

Dumb Animals by The Handsome Furs

Handsome Furs make excellent music for passing dark nights contemplating how we are all just Dumb Animals.

http://subpop-public.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/video/3253.mov

The List by Metric

Unfortunately the video for The List is your basic live-footage-of-band-playing-the-song. But the song is some fine indie pop, so give it a listen if you haven't heard it.

http://www.gangassets01.com/metric/metric_list_h.mov

Muppet Face by Xiu Xiu

Muppet Face is probably more of what I expect from a Xiu Xiu video than any other Xiu Xiu video I've ever seen. Callous soldiers, human dismemberment, and Jamie Stewart's singing.

http://www.noperformance.com/downloads/muppetface_web_small.mov

The Tears And Music Of Love by Deerhoof

Kill Rock Stars wants to advertise just how much fun Deerhoof are live, so they offer a super high quality video of them performing The Tears and Music of Love.

http://krs5rc.com/krs/bands/deerhoof/video/DEERHOOFTEARS.mov

Basin Street Blues by Kid Koala

The video for Basin Street Blues makes the tune feel more like it was designed as a soundtrack for the animated short than the other way around. It's a somber, chopped up mourning for the poor man with no brain.

http://www.monkmus.com/videos/basin_street_blues.mpg

Versatile Flying Objects by Kalahar Surfers

Versatile Flying Objects flings piano and organ melodies over electronic beats, odd samples, and assorted percussion. Versatile indeed.

http://www.africandope.co.za/downloads/audio/cd011/kalahari_surfers-versatile_flying_objects.mp3

You Can Never Hold Back Spring by Tom Waits

Everything about You Can Never Hold Back Spring makes it feel like a part of the soundtrack for some old-time black and white movie, from Tom Waits' singing to the brass band backing him, to the white noise of a recording made on out-of-date equipment.

http://www.anti.com/media/download/529

Unconcious Alliance by General Fuzz

The mood over at Messy's Place is upbeat and friendly, so join General Fuzz there for an Unconcious Alliance.

http://www.generalfuzz.net/mp3/Messys%20Pace/unconscious%20alliance.mp3