Now that I’ve given that Besnard Lakes album a few more listens I’d say they’re like a cross between Low and The Dears. If that helps you at all.

.:.

If brevity is wit, it’s also musical genius. Here’re my 25 favourite songs that clock in under 2 minutes. Note that there’s a ton of brilliant music that comes in around 2:05, but I was strict about it. Also note: you could make several albums out of Guided By Voices and Pixies songs that come in under 2:10.

• Bad Religion . “Hear It” (1:52)
• Blues Brother Castro . “Bonny” (1:47)
• Blur . “Song 2” (2:00)
• Change Of Heart . “Away Goodbye” (0:57)
• Constantines . “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel” (1:57)
• Death Set . “Intermission” (1:55)
• Deerhoof . “Our Angel’s Ululu” (1:37)
• Evaporators . “Half-Empty Halls” (1:55)
• Gord Downie . “Pillform 1” (1:44)
• Grant Lee Buffalo . “Last Days of Tecumseh” (1:02)
• Guided By Voices . “A Salty Salute” (1:29)
• Matthew Good Band . “So Long Mrs. Smith” (1:40)
• Mountain Goats . “Quito” (2:00)
• Neutral Milk Hotel . “The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt. 1” (2:00)
• Nirvana . “Downer” (1:43)
• Pearl Jam . “Lukin” (1:02)
• Pink Floyd . “Pigs on the Wing, Pt. 2” (1:27)
• Ramones . “Judy Is A Punk” (1:31)
• Reindeer Section . “Will You Please Be There for Me” (1:49)
• Royal City . “Under A Hollow Tree” (1:52)
• Single Frame . “Mod Style ’68” (1:47)
• Sleater Kinney . “Little Mouth” (1:44)
• Spiderbait . “Buy Me A Pony” (1:46)
• T Rex . “We Love To Boogie” (1:57)
• White Stripes . “Let’s Build a Home” (1:58)

Bonus coverage: my 10 favourite songs over 15 minutes long:

• Bob Dylan . “Highlands” (15:48)
• Dandy Warhols . “It’s a Fast-Driving Rave-Up With the Dandy Warhols Sixteen Minutes” (16:06)
• Godspeed You Black Emperor! . “rockets fall on Rocket Falls” (20:42)
• Godspeed You Black Emperor! . “Storm” (22:32)
• Spiritualized . “Angel Sigh / Sway / 200 Bars” (18:55)
• Mogwai . “Like Herod (the Government Commissions version)” (18:25)
• Mogwai . “My Father My King” (20:12)
• Pink Floyd . “Dogs” (17:06)
• Velvet Underground . “Sister Ray” (17:27)
• Yume Bitsu . “The Frigid, Frigid, Frigid Body of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg” (18:29)