Sometimes you just want to put on your giant cushy headphones, switch to the saddest Bon Iver track you can find, and cry your eyes out. We all do it (maybe). Other times, when you actually need to perk up, you need that good old four-piece funk fix. Look no further. Amidst the high-powered indie-pop that's been released recently, with its proclivity for tangled sentimentality and drawn-out catharsis, Dublin's Hoarsebox reaffirms that popular music is, and should be, entertaining as hell.

The Irish foursome opens their newest EP, Cuckooland, with Rosey , a perky summons to "shout it out" about that dubious 6 am encounter with a significant other that we've all had (maybe). Here we have our theme: life can be so much easier if you just funk your way through it. Sure, life is complicated and love can suck, but as long as you demand what you want (and lay a sick bass track), then at least you know what you've got.

On the other hand, don’t let the song titles fool you; these guys are serious musicians, and they're still working out their approach. By All I Need Now , which opens with an arresting 4-part harmony punctuated by cymbal crashes, we notice the creeping in of uncertainty, guided by some impressive guitar work from Philip Broadbery. After all, despite demands for sex and money, the question of what exactly is needed is never quite answered. But maybe that's not the point -- although some lyrics are downright depressing, what's interesting about Hoarsebox is that their music is almost constantly upbeat, a spirited reminder that the real questions of life can always be put off until tomorrow. Funkified procrastination starting now.

Recommended Tracks:
All I Need Now
Rosey