Mild rhythmic syncopation

I'm back from a week in Death Valley. One of the friends I went with is really into 80s music. Really, really into. So we spent the week listening to XM radio's 80s station when we weren't hiking and seeing the sights. "Name that tune" is not that fun of a game when play against a genre expert. I got all the old-school rap though. Oh yeah, Tone Loc - Funky Cold Medina. :)

I'm still listening to Prefuse 73 and the Akira soundtrack but here's some of my "old" indie favorites. These three songs all have a similar sound. And according to Pandora, I like them because they all feature "electric rock instrumentation, subtle use of vocal harmony, mild rhythmic syncopation, repetitive melodic phrasing, and a vocal-centric asthetic." Yep, that sums it up!

Pinback - Offline P.K.
Bloc Party - Like Eating Glass
Broken Social Scene - Stars and Sons