A blog to promote the work accomplished by underground independent musicians and the occasional mainstream artist.
Welcome!
Have you ever: Wished your iTunes would be more full than it is? Been embarrassed by having too much (or any) Bruno Mars? Wanted to sound like a snobby hipster by talking about bands that no one knows? Wanted to feel something from listening to music?
If you answered yes to any of those questions. This blog is for you!
As previously mentioned, I've gotten really into Ryan Hemsworth recently. He's going to Pitchfork and if anyone has the chance to go they should. He remixes some of my favorite songs and he also makes original tracks that have so much going on without many words. Below are my favorite Ryan Hemsworth songs, some of which I've already posted.
1. BasedWorld
2. Three Hours In
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3. Summertime Sadness (Ryan Hemsworth Remix) - Lana Del Rey
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4. Proto
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5. Cold & Tempted
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6. Perfectly
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7. Thinkin Bout You (Ryan Hemsworth Remix) - Frank Ocean
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8. Colour & Movement
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9. Open (Ryan Hemsworth Remix) - Rhye
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10. Pull Me Down (Ryan Hemsworth Remix) - Mikky Ekko
No need for an introduction. These are all fantastic songs. There are a few band's I've posted about before, but the band I'm most excited about from this playlist is NONONO. They're going to be fun to watch.
Red - Pop Blue - Electronic Green - Alternative Yellow - Hip hop Pink - R&B
1. Pumping Blood - NONONO
NONONO is another fantastic Swedish indie-pop band. This trio has made some of the catchiest songs I've heard so far this year. Watch out for their album, it should drop this summer.
2. Bleeding For Your Love - Suvi
As if I hadn't posted about enough Swedes: add Suvi to the list. "Bleeding For Your Love" is the third song she has released and by far the most popular. I love how dramatically she uses the bass in this catchy track.
3. Julian - Say Lou Lou
Why stop now, here's another Swede! You may remember Say Lou Lou from my last post where I reviewed their other great track "Fool of Me". The duo defines their sound as Dream Pop. The duo sounds a lot like Bat for Lashes and Chromatics.
4. Warm In The Winter - Glass Candy
Speaking of Chromatics, Glass Candy is part of Johnny Jewel's Italians Do It Better label. The song is on a new compilation album After Dark 2. You can absolutely here his influence in this song. I love this track. It may be a bit longer, but the line "You came down to this place to fill up the dark corners with your everlasting light, and that's why, I love you" makes it all worth while.
5. Down Under - NONONO
Down Under is the second song released by NONONO. It's a bit slower and serious than "Pumping Blood" but I'm glad the band isn't just sticking to a formula.
6. White Lies - Max Frost
The next two songs should be listened back to back. The first is about a paranoid boyfriend who thinks his girlfriend is cheating on him. I love how I really don't know how to define this song. It's an indie rock song, but he talks so fast and rhythmically it sounds like a rap.
7. Nice and Slow - Max Frost
As in the title, Max Frost moves away from White Lies and slows down his tempo. This track is also about dating girls although here he's much less committed.
8. Perfectly - Ryan Hemsworth
Ryan Hemsworth is becoming one of my new favorite artists. I love how much the song can feel so full without having many words.
9. Fantasy - MS MR
This is the first single from their new album Secondhand Rapture.
I hope everyone's enjoying their summer so far. The weather in Chicago since I've been home has been colder than Claremont in February, so I'm excited to finally get some warmth. The beginning of the summer is always a big music time for me. I have more free time and I have a mid-year crisis where I realize I haven't gotten nearly enough music so far this year. I shoot for about 700 songs a year. So this is my second playlist in a little over a week and expect a third coming soon. There are some new artists on this playlist like Lowing and Gilbere Forte, but mostly this playlist consists of songs added to the catalog of previously blogged about bands. My favorite tracks are "I Will Wait For You", "Disappear", and "Pilgrams (MS MR Remix)". Enjoy!
Red - Pop Blue - Electronic Green - Alternative Yellow - Hip hop Pink - R&B
1. Graceland - Paul Simon
While obviously this isn't a new song, I've been listening to this classic 80s album a lot recently and I just want to make sure everyone else who reads this has it too. So if you don't, GET IT NOW!
2. I Will Wait For You (Everybody Wants To Be a Cowboy) - Lowing
Beautiful whistiling. Reminds me something a child of Edward Sharpe and Bon Iver would make. This is the first single released from Lowings forthcoming album this fall. Also, he's Swedish. I don't know what more to ask for. This song is the anthem for all you in long distance relationships right now.
3. Disappear - Mikky Ekko
"Disappear" is Mikky Ekko's newest track. He calls it a ruff demo, but it sounds like the best thing he's produced so far excluding his collaboration with Ryan Hemsworth "Hold Me Down". I love how dramatically dreamy this song sounds.
4. Dance - Rebecca & Fiona
This track is spectacular. I love the consistent deep baseline exemplifying the intensity of the experience they're trying to describe. The baseline combined with the powerfully soft vocals and the strings creates an awesome sound.
5. Chain Smoker - Chance the Rapper
"Chain Smoker" is the last song on Chicago native Chance the Ripper's new mixtape Acid Rap. I love his flow. This guy is on the rise.
6. Waste of Time - MØ
Danish native, Karen Marie Ørsted, better know as MØ, is another indie pop artist on the rise. While she still is far from releasing her first album, songs like this get us really excited for whenever it drops.
7. Pilgram (MS MR Remix) - MØ
MØ released "Pilgrams" back in February. MS MR sped the song up. Watch the video below to understand to understand the mind of MØ. Also, MS MR released their first album a few weeks ago called Secondhand Rapture.
8. Separations - Diarrhea Planet
I've heard of a lot of weird band names in my time, and Diarrhea Planet definitely joins some Fuck Button on the list of the weirdest. I love this short 2 minute rock song. This Nashville band has gained the reputation for throwing some great live concert.
9. Nolita (feat. Active Child) - Gilbere Forte
I love this slow hip hob jam. The voice over from Active Child adds a great spooky feeling to the track that really goes well with Philly native Gilbere Forte. Gilvere Forte's recently came out with a mixtape called Pray.
10. Good Ass Intro (feat. BJ the Chicago Kid) - Chance the Rapper
I'm very partial towards intros and Chance just added another one to my collection. It reminds me of something Kanye would have put on College Dropout. This track leads off Chance the Ripper's new mixtape Acid Rap.
11. Cocoa Butter Kisses (feat. Vic Mensa & Twista) - Chance the Rapper
I love how Chance uses a cough in this other track he raps about the impact of smoking cigs on his new mixtape Acid Rape. Chance's voice on this track sounds so relaxed and combined with the lyrics, the message sounds very genuine.
12. LA Calling - Crystal Fighters
On a very different note, this is another song from Crystal Fighter's new album Cave Rave. Like "You & I", LA Calling sounds like a solid poppy alt/rock summer jam. Be sure to catch them on their tour this summer!
13. Runaway - Mr Little Jean
If you can't tell, I've gotten really into Mr Little Jean. This was one of the first (and only) tracks she released last year in 2012. I love how complex this song sounds but still keeps an element of pop. The accompanying video released with the song just adds to the awesomeness to the track.
14. Tongues (feat. KOPPS) - Joywave
Joywave to me sounds like a more mainstream version of Hot Chip. It's in the voice and the catchy electronic hook. Their new mixtape 88888 revamps already made music from their previous EP Koda Vista.
