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!

Monday, May 27, 2013

May 2013

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Now that I am home for the summer, I will have a lot more time to devote to updating the blog. Expect two more playlists pretty soon. This playlist is very deep with great songs. I was very impressed with what I found. If you're looking for full albums and haven't found these already, get Daft Punk's Random Access Memories and Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires of the City.

Red - Pop
Blue - Electronic
Green - Alternative
Yellow - Hip hop
Pink - R&B

1. Lose Yourself to Dance (feat. Pharrell Williams) - Daft Punk
The sixth track on Daft Punk's new album Random Access Memories, "Lose Yourself to Dance" like "Get Lucky" combines Pharrall Williams' falsetto with Daft Punk's cool funky beats. Even though the lyrics don't really change throughout the song, every time I listen to this, I hear something I hadn't before.



2. Doin' It Right (feat. Panda Bear) - Daft Punk
Like "Lose Yourself to Dance", "Doin' It Right" is based on the repetition of just one line, something both Daft Punk and Panda Bear are used to composing. This time Daft Punk used Animal Collectives' Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) choir like voice to create the albums' most simplistically pretty song.



3. Step - Vampire Weekend
I wasn't sure what to expect with this new album. Vampire Weekend coincidentally has developed as I have.  I loved being 17 and dancing around to the youthful Vampire Weekend, then at 18, enjoying the band's experimentation with Contra. Now, with Modern Vampires they sound like a developed band. "Step" exemplifies their progression. It sounds like what they were trying to make when they wrote "I Stand Corrected" on Vampire Weekend.




4. Obvious Bicycle - Vampire Weekend
"Obvious Bicycle" leads off their new album. The lead off role has a lot of pressure: especially for an album as anticipated as this one. I love how soft they begin but still has an element of spunk. If there's one thing that we should get from this song it's that they really want us to listen to the rest of the album. 



5. Operate - ASTR
ASTR is a virtually unknown NYC duo. One of the catchiest chorus' I've heard this year. I love how this pop song combine a simplistic hip hop beat with a solid bass line and a chorus that I can't get out of my head.



6. Suburbs - Mr Little Jean
Mr Little Jean, singer of my favorite song so far this year, "Oh Sailor", came out with a cover of Arcade Fire's "Suburbs". She didn't change the organization of the song, just the instrumentation: adding a simplistic electronic beat and changing the voice to her own.



7. Sea of Love - The National
The second song I've posted from The National's new album Trouble Will Find Me. It is my favorite album they've written so far. For whatever reason, I feel much more captivated by these hits than those in the past. Also, I love the little kid stealing the show in this music video.




8. Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe Refix (feat. The Clubcasa Chamber Orchestra) - IAMNOBODI
This is not a typical song I would post, but I heard it a few days ago and fell in love. BDKMV was one of Kendrick's best songs off his latest album and IAMNOBODI transforms it into an orchestral piece. If anything, it shows off how great Kendrick and his production team is at creating a beat.



9. Fool of Me (feat. Chet Faker) - Say Lou Lou
 Say Lou Lou is a pair of Swedish twins, Miranda and Elektra Kilbey, who just recently graduated college. This song is the B-side of their single "Julian" (stay tuned for later this week). The duo added a third to the mix by incorporating Australian Chet Faker for this dramatic track.



10. Zion Wolf - Jai Paul
For you Jai Paul fans out their, "Zion Wolf" was released as part of that mysterious record that leaked a few weeks ago. Probably just a demo for his full length album, which hopefully will come out later this year, but still "Zion Wolf" exemplifies Jai Paul's original take on the future of electronic music.



11. #Beautiful (feat. Miguel) - Mariah Carey
"#Beautiful" does not take much to love or understand. This hit sounds anxiety free and easy.  "You're beautiful, and I can't pretend that doesn't mean a thing to me." Also, in the video, Mariah Carey looks incredible.



12. Out of The Blue - Prides
Between artists like S-Type, CHVRCHES, and now Prides, a lot of new great artists are coming out of Glasgow. They have a catchy synth riff similar to Little Daylight's "Overdose" but still has lyrics deeper than the usual pop song.



13. You & I - Crystal Fighters
Get ready to feel happy! Crystal Fighters, the band that came out with last years gem, "At Home", are coming out with a new album tomorrow called Cave Rave. They are on tour this summer, so check out their tour dates! They're in Chicago June 14th.



14. Love Like This - Kodaline
"Love Like This" is from Kodaline's album out June 17th called In a Perfect World. This Irish band has a great folkly, indie pop sound.



15. So High - Ghost Loft
The second released song by Ghost Loft after last month's "Seconds". The LA artist produced a melancholy ambient hit.