T.G.I.F.

According to Rebecca Black, you gotta get down on Friday.  Here are some tracks to aid you in those weekend festivities.

Walking On a Dream - Empire of the Sun

Empire of the Sun is an Australian duo consisting of Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore.  The two create music that combines alternative rock and electronic sounds.  Their award-winning, 2008 debut album Walking on a Dream, has been certified double platinum in Australia and gold in the UK.  I think that this song perfectly encapsulates that sweet buzz of adrenaline and confusion that occurs when you're starting to crush on somebody.

15 Step - Radiohead

If you don't know who Radiohead is, then you need to be educated.  Radiohead is a British rock band that's been around since 1985.  They're the one's that wrote the famed "Creep" and have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.  That, and the fact that they've been able to stay afloat in the music industry and are still releasing good stuff today, is super impressive.  The subject of "15 Step" is mostly confusion about why things are falling apart in a relationship.  A little melancholy, but hey, it's got awesome rhythm.

Questions/Comments/Suggestions?  Leave me one!

Eclectic & Electric

Switch up your conventional tunes with these electronic sounds.

Mornin' - Star Slinger

Born "Darren Williams", Star Slinger is a producer and DJ based in Manchester, UK.  Williams studied music technology at Leeds Metropolitan University.  Star Slinger was named in the UK's New Music Express Top 50 Bands of 2011.  Pitchfork writer, Nick Neyland, puts this song into words perfectly: "This is the sound of the morning after, where befuddled notions of time and place slowly creep back into focus as you stumble out of bed on jellied legs."

Before the Light Takes Us - Darkness Falls

Darkness Falls is a rock duo that formed in 2009, with Josephine Philip on vocals and keyboard and Ina Lindgreen on base and guitar.  Darkness Falls combines distorted twang guitars, haunting synths, gritty drums and striking vocals, creating a very unique sound.  I acquired this song as iTunes' freebie of the week back in December of 2011 and instantly loved how different it is.  It's dark-sounding, in a "it feels good to be bad" kind of way.

Continue your electronic education & turn up your volume:

Trying to find yourself from Trevor_Deuel on 8tracks.

Questions? Suggestions? Leave a comment! :)

Light Listening

Andrew Bird's soft, pretty tunes are perfect for unwinding.  I love to listen to him when I'm studying or sitting outside on a sunny day.  He has a light and effortless sound that can be entrancing.

Andrew Bird - Tenuousness

Originally from Chicago, Andrew Bird is an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist.  Listening to his music, you would think there are multiple musicians playing.  In actuality, Bird's playing solo.  He alternates between vocals, violin, guitar and glockenspiel - with whistling and live violin loops thrown in as well.  Having learned to play the violin at a young age, Bird graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor's degree in violin performance in 1996.  He grew up surrounded by classical music, taking an early interest in Irish tunes and bluegrass.  Bird will be performing in Richmond, VA on July 11 at The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.  As he is known for his jaw-dropping shows, you better catch him while he's in town!

Andrew Bird - So Much Wine

Reggae Riddim

In my opinion, some of the best beach music has reggae roots.  Whether you're road-tripping, sitting poolside, or beach bummin' it, the sunny tempo of these tracks set the mood for a relaxing summer day.

Something To Say - The Movement

"Something To Say" celebrates the idea of co-existence among people of all kinds - "You gotta feeling tonight, gotta be feeling alright/Coming together as one, whether it’s black or it’s white".  The Movement was originally formed in Columbia, South Carolina in 2004 by its two founding members, Josh Swain and Jordan Miller.  But it was in Philly, Pennsylvania that they picked up musicians Jay Schmidt and Gary Jackson, adding a rhythm section, and completing the band.  Their music provides a commingling of rock, reggae and hip-hop.

Love Is My Religion - Ziggy Marley

"Love Is My Religion" shares a similar ideology to The Movement's "Something To Say" (above).  In this song, Ziggy claims that love is what he believes in, first and foremost.  Ziggy is the oldest son of the great reggae icon, Bob Marley, and is a five-time Grammy-winning musician, actor, artist and humanitarian.  Among other philanthropies he's involved with, Ziggy also founded Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (URGE), which works to help children across the world, especially in Jamaica and Africa.

Yah feelin' more, mon?  Check out this mix from 8tracks:

For you, Mr. Marley. from FacesinthePines on 8tracks.

Lover Got Your Tongue?

Someone you can't get out of your head?  There's a mix for that.  Check out my mix on 8tracks, and succumb to your thoughts of that somebody:

Lover Got Your Tongue? from catiefreckles on 8tracks.

A great album to listen to when you're crushing hard is Grouplove's Never Trust A Happy Song (ignore the title -- on the contrary, this album is very sunny).  You've probably heard Grouplove's biggest hit, "Tounge Tied" on the radio, or in Apple's iPod Touch commercial, but my current favorite is "Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten".  Hit play and commence your crushing.

Close Your Eyes and Count to Ten - Grouplove

Another band that I can readily rave about is Aer.  David von Mering and Carter Schultz are from Wayland, MA.  They say that their music "finds its roots in reggae, acoustic pop and indie rock, with smooth guitar riffs and a strong rap component."  You won't find better music to chill to.  I recently became obsessed with Aer over winter break, when I heard their song, "Water On the Moon" in a friend's car.  I 'borrowed' the CD, and, uh never quite gave it back (sorry, Christine!).  I burned myself a CD consisting of nothing but Aer songs, and find it perfect for almost any mood or occasion.  A few friends and I are SO stoked to be going to see Aer play in Vienna in July.  We have a flawless plan to get backstage... I'll keep you posted on how that turns out.  But for now, enjoy the song that first got me hooked:

Water On the Moon - Aer

Behind the Covers

Here are two cover songs that are great to listen to anywhere, any time of day.  Both covers' lyrics display a contentedness and confidence, whether in one's choices or in one's self.

Watching the Wheels - Matisyahu

Matisyahu adds a little bit of his own reggae style to John Lennon's lyrics.  Lennon's lyrics discuss people criticizing him, probably referencing when he dropped out of the music business to raise his son, Sean.  Lennon, content with his own decisions, nonchalantly brushes off the critical remarks: "I tell them there's no problem, only solutions".  He talks about enjoying watching the rest of the world go about in its frenzy.  Matisyahu covered this song for the album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.  This campaign aims at alleviating the crisis in Darfur, and is part of Amnesty International's "Make Some Noise" project, which uses music by John Lennon to promote human rights.  Instant Karma is a great album with a great cause.  I have several other songs from the album in my music library and definitely reccomend checking out the rest of Instant Karma!

Sexy and I Know It - Noah

Noah is an unsigned, up and coming singer/songwriter from South Carolina.  He shows off his soulful sound brilliantly in this cover of LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It".  Noah says his influences are Dave Matthews Band, U2, The Civil Wars, Marc Broussard, and Ray LaMontagne.  I can definitely hear Ray's influence in Noah's voice, especially in this song.  Noah's YouTube channel hosts a variety of beautiful covers he's done, as well as some of his own songs.  Super talented guy!!

Smashing Mash-Ups

Two mash-up hip-hop/rap tracks that, as Nigel Thornberry would say, are simply "smashing".  (If you don't know who Nigel Thornberry is, please go educate yourself ... you are an embarrassment to 90s kids everywhere.)

Runaround Sue ft. Greg Banks - G-Eazy

I think we've all either met or befriended a Sue-like heartbreaker.  I really just love the beat of this and G-Eazy's use of samples from Dion & the Belmonts' "Runaround Sue".  G's James Dean meets hip-hop deal is a perfect fit -- I love the contrast.  This song pairs perfectly with a sunny day, windows rolled down.

Colours (Remix) - Skizzy Mars

Biggie's robust interjections paired with samples from Grouplove's "Colours" create the perfect canvas for Skizzy to paint his rhymes about, well, being arrogant.  This song is great on a late summer night.  Windows down, volume way up.