Sounds of Summer
I know, I know - it's been too long without a post. So what I've decided to do is post the songs I've been listening to all summer. Like all of my music posted here so far, it's a diverse mix but every song is fantastic. Hopefully you guys enjoy all these songs!
Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
If you guys haven't heard about Arcade Fire before the 2011 Grammys when they won Album of the Year for their 2010 release "The Suburbs", they're basically a alt-rock 8-pice band with a flair for poetic yet reality-based lyrics with a sweeping rock/orchestral background that makes every song a sonic experience unto itself. This song is just a mere taste of the epic album that is 'The Suburbs".
Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
I am by no means a Britney Spears fan, but her recent album "Femme Fatale" has won me over with it's lighthearted fun and pounding club/electronica beats that helps define her as a dancefloor diva. "I Wanna Go" is probably the best example of this - great mixing, easy to dance to, while the lyrics give just a little insight into how much the woman has been through in the spotlight. I mean, the video itself explains it all with humor.
Cee-Lo Green - Wildflower
I'm a lover of the retro-soul wave of the past five years, and Cee-Lo is no exception to this rule - his voice reminds me of Marvin Gaye meeting James Brown and Al Green. It also helps that he's part of one of my fave duos of the last decade, Gnarls Barkley (this would be the most well known of their tunes). His solo cd, "The Lady Killer", is a great display of his voice and the retro-soul sound, but "Wildflower" in particular stands out as a tender, sweet loving song.
Childish Gambino - Bitch Look At Me Now
Childish Gambino is the rap alter-ego of actor and comedian Donald Glover, who got his start doing college humor shorts and is now part of the ensemble cast of NBC's "Community". His rap style is either love-it-or-hate-it, but he distiguishes himself with self-depreciating humor and great backing tracks. Hell, in "Bitch Look At Me Now", he recognizes the delightful absurdity of rapping over Grizzly Bear's melancholic yet sweet single "Two Weeks".
Florence + the Machine feat. Dizzie Rascal - You've Got the Dirtee Love
This particular collaboration of the ginger-haired siren and one of Britain's most famous rappers was at the 2010 Brit Awards, where he basically free-styled over her glorious cover of "You've Got the Love". You'd think it wouldn't work, but it's a gorgeous combination that I feel everyone should own.
Georgie James - Cheap Champagne
I got this song off a compilation via Dealbreaker, a hilarious Tumblr blog that posts people's dating turn-offs. I've actually gotten a lot of great songs from internet mixes (there'll be a few on this list), and this upbeat song about resisting the temptations of the fast lane is a wonderful ditty.
Guilty About Girls - Candy Candy
Again, this comes from an online compilation, but it's such a great song not to share. It's a modern spin on a guy being intrigued by a Manic PIxie Dream Girl type, but the melody and music is so damn catchy you forget it's a spin on a popular song theme.
Kaiser Chiefs - Out of Focus
I still can't believe that a Kaiser Chiefs fan like me would go months without knowing that they released a new album, "The Future is Medieval" this year. Nonetheless, I quickly corrected that sin by downloading it and safe to say, the Kaiser Chiefs have still retained their neo-punk alternative rock sound seamlessly. This song is more melancholy in arrangement with use of electronic keyboards, but a good song to wind down to.
The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful
This is off a compilation mix themed around Glee's resident mean girl character, Santana Lopez. And this song perfectly captures the character - a no-nonsense, confident girl who knows exactly what she wants from life and love. Even without the tie-in to the tv show, it's still a groovy song about sistas doing it for themselves.
Local Natives - Sun Hands
This LA-based band has exploded on the indie music scene with their single "Airplanes" and their entire album is fantastic. This is one of their more low-key songs, perfect for driving around in the summer sun with.
Milo Greene - 1957
I actually heard about this song when one of my favorite singer-songwriters Brooke White posted this song on her blog as a recommendation. Of course, given how much I like her, I gave the song a shot and loved it. The lead vocals are male and female and has a whimsical feel admist a steady clap-your-hands-along beat.
Nikka Costa - Corners of My Mind
I've always wanted to listen to more Nikka Costa given that one of my favorite songs is "Everybody Got Their Something", so I recently researched her music more extensively and fallen in love. Her raspy multi-octave range is incredible and she uses it brilliantly in her bluesy songs. This is one of her slower songs, and is undeniably gorgeous.
Wolfmother - Joker and the Thief
Given that I listened to "Vagabond" almost the entirety of last year, I'm not sure why I didn't listen to this song before a few months ago. But it's such a classic guitar riff-heavy, pounding beat that seems like what Led Zeppelin would be doing today (but with less psychedelics). In short, a good song to pump yourself up to.
Zero 7 - Somersault
I admit, I've been really late onto jumping onboard the Sia bandwagon (for reasons I'm still not sure of) but once I've gotten on I don't wanna get off. Her voice is so pure and her lyrics are so sweet and heartfelt. (No wonder she was the co-mentor for Christina Aguilera on "The Voice", she wrote Christina's single "You Lost Me".) "Somersault" is product of her involvement in the duo Zero 7 with Jose Gonzalez, combining acoustics with electronica, and is a most beautiful, most perfect song about being in love.
Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
If you guys haven't heard about Arcade Fire before the 2011 Grammys when they won Album of the Year for their 2010 release "The Suburbs", they're basically a alt-rock 8-pice band with a flair for poetic yet reality-based lyrics with a sweeping rock/orchestral background that makes every song a sonic experience unto itself. This song is just a mere taste of the epic album that is 'The Suburbs".
Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
I am by no means a Britney Spears fan, but her recent album "Femme Fatale" has won me over with it's lighthearted fun and pounding club/electronica beats that helps define her as a dancefloor diva. "I Wanna Go" is probably the best example of this - great mixing, easy to dance to, while the lyrics give just a little insight into how much the woman has been through in the spotlight. I mean, the video itself explains it all with humor.
Cee-Lo Green - Wildflower
I'm a lover of the retro-soul wave of the past five years, and Cee-Lo is no exception to this rule - his voice reminds me of Marvin Gaye meeting James Brown and Al Green. It also helps that he's part of one of my fave duos of the last decade, Gnarls Barkley (this would be the most well known of their tunes). His solo cd, "The Lady Killer", is a great display of his voice and the retro-soul sound, but "Wildflower" in particular stands out as a tender, sweet loving song.
Childish Gambino - Bitch Look At Me Now
Childish Gambino is the rap alter-ego of actor and comedian Donald Glover, who got his start doing college humor shorts and is now part of the ensemble cast of NBC's "Community". His rap style is either love-it-or-hate-it, but he distiguishes himself with self-depreciating humor and great backing tracks. Hell, in "Bitch Look At Me Now", he recognizes the delightful absurdity of rapping over Grizzly Bear's melancholic yet sweet single "Two Weeks".
Florence + the Machine feat. Dizzie Rascal - You've Got the Dirtee Love
This particular collaboration of the ginger-haired siren and one of Britain's most famous rappers was at the 2010 Brit Awards, where he basically free-styled over her glorious cover of "You've Got the Love". You'd think it wouldn't work, but it's a gorgeous combination that I feel everyone should own.
Georgie James - Cheap Champagne
I got this song off a compilation via Dealbreaker, a hilarious Tumblr blog that posts people's dating turn-offs. I've actually gotten a lot of great songs from internet mixes (there'll be a few on this list), and this upbeat song about resisting the temptations of the fast lane is a wonderful ditty.
Guilty About Girls - Candy Candy
Again, this comes from an online compilation, but it's such a great song not to share. It's a modern spin on a guy being intrigued by a Manic PIxie Dream Girl type, but the melody and music is so damn catchy you forget it's a spin on a popular song theme.
Kaiser Chiefs - Out of Focus
I still can't believe that a Kaiser Chiefs fan like me would go months without knowing that they released a new album, "The Future is Medieval" this year. Nonetheless, I quickly corrected that sin by downloading it and safe to say, the Kaiser Chiefs have still retained their neo-punk alternative rock sound seamlessly. This song is more melancholy in arrangement with use of electronic keyboards, but a good song to wind down to.
The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful
This is off a compilation mix themed around Glee's resident mean girl character, Santana Lopez. And this song perfectly captures the character - a no-nonsense, confident girl who knows exactly what she wants from life and love. Even without the tie-in to the tv show, it's still a groovy song about sistas doing it for themselves.
Local Natives - Sun Hands
This LA-based band has exploded on the indie music scene with their single "Airplanes" and their entire album is fantastic. This is one of their more low-key songs, perfect for driving around in the summer sun with.
Milo Greene - 1957
I actually heard about this song when one of my favorite singer-songwriters Brooke White posted this song on her blog as a recommendation. Of course, given how much I like her, I gave the song a shot and loved it. The lead vocals are male and female and has a whimsical feel admist a steady clap-your-hands-along beat.
Nikka Costa - Corners of My Mind
I've always wanted to listen to more Nikka Costa given that one of my favorite songs is "Everybody Got Their Something", so I recently researched her music more extensively and fallen in love. Her raspy multi-octave range is incredible and she uses it brilliantly in her bluesy songs. This is one of her slower songs, and is undeniably gorgeous.
Wolfmother - Joker and the Thief
Given that I listened to "Vagabond" almost the entirety of last year, I'm not sure why I didn't listen to this song before a few months ago. But it's such a classic guitar riff-heavy, pounding beat that seems like what Led Zeppelin would be doing today (but with less psychedelics). In short, a good song to pump yourself up to.
Zero 7 - Somersault
I admit, I've been really late onto jumping onboard the Sia bandwagon (for reasons I'm still not sure of) but once I've gotten on I don't wanna get off. Her voice is so pure and her lyrics are so sweet and heartfelt. (No wonder she was the co-mentor for Christina Aguilera on "The Voice", she wrote Christina's single "You Lost Me".) "Somersault" is product of her involvement in the duo Zero 7 with Jose Gonzalez, combining acoustics with electronica, and is a most beautiful, most perfect song about being in love.