If you have a road trip coming up and are working on a playlist for the drive, Rich Michalowski’s “Alone” should definitely be on it. Don’t let the name fool you – you will not feel alone when this song plays on the stereo. The catchy opening riff acts as the perfect companion, keeping listeners company through the end of the song and seeming to encourage any action that requires one to go fast, fast, faster. (It would make a good addition to a playlist reserved for running, too.) The first few seconds are enough to get listeners hooked – [...]
I was reminded of an old favorite earlier this week when I listened through a playlist I created a few years ago. The song is “Fader,” and it’s by an indie-pop Australian band from Melbourne called The Temper Trap , a group that does not have as large a presence in the world of music critics and promoters as one might expect. Nevertheless, many of TTT’s songs off their debut album Conditions are likely recognizable to the public, even if the band name is not. Conditions was released in late 2009; ever since then, the [...]
It was dark outside. It was raining. I forgot my umbrella. I threw my hood up, and started my trek to the 9:30 Club. I knew the night was going to be awesome already because I’d be reliving some of favorite college memories in hearing Passion Pit play Sleepyhead live. What I didn’t know on that rainy walk to the metro station was that I was going to leave 9:30 Club a fan of a band I had never heard of before. Around 8:45, Youngblood Hawke took the stage. Youngblood Hawke is filled with talented indie [...]
Picture this: a beautiful garden bright with anticipation opens up beneath a starry sky. Twinkle lights and candles warm the night to a golden glow, illuminating expectant faces of all ages gathered together beneath the breath of a promise. Suddenly, the plucking of an acoustic guitar breaks apart the casual chatter, and the soaring opening note of a violin coaxes listeners into a trance that rewards the investment they made when they first fell in love with music. This is the vibe Impossible Bird seeks to create. Behind the scenes, singer/guitarist Nick Drummond, formerly of the Seattle band [...]
I don't think I'm the only one who takes some degree of enjoyment out of holding a grudge. Do you really want those t-shirts back from your ex, or is it just more fun to bitch about them? And I can't tell you how many times I've shouted along with glee to the bridge of Brand New's Seventy Times Seven (an unabashed overdose of musical schadenfreude ) . But leave it to one of folk-rock's darkest bands to put a different and tragic spin on the subject. Murder by Death's "I Came Around" is [...]
Denver is a small town disguised as a big city. Let me tell you a story that illustrates this. I recently moved and the first or second Sunday in the new place, a band woke me up with what I thought was their practice. It was the same song a couple times outside of my window, from a block or maybe three away. It was awesome, the horns stood out and I remember that section in my mind, but I doubted I would ever find out the name of the band or the song. It was that one [...]
Fall has arrived and so has a contender for my album of the year. I thought The Lumineer's self-titled was going to cruise home unchallenged, but that's not the case. Lonesome Dreams by Lord Huron has arrived and it left quite the impression on first listen and again on subsequent listens. It captures a lot of what I loved in my favorite album of last year , Youth Lagoon's The Year of Hibernation . There's a certain mystic quality about both of them. While the latter is easily called dreampop, the former is [...]
I was standing there listening to The Dismemberment Plan play their track The City live at Merriweather Post Pavilion during the Virgin Mobile Free Fest. I’m not sure if it was the energy put behind performing The City or the fact that Travis Morrison forgot the lyrics for their track You Are Invited , not once but twice; nonetheless, I was hooked. That’s when it hit me: how in the world have I not listened to this band before?! I’m hoping I’m not the only one that’s had that moment about a band [...]
Listening to this for the first time, I was trying to place the proper comparison. The band I settled on was the Beach Boys, but I'm not sure The Weatherman are necessarily going for the Portuguese Beach Boys. I think my mind was drawn towards such a comparison because of the simple yet enjoyable music of each. They aren't building a wall of sound but a pillowy sound that you can fall into and enjoy. The Weatherman were formed in 2006 by Alex Monteiro. The Portuguese band took a hiatus but are now returning with new music. [...]
Sometimes all one needs is to listen to a soulful, soothing voice with delicate piano layering. Stephen Wrabel brings just that to the table with “Office Lights,” a lyrically-involved song that contrasts the mundanity of city lights with the magic of stars in an unhindered sky – all in the name of a lost love, of course. Wrabel’s style is reminiscent of Mat Kearney’s City of Black & White collection, but where Kearney went for comprehensive production to back up his vocals, Wrabel breaks it down, depending primarily on a simple piano track to soar alongside his voice. [...]
She's got a boyfriend anyway. There's something about the Manchester band that has my attention. I don't know what it is or why I like Sex so much (something about a pun here), but The 19752s latest single is one that I'm enjoying a lot. Check it out. The band's debut album will be released in Spring 2013. Enjoy. The post The 1975 - Sex appeared first on 1146 miles .
I am a huge fan of Gilgamesh by Gypsy & The Cat and I gushed over it around the same time as I gushed over The Naked and Famous. The Naked and Famous blew up stateside and Gypsy & The Cat never seemed to. I still hold the expectation that they will. I don't think that Bloom will be the single like Young Blood that launches them into the public consciousness. So I'm going to take it for what it for what it is-an enjoyable single from one of [...]
For some reason all my favorite songs remind me of the feeling of October, and I’m positive that this song is going to be on the list of October songs. October is hands-down one of my favorite months of the year. The leaves are different colors, the weather is changing, the air is crisp, and my favorite bands are revved up to start their Fall tours. Dive Bella Dive hails from London, signed to the label that introduced us to the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, Amy Winehouse, and Pulp – Island Records. Their track, School, [...]
In an age of extreme excess in the music industry, it’s nice to see a band that practices their skill for the joy of the art. It is this kind of simple passion for music and performance that makes the Nashville-based Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown so special. Onstage, the camaraderie between the young musicians is evident as they feed off each others’ playing, a sincere and wholehearted investment in every riff and drum roll. With Tyler Bryant on guitar and lead vocals, Graham Whitford on guitar, Caleb Crosby on drums, and Noah Denney on bass, the group harbors a [...]
I haven't made a mix in a while and I wanted to. Thus, I've made a mix. It's about 37 minutes long, or enough time for me to drive up into the mountains, which is way I've made it for. And also you. The Gaslight Anthem - Great Expectations (Acoustic) The Head and the Heart - No One To Let You Down Corey Morrow - Beat of Your Heart JBM - Keeping Up Cold Specks - Blank Maps The Lumineers - Don't Wanna [...]
Union Jack dresses. The Rolling Stones. James Bond. Pink Floyd. London in the 19602s had to be one of the cool est places in human history. Maybe I've seen too many movies (Michaelangelo Antonioni's "Blow-Up" from 1966 comes to mind), but everything about the era just seems groovy. Skeletons on Holiday, a London-based indie/pop quintet, sound like they just stepped out of a phone booth time machine, poised to bring that specific brand of cool back. "Sink or Swim", the band's latest single, starts off with a rolling bassline which could easily be cousins with [...]
I stumbled across the Ontario-based band New Hands the other day and just had to share their new single. “Whichever Way You’ll Have It” combines elements of electro-pop and techno – it echoes with wave after wave of catchy beats beneath lyrics that outline a relationship in limbo. After the initial bouncy tempo is established, the vocals come as a bit of a surprise – singer Spence Newell has the kind of deep voice that reminds me of the new wave band War Tapes. The vocals are actually what give this song a bit of an edge, complementing the instrumentals [...]
Do you ever have one of those moments when you’re surrounded by what in your mind is killer scenery? It may be the ocean, a lake, the desert, the mountains, or even just a front porch on a rainy afternoon. While you sit their pondering about life’s little magic, or just how you’re going to get through the rest of your week, is there a soundtrack in mind? Or even just good background music? Last weekend I went home to sweet Charlotte, North Carolina. It was an amazing weekend, as most agenda-less trips are for those of us [...]
In separate occasions this week, I was told that I was intense and that I was carefree by the same person. There's no contradiction in that, because it's pretty true. For those that don't know me, I tend to let most things roll off my shoulders, but for reasons unknown, I will occasionally focus on something intensely, even if it's something I would normally let go. It's a weird dichotomy that nicely summarizes someone who wants to stay and who wants to go. This dichotomy spills over to my listening habits-I spend a decent amount of time nodding [...]
Happy Friday, everyone! To welcome the weekend today, I’ve got a little ditty by Oscar Peterson. Oscar Peterson was one of the most important pianists of the 20 th Century. Coming out of the school of the great stride pianists like James P. Johnson and Art Tatum, Peterson was as comfortable playing boogie-woogie and stride styles as he was with bebop and post bop. He was a true master of his instrument. Peterson was also a wonderful singer, but he made a promise to Nat “King” Cole to focus on piano because they’re voices were so similarly. [...]
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![The Temper Trap - Fader [Official Video] HD](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/ZPPdetZTOx0_130.jpg)
Noteworthy (Stream): Kanye West – Black Skinhead (SNL Performance)
Kanye West Performs “Black Skinhead” & “New Slaves” On ‘SNL’ Season Finale: Watch
Watch Fred Armisen’s SNL farewell with Carrie Brownstein, Kim Gordon, J Mascis, Aimee Mann
