So in order to combat our inconsistent weather, I suggest the artist Santigold.
Now for those of you who are familiar with this artist, you might have known her as Santogold. Well, in 2009, she had to change her name because someone was about to sue her (I believe it was a movie director who had rights to that name?). I don't know.
So more about her, she's from PA (holllaaaaa) and in all honesty, she reminds me of a less crass, M.I.A.
^Santigold ^M.I.A.
They almost look alike. Anyways, check out Santigold. The song I'm going to post is called "Lights Out". It is by far my favorite. I hope that you enjoy!
Okay there has to be an artist out there that talks about the nitty gritty of love. How it bites you in the butt, screws you over, and yet you come back for more.
WHATS UP Christina Perri.
Okay so, I follow her on Instagram. Because I do, I kind of feel like I know her. Isn't that weird? So when I watched this interview that I'm about to post, I kept thinking, 'yeah...I know her' but I actually don't--which is sad. She is SO chill that you want to be friends with her.
Everyone knows the song Jar of Hearts. If you don't, you live under a rock. When interviewed, she mentions how all of her songs were written about relationships in the past--kind of like Adele.
One of the parts I love most about this, is how she said after recording the songs over and over for her album, she would come home absolutely exhausted. I mean, this is emotional you know?
That's why I'm posting her song called, Tragedy. No, it's not on the Twilight Soundtrack nor was it on Dancing with the Stars. Putting that aside, just listen to her sing. Not only does she have a beautiful voice, but the emotion is raw.
Yes, I'm probably being over dramatic but I really love her music so whatever. Screw love!
Why yes, these two insanely talented and famous musicians did team up to create an amazing song.
This song isn't widely known--which makes it all the better in my opinion. David Gray has this raspy, beautiful voice. Annie has a lower, smoother voice.
You know what else I love about this? David Gray is so calm in this video where as Annie is dancing her heart out. All this to say, this song is absolutely amazing. Check out the song, "Full Steam" and let me know what you think!
So you know when you're driving to run an errand that's maybe, 5 minutes away and suddenly you desperately wish that you could go on a road trip?
I had one of those days today. It was a really nice 45 degree sunny day. Where was I? Work. But during my lunch break, I had to go to Starbucks which was about 10 minutes away. I suddenly had the urge to be driving across the western part of the US--with the windows down and just the beautiful scenery to keep me company.
You know, one of the most serene memories I have, is when I was driving. My family was vacationing in upstate NY and I was driving up to visit them. It was mid summer, and as you climbed further and further north, the scenery kind of looked like that in the picture above. The best part? No cell phone service. I played the song, "The Fear You Won't Fall" (Acoustic version) by Joshua Radin on repeat for who knows how long.
Another song that reminds me of this, is the song "All the Wild Horses" by Ray Lamontagne. What a voice. I could listen to him all day long if I wanted to. He's got this really raspy, gentle voice that is extremely soothing. Hope you enjoy this song!
Why yes. Ingrid Michaelson came out with a new album at the end of January called "Human Again". I follow her on Facebook--she's hilarious. Not only is she hilarious, she's also so incredibly talented. Therefore, this post is short and sweet. Here is the Bonus Track from her new album called, "Always You"
Okay so I've realized lately how dependent we are on technology. I'm typing on my laptop, texting on my iPhone, with the TV on in the background. The media has been plagued with over-dramatizing everything--drugs, sex, romance, all of it. Aren't you tired of it?
I get tired of it. I also get tired of the ridiculousness that musicians believe that they have to provide in order to gain attention. Take the Grammys for example. Nicki Minaj, in my opinion, had a horrific performance, filled with extreme Satanic parallels.
I mean who does that? Really.
I guess what I've been craving lately, is simplicity in music. Something that is just, good. I'm going to reference two COMPLETELY different musicians/groups. First, is Adele.
Yes, I am just as much in love with Adele, as everyone else in the world. I'm okay with this. I remember when her second album, 21 came out. Literally, that day, I previewed the album on iTunes and when I reached the last song, Someone Like You, I fell in love. Just like that. It was....simple really. When I found her singing this in her home, I realized that this is what music should be. Beautiful, simple, emotional.
Anderson Cooper put it so perfectly when he did a 60 Minutes interview with her. She doesn't wear provocative clothing, she doesn't try to be anything. She just makes real music. I completely agree. Is that why everyone likes her? Maybe. She has a killer voice too.
Okay so the second group is super super old school. If you ever see me driving somewhere, maybe to work, to Starbucks--if I have The Beach Boys on, I am TOTALLY rocking out to them. Why do I love The Beach Boys? Well it's really easy actually. They sing about three things really:
Surfing, Girls, Cars
Is that simple or what? I mean come on. Even with the 'girls' part, they don't mention anything TOO raunchy. I love it. They have happy simple music and I tell you what--put a playlist of them on while driving. Listen to the lyrics. Why can't we go back to simpler times?
I've kind of taken a break from blogging...just to figure out which songs I'd like to post. Let's get back to it.
Cute songs. It's almost Valentines Day so I figured I'd post a cute song. I love cute things this time of year.
I've really enjoyed this channel lately. You need a sappy romantic movie? Go to this channel.
My faaaaavorite chocolates
My favorite valentine! (Georgie)
The cutest V-Day commercial.
Okay so some songs. Two songs. Completely random. The first is by the band, Goldfrapp. Have you heard of them? It consists of two people--Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory. GREAT band. They're a really good group to workout to. Come to think of it, I was running to this song today:
Catchy song right? Well they also sang this cute song called Number 1. It's definitely not the most romantic, but it's good nonetheless. The song is "Number 1". The music video is super weird so I'll play just the song:
The last song I want to post, to reallllllllly get you going is by the best gentleman in the world (in my opinion)---Mr. Joshua Radin. As I've mentioned before, I saw him last Valentines Day and he really did steal my heart. What a cutie. I'm going to post the acoustic version of the song "You've Got What I Need"--I guarantee you will love this.
I am a huge Grey's Anatomy fan. I have all the seasons, and I could quote all day every day if I could.
I mean think of it, these individuals live in Seattle, which is super rainy and yucky all the time. What do they do? They save people. Conjoined twins, pregnant men, Alzheimer's, parasites in brains...
It doesn't really hurt that they are all super good looking.
Anyways, the best part of this show is that they provide excellent advise about life. Cue dance parties. Whenever something is bothering you--if you're sad, mad, stressed, just dance it out. Don't believe me? Check out this clip:
Dance it out guys. Sometimes you just need a fun dancing song that you can blast in your apartment, house, sidewalk, wherever and just groove to it. Am I the best dancer? Heck no. But sometimes, awkward dancing is a must. Therefore, I have a cute, indie song that is good to dance to. Also, the lyrics are all about dancing... so that works, right?
Today is the PERFECT day for some sappy music. I guess I just needed something to make me think, 'oh woe is me...everyone is against me'. You know that kind of music. Actually, I know how to describe it. When you want a pity party for yourself.
Yeah...this pretty much sums it up.
Okay so last night, I was watching Pretty Little Liars. Judge all you want. I absolutely LOVE this show.
I'm okay with admitting how much I love this show because in my opinion, I feel that you need a stupid, completely pointless show in your life. Something that you fall back on because you know, there's no way that this show would actually be real. It's kind of like The OC.
Anyways, it was as though PLL knew how I was feeling last night because the episode had an AWESOME soundtrack. I mean really. It was phenomenal. There were so many sappy, stupid, wah wah wah moments and they had the best songs to counteract that. So lucky you! You all get to listen to these songs. After you do, I'll bet you won't think PLL is as lame as you originally do.
First song is Daniel Ahearn- I Will Let You Go. Apparently it was in No Strings Attached? Didn't see it. Listen to this song and start feeling sorry for yourself:
Okay next is the absolutely amazing song by The Rescues-My Heart With You. If you don't shed a tear during this, then you have no soul.
BY THE WAY--I don't suggest looking at yesterday's post and then listen to these songs. Your brain/emotions might not know how to handle it. Trust me.
I'm going stir crazy here in the bitter cold North. Sometimes, it's nice....no...sometimes, it's necessary to remember warmer times. Now to some of you, you might not like the warm weather. And that's cool...you're just weird. For the rest of you who are missing the warmth, the beach, the summertime, I'm going to post some songs that just remember me of sun.
Are these relatively 'deep' songs? No. Are the lyrics going to ultimately going to effect your life? Of course not. They're just nice to listen to.
I present 2 songs. Colbie Caillat is a complete guilty pleasure of mine. When I think of happy, giddy songs, I think of her. She ALWAYS has a cute song. Sometimes you just need these. If you are a male and are reading this, give it a shot--you'll probably catch on as well.
Okay so you're kind of still in the 'happy sunshine-y mood'? Good. One more song just to fully grab your attention. Have you heard of the amazing artist, Zee Avi?
Isn't she precious? I think so too. She reminds me of a female Jack Johnson. I'm going to recommend you check out her entire album but the song I'm going to add is called "Bitter Heart". I hope you guys are feeling more sunshiney!
Sunday mornings are always a win if two things happen.
1.) You must be able to sleep in.
2.) You treat yourself to Panera for breakfast.
Clearly, these two things happened for me this morning so I am winning. I felt totally cool as I walked into Panera, 8:30 in the morning with my big nerdy glasses, iPhone in hand, and pajamas. Was this the winning triad of classiness? I mean, you guys can decide that one but I'm going to go with a definite, 'yes'.
This was week was a little nuts but I was trying to figure out a good song to post. Yesterday we got about 4 inches of snow (uncool) so I'm kind of feeling something mellow.
A really great friend of mine introduced me to "The Head and the Heart". They are a band from Seattle and are becoming more and more well-known.
I absolutely love them. They are such a fun group to listen to. I really like their entire album, but there are two songs that have really gotten stuck in my head. The first one is "Sounds Like Hallelujah".
Hooked? You should be. The second song is "Ghosts". Enjoy!
Yes yes yes. I of course am referring to Florence Welch from Florence + The Machine.
Just like everyone else in America, I first heard her most popular song, "Dog Days Are Over" on the "Eat Pray Love" trailer. Okay maybe you heard her some other time but whatever.
When I saw the music video for this song, I was taken aback. It's....different. Weird almost. Then I heard Cosmic Love, You've Got the Love..and so on and so forth.
To be honest with you, I kind of just stopped listening to her for a while. You know how it goes---you listen to a specific artist for so long that you need to move on. Too much.
A dear friend of mine sent me her new album a few months ago titled, "Ceremonials". I didn't really listen to it because I heard "What the Water Gave You" and I wasn't impressed. Well, at the beginning of December, I was driving down to Chattanooga by myself. It was a Friday after half a day of work and then a 10 hour drive ahead of me. Needless to say, I was super tired.
It kind of looked like this but dark.
I turned my Ipod on Shuffle and the song, "Breaking Down" off of her new album came on. Instead of turning to the next song, I thought, "you know what...it's not like I'm going anywhere, let me see how this sounds".
Just like that--I was obsessed again. I listened to the entire album over, and over, and over again. Her voice is just soothing. She brings different beats and sounds so that every song that you listen to is new and different than the last. So I have this thing, that if I hear a song on my Ipod (off of an album), I have to make sure that the artist/s sound good live. Well, I'm going to post Florence singing, "Shake It Out" on the X Factor. You tell me if she sounds good or not:
(By the way, the answer is that she sounds amazing live).
After you listen to this, check out the song "Breaking Down" that I was talking about. I LOVE this song. I love her whole album actually. Check out her album "Ceremonials" if you have time and honestly, shoot me an email if you want it. It's great music from a very talented woman. Enjoy!
Okay so as you've probably noticed, I've been doing alot of running lately. I pretty much look like this.
Except I'm female.....and not Rocky. But still cue the Theme from Rocky please.
Anyways, so I've really been trying to figure out what kind of groove I'm in with my music--I mean let's be honest here, I was listening to classical music on a run during the last post. But today is going to be different---much different than the music that I've been posting. Two words (or maybe one...it depends):
Mash.Up.
I am hooked. Let's just take about, oh, 2 seconds and watch the video from Glee when they did a mash up on Adele. Now take note--a mash up is whenever two or more songs are combined (MAAAASSHHHEDDD) together to create a single, awesome, song. Hence, mashed. Like mashed potatoes.
yum yum yum yum
Okay I'm getting hungry. Here's the song from Glee:
It's different---right? I love mashups. But the one that I really want to post, is very different than what has been posted in the past. It's by a group called, "Girl Talk" and I am OBSESSED. They are awesome if you're looking for some awesome rap/mashup goodness. The song that I'm posting is "Like This". It's brilliant. Hope you enjoy this!
So I went for a 7 mile run yesterday because I'm pretty sure weather.com said that it was 61 degrees outside. I start to run, and Chopin's Nocturne in E flat major comes up. At first I was like, "no no no, I can't listen to this...I have to find something with a beat, like Beyonce" (fyi...Beyonce had her baby last night!).
Anyways, just before I clicked the 'next' button, I thought I'd wait it out. I'm so glad that I did. This song is SO beautiful. Picture this. It's slightly warm, with a light wind. The sun is in the air, it's mid afternoon. You're running, which of course means that the endorphins are kicking in--and you're listening to this song. To be completely honest with you all, I can't remember the last time I felt so, serene on a run. I was observing everything, feeling completely nostalgic of spring time and all of the memories included. Have you ever had this happen to you? A song, that you completely unexpected, drives you into an emotional whirlwind?
The song by Chopin is utterly beautiful. I can't even begin to describe it--just listen to it. By the way, does anyone want to say, "Chop-in" when pronouncing his name, like from It Takes Two with the Olson twins? Anyone? Anyone?
"What do you mean it's not pronounced like that?!?!"
Okay, here it is. Just take a minute to soak it all in. I hope you enjoy!
Okay so it's the end of a really long week, which is ironic because it was only a 4 day work week. Despite that, I'm craving more beautiful music. You know what I mean. Songs that I can just turn on, grab a cup of coffee, and relax. To be honest with you, that's the type of music that I listen to, about 90% of the time.
Don't get me wrong--I generally love all types of music. However, I usually am gravitated towards mellower music. Cue the wonderful musician, "Sia". She's Australian and has such a beautiful, raspy voice. The song that I'm picking today is "Breathe Me"...off of her "Colour the Small One" album. If you like this song, definitely check out her other awesome hits like Sunday, You Are Loved, and Day Too Soon. I hope that you enjoy this as much as I do!
Okay so up here in this stupid state, it has been around 13 degrees for the past few days. Why why why? I can't stand the cold weather--it makes me so grumpy. Even my favorite kind of coffee (hazelnut from Panera) can't even make me smile.
So let's all take a minute and glance at this picture. Just to remind us of the fact that in other parts of the world, it looks like this year round.
Sigh. Also this makes me really want to relax:
Slash...I really wish that my coffee looked like that every morning
Anyways, I think we need a nice, relaxing, soothing song to make us all swoon in Folkish adoration.
Cue Iron & Wine. You can NEVER go wrong with Iron & Wine in my opinion. I think I honestly first fell in love with them, when I heard "Such Great Heights" by them. I'm normally used to the Postal Service version so this slower version completely won me over. Another great song of theirs is Love and Other Verses.
But no, today, we're going to bring "Resurrection Fern". It really ties into a beautiful depiction of nature and simple times. Do I understand what this song is about? Of course not. Do I really care? Not really. It's a beautiful, mellow song and every once in a while, this is the type of song that I think everyone needs.
So grab a warm blanket, an awesome book, and relax to Iron & Wine. (chocolate should also be added to that list)
Everyone has resolutions. Do this, do that. They are SO hard. Have you ever fully completed a resolution for an entire year? I was asked the other day what some of my resolutions are. I don't really have any, to be honest with you. Mine is more of a continual. Remain healthy, both mentally and physically.
To me, that's tough. I mean does anyone really want to eat salads every day for lunch? Not really. Would I rather have a large plate of taquitos instead? Obviously.
I wanted to bring in the New Year with something super different. Something that I think you would all like that combines two types of music into one.
Jump back to the year 2001. Eleven years ago. Do you remember the artist, Blu Cantrell? She sang a lot of soul music. I think one of her most famous songs was Hit Em Up Style. If you don't remember that song, go check it out.
ACTUALLY...just kidding. There is a group called Carolina Chocolate Drops that literally consists of a singer (who plays violin), a banjo, and a beatbox-er. I don't even know what the appropriate phrase is for that. Anyway....they did a cover of Hit Em Up Style and oh my gosh it's so good. I'm in love with it. It's everything we love about folk music, plus the soul of Hit Em Up Style. Check it out--you won't be disappointed. Happy New Years everyone!!!
You want to know a beautiful song? Check out this song by "Fun" called "We Are Young". Apparently it was on Glee. I checked out their version and it's good, don't get me wrong. But the acoustic version of this featuring Janelle Monae is SO good. I can seriously guarantee that you will fall in love with this song.
Ah pairs. There are some things that just go together.
Peanut Butter and Jelly!
Sonny and Cher!
Ryan and Marissa! (Guess what I've been watching alot of lately.....)
There are some musicians that suddenly have the genius idea to pair up with another musician, and together, create an amazing song. Personally, I like it when a guy and a girl pair up--the harmonies are fantastic.
Take Joshua Radin for example. He is oh so lovely. I saw him in concert on Valentines Day--what a show. He has this melodic voice that is so soothing. Therefore, because clearly he's a genius, he paired up with a few lovely women to create pretty popular songs.
With Ingrid Michaelson--Sky
With Schuyler Fisk--Paperweight
Think the Postal Service. The fantastic voice of Ben Gibbard with some Jenny Lewis. Any song that accompanies Jenny Lewis is awesome. Think Ben Folds and Regina Spektor--You Don't Know Me. That's a great pop song.
But none of these are going to be posted today...sorry! Go check them out though. Today, Joshua Radin takes the cake. He paired up with the absolutely amazing Patty Griffin for the song, "You've Got Growing Up to Do"
Hi Guys! Don't look so happy!
I am a HUGE Patty Griffin fan. When I saw this on Joshua Radin's "Simple Times" album, I was ecstatic. He played this at the Valentines Day concert...I was slightly bummed that she didn't show up. Such is life.
Let me know what you think! I will probably post again today, just because I clearly didn't in just about a week. More music needs to be talked about.
