To be honest I haven’t done too many daily tunes this week because I’ve been having a really hard time finding great music. Sure there’s been some solid tracks but none of them have really moved me to the point where I want to blog about them. Then this one comes along. It’s like everything I’ve been waiting for and then some. I can’t really classify or compare it to anything. Everytime I hear it I discover some hidden element that I feel like they put there just for me. The airy vocals, sharp strings and mellow guitar lead up to a strange concoction of dream pop and dance music. The vocals hooks you instantly and then the synthesizers take you the rest of the way. Track of the week for sure. Don’t pass this one by.
I realized just now that I never posted this song before. I’d like to start off by saying that the Arctic Monkeys are probably my favorite band next to maybe the Arkells. They’re the ones that got me started on this whole indie music thing and I’m still a huge fan. Evil Twin is actually the B-Side track off of the “Suck it and See” single. In my opinion, Evil Twin is much much better than Suck it and See and joins the likes of “Baby I’m Yours”, “Cigarette Smoker Fiona”, “Settle for a Draw” and “No Buses” as a fantastic B-Side track. If you’re not hooked by the initial bassline then there is something seriously wrong with you.
Gonna get back into the swing of things after Coachella weekend with a daily tune. This track is vastly underrated and I think it’s as good if not better than Midnight City. M83 killed it at Coachella and I’m unbelievably excited to see them at Osheaga in August. I think I’ll put this track in this week’s mixtape. Speaking of which, it’s coming out soon. Hopefully I can get it out before Wednesday night. Fingers crossed.
I didn’t really have much time to find music this weekend so I’m just posting a fantastic song by Portugal. The Man who I was just reintroduced to. I loved this song a couple years ago but completely forgot about it until I saw Portugal. The Man on the Osheaga 2012 lineup. The band really gives me an “Oasis” feel, especially the beginning guitar lick that sounds eerily similar to the guitar solo in “Don’t Look Back in Anger”. Overall though it’s just a great song that’ll have to tide you over until I find some new stuff.
OH YEAH
Yes, I know I didn’t put up a 905 mixtape yesterday. It’s crunch time for me right now and I have 4 exams this week. I promise there’ll be one next week and it will be stellar. On the brightside, Hoodie Allen’s “All American” EP comes out on Tuesday so just listen to that all week. Cheers.
It’s tracks like these that make me eager for Summer to finally get here. Thankfully, Carousel knew how much exams suck and released this song to ease the pain ever so slightly. Just from the pulsating bass at the beginning the track has me hooked. It’s upbeat yet it still manages to maintain a laidback vibe that would go perfectly with an ice cold beer on the beach. Also I’m sure we can all somehow relate to the lyrics:
I’ve been thinking about the time when we would stay up til the sunrise.
If I said I want it back would you meet me with the same eyes?
This song reminds me of an early morning in the spring. The sun’s not quite out and there’s some fog creeping across the distance. Paul Stewart’s Horses Mouth has created an utterly captivating piece of music. Careful picking, soft piano and Paul’s voice pick you up and carry you across a deceptively rich soundscape. Accordions, trumpets, synthesizers, and clarinets all make small cameos in the track and add to the delicate atmosphere that the song exudes. It’s hard not to get lost in it all.
You’ll probably recognize Dragonette from Martin Solveig’s chart-topping “Hello” but here they are with their original track “Let it Go”. The upbeat synths and cheery piano are complemented perfectly by Martina Sorbara’s signature vocals. Add in some distorted guitar to give it some edge and you’ve got a recipe for success. This is the kind of music that I could see just maybe hitting the charts but we’ll just have to wait and see. I really hope I can hear this song on the radio and not Nicki Minaj’s godawful “Starships”.
NEW GAMBINO! My love for Donald Glover is endless. CAMP was one of my absolute favorite albums last year. This track was literally released out of nowhere this morning. Gambino goes for a very different feel on this one. It’s much more laidback and I’m fairly certain he samples the music from Donkey Kong but that might just be me. The best part of the song is definitely when he starts talking about a fat dude named Chris in a Donald Glover stand comedy voice and then mid-sentence goes back to his Gambino flow. This shit is cray.
If you follow music blogs regularly you’ll know that I’m a couple days late on this one. Almost all of my favorite blogs have posted it already but I still had to post this since the song is so damn good. I had no idea who Manicanparty were until this track but I’ll be sure to keep my eyes peeled for any of their future tracks. This one is just that good. The anthemic drums, soaring vocals, dreamy synths and african chanting just captivate you within seconds. To put it simply, this is indie pop at its very finest.
This weekend has been a whirlwind for me. Now I’m not one to post my problems on the internet. I absolutely hate when people post their problems as their statuses and what not. Instead, I value people being able to confide in their most trusted friends and being able to piece themselves back together when the world knocks them down. I had plenty of “life isn’t fair” moments this weekend but in the end I have to consider the fact that I’m one of the most fortunate people on Earth. Being a DJ, attending university, having kickass friends and just typing this post on my Macbook put me in probably the top 10% of the world. With that being said, there’s still great value in being able to express yourself and your issues in a healthy way. I guess that’s the whole reason I made this blog in the first place. This mixtape is incredibly personal this time around. I’m not going into details but it basically tells the story of my weekend. This mixtape is for putting aside the “what ifs” and finally going out doing it. It’s for picking yourself up when your world seemingly falls apart around you. It’s for appreciating what you have and seeing the beauty of it all. Cheers.
Sidenote: I would really encourage you to listen to it in the order I have in the tracklist although the .zip file is shuffled.
Ben
camerondickey
Sean
Of Reckless Abandon 