The Paper Kites: Featherstone

Why are things so beautiful!? How is there so much beauty and joy and love in the world and yet war and suffering and sorrow still exist? It just confounds me that hatred can endure even in the face of music. I honestly think if the whole world, for 4 minutes, all just listened to some great music, regardless of what song, just whatever made them happy and spoke to them, we would share something powerful...

Anyway, The Paper Kites are certainly one of those bands that I would play if I was trying to make the world listen. They're joyful, soft yet powerful, tender yet unafraid. They're great! And if I'm on the topic of war, I think that there is no conceivable form of battle that surpasses the pillow-fight in this music video! 'Featherstone' is just heart-wrenching! Indie-music appreciation (or rap-appreciation, or whatever-floats-your-boat-appreciation) should be taught in schools! Just beautiful! 

These wild kids muster for war in their adorable woodland outfits, armed only with pillows and a great deal of heart, and when 2:53 triumphantly rolls around, the gorgeous shower of colored feathers is really unparalleled. Amidst trumpets and chanting the song ends...I hope only to be replayed again and again! Enjoy!

   

Seeing as the theme of the day seems to be 'paper' (not really, but hey...it's paper kites, just roll with it) I thought I'd share a lovely and tender new short film that Disney released 2 days ago which is wordless and floats amidst a nice background melody. It's the story of a boy, a girl and...I'll let you watch the rest :) It's really worth the watch and uses some pretty cool groundbreaking animation! Enjoy it here, the video is kind of secret I guess on youtube, so is unreachable by search...how very mysterious! 

Passion Pit: Carried Away (Tiesto Remix)

Warning: Do not attempt any of the actions depicted in this music video.

Note: The above picture is from Coachella Music Festival, which I now have tickets for thanks to my loving and amazing sister!

Remember: Don't get too 'Carried Away' by the colors and wonderful music in this post. 

Beware: There is an absurd amount of multiplying and graphic scenes of the ingestion of what I can only guess is Pixy Stix in the following video. Those with an aversion to a riotous good time should steer clear. 

And as always: Enjoy! 

P.S. The Local Natives post has been updated with soundcloud links. 

Local Natives: Hummingbird!

This band seems intimately tied to my life. Their songs make up some of my favorite works of music in existence, they were my very first blog-post, and part of the wonderful soundscape that made me want to have a blog in the first place, they were the music that I awoke to on the morning after the so-called Mayan apocalypse, and now, here they stand as the soundtrack to the day where Coachella tickets go on sale and I may finally go to my first music festival! You Natives you! 

'Hummingbird', their new album is incredible. I've done two full listens in the last two hours, and it's a soul-cleansing, brain-blasting, toe-tapping, throat-warbling, song-listening experience! I have no idea what songs to post...Everything is at such a high level! I guess I'll do my best to pick out some choice miracles...

Nooooooo! 11-11, the song which is barely poking its lovely self above the rest of the stellar album isn't up anywhere...Guess you'll just have to go buy the album eh!? UPDATE: Everything's on soundcloud now, thank the music gods who live up in the soundclouds! Gosh darn it all! 11-11's a bonus track...still no luck!

'Bowery' is luckily up on youtube. Gosh, every song is just so poignant and powerful! This is no exception! 

'Colombia' is beautiful! All that's available right now is a live version on youtube, which still manages to amaze! Enjoy! 

And I guess I'll finish with 'Ceilings'...topping (see what I did there?) off this post about the sheer beauty of this album! 

Go forth and multiply! I mean, buy! Get it here!

Crystal Fighters: Plage (Felix Cartal Remix)

In dire need of some Ukulele pop symphony with a tinge of electro trance? Heck, who isn't, you just couldn't adequately articulate that indescribable longing deep in your ears! Well luckily I want to go to the Plage with you, or at least allow you to take the trip down to the Plage yourself. What on god's good earth is a Plage you might ask? As it so happes, a Plage is:

A bright region on the sun caused by the light emitted by clouds of calcium or hydrogen and often                   associated with a sunspot.

So perhaps it would be wiser for us to not embark towards a literal Plage for the small inconveniences it might pose to our mortal coils, you know, incineration and all that...

Well you, beloved blog reader, can do the next best thing: listen to the song! Enjoy the poppy ukulele driven ditty which begs the question, "Do I dance in a hipster fashion to this song, or do I fist pump and douche myself out to its EDM elements?" You be the judge of that, I am merely the messenger! Enjoy! 

Damn...Little did I know how pleasant the original was...And here I was just providing you with a remix without ever hearing the original! I should be ashamed! You better listen to this one too!

Bassnectar: Laughter Crescendo (2012 Version)

Extremely chilled out Bassnectar tunage with just a hint of creepy laughter. What could be more perfect for a mellow Saturday morning? As the song states at the beginning, "This one's for all the lovers out there"...I guess these lovers are real funny...Enjoy!

Of Monsters And Men: King & Lionheart

Please excuse me for a moment...

COOOOOOOAAAAAACCCCCCHHHHHEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAA! Coachella! Coachella! Coachella, Coachella, Coachella. Also, COACHELLA! Good god am I stoked! The lineup is CRAZY! Let me lay it out for you (note, these are only the ones that I have heard of and am pumped for, their are likely numerous other fantastic bands that I'm woefully ignorant of). In no particular order:

Phoenix, The XX, The Postal Service, Vampire Weekend, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pretty Lights, The Lumineers, Grizzly Bear, Benny Benassi, Two Door Cinema Club, Franz Ferdinand, 2 Chainz (haha), The Wombats, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, Passion Pit, Tegan and Sara, Band of Horses, Beach House, Metric, Local Natives, The Beatles, Of Monsters and Men, Wolfgang Gartner, (did you even notice what I snuck in there a few back?), Nicky Romero, Dillon Francis, Purity Ring, Youth Lagoon, and even Wu-Tang Clan! Mind blowing! I would go just for Vamps, Phoenix, Postal Service, Two Door, Wombats, Band of Horses, Local Natives...heck, everyone's amazing! 

Heaven's to Betsy Mergatroite I am excited! 

Phew, now that I have that out, Of Monsters And Men--who will flippin' be there!!!!--released the music video for their epic song 'King & Lionheart just two days ago, and it is just as visually stunning and aurally incredible as everything else they do (see 'Little Talks', it's an experience). Check out this great video by an unbelievable band! This is one of those videos that you MUST full screen and change to 1080p. Enjoy! 

If you like your men with a side of bass, and your monsters served with just a hint of synths, here's an EDM remix that really doesn't taint the original too much. Enjoy the free download! 

Youngblood Hawke: We Come Running (Milkman Remix)

Soon you're going to hear the sound, the sound, the sound of this song playing! A great, upbeat indie hit with a few more synths thrown in by a passing Milkman...what more could you ask for on a thursday!? Enjoy and download below! 

And goodness gracious, what a cool original music video! Makes me want to get Scuba certified like crazy! Check it!

Ra Ra Riot: Is It Too Much

The end of January is shaping up to be legendary what with todays release of 'Beta Love' (Ra Ra Riots' new album), 'Hummingbird', the latest from Local Natives, a Walk The Moon EP, Tegan and Sara next week, and Justin Biebers acoustic CD next week as well (don't worry, I'm joking about that last one). Also apparently Daft Punk may grace us with crazy robot sounds this year, The Postal Service may get back together, Vampire Weekend has an album coming in the spring, and The Wombats are in the studio...MY GOSH THERE IS SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR!!!!!!! 

Some of the things worth living for are already here in the form of 'Beta Love'! The title track itself is legendary and probably remains my favorite, yet the whole album is wonderful (my only complaint would be its brevity, amounting to only a half hour of music). Here're my top tracks thus far! 

1.) 'Beta Love': It's been out for a while, and thus has grown on me for the longest, but boy has it grown! It's so catchy and just wonderful! 

2.) 'Is It Too Much': Calmer and more floating than 'Beta Love', the lilting, cyclical delivery of the lyrics just hooks me in and makes my day! Enjoy!


3.) Lastly, 'Angel Please' is just great! It seems that they're focusing far more on lyrics and using their voices as the primary driving force of the song, and when Wes Miles raises his voice to plead, "Oh angel please, please stay with me", it's an experience to say the least!


I wish I could put up every song, but you are all a busy bunch, and I encourage you to go buy the album and listen to it yourself! Every song is great, and this was exactly the remedy I needed to a bad case of Ra Ra Riot withdrawal. I beta love you all!

Paper Lions: Travelling

Oh the things you'll find at 4 in the morning! After extensive homework on Hinduism, and selected reading from excerpts of Gandhi's writings, I gave into my primary sense pleasure...finding indie bands through an insane and twisted web of association in the teasing game of cat and mouse that obscure indie bands like to play that perhaps even Brahman the infinite-and-ultimate-reality doesn't comprehend. Well my musical meandering paid off, in the form of Paper Lions, a fantastic group with the energy of Vampire Weekend, the sweet croons and folk beauty of Fleet Foxes, and the distinctly unique quality that lions crafted from paper possess. If only time didn't creep on and if only classes would start a little later, I'd rant about these guys' perfect blend for much longer, but alas, here's your music. 

'Travelling' is upbeat, fun-loving, and a wonderful song and music video that you can't help but fall in love with! 

'Ghostwrtiters' comes out of nowhere and is soooo reminiscent of Fleet Foxes! It's a truly gorgeous song. 

And best of all, these magnanimous magicians want to give nearly all their music to you for free! At http://paperlions.com/ at the very top of the page, you can snag their newest EP, which has been blowing my mind, and then a bit lower is a soundcloud link to another free download of one of their earlier albums. These guys are being put down as Mahatma's (great souls) in my book! Enjoy! 

Two Hours Traffic: Stuck For The Summer

A little insight on how I sometimes choose my song posts: I drove in a lot of traffic this weekend, and was on the beach and felt rather summery...so you get a band with 'traffic' in their title, and a song about summer! I know what you're thinking, "Damn son...Miles really takes wild leaps of imagination and bravery for these blog posts." What a nice thought beloved reader! Thanks! 

So these guys DO have a good song that has more merit than simply containing keywords. 'Stuck For The Summer' is a pleasant indie-pop diamond that was never quite discovered in the rough. Catchy refrain, and quite fun, especially from the 1:55 mark and onward! The official music video for this literally put me to sleep, and honestly the Soundcloud links' little rises and falls are more engaging (not to say the song's boring at all! It's great, but a video of farm activities and such just didn't pull me in). Enjoy! 

Tegan And Sara: Fool To Cry

Nobody likes to see dads cry, it just took Tegan and Sara to vocalize that worldwide sentiment. Well said you wonderful Canadian lesbian twin sisters! 'Fool To Cry' is a gorgeous song, which is getting me stoked for the January 29th release of their new album! And hey...it's produced by RAC, so you just know it's going to be boss. Enjoy! 

The Dean's List: The Dream (Chill)

It is far too late, and I am far too tired to say much more about his track then whoa. This song is the first I ever heard of The Dean's List (now called The Kings Dead) and what a first track. So ridiculously chill and just awesome. Watch it now. My dream is to go to sleep and conjure up a song like this. Goodnight and enjoy! 

If the above song piques your interest, their newest incarnation, The Kinds Dead, is experimental and crazy but has some gems, and their debut album under their new moniker is completely free and entitled 'Jerusalem'. Not saying every song on here is pure gold, but for free, check it out and give it a full 45 minute listen through, you just might be surprised what you find. (For those without endless time, I suggest Yellow Spotted Goats, Mighty California, and Not For Me). Also, check out their earlier stuff, most of which I like even more. Now I must sleep. 

Greg Laswell: And Then You

Good ol' Greg doesn't need fancy ornamentation or unnecessary pizazz to beautifully articulate himself. He lays his soul down at a slow pace over minimal accompaniment, and lets his voice shepherd you. Really check out his other stuff, there are some wonderful tracks there to be discovered. Then there's you. Enjoy! 

Flight Facilities: Foreign Language

They say that the language of music is universal...so though this song may be called 'Foreign Language', I have supreme faith that it will find ways to resonate and speak to all of you. It also helps that the lyrics are in English, but that's beside the point! First off, Flight Facilities is a great name, and boy do they look happy all the time! It just so happens that their music reflects that joyful demeanor, and, like their airy and fleeting moniker, their songs are over too briefly. 

Being woefully ignorant of Flight Facilities deeper catalogue, and knowing only of their song 'Crave You' being remixed by Adventure Club (which by the way, is out of this world, link below) I was flabbergasted to discover--thanks to the suggestion by a friend--all the other deeply varied and wonderful tracks by these artsy airmen, these sky-high serenaders, these...flight facilitators if you will. Highlighted today is the pleasant little charmer 'Foreign Language', which floats effortlessly through its four minute duration as hassle-free as any creature of the sky. Jess's happy vocals are the tonic for any conundrum, and her little "whoo-whoo" is addicting. Hop aboard the flight and enjoy the ride! 

And if you haven't heard Adventure Clubs 'Crave You' yet...indulge, it's heavenly!

The Bloody Beetroots & Greta Svabo Bech: Chronicles Of A Fallen Love

Greta Svabo Bech should seriously look into the recently pioneered job market of following Miles around and singing for him. Also, if the Bloody Beetroots wanted to DJ every once in a while, Miles would be much obliged. This song really puts everything together into one impressive package. It's like the grocery boy at the store who fits everything in one bag on massive, greek-god steroids. Inconceivably catchy, a tender yet massive build, stunning lyrics, enough bass to wobble your face, and the word 'Chronicle' (a personal favorite word) in the title. You're woefully missing out if you skip on giving this one a thorough and honest listen! Enjoy till you drop!

RAC: Hollywood (Ft. Penguin Prison)

Have you ever seen a Penguin? Gliding free and unbound along the ice? Happily splashing and swimming about in sub-zero temperatures? That pure freedom is a beautiful thing! Much rarer is the knowledge of how beautiful an imprisoned Penguin is...musically that is! However the question remains, whether it is a prison run by penguins, made of penguins, or has penguin prisoners. I once had a pet penguin therefore I know the answer...It is definitely made of penguins (don't worry, completely humanely). 

   RAC, never breaking stride, deliver another classic filled with Southern California fun and South Pole appeal. Bouncy vocals, some arctic background sounds, and a full helping of bubbly sound blubber! The last 40 seconds are magic! Enjoy! Go commemorate the album artwork by standing awkwardly close to someone! 

Flume: Sleepless (Charles Murdoch Remix)

'Flume's' got mad swagger, great sounds, female focal distortion, and a killer vibe. Chillstep your bad selves into the weekend! Enjoy! 

This may seem like a fairly short post, but this song really speaks for itself. Inescapable once you hit that play button!

Dash Berlin: World Falls Apart (ft. Jonathan Mendelsohn)

This is a personal favorite. You can just get lost in the song, even as the world falls apart around you. Dash Berlin masterfully crafts this song to transport you to a mystical, trancelike state that is so rudely interrupted by silence when it is over. The vocals are so great too! Just sit down with this one (or even better lay down on your bed and gaze contemplatingly and contentedly up at the ceiling) and let it wash over you, second by second. Nothing else really matters for a blissful 5:25--or 6:24 if you prefer the club mix, heck, I have a 7:20 version that apparently no longer exists--believe me, the longer this song fills your ears, the better. Stop reading and start being transported! Enjoy! 

Club mix (basically just longer) version!

The Mashup Radio: Rudimental ABC

This is a super fresh reworking of the old classic Jackson 5 song 'ABC'! It does all sorts of cool things throughout its too-brief 3:37. There are builds, synth blasts, a horn part, some beautiful fade outs and echoes, and some sample that I really enjoy at the end, but have absolutely no idea where it's from! Really brings back the track in a new way! A fun and goofy song to start with, this playful remix/mashup is the...cayenne pepper on the curry if you will! Enjoy!

And if you're feeling nostalgic and want to watch the original to be reminded of how darned cute Michael Jackson was, here's the video!

Bombay Bicycle Club: How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep

While not the elite bicycle-enthusiast community based out of Mumbai (random, yet related fact: Mumbai is the modern name of the metropolitan city formerly known as Bombay) that I still want to join, these guys aren't half bad! With a unique sound and an accompanying music video that left me in wide-eyed wonderment as to how I hadn't seen it before, this song is nice. Nothing flashy or ridiculously groundbreaking, but over-flowingly nice. May this pleasant song and its' equally pleasant visuals lend you some starlight to put in your pockets! Enjoy! 

 

...I should really take a hint and join them in swallowing more sleep. 

Dev: Kiss My Lips (DJ Kue Remix)

I'll admit that I enjoy some of Dev's music. 'Bass Down Low'. 'Dancing In the Dark'. Classics. One of her much less well known tracks, 'Kiss My Lips', never really caught many peoples attention...until DJ Kue got a hold of it that is! Injected full of fun and some light wobbles, it's a whole new song! Enjoy! 

The Neighbourhood: A Little Death

What a find! These guys are really something! Making huge waves in the blogosphere all last year (I guess not here...someone's behind the times) 'The Neighbourhood' (yes, spelled that way you nit-picky parsnips) are great! 'A Little Death' is my favorite song of theirs by far, and once they released the music video...well, you can't tear your eyes away. The song is haunting and sexy and slow, and the music video perfectly matches the song! It starts out prettttty sensual, but has a certain dark edge to it, and as the songs' story plays out, so too does the drama in the video. Everything blows wide open at 2:24, and from 2:45 onward, the whole dark, twisted song comes full circle. It's a little creepy and may not be for everyone, but I think the song is great as a stand alone and really achieves its true potential when matched with the music video. Anyway, epic song either way! 

In case this particular non-official video gets removed from youtube, here's the soundcloud link as well, but if the video works, it's really worth a full, committed watch! 

Childish Gambino: Every Little Gambino She Does Is Childish (8corporation Mashup)

Damn he's classy. Amazing character on an unbelievable show, killer rapper, the man who SHOULD have played Spider-Man, AND he rocks a suit? Jesus or Ganesh or Yahweh or Stephen Colbert, can one of you deities grant me Donald Glover-like abilities?! Please and thank you.

Much of Childish's material is most certainly not appropriate for 'childish' ears, but this particular one happens to be somewhat toned down, and is just too catchy to not post! 8-Corporation blends Gambino with some samples from the old classic 'Home', and who knows what else...All I know is that the end result is great! This song kind of has it all. Female accompanying vocals, some great hip-hop bars being spit, and an indie tune! Enjoy! 

Set Sail: The Boat Song

Here's your 'happy-indie-song-about-boats-and-love' fix! We all have our little vices, and overwhelmingly joyful, cheery, and upbeat summer-pop happens to be one of mine! If this doesn't make you smile, I hear The Grinch is looking for a new roommate! Turn on this song, strap on your hipster glasses, run to the beach, and frolic about in slow motion (all seen through a vintage lens of course). You won't regret it! Enjoy!

For the very desperate, here's a free download of the first 26 seconds!

Jay-Z vs. The Glitch Mob: 99 Days (Carlos Serrano Mix)

The Glitch Mob kills it not only in the sound department, but also apparently in the fashion department. I need to get me a universe tux or two...Where were we? Ah, right! This legendary melding of hip hop and glitch-electronica (I must say, I pack in the genres! Ukrainian Gypsy-Punk one day, Hippity-hopping glitch electronica the next! What'll they do next? Have a sports drink company put a man in space?) is, how would the kids say it?...hella dope! (I doubt that's how they say it). Beautifully and seamlessly blended, Jay-Z sounds like he laid down on 'Fortune Days' originally! Those first 35 seconds get me every time...Really cool reworking and certainly worth a listen and download! Enjoy!

Gogol Bordello: Start Wearing Purple!

What a year 2012 has been. Just from a music standpoint, I've had more fun aurally than ever before, and I can only imagine what sound snacks and music munchies are in store for this upcoming year! From starting the blog to seeing The Wombats and Two Door Cinema Club in concert, it's been an epic year. 

So how do I start off another year? How do I top such a momentous 365 days of pure life? Well how about with one of the most concentrated, most exhilarating (illegal in some countries), most lively, most vivacious, most animated, most bouncy (yes, bouncy!), brightest, most buoyant (it floats), most bustling, most effervescent, most frisky (these gypsy's get down), most frolicsome, most hyper, most rousing, snappy, sparkling, spirited, stirring, vigorous, zippy song you've ever heard!? 

Gogol Bordello is being released on your unwitting ears, regardless of your answer to that question. This legendary gypsy punk band of troubadours retreated to their psychedelic lair of merriment and after much shouting and hullabaloo and probably some of the craziest dancing--heck, craziest anything--the world has ever seen, emerged with a song. Not just any song. Not some fleeting pop hit. Not some deep, indie gem of songwriting. No. They emerged with 'Start Wearing Purple', which belongs to a category all it's own. A category I'm dubbing:

UNBRIDLED UKRAINIAN INSANITY THAT IS UNPARALLELED IN ENERGY AND FERVOR! (pretty catchy eh?) 

This song is as flamboyant and crazy as its creators. Pure unadulterated (bordering on unrated) joy cascades out of it. 

It implores you to let go of inhibitions and just live! There is no greater call to revel in life's splendor, wonder, and glory than, "All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish, I promise!" 

Though this song may not convince you to grow a mustache quite as impressive as Eugene Hützs' (the lead singer) and to transition your entire wardrobe over to exclusively purple clothing, I hope it at least makes you smile and perhaps start your year off with some spunk and pizazz! Enjoy this rambunctious music video, and have a happy new year!