Home Again, Home Again, Time To Jiggity Jig!

After a whole school year away, I've finally returned to my one true home: Jackson Wyoming! What a journey! I'm beyond ecstatic that my 1,603 miles of driving over the last few days are over and that I can once again enjoy and revel in the amazing scenery, astonishing friends, and comfortable and familiar spirit that is Jackson. Boy oh boy have I missed it!

I was blessed with an eye-opening and rich freshman year in California, but nothing can really compete with the home I've always known here amongst the hills and snow and trees and schools and people and scent and every fiber of being surrounding me. So stoked for summer!

In the spirit of home, I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite "songs of my people" or rather, songs about the power and importance of home. Here goes!

Probably the best song of the bunch is RAC's remix of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros' 'Home'. I won't waste your time with the original (which you all already know and love), for this version takes the song to a whole new level. Over six minutes of brilliance, RAC craft something unreal. From about 4 minutes in until the finale, this song conjures home like no other. Also a free download if you click the soundcloud link!


John-Lennon-composed 'When I Get Home' captures all the breathless excitement of being home! I second those Beatles and their world-unifying jams!

Karen O and the Kids can pack a wordless song full of so much nostalgia you feel like you'll burst! 'Sailing Home' is so beautiful and evocative, leaving the voyage home entirely up to your imagination!

Previously posted but certainly relevant (and full of great music) Franz Ferdinand's 'Come On Home' here, Carousel's UNBELIEVABLE 'Let's Go Home' here, and Radical Face's 'Welcome Home' here all hold home close to their hearts and express it beautifully. 

I'll leave you with some hopeful sounds from Detektivbyran that shall usher in the most legendary summer yet! 

I'm home and it's summertime ya'll (good god, I just said ya'll, I really am back in Wyoming). Let's make it a great one. 

Stevie Wonder: Superstition

You been missing out on your daily dose of head-bobbing-good-times? The guaranteed remedy is some smooth, snazzy, soulful Stevie! The joy he takes in life just flows out of him in gale force winds of positivity. The trumpet in this video though...zoinks!

A Stevlin original, this cover of 'Higher' by Red Hot Chili Peppers was a guilty pleasure in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie. Don't pretend you don't remember it. 

And finally, due to a tragic mix up in the office last night (one of the interns or unpaid pages must have muddled things up) someone forgot to upload another Simon & Garfunkel song: The Only Living Boy In New York. A second gem of theirs, this one certainly should have earned its spot last night, and I pray you still indulge yourself now! Goodnight! 

Simon & Garfunkel: The Boxer

A classic for the ages. With angelic voices, a tender sense of humor, and the talent to go onstage and play on Saturday Night Live (a rough venue to sound good in) and perform with just their voices, their guitars and their hearts on their sleeves, Simon & Garfunkel knew their stuff. 

Their musics' soft, gentle quality is so reassuring and peaceful, reminding me of a Japanese Tea Garden, or a certain James Carrol quote: 

“There are times when we stop, we sit still. We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper.” 

Whisper away lads! Merry Tuesday! 

Daft Punk: Random Access Memories

It's been a long time coming, is kind of irrelevant at this point, but by thunder this Nyquil shan't stop me now! 

So I started this blog July 23rd last year, and have since posted over 270 times, had nearly 16,000 page visits, and have eaten over 1547.6 pounds of food. It's been an incredible journey (with a few bellyaches) and all the memories shall last forever. I've just finished my freshman year of college, and it has been in the university setting that the bulk of my music blogging has sprung. No other place in my life has been so diverse, so enlightening, and so musically fruitful! I've met amazing people, traveled unbelievable places, fallen in love, gone to concerts and music festivals, and have learned, lived, and listened more than ever before. Wouldn't it be lovely if there was some way...some music source, that could tap into my brain and bring all these precious memories to the surface? That's where Daft Punk comes in.

Random Access Memories is an experience. It's not as ground-shakingly, earth-shatteringly, seismic-activity-intensive as I was expecting, but then again my expectations were higher than Snoop Lion is right now. What RAM (interestingly enough also referring to a type of data retrieval in computers) does is far more subtle than changing the entire EDM market. No, no. Instead it leaves EDM far behind and creates something all its own: electronic music that transcends the harsh metallic robot sounds of its origins, and moves into a realm of real instruments that still move you more than any electro ever could.  Each song is smoother than Nutella and more comfortable than dorm mattresses (most mattresses for that matter) and conjures the fondest of remembrances. 

So yadda-yadda-yadda, college is life-changing and I miss it already, yadda-yadda, Daft Punk push musical boundaries every day, blah-blah, LET'S LISTEN ALREADY!!! 

Daft Punk starts off their album doing what Daft Punk (lifeless robots with more soul than most humans) does best! Giving life back to music! Let some music into your hearts people! 

'The Game of Love' is sad, TOTALLY AMAZING, and proves Daft Punk still has it with those robo-voices! 

"I've been, for sometime,

Looking for someone

I need to know now

Please tell me who I am."

You're bloody brilliant, that's who you are! I present: 'Within'.

You lookin' to get your funky dance on!?!???? Look no further! This seriously makes you lose it! And with such a splendid montage of people losing themselves to dance, it's a concoction for cutting loose! 

Continuing the funky dance groove, Panda Bear teams up with the daftest of robots and creates another 80's dance fest where everybody will be dancing. If you don't love this than you're not 'Doin' It Right'. 

I've bored you all...I'm sorry! It's a great album, and you all should get it! It's really listenable for people of any and all musical leanings, it's just solid music all together! Happy Memorial Day! 

M83: OK Pal

Shush. I'm getting around to the nostalgic Daft Punk post. I have an ear infection, and youtube is blocked, so it's just not in the cards tonight. Also, thizzzzz Nyquil is kicking in...

SInce sleep is fast approaching as Vick's patented sheep med-bots leap across my vision just waiting to be counted, I'm thinking, "Hurry up! We're dreaming!", which coincidentally is the album title of M83's infinitely surprising and wonderful album! 'OK Pal' is a hidden gem that most skip over in their eagerness for 'Midnight City', but when given a fair listen, this song transports and has a catchy (perhaps catchier) sing along than the city of midnight. "Ba de da doo's" and "somewhere's" intertwine, and then at 2:06 a beautiful voice starts speaking dreamily to you, beckoning you deeper and deeper into a trance state (Inception anyone?) of unparalleled musical quality.

An integral track on an LP based exclusively on the band members dreams, this would be an amazing song to fall asleep to, allowing who knows what to coalesce and play itself out in your dreamscape. OK pals, that's enough for now, but hurry up and listen quick, because we're dreaming!


Goodnight all! I'll leave you with a nice dreamy 'Outro' eh?

Soweto Gospel Choir: Pride (In The Name Of Love) (U2 Cover)

An unbelievable rendition of U2's classic 'Pride' that illustrates the unbridled power of the human voice, the human spirit, and the human ability to make great music. Beyond the perfect tribute, this song is drawn from In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 in which every song is performed and interpreted how they see fit by a different African music group. A stunning overall album, if you dig this, you should check out the whole album here. Happy friday! 

Say Lou Lou: Julian

If you're thinking 'moody hipster girls getting by on their good looks in the music industry' then your spot on...about the moody hipster girl part. These twin Australian sisters craft some powerful dream pop, and absolutely have the talent to back it up. Blowing up on the blogosphere of late, they released their music video for 'Julian' a few weeks ago, and have been letting a plethora of producers remix the song. The original is really fantastic, and is accompanied by a mysterious and dark music video with a parental advisory warning about explicit content at the beginning...for reasons not quite known to me, which makes it all the more intriguing! Before you can say, "Lou Lou," this one will be a new favorite! Enjoy!

 

The Chainsmokers deliver a wonderful remix that peps up the song a bit and molds moody into danceable! Nothing too heavy, the interludes between each build are quite pleasing to the ears! And hey! It's also free! Enjoy!

P.S. This is my last post from college....AHHHHHH! I'll be all nostalgic tomorrow, maybe something vaguely clever about all the random access memories I've had here? Who knows. Goodnight!

Passenger: I Hate (Live from The Borderline, London) (Folk Gold)

It's been a minute since any of you have hopped aboard the fantastic folk train that is Passenger! Way back in July of last year I put up some of my favorite songs of his which you can refresh yourself on here. Just this weekend Passenger rode back into my radar with a free EP from Noisetrade which is really excellent! 

Usually super soulful and nostalgic, Passenger weaves amazingly intricate stories within his songs and is poignant as they come. With 'I Hate', however, he shows a less serious and more humorous side, listing off funny things that tick him off while still managing to craft a really enjoyable song with a perfect blend of lighter 'hates' and more socially conscious, deep ones! Great, fun song! I'd love to go to one of his live shows, he just looks like a great guy! 

'The Wrong Direction' is the title track off his free EP and has a great bounce to it with some wonderful lyrics. The way Passenger delivers some of his lines borders on a rappers pace, but his style is all his own and irresistible to the ears! Enjoy! 

Be sure to pick up the whole EP for free at Noisetrade here, and feel free to tip Passenger when you receive your download! Also, absolutely sign up for Noisetrades' email list, they put out a plethora of great (FREE!) stuff every week! A wonderful Wednesday to all!

Zach Sobiech: Clouds (Inspiring Tear-Jerker)

We all know Daft Punk's new album officially came out today, and that's all well and good, and Random Access Memories will have its own post soon, but this needed to happen first. While listening to the french robots' wild sounds, I saw a tribute video to this amazing young gentleman on Facebook, and half an hour and many kleenex later, here we are. 

Zach's story is beyond inspiring, and shows how important embracing life each and every day is. Zach Sobiech was only 17 years old when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer that takes the lives of a large percent of its childhood victims. Given only months to live, Zach turned to music to say goodbye. This amazing song, 'Clouds' is just a small part of the powerful and lasting impact that he's left behind. Embracing life over death, joy over sadness, and music over silence, Zach's enormous spirit bubbles out of his videos and catches you up in an outlook and perspective on life that few of us can imagine. 

In a world seemingly full of the most heinous injustice, where childhood cancer can claim bright young lives, anger and indignation would seem the most justified of reactions, but Zach chose to revel in all the things that make life worth living: picnics, family, love, fast cars, friends, and making others smile. Phew, it's a relief that this blog is completely digital so that all the tear-stains upon this ink aren't visible! Enough gabbing, watch his amazing music video with a quality message and a quality song! 

To show their support for Zach's amazing story, a ton of celebrity's including Jason Mraz, The Lumineers, and most of the cast of The Office made a wonderful music video in Zach's honor. It's really powerful. 

And if you are heartless and haven't cried yet (or really want to find out more about Zach's beautiful acceptance), then Soulpancake put together a 22 minute video about his final months and all the life and joy contained within them. It's the coolest, most heartbreaking, and most wonderful thing I've seen in a long time, so really, take a few minutes to think outside your zone of experience and see something inspiring. 

Music really is the most breathtaking of vessels. 

To support the Zach Sobiech osteosarcoma fund and help find a cure for childhood cancer visit: http://www.childrenscancer.org/zach

"Death is kind of like sitting in the dark. You can either choose to be freaking out in the dark, not knowing what's out there, or you can just relax and fall asleep, and be happy and content with everything."-Zach Sobiech

Have a great day everyone and please, go hug someone you love. 

The Colourist: Little Games

You know that feeling when you hear some amazing songs by an upcoming artist and their name sounds oh-so-familiar, and you realize that they were at Coachella, and if only you had already known about them, everything would have been different? 

Yah, neither do I, except in the case of The Colourist! Damn! These guys are going to be huge!!!! With no purchasable music out yet, they've still managed to create an insane amount of buzz, and for such good reason! I've had their three soundcloud songs on repeat and have been digging into live sets and poor quality concert excerpts for every last ounce of their addictive sound! I'm beyond hooked!!!!! Holy cannoli oil guys! Good luck not obsessing over this band!

'Little Games' is anything but little. Massively catchy, gargantuan in epicness, and groovier than Scooby-Do and Shaggy, this is their single and being given out for FREEEEEEEE from their facebook! Ahhhhhhh! :) (I'm resorting to emoticons I'm so pumped on these guys!). Like them on facebook here then click on their 'Free Download' tab for this song, and hey, you'll know the scoop on them ever after!

"Yesssssssss, yessssss!" That may sound sexual, and it's pretty damn close! 'Yes Yes' is just as addictive, and just as catchy as 'Little Games', and proves these Colourists can paint more than one masterpiece!

Enjoy these guys immensely and wait with bated breath for their debut album! Goodnight!

Spoon: The Underdog

As Johnny Weissmuller once said, "With but few exceptions, it is always the underdog who wins through sheer willpower." 

And in an exhilaratingly unrelated turn of events, Mick Jagger wisely preached, "You wake up in the morning and you look at your old spoon, and you say to yourself, 'Mick, it's time to get yourself a new spoon. And you do." 

What do these quotes have in common you may ask? Well not too much, Miles just googled "spoon quotes" and "underdog quotes" and selected two of them, put them together in a blog post with similar song and band names and then explained his whole intricate and uncrackable plot to his beloved readers, thus becoming somewhat meta. P.S.C. (post-script-confession) Miles also had to look up Meta to make sure he knew what it meant, he'd only heard all the hipsters using it nonchalantly and wanted to fit in but didn't want to misuse it...so yah, here we are. 

Spoon's great, and 'The Underdog' is an upbeat, cheerful (at least musically, perhaps not lyrically), and plain fun song! Enjoy! 

MS MR: Hurricane (Hauntingly Wonderful Magic)

MS MR is more than a Mr. and a Ms. getting together to make great music, it's a Ms. and a Mr. getting together to make AMAZING music! 'Hurricane' has ferried its catchiness and repeatability through its own swirling vortex of air and has planted itself squarely in my head: kind of like a positive reenactment of Dorothy landing in Oz. Creepy, haunting, and epic for it, listen to 'Hurricane' (and the rest of the album) right away! 

Welcome to the inner workings of their minds...it's a trippy ride. 

CHVRCHES delivers an amazing remix that is classier than almost all the remixes I post. No silly 'something-steps' or unneeded electro, just an honest and lovely reworking of an already great track! Enjoy! 

Die Atzen Frauenarzt & Manny Marc: Disco Pogo (Mindless German Dance Music)

Vampire Weekend's new effort is incredible, everyone and their mothers have been grooving hardcore to the Daft Punk stream on iTunes, and I think I've been sharing some quality music the last few days.

So isn't it time for some absolutely brainless, intelligence-melting, sexually-explicit German bass music? If you even had to ask yourself that question, you're not partying hard enough (it's a Wednesday night people, let's go). 

Under a band name that literally is German for 'gynecologist', Die Atzen Frauenarzt & Manny Marc do mangage to make one of the most infectious and danceable tunes I've ever heard in my life. Within minutes the hyper-literate line, "Disco Pogo, ding-a-ling-a-ling" will be forever engraved within your mind. As much as I've insulted this songs intelligence, have no doubt it is an all time favorite, and that your life will be forever changed. Enjoy (if you dare)! 

The real music video is pretty bad (and extremely demeaning to women) so I found a Spongebob version which has some funny editing. It really doesn't capture the gross-club atmosphere of the song however, so if you really want to feel every second of pounding bass and loose morals, I'll include the real music video for those who enjoy a good German party video. Note: This song's drop induces madness. You were warned. 

Real music video for the full 'club' experience.

P.S. This brings back some major Nordic memories, so any older Nordic kids, reminisce in the comments below or on Facebook!

Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires Of The City

FINALLLLLLY! I've been dying for a Vampire Weekend post ever since I eventually broke down and started streaming their album on iTunes. Modern Vampires of the City is at long last out, after a wait as unbearable as absolute zero temperatures! The rumors are true, this album is slightly moodier and slower than their others, but fear not, for Vampire Weekend has lost none of its bite (get it!?). Still absolutely amazing, these New York lads have matured and for once growing up isn't bad! This album kicks major, sophisticated ass! Enjoy!

I've already premiered 'Step', still probably my favorite of the album (if you missed it, revel in it's awesomeness here), but closely following 'Step' is the clever play on words 'Ya Hey' an allusion to...well I'll let you decide for yourself. "Through the fire and through the flames" has been stuck in my head for days! So great, and boy what a slow-mo party these bloodsuckers host! 

You thought all the rambunctious fun energy had drained from The Vamps sails? Think again! Sadly the only legal audio for me to post is a go-pro video of a baby's swim lesson...I guess that's how they'd want it to be? Ignore the video and listen to this crazyness! I'll try to upload a better version soon! 

Buy the whole album right now with this magical link of destiny! Have a worry-free Wednesday! 

Logic: Roll Call (Hip-Hop)

If you haven't ever picked up any of Young Sinatra's (Logic's) mixtapes, then you're missing out! His third tape recently dropped, and it shows the same incredible amount of hard work and passion this guy puts into the game as on all of his past efforts. One of the coolest new songs for me is 'Roll Call', which samples Outkast shamelessly and brilliantly. Enjoy Logic's track and be sure to seek out more music filled with yells of, "Logic", "my Jedi powers are far beyond yours", "Sinatra", and "rat-pack".


Loving to sample old classics and keep his entire operation pretty dang classy like his idol Frank Sinatra, Logic unleashes on 'One':


A slow jam intro and a beautiful cyclical progression to the song, 'Inception' is a favorite!


And to finish off with some of the chillest hip-hop out there, with an amazing vocal sample, 'We Get High' calms any nerves.


Download his entire mixtapes for free at Datpiff!
His newest Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever can be downloaded here,
his second album, Young Sinatra: Undeniable here,
and plain old Young Sinatra over there! I joke, right here.
Happy Tuesday!

Brad Yazzolino: Black Spiral Vinyl

I'm beyond excited to share with you all a song far closer to home and to my heart than any song I've previously posted! My very own uncle ventured into the studio to record a track spanning the very history of recorded music! Laying down a tribute to Vinyl and all the memories associated with those bygone spinning discs, Brad creates a hopeful and soulful nostalgia which makes me want to run to the nearest record store. 

A veritable love hymn to the classiest way to listen to music I can think of, 'Black Spiral Vinyl' is music that sparks deep musical thought and reflection, and conjures images of an era devoid of iTunes, MP3's, and 'digital', and made all the more intimate through a tangible and more engaged experience with music. Brad himself describes the motives and background of his song as:

We all hear so many great songs in our lifetime. In this song I wanted to try to summarize that experience. 

I'm a life long record collector, and this song is about recorded music in our lives.

Brad sings,"this big vinyl circle sums my little life up", and I'd like to think that my own experience has somewhat mirrored Brad's love affair with Vinyl. My formative musical years were all fostered upon my father's extensive CD collection, but my own blossoming and sudden exploration of music began with digital music, and all the love, awe, and memories I possess lie in tightly compressed music files sitting on my harddrive. With each advancement in music technology some intrinsic human element is lost, but at the same time, ease and accessibility improve, and in a different time it would be impossible for me to share Brad's song with you over the internet and let it be so widely dispersed digitally. Once again, Brad says it best with the echo-y and future sounding lyric: 

"digital is cool, and easier too. Someday it'll be old school".

But enough ado! You all want to hear this debonair debut, this promising premiere, this terrific tribute! Here (and hear) it is in all its glory! Enjoy!

Be sure to support the track on youtube above, on Vimeo here:

Black Spiral Vinyl (music video) from Brad Yazzolino on Vimeo.

Purchase from iTunes here.

And from CD Baby right here. Note: CD Baby sends you a stupendous email from their 'e-Gnome Emissaries' when you download from them! Check it out!

Stars: Elevator Love Letter (Plus a Gaggle of Other Love Songs!)

Love is a wonderful and amazing thing and is inexpressible, uncontainable, and uncontrollable. It's powerful, baffling, powerfully baffling, and the greatest thing in the world. In the vastness of space and the vacuous chasm of existence, love endures. Heck, if anything can travel faster than light and escape a black hole, I have faith it is love. Anyway, all this gooey love-litudes are to celebrate Meghan and I's 6-month anniversary, and what better way to commemorate some of the most amazing memories of my life than in song?! Enjoy some lovely love songs! 

Stars: A classic.

Guster: 'Do You Love Me' is a happy upbeat love song rather than slow and dopey! 

All really IS love!!!!

And finally, one of my all time FAVORITE Grouplove songs ;) (let's be honest, they're all favorites!), 'Lovely Cup' is the perfect vessel to convey my love to the loveliest cup I know, Meghan! This is an incredible live version with some cool commentary on the songs' creation! Goodnight to all, and to all a lovely Sunday!

P.S. There are countless other splendiferious love songs ranking among my top songs, but I've either already posted them or am maniacally cackling and rubbing my hands together eagerly, awaiting to post them in the future. Later!

Viceroy & French Horn Rebellion: Friday Nights (Summertime Anthem)

For the 2nd week in a row, I apologize for my absence. I was once again camping and had no opportunity to post any music during my incredible nature excursion! I promise to keep posting every night I can and I hope I haven't turned any of you away from the blog with my disappearance! I may be just a few hours too late, but 'Friday Nights' can fuel your Saturdays just as powerfully as your Fridays! This eternal summertime anthem by Viceroy continues the tradition of creating tracks that I dance uncontrollably to without any inhibitions. Enjoy the hell out of this one and be sure it ignites some dancing, jumping, and fun in the near future!

If you're looking for something more dance-y, more remix-y, and more conventional build-then-drop-style, then you'll find the utmost comfort in Jessie Andrews splendid remix! At 1:08 the song breaks into sheer awesomeness that can't help but spark pure exhilaration! Heavier than the original, this song brings 'Friday Nights' to a new level! Enjoy brethren! Love you all! P.S. The second build in this one is SOOOO good!

Rogue Wave: Lake Michigan

I'm flabbergasted I've never posted Rogue Wave! These guys have song after wonderful song that I love! They swam back upon my radar today when I heard their new album comes out June 4th! Their songs are passionate, intricately woven, and all around amazing! 

One of my all time favorites is 'Lake Michigan', a gorgeous track with an exuberant music video that ends in sprinkler-induced exultation! FANTASTIC song! 

'California' is a little harsh on California as a whole, but heck, I'll take slander on this state any day if the music is this great!

And finally, a sampling of their new album, the single 'College', which gets me stoked both for the last few weeks of class I have here, and for their new album. Enjoy!

Born Ruffians Concert: Born Ruffians, Moon King, and Avid Dancer

What a show! The Troubadour turned out to be just about the tiniest venue in the world, but it's not the size of the crowd, but the heart and soul of the music and spectators that matters. For all I know there were thousands of screaming fans behind us! 

The show began with a band called Avid Dancer, which I really, really, really enjoyed! Regrettably, they seem to somehow not exist beyond the confines of the theater...tragic! Sparkling and well delivered vocals, and they even brought on a guest saxophonist! Definitely someone to keep in the back of your mind for the fateful day when they realize the internet might be a good place to get their music out there...

Moon King. Hmm, where do I begin with this bunch? Their name's cathy, I'll give them that. While far from a bad set, they were no Avid Dancer (in fact they were more like avid squatters, for the frontman--whom we incidentally mistook for a hobo before the show began--was quite keen on squatting down as if preparing to defecate and procede to sing from that position). To their credit, they poured their selves into each song and were certainly high energy, just not for me. Perhaps I've not given them enough chance, so here's a song of theirs. Note: their recorded stuff sounds tranquil and laid back. Live they were anything but. I present their most popular song, 'Only Child'. 

Now Born Ruffians! They all seemed like awesome people, played awesome music, and provided for all an awesome time. They worked a subtle light show and a small venue like magicians and thanked the crowd for being their favorite of the tour! Some extremely zealous young hipsters started a massive (for this tiny theater mind you) indie (tame) mosh pit for the last few songs, which the Ruffians fed off of, true to their name! My personal favorite song was one of their newest, 'Needle', which echoes Fleet Foxes and is still completely their own: a wonderful song! Worth a purchase!


'With Her Shadow' was beautiful as well and a standout track!


And finally, a music video to give you a sense of the playfulness and fun these Canadian chaps possess!

Happy Tuesday! Be sure to check out the stream of Vampire Weekend's new album on iTunes (unless you're like me and refuse to listen to it until it is actually released).  

The Submarines: Xavia

Sometimes the lovely sounds of a duo in love is all you need to get you through Monday. Gaining popularity after appearing in the soundtrack for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, the L.A. based couple has a great sound with glorious female vocals intertwining with less frequent male offerings! 'Xavia' is a wild ride that has floating electronics at the beginning, soft melodies in the middle, an awesome and crescendoing interlude at 3:20, and then ends in a thrilling repetition of "one heart to break, one heart". Enjoy! 

I'm a HUGE fan of 'Brightest Hour', a soft indie ballad that is simply beautiful. If I'm ever wandering through starry skies, this is what I'll do it to.

!Deladap: Zsa Manca (Gypsy Groove)

Let's just say you won't be expecting this one... I was browsing through my world music when it suddenly struck me: how on earth could I have been forgetting !Deladap and their classic hit 'Zsa Manca' all this time? It was a no brainer for the blog! 

Be prepared for a fun loving Gypsy song unequaled (except perhaps by all the crazy stuff I'll be putting up in the future now that I've rediscovered my funky foreign favorites once more) in the English language. Enjoy! 

Daft Punk: Get Lucky!!!!!!! A Groovy Compilation of Daft Sounds!

First and foremost I apologize for my hiatus since tuesday night, I was camping and was under the impression that the campsite would have limited wi-fi for me to do at least one post. Tragically for you, but luckily for me nature won out and I unplugged for a few days and got to enjoy amazing hikes, plenty of tasty plants, a tram ride to 8,500 ft, and some hot-springs dips. The blog is integral to my life, but not being bound by my musical obligations for a spell was refreshing and good for me! I'm back, I'm stoked, and the music is flowing fresh and fast!

I've been holding myself back in the most painful manner and trying to save my Daft Punk post for May 21st when their long awaited album drops, but I just couldn't contain myself any more! I'm beyond stoked for the french robot revolution to have its second coming. All of you, beloved readers, have gotten lucky along with Daft Punk in their song, for I've got a whole spectrum of robot funk in store for you!

So it all has to start somewhere. The original song with Pharrell Williams is incredible and unbeatable...you need to hear it, cherish it, and play it non-stop until the rest of the album comes to accompany it! Groovy, funky, and wonderful, the real daftness comes in at 2:21 and the stationary picture even starts grooving in the video! So great!

For a more remix-y feel that was released before the vocals were fully revealed, Vanderway provides an even more funked out remix! 3:11 and onward is something I think Daft Punk would be proud of, feel free to skip ahead if you're pinched for time!

Switching things up to a slow jam for the century, the always brilliant Daughter covers 'Get Lucky' for a stunningly unique and wildly divergent take on the track! Don't mistake slowness for boredom however, this cover is hauntingly wonderful!

And finally: my personal favorite! I think I may like this one more than the original! A cover by primarily youtube only artist George Barnett, this rendition has a ton of soul and energy and departs a little from the...ahem, pardon the cliche...'robotic' precision of the original. George is just having fun and seems to know that talent and enthusiasm may just help you get lucky! Enjoy all of the above and perhaps sound off in the comments below or on facebook about which you preferred! It'd be awesome to get some more audience participation! Until we meet again, groove your body, be daft, and by golly dance people!

Trentemøller: Miss You (Neus Remix) (Chillstep)

If you're not familiar with Trentemøller, prepare to make your relationship intimate. This nearly five minute journey of pure beauty is not to be missed! Relaxing, yet laced with the perfect amount of bounce and spice, this remix takes the originals too-slow-to-stay-awake-ness and transforms it into something that will make you feel both epic and hipster as you stare out of a window speckled artfully with raindrops. Enjoy immensely!