Regina Spektor: My Dear Acquaintance [A Happy New Year]

There's no way. 

It can't already be another year. That's simply not possible! So much has happened personally, internationally, politically, pop-culturally, technically, musically and most other 'lys' this year! It seems like only yesterday I was sharing Gogol Bordello's wild, wacky, and fun 'Start Wearing Purple', but it was a year ago. My writing seems to have gone downhill since then, or maybe I just had more time in the ol' days. Read last years post here, it's full of memories! 

This year is a more tranquil but more 'New Years Eve' appropriate song by everyones favorite Soviet Union born singer Regina Spektor! I think that the lovely lyrics

A happy new year to all that is living

To all that is gentle, young, and forgiving

Raise your glass and we'll have a cheer

My dear acquaintance, a happy new year

speak for themselves. It's kind of a beautiful song to sit back and reflect on all the good times with all the good people that you've enjoyed this past year. :) 

Enjoy, and thanks for another amazing year! Love you all! 

American Authors: Hit It (Catchy Pop-Rock)

From the suggestion of a vague friend of a friend at a concert (thank you Sam Maurer for figuring out who it was) I explored American Authors Spotify, and I'm glad I did! Addictive hooks and uplifiting lyrics make their upbeat songs perfect for say...a Lowe's commercial! You'll certainly recognize their song 'Best Day Of My Life' from this commercial: 

Since that one is overplayed and annoying now, here's my favorites! 'Hit It' hits it off right and is my definite fave of theirs. Quite catchy. 

'Luck' has a really great flow to it and sounds like something Mumford And Sons could have some fun with.


For a free remix of their song 'Believer' by Captain Cuts click here. For some reason SoundCloud won't let me embed the song, but it's certainly worth a listen and download!

Bondax: All Inside (Funky Deliciousness)

Firstly, adorable guys making this super funky and sexy music: props to them! Secondly, damn is their music ON FIRE! If you don't remember or have been living the daily tragedy of not having heard Gold (Snakeships Remix), then check that out right now right here. So incredible, probably one of the funkiest songs ever made! This time around, Bondax are getting 'All Inside' your eardrums with this succulent scorcher. Warped and gorgeously warbled female vocals drive the track, and it's just beautiful to behold! I don't know how they give brilliance like this for free! Enjoy! 

'Just Us' is just as epic but with male vocals and beats dropping on you like raindrops. Enjoy!

Calvin Harris feat. Example: We'll Be Coming Back (Warkids Remix) (EDM)

More DJ's mo' betta, right? The final product seems to be pretty catchy when you throw together Calvin Harris and Example, and then have Warkids remix the whole thing! Uplifting progressions, cheesy but catchy vocals, some great handclap builds from Warkids, and synth-filled drops make this one ready to dance away your Saturday to! Snag a free download by following the SoundCloud link below, or by clicking here (this Zippyshare IS supported by the artist, so never fear!). Enjoy! 

Christoph Andersson: Capital

Christoph Andersson sounds like he should be chart-topping, club-stomping, beats-bopping material. The first 30 seconds of this song hook you like ice-fishing, and there's no escape once his crooning "oohs" turn into him telling you that he "Can't stop now". Armed with a ridiculously catchy beat, this little indie-pop tune is going to be stuck with you for a while. I love the subtle vocal distortions and echoes! Enjoy! 

Also, thanks to David Strand, I've just pillaged Google Play's free music section and got 'Yeezus' for free, along with CHVRCHES debut album 'The Bones of What You Believe' for FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also picked up a lot of shameless pop hits that they're giving out for free, ranging from Taylor Swift to Drake. Heck, they're even giving away Arcade Fire's 'Reflektor'! Google may not be Apple, but they're a hell of a lot more generous and let you download all the music to iTunes, so I have yet to ever give them a dime...So cool! Grab some free music here!

Satellite Stories: White Christmas!!!!!!! (Merry Christmas World!!)

It's Christmas peeps. What an amazing holiday! God I love Christmas! Can you believe that we're going to wake up in a few hours and a jolly man will have snuck into our house and given us presents!?!?!?!?! God bless Santa!

Ok, I would write more about how fantastic Satellite Stories are, but we all know how flipping great they are, and they obviously love Christmas, so here's their festive Christmas release! Enjoy and the happiest of Christmases to you all! Happy holidays!

Said The Whale: Summertime In Australia (Christmas Music!)

We

Gather soon

Under a frosty moon

Christmas is in in the air. 

Family gathers around the table

Memories and laughter are shared.

It seems like food is constantly being prepared! 

Sappy songs may abound, but all carry a pleasant sound.

Glittering lights and falling snow

Or the sad lack of the latter, a fate too many know. 

But Christmas is Christmas, and cheer is cheer,

So I guess it's my duty to give you all something to hear! 

Said The Whale try to be somber, but even they can't dampen

Rizzo The Rat from The Muppet's "Don't light the rat, light the lamp'n" 

Because Christmas means love that you always carry along 

So get on with it Miles and give us a song! 

[]

[]

[]

[]

The first 3 lines and this one are filler of the finest filigree once I realized it looks like a Christmas tree.

A very tongue in cheek song about it being nice summer somewhere else during Christmas, luckily Said The Whale just make really great songs, so this one makes the Christmas list! And hey, it IS summertime in Australia! Enjoy a free download courtesy of Santa (and the band)! 

Another quality track that this time reminds you that you'll miss the festive love tangible in the air after Christmas is over, so hold it close and cherish every moment and carry it with you the whole year round! :)


And if you're incredulous about what season it is and are asking, "Is This Christmas?" left and right, and are itching for quality Brit-Indie-Rock-Neo-Punk irreverence, then this one's for you. A wild romp that reminds us everyone loves christmas. Enjoy!

20 Years Of Music, Life, Love, and Laughter Among Fine Friends (Soundtrack By Passenger-Life's For The Living)

To commemorate 20 amazingly blessed years on this earth, remember and cherish these unforgettable two decades, and try to gracefully usher in the future, I made this little video of my life thus far. 

I've had the incredible gift of being surrounded by such loving family and friends, and I wouldn't trade a single memory of all the times--good and bad--with each and every one of you magnificent, bright human beings. From birth to boat trips and skiing to saying goodbyes, I love you all, and I'm overjoyed we've taken this journey together. 

20 years is years is too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits...erm, humans. I hope this brings you as many smiles as making it did me (but hopefully less tears, I blubbered and bumbled my way through seeing myself grow up) and I wish you all the merriest of holidays and the grandest of new years! 

Enjoy this nostalgia filled highlight reel of my life set to the tune of Passenger's stirring song 'Life's For The Living'. It was great fun to make (5 hours after midnight of picture searching, video editing, and getting no sleep), and I hope is great fun to watch. :) Thank you all! 

Angel Haze: Werkin Girls and Same Love (Sick Female Rapper)

Big thanks to Ben Amann for sharing Angel Haze's music with me, she is certainly someone who I wouldn't have discovered on my own, but who I'm thoroughly enjoying! On the one hand tender, deep, and lyrically probing, Angel Haze also can spit some serious fire and knows how to bring it. Her variety, ability, and unique perspective and story make her quite a force to be reckoned with! 

Starting off with the slower and more tender side, her cover of 'Same Love' is amazingly powerful, and brings Macklemore's anthem one further with amazing new lyrics. Really and truly worth a full listen through, it just may be better than the original. 

Completely different vibe from 'Same Love', I was not expecting the onslaught that is 'Werkin Girls'. It's dope though. Angel Haze's flow is on point here, paired with a sick beat, and a whack music video. She's on top of the green like a mother F'n tractor, so watch out. Enjoy!

Unafraid to jump in on anything and everything (check her extremely deep and varied SoundCloud here), she kills it on a beat as hallowed as 'No Church In The Wild'. Can't wait to hear more! 

U2: Ordinary Love (First New U2 in Three Years!)

U2 are back in gorgeous fashion! This soft, majestic, and delicate song will be featured on the upcoming documentary 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom', and is the exciting precursor to a new album! With a simple and elegant lyric video that is beautifully done, U2 prove that they are far from done, and plan on continuing to make powerful and evocative music that stirs something in all of us. 

The Edge speaks about the construction of the song as:

We thought it should be a love song, a very human song. Not epic, not earnest in dealing with world-changing political shifts but personal in two people trying to hold on to one another in the face of dreadful mistreatment and heartbreak.

There's certainly nothing ordinary about 'Ordinary Love'...another classic to add to the U2 treasure trove of transcendent tunes! 

Not quite sure how much is different in this version, there's certainly more background instrumentation, but U2 have it up on their official SoundCloud, so it is also worth a listen! Enjoy! 

Frank Ocean: Super Rich Kids (Hip-Hop)

Christopher Francis Ocean, better known by his stage name Frank Ocean, is an American singer, songwriter and rapper from New Orleans with a flair for, well, having an awesome voice! He's written music for other pop artists, but came into his own music to great success. He's dissed Chris Brown (always a positive), helped shift perspectives within the hip-hop community about homosexuality (an even bigger positive), and happens to release great music on top of all that! 'Super Rich Kids' is a sad ode to a life of "maids coming round too much, parents not around enough" that has a laid back beat and features Earl Sweatshirt. Enjoy! 

I've posted this before, but kind of under the radar, and it seems relevant now, so here's morose indie band Typhoon's take on Ocean's most popular track 'Thinkin' About You'. A nice fresh take and a free download!


My personal favorite is a chilled-out remix by Ryan Hemsworth of 'Thinkin' About You', which adds just the right amount of dreamyness and sounds and feels like an ocean (a Frank ocean, if you will) washing over your eardrums. Super dope.

Haywyre: Raw Crunch (Smooth Glitch...Is that a thing?)

This kid looks like the nicest and happiest person in all of EDM! It's been quite some time it feels like since I've done anything non-indie, and there are, in fact, other genres! Haywyre somehow makes a super funky and super smooth song with lots of glitchy elements and it all just comes together nicely into one...how to describe it...a 'Raw Crunch' of sound? That sounds about right! Parts of this song are wild and I don't even know what will become of the poor planet upon which these synth monsters are battling, but then just as quickly, glitchy violence gives way to silky smooth parts that make me really love the wild sounds in music these days. Stick around until the end of this song: I guarantee you won't regret it. 3:10-3:45 is quite nice, and just search the tag 'glitch-hop' on SoundCloud for more wildness! Enjoy!

Smallpools: No Story Time

Ok, I promise this is the last in my series of posts about the bands I saw last week, I just wanted to give each and every group proper due for being the incredible artists that they are! 

Smallpools...what can I say. When I first heard Smallpools, it was through a remix by The Chainsmokers of their song 'Dreaming'. I didn't really give it much thought, and in fact wholeheartedly disagreed with the blog I was on that these guys were going to be huge, I found the song annoying. Flash forward a few weeks and I hear the original version of 'Dreaming' on another blog, and I decided to download it just because everyone was raving about it, not because I particularly enjoyed it. I forget about the song for a while, and then one day while I'm listening to my recently added on iTunes what should I hear but 'Dreaming'. My toes started tapping uncontrollably, my body was grooving within seconds, and the rest is history. I don't know why it took so long for it to get through my thick skull how incredible Smallpools is, but I'm ever so glad I kept giving them a chance, because since that day I've seen them twice live and would count all four of their released songs as among my top 100 songs! 

Headlining The Troubadour was one of Smallpools's dreams ever since going to a show there and seeing the pure ecstasy of the headliner playing a sold-out show. Well, last Friday I got to share in the experience of Smallpools making that dream a reality and playing to a sold out crowd that could not get enough of their infectious sound! Their tracks are the DEFINITION of my Hipster-dance-party playlist and just bring such good energy to any setting. It is their song 'Over and Over' that defined my year and is the soundtrack to a music video of my life that I'm making, and their music that gets me dancing, running, or driving in the perfect mood. Ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't yet experienced the rather large sound that is Smallpools, I suggest that you change that this instant. They really are wonderful. :) 

If you weren't one of the kind people who helped elevate their debut single and music video 'Dreaming' to one million views, then be one of the awesome people who gets it to its second million! Lovely video people!

Parade Of Lights: Flash Of Light

Parade Of Lights came out of nowhere and absolutely amazed me when I saw them opening for Smallpools! Possessed of a confident and assured sound, these alternative-electronic rockers know how to get a crowd dancing! Instantly infectious and with lyrics simple enough to have the whole Troubadour singing along within minutes, Parade Of Lights made my night! Their enormously catchy single 'We're The Kids' was an incredible last song, and I was almost sad to have Smallpools come on, because I wanted to hear more from these guys! The opening electronics alert you to how awesome the song is going to be, and within 30 seconds you know who the kids are...Enjoy! 

My personal favorite of the night was 'Flash Of Light', which proved ridiculously catchy, and had Perrin, Sam, and I jumping up and down like crazed hooligans and having the time of our lives! There's even a snazzy jazzy interlude! Enjoy and feel the love! 

The Mowgli's: Carry Your Will

I'm kind of overdoing it at this point, but The Mowgli's just bring so much joy, life, and heart to everything that they do, that I simply can't NOT post more of them after seeing them live for the second time this past week. 

There have been few moments more joyful in my life than seeing The Mowgli's, Blondefire, and Hunted Hunted all swarm out on stage together and belt out the most exuberant, beautiful, communal rendition of 'San Francisco'. They brought up kids from the crowd, the main vocalists mom came up to sing. It was simply unadulterated passion for music, friendship, community, and the power of song! They sometimes border on sappy with how overwhelmingly positive they are, but boy is their message clear. I can't wait until the next 'Random Acts of Kindness Tour'! 

'Carry Your Will' is a gorgeous song that slows things down for this energetic group and creates something quite moving. Acoustic and powerful, the song crescendoes and builds starting at the 2:00 and getting awesome at the 3:00 mark into a massive ballad that was incredible live with hundreds singing along. Enjoy and let your faith guide your faith! 

"Cherish this, because when it doesn't last, you'll wish you had."-Wise words Mowgli's. Thank you.

Hunter Hunted: End Of The World

I have so much music to share and am so behind on giving all the bands I've just seen due credit! These last two weeks of the semester have been truly incredible and incredibly busy! Going to Disneyland last Friday, The Mission Inn Tuesday, The Mowgli's, Blondefire, and Hunter Hunted Wednesday, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug midnight premiere Thursday, and Smallpools, Parade of Lights, and The Hard Knocks tonight! I need to share all the great music I've been privileged and blessed to enjoy! 

First up: damn. Hunter Hunted killed it opening for The Mowgli's. It's so sad that all these great bands only have 4 or 5 released songs, because they're all so freaking good, but it's fantastic to be among the first that they're all trying new material out on, and boy was everything they touched gold! They were so friendly on stage, and they had such a perfect grasp of their sound, and such mastery over it, that their set was magical to behold. Stoked to be back in L.A. (their home town), they shared with us the Christmas tree that they had taken with them on top of their tour-van for months and months, and had finally gotten to take off. Their microphones were wrapped in christmas lights, their vocals wrapped in joy, and the whole venue wrapped up in infectious frivolity! Loved them so much! Enjoy!

I dug this song even more live! You could feel the powerful drumming in every fiber of your shaking body, and this one was a fantastic crowd sing-along. Enjoy and check out their self-titled debut EP! 

Blondfire: Where The Kids Are

So, some background: I enter 2-3 contests, drawings, sweepstakes, ect. every day in the hopes that one day I'll actually win that free trip to New Zealand, or $10,000 of Amazon gift cards... Well today I won not one, but two drawings! Coincidentally they were both to the same place. I entered to win free tickets to see The Mowgli's, Hunter Hunted, and Blondfire at the El Rey theater today on a whim, and what should I discover when I return from volunteering all morning but notifications that I've won BOTH CONTESTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am beyond thankful to www.thescenestar.com and to youtellconcerts.com for graciously giving me free tickets to this amazing show! :) Unfortunately, I can apparently only win one pair of tickets, not two, but the support from both of these sites is so, so appreciated! 

I CAN NOT WAIT to see this show tonight, part of The Mowgli's Random Acts Of Kindness tour! The overwhelmingly positive vibe and constant cheeriness of The Mowgli's is infectious, and their message of love and caring clearly rubbed off on these two gracious music sites! I'm a big Mowgli's fan, as well as Hunter Hunted, but I'm stoked to hear more from Blondfire, whom have a really enjoyable sound! 

I can never stress enough how incredible live music is, and I hope all of you beloved followers enter a contest or two (I'm always here to share that pair of tickets you win!), who knows what might happen! Enjoy this exciting and snazzy-electronics-filled song from Blondfire, and I'm sure I'll have more to tell you about them soon! This song sounds a little like Ellie Goulding, and features some panda hunting, so be warned. Enjoy! 

Ghost Kollective: Dance of the Seven Sisters (Epic Wyoming Wildscapes Video)

A post more for the video than for the song, this video truly illustrates how amazingly gorgeous and diverse my wonderful home state of Wyoming really is. Showing awe-inspiring visuals of sunsets, clouds making their relentless and tumultuous treks through the sky, lightning illuminating the vast open space, snow-peaked mountains, and everything in between, Nicolaus Wegner has created something truly stupendous and breathtaking with this video. The nostalgia cuts deep. Enjoy these fantastic visuals accompanied by a tailor made and quite fitting song by Ghost Kollective entitled 'Dance Of The Seven Sisters'. 

So, so, so, so cool! 

Wyoming Wildscapes II from Nicolaus Wegner on Vimeo.

Hugh Masekela: Bring Back Nelson Mandela

In the memory of the incredible soul who has left such a lasting and powerful legacy for humanity to always remember, I bring you Hugh Masekela. A song peacefully calling for Nelson Mandela's release from prison, Masekela released the song, knowing full well that the mere mention of 'Mandela' would cause his music to be banned in his home country. As the song pleads, we all wish to see Mandela walking once more down the streets of Soweto, but his lasting memory shall forever be walking amidst our hearts with his timeless message of philanthropy, anti-apartheid, and peace. 

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”-Nelson Mandela

Love of music comes naturally to my human heart, and I hope this song shares some of its love with you. 

Fanfarlo: Luna

What band is complete only with blowup orcas, dolphins, and a Tweety Bird? Fanfarlo, that's who! As far as London based indie bands go, they're pretty standard. You know, incorporating modern escape artists reenacting Harry Houdini's Hanging Straightjacket Escape into their live shows, and of course describing their sound as "Space Opera meets Spaghetti Western". God I love bands. :) 

The song I'm digging was introduced to me through Meghan's impeccable music taste, and I just can't get enough of 'Luna'. Catchy and consistently progressing throughout its duration, things get interesting when they fade out at the 2:53 mark and caress your eardrums with soft violin and gorgeous accordion. I just love the last minutes of this song. You could call me a FANfarlo. Stunning. Enjoy! 

Check out their live version below! Equally wonderful!

Royksopp: Running To The Sea (Ft. Susanne Sundfør) (Seven Lions Remix)

What is it about the human ear that just makes tastefully beautiful remixes of female vocal songs the best thing ever? 

This song will HAUNT YOUR DREAMS! The eerily silent intro with ominous drums and just Susanne Sundfør's voice is incredible, then after your chills are magnifying and getting chills of their own, a gnarly beat enters at 0:57. If you're still alive at 1:27, then there's no escaping the relentless pull of all Seven Lions tearing at your eardrums with their ever so classy and gorgeous sound. The lyrics really make this one, and are transcendent when paired with the massive builds. I'm such a fan. Seven Lions themselves said that this was one of their most emotional pieces to work with. So fresh and sick! Enjoy! 

The Lion King Cast: He Lives In You

You know, just another typical Tuesday...being driven into L.A. by school and attending the broadway musical 'The Lion King'!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Mufasa on Pride Rock was it good!! The sets, the costumes, the singing, the acting, the movement on the stage, the theater itself, the companions I got to go with...WOWSERS! What an experience! A spectacle stimulating far more than just the ears, every detail was so gorgeous and awe-inspiring! The way all the creatures moved and were ingeniously operated was stunning, and some of the lithe stalkings across the stage just blew my mind! Quite funny and with some wonderful performances by every member of the cast (especially Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa, and Scar) I can't believe that I've been missing out on the Broadway experience for so long! If you haven't seen it yet, it's a must, and if you happen to have tickets to upcoming Broadway shows, I'm quite interested!!!! Book of Mormon anyone?? 

Probably my favorite song by far, 'He Lives In You' is beautiful, and the chanting in the background that comes in around 1:00 moved me to tears in the theater. A beautiful song!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy!

The reprise of the song from the second act has even more chanting and is just as en-chanting! What a play! AGGGGGHHHHH! :) 

Ronald Jenkees: Stay Crunchy (Piano Insanity!)

If you've never seen Ronald Jenkees on YouTube, then you are missing out! So passionate, and remarkably talented, Jenkees brings excitement and crunchy groove to your life! With nay but a passing exuberant, "Hello YouTubes!", you are launched into a piano crescendo that undulates and progresses through many crunchy iterations! After just absolutely DESTROYING the piano for four minutes, Jenkees stops and exclaims at the pure pleasure he gets from playing, and encourages everyone to play: it's just so much fun! Awesome song, awesome message, awesome energy! Enjoy! 

Little May: Hide

There is absolutely nothing little about Little May's sound! Full bodied and gorgeously orchestrated, these three gals from Sydney know how to make a song that tugs on your heartstrings! The opening guitar strums of 'Hide' just conjure up images of old rustic wood looking really majestic in a log cabin somewhere (I have no idea where that is coming from...). By the 1:43 mark you are utterly captured by the voices of Little May, and the amazing song really bursts open stupendously at 2:23 when they start a steady build of, "Can you see me count to three? No, I won't play your hide and seek" which just moves me. These ladies are going big places with a sound this polished and delightful to listen to! Enjoy and show your support on iTunes!


If you dug 'Hide', then you HAVE to listen to 'Boardwalks' which similarly starts off slow, but settles quite comfortably into its wonderful self by about halfway through. 2:26 on is some of the most beautiful sounds I've heard in a while!