Beat!Beat!Beat!: We Are Waves

You know what German band brings the beat? Beat!Beat!Beat! that's who! Ok, they're not a thumping frolicking Wombats or Two Door Cinema Club, but this song just has a really great flow and I've been thinking about the cyclical nature of my days and my routines and our lives being waves seems spot on. Also any video where you get to be sprayed with colored paint can't be a bad time! Enjoy! 

After A Long Hiatus, it's Time to Ask "So Now What"...by The Shins

It's been an unbelievable three months since I last posted on here. Firstly, there must be something wrong with the space time continuum, because in no universe have the last three months flew by that fast! Yikes!

Secondly, I apologize for abandoning all of you! I was so touched by the worldwide riots and endless stream of letters, calls, and home visits begging me to begin blogging again! I joke, no one noticed I stopped, but I've missed it, and that's what matters, right!? I've been wayyyy out of the musical loop especially this past month and a half, for I was having the time of my life in Europe, and took a blessed unplugged break from the endless stream of music, but I'm trying to catch myself up and slowly but surely am crawling from the musical hole I'd created. Boy has there been some great stuff in the last 3 months! I can't even begin to share all of it, my fingers would fall off from typing, and your ears would fall off from listening! I'm also probably going to slow the pace of the blog a bit, tone it back from a nightly affair to a once-or-twice-weekly update. 

Let's get started, eh? After so long being gone I was sitting here thinking, "So Now What", and then it struck me. The Shins just released their new song that will be featured in the new Zach Braff (Garden State, anyone?) film 'Wish I Was Here', and my oh my is it sweet! It talks about things long passed and nostalgia, and is THE SHINS!!!!! and the chorus is beautiful and it all just makes me so happy! Enjoy!

If you're interested in the movie, which Graff funded through Kickstarter, watch the trailer below, and get excited, also if you haven't seen 'Garden State', you should get on that, or at least buy the soundtrack! It's lovely! 

Foster The People: Are You What You Want To Be (NEW ALBUM!)

The day is finally upon us when down the runway, strutting with all the well-deserved swagger possible, comes "Supermodel" the new album by the incredible Foster The People! Too long in the waiting, this follow up to "Torches" is a little darker, more varied, and well-travelled. I'm a pretty big fan so far, although it's definitely not all 'Pumped Up Kicks' and 'Houdini' fun and games. The opener, 'Are You What You Want To Be' is my undisputed favorite thus far (Besides the superhero single 'Coming of Age' of course) and just has such cool beats and has much of the playful 'Torches' vibe with some clear growth. Unfortunately there's not a version yet on YouTube or SoundCloud, so here's the full album audio and it's the very first song! Feel free to keep listening to the whole album! Buy it on iTunes, or be hipster and awesome like Robert and go get a physical CD copy! Enjoy! 

Headhunterz ft. Krewella: United Kids Of The World (Project 46 Remix)

Been a minute since I did any good ol' EDM. This one's a stacked track with Headhunterz and Krewella making the original, and then Project 46 swooping in and adding the beat that should have always been there. Feel good tune with a nice message if you watch the original music video. Dance it up this weekend and get stoked for all the albums coming out in the coming weeks! Enjoy a free download below!

Pharrell Williams: Happy (Plus 24 Hours of Happy)

What's the feel good tune of the year? 'Happy'. What is so listenable and watchable that there is a 24 hour version of the music video (first of its kind)? 'Happy'. What are you going to listen to and have it brighten your day, your week, your month, your year? 'Happy'. 

Pharrell can do no wrong...ok, I guess 'Blurred Lines' was a lot of wrong...ahem, Pharrell USUALLY can do no wrong *cough, Daft Punk*. 'Happy' is a dose of pure joy and the idea of the 24 hours of continuous happiness is just so positive and fun! Watch the full video if you dare at http://24hoursofhappy.com/ or watch the equally pleasant and much shorter version below! Enjoy and may you have a day worth clapping along to! 

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Con Bro Chill: We Came To Party (Wildest Concert Ever?)

NEWS!

If you haven't suited up in your brightest neon, and came to party with Con Bro Chill and the Neon Army, then you are nowhere near partied out enough. 

What was undoubtedly the most douchy and fratty concert of my life was also one of the most fun. Eschewing lame L.A. hipster crowds, the college students who showed up to this show (a group of guys next to me drove all the way from Utah to see the concert!) were SO AMPED! Not a second of awkward head bopping was had, and not one person was drowning in layers upon layers of expensive looking fancy clothes that dripped sarcasm and aloofness. No. These neon soldiers came to party with the wildest and wackiest band of the west coast, and boy did they deliver! 

Opening for themselves with a bizarre fake reggae band wasn't enough for the Lacrosse bros. They had costume changes every few songs, coordinated dances, they crowd-surfed, they tossed people who crawled onto stage out into the crowd to crowd-surf, they led us in the Star Spangled Banner, they did a surprisingly great rendition of 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' by U2. I crowd-surfed for the first time ever (it was incredible and exhilarating) and danced my face off continuously in the front row. It was an experience that everyone should have at least once! Enjoy some of their wildly wacky and hilarious music videos below, and download their entire new album for free on their facebook page here! 

Con Bro Chill's wise words remind us to not party so hard that we get partied out. 

The New Electric Sound: Heart Beat (Amazing Opening Band For Con Bro Chill)

So at the Con Bro Chill concert last Friday the show started with what was clearly Con Bro Chill badly dressed up as an overweight ska and reggae band, which was hilarious, and they (pretend?) drunkenly stumbled through 3 or 4 songs. It was so unexpected and funny and weird that the band was fake opening for itself that I was absolutely blown away when out walk the suave, sophisticated, and all-matching band The New Electric Sound! They killed it with an awesome stage presence, pumping songs, humorous commentary in between songs by our good friend Tom, the blonde one with glasses (the bro and frat-guy douche crowd chanted his name after every song) and an all around fantastic performance! They were the perfect actual start to what proved to be an absolutely insane evening of music! Check these guys out, they're super nice and bound to blow up! 

Damn this is quite the premier music video. A story of betrayal, love, and friendship, it was absolutely not what I was expecting. Give it an honest listen and watch! 

If you don't want to waste your time and just want to dance all night (hint, that's a lyric) then give 'Suitcase' a lyric.

The Colourist: Oh Goodbye

Finally starting to catch up on my blogposts, here's the recap of The Colourist's amazing performance this past Tuesday night! The most badass drummer I've ever seen, colorful palm trees, embarrassing and sexually charged comments in between songs between the lead guitarist and front-woman, and oodles of new and exciting material were all part of the colorful mandala that was a night with The Colourist. Nothing could have gotten me more excited for their new album (coming out March 25th) than all the fantastic new songs they played for us! Ranging from energy filled ballads like 'Put The Fire Out' to slower and more moving songs whose titles I know not, "The Colourist" (original album title eh? They commented about their brilliant naming talents) is sure to be jam packed with fun! 

For only $7.99 you can preorder the album on iTunes and receive five of the twelve songs immediately! Click here to pre-order! Enjoy this leaked track 'Oh Goodbye' to hold you over until the 25th! 

Night Terrors of 1927: Fall Into You

The second openers for The Colourist were the aurally rich and wild Night Terrors of 1927, who, on top of having a great name, were possessed of some really cool music! Where Max And The Moon was excitement and fresh faces, Night Terrors were aloof and uninterested with the crowd, but not in a bad way, just in a manner that they were so ridiculously into their music and living up to the art that they created that they couldn't be bothered to distract themselves with a silly audience of L.A. hipsters. Each song began with really cool glitchy sounds and random voice recordings, and then launched into epic sagas of croons and guitar solos. 'Fall Into You' was my favorite of the night with a powerful anthemic yell in the background and very smooth and groovy instrumentation floating in the background. Enjoy and go to every concert you possibly can: you learn so much about the artists you already know and even more about undiscovered gems!


'Dust and Bones' comes outfitted with a wild and somewhat creepy music video, but hey, they are the Night Terrors, so it comes with the territory. Enjoy and check them out on SoundCloud and iTunes!

Max & The Moon: Losing The Agreement

I had the pleasure to see The Colourist last night at The Troubadour in L.A. and one of the highlights of the night was Max & The Moon! These guys were stoked to be playing their first tour, and transferred their energy straight to the crowd. With a really unique lead vocalist, a keyboardist with the most uncanny hair in the world, and a great sound, I'm sure these guys are going to get bigger and bigger! Enjoy and follow their Soundcloud! 

This song is some great nostalgia fuel:

Zhu: Moves Like Ms Jackson (Outcast Cover)

The mysterious, cryptic, and elusive Zhu has just broken onto the music scene, and I hope we hear a lot more of him. Dark, catchy, and varied, I could get used to this. And with a focus solely on the music, as evidenced in his statement regarding his anonymity, 

“Many are wondering why I chose to release my music anonymously. I am my own ghostwriter. As a society, we become more attached to the creator than to the creation. Music is faceless. My music is for a new generation—one in which people appreciate art for its intrinsic value—Generation WHY."

we can expect a focus solely on epic music making. Enjoy! 

LP: Into The Wild

If anyone has mastered the art of the crooning indie beginning, the soulful whistle, all building towards an emotionally charged breakdown, then it is LP and her wonderful song 'Into The Wild'. Seriously one of the most powerful voices I've heard in a long while, and armed with a raucously fun music video complete with ukulele strumming LP tagging along on a heist and love story, this song's a winner. Enjoy! 

Three Seconds A Day Part Two: Mississippi Isabel

Making a living record of my life was such fun last time, that here we are again with another two months worth of miraculous moments from each day. It's been beautiful, it's been hard, but more than anything it's been made worthwhile by all of you who have touched my life. Enjoy and be sure to support King Charles for his wonderful song 'Mississippi Isabel' which adds such energy and music to my journey. Much love and I wish you many amazing adventures! 

I've gotten to explore Joshua Tree, play frisbee in Santa Monica, soak in Santa Rosa, enjoy fine art at the Getty Museum, camp in Big Bear, and spend time on campus with a group of amazing people. Thank you all so much for making every moment worth treasuring. 

Call Me Señor: Stay "Disco Barbados Remix" (Remixing Rihanna Likes it's Nobody's Business)

Robert Magdaleno may be a closet hipster in denial, but boy does he find some fantastic music! This remix/cover of Rihanna's 'Stay' is a summer jam bursting with fun, effervescence, and danceability. Funky synths, fantastic vocals, and a vibe that screams "Why the hell have I not been listening to THIS version the whole time" abound in every second of this too-brief track! Enjoy

Karen O & Ezra Koenig: The Moon Song (Most Amazing Love Song From 'Her')

Sometimes a love song comes along that just floors you.

Just makes you sit back and really think about what love is, about every second of laughter and tears and intimacy and heartache. You consider the distances love traverses, the bonds it creates, and the fact that to love and be loved is a gift. There are no rules and no expectations and that realm of endless possibilities is the most exhilarating and terrifying space a heart can occupy. Love endures, love fades, but more than that, love keeps us alive and exploring, and no matter the pain or happiness that comes of it, it is enough I think that we are able to taste this magical substance however fleetingly, and feel inside ourselves what I imagine is a ripple of starlight, the tides of infinity. 

OK Miles, show us the music and get on with it you sap! Really though, 'The Moon Song' is awesome and beautiful and intimate and meaningful and has been on repeat in the quad with all of us sobbing softly into our homework about its unmatched sincerity and poignancy. Both versions, both Karen O and Ezra Koenig's duet version, or Scarlett Johansson's heartbreakingly simple and ethereal version are to die...no to live and love endlessly for. Enjoy, and may you find your own bright moon. 

This duet version is unbelievable and needs to be about 3 hours longer.

Blood Cultures: Indian Summer (Indie Magic)

The little band that took the internet by storm (but a nice, tranquil storm that didn't get too out of proportion) is just too good not to share. 'Indian Summer' has such a surreal mixture of weird shimmering background sounds reminiscent of Yeasayer, great vocals, and a bouncing and catchy beat worthy of infinite summer playlists. Buy this song right now and jam out forever-after! 

The synth's on 'Mercury Child' may be even more unreal than 'Indian Summer'. Maybe it's in their blood? Maybe part of their culture? Who knows, but whatever it is, I love it.

Big Gigantic: The Night Is Young (Free Album!) (Instrumental Livetronica)

Everyone's favorite Colorado instrumental livetronica, hip-hop and jazz musical group Big Gigantic have just given out their 8 song album "The Night Is Young' FOR FREE on NoiseTrade, and there is no reason on this good earth for you to pass it up. Filled to bursting with soul, funk, dub, and a huge energy that one could describe as both "big" and "gigantic", this album slaps. 

Sexy saxophones, warped vocals, and a guaranteed good time are in store the whole album, and you don't want to miss out! Download at this link, and feel free to leave them a tip through NoiseTrade's absolutely stellar service. Also be sure to hop on NoiseTrade's email list for bucketloads of legal, artist endorsed free music! Enjoy! 'Touch The Sky' is pure intensity. 

'Let's Go' is undoubtedly my favorite song of theirs, and this unreal tour highlight video just makes everything melt away and the music takes you. Way too sick! 

Band Of Horses: An Amazing Acoustic Show at Immanuel Presbyterian Church

This picture of Band Of Horses merrily having a great time at last nights concert perfectly captures the atmosphere of this intimate and special show. Having seen Band Of Horses at Coachella, it was markedly different to see them playing an acoustic session at the base of the towering steeple of the Immanuel Presbyterian Church in L.A. with a (somewhat) quiet crowd (this is L.A., where the hipsters have 10 layers of clothing and an incessant need to mill aimlessly in the aisles through the entire opening band and pretty much any time after that) rather than in front of thousands of screaming festival-goers. 

This concert was the most human show I have seen. Ben Bridwell, the angelic-voiced frontman started the show by performing 'St. Augustine' solo, then each subsequent song he brought out another member of the band and they just jammmmmmmmed. The picture above is the third song 'Neighbor', where Ben kept jokingly playing incorrect notes and they all were just laughing and smiling together as they sang. It was beautiful. One of the highlights for me was the very personally emotional song 'Detlef Schrempf', in which they switched from their piano to the church organ and serenaded us all with unbelievable loveliness. I can't thank my incredible sister Hannah enough for inviting me to join her and see such a moving show. The concert ended with a fantastic and rousing version of 'The General Specific", in which the whole church stood and clapped and danced along, having what is likely the most religious experience most of the hipsters had ever had. Gosh I love live music. Enjoy! :) 

If you want something off-the-wall-amazing-that-will-change-your-life...this is it. "Eyes can't look at you anyyyy other way". 

Smeagol/Gollum (James Walters): Mad World (Hilarious Cover)

We've all heard Smeagol (actually the YouTube sensation James Walters) sing Taylor Swifts 'Trouble', and absolutely loved hearing him screech out "Precious, Precious, Precious" like only a poor wretched singer living at the roots of the Misty Mountains can. Well, apparently Smeagol can lead the Hobbits into Mordor, sing T-Swift, AND cover Tears For Fears song 'Mad World'. Super good and hilariously done, this is a classic to place amidst all your other Middle Earth themed tunes! Enjoy! 

If you've been living in a dark cave surviving off a diet of cold fish and the occasional goblin who wanders too close, then here is the Taylor Swift cover. Too funny. Click here. 

Vance Joy: Riptide + Chill Remix

I am infinitely sorry I didn't share this earlier when 'Riptide' was the free iTunes download a few weeks ago, because this song is fantastic! Vance Joy is an utter joy to listen to, and paired with this wildly bizarre but charmingly funny music video, it's going to make your week! Indie happiness that you can't resist! 

If you're looking for a gorgeous and relaxed remix, complete with absabloominglutely perfect whistling, then look no further than this FREE download from Flic Flak! Enjoy!