Category Archives: Music

Oct4

My Music ABC’s

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My Music ABC’s

So I thought it would be fun to give you guys my music ABC’s once a month or so. I always get complimented on my taste in music, so why not share it with the world? Here’s the ABC lowdown on the bands I’ve been really diggin’ lately.

A- Alt-J (These guys rule! Check out Tessellate, it’s a goodin’!)

B- Bear Hands (Bone Digger off of their latest album Distraction is fantastic.)

C- Cage (for all your angsty rap needs!)

D- Dan Croll (This kid can CROON!!!!)

E- Electric Guest (Call me a little grown up 😉 )

F- Funeral Party (New York City loves to mess around with the LA sound, the LA sound! I dare you to not get this hook stuck in your head!)

G- Grouplove (I adore these guys. Such a talented group.)

H- Haim (SO GOOD!!!! Their debut album Days Are Gone is a home run. Fantastic all around. Total girl power group to the max.)

I- Icona Pop (I’m obsessed with the song Sun Goes Down off of their EP, Iconic.)

J- Jack White (Naturally he’s in my Music ABC’s. I love Jack White to death, and I will have his pale children. COUNT ON IT!)

K- k-os (I’ve mentioned this fellow before, and I urge all of you to give him a try. He absolutely annihilates every genre he dabbles in. From rap, to soul, to R&B, and everything in between. Amazing.)

L- Los Campesinos! (It’s been so fun watching and hearing this band mature over the years. They’re quirky and cool. Really listen to their songs when you listen to them, because there’s a lot of sharp wit and wordplay in their lyrics.)

M- MAGIC! (Rude is my guilty pleasure song, WHAT OF IT?!)

N- Nicki Minaj (Judge me for getting down to some Nicki, it’s cool. Her songs are hit or miss, but when she does hit, she goes hard. Roman’s Revenge is one of my all time favorites, no doubt.)

O- OneRepublic (I really REALLY like these guys. It’s nice to have a band out on popular radio land whose lyrics actually mean something. And what talent. The lead singers voice is gorgeous.)

P- Pharrell (That Pharrell is SO hot right now. *Zoolander reference* But anyways, I love me some Pharrell and I’ve loved Pharrell for a very long time, from his N.E.R.D days and beyond. His recognition is much deserved.)

Q- Queen (I’ve been in a big Queen phase as of late. It’s really amazing to pick out modern bands who are so clearly influenced from Queen’s sound decades before their time. That’s how you know a band is talented. When their music touches musicians for generations.)

R- Ra Ra Riot (YES! I love these guys. Such a soothing sound with some really sweet lyrics to match. Too Too Too Fast is my all time fave.)

S- Santigold (Miss girl can spit! She has so much attitude and swag it’s literally palpable in her music. Her flow is spectacular and she has a great voice without autotune. Check out Your Voice if you don’t believe me!)

T- Tanlines (These guys are beachy fun. While working at PacSun we played basically their entire album Mixed Emotions and it was a joy. Their tribal beats and distinctive vocalization made them really easy to pick out in the Pac playlist. I really enjoy Lost Somewhere. When the gentleman duo begin harmonizing with each other, magic is made.)

U- The Used (I’ve been in quite a big emo-punk phase lately to prep for the AFI concert in Pittsburgh that I’ll be attending in less than two weeks!!! The Used have been around for quite some time now, and they really do just get better with age. Props to them for keeping the angst alive in all of their albums!)

V- The Vines (Since I was about ten years old, I’ve loved The Vines. I’ve had the biggest crush on Craig Nicholls for half of my life now, and I’m so okay with that. Their alt-garage sound has set stepping stones for so many bands of our day such as Jet, The Hives, Wolfmother, and Cage the Elephant, just to name a few.)

W- The White Stripes (I’m forever in a White Stripes phase, and that will NEVER change. Elephant was one of the first albums I ever bought, and it instilled a deep respect for all music in me. It also instilled a never dying crush for Jack White, and I’m not complaining one bit.)

X- The XX (Crystalised is a CLASSIC and I dare you to disagree!)

Y- Yelawolf (I LOOOOOOVE me some Yelawolf, oh yes I do. 1) He’s drop dead GORGEOUS. 2) His flow is INSANE. Dude can spit a mile a minute and I love every minute of it!)

Z- Zedd (One of my dear friends has been trying to get me into bass dropping DJ, Zedd lately. Though the house/heavy electronica music isn’t usually my scene, I can definitely appreciate Zedd’s style, and there’s no denying his talent.)

So there you have it, my Music ABC’s. This was SO fun to make, and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did. What bands would you include in your music ABC’s? Do you like some of the bands I mentioned above? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Saturday! -Sarah

Oct4

Frog Eyes

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Frog Eyes

Many people have asked me “Sarah, what are some of your favorite albums?” and I always mention Frog Eyes’ Tears of the Valedictorian. What a tremendous album. What a tremendous sound. What a talented band. Tears runs barely over thirty five minutes, but that’s all they needed to give us nine great songs that each tell a story. Cary Mercer’s vocals truly make the album, they are just gorgeous. What he does with his voice is unmatched by probably anyone in the indie music industry, aside from former band mate Spencer Krug of Sunset Rubdown and Wolf Parade, and perhaps Issac Brock of Modest Mouse. Honestly, to truly understand what I’m talking about when I say that his vocal ability is unreal, one would have to listen to the album. Or at least take a listen to one of my favorite songs of all time, Bushels. I promise you, this will be the best nine minute musical experience of your life:

Good lord. Talk about vocal range, huh? Tears also provides other fan favorites such as Reform the Countryside, “Stockades”, and Caravan Breakers, They Prey On the Weak and the Old. The album opens up with the short and sweet Idle Songs to set the tone of the next half hour, then delivers punch after punch until the very end with the even shorter and still sweet My Boats They Go to bring Tears to a close. One of the reasons why I love Tears of the Valedictorian so very much is because it’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Mercer introduces such unique sounds throughout the album, from the animal chanting in Bushels to the full length crescendo of Evil Energy, The Ill Twin Of…

An interesting thing about Frog Eyes in the amount of influential musicians in the indie world that have come and gone as band mates. These name drops include:

  • Ryan Beattie of The Himalayan Bear
  • Dante DeCaro of Hot Hot Heat and Wolf Parade
  • Megan Boddy of Chet
  • Matt Skillings – head engineer for Japandroids

The musicians named above are just a few members past and present of the Frog Eyes crew. Because of the number of band mates walking in and out of the band, Frog Eyes is associated quite frequently with other indie fan favorites such as Destroyer, The New Pornographers, Swan Lake, Wolf Parade, and Sunset Rubdown. (The last two listed are two of my other all time favorite bands!) For your enjoyment, here’s Caravan Breakers, They Prey On the Weak and the Old. Please indulge:

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If you’d like to hear the rest of the album, all of the videos should be on Youtube! Where are all of my Frog Eyes fans at? What are some of your favorite indie bands? What’s your favorite album? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Oct3

Bombay Bicycle Club

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Bombay Bicycle Club

So I’ve always been quite a big fan of Bombay Bicycle Club, and I’ve been listening to their latest album So Long, See You Tomorrow a lot recently. While working at PacSun we played at least half of this album through out the day, and I would always get so hyped when I would hear them. BBC plays with a lot of different sounds on this album, vastly different than any of their previous music. There’s clear influences of Bollywood on my personal favorite “Feel” and a great attempt at electronica on their first single off of the album “Carry Me”. The Bollywood influences came from lead singer, Jack Steadman’s travels to India and Turkey, and it really is a fantastic effort. I’ve always classified Bombay Bicycle Club as strictly indie rock, however, So Long, See You Tomorrow has made me think otherwise. Previous albums like Flaws and A Different Kind Of Fix stayed in a pretty safe zone of a mellow sound with some occasional indie pop thrown in. So Long, threw all of their previous safety blanket songs out the window with some heavy hitters like Overdone, Home By Now, and Luna. It’s really cool to hear BBC give themselves fully to a cool indie/electronica hybrid sound on quite a few songs off of this album. Hearing Jack Steadman’s lovely human vocals over unique robot-beats makes for a completely unique sound. Bombay Bicycle Club is more to me than just a typical indie band, now that they’ve proven themselves with different genres of electronica, Bollywood, and indie-pop – I mean honestly, tell me you can’t picture their ballad-esque It’s Alright Now on the radio – I dare you. Clear influences of pop music have made the general sound off of So Long, See You Tomorrow much more attainable and crowd pleasing. And let me tell you, this member of the crowd is pleased. Do yourselves a favor and check out their official video for Carry Me. The concept is awesome and the animation is sweet!

All in all, I rate So Long, See You Tomorrow at a healthy 7.4. Where are all my Bombay Bicycle Club fans at? How do you feel about this album? What’s your favorite BBC song? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Oct1

Lil Red Recommends: Part 2!!

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Lil Red Recommends: Part 2!!

Alright, it’s time for the annual Lil Red Recommends segment, where I let everyone know what songs I’ve been obsessed with as of late. Here we go:

  • Bad Suns – Transpose. LOVE this song, we played it at PacSun and it was one of my favorites.
  • Basement Jaxx – Romeo (remix). So catchy and fun.
  • Bastille – Bad Blood. Yet another PacSun song, but I don’t care. I love these guys. Their entire album, also entitled Bad Blood is really great.
  • Chromeo – Fancy Footwork. How can you not love Chromeo? Seriously.
  • The Go! Team – Huddle Formation. Get hyped, get hyped, get hyped.
  • Hot Chip – My Piano. Funky fresh.
  • Jay-Z & Kanye West – Gotta Have it. My two favorite gents absolutely have what I need 😉
  • Juicy J – Bounce It. Need I say more? Juicy is freaking hilarious. If you ever need a good laugh, just listen to one of his songs.
  • Kid Cudi – Ashin’ Kusher. Best believe I blast this in the Little Red Love Machine (aka my car) every chance I get. Who are you to judge? JUDY?!
  • Lady Gaga – Judas. Oldie but goodie.
  • Locksley – The Whip. Why? Well, just because. 😉
  • The Neighbourhood – Afraid. These guys are angsty. I love it.
  • New Order – Temptation. So classic. I always got so excited when we played this at Pac.
  • One Direction – Best Song Ever. Judge me, I dare you. 🙂
  • Rick Ross – The Devil is a Lie. I can dig it. Jay-Z goes IN on his verse. So good.
  • Say Hi to Your Mom – Blah Blah Blah. This guys lyrics are so quirky-cool.
  • The Stone Roses – Love Spreads. Cool band, cool lyrics, cool song.
  • Tapes ‘n Tapes –  Omaha. Do yourselves a favor and give this band a try. The Loon is easily their best album so it’s a good place to start.
  • Wild Belle – Keep You. This gals voice is sweet. Sick song too.

^^^ SO GOOD!

Give some of these songs a try and let me know how you like them! What should I listen to next? What bands are you guys obsessed with right now? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Sep30

Sleeper Agent

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Sleeper Agent

An album I’ve been really enjoying as of late is Celabrasion by the punky fun group Sleeper Agent. This group of guys and gal are cool. They have a really amazing ability to combine some very pop-inspired lyrics with a rocker edge. Our lead singer Miss Alex Kandel is extremely talented. The way she plays with her voice to go from pop star, to rock star, to sweet crooner at the drop of a hat is quite impressive. The album is best known for their opening jam “Get it Daddy” – an anthem of rebellion if I’ve ever heard one! Kandel gives us her best sultry “I’m a grown up now” voice during the chorus as she announces to the world “I’m not a baby no more”. I’m sure a variation of these words have been uttered by every teenager in the entire world, myself included. The gentlemen in the band are to be acknowledged as well, because the playing of their instruments is tight as a drum. Here’s the lineup:

  • Tony Smith – guitars, vocals
  • Justin Wilson – drums
  • Scott Gardner – keys, synths
  • Lee Williams – bass
  • Josh Martin – lead guitar

With so many instruments being played at one time, you might think that Sleeper Agent might sound like a bunch of noise, but that’s far from true. Some of their playing through out the album is so subtle, you can barely even tell it’s there. There are also a bunch of ingeniously placed pauses through out a few of the songs when some players get a break while another instrument is introduced after the pause. While working at PacSun, we played at least half of Celabrasion through out the day when it first came out. I liked what I heard so much that I had to get the entire album so I could hear it the whole way through. The album ranges in a symphony of different sounds, from sexy little singles like “Shuga Cane” to sweet ballads like “That’s my Baby”, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Celabrasion is short and sweet, barely thirty five minutes, but each song packs such a punch that a half hour is all you need to feel satisfied by Sleeper Agent.

Check out their official video for “Get it Daddy”, and you’ll be head bobbing and feet tapping in no time. Do I have any Sleeper Agent fans out here? What’s your favorite song off of Celabrasion? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Sep26

Twenty One Pilots

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Twenty One Pilots

My music obsession of the past few months has been none other than Twenty One Pilots. I love these Columbus boys so very much. (C-Bus Ohio – REPRESENT!) Their studio debut album, Vessel, is a strong one. It’s chock full of fan favorites including Holding On To You, Migraine, and Car Radio to name a few of the radio hits. But this album is so much more than a few radio singles. Literally EVERY track on Vessel is a solid effort in its own right. From the five minute first track Ode To Sleep to the two minute Truce to close the album, there’s not one song that I could do without. Our C-Bus duo has been labeled from alternative rock, indielectronica, to rap – but no matter what genre they dabble in, they always do it just right. Twenty One Pilots consists of Tyler Joseph repping a strong resume of talents including lead vocals, piano, keyboard, and synthesizer just to name a few. But we can’t forget about Josh Dun who helps out on background vocals and whose drumming is absolutely out of control. The fact that his drumming holds the same amount of energy and packs just as much of a punch as Tyler’s stunning vocals says a lot about his talent as a musician. And please, don’t even get my started on Tyler’s vocal ability, because I won’t be able to shut up. But okay, here I go. Tyler has the voice of an angel. His vocal range is INSANE. He can change from screaming, to classical loveliness, to rapping with the sickest flow ever at the drop of a hat. Honestly some of his rapping – specifically on Migraine, almost mimics early Eminem. These guys have SO MUCH TALENT, I really just can’t get over it. It’s funny because I had their album, Vessel, on my iPod for quite some time, with the intention of playing it eventually. But I didn’t start listening to it until Car Radio played when I had my music on shuffle. I was playing all 9000 songs I have on shuffle while I was in the shower and half way through, Car Radio started playing and I had no clue who it was. I had to hop out of the shower so I could figure out just who the hell this song was coming from. When I saw it was Twenty One Pilots, I immediately kicked myself in the ass for not listening to them sooner.

Do yourselves a favor and watch the video posted above. This is a recording of them playing Migraine in The Live Room. It will blow your mind. So so good.

21-pilots

And as if they could get any better….they’re both drop dead gorgeous. ❤ Do I have any Twenty One Pilots fans on here? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Sep25

Capital Cities

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Capital Cities

One album that I can’t get enough of lately is Capital Cities’ In A Tidal Wave Of Mystery. I like these guys A LOT. And if the only song you know by them is Safe & Sound, then you need to up your game and give their whole album a listen. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing these guys through out the day when I’m at work at PacSun, as we play at least half of this album on our play list. My ultimate favorite song on the album has to be Patience Gets Us Nowhere Fast. It’s so catchy, with an amazing beat. Both gentleman in the Capital Cities duo play the keyboard, and their talent for the instrument is just so evident on this song. The repetitive lyrics are so easy to get stuck in your head, and luckily this song is so enjoyable that you won’t even care.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgylZphRXqA (Here’s the official video for Patience Gets Us Nowhere Fast)

One thing that I really like about these guys is the fact that their vocals are on point. Some bands that focus on an electronica/dance inspired sound sometimes lack vocally. But both Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian hold their own very well vocally. Their lack of auto tuned singing is so refreshing amidst a heavy synth sound. Another song that I really like off of A Tidal Wave would have to be I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo. At one point at work, we played a remix of this song, but I didn’t know it was a remix at the time. I was so pleasantly surprised to hear the original version on the album! Honestly, this song is so good it doesn’t need remixed at all. Nothing is better than the original, as they say! Try not to sing along to this jam, I dare you! I double dare you to not add in the high pitched “I sold my bed!” in the background of the refrain 😉

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXqqWbnboJ0 (Here’s the official video for I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo)

In A Tidal Wave Of Mystery is filled with extremely solid songs cover to cover. It always makes me super happy to hear their song Love Away in the newest Taco Bell commercials too. My favorite food combined with one of my favorite up and comers in one commercial makes for a very happy Sarah! When you listen to this album, make sure you really are listening. There’s so many fun pop culture references made through out a lot of these tracks that will be sure to make you smile to yourself when you hear them.

capital-cities2

Do I have any readers on here that are hip to Capital Cities? What songs do you like? What bands should I listen to next? Leave me a comment and let me know! Have a great night! -Sarah

Sep24

A music dream come true!!!

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A music dream come true!!!

Oh my goodness guys I am SO excited!!!! It’s been a dream of mine to see AFI in concert for ages, and on October 14th that dream will come true! They’re playing in Pittsburgh, and my sister and I are making the trip up there to see them. I’ve loved AFI ever since I was eleven years old. Sing the Sorrow was one of the very first albums I ever bought. Their music is just so incredible to me, and the fact that I finally get to see them live after loving them for so many years makes me giddy!!!

^^ Do yourselves a favor and watch one of their performances of Miseria Cantare and The Leaving Song Part 2. I watched this the other day and it blew my mind. They sound EXACTLY if not better than how they sound on the album. It takes very seasoned performers and extremely talented musicians to achieve that. Another reason I’m insanely amped for this show is because of my undying love for Mister Davey Havok. Lord have mercy on me. I’ve been so madly in love with his fine self ever since the day I discovered their music. HE’S SO GORGEOUS!!!!!!

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HOLY MOLY!!!! He’s so beautiful. I will find him at the concert. And I WILL make sweet, passionate love to him. And you can take that statement to the bank! Where are all of my AFI fans at on here? Comment me your favorite song or album by them! Happy Hump Day! -Sarah

Sep17

Music obsessions!

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As promised, here’s some of my recent song obsessions. These are currently what I have playing on repeat:
The Knife: We Share our Mothers’ Health (Ratatat Remix)
The Wombats: Your Body is a Weapon
Everything Everything: Cough Cough
The Used: Bulimic
AFI: Silver and Cold (I’m seeing these guys in Pittsburgh in October!!!! SO STOKED! It’s gonna fulfill my angsty fantasies to see them play live!!)
Bear Hands: Bone Digger
Cage: Captain Bumout
Cayucas: High School Lover
Mona: Teenager
Magic Man: Texas
Arctic Monkeys: Stop the World I Wanna Get Off
Sir Sly: Gold
Grizzly Bear: Will Calls (Diplo Remix)
Capital Cities: Stayin Alive (such a fun remix on an old classic!!!!)

Give some of these a listen and let me know what ya think!!! -Sarah

Sep15

Some funky fresh tunes for your enjoyment:

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Dent May: Parents
Alt-J: Breezeblocks
Django Django: Default
Diamond Rugs: Blue Mountains
Jack White: Lazaretto (fun fact, I have lyrics from this song tattooed)
Jagwar Ma: Uncertainty
Tom O’Dell: Hold Me
Tom Vek: A Chore
San Cisco: Awkward
Family of the Year: St. Croix
Funeral Party: Finale
Yellow Ostrich: Whales
Little Comets: Joanna
Tanlines: Real Life
Psychic Friend: Water Sign
Dan Croll: From Nowhere
Los Campesinos!: Avocado, Baby
Bear Hands: Giants

Give some of these a listen and let me know what you think! Feel free to give me some suggestions too! Also, here’s a pic of my lyric tattoo!

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