Heyyy everyone and happy Hump Day! My taste in music is something that I take great pride in because, I hate to brag, but it’s the best. From alt to rap, girly power pop, and everything in between – my iPod has a little bit of everything. But, I do remain a pretty indie gal at heart with a love for all things emo, of course.
Despite a deep love for music, I will admit that I have been slacking in my new music game as of late. My 64 gig iPod is just about filled to the brim and I don’t have the heart to go through and start deleting beloved songs and pictures. Yet I have an app for the stock market and news that I can’t get rid of? It’s cruel and unusual, to say the least!
Although my iPod is getting the job done, it is getting old, so I have been toying with the idea of upgrading to a new toy with more memory. With that in mind, I have began to commit myself to updating my music library, one album at a time. At one point, my family had a free trial of Serius radio and they had the most amazing indie station on there. Whenever I heard a song that I liked, I would simply write the band name down as a draft text on my phone. Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted that text so I’m basically starting from scratch. Don’t get me wrong, I’m down to update the bands that I already have on my iTunes but I would love to get some new ones on there, too!
I am open to any and all suggestions, as long as they fall under this category: ANYTHING BUT COUNTRY MUSIC!!!
Who is your favorite band at the moment? What is your summer anthem? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hellooo everyone! So as you guys know, I’m making an attempt to get my walk/run/rawk on throughout the week and it’s going pretty good so far. If you’ve read my recent Monday Update, then you will have seen that I’ve recently started to bring my iPod with me during my excursions even though I have to carry it because no arm band. I’ve been getting my emo on more often than I care to admit during these jaunts but I feel like I enjoy myself so much more with my music playing. For that reason, I compiled some of my favorite tunes together for your listening pleasure the next time that you get your work out on. Take a looksee (and, as always, I have no rights to these songs or videos!):
Lol, so as you guys can see, I definitely go for either old school emo or fairly recent rap when I’m running and I think that this list is the most funny, random compilation ever. But hey, it really does get the job done when I’m hitting the pavement because the emo-ness gets me angsty and the rap gets me hyped and the result is a much needed extra energy boost!
Normally when I’m working out, I will just have one album playing the whole way through. For example, last night I was listening to Yelawolf’s “Trunk Muzik 0-60”. But, when I’m feeling saucy or bored as I’m running, I’ll switch up my music every so often to my inner emo kid jams or anything Kendrick Lamar because he’s my best friend in my head.
Despite my sweaty palms from having to hold my iPod while I run, it’s so worth it because my Work Out Jams definitely make for a much more enjoyable experience! What music do you listen to when you work out? What is a song that you play to get you hyped? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
If you love to play music, you probably started out playing covers of songs, whether you took part in lessons or got into the world of musicianship on a self-taught basis. Of course, if you find yourself wanting something more and you’re ready to start creating original tracks, then it can be hard to take the plunge in terms of putting pen to paper. While there are no ‘rules’ in terms of writing music, as creativity can’t be forced, there are ways in which you can hone in on your talents and start to create something original. Here are some pieces of advice to help you make a mark in the music world as a songwriter rather than a cover artist:
Understand the recording and production process:
When it comes to creating your own songs, writing something with a catchy melody and meaningful lyrics is only one part of the equation. In fact, being a musician with a beautiful singing voice and instrumental talent who performs well is also only a small part of the equation. You need to understand the recording and production process involved with creating music if you want your original tracks to really make their mark on listeners, and this involves more than simply turning on a mic and pressing ‘record’.
You need to ensure that the quality of the instruments being used and everything involved with the song has been honed to perfection, as it’s easy to capture every sound in a live environment, but not quite so much in a recorded environment. You might want to look into sites such as Box Tiger Music for help with choosing guitars or pianos based on reviews. It’s important that you strive to sound as good, if not better, than the top musicians in the industry before you’re anywhere near that status. That’s how you make it.
Perhaps you understand the technicalities of music, but you just don’t feel creative or professional. While many big labels in the industry are full of songwriters and producers who have spent years learning how to create hit songs through observing what works, many musicians with a deep passion for the art of creating music want to ‘make it’ in a more organic way. If you’re much the same, then writing a catchy song which starts to turn heads and brings you attention in the music industry shouldn’t ever become a mechanical process. Instead of thinking about the simplistic chord progressions behind the biggest hits in history, you should just start jamming and see what happens.
We all have the power to be creative. Whether you’re in a band or operating on a solo basis, just hit ‘record’, start messing around with your guitar, piano, voice, or whichever instrument you play, and see what happens. When you listen back to your five or ten minute jamming session later, you’ll likely hate a lot of it. However, there’s every chance that you’ll hear a gem in the form of a musical nugget which will really inspire you to form a fully-fledged song out of what was originally nothing more than a small riff or chord progression. Play around and see what happens, super star!
Hiii everyone and happy weekend! I hope that everyone is having a fabulous day so far. On Thursday I was so flattered to be nominated for My Second One Lovely Blog Award by the sweet Juliet at: notcapulet! I’m so appreciative to everyone who has been nominating me for all of these fun awards lately – believe me, it does not go unnoticed! As always, with these awards comes some rules for the nominees to follow, so take a look:
The Rules:
Thank the person who nominated them, including a link to their blog.
List the rules and include the award badge in their acceptance post.
Add seven facts about yourself.
Nominate fifteen other bloggers and notify them of their nomination.
Now, I suppose I have to think of some new fun facts about me – which is actually kind of difficult! I’m really not that exciting. Let’s see…
All About Me:
I currently have over twenty days worth of music on my iTunes and my collection is always growing. I’m looking forward to adding Enya’s newest album, Dark Sky Island, as well as some Fleetwood Mac next.
I absolutely adore the Despicable Me movies! I usually don’t care for anything animated but those movies are definitely the exception. Minions are my spirit animals and thanks to my boyfriend and sister I have a collection of Despicable Me stuffed animals including: Agnes, Kevin, Stuart, fluffy unicorn, and Kyle!
My two favorite television shows are Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David is a genius.
I love to read and am about to start rereading Neil Gaiman’s Sandman graphic novels for the second time. Sandman is easily one of my favorite series and I plan on getting a tattoo from the amazing artwork that it boasts eventually.
I was completely heartbroken over the deaths of the great David Bowie and Alan Rickman this past week. The world lost two great talents and I am so sad to see them go.
One of my goals is to become fluent in French and I’m working very hard to achieve that.
I’ve gotten over thirty piercings in my twenty-one years of living. I now only have ten – five on my nose, four on my ears, and my bellybutton. I also have four tattoos and I can’t wait to get more soon!
So there you have it, all of the details from My Second One Lovely Blog Award! Thank you so much again to my friend, Juliet, at: notcapulet for nominating me! What is everyone up to this weekend? What are some fun facts about yourself? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Heyyy everyone and welcome to a very special post about one of my new music obsessions, Recipe of Life. ROL is made up of two darling girls, Shelby and Ariel, who are both full of sunny personalities and sweet voices to match. I have been hunting these girls down for months trying to feature their ukulele duo on http://www.lifewithlilred.com and it’s finally happening!
I seriously couldn’t be more excited to shed some light on such a talented group, especially considering they just wrapped up their Lake Erie Shore Tour on top of releasing a new single “Are You Ready?” which is now available on their iTunes, Spotify, Rhapsody, and bandcamp page. “Are You Ready?” is such an addictive song it should be illegal, so check it out and get hooked! (I, for one, am ready! And all of the links to the mentioned sites can be found at the end of the post!)
Recipe of Life debuted their first full length album The Secret Ingredient in 2014 and now I would love to take some time to discuss my personal favorites off of it with you! The Secret Ingredient can be found on all of ROL’s music pages and can be purchased for ten dollars. So click the link and listen along as I offer my humble Lil Red opinion on the album! And make sure you stay tuned after for an exclusive interview with the ROL duo, Shelby and Ariel! Let’s get to it:
Love You Today: This is the first song off of The Secret Ingredient and I absolutely love it. I was listening to this while laying in bed and I kid you not, my notes on the song were “this reminds me of how I feel when I have a crush on someone”. So many of Recipe of Life’s tracks have this ability to bring on the butterflies of being googly eyed over that special someone and “Love You Today” sums that up perfectly. Such a sweet and strong opener!
If the Shoe Fits: Obviously this song is one of my go to’s considering the title is the same as one of my segments on lifewithlilred. 😉 I really like the harmonies that the ROL gals have going on in this track and the lyrics are cute as can be. When I first heard Recipe of Life’s music, I was honestly shocked that I liked it so much. I’m such an alternative and indie girl at heart but it’s impossible to not appreciate this band. All of the emotions in their songs are so honest and relateable. I can’t think of one person who hasn’t wished for a romance that Shelby and Ariel are swooning about in “If the Shoe Fits”.
Spot On: If you guys have read my music reviews before, then you’ll know that this song had me at the opening “doo doo doo’s”. I LOVE THEM! What I think is so memorable about this song is how much fun the girls are having with it. Their little laughs throughout “Spot On” made me smile each time and this is the type of tune that should be played with all of the windows down on a bright day. At the beginning of this post I described Shelby and Ariel’s personalities as “sunny” and you can definitely see why after listening to this little ditty.
Unlovable: This is my favorite song off of The Secret Ingredient, hands down. Honestly, “Unlovable” describes some very real feelings for me, especially with their lyric “Why do you thank me? When there’s nothing to thank me for”. Ugh, I love that. “Unlovable” is the second track off of The Secret Ingredient and I think that it’s such a solid follow up to the opener “Love You Today”. “Unlovable” is the longest song on the album at 4:39 but I wish it could have gone on forever.
The End: Appropriately titled, “The End” is the closing song on The Secret Ingredient and I will seriously be a monkey’s uncle if it isn’t a song in a Disney movie. Literally all I could think about while I listened to this song was a Disney prince and princess serenading each other…Judge me for it. “The End” is a beautiful song to wrap up a beautiful album, so bravo!
I had the opportunity to sit down with the lovely Shelby to chat about the band, boys, and everything in between. Unfortunately, the other half of the Recipe of Life duo, Ariel, is away at college and was unable to attend the interview – but fear not! I was lucky enough to “speak” with her via email to get her input. Thanks to the ROL girls, I have the answers to the questions that I’m sure you’re all dying to know, so take a look:
Lil Red: So how did your duo come into being?
Shelby: Ariel and I became friends our sophomore year of high school. We became Facebook friends because she was friends with my boyfriend, Jimmy, throughout freshman year, so we both figured we should be friends!
Ariel: Shortly after our friendship started we made a cover video of YouTube musician, Orla Gartland’s, song “All The Little Details.” The video got one thousand plus views and we were shocked! That’s when we thought “Hmm. Maybe this music-y thing could go somewhere”. After that pleasant surprise we decided to perform as a duet for the Battle Of The Bands at our high school.
LR: I’m positive that my readers will be curious about where the name Recipe of Life came from, because I definitely am. Is there a story behind the band name?
S: When we were preparing to compete for BOTB, we realized we needed a name! We turned to the internet for inspiration and found a quote that said “Friendship is the most important ingredient in the recipe of life” and it stuck. We thought that it might be too cheesy, but we never changed it!
LR: Would you agree that friendship is the most important ingredient?
S&A: Yes!!
LR: So how did Recipe of Life do in the Battle Of The Bands competition?
S: We won! It was so exciting. We performed two cover songs and the first song that I ever wrote “Forever Yours”, which can be heard on our album.
LR: I noticed that a common theme in your songs is the “perfect” guy, where does the inspiration for this stem from?
S: Definitely my boyfriend, Jimmy. We’ve been dating for six years and I feel like literally all of my songs are about him. Ariel and her mom always were pushing me to write outside of my comfort zone, so the first song I wrote that wasn’t about love was a huge deal!
A: Sometimes my songs are inspired by a relationship – but not as often as Shelby’s! Although, the first song that I wrote about a significant other, “Spot On”, is about the same guy that I’ve been with to this day, three years later! I’m still trying to figure myself and life out, so this gives me a lot of situations to draw from when I write a song. A general curiosity for life helps when I’m trying to put pen to paper.
LR: Six and three years is a long time! My longest relationship was two weeks…ANYWAYS, sometimes I’m shocked by the people who I find out read my blog. Have you ladies ever been surprised by anyone who you found out was a Recipe of Life fan?
S: Our usual demographic is sixteen to twenty-five year old girls, so we were both definitely shocked by our following of middle aged men who were musicians in college!
A: Middle aged adults was definitely unexpected! We also get quite a bit of attention from Christian audiences as well, which I think is interesting. Someone that we were both taken aback by was when Orla Gartland commented on our video for “All The Little Details” saying that she loved it. Like, what?!
LR: Middle aged people is not what I was expecting to hear! But hey, a fans a fan! And now for the interview cliche question, where do you girls see Recipe of Life in two years?
S: Hopefully on tour with a new album out. We would really like to branch out our audience and perform in a bunch of new locations.
A: I would love to hear us on the radio someday so maybe two years is enough time to get that ball rolling! But our next goal as of now is making another full length album.
You heard it first on lifewithlilred! It was so fun having a chit chat with Shelby and Ariel! If you would like to read more of our interview, let me know in the comment section so I can make it happen!
Like it? Love it? Want more of it? You can show love to Recipe of Life by:
Liking them on Facebook
Purchasing The Secret Ingredient off of their music pages like bandcamp and iTunes
Snagging their new single “Are You Ready?”
Checking out their website
Shooting them an email
Commenting on this post so I can relay the message
Here are all of the links to the websites mentioned above:
It has been a complete blast getting to know the Recipe of Life girls, Shelby and Ariel. They are certainly a ukulele strumming duo to watch out for, so be on the look out! How do you feel about Recipe of Life’s music? Do you have any constructive criticism or advice for Shelby and Ariel? We wanna hear from all of you, so leave us a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Heyyy everyone and happy weekend! This post is not only a friendly reminder that I’ll be MIA until the usual Monday Update and Man Crush Monday posts but it’s also a quick preview of things to come on http://www.lifewithlilred.com! But first, why will I be away from the home office this weekend? Because I’m lucky enough to share it with my boyfriend, Kyle, before our week at school and work starts. Curious about my mystery man? Check out this video of him on the news discussing the restaurant he manages, Gervasi Vineyard. Kyle’s interview is the first one featured on the site that I’m posting the link to. He’s a real stud! (And he’s been insistently asking me if I’m ever going to put his two and a half minutes of fame on the ol’ blog!)
So now that you guys have seen Kyle in all of his televised glory, I’m so excited to let you all know about the fun upcoming articles on lifewithlilred! As you know, I wrote for the darling ukulele duo, Recipe Of Life, a week ago and I promise that that will be posted soon! Right when their single “Are You Ready?” is released on iTunes, their write up will be here for your viewing pleasure! I’m so thrilled to be featuring these sweet girls on my blog and I know you’re all going to love them!!
Tomorrow I’ll be taking lifewithlilred to the streets, yet again, to meet with another blossoming talent in Ohio, Britta Michele. Britta is a photographer extraordinaire and owner of Daffodil Blue Photography. I’ll be conducting an interview with the lovely miss over coffee so we can discuss her business and what makes the perfect photograph! A fun impromptu photo shoot is also a possibility, so make sure you keep it posted because there will be a lot more to come!!
With homework, write ups, and boyfriend time this weekend, I’ll be a busy little bee but I’ll be back on Monday for all of the latest and greatest. However, it might not be until the evening when I return home from school! Until then, what is everyone up to this weekend? Any big plans? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Heyyy everyone and TGIF! About a month or so ago, I wrote an article about my desire to play all of the over 8,000 songs on my iPod the entire way through on shuffle. (See: “iTunes Shuffle Challenge”) Unfortunately, I only made it to song 1,000. I seriously couldn’t handle not being able to hear my go to jams whenever I wanted, so thanks to a few of my favorite songs, the score is as follows:
Sarah: 0
iTunes Shuffle Challenge: 7496833058
Now it’s time to share with you the funky time jams that made the iTunes Shuffle Challenge triumph over Lil Red:
Wild For The Night – A$AP Rocky (ft. Skrillix, Birdy Nam Nam): Yes, the lyrics in this song are vulgar to the point that it’s almost shameful. No, I don’t care. This song is my fucking jam. Whenever I’m in the mood to blast rap music at the highest volume possible in the Little Red Love Machine (which is very often), this is my first choice. It’s so damn catchy and I have the biggest, weirdest crush on A$AP Rocky. Ain’t no shame in my game. 😉 #ihatemyself
One Time – K-Os: Oh yes, I looooove me some K-Os and “One Time” is one of my all time favorites by him. This track is so sexy it’s unreal and it’s another one of Lil Red’s go to driving jams. If you haven’t noticed already, a common theme in this post is that these songs are all ones that I like to drive to. Sue me for it. By the time I got about a month into the iTunes Shuffle Challenge, I was so over not being able to hear my favorite driving songs. Everyone has those certain tracks that put them in the best mood while driving and it was very difficult to live without them. But I digress. K-Os came out with a new album recently and I’m very excited to give it a listen…Also, give “One Time” a try. It’s the tits.
Wake Up – AWOLNATION: Obviously AWOLNATION is going to be on this list considering how much I freaking love them. (See: “AWOLNATION Concert” and “Man Crush Monday: Aaron Bruno Edition) AWOL is one of my favorite bands to drive to because their music is so fast paced and upbeat. Around song 500 on my Shuffle Challenge “Like People, Like Plastic” played and I freaked out with happiness and then spiraled into a depression because I couldn’t rock out to any more of their music. It seriously killed me. #neardeathexperiences
That Black Bat Licorice – Jack White: Once again, obviously my main man, Jack White, is going to be on this list. (See: “Man Crush Monday: Jack White Edition) I love playing anything and everything with Mr. White in it, so consider this part of the list an all inclusive blurb for all of Jack White’s past and present bands. Such a beautiful, talented, hunka hunk of burning love. I also really like the music video for this song!
Avocado, Baby – Los Campesinos!: I like this song a lot. Like a lot a lot. I’ve been a Los Campesinos! fan for years and this track is no exception. It’s cool, it’s catchy, and I play it in the Little Red Love Machine at least ten times per week. #MVP
Don’t Save Me – HAIM: Whenever I’m feeling sassy, which is very often, I loves me some HAIM. I’m a big fan of their entire album Days Are Gone and “Don’t Save Me” is probably one of my favorite tracks. I like to play HAIM when I’m in need of a heaping helping of girl power and best believe I’m singing poorly the entire time. Oh, what I wouldn’t do to be a member of that sisterhood (of the traveling pants).
Burnin’ Up – Jonas Brothers: Hahaha…haha…ha. JUDGE ME FOR IT!!! Whenever I’m driving with my sister, this is one of the songs that we like to belt at the top of our lungs. For that reason, “Burnin’ Up” was an accomplice to my iTunes Shuffle Challenge failure. You guys have no idea how hard it was to tell my big sis that she couldn’t play our JoBros anthem because I couldn’t stray away from my shuffle streak. I made a lot of musical sacrifices for the Shuffle Challenge, and not playing “Burnin’ Up” was one of the most difficult ones I had to make. #truestory
So there you have it, the tunes that turned my iTunes Shuffle Challenge into an Epic Failure. What are some of your go to driving songs? How many songs do you have on your iPod and do you think you could succeed at a Shuffle Challenge of your own? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Whatsup everyone and TGIF! So for the past two or so weeks I’ve been dedicated to listening to the 7952 songs on my iPod on shuffle in its entirety. I’m five hundred songs in and it has been an absolute blast so far. I’ve rediscovered a love for some long forgotten songs and stumbled upon music that I didn’t even know I had. Here’s a few of the highlights of my shuffle journey so far:
Breathe Carolina – Velvet: Flippin judge me for it. This song came on yesterday when I was in the Little Red Love Machine and I was SO excited about it. Hearing “Velvet” brought me back to my angsty teenage days so I guess it only seemed appropriate that an angsty twenty-one year old played it four times in a row. I don’t care what anyone says, this song is catchy as hell.
The Front Bottoms – Maps: I’ve always adored The Front Bottoms. I think that their sound is so unique and their lyrics speak to my soul – all of them are so raw and nitty gritty and I really dig that. “Maps” actually came on after my binge listening fest of “Velvet” so the shuffle gods were definitely smiling upon me. I would really like to see these guys in concert but for now I’ll just fan girl over the music video which is actually pretty rad. ONE DAY YOU’LL BE WASHING YOURSELF WITH HAND SOAP IN A PUBLIC BATHROOM!!!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Buried Alive (Ft. Dr. Octagon): First things first, I’m a big Yeah Yeah Yeahs fan so I was simply thrilled when “Buried Alive” came on as I was getting ready for the day this morning. Karen O’s voice is intoxicating as usual and Dr. Octagon gives a really unexpected and cool touch to the song. It’s seriously a perfect collaboration and I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love it. I hope that these two powerhouses do another collab in the future because I think they were really on to something with this track.
Missy Elliott – Get Ur Freak On: I have a wide range of favorite songs from different genres and “Get Ur Freak On” is definitely one of my hip hop favorites. Missy Elliott can do no wrong in my opinion and her and Timbaland are a creative match made in heaven. My day has been full of great music so far because this track came on as I was looking over some math homework and I legitimately had to stop my studies so I could enjoy “Get Ur Freak On” in all of its glory from my humble iPod. I’m not the biggest music video fan but the video for this song is always fun to watch!
The Black Keys – Your Touch: I didn’t care too much for The Black Keys’ album Magic Potion but I really enjoy this track. There’s nothing better than when a song comes on by the Akron, Ohio duo who hit the big time fresh out of my neck of the woods. It’s so wild to think that they used to play at small venues like Musica in Akron and now they’re winning Grammys and doing the damn thing. #RESPECT!!!
The Dead Weather – 60 Feet Tall: A shout out to a song by The Dead Weather wouldn’t be complete without expressing my love for Jack White, so here it goes: Jack White, you beautiful man, I love you SO MUCH. Anyways, I am so glad that The Dead Weather exists because it might just be one of my favorite musical endeavors by Mr. White. Not only is my dream man in the band but I’ve also always adored Alison Mosshart because I’m a big fan of The Kills. I seriously can’t get enough of her sexy bluesy voice – it’s the definition of perfection. I hate using the word “cool” to describe a band but The Dead Weather is the epitome of a cool as hell rock n’ roll group. I enjoy literally every song by them and “60 Feet Tall” is obviously no exception! So SO good.
We Are Scientists – Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt: I used to really like We Are Scientists until I introduced them to my evil ex-boyfriend who cheated on me with a stripper – but that’s neither here nor there. ANYWAYS, after the discovery was made that he was an asshole, I wasn’t in the mood to hear We Are Scientists anymore. I’ve kept them on my iPod for whatever reason and “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” came on a few days ago. Hearing this wicked good track for the first time in years made me remember why I liked We Are Scientists so much in the first place. My love for them definitely was rekindled thanks to the power of the iTunes Shuffle Challenge!
Gorillaz – Dirty Harry: My journey through shuffle-land has been so musically rewarding thus far and one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had was when “Dirty Harry” came on. This song played in the early days of the challenge and I just remember being so happy when I heard the unmistakable intro to the track as I was driving in the Little Red Love Machine. It was a gorgeous sunny day and I had the windows down and my music playing at the loudest possible volume…It was perfect. There’s something about this song that makes me feel so genuinely good, probably because it holds a lot of sentimental value for me. I used to play “Dirty Harry” a lot to hype me up for skating competitions or auditions and it always worked like a charm. This track and I go way back and it will forever be one of my favorites.
So there you have it, the best of the best of my iTunes Shuffle Challenge so far! How many songs do you have on your iTunes? What do you think about starting a shuffle challenge of your own? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Whatsup everyone! I hope you’re having a fabulous Tuesday! It’s very snowy in Akron, Ohio today – what’s the weather like where you’re at?? So earlier this week I noticed that when I talk about music, I rarely mention anything from the rap genre. Contrary to popular belief (people usually classify me as a strictly indie/punk/alt girl), I like quite a bit of rap, so I decided to do an iTunes Shuffle segment specifically for the rap genre. Here’s a few of my go to rap songs when I want to unleash my inner gangster, who’s peacefully slumbering as we speak. Don’t make fun of me too hard for a few of these!
Trinidad James – “All Gold Everything”: LOL pleeease judge me for this one! Don’t believe me, just watch….me dance and sing poorly to this song. During a show I did a few years ago, this song was the straight up theme song for me and a few of my cast mates, so whenever I hear this track it takes me back to the theater! If you don’t rap along to “shout out to the freshmen, on Instagram straight flexin. Popped a molly I’m sweatin (WOO!)” then we can’t be friends. 🙂 #JAMES
Rick Ross ft. Jay-Z – “The Devil is A Lie”: This is actually one of my favorite rap songs, and it has been for the past year or so. I pride myself on knowing all the lyrics to this song, and seeing me rap along to it is TRULY a sight for sore eyes. 😉 I usually don’t care for Rick Ross on an individual level but I very much like his collaborations with other rappers (which is the exact same way I feel about Nicki Minaj). Jay-Z absolutely ANNIHILATES his verse. Hova always kills it in my opinion, but my god do I love his feature in this song. The beat is sick and the lyrics kill. 10/10
Cage – “Captain Bumout”: I absolutely LOVE Cage. I’ve been going on a four year relationship with him in my mind, and we’ve never been happier. What I like so much about this song (asides from the fact that it was the first Cage song I heard), is that it sounds so alternative to me, specifically in the chorus and I really dig that. I like Cage’s newer stuff, but his older albums particularly “Movies for the Blind” is the one that really hits a home run for me. I like how much this album dabbles into horrorcore with the prime example of “Suicidal Failure” which is another one of my favorite Cage songs. Not too many people I know are familiar with Cage, and if you’re not – I urge you to familiarize yourself with him immediately.
Tyler, The Creator – “Goblin”: Yes. Hell yes. I love the same titled album “Goblin” and this song fucking goes IN. I’ll never forget this one time I was driving home from a rehearsal fairly late one night. It was pitch black and it was raining like hell and I had this song straight bumping in my car. It was this really amazing moment because the weather and that pure middle of the night darkness made the perfect background for playing such a dark song. There’s just SO much working in this almost seven minute banger, particularly the lyrics. “I’m fucked in the head, I lost my mind with my virginity.” God, that’s good. I love how this song is a vent session, and even though I might not have similar feelings or situations that Tyler is rapping about, I feel like I can relate anyway. That’s when you know a song is powerful.
Yelawolf – “Daddy’s Lambo”: I. Love. Yelawolf. First things first: hubba hubba, lord have mercy, and marry me now. Second of all: Homeboy spits FIRE. Yelawolf gets compared to Eminem so often, and I can see why – but I’m gonna throw this out there: I don’t care too much for Eminem. One can only handle so much of him being angry and bitter towards his mother and ex-wife. And don’t even get me started on how often he mentions his daughter. -___- Anyways, I like how much fun Yelawolf has with his music, it’s evident in all of his tracks and I appreciate that. Shout out to Drama Beats for laying it down in this song as well. He’s representing Ohio like no other!
Kid Cudi – “Ashin’ Kusher”: Another guy who’s doing Ohio proud! #represent This song is one of my absolute FAVORITE songs to drive to. It’s so catchy and the lyrics are fun as hell. “Who are you, JUDY?!” Ugh, love it. I like Kid Cudi a lot, and I feel like he’s one of those rappers that people who don’t care too much for rap music like anyways. This song is upbeat but it somehow feels so mellow. It’s the perfect song to do some slow head nodding to. I also absolutely love his song “Maniac” that features Cage. So good.
Kanye West – “Blood On The Leaves”: This is one of my all time favorite Kanye West songs. I’ll never forget the first time I heard this and was just blown away. The lyrics are fantastic and it gives such a dark vibe which is always what I’m drawn to. I know the lyrics to this song like the back of my hand, and I somehow always manage to get a bit teary eyed when he says “it’s like I don’t even know ya” which is the perfect sentiment of the disappointment I’ve felt towards many people in my life. “Yeezus” was a hit and miss album for me, but this song made up for all of the misses in a way. Bravo.
Chris Brown ft. T-Pain – “Kiss Kiss”: I told you not to make fun of me too hard for some of the songs on here! Ha, I don’t even care, I love this song. I was fourteen when this song came out, and it takes me back to driving with my sister when she first got her license and this song would play on the radio ALL THE TIME. We would sing poorly to the Chris Brown verses and rap our asses off once T-Pain stepped in. “Shorty let me holla at you, YOU SO HOT HOT HOT HOT!!!” Lol, I can’t even….but I really can.
Nicki Minaj ft. Eminem – “Roman’s Revenge”: Yeah yeah, I know I said I don’t care too much for Eminem or Ms. Minaj but I love this song. SUE ME FOR IT!!! Honestly, “Pink Friday” wasn’t one of the worst albums I’ve heard in my life, and I really do like some of her darker stuff, not that poppy bullshit that’s played on the radio constantly. The lyrics from both her and Em are raw as hell, disgusting, dark, twisted and I shouldn’t love it but I do. I was in high school when “Pink Friday” came out, and me and one of my dear friends at the time would always play this song on the bus and rap along to it. Whenever I’m driving with my sister we tend to do the same thing as well. I dig it. What of it?
Big Sean ft. Kanye West and Roscoe Dash – “Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay”: If you say you don’t like this song, you’re a liar. Plain and simple. I think Big Sean is absolutely hysterical, everything he does just cracks me up. So many of his lyrics are just so goofy! This song is smooth, fun, and the beat is bangin. It’s a great collaboration, and all of the artists just work so well together in this track. Love it. #IDFWU
So there you have it, my iTunes Shuffle: Rap Edition! This doesn’t even begin to cover all of the artists and songs that I like in such a broad genre, but it’s a start! Who’s your favorite rapper? What’s one of your favorite rap albums? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Tuesday! -Sarah
On my beloved iTunes I have a grand total of 7,655 songs on there, and I love them all equally. The genres vary from emo screamo, to indie, to rap, to classic rock n’ roll, and everything in between. So today I thought it would be fun to put the ol’ iTunes on shuffle, and see just what comes up for a few songs. The shuffle journey began with Chiddy Bang, so let’s discuss!
Chiddy Bang “Nothing on We”: Ohhh yes, I love me some Chiddy Bang. The thing that I really love about these gents, is that they’re not incredibly vulgar like some of the rappers on the scene today. Chiddy Bang loves them a good children’s choir as displayed on this song, and guess what? SO DO I! If there’s a children’s choir featured in a song, there’s a 99% guarantee that I’m going to love it. All of the beats used in Chiddy’s music are always so dope too, they just make you wanna shake your groove thang and GO AND GET YOUR MONEY HUSTLERRRR!
Tom Vek “You Need To Work Your Heart Out”: Tom Vek’s entire album “Leisure Seizure” is really just fantastic. It’s a true testament to who he is as an indie artist. I love the mechanical feel of this song and Vek’s monotone that he manages to make sound amazing throughout the track. When I hear this song, all I can imagine is a bio mechanical heart that’s alive with all of the different gears and cogs trying to figure out its next move. I’ve mentioned Tom Vek before, and honestly I don’t think I mention him enough, because his talent is undeniable. I can’t recommend “Leisure Seizure” enough, so make sure you give it a try and let me know what you think!
Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash “Girl From The North Country”: Oh wow. Just as soon as this song came on a tidal wave of emotion flowed throw my entire body and tears INSTANTLY welled up in my eyes. When I was a little girl and my dad would take me to my figure skating lessons, he would always play Johnny Cash in the car. Whenever I hear anything by the Man in Black, I always ALWAYS think of my father. Even if Cash’s music didn’t remind me of anything, it would still probably have that overwhelming emotional effect on me. His voice and his story touches my soul and takes my heart in its hands. This duet ballad between Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan is actually one of my favorites. It evokes feelings of longing in sorrow in me that I didn’t even know I had. So powerful and so damn beautiful.
Justin Timberlake (feat. Drake) “Cabaret”: YESSSSS I love me some JT!!! ❤ I’ve had the biggest crush on him and his talent for as long as I can remember. And might I just say, that I am truly devastated that him and his wife are expecting….that means he was cheating on me 😦 ! (But seriously, congrats Justin and Jessica!) ANYWHO, in my eyes JT can do no wrong, I love his style and his swagger like no other. Drake isn’t one of my favorites in the music scene, but I really like his verse and this collaboration. “The 20/20 Experience” is just an all around great album. No complaints!
Foster The People “Goats In Trees”: I absolutely ADORE Foster The peoples sophomore album “Supermodel”. It’s a much more mature sound on this album that we didn’t quite hear on “Torches”. I love how folksy this little ditty is, it makes me want to sit in a Kumbaya circle around a camp fire and just clap my hands and sway along with the music. And I hate camp fires, so that’s the effect that this song has on me! I love the lead singers falsetto so much, it sounds so natural. He really does make all of his vocalizing seem so easy, which is very pleasing to me. I feel like no matter what genre of music you listen to heavily, you can still appreciate the beauty and simplicity of this song. Absolutely gorgeous.
Fleet Foxes “Battery Kinzie”: I’m a very big fan of the Fleet Foxes. I used the word folksy to describe the last song and I’m going to use it again for “Battery Kinzie” because it’s the perfect way to describe it. There’s nothing I love more than a group of dudes singing along beautifully with an acoustic guitar. Lord have mercy on me. I get a very Mumford and Sons vibe from this song and I get a very Fleet Foxes vibe whenever I hear Mumford and Sons so it’s so clear the inspiration these two bands draw from each other. I always appreciate the scenery that comes to my mind whenever I hear a Fleet Foxes song. For example, when I hear “Battery Kinzie” I picture myself in a field full of wildflowers with a brown barn lurking in the distance. How can you not have a smile on your face when you’re thinking of that?
Cults “Never Saw the Point”: God this girl has such a sweet voice, it’s quite stunning actually, and I don’t say that about a lot of female vocalists. I definitely can get down to some Cults, but not too much because a lot of their songs start to sound the same after a while. Having said that, I love this song. I think it’s a great indie track but there’s something more to this song…I get an almost classical feel from it…and a somewhat jazzy vibe as well, I just can’t put my finger on it. It’s a very ambiguous sounding track and I think that’s what I like so much about it. Miss girl on vocals has an extremely haunting voice which I think just adds to the perfection of this song. This track is spot on. Bravo.
Nelly Furtado (Feat. Timbaland) “Promiscuous”: Hahaha, judge me for it? Nah, I think this song is fabulous. I’ll never forget hearing this song for the first time, I was like “Woah, Nelly!” Ugh…that was such a lame joke…sorry. BUT ANYWAYS, this track is sexy, which was not what the world was expecting from little miss “I’m Like A Bird”. I love basically anything that Timbaland touches, and I can definitely feel his influence on the sound of this song. The sassiness that Furtado achieves in this song is on point, and I feel like every girl kind of wants to be that…not promiscuous! But having all of the perfect sharp and attitude-y comebacks that Furtado sings back to her Promiscuous Boy. When I try to unleash my inner diva I usually just end up flustered and sweaty. This is a confident sounding track, and I dig that.
So there you have it, a quick peak into some of the many artists and songs that I have on my iTunes. Making this post was a lot of fun so I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did making it! Who’s your guilty pleasure artist in your music collection? What was the first album you got to start your collection? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Saturday! -Sarah
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