Good Lorde She is Talented!

Hello everyone out there! Sorry I have been MIA these past few weeks but my life has been a little crazy awesome. I visited Chicago for the first time in the middle of May and that trip was absolutely amazing! My boyfriend and I went and did almost everything a tourist could do in the city. It’s safe to say we both fell in love with the place and cannot wait to go back. Also I move tomorrow back to downtown in the Big D with my new roommate!

                So back to the music. This week I wanted to talk about a truly talented 16 year old girl from New Zealand. She calls herself Lorde but her real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor, which is a pretty sweet name if you ask me. I simply can’t believe this girl is only 16 and this much talent and heart goes into her singing and songwriting. I hope she doesn’t start getting too big for her britches, like some Canadian D-bag we all know (who wears a leather shirt to a basketball game anyway??), because her single “Royals” hit number 1 on the New Zealand charts for about as long as Adele was #1 on Billboard. Yea, she is legit and so is her music. Her LP called The Love Club has 5 delightful songs that quench every musical thirst a person could potentially have. The songs go from slow and sultry to downright dance-y and each one showcases her extreme songwriting talent. Her voice is the other piece of this that just throws me each time I listen to her. It’s soulful and mature but has a hint of adolescence that I haven’t heard before. I call her a blend of Regina Spektor and Santigold.

                And now for my song recommendations:

First and foremost you have to check out her hit single “Royals”. It’s infectious and I love it. And you can be all hipster when the song finally comes to the US and everyone else is just now hearing her.

The next song is the most fun (next to Royals of course) song on the LP. It’s called “Million Dollar Bills” and it has a funky hip hop beat and is so much fun to dance to. I couldn't find a video of this one on YouTube so just check it out :)

Last is the namesake for the LP “The Love Club”. I love this song because it reminds me that a young, ambitious, and optimistic girl sings these songs. It has such a simple rhythm and theme of just simply wanting to belong to something that matters.

Hope you enjoyed Lorde and if you did please buy her LP The Love Club on iTunes! I think it’s like $6 or something… come on you spend that on a coffee these days.

Goes well with: Santigold, Regina Spektor, and Tegan and Sara


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Till Later - Rachel

It's A Beautiful Day in The Neighbourhood

If a smooth R&B artist, an alt rock band, and an amazing lyricist had a magical music baby that child would be the California band The Neighbourhood. The band spells their name with the "ou" so you know they have to be pretty dope. Their sound is a perfect blend of smooth and soulful beats with an alternative rock feel. It's just flat out cool.
I first heard them on the Sirius station Alt Nation, which is where I get pretty much all of my new hipster music, and instantly fell in love. They don't sound like much out there and that is rare these days. It seems like every alt band sounds the same, BLASFEMY!, but it's the truth. Don't get me wrong.... I love alt rock and will never stop listening to it, but at times it gets a bit monotone and when something new and exciting comes along it gets me all giddy. In fact that is what made me decide to start this blog. The great thing about alt rock is the ability to sound different and have people be excited about it! It seems that alt fans, or lets just call them what you call them; Hipsters, are always wanting and looking for new and different music and when it comes along they get giddy right along with me.

So back to The Neighbourhood.....
Love them. They are great. Here are a few of my favorite songs from their debut album I Love You.

This song is their first single called Female Robbery. It starts with these haunting church bells and electric scream that makes your ears perk up and listen. Then his smooth voice kicks in and takes it from there. Not my favorite song but it is what got me interested. Weird video alert.


The next song is Flawless. I. Love. This. Song. I can't really put my finger on why but it just grabs me. Maybe it's the blend of hip hop beats and wailing guitar or the sweet lyrics with a shadowy feel, either way it's top 3 from the album.


The last song I would like to highlight is my favorite from the album and when I see them in June in Dallas and they play this I will FLIP. It's called Sweater Weather. I think this song shows their Cali influences and could quite possibly be a beach bum under that broody exterior.


So those are my 3 songs to check out. Of course I think the whole album is excellent and you should drop the $8 on iTunes and check it out. Or! Even better you could get Spotify. But Rachel, what's Spotify? Well if you haven't heard of it yet it's a music screaming service that pretty much lets you make playlists with every song known to man on your computer. If you buy the $10 monthly premium subscription you can listen on your smart phone and no commercials. It's amazing and I have not bought an iTunes album in forever because I just listen on Spotify.

Goes well with: Pharrell Williams and Youngblood Hawke

-Till Later
Rachel

Pop Doesn't Have to Be a 4 Letter Word - Walk The Moon

As a kid of the 90's I cannot help but love pop songs. One trend in the alt rock scene is the slight pop influences in emerging bands. One band that I have followed and loved since the summer of 2012 is Walk The Moon. They are a 4 piece alt rock band from Cincinnati. Their songs drip with youth and are positively infectious. Each one starts with a bang and has hooks that are clever and hard to get out of your head. In addition to the normal talented musician blah blah they also have electronic and snare drum spotlights. The lead singer will bring out his snare and just WAIL on it during their concerts. It's awesome. I have seen them twice and am currently tapping my foot impatiently, waiting for them to come back to Dallas.
Now to address my pop comment. I know that in the alt world it seems like pop has been a 4 letter word when describing a group or song. Pop doesn't necessarily mean the songs have no substance and were written for someone with a 4th grade education (like songs that list the days of the week and reassure you that, yes, Sunday does come after Saturday). This band uses pop in a very smart and entertaining way. They are an alternative band with a perfectly pop vein wrapped in an easily digestible box. Anyone can listen to this music and it's hard not to enjoy if it's your style.
It's young, fun, upbeat, dance-y, clever, and catchy as hell.

So without further adieu I'd like to present you with my top 3 songs from their debut self titled album. As always if you hear anything you dig please please please check this band out if you already haven't.

The first song I want to highlight is the big single off of the record called "Anna Sun". The video is great, and how can you not love something with a random dance break.


The next song is the opening of their album called Quesadilla. Do not ask my why it's called that and if you know why please comment on here because I would love to know. This song has a much heavier snare feature and the "HEY" makes you punch your fist and shout along with them.


The final song I want to share is Shiver Shiver. If this song picks up steam I think it could be a Top 40 hit. Catchy and fun, just give this song a chance and I can see you listening to it over and over.



One last comment on Walk The Moon, more an anecdote really. My current boyfriend, who is such an amazing man, was dragged to a Walk The Moon show in Austin with me. Mostly against his will. He had never heard of them and was a little unsure about how he would feel about them. He is a pure rock kind of guy and this pop junk doesn't really appeal to him. I bombarded him with the album the whole way down and somehow indoctrinated him into the Walk the Moon fan club. By the time the show started he was jumping and (sort of) singing along with the songs and still tells me how much fun he had at that show. He listens to the band at least once a day and it makes me proud every time he does.

A photo from that show!

Goes well with: Foster The People and Royal Teeth

-Till later

Rachel

The Electric One Man Band - Robert DeLong

It's seems like every guy with a computer and an iTunes account thinks he can make dope mash ups and make us all want to shake our asses to his phat beats. Now I don't want to discredit the whole "guy with a computer" genre because some of them do have incredible talent. Girl Talk to name one of them. However, in this post I would like to talk about, and hopefully introduce you to, one of my new favorite "guy with a computer" who just so happens to be a one man band. Robert DeLong.

I recently went to a concert in Dallas with Two Door Cinema Club as the headliner (check them out if you haven't) and the opener was Mr. Robert DeLong. His sound is a light-dubstep mixed with percussion and keyboard nuances. Oh and he sings. This kid does everything during his show. Runs his computer, plays the drums, plays keyboard, and sings. Just him. It's brave, impressive, and it makes you truly want to shake what your mama gave you.

Here is a run through of his album Just Movement. I don't want to go through the whole thing but I'd like to highlight my favorites.

Global Concepts
This is his most known song. It starts with a lyric focus and this guy can write. His lyrics are witty and the beats behind them just drive the song to it's big climax at the chorus. The beat drops in the best way and you cant help but feel it in your bones.


Perfect
A sweet and simple song that will stick with you. Not quite the dance tune like some of the other tracks but still one of my top 3. The female duet portions are soft but don't get lost in the mix.


Happy
The most fun song on the album. I dare you not to at least bob your head or at least move in some fashion. The flow of the lyrics blend seamlessly with the awesome beat that just makes you want to move.


If anything on this post tickled your dancing fancy I would highly recommend checking this album out.

BTW here is a picture of me and Robert after his show. Pretty awesome huh?

Goes well with: Two Door Cinema Club and Capital Cities

Till Later

-Rachel

Welcome to My Blog

There are those that have said those who can do, those who can't... blog! I cannot play a lick of music and have no discernible talent for an instrument. However I do feel like I have a pretty legit taste in music and am constantly finding and loving new and exciting bands.
With this blog I would like to share the music I listen to, new and old, and hopefully I can turn you on to something you fall in love with.
I'd like to keep the posting to once a week, unless of course there is something I just HAVE to share with you... assuming people will actually read this.
You may laugh, you may cry, you may wonder "why does this girl think she can write a blog?", but above all I hope that you like what I have to say about the bands and albums I write about and maybe find yourself a musical soul mate in me.

Till later

-Rachel