Listen as you go!
Hotel Eden – Golden Sun The happiest of all songs! My brother showed this song to me a little over a month ago and I instantly fell in love with it. "Golden Sun" is super pop-y and very catchy. It leaves ya feeling good and uppity. It’s a great song to listen to while on a walk or feel the need to start dancing. Great witty lyrics with a jumpy bass beat, perfect for Spring. The Shoes Feat. Esser – Made For You Where do I start with this song? Made by my ultimate favorite new age Europeans. Esser himself is a rock star, I have a tattoo of his lyrics in his handwriting. He’s innovative and musically, way beyond his place here in time. His album Braveface left a huge mark on me. Esser is brilliant and I find absolute solace in his music, especially on his latest EP- Enmity (2012). It’s groovy, great beats and rhythms, the world is truly missing a new-age artist here. The Shoes (I found them thru more Esser collaborations), ah wow. French pop-electric group who have guests on their albums much like Mark Ronson does. They produce the greatest beats I’ve ever heard and they have the weirdest/most creative/interesting/strangest music videos, take my favorite one for example or this one! This particular song is off of their latest album Chemicals. It’s a perfect blend of pop, electronic, dance and indie. The beauty of Esser’s voice mixed with the genius of Shoes’ beats is just stunning. The rest of the album is just as fantastic. Madonna – Express Yourself Sometimes inspiration happens at the most unexpected places and at the most unexpected times. This is one of them. I know Madonna, I know her music, my mom is a huge fan and I’ve been listening to Madonna’s classics since I was a kid. But I got into this song from a Pepsi commercial, I hate admitting that out loud, but hey! inspiration happens at the weirdest times. I like to think of it as it entered my life at the most purposeful of times. It’s an empowering song and it’s really helped me get my shit together this month. Madonna has helped me literally express myself, lol! I like that this is a high energy song with a great message. Always good to have a reminder to express yourself! School of Seven Bells – Ablaze When I was a freshman in high school, I used to obsess over SPIN magazine. I would read pages after pages, up and down, sideways and all around. I was obsessed with finding new music. As cringe worthy as that sounds, it’s what helped shape my musical tastes. I first heard of School of Seven Bells as “SPIN’s top acts to hear now” and their song “Chain” off of Alpinisms hooked me into their alternative-dance pop. “Ablaze” is a constant high, an unstoppable force of drums and harmonies. It’s about love and setting someone’s flame when they felt they were drowning. It’s a sweet song with a great fire-y energy. Best Coast – Feeling OK First off, if you were to tell me to listen to Best Coast’s new music about 4 weeks ago, I’d tell you to fucking off. I felt that Best Coast’s music was overly pop-y and too produced especially from their second album, The Only Place. I was a huge fan of their first album, Crazy for You and their EPs before then. I found it was fantastically raw, gritty and pure rock and roll that I had really enjoyed and even called it my favorite. But after The Only Place’s dissatisfaction, I left Best Coast right there in 2012. But as of recently, I decided to take a stroll back into memory lane and see what Best Coast was up to for the past 4 years. “Feeling OK” still proved that it’s a little too produced and clean, but the melodies and the catchy lyrics hooked me. So yes dear reader, I’m sorry about my earlier feelings towards Best Coast because “Feeling OK” is amazing. It’s relatable, very fun to listen to and it makes me feel the sun wherever I go. Neon Indian – Slumlord If you’ve somehow kept track of my picks of the month, you’d know that Neon Indian’s “Slumlord’s Re-Lease” was in my Honorable Mention’s list for January. To be fair, it’s an excellent song from Neon Indian’s newest record, Vega Intl. Night School. But regardless, “Slumlord”, has made March’s list because it’s been on nearly every playlist I’ve made. It’s got a fantastic and smooth build up; once the drums and bass line kicks in, you’re in for a ride. I cannot get the credit of finding this song on my own, my very talented and musical brother is a HUGE fan of Neon Indian and showed this one to me. Like most of what I listen to, I’m influenced by the people around me. It’s fashionable, great energy, great flow and the beats are strong. A fantastic tune to walk to when you’re getting ready in the morning or at night! A perfect song to get moving to. ABBA – Eagle By far from one of the most important, brilliant, beautifully produced albums of all time. “Eagle” kicks off ABBA’s The Album in the most powerful way. It’s a song of great hope and true release of freedom. The music itself is beautifully crafted and simply so harmonious. It’s got a great journey about it. The synths and the guitar strides together like an eagle, so to speak. The sense of freedom of this song makes it the masterpiece that it is. I don’t care what people say about ABBA, you’re either a fan or not. Most people not. But I suggest looking at ABBA in a different light because they’re so much more than those dancing queens. Beach House – Space Song In January’s list, I had mentioned Beach House and my slight disappointment in their album Depression Cherry because I was looking for more pop rather than ambiance. Well, dear reader, I’ve fucked up. “Space Song” is track number three on Cherry, and I’ve found that it’s my calm down song. It’s helped me to feel relaxed and more peaceful. Victoria Legrand can literally do no wrong. Her voice is so soothing on top of the waning of the guitar. If you’re looking for a song to help you get ready for bed or a song to help you cool down from work or a work out, “Space Song” will take you there. Koi Child – Touch ‘Em Need a pick-me up? Looking for something to get you out the door and ready? This is it. Its powerful intro makes you feel on top of the world. In a recent music chat with my fellow blogger friend, Michael; he suggested this song and my god, I’m so glad he did. A whimsical mix of jazz, hip hop, jam and big band, the latest album of Koi Child is not something to be missed or messed with. It’s extremely powerful and Koi Child is a work of art. The drums alone in this song is its own shooting star. High energy, talent and groove. The Who – See Me, Feel Me Oh man where do I start with The Who? Perhaps the fact that they’ve been with me my entire life, it’s hard to know where to begin! Being introduced to this massive musical power at a young age didn’t start well, however I came to my senses in high school and figured out the true masters that are The Who. It’s not hard to see how influential my father’s music tastes are on me, The Who is the glue that holds my family together. I was able to see my first Who concert when they did their Quadrophenia tour in 2012 and twice during their Who Hits 50 tour. “See Me Feel Me” brought a new light onto the band for me, and it was performed perfectly during their stop in Chicago this month. The entire show left me with goosebumps and the biggest smile on my face. Going to see The Who live is always magical because they’re legends and infinite icons. The band may be 50 years old, but they know how to rock out an arena. Honorable Mentions: Prince Rama - So Destroyed (channeling Rage Peace) In conclusion dear reader, I’ve found that this month’s theme is power with more female influence, musically. This month had a lot of new opportunities for me as well as a great spring break vacation. So this a mix of powerful messages and relaxation. I picked songs that helped me get going and songs that helped me unwind. Songs on the ends of each spectrum but hopefully you’re beginning to Spring was as powerful as mine. Can’t wait to see what April has in store! If you have any suggestions for next month or want to discuss any of my February picks, let me know at: [email protected] OR @jessfsamson
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April 2018
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