Teenage Dirtbag, Baby

This morning, I had a craving for Wheatus's Teenage Dirtbag and much to my dismay, I could not find it in my itunes, so I went searching on youtube, only to come across their GREAT video for the song. It's from 2000, so maybe the lead singer's baby blue bucket hat and yellow sunglasses were cool then, but now they're just funny. It's also starring some early 2000s big players- Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari. Wheatus is basically a one hit wonder band (as far as I know) but it's a great single.
Check out the video for a study break...you won't regret it!

Bliss n Eso

The Sunday before Finals Week is fun for no one. All weekend, I've been doing work and trying to gear up for my final week of sophomore year. I love to listen to music while I study but it usually distracts me too much. My most recent favorite distraction song is "Reflections" by Bliss n Eso, an Australian hip hop band. It's addicting and reminds me of a combination of Cosmo Jarvis and Atmosphere. The song is off of their upcoming album, Running on Air. They'll be on tour in Australia, so if you happen to be in the Southern Hemisphere this summer, check them out.

It's Most Definitely a Great Song

MOS DEF
An addicting fan video to go with an addicting song from 2009's "The Ecstatic"

Check it out...I'm sure you won't be able to stop listening.

The Old Becomes New Again: Simon & Garfunkel

My love for Simon & Garfunkel runs deep, so I was happy to hear that their 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water was being reissued by Sony. The new edition includes a DVD of a 1969 television special and a making of feature. Their final studio album together, Bridge Over Troubled Water is a great album, chock full of some of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs. I decided to choose just one to stream for you here:
"Song for the Asking"

The Family Sign

Atmosphere released their newest album today, "The Family Sign". Known for their intense, hard-hitting lyrics and upbeat melodies, "The Family Sign" breaks away from this characteristic style a little bit. The original Atmosphere duo, Slug and Ant, has expanded for this album adding a keyboardist and guitarist and the melodies are more laid back and a little solemn. Though this album is very different from the masterpiece that was "When Life Gives You Lemons, Then Paint That Shit Gold," my loyalty to Atmosphere runs deep and I feel like this album still has serious potential. Listen to the whole album for free here: http://www.myspace.com/atmosphere.

Roadtrip Music

Jayne and I went to her house this weekend and ended up spending a few hours en route on a bus either way. Before the trip, I loaded up my iPod with some roadtrip music. Here are a few of the songs I was listening to as we traveled all the way across the state of NY.

EDDIE VEDDER- NEW SOLO ALBUM + TOUR

I am SO excited! I just found out (and I may be late to the party on this one) that Eddie Vedder will be releasing a solo album on May 31st, called Ukulele Songs and will be on a month long summer tour. As a big fan of Vedder's solo work (especially for Into The Wild), I am crossing my fingers that I can find a way to see him play this summer. If I can't see him live, I will just have to console myself with the cd, which judging from the single, is going to be awesome. You can buy the single "Longing to Belong" on iTunes right now.
TOUR DATES

Elevator Music

In honor of my live music radio show tonight, I'm sharing the best video I have seen for a "live" performance. Arcade Fire performs, violins and all, in an elevator. The most impressive part is that the percussion is played by ripping a magazine page at the beat. CHECK IT OUT

Outtakes, Extras, B Sides

Whatever you want to call them, artist's B sides and extra songs released in addition to their albums are sometimes a lot of stuff that maybe shouldn't have ever been produced, but other times they are gems that come to be favorite songs for fans. The Avalanche, an album comprised of the extras and outtakes from Sufjan Steven's Come On Feel The Illinoise, has a mixture of both. One of the best songs on the album is The Perpetual Self or "What Would Saul Alinsky Do?" It has been on repeat on my itunes for the past few days and hopefully it will make it onto your newest playlist.

Visit Sufjan's Myspace page to hear some more music:http://www.myspace.com/sufjanstevens

Angles!

The day has finally come! Or it came... yesterday. The Strokes released their newest album "Angles" and they did not disappoint. It has a very different sound from "Is This It" and "Room On Fire", some of their earlier albums, but the new direction they're taking is definitely a good one . This album may require a few listens to fall in love, but I'm already really enjoying most of the songs, especially "Taken for a Fool", "Machu Piccu" and "Under Cover of Darkness". I would kill to see them at MSG on April 1!

All the Kids....

My friend Natalie turned me onto this song and it is GREAT. Even better with the music video.
Check it out. Foster the People with their new song Pumped Up Kicks

NEW Alexi Murdoch

Singer-Songwriter Alexi Murdoch is back with a new album, Towards the Sun. It will be released on March 8, but until then, you can stream it in its entirety on NPR. Its 7 tracks are very slow and folky and he sings about heartbreak and love. It may sound very common, but Murdoch does it uncommonly well.
Check out the new music, but also check out some of his older stuff. I would recommend "Orange Sky" and "Song For You" from his album Time Without Consequence.

Tiny Desk, Big Voice

NPR has these great acoustic, in office concerts called Tiny Desk concerts where artists come to play a set of roughly three songs. Recently, they had Adele in the studio to sing "Someone Like You", "Chasing Pavements", and her new single "Rolling in the Deep." She sounds great on the video, just as good or better than her recorded songs.

I can't embed the video, so here is a link to the site where you can watch, listen, and read about the concert!

ADELE TINY DESK CONCERT

Last Night on Earth

Noah and the Whale, an indie rock group from London, is back with their third album, Last Night on Earth. The video below is for their single L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. If you don't know the band, their first album, Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down is a great album, with the standout, 5 Years Time. Their name is taken from a combination of a favorite movie The Squid and the Whale and it's director Noah Baumbach. Their second album, First Days of Spring  tells a story and has an accompanying music video, extended film (think a precursor to Kanye West's Runaway). The new single is catchy and a little less folky than their other pursuits.

Look for the album on MARCH 7.

Visit their website HERE for more music/info.  Their music video for LIFEGOESON is on their myspace: HERE

GROUPLOVE

GROUPLOVE is an indie rock group that recently released an EP on Jan 25th. I just stumbled upon the song "colours" and thought it was really catchy and interesting. The music video is pretty weird but well done and I'm excited to see what this group comes up with in the future.

My Body is a Cage

Arcade Fire's "My Body is a Cage" set to scenes from the spaghetti Western, Once Upon a Time in the West. It's a great video for a song that Arcade Fire never made an official video for. Check it out.

Baby, We'll Live a Hell of a Life

Check it out. Kanye West's Runaway album was the soundtrack to my weekend. Watch the video. It may be thirty minutes long and a little weird, but its worth it!

XX and the Machine

I LOVE Florence and the Machine and I LOVE The xx, so what's not to love about The xx mixing "You've Got the Love" by Florence and the Machine?

Check out more from both bands at their myspaces:
The xx
Florence and The Machine

Under Cover of Darkness

The Strokes are back in action! Their single is up on youtube and we're streaming it here as well:

TGIF!

Have a great weekend!!!

Alors on Danse- Stromae
Holding Me Kissing Me Baby- DJ Cammy
Supernova- Calvin Harris Remix

Washington is having a good week

First up, Seattle band The Fleet Foxes have released a single and the release date of their new album. The single, Helplessness Blues, shares a name with the album which is set to be released on May 3rd, followed by a tour of North America and Europe over the summer.
DOWNLOAD: Helplessness Blues

Secondly, and just as exciting, Sasquatch! Music Festival has announced their line-up for Memorial Day Weekend. Held at the Gorge Ampitheatre near Seattle, it's a weekend of camping and music. Big Names like Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Beach House, Iron & Wine, Bassnectar, Best Coast and SO many more promise to make this festival awesome. Check out some music downloads from bands who will be there so you can start planning your trip to the Northwest.
DOWNLOAD:
Boyfriend -Best Coast
Boy With a Coin -Iron & Wine
Grapevine Fires -Death Cab for Cutie

Also, Colgate's hosting State Radio tonight! Should be a great show! Have a good Thursday!

STRFKR

Starfucker (or STRFKR, the more family friendly name) is a relatively new band hailing from Portland, Oregon made up of four guys who like to dress in neon track suits or in drag. Their songs are a mix of electronic-pop beats that are incredibly catchy and full of energy. This song is a preview of their upcoming album Reptilians set to come out March 8, so be on the lookout for that.

DOWNLOAD:

Julius

Living in the Sprawl (II)....

It's not that often that you find an album that you put on repeat and never even skip a song, but Arcade Fire's most recent album, The Suburbs, does it for me. I put it in my car over the summer on the day it came out and I'm pretty sure it's still in there right now.
My goal is to see them live, but I always seem to miss them. They'll be at Coachella, but its across the country and they will be performing in Spain just a month before I get there...missed opportunities. For now, here are a few of the songs from The Suburbs. If you like these, pick up the album (I'm a big believer in physical cds) or really pick up any of their albums, they're all that good.

DOWNLOAD:
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
The Suburbs
Rococo

TGIF

Have a good weekend!

DOWNLOAD!!!


Feel It In My Bones - Tiesto feat. Tegan & Sara
Pursuit of Happiness (Steve Aoki remix) - Kid Cudi
Gone (Live) - Donnis
No Hands (DJ Kue remix) - Wacka Flocka Flame
Take Over Control - Afrojack

When we were young, oh man did we have fun

The Strokes are undeniably awesome. This song is one of my favorites and is off their second album "Is This It" released in 2001. They've got a new CD coming out this march and have already released some tour dates for this spring/summer so be on the lookout for that!

DOWNLOAD!!! Someday

Myriad Harbour

I'm in the mood for some city hustle and bustle (those living in Hamilton, NY probably understand what I'm feeling) and nothing makes me crave it more than "Myriad Harbour" by The New Pornographers. Released in 2007, this isn't exactly a new song, but it's a good one.

DOWNLOAD: Myriad Harbour

It always makes me think of this:

RIP White Stripes

The White Stripes are no longer. The once married, faux sibling duo of Meg and Jack White will no longer be recording or touring, so says a letter to their fans on their website. (Check it out here) As far as I can tell, Jack White's other band, The Raconteurs, is still going strong. In tribute to the 12 year old, Grammy winning band, the video for Icky Thump...

Au Revoir Simone

I wanted to share a song from the band Au Revoir Simone, a three girl group out of hipster central, Williamsburg. "Shadows", a song from their most recent album, Still Night, Still Light, manages to stay dreamy against a background of persistent keyboard. The warm, breathy quality of their music comes mostly from the combination of all three member's voices over vintage keyboard.

Below is the video for the song and a link to download it. (Our blog's first download! More to come!)

DOWNLOAD "Shadows"

Sunshine

All this cold weather makes me miss summer. A lot. This song will probably make you miss it even more, but it's just so good. Atmosphere is a hip hop group based out of Minneapolis that have gained a solid fan base over the last few years.  Check out their myspace, especially the song "Sunshine". It's really chill, laid back and brings back memories of summertime.

http://www.myspace.com/atmosphere

Sneak Peek

NEW BRIGHT EYES ALBUM. 


Bright Eyes is set to release a new album, The People's Key, February 15th, but right now on NPR, you can stream the whole album for free, two weeks in advance! Hilton at npr says, "This is the best record Bright Eyes has ever made" and from what I've heard so far, I'm inclined to agree. Be warned that the record begins with a spoken word commentary on time, UFOs, aliens, other weird stuff. Don't be put off by this, because as soon as the music starts, you'll forget about the trippy opening. Check it out when you have time, stream the whole album, or maybe just a few tracks. 

Local Natives

Local Natives is an up and coming indie-rock group based in Los Angeles. This song is off the album "Gorilla Manor" released in 2010. They have a pretty upbeat vibe and this song is especially catchy so give it a listen! 

check out their myspace below to hear more:

http://www.myspace.com/localnatives/music

-Jayne

Girls! Girls! Girls!

Girls, one of my new favorite bands, hails from sunny California. They've got a lo-fi surfer pop thing going on that I love. Ironically, the band is made of no girls, but two guys, Christopher Owens and Chet White. The video above is "Lust for Life" off of their aptly titled album, Album.


Check out more of their stuff at their myspace:http://www.myspace.com/girls


-Katie

Welcome!

We hope you all enjoy the music and keep checking back for more updates. We'll be throwing new music and music videos up on the site as often as possible.

Stay Classy San Diego,
Jayne and Katie