You

If anyone else has had a somewhat traumatizing Monday after this weekend (hello, bender).. I can only hope that this song will soothe your soul as much as it has mine. To me it feels kind of like Bon Iver's vocals but Fleet Foxes rhythms/acoustics with electronic elements awesomely swirled in, which brings us to who it actually is: Kyson. His album A Book of Flying will be out April 1, but for now I'm just going to listen to this beautiful track on repeat as I wind down this evening.

Kyson - You

Berlin Blues

Whoa. I love finding artists like this vibrant South African, Alice Phoebe Lou, who just reflects sheer and raw talent. The intonations in her vocals are strangely reminiscent to Regina Spektor (who, of course, I absolutely adore). On the other hand, the acoustics and rhythm pick up are a bit more fun and rugged. Huge fan!

Alice Phoebe Lou - Berlin Blues

Way to be Loved

I haven't stopped listening to this track since I heard it a few weeks ago. The stellar lo-fi vibes emitted from the whispery vocals of Jane Penny speak volumes for this one and have a way of putting the listener at an unanticipated ease when combined with the light and airy instrumentals, particularly the guitar riffs. After hearing "Way to be Loved," I was of course compelled to explore previous releases by Tops, specifically from their latest album Picture You Staring. It's fascinating to me to see how musicians today pull inspiration from totally different decades to create something that we deem "modern." Check out the slow "Outside" below "Way to be Loved" to see what I mean (lots of 80s-like influences, but with modern-day indie stuff combined). I am a huge fan and would love to hear more from Tops in the future.

Tops - Way to be Loved

Tops - Outside

True That

So in case you missed it, Michael Cera (George Michael Bluth) apparently dropped an album yesterday. It's actually pretty good if you're into the lo-fi alternative scene, or just feeling moody. Anyways, props to you Michael Cera for putting yourself out there. Check it out below:

Smokestacks

This seemingly dark track somehow manages to find a way to feel empowering with its steadily building rhythm. Layla's exceptional voice is super calming and the layering of the chant-like vocals really add some mystery to the mix that I can't stop listening to.

Layla - Smokestacks

My Silver Lining

I first heard of First Aid Kit when they covered Fever Ray's "When I Grow Up" flawlessly with their smooth angelic voices (see below; the accompanying stop motion video that someone did for it is pretty cool too). Anyways these Swedish beauties/Free People poster children are back, this time with a very folkish/almost 70s sounding country western track, "My Silver Lining." Their sound is so refreshingly unique especially in today's standards of pop and what not. The lyrics of this track are pretty inspirational and powerfully positive to reinforce any trickle of hope you may have to just keep on keeping on. I'm excited to hear their upcoming album, Stay Gold, due out June 10 (also curious about the silver/gold combo...?).

First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining

First Aid Kid - When I Grow Up (Fever Ray Cover)

"Too much time spent on nothing, waiting for a moment to arise..."

I love this little stop-motion video!

***Bonus: You are probably already familiar with this track because it's pretty old but I still love it. Beautiful remix.

First Aid Kit - Winter Is All Over You (Baauer Remix)

Southern Sun

Totally switching gears on you here, Boy & Bear comes at me like a smooth blend between the sounds of Fleet Foxes and The Shins. This song is the first solid acoustic one that I've heard in awhile and makes me want to soak up the southern sun even more than I already did before.

Boy & Bear - Southern Sun

Now You Know My Name

Any relatively good tune with whistling involved: count me in. The Derevolutions bring us the cute and catchy "Now You Know My Name" with positively benevolent feel-good vibes... absolutely perfect for springtime. The out of tune sounding guitar in the background instrumentals give it a little bit of quirk but somehow manages to blend together very well.

The Derevolutions - Now You Know My Name

Morning Phase

I'm really mad at myself that it's taken me this long to listen to Beck's latest album  Morning Phase, which was released last month, after taking a more than 5 year hiatus since Modern Guilt. His beautiful voice is highlighted more so than ever as it intertwines within the wonderful acoustics of this album, which include numerous enchanting string instrumentals. In case you're on the same page as me, I just wanted to post some of my favorites to have on record.

Beck - Blue Moon

Beck - Morning

Beck - Say Goodbye

Magic

The latest from Coldplay's Ghost Stories album due out May 19th (with only 9 tracks.. sadface) is the enchanting "Magic." This is in a totally different style than the other song "Midnight"  that they released a few weeks ago and reverts back to the classic Coldplay style. I'm looking forward to hearing more like this from Ghost Stories-- the cheery vibes are perfect for a slow and sunny day like today.

Coldplay - Magic

Blood

Speaking of Local Natives, this new group O s c a from the UK has a very similar sound in their debut song Blood. For me the piano really brings out some wonderful aspects and the repeating chant-like vocals that play throughout the background give the song a comforting repetitiveness.

O s c a - Blood