Luxuries

The softly hypnotizing and consistent vocals in "Luxuries" situate themselves perfectly amongst the gamut of instrumentals, especially the constant 5 guitar notes in the background, to lull you into a pleasant daze. The electronic elements of this one are also super well done and it's an overall relaxing track. This one might help you unwind at the end of a long day.

Folded Like Fabric - Luxuries

Silly Me

Wow, how refreshing it is to hear from Yeasayer again and also to hear a song about admitting that we can all be wrong!!! Silly me, I thought all people would be able to do that. It has been awhile since their wonderful "Ambling Alp" carried me through freshman year, but they sure have a sound that stays with you. I love the unique instrumentals and of course their outstanding vocals, both of which are definitely not lost in their latest release. With such a distinctive style, they stay in your memory and when I saw that they had something new, I was thrilled. This is just one of the singles from their upcoming album Amen & Goodbye coming out April 1.

Yeasayer - Silly Me

Clay

I can't say I know much about Londoner Hudson Scott, as "Clay" is his first release, but I can say that I really enjoy this one. It exudes some nice peachy keen carefree feels that makes you forget about your troubles. The guitar carries the song from start to finish and the Scott's deep vocals keep things nicely balanced. Here's a nice laid-back Sunday slow jam for you to enjoy while not moving much today!

Hudson Scott - Clay

Fading

The first thing that came to mind when hearing this track a few weeks ago was how similar the vocals sounded to those of London Grammar (except that fact that this duo hails from Australia). Beautifully soft and eloquent, they really carry out the ambient vibes of this song. Of course, the low-key instrumentals flow nicely alongside them and I love how they pick up around the 3 minute mark. This one is perfect for the deadbeat feeling of a Monday night.. and on that note, it's time for bed.

Two People - Fading

No Matter What

I'm not sure of Violet Sands' story, other than the fact that they're from New York. What I do know is that this track of theirs is pretty unique, mixing almost a soul/R&B voice with some really cool electronic beats. It's truly a good vibes only song and I just love it! I hope to hear more from them soon.

Violet Sands - No Matter What

Reichpop

It can be confusing sometimes to have such varied interests in terms of music because Wild Nothing is perhaps the exact opposite of all the electronic stuff I've been posting recently, but I still love them. I've been listening to them since 2010 and it's been awesome to hear how their sound has changed (still love "Chinatown" and "Wait"). It's nice to embrace such a plethora of tunes and their distinct types or classifications, which I've found to be constantly dissolving or morphing into other things as time goes on. We're pretty much spoiled now by having such liberal access to jams! Moving on... this upbeat track is the latest from Wild Nothing and, as the title suggests, there is a bit of "pop" involved, which I really dig. Anything with xylophones, really, please sign me up. I also enjoy the little laser sounds throughout the song and I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of Wild Nothing's album Life of Pause (great title), due out February 19.

Wild Nothing - Reichpop

Believe You're Mine

This song reminds me of something you might have heard on an early 2000s MTV reality TV show... in every good way possible that is!!! (RE: Eighth and Oceans "Beautiful Love" by the Afters). So anyways, I love all the sadness and despair of the lyrics but also the fact that you can still totally jam out to it.

Nada Surf - Believe You're Mine

In The Air

If I still had a car to drive, I would jam to this song with the windows rolled down. Nothing like a relaxed rock-ish sound to pair with the wind in your face and hair. This is clearly a song about moving on, and puts a nice uplifting vibe in the air.. hehe. Enjoy!

Ten Fé - In The Air

Spectrolite

This is one of those songs that feels like you're in a dream sequence that you never want to end. I love it. Seriously I've listened to it on single repeat more times than I care to admit. The sounds blend together in this kaleidoscopic manner that makes everything super hazy but vibrant at the same time and I just can't turn away. The vocals are superb as well and mix so nicely. All I was able to find out about Bayonne is that it's a guy named Roger Sellers from Austin, Texas and this is the only song that I've found by him so far. Anyways, I hope he continues making tracks like this because I clearly can't get enough.

Bayonne - Spectrolite

Fais Rien

Wow, okay. I never thought I would hear a song condoning one of my favorite activities, that is, to do nothing, which is the meaning of this track's title. (I guess my French proficiency helps sometimes...)  The majestical Moi je (= me I [?]) hails from Lyon, France, one of my favorite cities. But anyways this upbeat bippity boppity tune is perfect for my everyday lazy day lifestyle, which, yes, I know, won't last. But I'm certainly enjoying it while I can! Fais rien, all day, every day.

Moi je - Fais Rien

Mating Ritual

I'm catching up on posting, as per usual, and I know that these songs are like a month or more old so forgive meh. These tracks by Mating Ritual (aka Ryan Marshall Lawhon) simply cannot be overlooked. Both songs have lovely and brutally honest lyrics produced with enough electronic beats full of energy so that they don't get swept under the rug as a typical indie-ish sound. The best line of "Game" in my opinion is: "I'll tell you whatever I want and let you think it's the truth" because, I mean, that's just true for everything. But think what you want! Life's a game, ya know?

Mating Ritual - Game

Mating Ritual - Toxins

Colors

Mexico City Blondes is pretty kickass. Although the duo of Allie Thompson and Greg Doscher do not hail from Mexico City but actually Santa Barabara, they are both indeed blonde. I am a huge fan of Allie's smoky and retro sounding voice, which stands out beautifully amongst tons of people who can't actually sing today. My favorite part of the song is when it breaks down around 1:40 as Allie sings "We found a new room with a view..." and then it picks back up again with a newfound energy. I love this track in addition to their debut single, "Fade." I hope to hear more from these golden haired beauties soon.

Mexico City Blondes - Colors

10,000 Emerald Pools

This song is dope, but I definitely thought it was a girl singing. Upon finding Børns' Instagram, I stand corrected. Still confused, but it won't stop me from liking this happy little track.

Børns - 10,000 Emerald Pools

Goodbye Summer

For obvious reasons, this song is depressing AF. Welcome to September. Unfortunately, Misun did not release this in time to make the well-known 500 Days of Summer soundtrack... yes, I do own it. After a little more research on the DC-based group, even though I've already posted a few of their amazing tracks, I found that the group is named for their wonderful whispery vocalist, Misun Wojcik. Also their producer and guitarist is none other than Nacey.. wut. This track is a beautiful type of sad and only makes me look forward to next summer even more. Goodbye sweet summer, we'll miss you dearly.

Misun - Goodbye Summer

Go

For those of you who didn't know, Grimes (aka Claire Boucher) is actually my spirit animal to the core. I first fell in love with her music when I heard "Oblivion" because at the time when it came out it felt (and still does feel) like it applies directly to me. Not only is she super cool and relatable, not to mention hilarious (check out her twitter feed & tumblr), it's clear that she is an extremely hardworking individual who does her best to convey her message as an artist. Grimes is a punk-ish "urban faery" according to her tumblr, with a flavor that can't be confused with anyone else, and for that I have mad respect. About being an artist in such a competitive industry, she says:

never thought of myself as a 'female' artist until writers, agents, labels etc. started referring to me as such

She has an amazing track record when it comes to music videos. The one for "Genesis" is bizarrely brilliant, but you just can't help but love it, as Grimes comes off as an obvious badass while playing with a boa constrictor, but definitely not à la Britney Spears. I already loved "Oblivion" as a song, but when the video came out, I felt like I truly understood where Grimes was coming from as an artist who often can go under the radar. It's just like the idea of feeling completely isolated even when you're around a ton of people, but she likes it because she's still jammin' in her own world with her headphones on.. SPEAK TO ME GRIMES. So perfect.

The song "Go" was originally written by Grimes and Blood Diamonds for Rihanna, but it was apparently turned down (... for what). Even though the song is a bit different than her airy style, it works magnificently. The video for the awesome summer track was released last week and it was co-directed by Grimes and her brother. About the video, she says:

It’s supposed to be dante’s inferno (abstractly), different layers of hell etc. super visually inspired by like x men, metal gear, dune. haha, maybe thats too all over the place and doesn’t make sense, but yea, enjoy! 

It's our take on Dante's inferno. The circles of hell reflect more contemporary issues though. We shot a bunch at the Salton Sea which is basically an apocalyptic wasteland filled with dead fish because of human carelessness, the bullet hole hallway a la Korn's 'Freak on a Leash' etc etc.

I've literally got a callous on my butt from sitting down editing 20 hrs a day for a week strait haha, i hope its not permanent
— grimes 0_0 (@Grimezsz) August 10, 2014

She clearly worked very hard on the video, and I think it turned out fantastically. Mad love for her and can't wait until she comes out with more awesome jams. Check it out here:

Grimes - Go ft. Blood Diamonds

Control (+ Remix)

This openly confessional song by Olympic Ayres, an upbeat duo from Sydney, is entirely refreshing. It's been awhile since I've heard from a new indie-ish group that I actually enjoy but they absolutely kill it. Can't wait to hear more from them!

Olympic Ayres - Control

***BONUS: A lil' remix for your listening pleasure.

Olympic Ayres - Control (Pat Lok Remix)

Left Hand Free // Every Other Freckle

Alt-J has slowly been trickling out new singles from their upcoming album, This Is All Yours, which is due out September 22. These two are the latest, but leave me wanting to hear more! I love how upbeat "Left Hand Free" is. The vocals are distinctly alt-J, but the beat seems to me a bit more Black Keys-esque, which I absolutely love. Side note: does anyone know what N-E-O-O-M-G-G is supposed to mean? Am I stupid? (Just answer the first question..) I like the new direction of this tune and hopefully hints at a more rock-ish album. Moreover, "Every Other Freckle" seems to suggest somewhat the same, although it is a little more alternative-y sounding, but I still like it. Give both a listen below:

alt-J - Left Hand Free

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alt-J - Every Other Freckle

P L A Y

I am going back through all my drafts of posts and trying to publish all of them and here is a little indie pop gem that I didn't want to get left behind! A sweet beat combined with dreamy vocals is a good match. Nothing but good vibes here.

Fickle Friends - P L A Y

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:

Living Without You

The last I heard from Monarchy was their bubbly and fun song "You Don't Want To Dance With Me." The lyrical content of this song is little heavy (clearly meant to be a post-breakup jam) but it's balanced well with the awesome electronic instrumentals. It's delightfully upbeat, and I can deal with that.

Monarchy - Living Without You