Stuck In My Skull 355: 90s Week, Part 1 -- "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"

90's Week, Part 1 || Song: "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" || Artist: Backstreet Boys || http://youtu.be/O6XE1XRiLeY ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/O6XE1XRiLeY]

Comments: Well, Amanda proposed we do 90's week, so here we are. For the life of me, I don't know where I'm going to find a week's worth of 90's. The 90's essentially predated my interest in music, and the only bad I really cared about, well, here they are. And it turns out, yes, I still know the words. Campy? Nostalgic? Of course. But awesome. Enjoy the memories! And make sure you check back tomorrow -- we might be teasing some announcements in the new year!

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ETC #37 "Higher" 90's Week

Song: "Higher"
Artist: Creed
Link: http://youtu.be/J16lInLZRms

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J16lInLZRms]

Comments:  Happy New Year's Eve everyone!  In the spirit of people making resolutions I decided that this would be a decent song to start off the week.  Not only this, but as you may have noticed from the title, SIMS is doing a 90's week and what's better than a little bit of Creed.  This is one song that I'm sure most if not all people reading this have heard of. I honestly had forgotten that this band had a couple of albums released in the 90s. It's a bit cheesy and at the very end of the decade, but hey it's a catchy tune.  I'm not sure why, but I'm really in love with this Stapp's voice (and his hair, but that's not music related).  This is the first single off of their album Human Clay and as I mentioned quite successful.  I hope that you all have some goal big or small for 2013. I know that I've got some. I also realize that change can be difficult, but don't get discouraged and remember that feeling of accomplishment that you'll have when you're done. Anyhow, let the new year help you to appreciate your dreams, make those dreams yours, and let them take you higher.   Happy listening, all!

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Stuck In My Skull 354 -- "Sleepless"

Song: "Sleepless" || Artist: Deadmau5 || http://youtu.be/l2L599fMDPI ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/l2L599fMDPI]

Comments: Good morning, everyone. This song comes from Deadmau5's latest album, called " > album title goes here < ". It's a really new and different sound for Deadmau5, and I thought it was really interesting, so I just had to post it here. Rather than search for words, I'll just say it's slower and quieter than most songs by Deadmau5, and you should definitely give it a listen. Enjoy!

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ETC #36 "Sweet Nothing" NSFW

Song: "Sweet Nothing"
Artist: Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch
Link: http://youtu.be/17ozSeGw-fY

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ozSeGw-fY]

Comments: Haaaaapy Friday!  Firstly, I need to apologize because there hasn't been much etc. in ETC, but I'm hoping that will change a bit come next week.  Like I said in a previous post, I have obtained a lot of new music and most of it is pop oriented, however, I'm going to try and mix it up a bit since you have been getting a lot of the common pop songs this week.  This song in particular didn't get nearly as much radio play as I would like.  Then again, the purity of Welch's voice makes me wish that most of her music gets more radio time then it does.  Calvin Harris, whom I have not previously heard of is apparently a Scottish DJ and if he produces many of songs in a similar fashion to this then I am all for it.  I need to look up some of his previous work because he is not new to the scene.  Anyhow, this song has a similar story line to Rihanna and Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" except the video takes place in a more street and bar setting versus the bedroom.  The video has a few intense moments. I only labeled this NSFW because of the brief nudity.  In the grand scheme of things it could be much worse, but just in case.  Happy listening!

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AMANDA-- "ASLEEP" by THE SMITHS

Hey all! I'm writing today's entry rather late and am pretty tired to be honest (so please forgive me if I sound incoherent) That's not the only reason I've chosen this song though. I recently watched the film adaptation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and "Asleep" was the main character Charlie's favorite song. I haven't put any of their stuff on here before but I adore The Smiths.  The simplicity of the vocals and piano playing  are what's most striking to me about this song; that it's so stripped down is what makes it beautiful and honest in my mind. I frequently have trouble getting to/staying asleep and a couple of my friends are having the same problem.  Maybe this will help them in some small way. Have a great day!

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Stuck In My Skull 353 -- "Last of the Wilds"

Song: "Last of the Wilds" || Artist: Nightwish || http://youtu.be/vouAtmE13vs ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/vouAtmE13vs]

Comments: So, I recently (Christmas) came into quite a bit of music. In addition, I recently turned on a radio and realized "Wow, I'm really behind on pop music!" So, between both of those factors, I will be sending you some new tunes soon. But for today, I beg your pardon, but I have to pass this song along. Nightwish is generally considered to be masters of symphonic metal, but they're also really good at putting together an instrumental track -- all of the symphonic and none of the metal. "Last of the Wilds" is the symphonic track from Nightwish's album Dark Passion Play. Enjoy!

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Stuck In My Skull 352 -- "Thrift Shop"

Song: "Thrift Shop" || Artist: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz || http://youtu.be/QK8mJJJvaes ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/QK8mJJJvaes]

Comments: Hello, everyone! Hope you all had a good Christmas (if that's your thing) or other holiday/normal day. Somebody suggested that I listen to this song forever ago, and now that I have, I realize I should have made time to do so sooner. And I feel really bad, because I don't remember who told me! Whoever you are, please please please message me and I'll credit you! Anyway, song. Song is hilarious. And true. If you think Goodwill is lower-class, icky, or generally not worth it, you are so wrong. I personally have gotten a suit and a tuxedo from thrift shops, and they were dirt cheap. I also found an old computer there the other day. Sure, it's missing some stuff, but it was $6... and the RAM is selling for $16 on ebay. And on that note, enjoy the song!

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ETC #35 "Trespassing"

Song: "Trespassing"
Artist: Adam Lambert
Link: http://youtu.be/qwVkYcjvfqA

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwVkYcjvfqA]

Comments: Morning all!  I hope you're enjoying your holiday season and if you are braving the people today, good luck.  I was lucky enough to obtain a large amount of music over the course of the holiday and I completely forgot about this album.  I posted a song from this album over the summer when if first came out (if I'm not mistaken), but here's another from Mr. Lambert.  I wanted to do something a bit up tempo, feel good, and great music for today.   Unfortunately, this particular song doesn't appear to have a video.  I did find something for you all to watch it's just not a fancy, shiny video. Anyhow, happy listening!

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AMANDA-- "WHITE CHRISTMAS" BY OTIS REDDING

Hello! Let me start off by wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!  I don't have much to say except that this song is a cover of one of the best Christmas songs of all time by soul legend Otis Redding. I'm a fan of  both Christmas music and the genre of soul, especially Otis Redding. Though he passed long ago, his electrifying performances continue to amaze and delight me. Like all his songs, he infuses a real sense of authenticity and emotionality into this one, which was originally written by Russian composer Irving Berlin (who was actually Jewish!) and later popularized by singer/actor Bing Crosby.  If you didn't know better you might even mistake it for a love song. Merry Christmas and happy listening!

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Merry Christmas!

Hey everyone, and happy holidays! The column Stuck In My Skull is taking the day off to celebrate the day with family. Enjoy your holiday!

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Stuck In My Skull 351 -- "Scream and Shout"

Song: "Scream and Shout" || Artist: will.i.am feat. Britney Spears || http://youtu.be/kYtGl1dX5qI ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/kYtGl1dX5qI]

Comments: Happy Monday, folks! Let me preface this commentary by saying watch this video. Some of my comments might sound a tad negative, but watch the video. That being said, this song confused me. I feel as though will.i.am is still exploring his style as a solo artist, and this video feels like he was trying to go more hiphop than electro or pop. The iconography in the video seems to reinforce this. But I can't really look at this song and say "Oh, will.i.am just wanted to go hiphop," because he didn't. There are so many styles in here, that I really can't figure out what he was trying to do. But the glory of will.i.am is that he still managed to make the song sound good. And say what you will about his music, but he knows how to make a visually striking music video. As for Britney... why does she sound British? And is it just me, or is she channeling Dev?

Enjoy the song!

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ETC #34 "I Cry"

Song: "I Cry"
Artist: Flo Rida
Link: http://youtu.be/OLuWHr6-0YQ

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLuWHr6-0YQ]

Comments: Hey there!  Happy Christmas Eve.  Please don't be deceived by the title of this song. It is actually quite upbeat.  The one thing that I will say is that the beginning is a bit sad when Flo Rida talks about growing up in the projects and throughout the video as well.  There are a lot of pictures of...you know what, I don't want to spoil it.  Please take the time to watch and appreciate the video.  I hope that at least watching the beginning makes y'all feel thankful for what you have.  #rantover   Anyway,  this techno beat has been getting stuck in my head off and on quite a few times.  Even though the beat and the video are decent, I have to say that I'm not the biggest fan of the lyrics.  I feel that he could have done a lot more with them.  Regardless, I hope you all enjoy your holiday.  Happy listening!

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Stuck In My Skull 350 -- "Until the End"

Song: "Until the End" || Artist: Breaking Benjamin || http://youtu.be/_sK2pp2Vkto ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/_sK2pp2Vkto]

Comments: Today's entry is going to be pretty short, sorry. In a nutshell, I ran into this song, realized I hadn't posted it, and had to post it. It's so angst-y, it's wonderful! Enjoy, and enjoy the holiday weekend!

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ETC #33 "Down In Mississippi"

Song: "Down In Mississippi" (Up To No Good)
Artist: Sugarland
Link: http://youtu.be/H4A3lrqSOY4

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4A3lrqSOY4]

Comments: Hey all, happy Friday! If you're reading this then you're not dead, congratulations!  To celebrate, here's a song about a party.  I can't say that I put a lot of thought into choosing a song for today other than the fact that I got this song stuck in my head and since it's Friday I figured that it would be a good way to round out the week.  Jennifer Nettles amazes me with her voice even on a song like this she is able to show off her voice and dat country twang she's got goin' on.  If you haven't heard much of Sugarland, I highly recommend you listen to some more of it and I will be happy to provide recommendations for those who want it.  Just leave me something in the comments and I will get back to you!  I've been confused by a third person that seems to be in some of their videos...well after a little research, I discovered that this dynamic duo used to be a trio and then back in '06 is when they became two.  So if you watch any videos and wonder who the third lady is Kristen Hall who apparently was also part of the founder of this wonderful group and the one who also left.  Anyhow, I hope you all enjoy your Friday and happy listening!

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AMANDA-- "MOSKAU" by DSCHINGHIS KHAN

Hey folks! Today's song is pure delight. The seventies gave us a lot of great music and we much of it to Eurovision. If you ask me, the European music competition had American Idol beat decades ago and produced musical sensations like German pop band Dschinghis Khan (and ABBA too!).  Many people I know aren't huge fans of disco but even they have to admit how  utterly awesome and catchy "Moskau" is. The video features the leader singer rocking the Santa look and the entire band busting some sweet moves. I have yet to get sick of it and thought it was extremely appropriate now that Christmas is nearly upon us.  Thanks for reading and enjoy this wonderful tribute to the beautiful city of Moscow!

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Stuck In My Skull 349 -- "Love Lockdown"

Song: "Love Lockdown" || Artist: Kanye West || http://youtu.be/HZwMX6T5Jhk ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/HZwMX6T5Jhk]

Comments: Alright, I'm going to do my level best to not rephrase and rehash what every music critic and has already said about this song -- especially since they said it years ago then this song came out, and I'm behind the curve. Some things, though, can't be avoided. Putting on my Pitchfork hat, I have to say that the tribal drums aesthetic is excellent, as is the minimalist beat. Apparently this album (808s and Heartbreak -- thanks Amanda for giving it to me!) is the first album in which Kanye really uses Auto-Tune. That surprised me to discover, since he could write the book on the proper and tasteful application of that oft-lampooned technology. He uses it to do some tasteful shifts of tone in the song, but more interestingly, he uses Auto-Tune to add distortion to his voice in a really excellent way for a really nice effect that's in that just-right spot between obvious and subtle. The song is lyrically a bit cliched, but he puts a nice spin on things by actually attempting to deal with his relationship failures. More importantly, his attempt to not drag everyone else down and "...keep a secret code / So everybody else don't have to know" is really interesting. It gives it the realism that this biographical track deserves, and it really speaks to me.

As to the video, I think the tribal aspect might be a tad overdone, but it's not bad. I would legitimately prefer to see more Kanye and fewer warriors in the video, but that's personal preference for emotion over bravado. The part that actually grabbed me (once I got over the dancing) was the spaceship (is that a spaceship?) at around 2:00. Anyway. Song is excellent. Video is excellent. If you haven't seen/heard it lately, give it a go. Enjoy!

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ETC #32 "I Knew You Were Trouble"

Song: I Knew You Were Trouble
Artist: Taylor Swift
Link: http://youtu.be/vNoKguSdy4Y

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNoKguSdy4Y]

Comments:  Hey all.  Before you stop reading this post I know that T-Swift is the artist and please hold out for a second. The reason that I am bringing you this song is because this is a different side of Taylor that I haven't seen before.  The first 30 seconds to minute of the song sounds a bit like Taylor, but once she really gets into the song she has completely let go of any Country.  This song is completely pop and I was shocked by the video.  It is very suggestive to the things she (well, her character) has gotten involved with.  In one instance, there is a bar fight presumably from either drinking or gambling or possibly both.  Point is--Taylor you're song is resembling someone your age!  I'm a fan of something other than the fairy tale songs that she was releasing when she first was becoming popular.  The last couple of releases have not only been strictly pop in their sound, but definitely carry a different tune to what we normally hear from her.  I really want to see her move more in this direction.  Happy listening!

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AMANDA-- "THE ONLY WAY TO MY HEART" by FOXY SHAZAM

Hey all! I apologize sincerely for the lack of post last Thursday. Things are rather hectic around here as it's finals week. Anyway, I'll try to make up for it with this song from Foxy Shazam. First of all, what a name. That has got to be one of the greatest rock-n-roll names ever. It describes the band perfectly. Their sound is so weird and yet so irresistible, combining elements of rock, pop, and soul. Not to mention, Foxy Shazam's exuberant front man and over the top antics  no doubt make for excellent live performances. I only recently took an interest in them and was surprised to learn they're from Cincinnati, Ohio of all places. I'm kind of proud that something so bizarre and awesome came out of my state. I must give thanks to a local DJ for playing this song  and essentially blowing my mind. I was really taken by the vocals, clever wordplay, the use of piano, drums, and trumpet  and overall theatricality. "Only Way to My Heart" is four minutes of sexy, bombastic fun and worth a listen if you like the music of Queen, The Darkness, or Meat Loaf. Enjoy!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/JiN3o5wHO8k]

 

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Stuck In My Skull 348 -- "Jesus of Suburbia"

Song: "Jesus of Suburbia" || Artist: Green Day || http://youtu.be/FNKPYhXmzoE ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/FNKPYhXmzoE]

Comments: If I'm correct on this, I believe the album lists this song as "Jesus of Suburbia: Jesus of Suburbia/City of the Damned/I Don't Care", which is more than a little bit too long. Also, I have to admit that I haven't seen the video to this song, and I really really haven't seen the 'long' version of this song, which apparently is 11 minutes long. But this song came up last night, and I just couldn't resist putting it on the blog. It sounds so crass, but years later, I'm still convinced it's deeper than surface, and still haven't bothered sitting down and thinking about it. I need to. I really do.

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Stuck In My Skull 347 -- "The Real Slim Shady"

http://youtu.be/eJO5HU_7_1w

Song: "The Real Slim Shady" || Artist: Eminem || http://youtu.be/eJO5HU_7_1w ||
Comments: Sorry about the lateness of today's post. I promise, after the holidays things will be more regular. I don't know why I had this song stuck in my head, but I definitely did. It's weird, it's freaky, and it's definitely some vintage Eminem.
On a completely unrelated note, Wordpress looks different now, and the New Post screen has changed. Let me know if this looks any different!

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ETC #31 "Sunday Morning"

Song: "Sunday Morning"
Artist: Maroon 5
Link: http://youtu.be/S2Cti12XBw4

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2Cti12XBw4]

Comments: Good Monday morning to you folks.  As much as I wish it was Sunday morning and not Monday, here we are.  As promised there is no country for today!  I was thinking about Maroon 5's new song "Daylight" which is a very sad video, but excellent and almost put me into tears some of the things people say.  Anyhow, I was thinking about Maroon 5 when this song of theirs popped into my head. It's a bit old, but good. There's a bit of a relaxed, jazzy feel to it to help you ease into your week.  I really enjoy this side of Maroon 5. I've also noticed that there is a slower side to One Direction which is definitely interesting. I heard their most recent song, "Little Things" in the car yesterday and I have to admit I didn't recognize it was them.  I'll admit that my guilty pleasure in the realm of music is boy bands, but again, I didn't realize that this was them in the beginning.  Well, that rant is over now.  Have a good day people--happy listening!

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Stuck In My Skull 346 -- "42"

Song: "42" || Artist: Coldplay || http://youtu.be/Z0xfWCDLoCU ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/Z0xfWCDLoCU]

Comments: Yet another late post! I think I'll try and write out a few extra entries over this weekend, so I have a backup plan for when things get crazy. We'll see.

Anyway. This song comes off Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends album. It's a lesser-known track from the album, and nowhere near as popular as "Viva la Vida" or "Violet Hill" or even "Strawberry Swing." I like it, though. The beginning starts off at a nice, slow pace, then picks up into a merry tune. It's catchy, and a nice, relaxing listen. Enjoy, and have a good weekend!

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ETC #30 Double Feature

Hey all, so I was being indecisive and so there are two songs for you today.

Song: "We Danced Anyway"
Artist: Deana Carter
Link: http://youtu.be/wE66MPAO3Es

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE66MPAO3Es]

Comments: So as I've mentioned in previous postings, my boyfriend and I have unfortunately split recently (I apologize for any immense amount of break up songs), but I am bringing this song to you because is what reminds me of how immensely happy I was to have him and we enjoyed dancing together and I can picture us as the couple throughout this video.  Anyhow!  Enough ranting about that.  This song is one of my favourites from older country music.  It is simple, but wonderful and a feeling that many can compare to.  She wasn't a huge artist, but one of her other big hits was "Strawberry Wine" which is also another fantastic song.   I highly recommend both of these song if you like the older country music.  (When previewing this post, I noticed that on the thumbnail the man in the front on the right looks like he's searching for something exciting in his nose.)

Song: "She Wouldn't Be Gone"
Artist: Blake Shelton
Link: http://youtu.be/ki-n6DsDG40

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki-n6DsDG40]

Comments: This second song has been stuck in my head for the last couple of days. Amazing Blake Shelton + my current feelings on life = won't leave my head.  Shelton is amazing and I have so many recommendations that I could give you all for him if anyone wants it.  Side note: he is aging wonderfully.  This song hit #1 on the country Billboard and 43 on Billboard Hot 100.  I will try to avoid putting too much more country on the blog this coming week and put up some more high tempo happy songs. Thanks for sticking with me guys.  Happy listening!

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Stuck In My Skull 345 -- "Give Me Novacaine"

Song: "Give Me Novacaine" || Artist: Green Day || http://youtu.be/ZKAwIwjHwZI ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/ZKAwIwjHwZI]

Comments: Late post, but better than no post. I really do have to apologize for the inconsistent pattern of posts lately. Life has been a little (that's an understatement) crazy lately for all of us. I promise things will get better soon.

Anyway, the song. I haven't listened to this in months, but when I woke up this morning, it was stuck in my head. I And hey, it's not electronic music, the streak is broken! I first ran into Green Day back in middle school, years ago when bashing US President George W Bush was still popular. The album American Idiot was one of the first bands I'd ever gotten into that was at all political, and while it didn't directly or immediately inform my political views, it definitely opened my eyes a bit. I mean, it might be crude, but "Holiday" makes a point. If I recall correctly, it was years later -- after this album fell from popularity -- that I really started to shift my politics, long enough that I feel comfortable saying American Idiot helped, but was not the cause. Oddly enough, the two memories I have of this song/album are completely normal (for me, anyway). I remember playing videogames to this track and "Are We the Waiting", and bringing a portable CD player in the car when I was out with my parents so I could listen to the album. Oh well, enough biographical rambling. Enjoy the song!

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Stuck In My Skull 344 -- "Skrillex Orchestral Suite by Varien"

Song: "Skrillex Orchestral Suite by Varien" || Artist: Skrillex || http://youtu.be/ryR9A8-Nl0Q ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/ryR9A8-Nl0Q]

Comments: Ack, I meant to write this last night, but I fell asleep. Sorry! Anyway, after a long stretch of electronic tracks, I figured it would be good to post something without so much as a trace of synthesizer. Don't let the Skrillex piece fool you -- this is a really excellent orchestral version of a medley of his songs. Enjoy!

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ETC #29 "C'Mon"

Song: "C'Mon"
Artist: Ke$ha
Link: http://youtu.be/rElZ85IofT4

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rElZ85IofT4]

Comments: Hey y'all. Here's the latest from Ke$ha from her album Warrior that was released back in November. Unfortunately, the only video that is out for this single is the lyric video, but on the plus side it's kind of trippy.  I have to say that I like this new single of hers however, I'm just not used to this speed. The language and the meaning of the song isn't any different than that of many of her other singles, but it doesn't have that high energy and excitement that I was anticipating. Not to say that it's a slow song by any means, but it is not "Die Young".  Like I said this video is a bit weird, but the drummer kittens are kind of cute.  Happy listening!

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AMANDA-- "MET BEFORE" by CHAIRLIFT

Hello! Today's song comes from another American synthpop duo, Chairlift. I came across them a while ago and even bought a few of their songs I liked them so much. Between the two members, they've got vocals, synthesizer,drums, bass and keyboard covered.  Admittedly, I have a soft spot for electronic musioc and this song satisfies my nostaglia for 80's synthpop.  Overall, I'm really impressed by the quality of the singing, song-writing, and production. Perhaps even more so by the creativity expressed in Chairlift's music videos. "Met Before" plays with the concept of deja vu, the feeling of having experienced something or met someone before. I've embedded one video here and linked to another, an interactive video that allows viewers to make decisions that affect the story line. Both are thoughtful, fun, and upbeat. Enjoy!

. 

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Stuck In My Skull 343 -- "Animus Vox"

Song: "Animus Vox" || Artist: The Glitch Mob || http://youtu.be/17PM-UMVud8 ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/17PM-UMVud8]

Comments: Things I feel bad about as a blogger right now:

• Overusing electronica as a genre


• Overusing The Glitch Mob as a band


• Not posting yesterday


• Not posting anything new and unique today

Don't get me wrong. I love Glitch Mob. Those gentlemen know how to make a beat. And I love electronic music. But I've put too much up lately, and too much Glitch Mob. So it is with this in mind that I beg you to go and listen to the song anyway, because it is fantastic. Enjoy!

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ETC #28 "Electric Shock"

Song: "Electric Shock"
Artist: 에프엑스_  (f(x))
Link: http://youtu.be/n8I8QGFA1oM

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8I8QGFA1oM]

Comments:  Happy Monday everyone.  I came across this song today (some K-pop that isn't from Psy) and I can't help, but show it to you all.  I am amused by the video and I haven't heard of this group before this song.  I think it's amusing and I listened to a couple of other songs and the group is good. The group's English name is f(x), it is comprised of all girls, and they are from South Korea. The group is relatively new being started back in 2009, but it would seem that hasn't stopped them from being incredibly successful.  This song was released back in June and has done well.  I was going to translate things for you myself, but considering the only language I am confident in translating is Spanish here is a website that I'm hoping is accurate with the translation.  I hope that the up beat tempo will brighten your morning.  Happy listening!

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ETC #27 "Come Wake Me Up"

Song: "Come Wake Me Up"
Artist: Rascal Flatts
Link: http://youtu.be/ighEKw6RDBQ

 [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ighEKw6RDBQ]

Comments: Hey folks, I'm sorry to say that there is nothing hipster about this song. It is a new one by Rascal Flatts and it's excellent just like so many of their other songs. This one in particular is relatable to almost anyone at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, I am using this song because it is particularly relevant to my week and I heard it in the car and it set me straight to tears.  Apologies that I don't have much to say about this song other than it's powerful and I wish I had their most recent album because their music is fantastic.  Have a great weekend everyone and happy listening.

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Stuck In My Skull 342 -- "Eye Bear" [HIPSTER WEEK PART 5]

HIPSTER WEEK, PART 5 || Song: "Eye Bear" || Artist: Gingerbread Patriots || http://youtu.be/QcReWa6N9TM ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/QcReWa6N9TM]

Comments: Wow, sorry about that, folks. Suffice it to say I had a very crazy day. Bad blogger is bad, and didn't just write the post in advance. Oops...

Right. Song. This song is... a song. I'm finding it really difficult to describe Gingerbread Patriots' sound in this track. For some reason, the vocals remind me ever so slightly of Owl City. The song is both electronic and acoustic  and I don't begin to know how. I'm seriously at a complete loss for good words to describe this song, so I guess I'll just have to settle for "Go listen and judge for yourself!" While you're at it, give us some feedback -- what did you think of Hipster Week? Enjoy the weekend!

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AMANDA-- "FADE AWAY" by ELECTRIC YOUTH

Needless to say, this post is coming to you very, very late. My apologies but it was a strange day and I didn't have anything I particularly felt like sharing until now. The soundtrack for the 2011 film Drive is one of the best I've heard in a while. The movie's heavily inspired by the 80's and  its impeccable electronic-pop score contributes much in the way of style. Electric Youth is featured on the song , "A Real Hero," an ethereal synthpop track.  The two person band from Toronto  don't even have a page on Wikipedia, though they fittingly share their name with a Debbie Gibson album. The point is they've got a unique sound and backstory, which you can read about on their Facebook page. Personally, I'm  enjoying this recent  resurgence of 80's inspired music. It'll be fun to see where Electric Youth goes from here. Enjoy!

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Stuck In My Skull 341 — “Below the Surface” [HIPSTER WEEK PART 4]

HIPSTER WEEK, PART 4 || Song: "Below the Surface" || Artist: Ben Preston || http://youtu.be/FB9cvps5bPQ ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/FB9cvps5bPQ]

Comments: Happy Thursday everyone! I have a bad habit -- my desktop on my computer is so cluttered with virtual sticky notes that sometimes I can't actually see my own background. Usually, I have at least one sticky full of music. I generally forget to look at them, but for some reason, I remembered to tonight. And, oh, am I glad I did. Continuing the theme of 'Most of Hipster Week is Electronic,' Ben Preston. As I recall, I originally ran into this song on Pandora, and liked it so much that I wrote down the track name and artist. Going back and listening to it again, I'm having trouble staying in my seat, because my ears are commanding my body to dance! Enjoy!

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ETC #26 "Tic Tac"

Song: "Tic Tac"
Artist: La Oreja de Van Gogh
Link:http://youtu.be/3C9cZNpnanI

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C9cZNpnanI]

Comments: Hey folks. Sorry this is going to be a short post today, I'm exhausted because I haven't been sleeping. Also, apparently it is Hipster Week here.  I missed the memo so unfortunately I don't have anything terribly hipster to add for this entry and next. However, here is a song by an artist I've used on the blog before that doesn't have more than 60k views (for what it's worth this is an outlier, most of the songs don't past 13k).  As for the title it does not refer to the little orange piece of candy, but rather it means "tic tock" in Spanish.  Here are the lyrics if you're interested. Apologies for the normal lack of translation.  Happy listening!

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Stuck In My Skull 340 — “We Lost the Signal” [HIPSTER WEEK PART 3]

HIPSTER WEEK, PART 3 || Song: "We Lost the Signal" || Artist: Fidgital || http://youtu.be/HrU0A7W48FA ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/HrU0A7W48FA]

Comments: Note to self, get a normal sleep pattern and keep it. Anyway, welcome back to Hipster Week! Though at this point, it might be worth calling these last few days the "Canadian Electronica Special Series," as Fidgital is another Canadian act. Given only a phrase to describe Fidgital based on what I've heard, I'd call them ambient electro-jazz. Woot for making up genre titles. Fidgital's website uses some slightly different language.

Fidgital is electronic pop that draws inspiration from jazz, big band, techno, and an ever-widening range of genres. We (Producer/remixer Keith Gillardand vocalist Ryan Slemko) work with a cast of talented electronic and jazz musicians from Vancouver, Canada and all over the world to create progressive, unique, and ultimately catchy pop music.

Anyway, "We Lost the Signal" is a nice and mellow jazzy track, and I love it. It's about as calm as I am... Which is very, as it's 2:08 AM at time of writing. Good night to me, good morning to you, and good music to all.

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AMANDA-- "LET'S JUST BE FRIENDS" by ALEXIS LEWIS *NSFW*

Apparently it's Hipster Week here at Stuck in My Skull. As such, I'd like to take this opportunity to share all kinds of awesome and/or weird music that I feel deserves some attention. I first heard this song about a year ago (thanks Sidney!) and its been lodged into my brain for the last three days. Small-time entertainer Alex Lewis has several funny music videos floating around the web. "She's a Hipster" is hilarious and clever but not nearly as catchy as "Let's Just Be Friends" in my opinion. Everyone should be able to relate to it's message whether they've been the one to say or hear those four little words. In any case, it's a chance to see a bunch of bros channel their inner rock gods. The lyrics are great but probably not work appropriate so if you're in class or the office save this one for home. Lastly, I'll leave you with an interesting a quote from the artist's Facebook page about the song. Enjoy!

 "While filming "Hermione" Alex was going on dates with a girl and things were going well. He treated her nicely because he’s a nice person. At the end of June, she told him “You’re too nice to me and deserve someone better, let’s just be friends.” Alex took this incredibly personally, it was not the first time someone had told him he was too nice and just wanted to be friends. He was in the middle of writing a song when he started reflecting on what she said to him. He thought it was ridiculous that anybody would become disinterested based on how they nice they were treated. He started of thinking of humorous stories about girls saying “let’s just be friends,” to nice guys and LJBF was born."

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Stuck In My Skull 339 -- "So Beautiful" [HIPSTER WEEK PART 2]

HIPSTER WEEK, PART 2 || Song: "So Beautiful" || Artist: Adriane Lake || http://soundcloud.com/adrianelake/so-beautiful-2 ||

http://soundcloud.com/adrianelake/so-beautiful-2

 

Comments: Well, we have retroactively declared this week to be Hipster Week! It's been FAR too long since we've done a Theme Week, and we just couldn't help ourselves. The rules of Hipster Week are pretty simple: The video must have less than 1,000,000 hits on youtube. And with this entry, I'm impressed. It has zero hits on youtube. Actually, the song I originally wanted to hit isn't on Soundcloud either! So, I settled for this equally-excellent track by the same artist. Adriane Lake is a Canadian producer of electronic music, and that's about all her bio really says. She's hipster enough not to have a wikipedia entry. Regardless of that, her CD Morning Glow recently made its way into my hands, and I love it. This song is featured on Soundcloud, and did I mention it's downloadable? You're welcome. If that doesn't sell you yet, here's a chunk of description from her website to either make or break the deal for you.

With Morning Glow, she brings a tenderness, sweetness and emotive quality to her squishy ambient and thumping arrangements. The addition of her own vocal layers and lyrics to a number of the tracks adds a quirky nerdy femininity when melded with organic textures and stiffer electronic instruments. Using uncommon time signatures, deep bass, treated acoustic instruments and even found sound Morning Glow is an unusually accessible confection of otherworldly songs, decorative textures and unorthodox beats.

Enjoy the song!

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Stuck In My Skull 338 -- "Over the Pain's Madness" [HIPSTER WEEK PART 1]

Song: "Over the Pain's Madness" || Artist: Immortal Pain || http://youtu.be/aqgoFsIbRPg ||

[youtube http://youtu.be/aqgoFsIbRPg]

Comments: Good Monday morning, all! Today's song comes by way of Emily, who has my sincere thanks for sending it my way. According to her, Immortal Pain is "death metal from Saudia Arabia." While that might be true in some of their songs, this song is a nice, fairly mellow instrumental number, and I'm really impressed. I'll definitely be checking out more of their stuff. Enjoy!

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ETC #25 "It's My Life"

Song: "It's My Life"
Artist: Bon Jovi
Link: http://youtu.be/vx2u5uUu3DE

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx2u5uUu3DE]

Comments: Haaaaappy Monday!  And by that I mean, welcome to yet another week on the working train.  I am starting off this week with a motivator.  The last few days metal, rock, etc. has been my music and so while I was doing some listening I came across this song and all my will power to not dance and sing aloud to this song wasn't strong enough and I was apparently quite amusing.  This song is going to be on replay for me for a while especially this morning so that I can get myself going strong this week.  As unrealistic as this video is to this song is I still think it's very cool. Especially because looking at the stunts the main guy does I'm calling bull on it and saying he's been bitten by a radioactive spider.  I didn't realize how old this song is, but it was released back in 2000 and did well on the charts.  I hope that you all know this song and enjoy rocking to something you probably haven't heard in a while and if you haven't had a listen yet here's the chance to add a good song to the collection.  Happy listening!

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