Stuck In My Skull 431 -- "Same Love"

Song: "Same Love" || Artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat Mary Lambert || http://youtu.be/hlVBg7_08n0 ||

Comments: Good morning, everyone! In celebration of the landmark decision by the US Supreme Court yesterday, I bring you today's song, "Same Love." Truly, this song is beautiful -- its message is powerful, and the song that carries it is a more-than-fitting vehicle. Brass and a subtle drum section propel this tune through four-ish minutes (4:09 for the radio edit, according to Wikipedia) and into my head for hours. By the way, I love how wikipedia is calling this genre 'conscious hip hop.' I wasn't aware there was such a term, and while I'm not sure that such a term needs to exist, it certainly amuses me that it does. Ryan Lewis was responsible for producing this song, which (to the surprise of nobody) perfectly accents and complements the vocals provided by both of the other artists in the track. Macklemore's verses are spoken quickly and clearly, in a style that's closer to spoken word than rap and makes this song surprisingly user-friendly to all comers. My mother -- a long-time oldies listener with little interest in modern music --told me that she found this song to be even easier to understand that Adele. I particularly like his free-flowing and almost free-verse style in this piece. Don't get me wrong, I love "Thriftshop" and "Can't Hold Us" as much or perhaps even more than the next person, but seeing this change in style is a refreshing cool breeze on a hot day. The sung verses in this track are provided by singer-songwriter Mary Lambert, no relation to Adam Lambert. I have to say, I like her voice, and will be looking up more of her in the future. This song used to leave me hopeful, but after the SCOTUS ruled against Prop. 8 and DOMA yesterday, more than a little bit of that hope has been replaced by a feeling of warm satisfaction. This is one of those songs that both opens my eyes, and leaves me feeling good to be alive. Enjoy it, folks.

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Stuck In My Skull 430 -- "Safe and Sound"

Song: "Safe and Sound" || Artist: Capital Cities || http://youtu.be/47dtFZ8CFo8 ||

Comments: Good morning everyone! I apologize for not writing a blog yesterday, but my stomach was bugging me and I was running on less than four hours of sleep. The blog would have been "Song. Watch." at best, so I elected just to skip it. Today, however, we've got an excellent track. I heard this originally some time ago (I think it was thanks to Newt), and heard it just yesterday on the radio. I was so thrilled -- hearing a pop radio station playing this song restores my faith in humanity. I'm still waiting on "Clarity", though -- it's charted, but I've yet to hear it on the radio... Oh well. Enjoy the awesome song!

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Sorry :(

Hey guys, I officially feel like crap today, so no Monday edition of Stuck In My Skull. Check back tomorrow, or see what our other awesome authors have been listening to!

--Chris

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Stuck In My Skull 429 -- "I Need Your Love"

Song: "I Need Your Love" || Artist: Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding || http://youtu.be/AtKZKl7Bgu0 ||

Comments: Hello, everyone! If you're here for the first time by way of DJ Abso-Newt-ly, welcome! If you have no idea who he is, look here for some sweet songs. Speaking of sweet songs, let's talk about this track. To quote said DJ, Ellie Goulding has the voice of an angel and the beats of a god. I literally had this song stuck in my head most of the afternoon, and it's hardly a surprise. The hook on this track is ridiculously catchy, that synthesized piano backed by thrumming bass that I just can't get enough of. Simply put, this song is epic -- if you haven't heard it already, go listen. Enjoy!

If you have a song you want me to talk about, hit me up! Comment on this post, drop me a line on https://www.facebook.com/stuckinmyskull, or email musictourettes@gmail.com!

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Stuck In My Skull 428 -- "Dancing On My Own [Robyn Cover]"

Song: "Dancing On My Own" || Artist: Robyn || Performed By: Carousel || http://snd.sc/11GXEUc ||


Comments: Good morning and happy Tuesday, everyone! Today's song comes to you by way of my friend Newt -- better known as DJ Abso-Newt-ly -- a man with exceptionally amazing taste in usic, and a virtual deity of electronic music. This track is the famed electronic duo Carousel covering Robyn's iconic "Dancing On My Own," with masterful results. The instrumentation somehow manages to be hauntingly clos e to the original but still have its own unique tone and feel, while the vocals give the song an overall mellow tone that I just love. This song is amazing -- check it out!

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Stuck In My Skull 427 -- "Skinny Love"

Song: "Skinny Love" || Artist: Bon Iver || http://youtu.be/UrMmr1oMPGA ||

Comments: Welcome to hipster music. There's just one problem -- it can't be hipster music, because you've probably heard this song at least once. Whether or not it can still be called hipster-riffic is a question best left for linguists and philosophers. If all hipster music were this good, it wouldn't be hipster music anymore, because it would have gone mainstream as this song did. "Skinny Love" is as lyrically deep (or supposed to sound like it) as any decent indie track. This is musically less complex than many indie tracks, as Bon Iver favours the minimalist side compared to the big-band sound of some other outfits. But enough trying to analyze it -- it's a good track, so enjoy.

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AMANDA-- "FAT BOTTOMED GIRLS" by QUEEN

Hey all! Forgive me for not posting sooner but I had house cleaning to do and kinda sorta maybe forgot a little bit. In terms of new music, nothing has really caught my eye in the last couple days so I thought I'd share a classic as I'm one to do. On that note, I give you the timeless rock ode to bodacious butts everywhere, "Fat Bottomed Girls" by Queen. No one and I mean no one harmonizes better than the guys of Queen. Except for maybe the Bee Gees but that's debatable. Apart from the magnificent harmonization, Brian May, the one responsible for writing this beauty, kills it on guitar. That riff is downright unforgettable. At its best, rock music can be deep, poignant, meaningful, and even inspirational. But occasionally, all of us, myself included, need something a little lighter and more simple from our music and there's nothing wrong with that. Here's some good clean fun. Enjoy!

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Stuck In My Skull 426 -- "Beautiful"

Song: "Beautiful" || Artist: P.O.D. || http://youtu.be/fX506PWT0dA ||

Comments: Good morning, everyone! I heard this song yesterday on the radio, and immediately knew that I had to post it here. I haven't heard a P.O.D. song since someone gave me "Youth of the Nation" about a million years ago. At this point, I have to wonder what they've been up to in the mean time, because this song is epic. Seriously, it's the right blend of calm piano and guitar and thrumming riffs. The lyrics are about as uplifiting as you can get without being P!nk's "F***ing Perfect," and I'm not sure how this song could get much better. If you're feeling down, just give this song a listen. Enjoy, and smile, okay?

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AMANDA--"ONLY TEARDROPS" by EMMELIE DE FOREST

Hey everyone! Today I've got some delightful Danish pop for y'all. The winner of last month's Eurovision contest held in Sweden was up-and-coming singer and songwriter Emmelie de Forest. She represented her home country of Denmark and won with her only single to date "Only Teardrops," beating out Germany's Cascada and the U.K.'s Bonnie Tyler, among other top acts. That is one hell of an accomplishment for a twenty year old artist. Once you've seen the live performance you should understand why. She has a fantastic look and stage presence and, more importantly, she can sing. Every year I forget Eurovision is a thing, chide myself for missing it, and vow not to next time, then repeat. It's ridiculously fun to watch and a great reminder that Europe is one giant bag of talent and crazy, mostly crazy. Seriously, check out some of the other finalists. But back to the song. From the second I heard the flute at the opening I knew I was in for something amazing. Then she opened her mouth and the drums kicked in and I fell in love. Her voice is so crisp and refreshing and really compliments the instrumentation, which in my opinion makes the song. The production is just right so as to show off her voice but not overpower it while demonstrating how awesome truly folk instruments can be. I would love to see more American pop artists incorporating elements of folk into their music. Moreover, "Only Teardrops" is insanely catchy and an excellent debut by Emmelie de Forest. I look forward to seeing the official music video for the single later this month and hearing more from her soon. Happy listening!

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Stuck In My Skull 425 -- "Karma"

Song: "Karma" || Artist: Kamelot || http://youtu.be/Tjh0HEe22ys ||

Comments: Hello, everyone! Sorry for the missed post -- I was beyond exhausted, and I just asked Amanda to cover for me. So, for today's post, I figured it was high time to step back into some metal, and "Karma" is the perfect song to do it with. The title track off Kamelot's album of the same name, "Karma" is one of the songs that originally piqued my interest in Kamelot when I was first exploring metal. It is a masterful showcase of Roy Khan's magnificent voice and the instrumentation really brings out the more melodic side of Kamelot. Even if I weren't such a sucker for concept albums, I would be all over both this album in general and this track in particular, because it sounds amazing. Check it out!

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AMANDA-- GAME OF THRONES--COSPLAY PIANO by SONYA BELOUSOVA

Hey guys! I'm filling in for Chris today and bringing you an excellent cover of "The Song of Fire and Ice," the theme from HBO's Game of Thrones by Sonya Belousova. Before a few days a go, I had never heard of her but boy am I impressed by her resume, which includes countless awards and a degree from the Berklee College of Music. In her newly developed video series, Cosplay Piano, the Russian composer and pianist performs covers of popular songs from television and movies. And in costume I might add. As a big fan of GOT, I must say that I've heard numerous versions of the song none but have managed to achieve what she has-making the epic theme sound elegant and beautiful. It's kind of insane how talented this girl is. I should add, the video is also VERY well produced. So if you're a fan of geeky things in general and/or classical music, I recommend checking out Sonya's other videos. There are only four episodes so far and not all have as elaborate set and costume design but they are still pretty fantastic. Enjoy!

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Stuck In My Skull 424 -- "Hummingbird"

Song: "Hummingbird" || Artist: Tut Tut Child feat. Augustus Ghost || http://youtu.be/a4-Tb4rHZt8 ||

Comments: Happy Friday, everyone! Since Amanda is on vacation, I figured I'd step up and cover Friday for her. Today's track was originally found by a friend of mine, who has excellent taste. This song is dubstep, but beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, it joins my very short list of exemplary dubstep tracks that I use when convincing people that there is such a thing as 'pretty dubstep.' The vocals of Augustus Ghost perfectly complement Tut Tut Child's arrangment of the instrumentation to create a smooth, well-finished song that leaves me craving more. The track is the perfect combination of mellow and pumped up, able to fit either tonal niche. The haunting echoes of "Hummingbird" resonate throughout this track, and set Augustus Ghost as the best electronic vocalist I've heard in a very long time. I will definitely be looking up more of both artists. Check this track out!

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Stuck In My Skull 423 -- "Session"

Song: "Session" || Artist: Linkin Park || http://youtu.be/WlxhYIyf5_w ||

Comments: Hello, everyone! I'm having one of those days where everything that's stuck in my head has already been written about on this blog. That in mind, I went digging through my music library looking for something different, a song to shake things up, and this is what I found. "Session" is the only instrumental track on Linkin Park's second studio album, Meteora. People tend to think about the singles from this album and gloss over this track, which I think really does it a disservice. It's a short track, clocking in at 2:25, but I think it's excellent. Being an instrumental track, it can be hard to recognize it as a Linkin Park song at all, lacking the vocals and lyrics that characterize Linkin Park songs as a whole. It sounds like a very well-produced mix by some electronic artist. More likely, I would be willing to be that this song is just Mr. Hahn messing around. Regardless of how it came to be, it's excellent. Check it out!

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Stuck In My Skull 422 -- "Halo Theme"

Song: "Halo Theme" || Performed by: Lindsey Stirling and William Joseph || Written by: Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori || http://youtu.be/jLnL63cXmD8 || 

Comments: Good morning and happy Tuesday, everyone! Congratulations on making it through the worst day of the week, Monday. To celebrate, have an amazing song.
I've been a huge fan of video game music pretty much since I became a huge fan of video games. That is to say, I've been a huge fan of video game music for a pretty long time. Long ago, a friend of mine gave me a copy of the Halo 2 soundtrack, and I love it. I won't spend time talking about the content of the Halo games themselves, but I will say that they've always had an excellent soundtrack. While Lindsey and William's cover is not a note-by-note rendition of the score that Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori wrote, it is a very beautiful production that captures the spirit of the original piece perfectly in it's famed riffs and chords. It then goes beyond the original song to explore a new spin on the original feeling the piece creates, driven by the unique (for the genre) interplay of violin and piano with only occasional electric guitar riffs added in. This song is excellent, and you should definitely give it a listen. You can ignore the last minute or so, if you like. Lindsey Stirling seems to have gotten sponsored. While I generally dislike artists pushing products, I will say this in her defense: First, she really deserves a sponsorship -- she's an amazing artist and that could really give her a leg up. Second, she waits until after the video, unlike some other artists who simply build their music videos and lyrics around a product. Looking at you, Pitbull.
Lindsey's friend and the videographer behind the shoot made a video that's more action-centered and has less emphasis on the music. It's still excellent, has plenty of Lindsey Stirling and William Joseph in it, and is truer to the original score with less exploration. There's a link given to it at the end of the song, or you can just click here. Enjoy!

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Stuck In My Skull 421 -- "Crazy Kids"

Song: "Crazy Kids" || Artist: Ke$ha feat. will.i.am || http://youtu.be/xdeFB7I0YH4 ||

Comments: Hello, everyone! I hadn't originally intended to do another pop song today, but I just found this song and noticed that the official video for it is only four days old. Since it's new and it's Ke$ha, it's probably going to chart. Having listened to it a few times, I have to say -- it's a pretty good song. I really enjoy the mood of this song that Ke$ha makes by putting whistling and acoustic guitar alongside some urban beats. I'm not a huge fan of will.i.am in this track (and not a fan of his in general right now, given the fact that I haven't forgiven his sampling without permission, more commonly known as theft or plagiarism). Despite that, Ke$ha puts together an excellent track that can't be kept down, and I see a long and strong future of radio play in store for this one. Enjoy!

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