Stuck In My Skull 558 -- "Begin Again"

Song: "Begin Again" || Artist: Knife Party || http://youtu.be/MQPK4q488c0 ||

Comments: (This entry is going up early, as I missed Wednesday and I will be exceptionally busy tomorrow. I think this track is worth it, though.) Hello, everyone, and happy Halloween for those of you who celebrate it! Holiday or no, strap yourselves in, because today's song is amazing. Seriously, it's been a very, very long time since I've been dancing in my chair at a song. I'm hoping just as hard as I can that this song ends up getting radio play, because it deserves to be sitting at the top of the charts. I can't say enough good things about this track. It's got a fantastic beat that's closer to house than dubstep, It's got just enough vocals to weave the song together. It's got a bridge that blows me away. Knife Party has not just scored, but knocked this one out of the park. Give this song a listen, and you won't be sorry. Don't forget to like us on Facebook!

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Stuck In My Skull 557 -- "Team"

Song: "Team" || Artist: Lorde || http://youtu.be/f2JuxM-snGc ||

Comments: Hello and happy Monday, everyone! Let's get the week started off right. I've been holding this song back for awhile now, because I wanted to wait until the furor and fervor over this album died down a bit. This song was the third of four singles released from this ten-track album, and in the end I think it and the rest of this album took a lot of unfair criticism for being too 'pop-y.' I have to say, I completely don't agree. I think the album as a whole is an excellently-produced collection with a humongous variety of styles being showcased by the young Newzealander. Even though this song has been out for quite awhile now, it still manages to get stuck in my head on a regular basis. It's got a powerful, percussion-driven beat that plays off of Lorde's impressive vocal abilities nicely, giving her an excellent canvas to express a handful of themes. All in all, it manages to sit on both my workout and relaxation playlists, and is just what I needed to get my Monday started. Give it a listen, and don't forget to like us on Facebook!

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Stuck In My Skull 556 -- "Toothless Hawkins (And His Robot Jazz Band)"

Song: "Toothless Hawkins (And His Robot Jazz Band)" || Artist: Varien and Razihel || http://youtu.be/zG28TM7rKOs ||

Comments: Hello and happy Friday, everyone! For today, I've got a song that I can only describe as 'funky.' The minute I heard of this, I immediately thought of DJ Abso-Newt-ly. Since this track was released off the Monstercat label -- a personal favourite of his and mine -- chances are good he's already heard it, but it's still a song I know I need to write about. Honestly, it's just that good. It's as funky as funky can be, with an excellent beat that makes you really want to dance, and some entertaining lyrics to keep you smiling. It's got more than just a rhythm, it has a groove. Check this song out, folks, you won't be disappointed. Have a fantastic weekend, and don't forget to like us on Facebook!

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Stuck In My Skull 555 -- "Surrender"

Song: "Surrender" || Artist: Cash Cash feat. Julia Michaels || http://youtu.be/K22v4xolOsc || 

Comments: Hello, everyone! I've got a shiny new track by Cash Cash for today's entry, and let me tell you now, this one is epic. I heard this song on the radio driving into work yesterday, and new that I absolutely had to share this. I stumbled upon Cash Cash when I saw their remix of Krewella's "Alive," but they've been doing plenty of work since that time. They've co-written Krewella's track "Live for the Night" and remixed for the likes of Capital Cities, Clean Bandit, Nicky Romero, Icona Pop, Hardwell, and even Katy Perry. With a record like that, perhaps it's not surprising that this song is excellent. It's nearest to the labels 'electrohouse' and 'progressive house,' and I'll be shocked if it doesn't chart fairly soon. The song has some really excellent beats that drive the energy, and unbelievably catchy vocals by an uncredited singer -- Wikipedia lists this excellent voice as Julia Michaels. Definitely check this song out, it's fantastic.

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Stuck In My Skull 554 -- "Romanticide"

Song: "Romanticide" || Artist: Nightwish || http://youtu.be/zz_7OCCQlXs ||

Comments: Hello, everyone! Today I've decided to go with some pretty excellent metal. To head off any fan controversy at the pass, let me say this: There are two versions, and long-time die-hard fans are going to give me crap for posting this one. The song came off Nightwish's fifth album "Once" and had vocals by original vocalist Tarja Turunen. That version can be found here. This version is from the DVD "SHOWTIME, STORYTIME" -- a recording of Nightwish's live set at Wacken Open Air concert in 2013. This song, having come from a completely different era of Nightwish, feels vastly different than most of the band's more recent work. If I had to draw a comparison, I'd say it's closest in style to "Ghost River" off the most recent album "Imaginaerum," but the comparison is fairly weak. What I can say with confidence is this song is excellent. I've found myself fairly reserved about the decision to name Floor Jansen as the new vocalist, but this song (and the entire concert, for that matter) puts my mind at ease. My concerns about the overlap in vocal range between Floor and male singer Marco Hietala turned out to be largely unfounded, and the two of them really work well together. For good or for ill, Floor Jansen brings this towards the harder side of symphonic metal, and and this song really epitomizes the shift. It's a great song, so check it out! Have a good weekend, and don't forget to like us on Facebook!

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Stuck In My Skull 553 -- "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" Redux!

Song: "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" || Artist: Panic! at the Disco || http://youtu.be/vc6vs-l5dkc ||

Comments: Good morning, everyone! Strap yourselves in tightly, because today we're going way, way, way back. We're going all the way back to Entry 98! Back in late 2011, before I was using this format, before I was using genre tags, before I was embedding videos or even talking about the song of the day. Waaaaay back then, I mentioned this song, and barely said anything about it. Today, that changes.

First, let's talk about the band. I ran into this band many, many years when my friend Katelyn introduced me to them, and since that time they've been sitting around in the back of my head coming to the surface now and again for brief periods. Their history is a bit complicated, according to Wikipedia -- writing their bio here would be a waste of words. The important part is that this band is about as musically diverse as they come, writing songs from such varied genres as emo and electronic, pop and punk. Also, vocalist Brendon Urie possesses one of the most recognizable voices I've heard in a long, long time. I mean, really -- this guy's about as distinct as Matt Bellamy from Muse. He really just has one of those voices that's impossible to mistake for anyone else.

Speaking of things that are hard to mistake, this song. Panic! at the Disco has a way of writing that really stand out from anything else. .If you hear this band come on the radio, you know who you're listening to. That actually happened to me last night -- this song came on, and I knew right away what it was. That's probably because it has a distinct opener that leads to some really compelling lyrics wrapped in a neat package of electronic rock sound. The Wikipedia article about the song describes it 'emo,' 'pop punk,' and 'baroque pop,' the latter of which I admit I had to look up. Despite the subject matter, this song manages to remain uptempo and airy-feeling, a breath of fresh air from the generic love/hate relationship songs that fill the airwaves. This song came out in 2005 and was released as a single in 2006, but despite its venerable age still manages to get stuck in my head. If you haven't heard it before or just haven't listened in awhile, check this song out -- I think you'll like it. Don't forget to like us on Facebook!

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Stuck In My Skull 552 -- "Silent Waters"

Song: "Silent Waters" || Artist: Amorphis || http://youtu.be/tb2gjwq1WXg ||

Comments: Hello and happy Friday, everyone! For today I figured I'd step even further from electronica and talk metal. I ran into this song and band the other day clicking around YouTube, and ended up binge-listening to this band for a solid hour. Amorphis is a little heavier than I usually go for in a metal band, but I have to say that I really enjoy this Finnish group. This song in particular is pretty excellent, and to my ears has a tinge of drone-influenced guitars. Speaking of guitars, the lead guitarist of the group -- Esa Holopainen -- shares a last name with Nightwish founder and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, but as far as I can tell the two are not related. Metal is a small world, though, and according to Wikipedia, Nightwish member Marco Hietala contributed backing vocals at various points in the band's career. While the timelines overlap for this song, I don't hear Marco in it, and I suspect he isn't. Regardless of who made it, I really like this song. Give it a listen, and don't forget to like us on Facebook! Enjoy the weekend!

A final note: I'm giving some thought to redoing the website. What do you guys think? Keep the current look, or overhaul it? Let me know what you think!

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Stuck In My Skull 551 -- "Cool Kids"

Song: "Cool Kids" || Artist: Echosmith || http://youtu.be/SSCzDykng4g ||

Comments: Good morning, everyone! Today's song has been stuck in my head off and on for several days, so I figured it's high time I looked it up and shared it with you all. I first heard this song on pop radio, and according to Wikipedia this song made it to 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. The artist, Echosmith, is apparently a group of four siblings. Unlike many fairly tumultuous families, these four brothers and sisters play nicely together, creating a really excellent indie pop/rock song. It's calm, upbeat, and catchy. Well done, Echosmith, well done.

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Stuck In My Skull 550 -- "Self Destruct"

Song: "Self Destruct" || Artist: Pegboard Nerds || http://youtu.be/lWDnwTsdtaw ||

Comments: Good morning, everyone! Today's song is one of those tracks that I keep hearing crop up in mixes and sets and never quite pin down which song it is. It's got one of those tunes I always recognize but never identify. Thankfully, that period of wondering is over! I was listening to some insanely long mix on YouTube yesterday and found a very excellent tracklist in the description, and was finally able to put a name to a tune. This song is exceptionally upbeat and uptempo, alternating between a cheerful electro-influenced chorus and some very clean drops that really complement each other. Pegboard Nerds is a name I keep hearing, and deservedly so -- this song is really excellent. The Scandinavian duo has a few songs for download on their Facebook page, Speaking of Facebook pages, make sure you like ours, and enjoy the song!

Edit: I finally figured out what song of theirs I've heard before. Their song "Bassline Kickin" was on Expedition, the album that their label Monstercat was giving out some time ago. That's why I keep thinking I know Pegboard Nerds, because I do! Definitely worth checking out.

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