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 520 -- "Car Radio"

Song: "Car Radio" || Artist: Twenty One Pilots || http://youtu.be/92XVwY54h5k ||

Comments: Good morning or afternoon, everyone! Today's song is an interesting little number I heard on the radio for the first time yesterday. Created by a Columbus, Ohio-based duo, this song is really hard to apply any sort of labels to -- just look at the labels of this post! Its opening consists of some light instrumentation paired with some really excellent rap. It picks up some additional instrumentation, bridges into a section that reminds me faintly of old Linkin Park, then outtros with opening verses repeated and leaves me really, really intrigued. This duo sounds like nothing else I've heard but liberally blends elements that I love, and leaves me wondering why I haven't heard of them sooner. I looked them up on Wikipedia, and the article about them is informative in the literal sense but doesn't give me much of a feel for who the band really is. They're signed to the Fueled By Ramen record label, so that's probably a mark in their favor. Other artists signed to Fueled By Ramen include Cobra Starship, Fun., Gym Class Heroes, Panic! at the Disco, Paramore, and Travie McCoy, all of whom I like. For that reason, I generally give anything that gets released by an artist I haven't heard of signed to Fueled By Ramen a listen on principle. For what it's worth, I don't generally do that -- I generally don't care a whit about record labels and use them mostly to label and pidgeonhole an artist into a category without having to look them up, but there are a few labels I really enjoy (Ultra, Nuclear Blast, the UKF 'label') and a few more that I actually really respect (Monstercat and some artist-made labels like Deadmau5's Mau5trap, Tiesto's Black Hole and Magik Muzik, etc). Getting back on topic, I've really enjoyed the lyrics so far. I haven't had a chance to sit down and really think about the lyrics yet, but at first glance they strike me as being pretty deep. All in all, I'm pretty happy to have stumbled onto Twenty One Pilots. Give this song a listen and let me know what you think in the comments or on our Facebook page!

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AMANDA-- "ROYALS" by LORDE

Happy Friday all! I dare you to get today's song out of your skull. I sure can't. If you listen to mainstream radio now and then, you may have heard of Lorde. The Kiwi artist basically came out of nowhere and is  taking the charts by storm with her hit single "Royals." You don't hear many tracks like this. The approach is simple but very effective. In terms of the vocals and beat, Lorde goes big and these ultimately drive the song and the point home I think. What point might that be? Well, I recently read an article describing the song as an overt criticism of the materialism found in contemporary music, specifically hip hop (as compared to Macklemore's tongue in cheek hit "Thrift Shop"). I don't disagree with this assessment of "Royals" which is certaintly more serious in tone and content. Lorde appears to be rejecting the life of excess so many pop stars today embrace and celebrate. It's all superficial bullsh*t in her eyes. I may be reading too much into it, but this commentary is very interesting coming from someone who has made into the business at such a young age. I expect to see many great things from Lorde in the future. Anyway, don't be surprised if you find yourself snapping your fingers and singing "Everybody’s like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece" for no apparent reason. Yeah, it's that good. Enjoy!

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AMANDA-- "YOU'VE GOT TIME" by REGINA SPEKTOR

Hey readers! Hope you're having a good week so far! Today's song comes from the highly popular original Netflix series "Orange Is The New Black." In the short time it's been out, the show has attracted serious buzz and already been picked up for a second season. Through the eyes of a waspy female protagonist, viewers get a peek at the complex lives and relationships of women in a New York federal state prison. The lovely Regina Spektor wrote the theme song from scratch, having received snippets of clips and information about the show from creator Jenji Kohan. Spekor isn't someone I typically associate with rock, but here she nails it. It's a credit to her talent and versatility that she sounds more than Karen O on this track than say Fiona Apple. Like the show, it is something no one expected but that is undeniably awesome. The song starts off fast and hard then goes softer and slower, only to repeat this several times. Everything from the pacing to the lyrics captures the complex tone and storytelling of the series. Moreover, it's a very fitting theme and almost as addictive as the show itself. Enjoy!

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AMANDA--"CARRIED AWAY" by PASSION PIT (TIESTO REMIX)

Hola! To help you get the weekend started off just right, here's a fabulous Tiesto remix of the Passion Pit single "Carried Away." I knew of the band for a long time but their music never caught my attention until I heard this song. What's so brilliant about the remix is how Tiesto accentuates the best parts of the original- specifically frontman Michael Angelakos' amazing vocals/lyrics-while also making it his own. He tones down the seriousness and turns up the beat to create dance magic. To be clear,  I enjoy both versions, albeit for for different reasons. If you're looking for something light and fun, give this remix a listen. There are separate videos for the songs and I won't pretend to know what is happening in this one. I will say that whatever those kids are having, I'd like some. Happy listening!

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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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ETC #69 "Heartlines" and "Leave My Body"

Song: "Heartlines" ~ Artist: Florence + The Machine

~ http://youtu.be/aTHgbmKNUr8 ~

Comments: Happy Tuesday, all! So I'm bringing a little Florence into your Tuesday. I have had the album Ceremonials on loop for the last couple of days. I didn't realize that there were six singles off of this CD.  The most famous one you all are probably familiar with is "Shake It Out" which is a great inspirational song (and an interesting yet visually striking video).  I fell in love with several of the songs.  This album has been out a while and even though there are several singles I have to admit only hearing one of them so far on the radio which is really disappointing because they're all very good. This song in particular shows of some of the range that Florence has and I especially love that she can sing well live! She not only has a beautiful range, but she has power behind her vocals.

Song: "Leave My Body" ~ Artist: Florence + The Machine

~ http://youtu.be/BM9QJIIMTcs ~

Comments: Again, half of the songs on the album so many of my favourites were already taken as I'm trying to not provide singles from the artist featured on Tuesdays. This second song has a mild tempo, yet is soothing and relaxing. Some parts of the words in here were a bit hard to understand so here are the lyrics in case you need them.  All I have left to say (and repeat) is that I just absolutely love this album and Ms. Welch's voice. It is one of the best ones I've heard come on the radio in a long time (not to say that there aren't other great ones of course) and it's something that could rock me to sleep. Happy listening!

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AMANDA-- "I WAS A FOOL"

Hey readers! I discovered Canadian indie rockers and identical twin sisters Tegan and Sara in high school and have kept up with their music ever since. I was pleasantly surprised then to hear the first single "Closer" of their latest album Heartthrob, which signals a new direction for the band. If I had never heard them before, I might not have recognized the artist as Tegan and Sara.The thirty-three year olds wanted to change things up on their seventh record and boy did they. The quality of the singing and song-writing we've come to expect from them is there but in a shiny, new, synth package. The duo tackle classic themes of young love, lust, and heartbreak with a level of skill and maturity only experienced musicians can. This track, "I Was a Fool," has been stuck in my cranium for days now. It has a beat that you can dance or tap your foot to, a beautiful melody on piano, and excellent vocal harmonization. Tegan and Sara take turns singing but when their two voices merge and become one it's magic. The entire album is fun, playful, and thoughtful. I hope you'll check it out. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

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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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AMANDA-- "CARING IS CREEPY" by THE SHINS

Hey all! I intended do a song from a musical but while browsing through my collection of soundtrack music, "Caring Is Creepy" (interesting title I know) popped into my head out of nowhere. It works because it's 1) a good song  and fairly representative of The Shin's music and 2)  featured in one of my indie favorite films, Garden State. Happy listening!

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AMANDA-- "HEADS WILL ROLL" by YEAH YEAH YEAHS

Hello faithful readers! Halloween is just around the corner and I couldn't be more excited. I love everything about this holiday: the costumes, candy, scary movies, and creepy music. So for today's post I've combined two of my favorite things-Halloween and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I've been a fan of this indie band for a while now. Karen O, their fabulous lead singer, never fails to amaze me. The song is infectious, danceable, and overall kind of memorizing. The music video features excellent special effects and choreography in the style of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" Enjoy!

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Entry 240-- "Tongue Tied"

Song: "Tongue Tied"
Artist: Grouplove

 

http://youtu.be/1x1wjGKHjBI

Comments:  Hey everyone! Amanda here to wrap up the week. This song has been stuck in my skull for a couple days now and I felt I needed to share it with you all today. Apple featured it in a commercial last year, essentially catapulting the band into mainstream success. And I am definitely a fan. Grouplove (sometimes spelled GROUPLOVE) has a fun, youthful pathos about them that is kind of irresistible and  "Tongue Tied" captures it perfectly. It comes off their debut record and is a fantastic amalgam of rock, pop, electronica, and indie music that makes me want to dance and headbang all at the same time.The music video is also quite entertaining. If you like what you hear, I suggest checking out their entire album. Happy listening and happy Friday!

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