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me hopeful, but after the SCOTUS ruled against Prop. 8 and DOMA yesterday, more than a little bit of that hope has been replaced by a feeling of warm satisfaction.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 407 -- "Can't Hold Us"

Song: "Can't Hold Us" || Artist: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton || http://youtu.be/2zNSgSzhBfM (official music video) || http://youtu.be/bgjwAZ9TR3U (live in studio) ||

Comments: Hello, everyone! I do hope you're enjoying your day, wherever you are. Where I am, it's a beautiful day, and I feel amazing. I feel unstoppable. Indestructible. Like nothing can hold me. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Anyway, this song is fantastic. It's instrumentation is a pleasant blend of piano, strings, and brass, with a drum and/or drum machine laying the beats. The lyrics are upbeat, and put a smile on my face. The vocalizations by Ray Dalton really make this song, I think. Given the choice, I actually prefer the live version recorded in the KEXP studios over the music video, just because I hate having to wait around for the song to start. That being said, the video is thought-provoking and worth a watch. 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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