Stuck In My Skull 566 -- "Telephone Banking"

Song: "Telephone Banking" || Artist: Clean Bandit feat. Nikki B || http://youtu.be/GeynVBZjls8 ||

Comments: Hello, everyone! For today I've got an incredibly catchy song by Clean Bandit. This song was stuck in my head when I woke up this morning, and it's unlikely to be going anywhere. I can't get enough of the main synth line, and the rest of the song is just the perfect accompaniment for that beat. As usual for a Clean Bandit song, this track makes really great use of strings to bring the rest of the song together. Definitely give this song a listen if you haven't heard it, and be sure to like us on Facebook! Enjoy the day!

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Stuck In My Skull 518 -- "Glory and Gore"

Song: "Glory and Gore" || Artist: Lorde || http://youtu.be/vEHHh8IBhpY ||

Comments: Hello everyone and happy Friday! Today's song is one of the lesser-known songs off Lorde's album Pure Heroine. Unlike "Royals," "Team," and (to a lesser degree) "Tennis Court", "Glory and Gore" was released as a single several months later and thus has been robbed of radio play. I think this is truly a shame, because this song is amazing. To be honest, I think the entire album is amazing, but this song (along with "Tennis Court") tends to get stuck in my head fairly often. It's an excellent synthpop track that clocks in around 72 BPM, so dancing to this is basically out of the question. And that's fine, really -- not every track needs be a dance number. The Wikipedia article on the song goes so far as to call out 'chillwave' influences, which I think is going a little too far. This one is nothing but social commentary and satire, and it does a brilliant ob o making a point. Seriously, give this song a listen if you haven't already, I think you'll enjoy it.

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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 441 -- "Alive"

Song: "Alive" || Artist: Empire of the Sun || http://youtu.be/IPKAwJKGSDc ||

Comments: Good morning and happy Monday! Not a happy Monday? Problem solved -- click the video about and your day will suck less. This song is the first single of Empire of the Sun's second studio album, "Ice on the Dune." The single was released back in April and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard dance charts. I'm actually predicting we'll see more from this track, though. To my reasoning, if "Radioactive" can spend roughly a year on the charts and keep coming back from the dead, there's a decent chance that the Australian electronic duo's song will likewise resurrect itself. This track is excellent. The signature sound of Empire of the Sun's vocals flows neatly over a relaxing, calm beat at around 120 BPM, sitting on the border of dance and down-tempo and able to pass itself off as either. I have no idea how this duo produces their vocals, but to my ears, they always sound as though there are more than two people singing their incredibly catchy chorus. Also, the visual style of their videos is something else. It's ridiculous, and awesome. Enjoy!

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AMANDA-- "A REAL HERO" by COLLEGE (FEAT. ELETRIC YOUTH)

Hello readers. By now, mostly you have probably noticed I'm something of a film fanatic. There are many things that go into making a movie good or worthy of praise - writing, direction, acting, cinematography, just to name some. Now and then, one is surprised to find that style is as integral to storytelling as those elements are. And Drive (2011) has plenty of it. I mentioned it previously in a post about the electro-pop band Electric Youth featured on the soundtrack and in today' s song "Real Hero" by French musician College. The movie is heavily inspired by cult movies of the 70's and 80's known for their stylistic and violent imagery as well as romance. Songs like this are major contributors to Drive's retro aesthetic and tone. It's says a lot when a soundtrack is as memorable if not more so than a film's characters and plot. Here, they could not be more essential to one another. The lead is a tough guy turned hero with a soft side, making the song an effective and fitting choice. I didn't plan on doing a synth week but sometimes the songs choose you and not the other way around. Enjoy!

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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 #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-- "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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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 252-- "Mad World"

Song: "Mad World"
Artist: Tears for Fears

http://youtu.be/SFsHSHE-iJQ

Comments: Hello all! Amanda here! When I woke up this morning, I honestly had no idea what I wanted to write about but my love for eighties music pointed me in the right direction. "Mad World" may sound familiar to you. A cover by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews appeared in the cult film Donnie Darko, gaining the song a second wave of popularity. Though released decades apart, both are great in their own way and make an interesting observation about the world we live in. I chose the original because I think it’s significantly less well-known among younger generations. I myself had never heard it before today and couldn’t believe how different it sounds. My own reaction to hearing the synthesizers and strong percussion surprised me. Having heard the Jules version first, which always makes me sad, I didn't expect it to sound so upbeat. The video is odd but good. I don’t know how to describe it except to say it's very eighties. I recommend checking out both versions. Enjoy!

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