Come and Get 'Em: Songs You Should Know

“Die By The Drop” off of “Sea of Cowards” by The Dead Weather

Jack White and Alison Mosshart playing together is already enough to rope me in and get me hooked. Combine them with Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age and Jack Lawrence of the Raconteurs and you have yourself one serious blues-rock band; one that I certainly could not pass up without at least a good thorough listen. Since first coming along “Horehound” and hearing singles like “Hang You From The Heavens” and “Treat Me Like Your Mother” and “I Cut Like A Buffalo” I have become a big fan. Honestly, I was nervous for the release of their sophomore album, but I suppose I should not have doubted them. “Sea of Cowards” continues and expands upon what they began on “Horehound” and just delves deeper into electric blues while taking a few liberties providing the listener (like me) with wholly unexpected but very satisfying moments. Simply, The Dead Weather continued to be, and I have a feeling, will continue to be, one bad ass group.

“Save the World” by Swedish House Mafia

Ever since this song was recommended to me by Youtube, I have been absolutely hooked. The beat and lyrics have been continuously swirling through my mind, making me just want to stop, throw my arms up and dance- it’s just ole fashioned catchiness at its finest! I promise after the first time you listen to it, the lead up to the chorus and the beat that drops after it will be stuck in your head just like it has been mine. Recently on a trip, a DJ threw it down and I just stood on top of boat doing the exact same things I described, feeling infinitely happy as it correlated with the blissful weekend that I was experiencing. Just unbelievable.

Seriously, the only bad thing about it is that it’s too short. I want more than anything to see these guys throw this and all of their stuff down live- it would just be one giant dance party, and who doesn’t want that?!

I hope you enjoy swimming through these beats as much as I do. 

Side note: I want an epic dance battle to this song. That needs to happen, be recorded and shared with me haha. As well, you should really watch the music video if you haven’t seen it yet - I wont spoil it for those that have not, but I think you’ll enjoy what it does a lot. 

“Nine” off of “Sometimes. Always. Never.” by Natalie Angiuli

This is one of my favorite tracks off of my friend Natalie’s debut album, Sometimes Always Never. She has been writing, composing and performing her original music on the street and anywhere possible for the past couple of years. As a student in the Popular Music program at USC she has finally been able to put together a wonderful band and get an album made.

She has worked tirelessly on this album. She wrote and arranged everything; this is all her creation. If what is here is any indication of what is to come in the future, and judging from a brand new song she debuted, I’m so excited to see what comes next. I certainly believe she has a place in music in the future. This excitedness comes from as objective as a viewpoint as possible. She is so genuinely talented and just so obviously has a lyrical and musical soul. While most of her songs are indeed sad, they are nonetheless beautiful, thoughtful and sometimes fun (as strange as that might be). 

She just stopped in my town and played a couple shows on her West Coast Tour and she is so so authentic, easy to get along with, fun loving and carefree with an excellent stage presence, it’s hard not to love her. And even better, she mixes it up and sounds incredible live. So if you happen to see her coming to a town near you, go and check her out. If you like what you hear here, you can find the rest of her album on iTunes or at http://natalieangiuli.bandcamp.com/album/sometimes-always-never. 

Heartbreaker featuring John Legend by MSTRKRFT [Wolfgang Gartner Remix]

“You’re in my mind, you’re in my heart, I wish I knew right from the start, all my friends said you’d break my heart, a heartbreaker right from the start” - I have had that stuck in my head all day long. And by golly, I’m 100% okay with it. I hadn’t listened to MSTRKRFT in a while and my friend threw this on last night, and I’ve been diggen on it since. I debated just putting the original up, which is also quite excellent, but I felt compelled to toss out Mr. Gartner’s remix since he is coming to my area rather soon. This is aside from the fact that I love the remix.

Side note, John Legend is a boss. I love everything about that man, especially his unbelievable voice. There is something about it that stands out. Maybe it’s how smooth it always feels while also drenched in soul. I don’t know, but I digress. 

I suppose I should mention something about Wolfgang, but I don’t feel it’s really necessary at this junction. He has made himself quite well known and is a master of his kraft. Although something that’s kind of cool, he hails from San Luis Obispo- a nice little town on the central coast of California for those unaware of this wonderful city. Scope “Undertaker”, “Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony”, “Push and Rise”, “Animal Rights” and “Illmerica” to get a good sample of his style. 

Go on, grab your high performance headphones or plug in those baller Logitech computer speakers and blare this sweet remix of this catchy-as-all-hell anthem (no, that’s not a typo). 

 Baller Status: check.

“Plan B” off of “MuteMath” by MuteMath

How I have not posted MuteMath yet is absolutely and utterly BEYOND ME. Ever since I found their EP in a small record store years ago for five bucks, I have lived, breathed, and loved this band. I cannot get over how unbelievably talented this entire band is. I cannot get over how rad this band sounds. I cannot get over how flawless they have been as a band. I cannot get over how I have loved every single thing they have ever produced. I cannot get over the fact that I have not been able to see them in concert yet, because I have heard and know they would just be so energetic and kill it live. So here it is, finally, one of my favorites (one of the originals off the EP). Immerse yourself in it completely, drown in its sound, and come out reborn, refreshed, and with a renewed sense of hope in music. 

I just saw a brief description of their music on iTunes and I like it: “Sonically spacey”, “MuteMath may prefer dreamy to the definite, but there’s no mistaking the eloquence of its music…”

Other good ones you ask? Well the entirety of this album, MuteMath, is absolutely beautiful and just incredible. Try out “Typical”, “Chaos”, “Break the Same”, “Control”, “Electrify”, “Spotlight”, “Armistice”, and “Reset”.

“I Don’t Want To See You Like This” off of “The Big Roar” by The Joy Formidable

Alright, so for the first post I’ve had in a long while I give you The Joy Formidable. I just recently started listening to them thanks to my roommate and their billing on the Coachella lineup (that’s right, I’m going to Coachella and got a ticket and a camping spot for regular prices! pumped! but I digress). I really enjoyed what I heard at first and decided to give the rest of their stuff a whirl and Im glad I did. I’ve come to the conclusion that I like them so much because I hear this hybrid sound of The Silversun Pickups and The Thermals with a dash of some other band I cant quite put my finger on, and my god it makes for some solid rock music. So, I do hope you enjoy this latest post and I hope to be back doing this at least on a semi-regular basis again. Until then.

Other songs I recommend off this album: The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade, Austere, Whirring, and A Heavy Abacus

“There’s No Secrets This Year” off of “Swoon” by Silversun Pickups

I can’t believe I have gone this long without posting something from SSPU, I have been in love with them for so long. But alas, here you are, some SSPU for your enjoyment.

There is a lot of talk out there from Silversun Pickups fans that this album is no where near as good as “Carnavas”. I’m going to put myself out there as saying that I like this album better. Yup, I said it. I honestly and truly dig this album so much more than “Carnavas”. I think it flows impeccably well as an album, seems more cohesive as an album- telling more of a story, and I think the quality of songs is better. There is not a single track on here that even remotely warrants skipping. To top things off, the opening three tracks come at you full force and just blow you away with the familiar loud bursts of guitars, power chords, and vocals (which is something else about this album, there is more singing in it, versus screaming. I’m not saying that either one is better in this case, just stating that fact). I have been listening to this album since it came out and still love it, get blown away by it, blast it in my car rocking out to “There’s No Secrets This Year”, “The Royal We” (it was between this and no secrets to post), “Growing Old Is Getting Old”, “Panic Switch”, and “Substitution”, and profess its greatness. I have yet to see SSUP in concert and aspire too, good god, do I ever. 

“Fuck You” by Cee Lo Green

Possibly the catchiest song ever written. Seriously, if you have not heard this song, get on it immediately. It will probably be stuck in your head for the next week- but it’s so so worth it. It such a well produced, full, funk song. There is so much to like (i.e. backing vocals, arrangement)  about it that makes me so excited for the Gnarls Barkley man’s next solo album. If it is anything like this, it could very quickly become one of mine and the nation’s favorite albums. For the love of God this is great. 

“Song For Lovers” off of “Science Fiction” by Bachelors of Science

Smooth drum and bass. It’s not like the intense drum and bass you may be thinking of or are used to. It’s fluid, it has a sort of jazzy/classical feel to it with strings in the background. My roommate just showed them to me and I immediately wanted it. It’s bomb. So I got it. Now I’ve been listening to it a lot. You should too.

That is all. 

“Mouthful of Diamonds” off of “Eyelid Movies” by Phantogram

This too was a feature in Spin’s September issue. The first time I heard it, I thought to myself that this would be good rainy day/chillin/napping music. I was right. That’s exactly how it has fit itself into my life so far. This kind of music is necessary in anyone’s collection and aside from that, it’s easy listening and solid music. I found it described as “ricocheting between upbeat and melodic, gauzy and psychedelic, and flat out eerie as lush loops and fractured beats collide with shoegazer guitar lines”. It’s extremely atmospheric and rather seductive at times - why wouldn’t you get it? Go ahead, listen to it and make your own conclusions, but I like it and think it deserves a spot in your collection. (Also, I love the album art, that only helped their cause in my case).