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4.21.2014

Take It Slow

       With a sound reminiscent of 'classic' Tokyo Police Club and lyrics which bring to mind the often metaphorical and greatly articulate Radiohead, there's an inherent feeling of hominess to Tapioca and the Flea's track. Although the single sounds like a song which has been in your playlist for years, it maintains an undeniably fresh sound with its delicious blend of psych, indie rock, and electronic music which I can't get enough of.
       Lyrics like "I don't know which way I wanna go, I'm running away now, I'll leave my heart on the ground", "do you think she'll really mind, if I need to take my time...do you think I even care?", and "well I don't know where I belong, my mother said it won't be long, but I don't know which way to go, she's moving fast, I'll take it slow" are unapologetically honest and combine with a swirling melody and prominent rhythm gorgeously; by the time the song hits its oh so sweet melody at 2:01, I'm already set to play it again.
       Everything from that wandering keyboard and sturdy drums to those vocals which you can sink into and an unrelentingly solid guitar riff make the track completely addictive, so check out the video below, head to the websites, and buy the single from iTunes now. 
"Take It Slow" Tapioca and the Flea
Tapioca and the Flea
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Knock You Out

       Bingo Players' single, "Knock You Out", features the duo's signature heavy synth lines with a decidedly fun rhythm and gorgeously strong vocals. The track was one of the songs BaĆ¼mer worked on with Hoogstraten before his passing and was debuted at the Remembrance Festival during Miami Music Week, with a portion of the concert's proceeds going to the Dutch Cancer and American Cancer Societies in Paul's honor.
       Lyrics like "you pick on the weak, your twisted tongue speaks all the fears you hide, the fear inside", "and the bully's best friend is the poison pen, but you can't touch me... you try to phase me but I get stronger every day... my power's fed by your hate" and a remarkably addictive chorus which insists "my fight is won, who needs a gun, boom, boom, knock you out, you knocked me down, but who's laughing now?" are amazingly articulate; add in the song's final crescendo into a full blown dance floor melody that forces you to move and the track could not be any better. 
       Check out the incredible single below and grab it from Beatport now (or from iTunes on May 13th).
"Knock You Out" Bingo Players
Bingo Players
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4.15.2014

Your Love Will Blow Me Away When My Heart Aches

       Nothing is more satisfying than these vocals which I could listen to for days, but add in that sweet, melancholy guitar, prominent rhythm, mellifluous melody, addictive vocal hooks, and lyrics which repeat "I'm afraid your love will blow me away" and Son Little's "Your Love Will Blow Me Away When My Heart Aches" could not be better.
       Satisfyingly rich vocals combine with a slowly unwinding melody to make a gorgeously downtempo track that will leave you wanting more, so check out the single below, head to the sites to find out more about the artist, and buy the single from iTunes now.
"Your Love Will Blow Me Away When My Heart Aches" Son Little 
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4.14.2014

Let Me Break

       You Love Her Coz She's Dead's latest single holds all the heavy beats and dripping melodies you've come to love from this EDM duo whose tracks invariably cause you to break out in dance. 
       The stuttering rhythm that drops off into a heavy track infused with drums and vocal riffs pulls back and lets go with perfect timing while that wandering melody that enters at 1:53 is just haunted enough that the solid beats which pull it back down manage to feel just like the first warm summer night of the year and it's impossible to not get caught up in the track. 
       Check out the single below and download it for free now.  
"Let Me Break" You Love Her Coz She's Dead
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4.12.2014

Hallelujah

       The verses chosen*, which include the verse which perfectly describes the song's composition as well as the absolute best verse which states "but all I've ever learned from love, was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you, and it's not a cry that you hear at night, it's not somebody who's seen the light, it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah", Brown's vocals which build to the insistent and passionate repetition of "hallelujah", and every part of SafetySuit's always emotional compositions (the rise and fall of those strings is gorgeous, the frenzied guitar riff is perfection, and the drums run the song with confident precision) make this the best cover of "Hallelujah", hands down.
"Hallelujah" SafetySuit
*Cohen wrote over eighty verses for this track during the writing process and, while his official recording for his studio album included the 'final' chosen verses, he performed all of the verses, at one time or another, during various live performances, mixing and matching the previously unreleased verses while keeping the last verse constant.
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4.11.2014

4/11

       The company which I spent the last three years of my life with filed for bankruptcy today so I'm listening to these on repeat. 
"Your Love" The Outfield
"Two Weeks" Grizzly Bear
"Can't Go Home" Good Old War
"Glue Girls" Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
"Erase Me" Kid Cudi featuring Kanye West
"Start Of Something" Voxtrot
"Cheap Sunglasses" RAC featuring Matthew Koma
"Classic" MKTO
"Take You Higher" Goodwill & Hook N Sling
"Fine" OH DEAR VEGAS!
"Tessellate" Tokyo Police Club
"Hold My Hand" The Fray
"Let Your Heart Hold Fast" Fort Atlantic
"99 Red Balloons" Goldfinger
"It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy" Passion Pit
"No Rain" Blind Melon
"All The Small Things" Blink 182
"Just Keep Breathing" We The Kings
"Mr. Brightside" The Killers
"Sloppy Seconds" Watsky
"Reno" The Gods Of Macho
"Anna Sun" WALK THE MOON
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4.09.2014

1965

       The B-side off Zella Day's newly released vinyl offers a stripped down alternative to the bouncy pop beats of "Sweet Ophelia", replacing those heavy chords with nostalgia infused lyrics and a sweetly lilting rhythm that swirls around a soft piano melody.
       Swelling strings which pick up the soft melody and urge it forward with a melancholy feel make the song's emotions undeniably strong, but rich vocals which shamelessly plead "I don't belong here... can we go back to the world we had, with a love so sweet it makes me sad... it's the world we've been dreaming of" in contrast to a prominent composition create a compellingly gorgeous track.
       Check out the sites below and purchase the tracks now.
"1965" Zella Day
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4.08.2014

Sweet Ophelia

    Zella Day's music video for "Sweet Ophelia" falls in line with the song's attitude, staying simple and straightforward while offering you plenty that's left to your own interpretation. 
       Check out the new video below and get the single, and softly gorgeous B-side "1965", now.
"Sweet Ophelia" Zella Day
Zella Day
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4.07.2014

Be Careful

       Lyon Apprentice's "Be Careful" from their debut EP, Be Honest, Be Wild, Be Free, has a refreshingly full composition, warm vocals, and lyrics which make the track so easy to fall for. 
       The slightly discordant and echoing piano at the beginning gives way to comfortingly steady chords and a gorgeous melody that's pushed forward by an urgent rhythm and fantastic lyrics like "hold my hand, like it is cold, like it's worth melting" and "there's no way of knowing what.. comes your way, but I'll keep trying".
       The track is fantastic enough that I'm tempted to start throwing around superlatives in an effort to adequately describe this superb composition and great lyrics; it's sweet and melancholy with rich vocals and unabashedly honest lyrics that support an amazing piano melody and I can't get enough of these brother's tracks. Get the EP from iTunes now and head to the websites to find out more about the band.  
"Be Careful" Lyon Apprentice
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We've Got Love

       I'm a sucker for songs with happy melodies and unrelentingly honest lyrics and Calan Mai's (stage name of Jordan Lawrence) "We've Got Love" is the first track, in a long while, which I've heard that perfectly captures that oh so gorgeous fusion of sound. 
       There is no way to better describe the song than to let it speak for itself, and a verse which states, "well ma's been helping patients but she's running out of patience, 'cause she's waiting for the big one, the one who might just ring to say, 'I'm sorry that I messed up and I know that it's been years', but so far dad don't call / well dad's been turning coins and turning something into nothing, but sometimes that machine it lights up all exciting, and that ding ding ding reminds him of that happy feeling coming, that the night is good for now / but dad's got love... and ma's got love... and me I just hope it's enough" does so eloquently. Mai manages to state harsh facts while still remaining, if slightly doubtful, optimistic, with the track closing out on "I hope it is enough that they've got love... and I've got love... I just hope it's enough".
       This track is completely refreshing and kind of superbly amazing, so head to the sites below and check back for new music, because you're going to enjoy being addicted to this. 
"We've Got Love" Calan Mai
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4.05.2014

Fine

       I find myself hopelessly addicted to this track, and I am totally okay with that fact. 
       The simply stated repetition of "I'll be fine, if I get over it, when I get over it" is great enough to stand on its own, but the succinct verses and that fantastic composition (which gradually builds from a simple guitar riff to include drums, bass, piano, and, halfway through, a heavy techno influence which you never realized was simmering just below the track's surface until your second listen) only further the assertion that this band is brilliant. 
       Verses which state "cigarettes burned my desk today, blank page you know but I'm OK, these words I've written a million times", "you said 'I had enough today, I'm leaving you' and I'm OK, these words I've heard a million times", "nothing to do with what you think, cherish that part of everything, these words I've lost a million times", "dig this grave or just let it shine, the entire world is mine, these words I've prayed a million times" are as equally complex and emotional as the track itself, but still simple enough to play the single on repeat without being bogged down by your own thoughts. Being able to create something that evokes so many emotions while still maintaining a light feel is an enviable skill, and one which makes it impossible to ignore this band, so check out the websites below and get their EP from their site now. 
"Fine" OH DEAR VEGAS!
OH DEAR VEGAS!
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Try

       As previously stated (so, so many times), this duo is amazing. Their chord progressions build slowly but always offer a full sound by the time the first round of the chorus swings around, their vocal harmonies are the most satisfying of any sibling group available right now, and nothing can beat the pleadingly honest lyrics that these guys so effortlessly put forth in each of their tracks. 
       While the music is fantastic and the vocals are never less than great, the lyrics make the song worth playing on repeat, because lines like "if you find yourself at a loss try to work out where you've been, all the shiny coins you've tossed are laid out in the street, and you wish you'd never agreed to open up your heart again", "when you're searching for a home and it's not where you left it, you really want to take control but you're scared to suggest it, when you wanna ask for more but you know you'll get refused again", "when the birds fall from your sky and life is clipping your wings, it steals a glint from your eye, you're afraid of what you might see, you're searching around for your dreams and think you'll never fly again" state the complexities of everyday life with such articulate ease that it's easy to get sucked into the pleading repetition of "try letting go the things you lost, the lines you crossed" and "try dreaming, try forgetting, try finding someone you can truly let in" which basically state that you should never give up, because it will always get better. 
       The lyrics are sweet, that bridge which relies on nothing more than two acoustic guitars is frisson inducing, and if you haven't already found yourself completely addicted to this duo's sound, head to the websites below and start falling now, because every track is just as great as this one. 
"Try" Hudson Taylor
Hudson Taylor
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