Category: music suggestion

5SF: may 28

Woo hoo! Guess who’s back!! This has been a crazy week for me (literally, 5 tests for school!), but I have made it intact through all of it, and I wanted to celebrate a nice weekend by kicking it off with some great music; especially since it’s been a couple of weeks since the last 5SF. So let’s do this.

Sara Bareilles – King of Anything
What can I say about Sara that I haven’t already said a thousand times? She’s an amazing singer, incredibly talented performer, exquisite singer, and a brilliant song writer. Her debut turned out to be one of my favorite albums of the last decade, and with this new single from her hotly anticipated forthcoming album, Kaleidoscope Heart, she has proven that she still has a lot more amazing pop music to offer us. The song is a cleverly written “fuck you” song, and brilliantly fits within her previous work, and serves as the perfect set up for an exciting new release this fall. I for one cannot wait for her new album, as I have been a huge fan of hers ever since I saw her perform live, and if it is anything like I have come to expect from her in the past, I know that it will probably be one of the best albums of 2010; and if this song is only a testament to that, it’s bound to be! Glad to see that you’re back, and in top form Ms. Bareilles!

Aqualung (feat. Sara Bareilles) – Remember Us
I honestly thought I had posted about this song already; so let me say, what an egregious error I have made by not doing so sooner! This is from the recently released album Magnetic North, from the always quite amazing Aqualung, and I thought it appropriate to post this one today (since I hadn’t already), not only because it’s my favorite track from the album, but also because it is incredibly beautiful (well, that and it allows me to keep the Sara Bareilles love rolling on). I remember seeing Aqualung a few years along with Sara Bareilles, and I never thought that their meeting would turn into a beautiful musical relationship like this. Matt really has proven to be a beautiful song writer, and this collaboration just sends it over the edge; this song is definitely one of his best.

Kylie Minogue – All The Lovers
“Dance, it’s all I wanna do, so won’t you dance? I’m standing here with you, why won’t you move?” Well, since you asked so nicely, Ms. Minogue, I will oblige!! While I don’t consider myself to be a Kylie super-fan, I do enjoy a lot of her music, and her previous release X was probably my favorite of hers thus far. After enjoying that release so much, I was excited to see she would be releasing a new album this summer, and given how much I like the lead single, I think it may be another one I can count amongst my favorites. My favorite part in this song is when she delicately sings that line above at about 2:10 in; beautiful!!

Robyn – Dancing On My Own
This is my, “unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should have heard this amazing, brilliant, pop masterpiece by now, but since I am sure some people haven’t (crazy?!), I have to post it” song. Seriously, Robyn, is a pop GODDESS. I was extremely excited when Fembot came out a few months ago, and the promise of THREE new albums was made for release this year, and so far, all I can do is stop typing, clap my hands in raucous applause, and scream bravo to Robyn. Her previous self-titled release, showed the world of pop music exactly how high the bar could be set, and with these new releases this year, it appears that only Robyn can reach the dizzying heights where she herself placed that very bar. I can’t wait to see how this whole situation plays out this year, because as I predicted even before hearing Body Talk, Part 1, I tentatively called this year musically going to Robyn; and it looks like my prediction is even closer to reality. This song is brilliant music-making people. Take it in!

Sleigh Bells – A/B Machines
Before I even knew who Sleigh Bells were, I got to see them in concert; they opened for Major Lazer a few months ago, and I was at the show early enough that I got to see their set. While I didn’t know who they were when they took the stage, I can definitely say I wanted to know who they were by the time they were done. They were incredible live, and their debut album Treats (which is pretty amazing as well), just came out last month. Overall, this is probably my favorite song from the album, and as I said elsewhere before, it is a song that, if I were a fashion designer, I would send my collection down the runway to. This song is power, raw and unabashed, and it demands attention. I love the well placed scream towards the end of the song that makes me just want to dance all night. I love when I find bands that I have never heard of, and they turn out to be amazing; lucky for me, Sleigh Bells is definitely one of those bands.

I hope you enjoyed today’s 5SF, and as always, let me know what you thought of the picks. Have a great weekend everyone!

sotd: Silversun Pickups – The Royal We

If you followed my countdown of last years top 31 albums, you already know that the Silversun Pickups AMAZING sophomore album, Swoon, came in at number six, and is quite simply put, incredible. While I loved this song when the album was initially released (over a year ago!), a current single release has put it firmly back on my radar; and thank goodness, because this song is utterly brilliant.


I found myself especially in need of some rock and roll motivation this morning heading to my first test of the semester (which I somehow managed to get an A on!), and I found myself blasting a little Silversun Pickups; and it was apparently exactly the pick up up (no pun intended) I needed. I can’t wait to see them at the Tabernacle next month (June 19th) and rock out live to this amazing band (last time I saw them, I only managed to catch a couple songs of their set, but I got to meet them, and they were amazingly nice). I hope this song turns out to be a massive single for them, because it is certainly one of their best, and is a real indicator of the massive talent these guys (and girl!) have; and it totally deserves to be today’s song of the day.

5SF: may 7

I have been enjoying a well deserved day of relaxation today, after passing my first of two finals for the semester yesterday. One down, one to go!! As always, a big part of relaxation for me is music, and I have some great songs for today’s five song Friday; and with that, let’s get right to the music, shall we?

Toni Braxton – Make My Heart
I’ll be honest, I didn’t like this song the first time I heard it. I don’t know why, because now, I LOVE IT. This song practically begs to be danced to. Perhaps it was because it was kind of different in the way that the chorus really assaults you, and switches up the melody of the song that initially put me off, but regardless of whatever it was, I am completely over it now; this song is truly a floor filler and I am ready to shake my booty to the rhythm. It is hard to sit still when this song is on, because again, it is just such a dance ready song. Toni should be getting some major love for this new single, because it deserves a warm welcome for her coming back to the music scene.

The Pipettes – Stop The Music
The first time I heard this, I was bound to be critical of it, because of how much I loved the Pipettes’ debut album, We Are The Pipettes!. There were a few line up changes, which led to nearly 3 years of delays for new music from them, and the fact that they are pretty much an entirely new band now (one original Pipette remains), had me worried that the Pipettes that I knew and loved would be able to revive the spunk and joy they brought on their wonderful debut album a few years ago. After a couple of listens, I am happy to report that the Pipettes are very much alive, and still have that wonderful something that I fell in love with to begin with. If this is just a taste of what we can expect from their hotly anticipated sophomore album, I can say with certainty, that I really cannot wait for more from the Pipettes! Don’t make me wait much longer ladies!

Melissa Etheridge – Fearless Love
What can I say? Melissa Etheridge is a tried and true musician who has an amazing knack for writing powerful, evocative love songs, and her newest release, Fearless Love, is chock full of great tracks. I have been listening to the entire album ever since it came out last week, and I already think it’s going to make my year end best of list. I’m glad that Melissa still clearly has the gift of making music, and continues putting out excellent albums like she has with this new one. Sometimes, you just need some feel good rock and roll, and Melissa proves that she’s still a staple that you can turn to when that’s just what you crave.

Charice – Pyramid
I absolutely love this girl. The first time I heard this song, I couldn’t deny the clear similarity to JoJo, but I have to say, Charice and her producers were brilliant in their using this song as a single; they reel you in with the familiarity of JoJo, and blow you away with Charice’s vocal talent. The song itself is just different enough, that it stands on its own as something fresh, and the song is undeniably, completely radio-ready. The part that really won me over is around 2:49 in the song where she completely wails, and her amazing vocals give me chills each time I listen to this song. This girl can sing, and she has made herself a wonderful single that should (with any justice) be burning up the charts in the coming months. Hopefully the inclusion of Iyaz (while it is completely unnecessary for the song) will give it some “reputable” traction, and get this gem on the radio!

Foxy Shazam – Oh Lord
What would you get if you blended the Darkness, Queen, and threw in a dash of Mika? Why, you’d have the exuberance of Foxy Shazam. I love the blended melodies, and the way they have used so many different musical elements (piano, guitar, horns, drums, oh my!) on this track, and I especially love how lead vocalist carries this song right over the top (but in a good way!). The lead singer’s swagger certainly reminds me a lot of Freddie Mercury, which makes that Queen reference even more relevant. This is certainly a fun song, and one that is best listened to loudly, and I have been enjoying it more and more in the recent weeks. Also be sure to check out the video for the song, which had me swooning for the piano player when he throws that look into the camera at 2:10. Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Keep on keeping on!

Well, what did you think of this week’s five song Friday? As always, be sure to comment and let me know, and also let me know what you are listening to as well!

sotd: Hot Chip – I Feel Better


Let’s just go ahead and admit it; this video is BRILLIANT (albeit, a bit frightening). The first time I saw it, I was like, “This is NOT Hot Chip! WTF sign, you lie!?!”, and then, I was all, “oh. AWESOME”. So yeah, I can’t get enough Hot Chip right now, and this song, the video, AND their new album, One Life Stand are all pretty amazing.

Side Note: Also, as kind of a rant, I WANTED to post this legit, and get it from the band, but this “NOT AVAILABLE IN YOUR COUNTRY” bullshit is a crock. Seriously, I am pimping your awesome song and video… for free… on my blog… for free. Why wouldn’t you want that? Whatever, the song is amazing and so is the video. Whatevs. (If, for whatever reason, the video is yanked, check it out here: this is the guy who directed it’s youtube link for the apparently highly classified material, I mean, video.)

sotd: Florence + The Machine – Dog Days Are Over

I owe my friend Deb an apology on this one. She was screaming about how amazing Florence + The Machine were practically all of last year (and even named Lungs as her album of the year), but for whatever reason, I wasn’t ever able to get into as much as she did. Well, that has all changed, as it seems I can’t get enough of Florence + The Machine these days; better late than never, though, right?

I think my finally coming around was especially helped by this amazing video for Dog Days Are Over:

Wow. This is one talented woman, whose 2009 album Lungs SHOULD have had one of the higher spots on my year end best of list, but because I wasn’t as into it as I should have been at the time, it was sadly overlooked (I did like it, but it didn’t even make my top 31; which I now realize is a glaring omission on my part). I am saying today, that I am sorry that it wasn’t included, and it is a great regret of mine that I didn’t heap the praise that it truly still deserves on it at the time I should have. Deb, you were right!! Florence + The Machine are amazing!

5SF: april 16

It’s that time again, and I’ve got you five new songs for this Friday. Today’s selection is a little all over the place (some of it is a little out there, I’m warning you!), but each song deserves some love, as I have been digging each of these tracks lately. Let’s get started, shall we?

Keane (feat. K’naan) – Stop For A Minute
I have this strange relationship with Keane; most of their stuff falls under my radar, but every once and while, they release a MAJOR single that completely captures my attention. Last time that happened was when they released the massive Spiralling, and I literally couldn’t get enough of that song. Now, they have done it again with this insanely catchy track, which has one of the best choruses of any song on the radio right now. While I’m not super hype on the rap portion of the song, the massive chorus won me over instantly, and has me playing this song on major repeat right now. This is definitely one to roll the windows down and blast as you ride around enjoying the beautiful spring weather we are having right now.

Kelis – Acapella
While I will openly admit that this one took a while to grow on me, it has managed to take me completely by storm over the past couple of weeks. The more I hear this song, the more I love it. The beat begs to be danced to, and I like how fresh and different it is from most of the other stuff circling the airwaves out there right now. While Bossy will probably (see definitely) always be my favorite of Kelis’ songs, this one certainly highlights the fact that Kelis is not a shot in the pan; she has changed her style and done something brilliant in every endeavor she has taken musically. I can’t wait to see what her upcoming release, Flesh Tone (out July 6) has in store for us.

Jónsi – Go Do
Remember earlier when I said that there was some stuff that would be a little “out there” this week? Well, here it is. This ethereal track is from the recently released solo album, Go, from the lead singer of the Icelandic rock band, Sigur Rós. While I really can’t understand most of what he is singing in this song, I absolutely love the beautiful vocals and the accompanying airy and fanciful music. The first time I heard this, I had a bit of a WTF moment, but I will admit that I was instantly turned around, and was kicking myself for my doubt by the end of the song; this song is awesome. There’s definitely some strange stuff going on in Iceland, as evidenced by this, and the type of music fellow Icelander Björk makes. However, after hearing this, I honestly think that the Icelandic strange is the kind of strange that I am pretty sure that I love; after all, I love a lot of Björk’s music, and I find myself really loving this as well. Side note: apparently, he’s openly gay, so that’s a bonus to be featuring an out artist today!

Sia – Clap Your Hands
Sia managed to fly under my radar for almost a year, only to take me by storm with her previous release, Some People Have Real Problems. As such, I was pretty excited to see that her next release, We Are Born will be released very soon (June 7th to be exact). Subsequently, when I heard this song, which is the lead single from the upcoming album, I was a bit on the fence; I didn’t love it instantly. However, Sia has proven to be a grower for me, and that is exactly what happened with this one; it has really grown on me, and I am loving it more with each listen. This one is definitely more upbeat for her, but it works, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the new album has in store.

Laura Marling – Rambling Man
I have fellow music blogger xolondon to thank for turning me onto this amazing song. He posted the video for this song (which is filled to the brim with a shirtless, burly man; that certainly got my attention!), and rightly pegged this as Laura so amazingly channeling Joni Mitchell, for which I have nothing but praise and admiration. This song is a triumph, and I think that Joni would be proud that Laura is making music like this today. This song is well written, and beautiful, and I am truly delighted to have been turned on to it. Thanks xolondon for schooling me on the delicate beauty of Laura Marling! (note: I posted a Laura Marling song in the past, but her new stuff had completely flown outside of my radar; until now.)

Well, there you have it; another five song Friday in the bag. What did you think? As always, let me know what you thought, and why not throw in a few suggestions of your own while you are at it? I hope you enjoyed these songs as much as enjoyed bringing them to you… until next time!

amazing news sotd: new Scissor Sisters!

Today, the Scissor Sisters posted the a song from their forthcoming album, Night Work, called Invisible Light, on their website. Thankfully, they also posted the song in its entirety on youtube, and as such, I get to gush about it here. Have a listen:

In a word? AMAZING.

The Scissor Sisters are back with their hotly anticipated follow up to Ta-Dah on June 28 with their third album, titled Night Work. I cannot wait!!!!

sotd: Christina Milian – Dip It Low

I love this song; it is smoldering hot, and the chorus is damn dirty. I seriously cannot get enough of it, and it is one that I frequently request when going out dancing. What better to post on a Saturday that is certainly in need of a little energy; let’s all roll it all around, and poke it out like your back’s broke, ladies!

Pop, pop, pop that thing, I’ma show you how to make your man say… OH!

5SF: april 2

Happy Friday, everyone, it’s that time again; time for another installment of the five song Friday!

The Bird and The Bee – Heard It On The Radio
The only “new” original track from their most recent release, a cover album/tribute to Hall and Oates, The Bird and The Bee harness their delightful quirkiness effortlessly on this wonderful airy hit. While the rest of the album is a guilty pleasure for sure, there is nothing to feel guilty about while listening to, and loving this song; it is sweet, warm, and perfect for a spring time drive. I have been a fan of The Bird and The Bee from day one, and this is yet another amazing song that I can add to my list of favorites by them. Be sure to check out the rest of the album as well, because they do Hall and Oates covers like no one else; they add a whole new level of fun!

Mumford and Sons – Little Lion Man
The album Sigh No More is one of those albums that I only wish I would have discovered sooner; it is an amazing album from beginning to end. I love the weathered, raspy vocals, and the light speed guitar and banjo strumming on this song, factors which are also present on many of the other tremendous folk-rock songs on the album. This is one of those songs that you hear and realize you have stumbled onto something amazing, and in my case, it is then that I get excited about sharing it with others. If you haven’t heard of Mumford & Sons before today, consider yourself educated about a truly amazing and talented band, and if you love this song, you will adore the rest of their most recent release, Sigh No More; I know I do.

Vampire Weekend – Giving Up The Gun
I will admit that I was a bit hard on Vampire Weekend when they started putting out singles from their most recent album, Contra. The first, Horchata, didn’t blow me away, and the second, Cousins, took me a while to warm up to. However, when I saw them on SNL a few weeks ago, and they performed this song, it was then that I saw and heard the Vampire Weekend that I fell so deeply in love with when they released their debut back in 2008. Low and behold, they’ve since released this as the third single from Contra, and I have been loving this track (and the rest of the album) more and more with each listen. I’m glad this amazing song got me back on track, and back to loving the Vampire Weekend that I was missing. Also, be sure to check out the playful video, because my lover, Jake Gyllenhaal is in it (and the lead singer of Vampire Weekend is quite dreamy as well!).

Broken Bells – Vaporize
What do you get when Danger Mouse and the lead singer of The Shins collaborate? Something pretty awesome, as far as I am concerned. This is my favorite song from their recent collaborative effort, the self-titled debut from Broken Bells. This song truly highlights both of their musical sensibilities, and makes for a wonderful listening experience; this is definitely the best song on the album for me. I fully expect to see this on a lot of best of lists for 2010, because when you have someone as consistently talented as Danger Mouse collaborating with someone as downright amazing as James Mercer of The Shins, it’s bound to get attention; and it certainly has captured mine.

Robyn – Fembot
Ever since Robyn posted this new song on her website, I have been getting more and more excited about a new release from her; so it’s a good thing there’s going to be THREE new albums from this Swedish pop-goddess in 2010. That’s right ladies and gents, 2010 looks like it’s gonna be a huge year for Robyn, who has proven that she has still got it with this extremely catchy pop gem. If this is any taste of what we can expect in the following three releases this year, it seems that Robyn is hell bent on becoming the true, all reigning queen of pop; and if it’s anything like her previous self-titled release, she’s certainly going to get my vote. Rumor is, that the first of three albums comes our way in June; I for one cannot wait.

Alright kids, there’s your five songs for this wonderful Friday. What did you think? Please leave me delicious comments and let me know; and be sure to let me know what you are listening to as well! Have a great weekend!

sotd: City and Colour – Boiled Frogs

This was released not that long ago on iTunes, and any “new” material from City and Colour is always something to be excited about. This song is a “cover” of Alexisonfire’s song of the same name. I use quotations around cover, because it isn’t really a cover, so much as it is Dallas’ acoustic take on the song; and seeing as he’s in Alexisonfire, he isn’t really covering the song. Either way, it’s beautiful, and I love it, so I thought I would share it.

It’s weird that the video is out of focus, but the sound is great. If you loved the track as much as I did, buy it on iTunes and support the amazing City and Colour, won’t you!?