Keeping It Fresh

Today I have some music for you that came as a suggestion from one of my friends! This song is by up and coming artists Oddisee, and has a really nice jazzy and R&B vibe to it, a sound that we don't hear often enough. Now what makes this song so great is how it just oozes suaveness. Very few people remember that jazz is just as smooth as hip-hop, and the way that the song uses the jazz horns, it gives the song a really great feel. This song is a great example of what modern day jazz could evolve into. When rap and hip hop seem to be taking over the industry, having that mixed in with something as old and vintage as jazz would be such an ideal mix of bringing the past to the present. We get this really great and prominent kind of funk, a genre that hasn't been heard from in a long time. One of my favorite things about this song is the fact that Oddisee creates all of the music on his own. All of the instrumentation is done on his own, as well as a lot of the production in th...

Today I have music for you by a small scale band called Spoon. This band actually formed and started up in Austin (holla!) and I have to say that it is very different compared to a lot of the other live music groups we hear in Austin. This is their newest single after being together since 1993. Spoon has definitely experienced an evolution in their music and I really like where that evolution has them at today. Spoon has this ambient sound and synth oriented feel to it. This song in particular is definitely relying on the synth and keyboards to make the beats you hear. There is a kick drum involved for sure, but, there is also this really cool aspect of having a synth style beat as well. One of the things that makes this song so cool is the use of the harp in the music. It is not very often that we hear harps in music at all, but this song has a really beautiful harp solo and the harp serves almost as a harmonizing melody for the song. It is kind of weird because this song has the guit...

Today I have some chill and slowed down music for you, by an artist that is normally super pumped up. The Chainsmokers have recently gained quite a bit of popularity and fame. But what is nice is that they continue to do their own thing, make music the way they want, and create music that speaks to so many people. This is definitely a different vibe that we get from The Chainsmokers. A lot of the time, they are known for being a super energetic duo, one with more hype music than anything else. But this song is a nice step back from that and is a great exploration of something completely different. This song by The Chainsmokers is one that is more about getting you in that atmospheric frame of being. It is more along the lines of being melodic house, which is a genre that gets overlooked and overshadowed by things like house, trap, and dubstep. But melodic electronic music is where my hear and ears really belong, which is why this song was such a breath of fresh air. When we get to the ...

Today's song is by a little band called Bombay Bicycle Club. What makes this band so different is pretty much everything! Their look, their sound, the way they use their instruments, everything is unique. They don't try and have a specific look; they wear what they feel like wearing. And then their music, well, its just incredible. I love how indie this band can get and how dark they can go with the musical sounds. Its kind of incredible to hear them! This song in particular has a moment when their sound gets pretty dark and then switches back so quickly to make this song seem like something that is completely alive. This song has that cafe kind of feel good sound to it. It is something that is kind of neutral but also more light hearted. I love the vocals in this song and the band's vocals in general. They are quite gentle and soft and don't pack a powerful punch. They remain light and almost feathery in way. There is a fullness to his voice, but it is not necessarily ...

Today I have some rock music for you, but this is a unique kind of rock music. This song is one that is a mix of swing, jazz, country, and rock. Weird, I know. Confused as to how that might work? Don't be, because The Record Company totally nailed it. This is the kind of rock song that a live band would play at a bar show or a local live performance. That kind of gritty and energetic and rowdy sound that only comes with being slightly drunk is kind of what this song reminds me of. And I totally dig it! This song in particular was featured on one of my favorite television shows out there right now. Suits tends to have a pretty kick ass soundtrack. But this song is one of the songs that really caught my eye because it was so excitingly rowdy and wild. This is kind of what blues rock started out sounding like. I would love to see these guys perform this song live because I feel like it would be a hell of a performance. Even from this recorded song, I can tell that ...

Today is quite a special day because it is the day we celebrated the festival Holi! Now this is a festival that I feel a lot of people have seen, or at least the aftermath of, and haven't really known what is going on. But long story short, Holi is a festival to celebrate Spring, and we throw colorful powder at each other and dance and have an all around amazing time. So when I was thinking about what song to post, I thought it had to be related to Holi in some way. I mean why not? Gives me a chance to throw some Indian music your way as well, keeping things interested. So with the idea of cultural history in mind, today I have some of the most iconic Holi songs for you. Now this is a festival that has been celebrated for hundreds of years, but there is a limited number of songs that are classic for this event. This first song is probably the most iconic song of them all. This comes from an older Hindi film, one that was very popular, and is one that has very notable songs. Now whi...

Back at it again today with some awesome music! I know, my posting has been a little bit shaky lately, but I am definitely doing my best. Today I wanted to share something new and cool and different with you. This song is by a Swedish DJ by the name DJ Raaban. Now he is a lesser known DJ in our stream of music, and honestly, in any stream of music. His music takes us back to the older days of electronic music. It has that European style for sure, emulating sounds that we would find in things like video games and early 00s music videos. This is a style that has been lost to the underground, and hasn't made much of an effort to resurface. Nightcore music is kind of like a happy version of trance. When you listen to this song, it feels like a sped up and more rhythmic version of a song. That is because it is. The vocals are also way higher pitched than the original, maybe under the assumption that it makes the song more bubby or something, which I guess it kind of does. But that high ...