Keeping It Fresh

Today I am keeping things a little bit on the shorter side, so bear with me on that! But it dawned on me today, that I have never made a Star Wars related post on this particular day. That's right. On this iconic day in every calendar, especially for geeks and nerds like me, no Star Wars jokes were made. Why you may ask? I legitimately don't have a good answer. So in honor of today's date and for the sake of the awesomeness that is Star Wars, I have two pieces of music from the franchise. Now, this first song is hands down one of the most recognizable compositions to come from a film. This is a song that has been used in all kinds of pop culture references and remains the butt of many jokes. But in a way, I love that! This song represents Star Wars in a way that most people forget. There is a light-hearted goofiness to the song which reminds us of how much personality is in the films. I won't deny, I do find most of the characters to be a bit somber and emotionally st...

Today I have some music for you by a trio of musicians who are an odd mix of electronic dance and rock music. And this rock music is more along the lines of hard rock. Art vs Science is a group out of Sydney, Australia with an intense, lively, and spunky spirit. Art vs Science is one of the oddest groups I have heard, but I absolutely love how unique and fun their music is. This band is one that has received some mixed reviews, with some dismissing their music and others praising them as one of Australia's greatest live acts. I will leave you to decide how to feel about the band, and would love to know what you think! But before we even get to that, let's take a look at a breakdown of this song. For starters, this is such a pumped up and fist-bump worthy song. The energy felt in this song is really reminiscent of The Beastie Boys and The Chemical Brothers for me. There is this very particular kind of sound that comes with musicians like this. I am going to try to put it in wo...

Today I have music for you by an artist that has some absolutely incredible and moving music. Aquilo is a musical duo out of London, and they are kind of new to the larger music scene. While they have been making music together for a few years now, they didn't drop a debut album till recently, and I am so proud to see how far they have come from their first released single. Aquilo is one of the music industry's best-kept secrets. Their underground nature and lesser known status keep them open to creating the kind of music that they do create. Finding artists who are good at created this kind of emotional and haunting and soulful music is so difficult. The heart-wrenching nature of the music is somehow eerie and moving at the same time, and the rarity of that sound makes the music even more bewitching. Aquilo pulls it off with ease and grace, giving us something that sounds like magic. If there were an award given out for the most moving and melancholy songs of the year, this ...

Today I have some music for you by a producer who has definitely found  a niche within the world of underground music. Justice Skolnik is a producer hailing from San Francisco, and I am an absolute fan of his style of music. The easiest breakdown of how this song sounds would be euro pop mixed with tropical house. This song in particular tends to take on a slightly darker, more mellowed out side of music, but that is what makes the blend of this song so great. There is just enough of a tropical sound to keep this a more light hearted and beachy song, but the other synths and programmed notes and the piano work all give the song a little bit more of a nighttime feel. And while this is not necessarily a song you can really dance to, it is one of those songs that has you bobbing without even thinking abut it. I mean I was left unconsciously moving to the rhythm of the song. Especially with the way the song flows, you are transported to another state of mind. This is the kind of song...

Today is another total shift of pace, with some lovely jazz music to start us off! This is a special kind of sound because this song features your traditional swing and jazz,  mixed with some R&B and modern beats. The evolution of traditional jazz piano into what we hear in this song is something I am really happy with and really enjoy. Jeff Bernat is a really low key and more unknown artist, but I think his music is very creative and edgy and cool. The song itself is really cute and sweet, but the whole idea of the how it sounds and what the style of the song is, that is what really drew me to this song. When the song first starts out, it sounds like your traditional jazz song. The nice kind of piano jazz that you hear when you walk into a fancy hotel or go ballroom dancing. But then that gives way to this modern and contemporary beat, something that clearly has a little bit of R&B influence in the way the percussion sounds. And to top it off, Jeff Bernat has a...

Today I have music for you that is so incredibly unique and weirdly riveting, that I had to share it with you all! This song is by the American gypsy punk band known as Gogol Bordello. Yeah, that's right. Gypsy punk. I can guarantee that this song is going to be on the stranger side of most people's musical taste, yet, it's the kind of music which you can't pull away from. Gogol Bordello is all about making music that intrigues you and leaves you hooked. The entire sound and reputation of Gogol Bordello hinge on this idea of unorthodox instrumentation and melodies. The vocal melody is just so catchy though that you get completely ensnared by the song and have to hear it out through the end. Even for those of you who don't find it to be your cup of tea, you can't deny the intrigue and odd attraction that the song has to the ears The song starts off with the plucking of a guitar in a melody that is clearly influenced by the common chord progression associated wi...

Today I have some darker, more moving music for you. Both songs today are very piano heavy, relying mainly on those graceful notes to convey so much emotion. This song is by solo artist Too Far Moon. Music like this is the kind of music that leaves you completely speechless. There is a heavenly allure to the song, and when you listen to the song, you don't want to break that silence. You don't want to let go of how that song pierced an arrow through your soul, and breaking that silence would be like pulling that arrow out. This is one of those songs that bypasses your mind and goes straight to your heart and soul. Too Far Moon writes the lyrics and produces all of his music and the fact that he created a song as spectacular and heart-wrenching as this is a bit bittersweet. Sweet in the sense that we are able to hear something that is so full of emotion and life. Bitter in the sense that he must have gone through something utterly heart shattering to write this work...