Keeping It Fresh

Today is a day that the music community across the globe mourns. It has been such a hard year for music fans, especially rock fans. But today we have been dealt a blow so rough, I feel it in my heart. It was reported earlier today that the lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington, passed away. And I know when people read the news and look up what happened, the realization of what happened is shocking. However, you may also notice the sheer number of people who have mentioned him, who are talking about him and paying homage and tribute to him. You may see the people who are writing about him, and thanking him for everything he has done. There are so many of us out there who owe so much to Linkin Park and Chester Bennington. For me, their music was all about finding strength. It was about facing all the inner demons that humanity must face whether we want to or not. Their music inspired generations of people to grow and become courageous and strong. The music and the lyrics are s...

Today I have some music for you that is certain to get many people very excited and very hyped up. Last night marked the premiere of the seventh season of Game of Thrones. I am a huge fan of the show, and can tell you that there are many others who are just as crazy about it. What this show offers is a saga of a story about political scheming, danger, and mystery. And to accompany this saga is one of the best scores I have ever heard.  Ramin Djawadi has done a lot of composing since he started on Game of Thrones. But there is something so incredibly unique and distinct about the way this show has been composed. The music reflects so much emotion and power. Every scene with an accompanying track has been enhanced ten fold because of Ramin Djawadi's compositions. His skill and ability are so incredible, as he knows how to capture moments and feelings with such perfection. If you took the music away from the show, the intensity and fantastical nature would be completely lost. And i...

Today I have some really great music for you from some phenomenal movies. This first song comes from the movie Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. This movie was an absolutely beautiful movie for many reasons. First of all, the entire movie is all about the human experience, and what it means to be a human. It begins with the story of a man and woman who work office jobs, behind a desk, only to come home to a lonely existence. But as the movie progresses, the characters evolve, learning more about themselves and learning that there is so much to offer the world and that there is even more to receive. Even when things go wrong, or the unexpected arises, we have to look forward and keep our spirits high. Because at the end of the day, there is nothing more spectacular and wonderful than our own ability to believe. This is where the song of the day comes in. This song is the most perfect auditory description of this feeling. It is such an apt and charming and magical way to summarize the mov...

Lately we have seen an increase in the number of remixes out there, floating around the music sharing and streaming platforms. One such platform is SoundCloud. Now there have been a lot of mentions regarding SoundCloud in the news. And I have to say, I was really nervous for the streaming site. SoundCloud has been my go to for so much indpendent and differnet and original music from musicians and artists of all genres and geographic regions. SoundCloud has been the place where I have discovered artists and singers long before the radio picked them up. It has been the place where I have been able to revel in Bollywood remixes and electronic music storms. And until today, that was all threatened. And then Chance the Rapper swooped in. He got his start on SoundCloud, and seems to have a very grateful sentiment towards SoundCloud. And from what I can tell, it seems like he has something up his sleeve in making sure SoundCloud sticks around for a long time.  So why did I turn the fir...

Today I have some new music for you by the London-based electronic group that is filling the music-scape with amazing tracks. Rudimental has made its way into the European music scene and is slowly making their way to the US. But before they make it big here, I am happy that I get to talk about them because of how much their music is very different. Rudimental has not made a song that sounds like another. Each and every song has a completely different melody, tone, mood, and genre. From tropical sounds to electronic club music, to even some melancholy and soothing jams, Rudimental is not afraid to try things out and really explore. What makes it even better, is that they do an incredible job of it. Rudimental is one of the few artists who has managed to master every genre they decide to tackle, and each song that expresses a different genre has been one that I really enjoy. Now I know I have done a little bit of writing about them in the past so some of this may not be new to you...

For some reason, today I couldn't get enough of electronic music. And so I figured, why not make today's post all about electronic music. But here's the plot twist. Today's electronic music isn't necessarily EDM. In fact, it borders more along the lines of funky house, with a lot of soul and groove thrown in. Chris Malinchak is the star of the day, with today's song also featuring the stunning vocals of one of my favorites, Mikky Ekko. Chris Malinchak got some acclaim with his first big song and I can see why. This guy has really great talent in instrumentation and song production. The style of this song is so funky smooth and has a great energy to it. This song sounds like what Michael Jackson hitting the electronic scene would sound like. Everything about this song captures the groovy disco and hip hop feel that Michael Jackson mastered and made his own. I could not stop dancing to this song no matter how many times I put it on repeat, and the song is so rem...

Today I have some music for you by a band that has been around for a little while and is a band that has been with me for quite a few years. Switchfoot has been a band that has jumped around from a lot of different genre labels. One day they are rock, the next day they are Christian rock, and the day after that they become a pop band. But despite these genres and labels and categories, I think it is important to point out how transcendent their music is. The thing is, while Switchfoot is capable of being a member of all these groups, there is one style of music that they will always be defined as for me- heartfelt music. Every song by Swtichfoot that I have fallen hopelessly in love with, has been a song full of soul and passion and heart. You can hear the joy of playing music, being musicians for the sake of creating something wonderful and beautiful and maybe even life changing. This song is another one of those special songs that always makes you really feel when you hear...