The end of 2014 is quickly approaching, but have ho fear - there isn't a sign of new music slowing down. A perfect example would be the release of D'Angelo's surprise album The Black Messiah & Charli XCX releasing her sophomore album Suckerall within the next 24 hours. If the first name of this weeks' playlist slightly rings a bell, it's because LYED featured them as a Friday Fascination back in June. Get to know Santa Barbara's The Blues and The Greys, your ears won't regret it. Which song was your favorite? Any new introduction ICYMI: Putting a Plug on 2014: The EPs. Next up: The Albums! What were your favorite albums of 2014? Comment below!
(Shout-out to my friend @mallorystarr for lending me this week's image for FVM.)
Keeping it short & sweet with the selection this week for now, but there's no telling of what gems will be released in the next couple of days - so as always, watch this space. I have to admit, I'm extra excited to hear from Tei Shi again - this time with "Bassically" a song that's sparked the internet's airwaves ever so perfectly. (I highly recommend listening to "Nevermind The End" over on her SoundCloud, that song gives me butterflies every time I listen to it.) ALSO, we've been exposed to the first taste of Oh Land's forthcoming album with the title track "Head Up High." Definitely a fan.
If the name Crooked Colours rings a bell, it could have been when LYED featured them as a Friday Fascination back in May? Heard "Capricious" for the first time on Saturday night and instantly added it to this week's FVM. P.S. Hope you're as excited about "FROOT" as I am, there's no telling what Marina Diamandis has up her sleeve for album #3.
PSSTT. Hey Santa Barbara, Happy New Noise Week! Hoping to absorb as much music as possible on Wednesday & Thursday starting with one of my favorite bands ever, Polica at SOHo! I was fortunate enough to catch this four-piece in Philadelphia two years ago at Union Transfer, with the talented Gardens & Villa as the opening band (as if I couldn't have been anymore homesick.) Needless to say it was one of the best nights I experienced while living in Philly - because seeing Polica live is unlike anything else. Do yourself a favor and grab a ticket now before it sells out, seriously!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! This week's edition of FVM features a rather large handful of tunes that I'm super excited to share with y'all. A few highlights of the playlist include the latest from Hooray For Earth who are about to release their first album since their studio debut True Loves. "Keys" is something to get excited about, and it hopefully won't be long until Racy is released. Also, Brighton five-piece Phoria just released a breezy track "Emanate" that I have no problem in admitting I've contributed a chunk to the amount of listens (the ending gets me every time.) "Unguarded" by Rae Morris is taken from her Do You Even Know? EP that comes out this week! It's a lovely song that captures her talent quite perfectly if you ask me. Also there are a handful of songs in this playlist that were recently added to the LYED 2014 Playlist over on Spotify.
P.S. Once Olivver's "Attica '71" reaches 50,000 plays (which it probably will by the time you read this) it will become a free download (and that's definitely something worth taking advantage of because it's a solid summer gem.) If you haven't already, I suggest that you check out "Purge." It's part short film, part music video, and all around inspiring to witness. Definitely keep an eye out for this guy, he's going to be a game-changer. Plus, his twitter is "pure gold."
What'd you think of this week's selection of songs?
& what a big surprise, each of the songs featured below are quite different from the next one. This was definitely a coincidence, but then again I've never been one to stick with a single genre when blogging or listening to music. I also posted a couple of videos/tracks that I'm currently digging on my Twitter account
www.twitter.com/emponce
& also - don't forget to check out www.facebook.com/LetYourEarsDecide!
For all of you Bombay Bicycle Club fans - I recently gave away two free tickets to tonight's sold out show at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood from the LYED Facebook page! Congratulations to Calia Minasian who won the tickets & is currently enjoying the show :)
This was recently brought to my attention from a good friend named Kat, and without hesitation I clicked on it because she is someone who knows what I like (when it comes to music). I immediately fell in love with the track and that led me to find out more about this group called ON AN ON. What attracted me to this track? I'm a sucker for melancholic-sounding tracks. Ironically, this type of song makes me happy inside when listening to it. It definitely triggers a form of nostalgia that is somewhat heavy-hearted, but I appreciate a song's ability to do so. This track is off their forthcoming album titled Give In & it will be released on January 29, 2013!
The word "ghost" seems to be the key word in most band names that are currently on the rise (don't forget Holy Ghost!) and this is one of the examples. Ghost Beach = "Tropical Grit Pop" and I definitely cannot argue with that! The more I listen to them, the more I find myself attracted. Very catchy and this a band that I would file next to Reptar (who I've featured on LYED in the past). Feel free to check out CRAZY HEART RECORDS via SoundCloud for more Ghost Beach tracks that are more than worth your ears' time!
So this isn't the first time I've posted about the lovely woman named Jessie Ware from London. This is definitely an artist that's very underrated, and I want to share the talent that this woman has with each and every individual that finds their way onto this website! I've posted a bit about Jessie Ware's hit single "Wildest Moments" in a variety of ways. I first posted the Star Slinger remix of this track back in July, and then a few weeks later I stumbled across an edition of "Watch Listen Tell" that featured Jessie Ware! She has such a soulful voice
If you've ever listened to an Indie band on Pandora, there's a huge chance that Blackbird Blackbird has popped up in the randomness of tracks that play. That is actually how I found out about this artist while listening to Discovery's Pandora station about a year ago. This is the opening track on Blackbird Blackbird's recent EP release titled Boracay Planet. I love what this song does to my mind, and I didn't realize how long it was until I actually looked after I listened for the first time. In a previous post I featured "All" by Blackbird Blackbird which was the first single off the EP, and I love how "All" is the 2nd track following the one above. Overall the EP is amazing, and if you have the time - go check it out! Definitely something that is fitting for a night drive or an early morning subway ride to work (take it from me).
Monday never fails to ignite those manic and stressful emotions, but don't worry - I hopefully have the perfect remedy. The tracks that I've selected below will hopefully tone down your manic day (as they have for me). Make sure to keep an eye out for LYED'S FACEBOOK PAGE, because I tend to post updates on there first.
I am almost 100% sure this is the live version of the track from her recent performance at the iTunes Festival, but it sounds SO GOOD I just had to post it. Earlier today I posted another track from Ellie's forthcoming album titled Halcyon and the full-length will be released A WEEK FROM TOMORROW! To listen to that specific track that I posted - you can go to the FB page for LYED HERE! I am so stinkin' excited for this album. I've been a huge fan of Ellie since she started to pop up in the US, which were through remixes of her hit single "Starry Eyed". Last year I caught three of her live performances (two at festivals, and once at the UCSB hub for FREE thanks to her manager Jamie)! She is such an amazing individual and regardless of what press says about Ellie now that she's in a relationship with Skrillex, you should still respect her for the woman that she has become! I couldn't be happier for Ellie, and I have a good feeling that this album will be one for the books. :)
"ALL" was released as a single about a week ago, and this music video shortly followed. No lie, I was hooked on this track from the very first couple of seconds. This is the type of sound you can get lost in for awhile, and I definitely found myself clicking on the play button after every 4 minutes & 2 seconds had past. Blackbird Blackbird's follow-up release Boracay Planet comes out on October 16th via Lavish Habits.
Flock of Dimes is the side project of Jenn Wasner from Wye Oak. At first I was a bit turned off by the sound of Flock of Dimes because I was used to hearing Wasner's voice paired with dramatic guitar riffs and explosive drum solos. After a few listens everything started to click and I found myself attracted to this Robyn-esque version of Jenn Wasner. This particular track will be released as a single on November 20th via FrenchKiss. Expect to hear the B-side track on the next edition of "B-Sides- The Better Side?" Check out the SoundCloud account for Flock of Dimes where you'll find a handful of other tracks like this one!
The beginning of this track immediately reminded me of Geographer, but gradually takes a different route. This track is a remix of a song off St. Lucia's self-titled debut EP. If you're curious to hear the original then click HERE! I am a big fan of the original but I like the direction that this remix takes.
This isn't necessarily fresh but I just found it the other day & wanted to share it with all of you. I'm not too familiar with Ghost Loft, but that hasn't stopped me from researching them and listening to the tracks on their SoundCloud account. I truly appreciate a track as simple as this, but at the same time it makes me feel like I'm on a good one (if that makes any sense). If Ghost Loft is news to you, then I am very excited! This is definitely something you would find in YouTube Narnia, and if you're not familiar with that - then it's time you do some research! I've posted a couple entries regarding that you can find on this lovely little blog of mine, but have no fear....a new one is on it's way this month. :) Hopefully you enjoy this track from Ghost Loft and check out their SoundCloud account like I did! :)
This is the first track off Lonerism, the follow-up to Tame Impala's 2010 debut Innerspeaker. As of today, Lonerism was is streaming on NPR & i'm currently listening to it as I type this. I'm only a couple songs into the album and already melting into my bed from this psychedelic/feel-good wave that is taking over my computer speakers. Tame Impala is definitely a band that you HAVE to see live. They're definitely one of those bands that have progressed into becoming one of the best live bands today. I was fortunate enough to catch Tame Impala at this year's Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco, and am looking forward to their Philly show in November! Lonerism will be released in the US on October 9th (a week from tomorrow). Although this album has leaked, I am still purchasing a hardcopy it & you should too. Support real music.
Well I'm not going to lie - I cried the first time I watched this video. It's such a powerful video when you truly devote all of your attention to it. It's a rather emotional song alone just by understanding the lyrics, but this video literally sparked the waterworks for me. Polica is currently on tour with Santa Barbara favorites Gardens & Villa (who always put on a great show), and I am definitely making it to their show this Wednesday regardless of how exhausted I feel. Their show is at Union Transfer in Philadelphia, which is a popular venue that I'm quite unfamiliar with (but have heard several great things about it). Also, this is another track that isn't as "fresh" but deserves the attention from your eyes and ears if you haven't checked it out already. Definitely check out POLIÇA on Spotify if you happen to have it or check out the SoundCloud account where you can access not only original tracks from Polica but remixes as well!
