For me personally, getting ready in the morning is something that cannot be done without listening to MUSIC. Listening to something that's upbeat is a MUST! Sorry espresso, but you're not #1 on my list of pick-me-ups when I'm looking for something to start the day off right (although there are days when a pit-stop for coffee is more than necessary). My preference for music in the morning varies with the type of day it's going to be. Some mornings I immediately go straight for Yeasayer's latest album Fragrant World, and then there are mornings where I blast LCD Soundsystem like there's no tomorrow and it turns into a one-person dance party with my hairbrush in hand. Take it from me, LCD Soundsystem does wonders especially when you have to wake up at 4:15AM for your 6AM shift. ;)
The playlist featured below is more of a mellow (but nowhere near as mellow as a Bon Iver track) selection of songs! These are the songs that I immediately turn on the second I walk out the door of my apartment complex, and into the chilly Philadelphia weather. There's a great chance you've heard a few of the tracks before. My morning playlist is never the same, so there will be different versions popping up throughout the next couple of weeks, hope you find them just as helpful as I do!
B-SIDES! According to the Urban Dictionary, "a B-side was originally known as the song on the flipside of a 12" or 7" vinyl single that backed the A-side, but wasn't the song promoted or received the radio play". Sometimes B-sides are eventually added to full length productions, and sometimes they're a throwaway album cut. B-sides generally have a rep for absolute crap quality, and made it easier to persuade radio stations/DJs to play the correct side. This isn't the case for the tracks I selected for today's post, these B-sides are more than worthy.
The B-Side to The Kills' second single "Future Starts Slow" which was released last year. I'm such a sucker for anything that this duo touches. If you ever have the time to look up more b-sides & unreleased tracks from The Kills THEN DO IT. Gems on gems on gems.
I'm not the biggest St. Vincent fan, but when I watched her set at last year's Treasure Island Music Festival-I was impressed with how amazing she sounded live. For this year's Record Store Day St. Vincent released a red vinyl 7" with "KROKODIL" as the A-side & "GROT" (the track above) as the B-side. I dig it.
Little Dragon can do no wrong, except for not including this track on their 2009 full-length Machine Dreams. The A-side "Feather" was included on the full-length, and is one of my favorites by them.
The B-side for "I Can Talk". Call me crazy, but this track should have been on their 2010 debut album Tourist History. Luckily they perform "Costume Party" live, and I will be seeing them in Philadelphia this September. :D
This is actually a Portishead cover, but this particular recording was used by The Civil Wars as the B-Side for their Billie Jean release on Record Store Day.
Nearly 2 years after releasing her debut album Lungs, Florence and the Machine released Lungs: The B-Sides, 11 tracks including two special covers & a few other gems. This is the opening track on the album, and the lyrics are probably some of my favorite from Flo overall.
What's better than listening to your favorite band in the car or in the shower? SEEING THEM LIVE! This is definitely the case for me, (actually I can think of a select few that didn't impress me live but i'll save that for another post). Recently I've been stumbling across tour announcement after tour announcement, and I just can't keep it to myself what my eyes have seen! & tis the season for new music... as this season seems to continuously keep giving.
Twin Shadow recently announced a string of tour dates that will take place two weeks after the July 10th release of his sophomore LP album Confess on 4AD. Quite excited when I read that he will be performing at a local venue here in Santa Barbara (SoHo Restaurant & Music Club) on August 18th! For a list of tour dates and more information about Twin Shadow himself, click here!
This is their first track since falling off the face of the media world in 2009. If this is your first time listening to CocoRosie, you're in for one hell of a treat. CocoRosie was first formed in 2003 by sisters Bianca & Sierra Casady. What first comes to mind when I think of CocoRosie is indeed "freak-folk", a term several others have described this duo as. Bianca & Sierra each have their own individual singing style (Bianca's exotic mix of hip-hop/folk vocals while Sierra's hand-crafted sound stems from studying opera and is as dreamy as her kaleidoscope look). If their unique vocal collaboration doesn't grasp your ears, then you should know that this duo uses wind-up children's toys and a variety of gadgets that produce animal noises which definitely increases the freak in their sound. The single is officially out on June 5th with the b-side track "Tearz For Animals" on Touch & Go. They'll be coming to the golden state next month:
June 6 - The Regency Ballroom (San Francisco)
June 7 - Rio Theatre (Santa Cruz)
June 8 - Bellyup Tavern (Solana Beach)
June 9 - Luckman Fine Arts Complex (Los Angeles)
After an amazing first go-around for Bombay Bicycle Club, their upcoming US/Canada tour through the US & Canada has been extended to the west coast ! After catching BBC back in February (San Diego on the 14th & Los Angeles on the 15th), I wasn't sure that I would have the opportunity to catch them in California for awhile. They put on an amazing set both nights, and I highly recommend it if they're coming to your city. Here's Bombay Bicycle Club telling you why you should listen to them & their latest album A Different Kind of Fix in the time-span of 60 seconds.
This is an unreleased track by The Weeknd, and was the first track ever recorded (2006/2007). My, has he developed since then.
& if you haven't heard already, The Weeknd will be joining Florence + the Machine on tour later this year, along with The Maccabees and Blood Orange on select dates. Just the sound of those four names is a match-made in musical heaven for yours truly.
Today marks the release date of Neck of the Woods, the new full-length album from Silversun Pickups. It's almost uncalled for to hear a Silversun Pickups track that's less than 4 minutes long (an exception would be Broken Bottles, you bet I did my homework). I truly appreciate the longer length tracks, maybe it's because i've developed a high level of patience thanks to working in retail. With Silversun Pickups, it's a different story. Each track is like a spectral amusement ride, and in order to get the full satisfying effect-you need to listen to each track in it's entirety. Brian Aubert's raspy hiding-under-the-bleachers voice will always be one of a kind, and I love the way it brings me back to their last album Swoon with this first track "Skin Graph".
& with The XX recently announcing their summer tour through Europe which begins next week in London, one can only hope that this is a sign that the new album will be released before we imagined it to be. (I've listened to their first self-titled album so much that I can almost recite it backwards, yet I still get the butterflies when the tracks pop-up on shuffle.
& maybe a US tour? (fingers crossed). They released a demo titled "Open Eyes" last December, check it out below!
