Have you ever had one of those days where the second you get home from work, you instantly crawl into bed and never want to leave? That was me yesterday, so I figured while I was under the covers - why not make another playlist filled with those? Hope you dig this batch, because I definitely do.
For more covers, I suggest checking out the Covers Tab here on LYED as well as the stellar A.V. Undercover site (via A.V. Club.) I won't spoil the surprise, but let's just say there's magic being made over there with every cover.
It's been a looooong time since I last devoted a post to some of my favorite covers, so here they are (all 15 of them!) Some new, some old, and some that I'd never imagine to exist until now.
P.S. Less than a week until SXSW takes place in ATX, stay tuned for my list of artists/bands I'd want to see (if I were going to be there all week.)
Here is everything I've been listening to for the past couple of days! If you couldn't tell already - the theme of this post is "no words just music." ;)
If there is one thing that Ellie is not afraid to share with her fans - it's her influences. By covering artists such as Dolly Parton, Alt-J, and Rihanna (p.s. click on the links to hear her covers), she makes it clear that certain artists play a huge factor in her life & work. As an avid Ellie Goulding fan, I've been keeping up with her randomness of YouTube videos that are portrayed as videos via Instagram.
When Starsmith uploaded this video of her goofing around to Midnight Star's "Midas Touch", I knew this wasn't the beginning. As Ellie has casually tweeted lyrics about songs that she has now covered, I knew it wouldn't be long before she covered this gem that I've been hanging on to since I first heard it awhile back. What is even better is the fact that she has BURNS, a creative music producer from London as her collaboration partner. Can you say, "match made in heaven?" I sure can... Well done, you two.
Curious to hear what the original sounds like? Check it out below!
I'll be honest with you guys, it takes a LOT for me to consider a remix when I'm already a fan of the original. This goes to show, that as an avid Ellie Goulding fan... I've only considered a small handful of remixes of her material. The first one that cracked my complicated style was Blackmill's Dubstep remix of EG's stellar cover of "Your Song" originally performed by the one & only Elton John.
True life: I still melt every time I hear this song. Since then I've totally opened up to remixes, it just takes a good solid listen or seven to figure out what it is that I love about it in comparison to the original. Sometimes it's amazing, and sometimes it's just god awful. Here are a few current remixes that I've stumbled across by luck, and hey - they're pretty good regardless of the mood you're in.
Enjoy! xx
First off, this is a free download, so definitely grab it while you have the opportunity to! I love this stripped down version of the track from Young Wonder's recently released EP titled Show Your Bones Check out the video for the original track here! As I've admitted on previous posts, I've fallen in love with Feel Good Lost & what they've done in terms of directing videos for Young Wonder!
P.S. Still obsessed with this video for "Time" that's also featured on Show Your Teeth.
I consider myself blessed to work in an environment that plays music that I can appreciate just like this remix by Ryan Hemsworth featuring Angel Haze of Cat Power's "Manhattan."
being one of the several tracks that are featured in our daily mixes each week. "Manhattan" is my favorite track off CP's latest studio release Sun, and honestly it took me a few listens...but hey, you can now colored me ecstatic because I love this remix.
Another free download that I am currently in love with. I love that Tycho can take a song and still include a little something-something that makes you automatically think "wow that kind of sounds like Tycho." It's 100% instrumental, and I'm 100% in love with it.
Truth be told, I first heard this Jacob Plant remix of Iggy Azalea's "Work" before I actually heard the original several months ago. I can't imagine ending this post on a better note then with this gem of a remix. Hopefully this will be one of the tracks that will hit you the same it did for me. I can't help but start every "getting ready" process without this remix, it's just that good.
So I had to put LYED on pause for a bit & left the Lonestar State last Tuesday for a sweet lil va-cay in California. How sweet was it you ask? Well, I was lucky enough to snap this picture of Hendry's Beach in Santa Barbara on a day when it likes to show off its amazing features. I miss it already! While I was "home" I was fortunate enough to catch Ellie Goulding & St. Lucia at the Hollywood Palladium. This was the final stop for the Halcyon Days Tour, and for being a bit under the weather I thought Ellie pulled it off quite well! I must admit, I was EXTREMELY disappointed with the crowd during St. Lucia's set. St. Lucia is an incredible up-and-coming band from New York, and if you haven't heard of them then check out this gem of a song featured below.
This isn't the first I've mentioned about St. Lucia on here, and definitely won't be the last. Since 2012 they've released a self-titled EP plus two EP releases for "We Got It Wrong" & "September" which are all impressive in my opinion. To sum up the experience, hearing their old & unreleased material LIVE exceeded my expectations. Their performance was full of energy and I was very surprised to witness the lack of movement from those in the crowd around me. Then again, leading up to St. Lucia's performance I overheard countless comments and questions regarding this "Saint Lucy or Saint Lucca" band. Anyways, if you ever have the chance to catch St. Lucia live, I highly recommend it! Now back to Ellie Goulding: she put up a good fight overall. Since the first time I saw her live (Coachella 2011), she has grown immensely in stage performance and overall delivery as a musician. I must admit, I was a bit sad about the fact that she only performed one track with her guitar (Guns & Horses) & wished "Your Biggest Mistake" made it onto the set list. Yes, that happens to be my favorite song from her in case you were wondering. ;) The entire performance was a treat from beginning to end, but she won me over with "I Know You Care" from her sophomore release Halcyon which is about her father. I could go on and on about her set which featured everything from her standout cover of Elton John's "Your Song" to "Without Your Love" a song that every individual needs to hear (after a falling out or break-up.)
A few days ago it was announced that Ellie will be touring with Bruno Mars this summer & if you're curious about when and where they'll be playing - click here!
Now for the good part of the post - the music! Since it's been quite some time since you've been given a post full of new tunes, I decided to create a "cheat sheet" aka a playlist via Spotify with 32 tracks that range from new releases to new finds for LYED. Hope this helps with satisfying your craving for new tunes! Enjoy :)
Over the past couple of weeks I've made several attempts at creating posts that feature my favorite songs/albums of 2012, but to be honest - 2012 was an AMAZING year for music. There were too many to individually list on a blog post (could you imagine how long the post would be?) From my involvement with this lovely music blog, I was able to find/discover amazing artists such as: ON AN ON, Kill Paris, The Neighbourhood, Jessie Ware, Alt-J, Breton, Star Slinger, CHVRCHES, and more! More specifically, creating posts like "Getting Under The Covers" and "YouTube Narnia" helped expand my appreciation of music by miles. Can't forget how many concerts/festivals I attended in the various cities & states, and that my friends is what made this year AMAZING. If you ever get the chance to see a band live, DON'T PUT IT PAST YOU! Mark my words. New or old, popular or underground.... live music is something I deeply treasure & hope you do too! I was recently asked to guest blog about my Top 10 albums on The Source Weekly, and in addition you can check out what I had to say about my #1 album of 2012 - Halcyon by Ellie Goulding! Special thanks to Ethan Maffey for giving LYED this amazing opportunity! You can check out everything Ethan has posted in terms of "Best Of ____ (aka everything music related)" by clicking HERE! It's a pretty amazing compilation of lists to say the least.
P.S. By clicking on TSW link above, you can see which tracks I picked from my Top 10 favorite albums - definitely worth checking out!
So instead of multiple posts, I decided to sum everything up (that could be accounted for on Spotify) on a Playlist instead! This is a compiled list of songs that were either featured here on LYED or on the FB page for LYED. There's a handful of gems that are on this playlist that might have slipped past LYED posts, my apologies! Although this list is pretty lengthy, it definitely could have been longer because several songs I had blogged about in the past weren't available on Spotify *insert sad emoji face*. If there is a track/artist that I forgot to add on the playlist (which wouldn't surprise me) LET LYED KNOW by posting on LYED'S FB Page, which is less than 40 likes away from 400. I would be more than happy to add your suggestions! :)
PLEASE SPREAD THE LYED LOVE!
So, here is the amazing playlist that best defines LYED (from a Spotify point of view). I hope this playlist brings back old & amazing memories from the past year or attracts you to an artist that you've never heard before! Thanks everyone! XX
Happy Holidays to all of you who are reading this! 2012 has been a lot of fun, and full of new experiences (to say the least). None of this wouldn't have been possible with you guys who've either read, shared, re-tweeted or liked LYED's posts on this lovely page, Facebook, or Twitter! Thanks for everything!
xx Emz
Don't forget to head over to LET YOUR EARS DECIDE via Facebook & click that "Like" button"! :) Thank you
Fresh from Fearne Cotton's Christmas Party 2012, you might recognize this amazing track as a song that was originally by Mariah Carey. Lots of mixed feelings about this track, but come on... it's CHRISTMAS TIME! Okay I'll stop being cheesy now, but really.. what are your thoughts? These are some pretty big shoes to fill, but then again it's just a cover. It's called having fun for artists... & besides Ellie Goulding has been blowing minds in 2012 by covering several artists from different genres i.e. Fun., Active Child, and The Weeknd. A Mariah Carey cover just adds to the diversity & demonstrates Ellie's level of talent (which is beyond amazing in LYED's opinion).
P.S. Click on the names above to hear Ellie's cover if you haven't already.
You're Welcome :)
Since we're talking about Ellie Goulding, did you know that The Script recently covered Goulding's "Anything Could Happen" when they last visited the BBC Radio Live Lounge? You have to give them credit for it regardless. Artists/bands visit the BBC Radio Live Lounge with the main intention to play their hit tracks live at their fullest, but in return they must pick a song on the current UK Top 40 Singles Hit Chart to cover. This is a fact as I learned while chatting with the lovely Lucy Rose who covered (with Bombay Bicycle Club, aaah :D) "Video Games" by Lana Del Rey. Feel free to check out The Script's beautiful attempt at the first single off Ellie Goulding's "Halcyon" below.
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!
WOO HOO LET YOUR EARS DECIDE IS OFFICIALLY BACK! After a variety of exams and flights across the United States LYED is now stationed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and ready for business! :) The original FVM #16 post (which should have been posted last Monday) was a pretty mellow one if I do say so myself. Since I've had some time to continue researching, I'm not going to lie that I'm more excited about this post. This is due to the list of events that have taken place and distracted me from posting last week's edition. I've stumbled upon more gems which means this edition of freshvibesmonday shares a similarity to the past ones, providing musical breadth and definitely going somewhat in-depth.
I'm not afraid to admit that I sometimes play favorites with this music blog, and that is because of how low-key I keep it at times. If you have the slightest bit of knowledge about my brunette self, you would know that I treasure Ellie Goulding & Bombay Bicycle Club equally. I will always have a passion for Ellie Goulding, as last year was quite a growing year for her. The follow-up to her debut album will be released on October 9th in the US and it's called Halcyon. Although I adore the remix that Blood Diamonds did for the latest Ellie track, I must admit I've found a special spot in my hear for this remix from Birdy Nam Nam. It puts a smile on your face, and I am in love with the picture of Ellie Goulding above. Just wait until you see the pictures I have of Ellie from last year to declare how much of a Goulddigger I am. xx
My knowledge of Eliza Doolittle isn't the amount that I'd like it to be, but I do know something about this woman: she isn't afraid to speak her mind. It's one thing to make comments during controversial interviews, but Eliza Doolittle saves her thoughts and disposes them at the right time. This song is so mesmerizing that at first you might be distracted from the punch that this track delivers when you first listen to it. Take my word and give it a few listens, you'll know what I mean.
Datsik deserves a lot of credit in my opinion, he had one of the toughest slots at Coachella this year (the same time as Swedish House Mafia's set which took place on the Main Stage) yet managed to still deliver a Coachella-worthy set. Datsik hasn't let that get to him, and this particular song "Juicebox" is an example of how easily Troy Beetles can fuck with your mind into thinking that you shouldn't re-think the next time he plays a set in your town.
If this artist doesn't ring a bell to you, don't fret. If you're familiar with Skrillex then you should already be familiar with her voice as she provided the vocals for "All I Ask of You" off his first EP Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. Since then she's worked/performed with a variety of artists including Porter Robinson & The M Machine. Check out more of Penny's music on her SoundCloud account. Share this lovely woman's music with your friends, family, pets, because it is free and you can't go wrong with something that's free right? Penny is a beautiful vocalist that I seriously hope to hear more from in the future!
Off the forthcoming album Total Loss, ghostly R&B is indeed Tom Krell's forte. The album drops tomorrow and let's just say this isn't an album you can push play in hopes to entertain a children's 10th birthday party. This is the type of music that is meant for you, and other serious music aficionados. If you're a fan of Blood Orange, then definitely look into this album!
This song was released via Imogen Heaps' SoundCloud Account about 8 months ago, and I am so disappointed that I'm just now finding out about this gem. Check out Imogen Heap's SoundCloud account for more treats if this is the first time you've heard about this lovely individual.
Grizzly Bear - "SPEAK IN ROUNDS"
First off, if the only familiarization you have with Grizzly Bear is that damn "Two Weeks" song that plays on nearly EVERY Pandora station imaginable FORGET ABOUT IT. This new album is something bigger and better, and hopefully won't be frequenting on every single Pandora station (yes, it even made it's way onto my Martin Solveig station one time). It has taken quite a bit of time to get this album out, but I definitely am one to say that it is something worth the waiting. The album comes out TOMORROW, and I'm stoked for those of you who haven't had a chance to preview it via NPR.
This is made available due to WatchListenTell, a beautiful collaboration I found via YouTube. This channel has captured some of the most amazing artists (and especially favorites of mine like Bombay Bicycle Club, Lucy Rose, Two Door Cinema Club, and more recently Jessie Ware). By playing an amazing track in a beautiful setting, this makes for a WONDERFUL video. So in return we must tell others about this type of scenario that is currently going on as a way of spreading the word!
I'm back from Outside Lands, and it's definitely a bittersweet feeling. You cannot beat good times with great people & live music. Highlights of the weekend were indeed Tame Impala, Tennis, Portugal. The Man, MSTRKRFT, Passion Pit, and Bloc Party. I must admit it was nice to sleep in my own bed though. Unfortunately, it's crunch time with 3 weeks left in my last quarter of undergraduate studies EVER! Below are a handful of fresh tunes that I just couldn't pass up, hope you like! :)
You can always count on this trio from North London to deliver a song that's equally beautiful as it is emotionally heart-wrenching. "Smother" will be released as a single on October 7th with "Run" as the B-side, and will be available digitally on September 3rd! This is a brand new track from Daughter, and I was so excited to find Philadelphia on the list of dates for their first North American Headline tour!
If you know me personally, you can bet your bottom dollar I shrieked the second I read on Ellie Goulding's twitter that the "Instagram Fan Lyric Video" was up for the public eye. Ellie has a new album coming out on October 8th in the UK & 9th for the US titled Halcyon, and this was the first track that I heard about from it! I have nothing negative to say about this track due to how long I've been waiting for something original from Ellie. This album is going to be nothing less of powerful, especially if Xaphoon Jones has anything to do with it.
Not going to lie, I was so distracted by how powerful "Ruin" was that I nearly missed this gem. "Cherokee" is another track off Cat Power's forthcoming album Sun that will be released on September 4th on Matador Records. Nicolas Jaar released a beautiful remix of this track last week, and you can check it out here to see what the hype is all about. :) Sun is definitely one of the albums I'm looking most forward to within the next couple of months.
Star Slinger did a great job with this tweaking this track that I had stumbled on a few months ago. There's a lot more going on in this "refix", yet it doesn't stray from Star Slinger's casual style of sound.
Since Lucy Rose's debut album Like I Used To won't be released in the US until next year, I was excited to find out that a proper video for one of the tracks was released yesterday. It will be amazing to hear the entire album as a whole as there is a low supply of studio versions for the songs available.
Here is the latest track to be released from the Adult Swim Singles Program, and as usual I feel like I'm stuck inside an arcade game. Com Truise's style definitely isn't for everyone, but I can appreciate his music from time to time. His most recent album In Decay is definitely worth checking out if you're into low-key electronic music.
This duo from Los Angeles is currently on tour supporting Twin Shadow, and I am looking forward to hearing them live when they play in Santa Barbara this Saturday at SoHo! Check out their SoundCloud account where you can listen & download most of their music for free!
Welcome to Round 2 of my favorite cover songs! Hope you weren't expecting to see the "Rhiannon" cover recently destroyed by Best Coast. Yes, I did give it a listen and the benefit of the doubt, but it was so painful that I couldn't stick around to hear the end.
If you would like to see for yourself, click on the links below.
I shouldn't be posting this as I am knee deep in makeup work, but when I read that one of my favorite artists EVER covered another artist who I LOVE I just couldn't let this slide. Earlier today Ellie Goulding released her cover of The Weeknd's "High For This" on her Soundcloud account. I am absolutely in love with the sound/flow of it and in case you were wondering, it was produced by Xaphoon Jones. If Xaphoon Jones doesn't ring a bell to you, he's 1/2 of the hip-hop/experimental/alternative duo Chiddy Bang from the East Coast. It's been quite awhile since we've heard new material from Ellie Goulding, and definitely didn't see something like this coming our way.
Here's the original JUST in case you've never heard of The Weeknd.
Originally I imagined a post devoted to duos in music that I dig nowadays, but when I started to list them out I realized I had more than I planned to....after 2 minutes of brainstorming. They were as followed (and yes there were more after the 2 minute mark but I'll save those for another post):
The Kills
Kids At The Bar
Sleigh Bells
Tennis
Purity Ring
Beach House
Wye Oak
NERO (originally there were two, but with the addition of Alanna I guess this kicks them out)
The Hundred in the Hands
Phantogram
The Black Keys
Matt & Kim
Memoryhouse
Major Lazer (as of right now, Switch is no longer in ML- sadface)
CocoRosie
She & Him
Adventure Club
Postal Service
First Aid Kit
& I'm not trying to write a novel as a post, I'm just here to supply your ears with some good tunes. SOOO to switch it up a bit- here are some duets I dig instead! To narrow it down a bit I focused on vocal duets rather than collaborations (because that easily would have been a mile-long list). Enjoy!
Active Child & How To Dress Well - "PLAYING HOUSE"
*This is a personal favorite of mine. I just love Active Child...a LOT. Tranquility is literally embedded in this track. Listen Listen Listen, and then listen to what's below. ;)
I consider myself quite lucky to have experienced this track live during Miike Snow's set at Coachella during Weekend 1. The image of myself immediately shrieking at the top of my lungs "IT'S LYKKE LI!!!!!!!" when she revealed herself on stage still plays in my head, one of several idiotic moments that seem to occur in my life. Sigh.
This track is found on SVE's latest full-length release Tramp, and it's definitely a beautiful track to say the least. With Sharon's raspy yet convincing voice flowing from beginning to end, Condon literally soars with his easygoing yet overpowering tone. Meowza
A few years back I had a massive Amanda Blank addiction (and it still lives on to this day) which was right around the time she released her first full-length LP I Love You. & who could forget Let's just say I worshipped that album enough to give AB credit for the crazy individual that I tend to be. If you have time on your hands, please YouTube the heck out of this little woman from Philly who spits faster than any other female out there (Amy Heidemann is a close call but not in my book). "Leaving You Behind" is the last track on the album, and what a way to slam the door on the album? "Using my legs because my head ain't right" BOOM.
Santigold Ft. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "GO!"
This is the first track off Santigold's latest album Master of My Make Believe & I hope with the success of this particular track that we will hear more from both of them.
If you haven't already, then here is your time to do so...
"YOUTH" from their 2011 (2012 for US) EP The Wild Youth.
"CANDLES" from the 2011(2012 for US) EP His Young Heart. By far my favorite track from Daughter, and If I could I would talk about Daughter until your ears started to bleed. THEY ARE AMAZING. Please check out their soundcloud & bandcamp site listed below along with the link the US Itunes Store, this trio is a band worth supporting!
