Ivan & Alyosha

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The other day while I was restocking vinyl at work, I happened to stumble across the album featured above. Recently our store received about 300 (both new & old) titles due to how well our sales have been in the vinyl class. I have to admit, when I first found out the good news - I was absolutely ecstatic about how convenient this would be (as I tend to spend most of my free time either listening to music or hanging out at record stores.) I'm not saying that my visits to the record shops in the DFW metroplex have been affected in a negative way, because I still make my rounds every now & then. ;)  

Alright, back to the point of this post. I asked a few co-workers if they were familiar with Ivan & Alyosha, and unfortunately they were in the same boat as me. So as per usual, I decided to do some research on Ivan & Alyosha after my shift ended.    

Ivan & Aloysha - "Running For Cover"
What I found was an amazing four-piece folk/pop band from Seattle, Washington. "Running For Cover" is the first single off their debut album All The Times We Had. Released back in February, I also found out that this track was previously a free download on iTunes. I especially love the video for this song, and appreciate the simplicity of it. I especially like that it zeros in on all of them during the chorus part, as it's a huge chunk of the song and by doing so - it adds depth. 
Recently Ivan & Aloysha visited the KEXP studio and performed a handful of songs with Cheryl Waters as the host. Click here to hear "Running For Cover" live! 

If you're a fan of I&A after doing your homework (aka listening to the album via Spotify below,) head over to iTunes to buy it like a good human should. 

Trust me, you won't regret it. 

 So in conclusion, I will be picking up this LP immediately. It's a nice medium between Milo Greene & Father John Misty... two bands that I'm a huge fan of. As a debut album, I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed & would love to catch these guys live in the future. 

Ivan & Alyosha on SoundCloud

Ivan & Alyosha on BandCamp

SUNDAY VIBES & REMEMBER _______?

What better way to pick yourself up from the weekend than with the mix of songs I'd listen to whenever I'd have to be wake up at 4am (for my 6am shifts, so fun). Just enough energy to have me two-stepping while brushing my teeth, but not to the point where I was shuffling. 

LCD Soundsystem - "I CAN CHANGE"

James Murphy has a way with getting people to move their feet in various patterns, mine tends to be when my eyes are puffy and i'm barely making ends meet when picking out an outfit. This is Happening is an album that will pick your feet up, if you have the time (songs range from 5-8 minutes long). It's more than worth it, I promise. 

The Von Bondies - "C'MON C'MON"

Here's a throwback to make you say "oh my god I remember that song" from way back when. It's a classic....c'mon.

The Kills - "CHEAP & CHEERFUL (SEBASTIAN REMIX)"

What's better than hearing that songbird of a voice AKA Alison Mosshart in the morning? Hearing it paired with some electronic beats fueled by Sebastian. The Kills will remain a favorite of mine until the end of time (sounds cheesy, but it's the truth). Last September they played an amazing show at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles that I was lucky enough to experience, and this year they are also performing at the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco! :) 

Les Savy Fav - "SLEEPLESS IN SILVERLAKE"

Some Indie flavored rock for your sunday, and this is my favorite track off their 2010 full-length album Root For Ruin. Check 

The Sounds - "TONY THE BEAT"

In short: MAJA FOREVER. I've had one hell of an obsession with this woman and her pack of fearless men. I can't express how much love I have for this bitch and those catchy songs that trace back to my early high school days where life was all about my best friend Jackie & Vanilla Cherry Coke from the Ice Burgie. Excuse my language, but The Sounds are a fucking legend and your ears need to hear every single track from the 2003 full-length Living In America. "Don't Stop, Push It". They're fucking amazing to see live, and will always thrive on their show at the Fillmore in 2007. Madness

Morgan Page - "BELIEVE"

In case you weren't aware, that is Elizabeth Maurus on vocals (aka Lissie). This track is from Morgan Page's 2nd full-length album from 2010 which is also titled Believe. Lissie provides most of the vocals on this album, which has me believing they make a pretty good pair. Remember "The Longest Road"? That's Lissie too. Addictive beats. 

Givers - "CEILING OF PLANKTON"

Hangover or not, this song still has a sweet pick-me-up to whatever state of mind I'm in. I've yet to catch this track live, as I had to leave from their set after 3 tracks or so. It's a scientific way of expressing love for someone, and when that someone understands it- it's  amazing. 

Kaskade Ft. Skylar Grey - "ROOM FOR HAPPINESS"

Mmmm. here's another track from KASKADE that I can't get enough of. Remember the cosmic sounding female in the Dr. Dre video for "I need a doctor" or those mesmerizing vocals in P Diddy's "I'm Coming Home"? That's Skylar Grey, who also provides the vocals on this stellar track. Her voice & Kaskade's brilliance paired together is uplifting, and much needed for a sunday.

P.S. REMEMBER PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES?

"THIS IS OUR EMERGENCY"

"ALL MEDICATED GENIUSES"

Both of these tracks were released on the 2nd full length album The New Romance in 2003. If the style/word "scene" rings a bell for you, you've probably brushed upon this band years ago. If you were wondering, yes I was under that "scene spell" just enough to create my own pathetic Xanga and thrive over The Blood Brothers whenever I was alone. Sadly Pretty Girls Make Graves broke-up in 2007 after forming a band 6 years before in Seattle, the name did come from the title of a Smiths song which is traced back to Jack Kerouac. 

P.S. TOMORROW NIGHT IN SANTA BARBARA AT SOHO IS THE CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH SHOW. Expect some groovy tunes of theirs on tomorrow morning's post. 

P.P.S. Thanks for visiting my blog! If you don't feel like leaving a comment on here, feel free to tweet/follow me at twitter.com/emponce ! :)