FRESHVIBESMONDAY #46

(Shoutout to Butterfly Beach in Montecito for always being beautiful, especially on a Sunday.)

Hey you, welcome back for another week of freshvibesmonday, and as always - FVM is easily packed with some surprises and new releases. A few (of the many) highlights include the newest tune from NYC duo Yellerkin titled "Tools" which definitely takes you through a couple loops (and i'm not mad about it.) YACHT's forthcoming EP Where Does This Disco? is shaping to be a real treat with the latest release of "Works Like Magic." (Grab the EP on November 11th & for more information, visit Listen Hear.) 
Late last night (or should I say earlier this morning) SPLASHH released a second taste of their forthcoming album "Color It In." (If you've never had the chance to listen to their debut album Comfort, here you go.) Also, last week's Friday Fascination LANKS' "Brave Man" is an automatic staple for your Monday listening, and an even earlier Friday Fascination Olivver, has a new one "Keep It Sacred" that's on the mix as well. 

You're probably wondering why "Take It Slow" is on the mix because it was released earlier this year, but sadly I am just now hearing about LA four-piece Tapioca and the Flea (and i'm obsessed.) Earlier this week I made a visit to Boo Boo Records in San Luis Obispo, and of the free stuff they gave me - I received a 7" of the Red Bull Record Store Day release which features 4 emerging artists. I ended up with some pretty sweet records to say the least including the limited edition release of Interpol's El Pintor that was only available in select independent record stores, take a peek at the rest below. 

Have you purchased any records lately that you've been super excited about? Let me know in the comments below! Hope you enjoy this week's FVM, see you soon. ;)

LYED Favorite Treats of 2013: Songs

It wasn't until recently (aka today) that I found out about Spotify's "Year in Review." I was curious to find out what mine entailed when a good friend told me about hers. If you're an avid Spotify user like yours truly, you can visit spotify.com/2013 and once your logged-in Spotify will generate a "year in review for you." This is after they share multiple facts about their year, which varies on the country you live in. 

I will admit it was no surprise when HAIM appeared as the "Top Artist" on my personal Spotify stream. Despite what everyone says, these girls dominate when it comes to delivering material that's genuine & appealing. "Forever" was originally released last year as apart of HAIM's debut EP, and you can find it also on this year's stellar full-length  Days Are Gone. The Top 10 tracks are definitely apart of a playlist I curated just for my morning commute, it does the trick if you are in need of a musical pick-me-up. You will find a handful of them on my list of Top Songs of 2013 featured below. 

I definitely scratched my head over this, a lot.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Even if I made a Top 300 list, I think I would still find myself in a predicament. Anyways, moving on...

"Winter" by Daughter is without a doubt my song of the year, and is a breathtaking introduction to their debut release If You Leave.

 What better way to introduce my top songs by featuring it at number 1, so If you haven't already - grab a pair of headphones and let the music take over for the next two solid hours. Feel free to let me know what you thought about the list by leaving a comment below - it's always nice to hear from you guys. :)

So, was Hummingbird actually my top album of 2013 as Spotify mentioned? 

Stay tuned for the *Albums Edition* of Sweet Treats of 2013. You might be surprised with what's in store. 
If these 30 songs didn't do the trick, have no fear! You can check out a compilation I made starting from January 1st by clicking here!

LYED Favorite Treats of 2013: The EPs

Welp, it's that time of the year again when music writers & bloggers from all over post their "end of the year" lists. Last year I was a little late to the party, so this year I'm doing things a little different. Below are 16 EP's (also known as Extended Play) from this year that we really had a thing for. Most of these EP's were the first proper release from the artist, or were a form of a follow-up to the last studio release. They're in no specific order, although I will say one thing - Phantogram's self-titled release & Young Wonder's sophomore EP didn't make it far from leaving the repeat button. 

I'm well aware that I'm might be leaving out a few from the list, but hey I'm not trying to post a novel here. Feel free to leave your thoughts/comments/concerns below &

stay tuned for more treats of 2013!   

Dan Croll - From Nowhere

Phantogram - Phantogram

Panama - Always

Iggy Azalea - Change Your Life

Young Wonder - Show Your Teeth

Flume & Chet Faker - Lockjaw

Fmlybnd - Gold

Jessie Ware - If You're Never Gonna Move 

FKA twigs - EP2

Jaymes Young - Dark Star 

Bear's Den - Agape

Sir Sly - Gold

Tennis - Small Sound

MØ - Bikini Daze EP

Cold War Kids - Tuxedos

Kitten - Like A Stranger 

Last Night: Sir Sly @ The Echoplex

Thanks to the amazing blahblahblahscience (B3SCI) - I was given tickets to watch Dead Times, Jaymes Young & Sir Sly at the Echoplex last night! It was my first time catching a show at The Echoplex, which is located next to The Echo (where I caught Little Green Cars a few weeks ago.) The Echoplex has the same dark and intimate vibe as The Echo, but is more of an enlarged basement with a capacity of 700. After a few circles around the block, we finally found parking and made it just in time to catch Jaymes Young for a few songs, including the hypnotizing "Two More Minutes." It's definitely my favorite from his Dark Star EP, and a voice like his is more than refreshing. Make sure to check out the rest of his material by listening below, and grab the EP on iTunes here!

This was the first time I saw Sir Sly in the flesh (I wouldn't count the time I briefly overheard them from the outside of a SXSW showcase while I waited in line for another show.) Let's just say I was floored by the these guys as this was a proper homecoming show. It was more than convincing that these guys are passionate about what they're doing, and it showed in their performance from beginning to the very end. They're two dates away from wrapping up a lengthy tour headlining throughout the US & Europe. Not only did they play material from their Gold EP, but unreleased music as well that I'm itching to get my hands on. 

Tomorrow night (11/24) they're playing at the Constellation Room @ the Observatory in Santa Ana & also at my favorite venue in San Diego, The Casbah on Monday (11/25.) Don't let this opportunity pass you by while they're still playing in small venues! It was a great show all around, and I know this won't be the last time I visit the Echoplex or see these guys again!

Sir Sly Website