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

WATCH LISTEN TELL | Half Moon Run

(Picture retrieved from WLT's Facebook Page)

I have to admit that I am a huge fan of the Watch Listen Tell series. In the past they've featured some of my favorite artists such as Bombay Bicycle Club, Lucy Rose, Daughter, and Jessie Ware in various locations throughout the world. The latest edition of WLT features a talented Montreal band by the name of Half Moon Run (who are currently on tour with Mumford & Sons!) I love this acoustic version of "Unofferable" as it is beautifully paired with the setting that is Alexandra Palace.  

Half Moon Run - "Unofferable" 

By taking talented musicians out of the studio and into a new environment to perform original material is something that WLT executes quite perfectly. WLT has been a nonprofit music channel on YouTube since 2008, and if you care to check out previous 

performances - click here! What plays a huge role in how Watch Listen Tell works is the factor of telling or sharing with someone about these sessions, it's the least that we could do & these  

P.S. For those of you who follow Watch Listen Tell on Twitter, you'll be one of the first to know about upcoming performances and when they'll be uploaded onto the site (so do yourselves a favor & follow them.) 

Check out this clip of Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine from 4 years ago performing my favorite track "My Boy Builds Coffins." Do you think the video would have been the same if she performed it last week?  

XX

Let Your Ears Decide on Facebook

LET YOUR EARS DECIDE TURNS 1!

I I II I can't believe it's already been a YEAR since I published my first post on this o'l thing. Since March 21, 2012 I've had the opportunity to share plenty of new (& old) tunes, remixes, B-sides, and covers with my lovely readers (aka YOU) on this blog! I've met some pretty cool people & learned a LOT about how these things work. There's been plenty of detours and obstacles in the way, but now that LYED is stationed in Fort Worth, Texas there will be exciting adventures on the way. I've had a lot of fun with this, and hope that you've enjoyed it just as much! Thanks to everyone who's "Liked" Let Your Ears Decide over on the Facebook page and continues to spread the word! 423 likes is amazing & I couldn't be more appreciative! :) If you haven't already, please click here! 

P.S. For those of you who have twitter, follow here!

So if you've been keeping up with LYED since the beginning, this might be a bit of a review but here are the 3 most popular posts to date:

#3 - freshvibesmonday #16 (Date: September 17, 2012)

This was a special post for me, as it was the first addition to the blog once I was (finally) settled in Philadelphia. Finding a handful of new music each week seemed like a load of work to some, but it's without a doubt one of my favorite pastimes! This particular FVB featured a few bonafide, including "Don't Call It Love" by Eliza Doolittle & a snazzy little remix of Ellie Goulding's "Anything Could Happen" by Birdy Nam Nam. Even though I moved to Philadelphia for a styling internship, I was constantly surrounded by music (which was awesome to say the least.) While I was living in Philadelphia during those 2 1/2 months I was lucky enough to see Two Door Cinema Club, Polica, Gardens & Villa, Beach House, Cold Cave, Divine Fits, Tame Impala, CocoRosie, The Neighbourhood, Paul Banks, The Early November, Taking Back Sunday, Purity Ring, and a few others that are slipping from my mind. In short: the music scene in Philadelphia is unlike any other and should not be taken advantage of! Quite envious of those who live in the area *sigh*.

#2 - ALL THINGS CHVRCHES RELATED (Date: November 27, 2012)

This trio from Glasgow is unstoppable! I was pleased with how this post turned out, since majority of the internet population aren't aware of CHVRCHES other tunes (at the time) besides "The Mother We Share" & "LIES." I was lucky enough to catch their set at the I Guess I'm Floating showcase over at Hype Hotel during SXSW last week. CHVRCHES had played one showcase the day before & already someone had written a review mentioning that Lauren Mayberry's appearance as a front-person wasn't that impressive (and to answer that question we've all been wondering - she's 25 years old.)

CHVRCHES put on one hell of a show by starting off with the powerful sounding "Lies." Mayberry's stage presence didn't change as it apparently did the day before when she switched positions with Martin Doherty for one of their last tracks "We Sink In."  Do your homework & if CHVRCHES is playing a show near you - don't let this amazing opportunity slip you by! 

#1 - YouTube Narnia (Date: March 24, 2012)

I guess there's something about "that part of YouTube" that really attracts the viewer. At the time that this was posted, most of these songs were slightly unheard of. That's definitely not the case for the artists of the songs now, and I am definitely excited to deliver a post filled with more gems.  It was quite unfortunate to find out that the friend who introduced me to "Maliblue" by Darius had passed away a couple days after this post was published. RIP JILL! <3

So to wrap things up for this post, here's one of LYED's favorites Daughter covering both "Perth" by Bon Iver & "Ready For The Floor" by Hot Chip for Zane Lowe on BBC Radio One! Daughter's debut album If You Leave was released earlier this week, but won't be released until April 30th in the states! The full-length features a handful of brand-new tracks as well as a re-mastered version of the all-time favorite "Youth."

Stay tuned for a recap of SXSW (or should I say the Disneyland for music aficionados.)

(ON AN ON) 

ear refreshments pt. 1

Looking for a pick-me-up jam or 5 after a rough night or in need of some study tunes for the adventure you're about to endure at Davidson today? Have no fear, here's some tunes (both new & old) that will be by your side while you're studying your ass off....or reading last night's text messages. ouch.

Just some mellow vibes with different electronic spins to help create a slightly energetic mood that you might be on the hunt for. If this isn't what you're looking for, either leave me a comment or proceed to the next blog. ENJOY!

 

TV GIRL - I Wonder Who She's Kissing Now

M83 - Kim & Jessie

NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB - You Used to Be a Man

AUSTRA - The Choke

CLASS ACTRESS - Careful What You Say

GRIMES - Oblivion

sunday pick-me-ups pt. I

Don't deny it, you're probably agreeing with the image above. So here's a few songs to energize your mind while you're still trying to piece together the night.....or the entire weekend. We've all been there......plenty of times.

ENJOY!

guards -DO IT AGAIN

WE HAVE BAND: WHERE ARE YOUR PEOPLE?

ADRIAN LUX - TEENAGE CRIME

A little bit of trance never hurt anyone.

WOLF GANG - LIONS IN CAGES

SANTIGOLD - LOOK AT THESE HOES

HAPPY SUNDAY! :)

Youtube Narnia: It Exists, Believe Me.

I already know what you're thinking, "what the f*ck is she talking about. Youtube Narnia? Has she lost it?" Okay, here's the deal. For someone who mumbles when sober, and speaks in analogies a little more than a 22 year-old should, I've found something that requires your full attention (well, okay 75% of it will do). I discovered this magical wave of sounds randomly one night at home (this is due to the fact that I had to wake up at 5am for work, and my hangovers these days are the equivalent to being in a body cast.) 

It all started when I logged onto Youtube to watch videos of Purity Ring. Actually, it was this exact video^. With over 6 million views, I'm almost positive you've probably heard this track or have seen it pop up on your news feed. After reading nothing but great things from their Pitchfork set at SXSW, you should expect to see/hear more of this "future pop" duo...well, in the future.
So back to my so-called mystical experience. I couldn't help but let my eyes wander to the sidebar where you will find a list of youtube videos that are generally of the same artist, genre, etc. What caught my eye was the fact that the videos happened to be of different artists & groups. Also, each of the visuals for the videos were pretty simple in appearance, but attractively executed so that I would immediately click on them regardless if I was familiar with the song or not..... and this is what I experienced: one click after the other, and the rest is as memorable as the after-party of your senior prom (one hell of a good blur). 

1. Darius - "Maliblue"

2. Star Slinger - "They Like It Rough"

3. Teams vs. Star Slinger - "Say Please"

4. Blood Orange - "Champagne Coast"

5. Caribou - Odessa

6. Tycho - "A Walk"

7. Grimes - Vanessa

8. The XX - "Blood Red Moon"

So what's the significance in why I created this post? Well hopefully by now you've either A.) felt attracted to a song you haven't heard before, B.) recognized a song you already knew & fell in love with it even more, or C.) felt more relaxed then you did before reading this post. This is just a kernel of what I came across, so if you have the time...click on one of these links & let the exploration begin. Finally, don't take the video comments seriously... you don't have to be on drugs to enjoy the music. 

Welp, I hope you enjoyed this brief exploration into "the Narnia of Youtube"... remember, it's more than necessary to let your mind wander for a period of time...or an entire night. Pamper those ears, enjoy xx.