15 Remixes Your Ears Need to Hear

Happy Tuesday y'all (which is known to be the proper release day for music in the good ol U S of A.) Just in case you feel like taking the new Tycho or The War on Drugs album off repeat (which might be a problem) here's 73 minutes of remixed gems! Some new, some old, and if you didn't know already - this old thing turns 2 years old on Friday! 

So, which remix was your favorite?

ICYMI: Yesterday's FVB#23 was filled to the brim with some of the best music that's been released in the past couple of weeks. 

B-Sides: The Better Side? P3

(Image retrieved from vse.svetloe)

Here's another dose of B-sides from some of my favorite artists, (15 to be exact.) These tracks stretch over the past couple of years from when they were first released, yet still make the world turn by how good they are.
Hopefully you'll catch the cover that I've included in the mix that was once used as a B-side. It's a popular track from awhile back that's been covered multiple times, but there's just something about the way this one sounds.

So, which B-side was your favorite? 

ICYMI: Yesterday's post covered 12 acts I'd definitely make an effort to see if I was at South By Southwest (SXSW) for the entire week. (Read it here!)

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!

Open Up Those Ears | 3 Releases I'm Currently Obsessed With At The Moment

Can you blame me for including this stellar album in the mix? It's great, but shockingly isn't my favorite release of the week. "Team" takes the cake for my favorite song on Pure Heroine - it's equally as catchy as "Royals", if not more. That isn't to say that the rest of the album isn't, because it's impressive starting with the mesmerizing opener "Tennis Court" to the very end of "A World Alone" the album's longest track. Ella Yelich-O'Connor (aka Lorde) has displayed some of the best & most honest songwriting in Pure Heroine which won't surprise me if this album places in everyone's "Top 10 of 2013" list.

P.S. "Ribs" is the iTunes free song of the week, click here to grab it before the week ends!

HAERTS, a four-piece currently based in Brooklyn were one of the bands featured at this year's Gorilla Vs. Bear Showcase back in August & I heard nothing but great things about their performance. Hemiplegia is their debut EP, and features both old & new tunes for our ears to enjoy. 

   

HAIM is the kind of band that makes you proud to be a Californian, or maybe that's just me.  After releasing 3 EP's & "The Wire" as a single, I had an idea of what would be featured on Days Are Gone, but was extremely curious to see/hear the *new* tracks filling in the rest of the album. Needless to say my jaw dropped when I listened to "If I Could Change Your Mind" and continued to stay on the floor for the remainder of the album. "Forever" is the first proper song that most of us have heard from the LA trio, and just when I thought it couldn't be outdone - the version on DAG is perfected to a crisp with Danielle Haim's voice sounding at it's best.  

 

P.S. HAIM will be headlining the New Noise Block Party in Santa Barbara on October 19th, and you'd be a fool to miss out if you're in the area! Visit http://newnoisesb.org/shows.cfm for more information regarding the 5th annual New Noise Music Festival. Cayucas will be joining them at the Block Party, a band once featured as a "Friday Fascination"on LYED!  

Three Days at Disneyla- I Mean SXSW.

This was my first South By Southwest (SXSW) experience, and definitely not my last. I'm just going to throw this out there: SXSW is a music aficionado's version of Disneyland. Why did I come up with that idea? Well, there's overpriced greasy food, fearless fans snapping pictures with musicians/celebrities left and right - & WHO COULD FORGET ABOUT THE LINES to get into the venues? This brings me to my first bit of advice, INVEST IN A SXSW WRISTBAND. Also, the later you arrive to SXSW, the more people you have to deal with fyi (so, come early.)
It felt like there was a showcase taking place at every corner, bar, church, parking lot, and that is because there seriously was. What takes place in Austin during the music portion of SXSW is so far from reality that it's practically perfect. SXSW isn't just a festival, it's a dreamworld.  

Let me repeat myself, there's some form of live music everywhere you go.
DAY 1 (Wednesday)

I had a bit of a late start on Wednesday, but that didn't stop me from catching a bit of Antwon, Charli XCX, and most of the Brainfeeder showcase where PBDY, Azizi Gibson, and The Gaslamp Killer (featured below) were at. 

The Neighbourhood put on a great show over at Club de Ville and even performed a few new tracks from their forthcoming debut I Love You (release date: April 23rd!) Afterwards, Charli XCX hopped on stage to deliver an energetic performance at 1:30 in the morning. Homegirl's level of energy is honestly unreal.   

DAY 2 (Thursday)

Started off at Hype Hotel where I caught St. Lucia ending their set with one of my favorites "September." 

Next up was FLUME aka Harley Streten. He's a 21 year old electronic music producer from Australia. I've been listening to his debut album on a daily basis, and to finally see the man behind it all was incredible. It was awesome to hear chatter amongst the crowd about the album as well (seriously you guys, give it a listen.) As Streten brushed the surface of his original work including "Sleepless" and a few remixes I noticed more of a groove in his presence. Streten appeared to be pretty shy on stage but very appreciative as he often smiled when looking out into crowd. BIG things are coming his way, I can feel it.  

After Flume ended, it was time for CHVRCHES! 

What a surreal moment it was to see this trio from Glasgow in person after being exposed to them through a computer screen for several months. They started off with the powerful "Lies" (my favorite) & played a handful of new songs as well as "The Mother We Share" & their latest "Recover." CHVRCHES recently announced a tour through the US this spring and you can click here to check if they're coming to your neck of the woods. 
P.S. Tickets go on sale tomorrow Friday March 29th! 

AUSTRA was next, and I was very excited that the team was there 100%. I had heard from a friend who saw them recently in Dallas when they opened for The XX that the Lightman twins (who provide backing vocals for Austra) were absent and believe me if you've seen any live videos of them... they are an asset to the performance! 

The first song of the set was the newly released "HOME", which is one of the best songs that Katie Stelmanis has written in my opinion. I was very pleased when Stelmanis had mentioned that they wanted to play as much of the new album as possible, but unfortunately was cut short due to set times. This didn't keep them from playing "Beat and the Pulse" & "Lose It" which are both crowd favorites from Austra's debut album Feel It Break. I'm crossing my fingers that they headline a tour through the US soon, because 40 minutes was not nearly enough (but beggars can't be choosers right?)   

I quickly peddled out of the Hype Hotel and over to mtvU Woodies just in time for HAIM (another band that was a must-see on my bucket list.) Words can't explain how much admiration I have for these three girls from California. Not only are they extremely talented, but there were moments in the set where it was only Este or Alana singing & boy was I mesmerized by their vocal capability. From what I've listened/watched of HAIM before SXSW, I've only witnessed Danielle on lead vocals. Right in the middle of the set Este shouted on the mic something along the lines of "I think this is the part of the set where we jam?" From that point on - my mind was floored as they jumped into one hell of a jam session that centered around Alana's sultry vocals. It also happened to be Este's birthday, and it wasn't long before the entire crowd was singing Happy Birthday to the oldest member of HAIM. It was an unforgettable set by far. 

Later that night I found myself over at Holy Mountain to catch a short but sweet set by Baths aka Will Wiesenfeld, and I must admit I was on cloud nine when he played his latest track "Miasma Sky." Hey Will, even though you continued to apologize for being a bit under the weather throughout the set, you sounded GREAT. 

TOY (at Hotel Vegas) 

It was midnight & at this point I was borderline exhausted, but making the trek back out to Hotel Vegas was a great decision to catch this psychedelic/indie rock four-piece from the UK. Since I've been home I can't seem to get myself away from their self-titled debut album released last September. Take my advice and grab their self-titled album here on iTunes.   

DAY 3 (Friday)

ON AN ON exceeded my expectations.. I mean honestly, this four-piece isn't even a year old and I would have never assumed that by their performance that day. These guys are going to go very far & if you haven't purchased/listened to their debut album Give In ... WELL WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Be sure to check out Give In on their website or over on iTunes ASAP! 

I must admit... while navigating through Hotel Vegas once again to checkout The Mallard, I had no idea there were three different stages at this location. While my friend and I wandered the premise we stumbled into a crowded room to find Dent May in the middle of his set. Minutes after stumbling into the room, "Best Friend" started to play, can you say perfect timing? Definitely.  

FLOSSTRADAMUS 

This was the finale for my SXSW adventure, and it couldn't have ended any better. Believe me when I say that these boys from Chicago tore Republic Live down. When they dropped "Flexin & Finessin" a track they produced for Iggy Azalea ft. Juicy J - it was game over for me. 

Now that I've been to Austin, I understand the hype about this amazing city in Texas. My experience was a great one, and if you haven't made your way here... definitely make plans to attend next year. Hope you guys enjoyed this lengthy post, and in case you didn't know - LET YOUR EARS DECIDE TURNED A YEAR OLD LAST WEEK! Thanks for the love and support on here & also on the Facebook page!  
XX


SXSW 2013: I came. I drank. I discovered. I left. 
P.S. Special thanks to SideCar for hooking up everyone in ATX with free rides all week!

LYED Cheat Sheet

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 :) 

Let Your Ears Decide on Facebook

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KISSES

If you haven't heard of Kisses, then this is the post for you. I decided to zero in on the boyfriend-girlfriend duo from Los Angeles who first caught my attention when a friend shared "Lovers" with me awhile back. I could've sworn that was Zach Condon of Beirut singing, but I then found out the name to the soothing voice was Jesse Kivel. The unique style of pop that Kivel and girlfriend Zinzi Edmundson create is easy on the ears & gets the feet tapping. So what I'm trying to say is - it's amazing.  Since the 2010 release of their debut album The Heart of the Nightlife, Kisses released Kisses – Other Planets - EP along with a handful of singles backed with remixes from artists like Joe Goddard, Active Child & this one from DyE that I am extremely obsessed with. 

The first track to be released from their upcoming album KIDS IN LA is "The Hardest Part", and you can check it out for yourself below! The release date is set for May 14th via Cascine & here's a little something in support of the forthcoming album.

Yesterday the duo dropped their remix of HAIM's "Send Me Down" via Facebook & guess what - it's a free download if your ears decide it's a keeper! 

(K i'm through being corny for the night.) 

I really love this remix & appreciate how Kisses give this percussion driven track a new disco-esque feel. 

Kisses on Twitter

Kisses on Tumblr 

Kisses Bandcamp

Let Your Ears Decide on Facebook

TUNES FOR YOUR THURSDAY

To sum things up.. a lot has changed in the past couple of weeks! After 2 and a half months of living in Philadelphia, I made the decision to end my internship at Urban Outfitters Home Office a bit early & move to Fort Worth (Texas)! If you're a bit familiar with Fort Worth, I am now working at this lovely little location situated in the Cultural District! 

Feels like I've been playing the catchup game a little too much lately, so I decided to not only add a few songs but also a small Spotify playlist below for your listening pleasure :) 

ENJOY! 

Foals - "MY NUMBER"

This is for all of you who are just as much of a Foals fan as I am. A few weeks ago Foals stopped by "Later... With Jools Holland" to perform "My Number", a track off their forthcoming album titled Holy Fire. Earlier today Foals dropped the studio version of this track, and am still debating whether I liked the live or studio version better! Just in case you missed the news about "Inhaler" - the first track to be exposed from the upcoming album, check out the official video here! For those of you in the UK, Holy Fire will be released on February 11th & the US release date is February 12th! In my opinion, this is without a doubt one of the top albums to look forward to in 2013, as well as the upcoming albums for ON AN ON & Local Natives!  

The xx - "RECONSIDER" (Jamie XX Remix)
This is taken from Jamie's recent Boiler Room set, and when he dropped this - it definitely stood out to me. "Reconsider" was a bonus track off The XX's most recent album titled Coexist. I'm sure that last sentence didn't appear as something new to most of you, but if it did - don't worry! I was hoping that Jamie would include a couple snippets from Coexist, but I was a bit floored by the fact that he opened with a remix of "Reconsider".    If you missed the live set on Boiler Room TV you can find & listen to the audio HERE! To sum it up, it's 42 minutes & 54 seconds of smooth vibes and relaxing beats that will make your night end on a good note.

Kavinsky - "ProtoVision"

The name Kavinsky (aka Vincent Belorgrey) shouldn't come off as "mysterious". If you've seen the movie "Drive" starring Ryan Gosling, then you might be familiar with this tune that's also by Kavinsky.

"NIGHTCALL"
Hopefully by now things start to ring a bell ;). BACK TO PROTOVISION.. so it only makes sense to feature a dangerous yet classic car chase throughout the night in this video, because..well...what else do you imagine when you listen to Kavinsky? If you're one who loves a good night-time drive like I do, then you should without a doubt look into more of Kavinsky's material. You're welcome! ;)

Beach Fossils - "CARELESS"
This is off the upcoming album Clash The Truth, due out February 19th! I actually found out about this electro-pop group from working at Urban last year, and have been getting into them ever since! It seemed like this band had been weaving in and out of the spotlight lately, but it's probably because the members in Beach Fossils are also involved in side projects such as DIIV (who just wrapped up a small tour supporting one of my favorite bands JAPANDROIDS) & Heavenly Beat! So with all of this in mind, I am a bit curious & excited to hear the new album! 

YACHT - "SECOND SUMMER"
The dance/indie duo recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary of being a band, believe system, and business! This track was released as well as an intriguing and colorful  (to say the least) video to go with it directed by ADHD. It features the well-known YACHT "smiangle" coming to life and moving to the beat. Last week YACHT played a celebratory concert at the Echoplex in Los Angeles, and you can check out the pictures for yourself to see just how a party is thrown via L.A. RECORD. 

Hope you enjoyed this post! Feel free to check out the mini playlist I made of some stuff that I've been listening to lately, both new & old! I suggest you check out the latest material from Big Boi's album that feature one of my favorite duos - PHANTOGRAM!