Pinning for Coachella...

Like the wet noodle that I am, instead of being at Coachella, I spent today streaming it. Lame, I know, but IT WAS FANTASTIC. I managed to stream the Arctic Monkeys and the Black Keys and both were amazing. Tommy also spent the day streaming...(as far as I know). I was a little disappointed that EMA was not available for streaming...

Anyhow, I'm super excited for the Arctic Monkeys encore and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds tomorrow. Also looking forward to Florence + the Machine and Real Estate on Sunday...and of course NEXT WEEKEND - where I get to do this ALL OVER AGAIN.

I love that Coachella is now two consecutive weekends.

mixtape

Organized with 3 songs each by 4 of my favorite British bands. Painstakingly made to flow by our top engineers smoothly adhering to the 22 minute limit of sides of vinyl records, with no more than 2 songs by the same artist on a side. Faster upbeat songs on side 1, slower somewhat more CONTEMPLATIVE songs on side 2.

Side 1

Magical Mystery Tour ROLL UP FOR THE MYSTERY TOUR

Stay Young (Faculty Mix) COME WHAT MAY WE'RE UNSTOPPABLE

The Hardest Thing IT NEVER HAPPENS THAT WAY

2+2=5 ALL HAIL TO THE THIEF

Elephant Stone THERE'S A HOLE IN MY DREAMS

Listen Up SAILING DOWN A RIVER ALONE

Side 2

Penny Lane BENEATH THE BLUE SUBURBAN SKIES

Underneath The Sky IT BELONGS TO A FRIEND OF A FRIEND

Bye Bye Badman GOT NO QUESTION GOT NO LOVE

Prove Yourself I'M BETTER OFF DEAD

When I'm Sixty-Four YOU'LL BE OLDER TOO

Exit Music WE HOPE THAT YOU CHOKE

Drumroll please...

Green Day is releasing a new album!!! To be more specific, THREE ALBUMS!!!

http://www.greenday.com/node/7541

So. Freakishly. Excited.

Of Monsters and Men

You might of heard of this band by now...and I have fallen in love with their album and sound. Although many call them the new Arcade Fire, I would have to disagree. Whereas my feelings for Arcade Fire are at best lukewarm, the music Of Monsters and Men is like a cataclysmic explosion in comparison. If anything, the way that they utilize vocal harmonies is more reminiscent of The xx. Sunny melodies, sweet harmonies, and catchy riffs with plenty of brass to balance, Of Monsters and Men epitomize everything that an orchestral sounding band should be. Intertwined with catch melodies, there are heavy guitar riffs and copious amounts of distortion that create a perfect atmosphere that has clearly has large ambitions but seems far from ambitious. And of course, there is the band name. The literary geek in me can't help but smile at the allusion to Of Mice and Men, and in a way their music makes me feel like the book did - part heartbreak, part mystery and definite startling beauty.

Some of my favorite tracks from their newest album - My Head Is An Animal.

"Mountain Sound" - Some what reminds me of The Cults - in the best way possible. Bouncy and pop influenced with just the right touch of auxiliary.

"Little Talks" - The cinematic masterpiece of the album that has probably received the most attention, that is more than deserved.

"Six Weeks" - The riff on this song is fantastic and the great vocal harmony doesn't hurt either.

"Love Love Love" - I love love love how Nanna sounds both desolate but hopeful in this song that effortlessly blends heartbreak with moving on. Her voice is exquisite and the roughness and vulnerability is beyond perfect. The soft acoustic guitar with the twinkling of bells is absolutely adorable.

"Your Bones" - Has a sort of Beatles throwback vibe to it and is glowing reminder of years past.

"Yellow Light" - A delicate and beautiful end to an amazing album. It makes me think of walking through a serene forest and just stopping to peer at the cracks of light that filter through the branches.

Look at the Stars/Look How They Shine For You

This is one of those days. You know, those days where you feel ultra contemplative/artsy and super forlorn at the same time? Those days where everything just seems so...wrong...but so right? It's like you hate yourself, but don't know why and you hate the world but the angst is empty. Yeah. It's one of those days where you want to just walk outside, lie on the grass, star at the stars and just never, ever, ever get up. It's like you want to just get lost in the splendor of the world and forget yourself, for now, even if it's just for a little, forget all your problems and just breathe.

I'm having one of those days, where it seems like life just needs a soundtrack and some deep thinking just needs to be done.

Trouble - Coldplay

The Melody of A Fallen Tree - Windsor For The Derby

Until The Day Dims - The Woodlands

Concerto No. 2 Op. 28 in C minor  - Rachmaninoff (you need to listen to this at the same time with rainymood.com open. Seriously. Just try it. It is THE best thing ever. Thank Leonard for this one. So relaxing yet hauntingly beautiful.)


Give Me Love - Ed Sheeran

Talk Tonight - Oasis

Northern Downpour - Panic! At The Disco

Soldier's Poem - Muse

Codex - Radiohead

My Evaline - Weezer

Yellow - Coldplay

I've Been Dreaming...

With the help of some dream pop. Lately I've  been intoxicated by the heavy pedal and airy sound of dream pop - from Beach House, to Memoryhouse (funny, right? both have "house" in their names, both are on Sub Pop, both are dream pop bands...) to Beach Fossils (Yes, another beach) to Real Estate (Which is an indie band (on Domino), but their sound is definitely dream pop influenced. And yes - more houses).

A playlist for a dreamy afternoon:

1. Shallow - Beach Fossils
2. The Kids Were Wrong - Memoryhouse
3. Master of None - Beach House
4. Out of Tune - Real Estate
5. Bonfire - Memoryhouse
6.Silver Soul - Beach House
7.D.A.R.L.I.N.G. - Beach House
8. It's Real - Real Estate

I'm a lazy bum

Hey y'all, here's a playlist for those lazy days that we all share. Most of these are definitely on the mellower side, so if you like that kind of thing, enjoy ^^.

1) "The Spirit Carries On" -Dream Theater

2) "Wait for Sleep"-Dream Theater

3) "The Answer Lies Within"-Dream Theater

4) "How Deep is Your Love"-BeeGees

5) "The Widow"-The Mars Volta

6) "The Masterplan"-Oasis

7) "Sentimental"-Porcupine Tree

8) "Piano Concerto no.2 mvt 2"-Rachmaninov(ff)? There's a hilarious Igudesman and Joo mashup of this piece and Celine Dion's "All by Myself" www.youtube.com/watch?v=b54gIJ5lHAc

9) "Ballade no.4 op.52"-Chopin

10) "Viridian"-Between the Buried and Me

11) "All the Same"-Real Estate