The Calm Me Downs // Oberhofer / James Vincent McMorrow / Mona / Ian Longo

Oberhofer - Heart

You know the expression "my chills got chills"? Is that even an expression? Well, listen to this song and you'll see what I mean. This song is literally the best song I've heard in about a month or so. Every time I hear it a smile steals my face. Around 2:40, an explosion of piano, and a killer violin make my ears and my heart the happiest in the world. Oberhofer is pretty awesome too, read about him more HERE, and visit the wonderful SNSPost & my column about Artists to Watch bi-weekly!

James Vincent McMorrow - We Don't Eat



Poor thing is compared to Bon Iver in every article I've ever read :( They do sound quite a bit alike, but he is his own person, own musician so let's just cut STRAIGHT to his music. The song is absolutely beautiful, and it may or may not make my eyes fill up with tears every time I hear it. So emotive.

Mona - Lean into the Fall (Piano Version)



Obsessed with his voice. Completely obsessed. Does he not resemble Steve Perry?? Just a bit, come on you know he sounds like him. Anyway, I love the piano, and the intensity he has singing over the sweet sounds of those chords. Beautiful.

Ian Longo & Jay Wainwright feat. Craig Smart - One Night Stand (Ian Carey Remix)



OK, I'm fully aware of how old this song is, but holy happiness. I was in the city yesterday, and it was the first warm day we've had since the beginning of winter, and I just blasted this in my ears and walked the streets with the biggest smile ever on my face. I do love fresh air and spring, but there is something nostalgic about the roasted peanuts and clamor of the city people that sends me to a happy place, ESPECIALLY when I'm alone and can listen to a song like this and then meet up with some of the prettiest friends I have (inside, and out.) Oh it was such a wonderful feeling, I love when a song can just sweep my mind off of any negative thoughts.

The Shoes - Time to Dance

Jake Gyllenhaal goes from Donnie Darko to Donnie Darker. This is freaking weird and awkwardly captivating, but for some reason I kind of like it. Probably because it's Jake Gyllenhaal.

Raw Relapse // Ed Sheeran / Sykur / Flosstradamus / Fedde le Grand

Ed Sheeran - You Need Me, I Don't Need You (Gemini Remix)

I've been on an Ed Sheeran kick lately, ever since he and Yelawolf dropped that magical collaboration of an EP. It seems that DJ's all around seem to take a fancy to him and his incredible vocals, and this remix is a perfect example of someone taking a beautifully calm song and turning it into something terrifying. In a good way. This is really heavy, but Sheeran's voice softens the blow.

Sykur - Curling (Database Remix)

Never heard of either of them until I came across this song. Her voice is way cool and super powerful, and Database caters to the extent of her talent by throwing in this incredible beat around 1:15 and continues it throughout the chorus. It's a type of beat I haven't heard in a while, something I would expect from an intense Chrystal Method song or something. It totally works though, share.

Flosstradamus - Total Recall

I know I know, these are heavy compared to what I've been doing lately! But whatever, certain types of relapses are necessary sometimes.....and when it comes to heavy music, this is the type that gets me every time. Dark, hard, raw beats with an element of softness streaming throughout it. The vocals in this are key, and actually really pretty. 

Fedde le Grand, Deniz Koyu & Johan Wedel - Turn it (Official videoclip)

Rebecca & Fiona - Dance

This was a nice little present to come home to this weekend. <3



Still having trouble deciding which one I want to be.

GET YOUR DANCING PANTS ON Miike Snow / Ladyhawke / Electro Sound / Nero & Flux Pavillion / Medina / Yelawolf & Ed Sheeran

Miike Snow - Paddling Out (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)



I was probably the 3rd person to get Miike Snow's new song, and I was totally gunna brag about it by blogging it asap, but then I didn't. So good things come to those who wait, and this is the totally rad remix by Jacques Lu Cont, much more anthem-y and buildup-y. Yayay.

Electro Sound - Please Don't be Led by Blind Faith (Mike Posner vs Chase & Status)



I'm not one for mashups...but thanks APC! I don't know who Mike Posner is, and he looks like a kid I graduated highschool with so I feel a bit uncomfortable, but I'm digging this like cray! This music is wonderful and I will definitely be checking out more of Chase & Status.

Ladyhawke - Black White & Blue



New favorite song already. SO much fun to listen to with my imaginary friends and dance around my room. Totally a hairbrush singing-jumping on the bed-dressed up in crazy gear kinda song. I haven't listened to Ladyhawke since Paris is Burning or that really Miami sounding Dusk til Dawn song. Aka, it's been quite a while since she's graced my ears. Glad she's back.

Nero and Flux Pavillion - Must be the Feeling



How long has it been since I've put up music like this? A long freaking time. I will always have a soft spot for Nero, they always know what buttons to push for me (literally) and they freaking killed it at Ultra Fest last year. Unfortunately I've wandered far from my heavy electro days, but this song was too good to pass over. It's angry, it's loud, it's raw, it's obnoxious. It's perfection.

Medina - Addiction



OK so this song came on at work last week, and I totally forgot HOW obsessed I am with it. So judge me if you insist, but don't hate. This is one of those songs that will never ever get old in my ears. That second verse rolls in with that killer freaking beat and I just lose it, as should you. I wouldn't want to see myself in a dance hall with this song creeping through the system, I'd go cray cray.
Morgan, this one's for you.

Yelawolf feat. Ed Sheeran - Faces



Did they seriously come out with an EP!? This is so exciting!!! I don't even like Yelawolf, but when he collabs with other artists, it's dirty magic. So sexy, so vibrant, so raw. Congrats, Yelawolf, you ALMOST make me like rap music!

Just some life from the past couple of weeks

STEVE AOKI, IS THAT YOU!?

JUST KIDDING. It's Linkoban, duh!



lightslightslightslights

All right here we go... Florence & the Machine / D.L.i.d. / Chiddy Bang CocoRosie / iamamiwhoami

Florence & the Machine - Seven Devils



By far one of the most talented singers of our generation. Not only is her voice a gift from heaven, but the instrumentals of her music sound like they come right out of a medieval novel. Not to mention her lyrics are absolutely beyond brilliant. She's one of the ones that somehow always makes my body produce goosebumps, my eyes fill with water, and my heart melt. This song in itself is one of her best yet, I believe.  Her power is RARE, and her music is positively perfect.

D.L.i.d. - Colour in Your Hand (feat. Fink)



Dick Laurent is Dead. Who's Dick Laurent? I downloaded this song so randomly one evening, stuck it on a playlist for my car, listened to it unwillingly, and immediately fell right in love with it. Would absolutely love to do an acoustic version to this song at some point in my life (this week, or until I have a new favorite song.) The opening synths are sooo tasty, and as soon as that kick hits in, pshhhh...it's all over.

Chiddy Bang feat. CocoRosie - By Your Side



I don't like Chiddy Bang, but I freaking love CocoRosie, ergo; it works. I'm kind of digging this little toy beat they have going on, I wish CocoRosie had a more profound part, but I guess this is good for starters, right?

iamamiwhoami - sever






Wanna talk about weird? (Or don't you, because that's fine too) but this girl iamamiwhoami is one twisted cookie. However, her voice is so pure and pretty, and I just can't help listening to it and watching her completely odd videos. The music in this song I think may be my favorite of all of her music. It has sort of Golden Filter wonderfeel, it really is so pretty.

I HAVE SO MUCH MUSIC TO PUT UP, I SWEAR TO EVERYTHING I WILL BLOG WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. PREPARE YE SELF FOR A SHIT TON OF GNARLY MUSIC.

Sexy Sounds // Marina & The Diamonds / SCHMIDT / Lana Del Rey / Gotye / Orsten

Marina & The Diamonds - Sinful



This is an unreleased song from Marina Diamandis. Not too sure why she decided to hold this one back, but it's absolutely beautiful, and the lyrics are fantastic, like always. She's been scaring me a bit lately, watching videos of her live performances and the pictures of her chopped off dyed messy blonde hair. She's looking like she's starting to go over the edge a bit, but in the music world, we all know that's when the best music is released.

Orsten - Fleur Blanche



This song is just perfect for my mood lately. That haunting dark alone sound, where the piano is slowly played and each time a key hits a new hair on your body stands straight up. My dear friend sent me this song via Spotify (a download I don't overly suggest, but is marvelous for trading songs back and forth.) Anyway, the heavy kick throughout the song gives the creepy sound a contemporary feel, splendid for the days you just want to sit down, drink a cup of hot tea and write.

SCHMIDT - Sin City



Oh my dear darling SCHMIDT. Her voice is one of the greatest sounds my ears have set upon in quite some time now. I absolutely adore the 1920's Berlin burlesque and flashing lights sound she has in every one of her songs. Can't you just see a great Bob Fosse routine to this song? It's absolutely perfect.

Lana Del Rey - Lolita



Oh dear, Lana Del Rey. Although she can't even for a split second perform live remotely well, I still fade back into listening to her prerecorded mp3s. She may suck so so horribly live, but we KNOW it's in there, right?! That beautiful voice in hiding somewhere underneath her collagen enhanced lips and marvelous wig....come on, LDR, show us what you can do!!

Gotye - What Do You Want







My most recent obsession, Gotye. Such wonderful music, something I have been waiting for these past couple months. This song in particular caters to the sexy, burlesque-y feel I'm trying to get across through all of the songs in this post. His voice is so like...longing, you can see his facial expressions every time he forces a raspy syllable out.

New Year Tunage

SCHMIDT - Shadowman



OK there was a while that went by where I wanted to put up a song by Chrysta Bell, I think I may have added the video, but it was a dark and sultry song by a super sexy lady. This one is just like it, and the girl singing is not at all what you think she would look like. She's young, from Berlin but London based, and beautiful. Her voice is so rare, and the beat of the song makes me think I'm in a 1940's detective movie. Love those.

Mickey feat. Monarchy - Love for Sale



Yes, yes, and yes. After I fell in love with song "You Don't Want to Dance with Me," I've kept my eye on Monarchy. And this song is a severe reminder why I've kept my eye on them. I am so anxiously awaiting a remix by like Style of Eye or MSTRKRFT or something, right?? How good would it be, elongating the song to drop something crazy during the chorus, really drowning out all instrumentals and focusing on the piano and vocals for a good 45 seconds then just smacking us in the face with some killer dance beat. Why am I so inept at FL Studio, I'd be so good.....

Scissor Sisters - Shady Love (feat. Azaelia Banks)



Holy hell I hate the name of their band. The Banks girl completely makes the song. Oh man I want to dance so badly to this song, it's a lot more... quicker paced electronic for a typical Scissor Sisters song. Honestly, I don't have much to say about this one, it's just such a random attraction for me, I'm not usually into their music. I'm tellin ya, Banks was a song saver for me.

Studio Killers - Ode to the Bouncer



The first time I heard this, I saw the video with it and was completely entertained (disturbed). All these animated videos taking over, I don't know what to think anymore...cartoons are not what they used to be. The song though, the song is just great. The beat is tasty and the lyrics are so on point. I for see so many remixes springing from this and it being the number one dirty dance club mix.

SBTRKT feat. Little Dragon - Wildfire



My friend Colleen had sent me this song such a while ago, and it just sat on my Spotify. I came across is again because some lame dubber remixed it and ruined it, then I remembered how GOOD the original was. This beat is so dirty, and the vocals are perfect. Picture this blasting in some really dark and dimly lit bar in some off street of NYC, mmm...that image sits so well in my head.

Fatboy Slim VS Duran Duran

Best contrast of videos I've ever seen in my life.

Duran Duran - Girl Panic!


Duran Duran - Girl Panic! from Jed Root, Inc. on Vimeo.


VS

Riva Starr & Fatboy Slim (feat. Beardyman) - Get Naked

Controlling Fate

First of all, I would like to apologize for my ridiculously long absence. It's been a crazy move, crazy holidays, crazy job findings. Crazy Crazy.
Anyway, the other day I saw my moms friend and she said something that has not left my head since the day she said it. She was telling me about how she wants my mom to get on Facebook, and how my mom refuses because it's just a personal invasion on somebody else's life, blah blah. She then said "you know I was talking to a priest about Facebook one time and she said it was such a destruction of life because through Facebook, your past, present and future all meet. Life's not supposed to be that way."
That is one hell of a true statement if I've ever heard one.
So I've been thinking about it since then and I've come to the realization that Facebook (and other social media outlets along with Skype, phones, texting, etc..) are almost taking the place of fate. And yes, I'm fully aware that I'm writing about this on a BLOG and use all of the above.
But before Facebook and all this nonsense, think about relationships between people, moving, and life in general. A significant part of our lives and experiences revolve around moving on and leaving things behind. We develop as a person from learning from mistakes we've made in our past, and using the future to start a new chapter, with new people, new friends, new cities. Facebook doesn't allow us to do that to the fullest extent. (I'm using Facebook only as a popular example.) We always have access to our past, through pictures, looking at ex boyfriends profiles that don't keep them on private, reading old messages and always being able to contact people. It's the same when you leave a city and you fly somewhere else. Now planes have WiFi that support Skype ON the flight. You're never alone. You can never have a chance to just say goodbye and be done. Once you're off the flight you're on your phone texting/calling and you're still always (via technology) with the person you just said goodbye to. You're never alone. You can never just be by yourself to reflect on what you've just left. There is always constant access to a memory...well that's just it there almost isn't such thing as a memory anymore. You can always look back at a picture, or talk to a person that's supposed to be out of your life. How often to you hear "man, I miss him/her I wonder what they're up to..." and have it be left at that. The next step is..."FACEBOOK HIM/HER." It's taking away from imagination, it takes away from wonder. Why do you think so many people are in messed up relationships now? You can never get away from anyone toxic or damaging, you surround yourself by them always. Fate has no say in how things turn out for us anymore, we're in complete control. Life's not supposed to be that way.

Jess Mills

I get way too excited when I find a good female artist that sings over dark electronic beats. WAY too excited. This girl, Jess Mills is probably my greatest female find in a really long time. She's beautiful, British, skinny as all hell, wears some of the coolest rings, has an incredibly enviable ombre, oh, AND her voice is absolutely stunning. I've put up some of my favorites from her, including a track by Breakage featuring Miss Mills. Think of her music as in the same circle as Katy B or Sunday Girl...I wonder if they'd all get along or not...

Jess Mills - Pixelated People (Produced by Sam Frank)



This song has probably about a trillion likes on Hypem now, each one more deserving than the next. Totally dark, but there is something so chill about her music. Like the beats are totally raw, but her voice evens it out so you could either listen to her music just driving, or getting ready for a killer night out. This single officially drops mid-February, and the release of her album follows shortly after. Can't wait.

Jess Mills - Live For What I'd Die For



Her voice sounds absolutely beautiful in this song. And the backbeat reminds me of one of the Flo and Machine remixes I obsess over. Absolutely adore the piano at the end.

Jess Mills - Vultures

I think this song has become my favorite of hers. As soon as the first verse starts, the beat immediately drops into something mysteriously deep and sucks you right in. "Quietly violent like a bad dream, they pursue day and night"... 

Breakage feat. Jess Mills - Fighting Fire



Such a dance floor killer if you're at the right place. Loud, dark, intense bass. Ahh...perfection.

Jess Mills - Silent Space (in the snow)



And this is from her in Ibiza, she just like...exudes coolness when she performs.

Manhattan

I had to watch the film Manhattan by Woody Allen the other day for film class, and it was absolutely a work of art. I think this is probably one of my favorite films portraying New York City. It made me miss home, and be so excited to get there on Sunday. Here is the opening scene from the film, one of the best opening scenes in any film ever created. I'm trying to memorize the opening monologue. Also, Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" couldn't have been a better musical decision.



"Too corny for my taste, let me try to make this more profound..."

Super Randoms / Morgan Page / Marina and the Diamonds / Azari & III / Miike Snow / YACHT

Morgan Page feat. Tegan and Sara - Body Work







I adore Morgan Page, and I definitely used to listen to Tegan and Sara when I was an angsty little high schooler. I normally would have never seen a collaboration of the two coming together, but then I remembered that wonderful 'Feel it in My Bones' song that Tiesto and the girls produced. I wish M. Page did a little more with this beat, especially after the 2:45 sequence when the vocals are totally building up for a good drop. However, I guess he fixes it the next time around...it just all seems too...simple. But who am I to judge............
Also, is it just me or do they sound a little like Marina Diamondis in this song....?

Azari & III - Reckless With Your Love



THIS SONG IS SO MUCH FUN. And totally something I would never normally download. It sounds like something if the 90's and the 70's got stuck together producing music and they were fighting over the background beat of the song. It's like NuDisco Jock Jams style. Totally fabulous.

Marina & The Diamonds - Radioactive



Didn't like it when I first heard it, not quite sure why, because I am absolutely swooned by Marina Diamondis. But it came up again on one of my random playlists and caught me by surprise. How did I ever not like this song at one point? Her voice is so rare, and this song in particular really plays up on the electro card. Listen to around 2.:25...here that deep nasty bass rolls through...where in the hell did that come from? It's perfect, I love it, it's wonderful. The lyrics are quite great, too.

YACHT - I Walked Alone (Get A Room! Remix)



The only problem I have with this remix is that I feel like it's a little too long. It could have been chopped up a bit and compressed...but either way, once again we have another super dancey YACHT song. The end minute and a half or so sounds like something Music Go Music would have come up with, it's really fitting  for a YACHT song. It's a perfect 'background of a party where you're pretty drunk and needing to dance but you're wearing something cute and don't wanna get sweaty' kinda song.

Miike Snow - Devil's Work



HOORAY. I cannot for the life of my little soul express to you all how excited I am that Miike Snow's new album is coming closer and closer to our little hands and ears. They've announced just last week that their new album is complete, artwork is finishing up and they are planning their tour dates!! This is such a perfect single, and the anticipation I hold for this new album is making me giddy all over. They are SO incredible live, and every single that they drop, without fail, some absolutely brilliant remix comes forth. That's also another secret reason why I am so excited they are back on the radar. The re-edits and remixes that stem from Miike Snow songs are straight sexy.

Every season has it's own romantic nature about it. Summer nights last forever to the kids who will never grow up and spring afternoons excite the maternal in us because something new has begun yet again. There is something about the desolation of autumn that is so beautiful, the rusted leaves and the barren trees, still in the grey air with a wind that smells of death. Winter evokes a same emotion. Nights filled of snow, the earth looks pure, clean, fresh. A world caked in white tricks us into believing it is untainted. Silence takes over all noise, somehow everything seems perfect.