Happy Saturday! I am officially in a gorgeous town outside of Pittsburgh for one of my best friends’ wedding and I couldn’t be happier! I heard this song earlier this week and I think it is the perfect soundtrack for today, it makes my heart so happy! The song “Leja” is from Eric Prydz Presents Pryda and is named after his daughter. The album is a 3 CD compilation of unreleased and classic Pryda tracks and will be available on May 21st! You can pre-order the album now here. Have an incredible Saturday everyone, life is beautiful and so are you.
I’m crying my eyes out. Usually when in reference to Arctic Monkeys those tears are of joy, but these tears are deeply sad. Why? Because when I went running around on Record Store Day trying to find exclusively released music by my favorite bands every record store I went to only had one or two copies of Arctic Monkeys 7″ single “R U Mine?”, and each one of them told me that someone had “just bought” the last one. I never found it, and not only do I have that gaping hole in my beloved Arctic Monkeys 7″ collection, but I also have that same hole in my heart after hearing the incredible b-side track they released on that 7″ called “Electricity”. The track is absolutely brilliant, guitar heavy, with the brooding and knee-weakening vocals of Alex Turner (who I like to pretend will be my future husband someday). Suck It And See is definitely one of my favorite albums, and I feel lucky that the band is giving us such epic b-sides on their singles. I just wish I was able to get this one!
I am so excited for tonight! I am going to see one of my longtime favorite bands, Death Cab For Cutie, at Tower Theatre in Philly and I am volunteering at the show with HeadCount.org! I’ve been volunteering with the Philadelphia HeadCount Chapter for a couple years now and I love it. HeadCount is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that gets music fans to register to vote at concerts. I can’t describe how amazing the feeling is to know that you helped someone to register to vote. I am so proud that we have the opportunity to choose who we want to represent us as a country and help us to solve issues our country is having. In my opinion, if you don’t vote, you can’t complain! Voting is easy and although who you vote for might not always be the person chosen, it’s important to remember that you still have the right to petition, write to, call, and even visit those in office to tell them your concerns. I think we forget sometimes that those in the government work for US. We elect them which means we gave them their jobs. We also can take their jobs away by not re-electing them… so that puts pressure on them to listen to our voiced concerns and attempt to do something about it. Since HeadCount is not affiliated with any party or members of the government, they don’t care who you vote for as long as you vote. They also give you the resources online to make an educated decision based on your ideas and beliefs, which I find extremely beautiful and helpful. HeadCount is also a great organization because they give you the opportunity to volunteer and get people to register to vote while attending your favorite bands shows. Through this I’ve had such great opportunities and memories, the best was when I drove up to Saratoga Springs, NY, got people to register to vote and wept as I saw two of my favorite bands of all time live: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. I never thought I would get a chance to see them live, let alone together and it was such a moving and incredible experience. My other favorite would have to be volunteering at the Jay-Z Kanye West Watch The Throne tour, which was one of the best shows I’ve attended in my life. HeadCount is present for a ton of artists concerts of bands that support them as well as festivals! If you want to sign up to volunteer with your local HeadCount or check out the shows coming up click here and sign up to have a log in. After you log in, you can search shows by cities and even states to see who is coming to your town and request to volunteer. Then your local HeadCount lead will contact and give you more information about the show! We are so lucky to have a right to vote, and I love being able to volunteer, help people register, and enjoy incredible concerts. It’s also great way to meet other fans and make new friends! Check out a list of bands and festivals that have volunteer opportunities through HeadCount below, and of course check out some of the songs that are getting me ready and excited for the Death Cab For Cutie show tonight!!
Man Without Country is a band I’ve been excited about for a while. I’ve loved every song they’ve put out so far and I’ve been dying for the new album. Luckily, they finally released an album sampler for their upcoming record Foehere to listen, and here to download! They are also coming to Philly and playing a show at Kung Fu Necktie with Porcelain Raft on May 31st, I can’t wait! To listen to the album sampler click the photo below, and make sure to also check out the music videos for “Puppets” and “Inflammable Heart” as well as more tour dates below!
Man Without Country Tour:
May 21 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom*
May 22 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah*
May 23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo*
May 24 – San Francisco, CA – Popscene
May 29 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall*
May 30 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge*
May 31 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie %
June 2 – Washington, DC – Red Palace %
*in support of I Break Horses
% in support of Porcelain Raft
Swim Deep is a three-piece band from Birmingham who love Nirvana, Warpaint (whose lead singer, Jenny Lee Lindberg, you will hear about in this song), and skateboarding. I too love those things… I also love Swim Deep, this song and this video. Beautifully filmed, the video was made by Marshall Darlings Productions. I love how the music video for “King City” looks like we are just following the band around town for a weekend. The song feels perfect for summer nights and, as the video shows, running around wreaking havoc with friends. It also makes me want to write a song about pretending Alex Turner is my boyfriend, oh wait… I already have! You can hear more music from Swim Deep on their Soundcloud.
I fell in love with AlunaGeorge’s music when I first heard their debut single “You Know You Like It”, a super sexy, slow and yet upbeat dance track that is impossible to not sing along to. Today their debut EP by the same name is out with other rad songs, “Just A Touch” and “Put Your Hands Up”. The EP is being released on Itunes as well as Tri Angle Records. AlunaGeorge will be releasing a 12″ Vinyl on June 12th with exclusive remixes. Check out the music video for “You Know You Like It” below as well as the single “Just A Touch”.
Last night I was listening to my friends radio show on 91.7 fm WKDU Philly. I was on the radio show last week and I absolutely love it. The show is called Bass Is Loaded on Sundays from 6pm-8pm and it has features the best dance tracks that we don’t really get to hear on the radio..or worse, when we are out dancing. This breaks my heart because I hear tracks like this and can’t help but get so hyped from it. They played the Madeon Remix of Martin Solveig’s “The Night Out” and I couldn’t help but stop everything I was doing and get my dance on (then look it up and immediately send it to all my friends). This remix is the perfect dance track..I can listen to it getting ready to go out, while I am out, partying with friends, or even to get me through the work day. The song completely energizes me and puts me in such a good place. I’m not at all surprised, because it’s by Madeon, and I’ve loved so much of what I’ve heard of him so far (“Icarus” is my other jam!!)…he’s brilliant. He’s also 17 years old. I can’t wait to hear more from him. I also hope he brings his shows over to the US (specifically Philly please) because I would LOVE to get in on that epic dance party.
I have a confession to make. I have a serious, major, borderline insane music crush on Jack White. Let’s face it, he’s a genius. The White Stripes, fucking awesome…The Raconteurs? Yes, please…The Dead Weather, don’t mind if I do. Basically everything the man touches is gold. I recently heard an interview with him and how he got started and I couldn’t love him more. An absolutely incredible and nice person who also happens to make music I couldn’t enjoy more? There is nothing better. I heard some tracks off of his new album Blunderbuss before it comes out tomorrow. As expected I found myself loving them and dying to hear more. When I walked into my favorite record store Saturday for record store day, I was so stoked to see that they got the album in a few days early. Naturally, I bought it right away. When I got home I couldn’t help but listen to it, and dance to it, only stopping to flip the record over and play it again. “Sixteen Saltines” off the new record is my absolute JAM. I love this song so much. It’s how I like Jack White best: raw, rough, and powerful vocals, guitar, and lyrics. He is such an inspiration to me especially for writing music. He crafts everything so perfectly, each instrumental, the lyrics, the vocals, everything is brilliant. This obviously is the same for the album as a whole. Completely remarkable and perfect in every way. It’s only April, but I am pretty sure this is going to be my album of the year. This record, for me, is going to be extremely hard to beat. Pure rock ‘n’ roll perfection. This video is absolutely sick, and crazy. I love how creative and thorough Jack White is with his music, even the music video is an artistic inspiration. I would love to meet him someday (here’s hoping!). Until then, I’m just going to listen to his music on repeat and continue to be inspired.
Yesterday was Record Store Day and my friend Cait and I had a blast! Before I get back to my new records tonight, I am currently listening to my friends radio show on 91.7 WKDU from 6-8, it’s a dance show called “Bass Is Loaded” and I love sending him songs to play. Last week I got to join him in the studio and it was a blast. You can listen now online here just click “Listen now” on the top right of the page. Yesterday was the perfect day, the sun was shining and I woke up ready to get some records. I went to my favorite record store in Philly which is also a cafe called Milkcrate. I got my favorite breakfast and was so excited to see that they got Jack White’s new album due out next week Blunderbuss in for Record Store Day. I picked that up with my breakfast, my first purchase of Record Store Day couldn’t be more perfect. I love Jack White and I couldn’t wait to get home and listen to the new album, so when I got home at the end of the day for dinner I did just that. I couldn’t help but dance the whole time, he is amazing and the new album is incredible. I must have played it in full last night at least 5 times. Cait and I then hit up two more record stores in the area, I picked up 3 cds, two Letters To Cleo albums (one of my favorite 90s bands), The best of Blondie, and two more 7″s from my checklist: The Hives “Go Right Ahead” and The White Stripes “Hand Springs”. Next, we headed to Main Street Music in Manayunk and I pick up my last purchase for the day, Dry The River’s “New Ceremony” 7″ (one of 500 in North America!). We also got to see Jesse Malin play live there! Cait and I made our way to a nearby local coffee shop and as we were there we saw absolute radio legend Pierre Robert walk in to get a coffee! I couldn’t believe it, he is such an inspiration I had to get a picture with him. It was the perfect end to a perfect Record Store Day. Soon after we left and I went home to make dinner and listen to all my new vinyl. I was super sad I couldn’t find Arctic Monkeys “R U Mine?” I was beat out by someone at both stores! But needless to say, I did pretty well otherwise!
Today I am in my favorite record store in Philly, Milkcrate, starting the morning off right with some breakfast and new vinyl! Today is my favorite day of the year (besides the 4th of July) because today is Record Store Day. One day of the year set aside for us to celebrate our local record stores and all the new and special edition vinyl releases of our most loved artists. Today I am picking up an early copy of Jack White’s Blunderbuss here at Milkcrate, then I am taking my checklist and trying to get as many as I can from all the record stores in Philly. Here are some of the tracks and vinyl I am most excited to pick up. Check for your local participating Record Store Day stores here and make your own checklist of new and special releases here!
Arctic Monkeys “R U Mine?” / Domino Records / 7″ / 1340
The Hives / “Go Right Ahead” / No Fun AB / 7″ / 1800
The White Stripes / “Hand Springs” + “Red Death at 6:14″ / Third Man Records / 7″ Black and Red Swirled Vinyl
Dry The River / “New Ceremony” / RCA / 7″ Vinyl / 500 in North America!
There are so many more epic new releases I would love, it might be too hard to choose! All I know is I am excited for the free shows today at Main Street Music and new vinyl!! Not so excited about looking at my bank account after… Have a great Record Store Day everyone! Don’t forget to hug (or just thank) your favorite record store owner!
Come on come on come on and touch me babyyyy xx my fav. "@dylanasuarez: Hell yea The Doors just came on the radio. Thanks @mylifeinsound !!" 2 days ago
