Monday, June 23, 2014

These past few weeks have been nothing short of a whirlwind and with the past few days seeming like the calm after the storm, I've finally had the opportunity to sit down and soak in some of the things that I haven't got to digest... which also means stumbling upon more good songs.


Dive – Tycho | Our Endless Numbered Days  Iron & Wine | Wincing The Night Away  The Shins
Funeral  Arcade Fire | Death by Sexy – Eagles of Death Metal | Heartbreaker  Ryan Adams

I've been stuck in a musical rut for so long, listening to the same songs on a daily basis and so I made it a mission to find some songs that are refreshingly addictive. Well these are the musical finds I've been meaning to share because the extra 3 GB space it took up in my iPhone is totally worth it. 

1. Dive by Tycho
Much like the album art implies, the entire tracklist is like riding the soft waves with total abandon. I've never pretty much appreciated tracks without lyrics before, but the melodies are really all that you need. I stumbled upon this a few weeks ago and I've found that it's great for when you're studying. It's not completely overwhelming, but it does tickle the senses. Adrift has become my personal favorite. It's the crowning track of the album. And because I'm naturally a curious cat, I did some research on what these sway-inducing tracks actually are. Its musical style is actually "chillwave" mixed by electronica artists and it's been around since the mid-2000's. The eccentric feel immediately got me hooked and it's amazingly multidimensional. 

2. Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron & Wine
I love this so much. This album has been around since 2004 and it's a shame it took me this long before I discovered it. I've only ever known one song by Iron & Wine and I've never been curious enough to look up their discography until now (woops). Imagine if your favorite cup of hot chocolate transformed into songs, because these would be it. Another thing I absolutely love about it is its paradoxical title which comes from the lyrics of another one of their songs called Passing Afternoon. "There are things that drift away like our endless, numbered days." It radiates this kind of peace that I'm in love with.

3. Wincing The Night Away by The Shins
I've always had a thing for indie-rock or any sub-genre of rock in general and this album had me at the first song. Their sound is much like The Smiths', however more diverse in terms of the musical style. The thing about it is that it never sounds monotonous. "Australia" and "Split Needles" are shamelessly on repeat!

4. Funeral by Arcade Fire
I've been seeing a lot of this band around the internet lately and I figured it's about time I gave them a shot. Of course the fact that they're an indie-rock band has already got me all "sold!", the album's tracklist is what completely engulfed me. Its energetic vibe will make you bob your head no matter how hard you try not to. The songs are dramatic and beautiful, yet light and airy. I like how I don't recognize all of the instruments used in the songs, but I've been paying more attention the drums. Also, I'm crazy about the album art! What a beaut. A lot of the songs I've used in my recent playlists come from this album too just because I like the variety of its sound.

5. Death by Sexy by Eagles of Death Metal
By the looks of it, this album doesn't seem to line up with the past albums I've mentioned. Sounds daunting, especially along with the album art. But it will end up surprising you. It's not some sort of satanic cult music; Eagles of Death Metal is your not-so typical all-American rock group with incredibly bad-ass songs that'll make you wanna dance around. If you like commercials, you'll probably hear one of their songs in an Axe commercial. Plus if you close your eyes with this album on full blast, you could almost imagine yourself with a leather jacket, riding a motorcycle to an old-school diner. And I dig it too much. Thanks to David for making me listen to Don't Speak and made me feel like I've found Jesus.

6. Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams
A lot of my friends who I shared this album with have told me that he sounds like the country version of John Mayer with "a shitload of harmonicas". I'm not sure I disagree. I've had this in my files for a couple of years now, but it's been recently unintentionally ignored and I haven't listened in such a long time. Do your ears a wonderful favor by listening to "Come Pick Me Up" and "Oh My Sweet Carolina". I like how the entire album almost feels untouched, it feels so raw and vulnerable and it's imperfectly elegant.

No comments:

Post a Comment