I'm feeling a lil frisky today. I foresee some sexy trouble in my near future. Next Friday to be exact. Ha!
I became acquainted with Flying Lotus' experimental, downtempo tracks when I was going over the Coachella 2010 lineup. And wow! There's not much I can say. This is what I want to listen to as I'm walking around a semi-crowded room, scoping out the situation, sipping on my scotch, shaking my behind, turning heads.
And lucky for me, Flying Lotus is making a stop in Chicago before Coachella and playing at the Double Door next Friday.
If you like what you hear, join me. Deep, dark, sexy grooves for only $5!!! (In advance, that is...$10 at the door.)
What will YOU be doing on April 1? No matter what your answer, I can think of something better. How about attending the Little Dragon show at Chicago's Lincoln Hall with me and my pals?
I've posted a few of their tracks in the past, but I don't think I ever gave them the credit and praise they deserve. That chill vibe and that soulful voice strike a serious nerve inside of me. Here's a taste...
"Stormy Weather" is probably my favorite track. A song about unconditional love and overcoming obstacles. No matter how cold and heartless I may try to pretend to be, nothing would be more satisfying than to feel the raw emotions expressed in those words: "No distance can separate. Imagine us combined, light up the room, electrify. Our love could be so divine. We'll make rainbows at night. And when it's dark, we'll be light."
The song that cemented my admiration for Little Dragon was "Constant Surprises," probably because I can relate to it most. If you know me by now, you know that my life is absolutely random. Everything is a surprise. Every incident, no matter how small, happens for a reason. Like she says, "Some call it coincidence, but I like to call it fate."
"A New" is quite possibly one of the sexiest tracks I've ever heard. I love the slow, sinister pace combined with that periodic drumline. It makes me think of the first intimate moment shared with someone. A first kiss perhaps? Butterflies and all. "Blinded like new. I'm feeling more strange about you."
So the folks at Lollapalooza typically release their upcoming lineup in April, but rumors start circling pretty early on in the year. One rumor that's been getting a ton of attention is that a reunited Soundgarden will headline this year's fest, and I couldn't be any more pumped!
I was obsessed with Soundgarden growing up. I had all their albums, and wore flannel shirts and banged my head through the air, mimicking Chris Cornell in the "Spoonman" video. They had such an original sound, and Cornell's voice was so thrilling.
Although I got my Chris Cornell fix after the break up, when he joined Audioslave, it just wasn't the same. Something was missing.
So when I heard about this possible reunion, I freaked out and decided I had to dedicate some blog space to Soundgarden's brilliance. Here are a few of my favorite tracks.
So yesterday, I asked my Facebook pals to let me know what they listen to when they're stuck in traffic. It occurred to me Thursday morning, as I was driving into work, that those moments when I'm feeling the road rage get to me are the times when I reacquaint myself with the random music in my car. So I wanted to hear from you and come up with the ultimate "Friday night traffic" playlist. If your Friday ride home is anything like mine, you'll need something to fuel the rage.
Below you'll find a mix of some of my personal favorites along with your suggestions. Some of you sent me some great calming and peaceful tunes, but today I focused mainly on the ragers. The ones that are going to keep me awake and aggressive on the road back home.
And please, keep sending me song suggestions...for any mood. I loved looking up the tracks you recommended. Although they didn't all end up on this list, they are all in my library now. Thank you.
It's absolutely amazing–this power that music possesses. It makes me feel ALIVE. All those emotions I keep bottled inside pour out with one lyric, one melody, just like that.
Certain artists emulate this power better than others. And to witness a live performance of theirs can be a spiritual experience.
I'm pretty bummed I'm going to miss the Muse show this weekend. I have a unique attachment to their fourth studio album, Black Holes and Revelations. I think the title says it all. It came out in the summer of '06, but I didn't really listen to it much until a couple of years later when I was having some revelations of my own.
Anyhow, I'll be listening to this album a lot this week. Maybe someone out there will catch wind of these positive vibes and generously give me a ticket to the show. Ha!
This first track, "Map of the Problematique," is seriously intense. It makes me think about all the things that make me angry, but in a positive way. How can I get rid of the negativity, or how can I change it? My initial thoughts of destruction become motivation to make a change.
The second track, "Starlight," has a totally different effect on me. It almost makes me want to completely get lost in passionate, senseless love. My favorite lyric: "You electrify my life. Let's conspire to reignite. All the souls that would die just to feel alive."
If you're going to the show, I'm sure it'll be a profound blend of love and music. Enjoy! And tell me all about it!
Unless you paid close attention to the sixth season finale of Entourage or enjoy watching Kia commercials, that may be the only way you would have heard this track. Otherwise, get ready and enjoy the ride.
The Heavy is an English neo-soul, indie-rock band that has recently become the object of my obsession. I heard "How You Like Me Now?" on the radio the other day and downloaded the entire album immediately. Those funky horns and James Brown-esque vocals sucked me right in. I think I could wake up to this song every day.
And I'm clearly not the only one with this impression. Apparently, after their January 18 performance of "How You Like Me Now?" on The Late Show with David Letterman, Letterman requested they play an encore of the song, which is the first time the host has EVER asked an artist to perform an encore.
So hopefully I have piqued your curiosity a bit and you'll jam to these guys some more.
I don't know much about this Onra character. My pal David advised I download the album Chinoiseries, and once I did I instantly knew this was an artist worth our attention.
The album has 32 tracks...THIRTY-TWO. But each one exhibits a certain emotion and paints a different picture. Onra is essentially a hip-hop beatmaker. His tracks are short and sweet. And the titles are pretty much self-descriptive. Do you need an uplifting vibe? Listen to "Hope." Or are you looking for a hard-hitting anthem? Check out "The Anthem." Perhaps you've got some cheesy butterflies, so vibe to "The Vallee of Love."
