Discover Your Three New Favorite Songs (LIVE EDITION)

Another week, another post from me spotlighting my three current favorite songs. Let’s make this a LIVE EDITION just for the hell of it, yeah?

First up is Haim, recent winners of the BBC’s Sound of 2013 music industry poll . Performing new track “Falling,” the band is a joy to watch as they let loose with their throaty vocals and R&B-tinged grooves. I saw them play at Mumford & Sons‘ mini-festival in Portland last summer and they’re all kinds of awesome.

English rock band Foals just released their third album a week or two back and I’ve essentially had it on repeat ever since. “Last Night” is a particular highlight that builds into an epic climax and is totes worth the listen. Tickets for their show at House of Blues in May just went on sale and it’s performances like this one that have me already counting down the days for it.

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper sure sounds like a bizarre name for a single singer-songwriter to go by, but please don’t let it distract you from her brilliance. Her soon-to-be-released album is ridiculously emotional and it’s performances like the one above of my personal favorite, “Bird Balloons,” that make it clear she’s going to be having an enormously successful 2013.

That’s it for this week. Enjoy the rest of the day off and keep on jamming!

Josh

I Should Really Pay More Attention to the Apps on My Phone

After having my phone (Samsung Galaxy S I) for a year and nine months, I have finally taken it upon myself to explore the apps that came pre-loaded on my android. Surprisingly, I actually found something I liked! I’m usually not one for streaming radio stations/playlists, but Slacker Radio has changed that mentality for good. I customized a playlist (titled “Indie/R&B/Hip-Hop”) and found a few gems that I hadn’t heard in a while. Check them out below!

Come Close - Common

The Wilhelm Scream – James Blake

Check On It – Beyonce

Differences – Ginuwine

Feel It All Around – Washed Out

’90s Music Nostalgia: R&B Edition

Even when I was a teen, I was always yearning for the return of the classics from my generation and also took to referring to every past event as the “good ‘ol days” even if it was just one day since those good times had passed. Basically, I was born nostalgic. I’m the biggest comeback fan you’ve probably ever met and I will support any worthy artist trying to return to their former glory. With that said, I, as with a majority of people my age, will always refer to the music of my youth as classic no matter how cheesy it was. I mean, it’s music that me and my neighborhood friends grew up jammin’ to in front of the mirror with our makeshift hairbrush microphones in hand. At one point, we even went as far as having a block concert in the square of our apartment complex where each of us were members of a Backstreet Boys and/or Spice Girls cover band. If that doesn’t constitute a song/artist as a generation classic, then I don’t know what will.

Since I live in a perpetual state of nostalgia and have a throwback music day about once a week, I decided to start a series on this here blog titled “’90s Music Nostalgia”, and this week’s edition is R&B. Just as a precursor, some of these songs will be from the early ’00s. since the ’90s R&B style still kind of spilled over into the beginning of the new millennium. In addition, if you’ve been within 20 ft. of BU Central during any of my recent shifts, you’ve probably heard me blast a few of these on our amazing sound system. Without further to do, check out some of my favorite ’90s R&B classics below. If you have any other suggestions of artists that you think should have made this post,  please submit them in the comment box below. Stay tuned for my next ’90s Music Nostalgia post. I’m thinking Hip-Hop or Boy Band Edition.

Peace and love,

Sherelle

If I Ever Fall In Love (Acapella) – Shai

All My Life – K-Ci & JoJo

Where My Girls At – 702

Waterfalls - TLC

You Make Me Wanna - Usher

I Wanna Know - Joe

Too Close - Next

In My Bed - Dru Hill

Don’t Leave Me - Black Street

Stranger in My House - Tamia

Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You -Lauryn Hill

Weak - SWV

I Care 4 U - Aaliyah

End of the Road - Boyz II Men

Where I Wanna Be - Donell Jones

Let’s Get Married - Jagged Edge

Frank Ocean is the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

I don’t know why I didn’t jump on the Frank Ocean train a long time ago like the rest of my Tumblr followers, but now I’m a band-wagoner and I have absolutely no shame in admitting it. channel ORANGE is one of the best albums of the year (Don’t believe me? Even Pitchfork agrees!) and Frank is the much needed savior of a dying R&B/Pop scene. It’s been a while since an artist with true talent hit the airwaves without having to wear a meat dress or squirt whip cream out of a cupcake bra, and his sincerity is much appreciated.

Check out his latest video for Pyramids.

 

In Search of a Summer Anthem…

The summer sun is still burning and all y’all are clearly still hurting for some more tunes, so here’s three more to make your lives all the better.

I randomly stumbled upon this video on a music blog last week and quickly found myself entranced by the faux-hood dancing skills of Berlin-based D E N A. “Cash, Diamond Rings, Swimming Pools” may initially sound shallower than Kreayshawn’s infamous “Gucci Gucci,” but D E N A’s presence in the video exudes an awkward charm that Kreayshawn could never pull off. Her outrageous fashion choices, questionable talk-rapping, and attempts at swagger even evoke a young M.I.A. The song may or may not become my summer anthem, but I do throughly expect it to soundtrack many a mindless night in Allston this month.

It’s been over three years since Passion Pit’s last full-length album, so naturally it’s a pretty big deal that their second, Gossamer, is set to be released in just about two weeks. The band just leaked the R&B-styled “Constant Conversations,” and it’s certainly done its job in getting me mega-hype for the album. Throw this slow jam on if you’re looking to get some major play at a party this summer. Chances are it’ll get anyone in the mood for some late night lovin’.

Perhaps you’re in the mood to feel things this summer and have emotional debates inside your head to the sound of tear-inducing dream pop? In that case, Youth Lagoon is the band for you! Functioning as the stage name for musician Trevor Powers, Youth Lagoon put out its debut last fall and I’m only now discovering it. “Montana” is hardly a new track, but it’s quickly becoming a regular staple in my “I Have Feelingz” playlist. I suggest playing this on repeat through your car’s sound system while laying on the hood with a friend, talking about life and watching the stars glisten. Do this so I can live vicariously through you. The Boston night sky is occasionally a sight to behold, but it is largely starless and for that I am sad.

Keep on keeping on, y’all.

-Josh