Mmm...

"In The Twilight" by Alexander Ebert


"White As Diamonds" by Alela Diane


"Mr. & Mrs. Compost" by Bibio


"I Love The Unknown" by Clem Snide


"Tangerine" by First Aid Kit


"Crosses" by José González


"Up So Fast" by Young Man


"The Mall & Misery" by Broken Bells

On a Beautiful Day!

"Mouthful of Diamonds" by Phantogram


"Slight Figure of Speech" by The Avett Brothers


"Oh, Paris!" by Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele


"Old Old Fashioned" by Frightened Rabbit


"Rio" by Hey Marseilles"


"Balloon Maker" by Midlake


"Bird On a Wire" by Rogue Wave

Soul Kitchen

When looking for a certain song by James Vincent McMorrow, I stumbled upon a little something extra, Soul Kitchen. If you're like me, constantly trying to find new music to love, you've probably already looked them up after watching that video. It is my obsession. I spent my entire yesterday sick in bed, listening to loads upon loads of music I found. Much like Yours Truly in one of my previous posts, Soul Kitchen is an amazing group of people who create videos of artists/bands who deserve to be heard. I had a hard time finding information on them because everything is in french, but they are awesome. I have yet to find a video they've made that I did not like. That's why this post is so packed with videos. Check out more of Soul Kitchen at: http://www.soul-kitchen.fr/


"Music Sounds Better With You" Cover by Pony Pony Run Run


"Impossible" by Band of Skulls


"All I Want" by Sarah Blasko


"The Sun Ain't Shining No More" by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour


"Follow Me" by The Parade


"Jealousy" by Gush


"Shy" by John & Jehn


"I Lost My Lungs" by Boogers


"Beautiful Tango" by Hindi Zahra


"Warm White Wine" and "Wounded Knee" by Oh Othello

My newest addiction

James Vincent McMorrow...

"If I Had A Boat" by James Vincent McMorrow


"Sparrow & The Wolf" by James Vincent McMorrow


"This Old Dark Machine" by James Vincent McMorrow

Dedication to my mother

Happy Birthday Mom! You taught me what good music was with all of these classics. James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Tracy Chapman, and so many more. I just can't get enough. Thank you so much Mom, I love you forever.


"These Days" by Jackson Browne


"Close Your Eyes" by James Taylor & Carly Simon


"Old Man" by Neil Young


"Miles From Nowhere" by Cat Stevens


"For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield


"Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman

How am I gonna make you mine?

"Make You Mine" by The Drums

Enough said.

Love is about taking risks

Someone once told me, "life is too short not to take risks" and I haven't forgotten it, or the old tethered man that told me so. "Life is short" is something I've always heard and known but never really taken in like I did that night he complimented me. I brushed off the initial thought of "creepy old guy" when he began to share an experience from his life. It was one of those brief connections you have with a stranger on a rare occasion. That's when I realized, the connection was all because he was willing to take the risk of appearing creepy. It's amazing how you can feel so close to someone so quickly through a little kindness. You really never know the difference you could make to someone's day, week, month.. Heck, even life! I can't count how many times I've thought about doing something out of love and kindness, then ended up doing nothing about it. Why not take that "risk"? What have we got to lose? The answer is simple, nothing. What is love, what is life, without taking risks? It's worthless. We would have learned nothing in this life. If you're not willing to look stupid, you don't deserve to be in love. So I urge you, next time you get that feeling in your heart to compliment, help, smile at, comfort, call, or even ask out anyone, just do it. If you take nothing from it, take the experience, and the courage to leap. No longer will I shy away from the cute boy I shared glances with at the cafe, no longer will I avoid complimenting a stranger because approaching feels awkward, no longer will i see someone struggling with a grocery bag at the store and look away instead of helping, and no longer will I procrastinate mending a relationship with a loved one because it feels difficult. Life really is just too short not to take those risks.


"Blue Turning Gray" by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah


"For A Little While" by Langhorne Slim


"Atlas Hands" by Benjamin Francis Leftwich


"Lover's Carvings" by Bibio

The Season of Love

Love is such an amazing thing. It is the majority source of our happiness and of our sadness. It is what gives us our highest highs and our lowest lows. It both makes us and breaks us. Love can be found in anything and everything we do and can be shared with anyone and everyone we cross paths with. If your taken this Valentine's day, grab your lovers hand and feel the warmth of their skin on yours. Stare deep into their eyes and really see them. Acknowledge every perfection, every flaw, every matter, every detail and love, just love. If you're single this Valentine's day, love yourself. Love the beauty of nature and appreciate it for always being there for you. Share love with others by offering your kindness to the people you come across. You will find it's not so bad being single. Now here is a little list of songs about love that I made just for today. Happy Valentine's Day to you! :)


"I Hope This Gets To You" by The Daylights


"Little Things" by Pomplamoose


"When U Love Somebody" by Fruit Bats


"Your Arms Around Me" by Jens Lekman


"Brandy Alexander" by Feist


"She Is Love" by Parachute


"Such Great Heights" The Postal Service


"Brand New Start" by Little Joy


"Lovefool" cover by The Morning Benders


"Just Like We Do" by Eisley


"I Was Made For You" by She & Him


"Too Too Too Fast" by Ra Ra Riot


"Coast of Carolina" by Telekinesis


"Eyes" by Rogue Wave

Better Listened On LOUD :)

Crank it on up....


"Percussion Gun" by White Rabbits


"Silver Tiles" by Matt and Kim


"And the Hazy Sea" by Cymbals Eat Guitars


"Calling All Doctors" by Telekinesis


"Blinding" by Florence and the Machine


"Her Eyes Dart 'Round" by The Felice Brothers

Big Coat

"Big Coat" by Wiretree

The Head and the Heart

"Down in the Valley" by The Head and the Heart

This is hands down, one of my favorite bands from Seattle. I was so excited to hear their music on the radio a week or so ago, they deserve it! :) This is, in my opinion, the greatest song of theirs and an amazing video of their performance. Great song, even greater band. The Head and the Heart's flawless blend of magical melodies creates a folk masterpiece with their debut album.


"Lost in My Mind" by The Head and the Heart

Now you have to admit... There's nothing that's not wonderful about this band. Am I right? Thank you to The Head and the Heart and KEXP.

The Middle East

"Blood" by The Middle East

This is ultimately, one of my favorite songs. So beautiful and flawless. I also love this artsy little video that they created for it. For this band, I thought I'd start you off with the song that made me fall in love with them.


"The Darkest Side" by The Middle East

Since hopefully, you're now in love with The Middle East, here is another something amazing they made. Keep listening. :)

Speaking of music blogs...

Yours Truly is an awesome blog created by a group of fans, filmmakers, photographers, journalists and designers that promote some of the best underground/independent bands out there. They create amazing videos of artist's/band's performances to share with the world (or anyone who is lucky enough to find them). Yours Truly ultimately has a passion for anything and everything music. If you're interested in discovering new music that will blow you away, check out their blog and watch a few of their wonderful creations. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
http://yourstru.ly/

Also, along with the Delta Spirit video I posted, here is one of my favorite videos they've made:


"Excuses" by Morning Benders & the Echo Chamber Orchestra

Music with Passion

"My Own Sinking Ship" by Good Old War

I love music with soul and passion. I recently discovered this band and I have to say, I can't get enough. And as soon as I found this video session, I became an even more impressed fan. This live version sounds even better than the recorded song. That's when you know you've found a good band/artist. Such a lovely song, I can just visualize their voices intertwined, flowing up through the air so beautifully, traveling as far as they can. This is the type of music I feel should be on the soundtracks of our lives. Or mine anyway. :) There are so many wonderful artists/bands out there and most of the really beautiful ones, don't get a whole lot of attention. The best kind of music gives you that blissful feeling of comfort and love for life. It helps you notice and appreciate the simple beauties out there, but also acknowledge the pain and struggles without fear. To me, this is a perfect example.

Sunshiny Days

"When They Fight, They Fight" by Generationals

I adore this song/band. It sounds so suburban kids playing outside in the Summer during the 60-70s. I couldn't find a live version with good audio so I chose this adorable fan made video. This song reminds me of a dreamy bike ride in the sunshine. I can't wait until our Washington weather starts heating up, I'll be whipping out my banana bike and a mix tape of Generationals.

Oh, Scarecrow

"Scarecrow" by Delta Spirit

Such a beautifully, heartbreaking song. Sadness pours out of the sounds and words but love follows in the beauty of what was created from it. Delta Spirit is an awesome band with great lyrics and a marvelous blend of rhythm and melodies. I love every little thing about this video. I love the way it was filmed and the exact spot they chose to record this song at. It makes me want to go to that very place and just sit and feel the wind in my hair. And is it just me or is it too perfect when a beautiful song with brilliant lyrics contains just one curse word? :)

An Oldie, but a Goodie

"True Love Will Find You In The End" by Daniel Johnston

I found a documentary at the library a couple years back called "The Devil and Daniel Johnston". I read a bit about it and discovered he was a musician so I was immediately interested. I checked the video out and went home to watch. This documentary is actually pretty creepy. I had never heard of Daniel Johnston or his music but after watching the video and learning about the guy, I right away, wasn't a big fan. I thought, "bad guitar, bad voice", and it didn't help that he was bipolar and actually pretty mentally unstable. Although it was a pretty creepy,sad but interesting video, I forgot about him and kept listening to different artists/bands. Then a few months ago, I remembered him and the documentary I watched. I knew my taste in music had changed a bit so I gave him another listen and fell in love. Daniel Johnston has struggled a lot in his life, but for the most part, he is a musical genius. So what if his songs aren't flawless? They are beautiful, creative, strong, and very intriguing. There was a time where he was very popular in music but it seems he's been forgotten. So, I thought I'd share just incase you haven't heard of him. Enjoy :)

"Don't be sad, I know you will. But don't give up until, true love will find you in the end. This is a promise with a catch, only if you're looking can it find you. True love is searching too, but how can it recognize you unless you step out into the light." - Daniel Johnston

Shampoo

"Shampoo" by Elvis Perkins in Dearland

I absolutely love this song. So folky and awesome. It's perfect to listen to on a bike ride, road trip, wandering through the woods, etc. They are so talented in every aspect. It's bands like this that make me want to play an instrument and share that same feeling of passion that they do. Love, love, LOVE!

Those Dum, Dum Girls...

"Blank Girl" by Dum Dum Girls

I just discovered this band this evening and I'm loving them. I was reminded of both The Cure and The Cranberries from first listen. But yet, they have their own unique style. Not to mention they have amazing fashion sense and are just all around gorgeous. I couldn't find a better video, but I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I will definitely be listening to more Dum Dum Girls. :)


"Nantes" by Beirut

A friend reminded me of an band I once much loved. Tonight, I discovered I still very much love them. This video is amazing. I love the way the song starts at the top of this building with just his voice and subtle music being played. Then the more stairs he wanders down, the louder the music grows. He passes some of the musicians but keeps going as if he is going through the layers of the sound. Beirut is quite unbelievable in a mystical kind of way. I love how you can hear their passion in the music, and in this video you can even see their passion. It's very beautiful.


"Elephant Gun" by Beirut

I had to share two Beirut videos because they're just so incredible. This music video is so artsy and entertaining to me. I felt like I was in a theater watching a short skit. I can't get over Zach Condon's powerful vocals. Mmmmmm.. Irresistible.

Hazelton..

"Hazelton" by Justin Vernon

For this first post, I had to include a song by an artist I feel never fails. The feelings that surface when you hear this song are just magical. Justin Vernon, commonly known from Bon Iver, Volcano Choir, and GAYNGS, is a complete wonder to me. How could a song sound so simple but yet, create so much emotion? He is a musical genius and an incredible lyricist. I have yet to hear an album or track that I don't completely love. And it is just so interesting to decipher the meanings behind his lyrics. Thank you Justin Vernon.