School just started…and for me that means that the amount of music I will listen to will start to sky-rocket. The school year always seems to put me into a rut, where I can’t seem to stop playing the same four albums over and over again. Hopefully this mixer is a stepping stone both for myself and for you, and will aid us in getting out of our summer slump!
-Boz
1- Lights Out, Words Gone – Bombay Bicycle Club
I’m a sucker for English bands, and when I heard this band play their set at Lolla, it was enough to convince me to check them out on the spot. Even though their set was at noon, they still seemed to appeal to an extremely broad audience. The catchy guitar riff in this song is something I wish I would see more of in rock music, today.
Listen Here:
2- When I’m Small – Phantogram
Phantogram is one of those bands that really should be bigger than they are. They’ve played all of the big festivals, but really haven’t broken into the main vein yet. Here’s to big things from this great duo.
Listen Here:
3- Green Aisles – Real Estate
Days is easily in my top ten albums to be released in 2012. Real Estate is just such an unassuming band when you look at them, but when they play their music, it is almost impossible not to become captivated by it.
Listen Here:
4- Blueside – Rooney
I’ll be honest, Rooney’s self-titled album is one of the five that I can’t stop playing in the summer. the California-based pop-rockers are just too summer-y for their own good. It’s a shame their second album wasn’t as good as their debut.
Listen Here:
5- Green Lights – Aloe Blacc
Aloe Blacc is bringing soul back. OK, maybe soul never left and maybe he’s not bringing it back, but he’s still doing his thing, and I dig it. His set at Lolla electrified the crowd, getting them to sing and dance along as if they were on stage. This is what is so great about soul music. It really allows for a connection with the crowd, and that is why I love Aloe Blacc so much.
Listen Here:
6- Ain’t Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo) – BlakRoc (Featuring Jim Jones and Mos Def)
OK, hipsters…did you like The Black Keys before it was cool? Did you know they made a rap album with Mos Def? They did. And it’s good.
Listen Here:
7-Impossible Germany – Wilco
You can’t go wrong with Chicago. Jeff Tweedy does the world a service in this song from the album Sky Blue Sky. The general notion is that no album of theirs will ever touch the greatness of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but Sky Blue Sky certainly is a close second.
Listen Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gjFfdGYi9c
8- Heart Of Gold – Neil Young
“I’ve been in my mind; it’s such a fine line.” Neil Young’s classic track comments on aging and life alike. It’s a classic, and if you don’t like it, I would wager to say that you don’t have a heart of gold.
Listen Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi1cpR8_PFQ
9- World Domination – Joey Bada$$
I know this is hip-hop, but it’s just too good to deny. I first found out about Joey (16 year old Brooklyn MC) from my co-worker here at PGU, Jose Tamayo. Man, was I not disappointed. This guy is the future. Look for him to be signed by someone big sometime soon. Plus, this song samples Pinky and the Brain.
Listen Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63D4eteIWUI
10- Brothers and Sisters – Coldplay
Coldplay is a fairly common occurence on my mixers, but I think that’s OK, because they are (debatably) one of the best bands in the modern era, if not one of the most popular. This song was present on their very first EP, which was released in 1999. They’ve certainly come a long way in 13 years.
Listen Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntTBy2zrTqw
