Sweetness

There is definitely a sweetness to this track.  The bassline is the first thing that perks my ears up when I listen. Shortly after the song continues to become ever more cohesive.  The sounds by themselves are simple. Yet the way each sound fits with the others results with a house-soul-jazz-bounce feeling that is far greater than the sum of its parts. This is a true example of house music. Enjoy!

Sweetness - Mercury
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Mercury

Ghosts & Zombies

"Ghosts and zombies, coming to my party"

I dig the upbeat groovy bassline laying underneath this silly track.  Not only is the subject of the song lots of fun, but the samples are spot on. I want to party like The 2 Bears when I hear this track. Enjoy!

Ghosts & Zombies - The 2 Bears
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The 2 Bears

O Holy Break Of Day

This is a song that you wake up to with a mean hangover and the most extreme case of bed head this hemisphere has seen since 1976.  The sound is kick-ass rock and roll core with a sharp indie edge. The guitars compete healthily with the screeching vocals, and the distortion wins over all. Enjoy!

O Holy Break Of Day - Waters
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Waters

Select Sundays: Too Wild

I believe this entire song only has three words in it.  Perhaps one for each member of the band. Hailing from Austin, Love Inks' goal is to use each instrument -- guitar, bass, drum machine -- as unadorned as possible. The simplicity totally works doesn't it?

Too Wild - Love Inks
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Love Inks

Shoot Me Down

I love the in-your-face that this song starts, continues, and ends with. C'mon do it, pull  your trigger finger, and shoot me down, I fucking dare you.  Just when I think this track is another dubstep track full of bass and wobble, the Warriors change things up mid way through, genius. Enjoy!

Shoot Me Down Feat. Ruby Goe (Sigma Remix) - Stanton Warriors
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Stanton Warriors | Ruby Goe | Sigma

Forever

There's a dash of 90's awesomeness captured in this track, but don't get me wrong I wouldn't call this a 90's track.  The melody is fun and upbeat, with quick words flowing up and down in the chorus. I can imagine a hundred different music video scenes that would showcase this song perfectly. Perhaps the nostalgia of my days growing up to songs like this, along with the hand claps towards the peak of the track, helps with my vivid imagery. Enjoy!

Forever -Haim
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Haim

Cyber Me

It's not very often that a baritone voice leads a band. This track caught me off guard, with that super low voice, but that wasn't all that I noticed. I enjoyed the upbeat tone and jolly melody that comes with this track. Enjoy!

Cyber Me - Night Genes
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Night Genes

Oblivion

"You can't lie to house music" -It's true, you can't.

I like to think that Kerri Chandler isn't speaking to me on this track. I don't think he is, I hope. House music is not a hateful music or scene by any means.  However, everyone can be stabbed in the back, betrayed, or left high and dry.  Sometimes the fakers have to be called out, and this track is just that. Enjoy!

Oblivion - Kerri Chandler
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Kerri Chandler

Valentine

Love can be light and fun, just like this track.  Though the lyrics of this song doesn't convey light and fun, the aura sure does. I love the melody of the chorus along with the simple keyboards. The song conveys that chaos between having no valentine prospects, and having a reoccurring valentine. Enjoy!

Valentine - Charli XCX
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Charli XCX

Select Sundays: Through the Rain

I couldn't tell you what modern dream pop and vintage Sixties pop sounds like but Bell Gardens combines the two and I'm all for it. The band put their album out in vinyl so all you audiophiles can get your beachy groove on in luxurious high fidelity.

Through the Rain - Bell Gardens
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Bell Gardens

Broken Brights

The soft guitars and silky voices serenade me to a calming place as soon as this song hits my ears. I'm not sure if it's a vocal effect, or they actually sang the track twice to then lay both vocal tracks right on top of each other, but I just love how you're not sure if one person is singing or it's actually two people singing at the exact same time. Enjoy!

Broken Brights - Angus Stone
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Angus Stone

Heart Attack

Last night I went to the Asteroids Galaxy Tour concert here in San Francisco. The band has incredible energy, and a fantastic sound. There's a bit of pop, a bit of horns, and a bit of funk all topped off with an aggressive yet extremely cute voices. This song especially I can't get enough of when she rhymes "gasoline" with "nicotine". I danced all night to their upbeat high energy sound.

Heart Attack - Asteroids Galaxy Tour
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Asteroids Galaxy Tour

All I Want

I went digging the other day and pulled this track out of the $1.00 vinyl bin. This track from 1980 is seductively beautiful. The instrumentation is such that no one instrument takes the spotlight, save for her silky voice. I am helpless when she says "All I really wanna do..." Enjoy!

All I Want - Hiroshima
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Hiroshima

Phantom 1.5

L'efance has put down a silky smooth rendition of Justice's in your face high energy rocker, Phantom 1.5. I love how the strings and voices work together to build up the song.  The song is somewhat of an epic track, but manages to be so without the scream for adrenaline. Enjoy!

Phantom 1.5 (L'efance Remix) - Justice
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Justice | L'efance

I'm A Brat

There's something very "on" about the syncopation of this song which sounds somewhat "off". Don't blink, cause the song is just over a minute and a half long, which makes for a good reason to play it once again. The bomb dropping beat and chimes dangling in the background really tie it together. Enjoy!

I'm A Brat - Machinedrum
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Machinedrum

Select Sundays: Hole In Your Parachute

The best part about this song may be the first ten seconds or so but what a ten seconds. It's the great part of a video intro, the beginning of something very promising. While I like the rest of the track just fine, I find myself rewinding it over and over to hear the beginning. Holy Fuck is an electronica band from Canada that sometimes "uses toy phaser guns to achieve electronic-sounding effects without the use of laptops or programmed backing tracks." See that? Toy phaser guns!

Hole In Your Parachute - Holy Fuck
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Holy Fuck

Down In The Valley

That gritty voice walking atop of the smooth and soothing instrumentation compiled of guitars, piano, and a violin is gorgeous.  As soon as I hear that falsetto the song transforms from a slow and beautiful ballad to an inspirational soundtrack piece where I'm driving a dirt road in the sunshine. I've got a super soft spot in my heart for male and female vocals in the same song, even if it is simply background support from one for the other.Enjoy!

Down In The Valley - The Head and the Heart
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The Head and the Heart

Ebon Coast

The second time listening to this track I figured I'd count the guitars, were there 2 or were there 3? The track is beautiful as it is amazing.  The song is simple and serene to start, then it becomes a tad frantic, and then smoothed out eventually for the soft finish. I can listen to talented string plucking like this for days on end. Enjoy!

Ebon Coast - Andy McKee
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Andy McKee

Roscoe

The long intro to this track is soothing and completely beautiful, my mind loves hearing the bass strings being plucked. You're not even sure that this song has vocals, until they hit you more than two minutes into the track. The lyrics don't make sense to me, but I love the words used and how they sound together. This song transports me to a lonely night drive with no other cars on the road. Enjoy!

Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation) - Midlake
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Midlake | Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve

Tongue Tied

"Take me to your best friend's house" - I wasn't quite sure what to make of this line, but the more I heard it the more I loved it. I envision this track being the last song played during the pre-party, and then again at the pinnacle of the night a few hours later.  When the female vocals come in mid track 1, 2, 3, 4... I melt. Enjoy!

Tongue Tied (Gigamesh Remix) - Grouplove
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Grouplove | Gigamesh

My World Is Empty Without You

I really appreciate a remixer who has an ear for amazing samples. The original of this song barely resembles the remix, but that one beautiful vocal hook ties it all back.  The bongos, jammin' electric guitar, soft sexy synths, and fantastic sample make this track a for sure groove maker. It's just as sexy as it is dancy. Enjoy!

My World Is Empty Without You (Drop Out Orchestra Remix) - Diana Ross & The Supremes
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Diana Ross & The Supremes | Drop Out Orchestra

Select Sundays: Dead Hearts

This band should be no secret to those in the know, as they have had songs featured in a variety of TV shows such as The O.C., Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, and Skins. Oh you don't watch these?  Well you're so missing out.  This track is from the Like Crazy trailer, and if you've seen the movie, you may feel like crying.  On a Sunday.  As it should be.

Dead Hearts - Stars
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Stars

Knight Moves

Oh that sweet sweet piano.  The timeless sound of a piano makes me want to shake the hand of whoever invented pianos, and tell them "Hi, job well done!"

The piano progressively rolling over and over glides into beautiful angelic vocals, and eventually strings and a few other percussive instruments make there way onto the scene.  The whole is a complete work of art, suitable for a club dance floor or a cocktail attire dinner party. Enjoy!

Knight Moves - Chilly Gonzales
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Chilly Gonzales

We

The first 0:30 seconds of this song in and I thought to myself, this is a smasher.  You know, one of those songs that you hear mid set, that follows 2-3 tracks that you don't even remember, and just re-ignites the floor.  The glimmer, the sparkles, the lasers, and of course her fluttering voice. This is why I love house music. Enjoy!

We - Felix Da Housecat
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Felix Da Housecat

I Am The Lion King

How can I pass up a song with a title like this?! Impossible. This song begs for a slow motion storyline music video. This song has a swagger that you just don't see (hear) often these days. I especially dig the guitar solo towards the end that starts the grand finale build up. Enjoy!

I Am The Lion King - PAPA
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PAPA