No Love

"It's a beautiful design" is something I've said many times, but I've got a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Hearing that line in a song set me back a bit, are we able to use something like that in a song? Hell ya, cause it sounds great in this song. This song has some anthem qualities, many voices, big sounds, and plenty of singability. The bright and cheery vibe make this a great song for sunny summer weather, which we are having right now in SF. Enjoy!

No Love - Hooray For Earth (right click to save as)
Hooray For Earth

Mr McGee

There's an undeniably high amount of soul and spunk on this track. The clapping and the swing beat really make it easy to dance your soul out with this song. The sample, which starts the song off, and continues through the song is a fantastic pillar of the song too. Enjoy!

Mr McGee - Zero 7 (right click to save as)
Zero 7

Alesund

The opening lines of this song are magical.

"No this is not my guitar,
I'm bringing it to a friend.
No I don't sing,
I'm only humming along."

The delicate vocals, and soft guitar create a heavy hearted introspective. The track is beautifully crafted, and the lyrics are lovely. Enjoy!

Alesund - Sun Kil Moon (right click to save as)
Sun Kil Moon

Belief

I went through a phase in the late 90's where all I listened to was Drum and Bass or Jungle. Years prior I was exclusively Hip Hop (which we called Rap back then). Hearing a Drum and Bass song with lyrics over it was a beautiful blend of my two favorites, and still is. This track topic is soccer aka futbol, gotta love those folks across the pond, with a bit of a Biggie sample to top it all off. Enjoy!

Belief (Dave Owen Remix) - Dorsh (right click to save as)
Dorsh | Dave Owen

The Finishing

The moment I heard this song I dropped what I was doing and gave 8 solid uninterrupted minutes of my complete attention to the speakers. The track starts out with a delicate guitar strumming over ocean like piano. I assumed that this was where the track was heading, slowly and beautifully layer this coastal scene to a complete picture. I was wrong. After 2 minutes of guitar solo over piano, the electronic instruments sneak into the background, and then the saxophone stands right up. Holy smokes, this is where my jaw dropped. From the tone of the sax, we're clearly hearing a live instrument. The solo is indescribable, you just gotta listen for the remaining 6 minutes to hear the full story this instrument tells. Enjoy!

The Finishing - Stavroz (right click to save as)
Stavroz

The Wire

Haim is making tidal waves! Jon blogged about them this past Select Sundays, and I can't hold off sharing this amazing track from the trio. When I think of the wire, I now think of Haim and not cops in Baltimore. I love the lyrics, the chorus, and the tidbits of electric guitar with 90's attitude. The major breakdown happens at 2 and a half minutes, just after the bridge. I'm amazed with the 90's sitcom theme song additions, like the strings, snaps, background vocals, and electric guitar. It sounds like a pile of cheese as I write this, but trust me minds will be blown. Enjoy!

The Wire - Haim (right click to save as)
Haim

The Wrap Around

Photo Credit

This track is huge!!! The round boomy bass drum opening is spot on. Then that dance floor friendly sample adds just enough soul and emotion. And how about that mind blowing bassline that cuts the song in half? Huge I tell you. I'd love to hear this track shake a main room. Enjoy!

The Wrap Around - Detroit Swindle (right click to save as)
Detroit Swindle

Talk Me Down

That saying, sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me. Willy knows it's bullshit. "When you talk me down, I go down, I go down, I go down." There are certain people in our lives that can bring you down or make you jump, and this song delivers that message with Willy Mason's amazing voice. Did I mention that I love Willy Mason's badass voice. Enjoy!

Talk Me Down - Willy Mason (right click to save as)
Willy Mason

Feelin' Purple

I love how this track rolls right up to you. The power of Prince is channeled right down the center.  I'm not sure anyone can pull off writing lyrics with the word "discombobulated" in such a smooth manner, and seeing that Navid wrap his beautiful sounds around such a great sample makes me smile. Enjoy!

Feelin' Purple (Soul Clap Remix) - Navid Izadi (right click to save as)
Navid Izadi | Soul Clap

Adrift

This is how beginnings of weeks should be. Easy on the start, gradual, and beautiful. Okay, realistically this is how people in their 40's spend their week of vacation and not how every normal Joe's work week really goes. The violin on this track is the show stealer, It's right up front and you can hear the realness of the strings against the bow on each stroke. Enjoy!

Adrift - The Album Leaf (right click to save as)
The Album Leaf

Select Sundays: Don't Save Me

Influenced by Fleetwood Mac, signed by Jay-Z's management group, and comprised of three sisters from Los Angeles, Haim has an album coming out in the fall that I'm extremely excited about. AMR covered them last year. Their sound is described as "nu-folk meets nineties RnB" and if that's not enough to pique your interest then I don't know what will. "Don't Save Me" sounds like the perfect song to blast while driving through K-Town late at night, as neon signs go flashing by.

Don't Save Me - Haim (right click to save as)
Haim

Silver Screen

I'm feeling nostalgic hearing this song, even though it isn't one I've been listening to for years. I'm not usually a fan of someone else's nostalgia, but in this case I'm able to project the memories of these lyrics to my own. The remix brings a summer upbeat life to the track, with a slower BPM and fun background vocals. Enjoy!

Silver Screen (Dreamtrak Diamond Sound) - Beat Connection (right click to save as)
Beat Connection | Dreamtrak Diamond Sound

Keep On Running

Andy's melody melts in your mouth and not in your hand, because it's that delicious. The jolted, choppy, and beautiful chorus is light and playful but maintains a semi-serious tone. He's running, and trying hard, he even says it isn't funny cause it's work to keep persevering. Enjoy!

Keep On Running - Andy Bull (right click to save as)
Andy Bull

Leave The Boy

The monotone vocals on this track are amazing. There is so little emotion in her delivery, there's no mistake that her mind is made up, this is a done deal and she's telling not asking.  The arrangement matches the tone perfectly with a bit slower BPM and a nice long duration. You can set your body on cruise control and dance along to each lyric. Enjoy!

Leave The Boy (Jack Fell Down Remix) - Eerie Eerie (right click to save as)
Eerie Eerie | Jack Fell Down

St. Ides Heaven

Elliott Smith is one of my favorite song writers, I admire how he uses words to paint pictures of emotions. His delivery is amazing, there's tension but he's poised. Now with Goldroom adding his personality to the mix the song is given new life, like a new outfit. Also, I can't help but associate Elliott Smith with the movie Good Will Hunting but I'm sure everyone has strong associations of musicians and movies. Enjoy!

St. Ides Heaven (Elliott Smith Cover) - Goldroom (right click to save as)
Elliott Smith | Goldroom

Stay With Us

This breathy, ambient, low-key, song gently takes me on a tour of sentiment. The electric guitar reminds me of something distilled from a mid-career Daft Punk record. I quickly get lost in thoughts as this song massages my eardrums. The up/down swing of this track makes it perfect to stroll to. Enjoy!

Stay With Us - • Seoul • (right click to save as)
• Seoul •

Love Comes Tumbling Down

The sound of a true acoustic guitar over the drum machine at the beginning grabs my attention. There's something about the sound of fingers rubbing against metal guitar strings in between chords that I have grown to love. Then the classical guitar with nylon strings makes an appearance and my head explodes. This track reminds me of some of my favorite Coldplay remixes, of which some are rather epic. Enjoy!

Love Comes Tumbling Down (De Hofnar Bootleg) - Matt Nathanson (right click to save as)
Matt Nathanson | De Hofnar

Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat

This track teleports me back to my younger days, when back to back all night parties were the norm.  This guy's talk about his 3 day bender is amazing, there's so many good lines that I'm not sure where to start with which are my favorites. "penis out", "oh no, they were cops", "I don't remember fuckin' anything man". If the phrase "Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat" isn't stuck in your head after this track then nothing will ever be stuck in your head. Enjoy!

Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat - Fatboy Slim & Riva Starr (right click to save as)
Fatboy Slim | Riva Starr

Tighten Up

This track speaks for itself. It may require a bit of patience to get to the meat of the song, but the juice is worth the squeeze.  The attitude of the song is spot on. The momentum of the track builds ever so slightly, and brings a subtle yet powerful climax before the amazing breakdown. Enjoy!

Tighten Up - The Rhythm Odyssey (right click to save as)
Chicken Lips Presents The Rhythm Odyssey

Falling Out of Love (With You)

The lower register voice on this song creates the illusion of a lack of emotion, until you hear the title line "falling out of love with you".  Maybe there really is a lack of emotion, since the song is about a lost love, or a loss of love. I can't place the exact year that I feel this song captures, but it's somewhere between 1987-1996 in my mind. Enjoy!

Falling Out of Love (With You) - The 6ths (right click to save as)
The 6ths

When A Fire Starts To Burn

photo credit

"When a fire starts to burn, RIGHT, and it starts to spread..."
I just love hearing that sample say "RIGHT?!" in the middle of his rant. The track has an infectious attitude. I'm not about to take crap from anything or anyone when this song is pumping through my veins. I hope you get as pumped as I do from this great track. Enjoy!

When A Fire Starts To Burn - Disclosure (right click to save as)
Disclosure

Select Sundays: Horse

Who knew that the best soul is coming out of Denmark right now? I mean, besides possibly everybody else but me. Quadron appeared in 2009 without me knowing it but now that I'm caught up, I've had their second album, Avalanche, on repeat. This track is from their debut, but it's my favorite of theirs. Classic new soul sound, delicious! Also, check out their cover of Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor."

Horse- Quadron (right click to save as)
Quadron

This Boy

How cute is this song!? I love the xylophone, the innocent melody, even the hand clapping is right on point.  I walk around the streets of San Francisco listening to this song, and it makes me feel ambitious in an indie rock sorta way, and I'm ready to tackle the city! It's nice to have a positive and upbeat sounding song, even though the lyrics may speak a bit differently. Enjoy!

This Boy Feat. Lonely, Dear - I'm From Barcelona (right click to save as)
I'm From Barcelona | Lonely, Dear

Night Swim

The audio landscape painted by this song is exactly the feeling I feel when the idea of a night swim comes to mind. I love the drums at the beginning, banging from different angles, surrounding me as more and more sounds wrap me like a blanket. Enjoy!

Night Swim (Fractures Remix) - Owl Eyes (right click to save as)
Owl Eyes | Fractures