I had a really focused week last week. It was productive and creatively fulfilling. I’m actually developing a rhythm, FINALLY, and I have the google calendar app to thank for most of it. Marking down my tasks and color coding them, it’s like the productivity angels swooped down and gave me a gift from the heavens. Anyways, these are the songs that drew my attention away from my laser focus and made me go – oh add that one!
‘Can’t Keep Checking My Phone’ – Unknown Mortal Orchestra / ‘Nocturne’ – Wild Nothing/ ‘Boys Latin’ – Panda Bear / ‘FFunny FFriends’ – Unknown Mortal Orchestra / ‘Coulda Been My Love’ – Foxygen/ ‘Red Eyes’ – The War on Drugs/ ‘ I’m Writing a Novel’ – Father John Misty
I have a whole list of incomplete “themed” playlist that just feel really contrived. So instead I’m just going to post mixtapes that were made the week prior, sort of like a “hey this is what peaked my interest last week”. It might make sense, they might be all over the place. Like when you had one cassette that housed all your favorite songs from the radio. Yes, I am a part the last generation to remember recording music on a cassette from the radio. Quick hit record, be quite, pray Mom doesn’t come inside your room to ask a question.
‘Back to the Middle’ – Deerhunter / ‘Modern Art’ – Black Lips / ‘Virgina Plain’ – Roxy Music / ‘Ca Plane Pour Moi’ – Plastic Bertrand / ‘Pedestrian at Best’ – Courtney Barnett / ‘Party Police” – Alvvays / ‘Uncast Shadow of a Southern Myth – Parquet Courts/ ‘She’s Not Me’ – Jenny Lewis / ‘California Nights’ – Best Coast/ ‘Dreaming’ – Seapony
It rained and poured last night, but the sun is shining bright this morning! I decided to start a Mixtape Monday series last Friday as the gloomy clouds were filling the sky. Influenced by the weather and my recent education in finding out what an Anglophile is, I created my English hit list. Personally, I’m a Francophile, but I went where the music was taking me.
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out – The Smiths // I Wanna Be Adored – The Stones Roses // Rip It Up – Orange Juice // Peek-A-Boo – Siouxsie and The Banshees // Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow – Felt // Let’s Make Some Plans – Close Lobster // Age of Consent – New Order // The Killing Moon – Echo And The Bunnymen
June flew by! I celebrated my 2 year anniversary with my dream boat boyfriend. He made me a gourmet steak dinner and bought 15 year old Macallen Scotch. (oh yeah its true love)
Also in June I celebrated the birthday of my teenage best friend. A friendship that began in an acting class and has lasted over 10 years is quite the accomplishment. Then my sister brought into the world niece number 2, a sweet as pie little darling baby. I took on a new freelance client. And have you ever had a fresh strawberry donut? I never had till this past month! So yeah, June was not boring or slow by any means. How is it already the 8th of July? I have some playlist catch up to do.
Well here were the musical highlights of June!
My favorite stay cool, blue toned, lounge music with slow motion smiling faces of beautiful people is New Navy. The band is from Sydney, Australia and their disheveled hair with well styled blazers makes momentary elevator tunes sound modern and summer time champagne toast ready.
Are you like me and miss a good band that plays a mean guitar and bangs it out on their drums. Tired of another indie rock pop group that sounds like a FUN or FOSTER THE PEOPLE remix. Oh and doesn’t sound surf wave, or stoner, or like they are stuck in their garage. It’s a tall order but I think I found the band for you… New Madrid! Based in Georgia, I’ve been discovering lately that the state houses a lot of great non-country sounding bands.
Oh Rico Gagliano from Dinner Party Download gave me a brunch suggestion…
I ended the month with the song Texas and Tennessee from my hands down favorite band, Lucero. They never stops touring or playing, and I would LOVE to catch them play in Memphis, Nashville, Louisville… you get the idea. I’ve seen Lucero more than I can count on one hand. But never in their own habitat, which I imagine is just anywhere in the south. On June 30, I got some news that I could have taken badly and thrown my plans into a tail spin. Instead I’m embracing the change, as I will see Texas and Tennessee!
So I’m basically really proud of my May Playlist. It has great songs, varying moods, lots of new to me bands. During each month I post a #SOTD (song of the day) on Twitter. Collecting the videos in a playlist on YouTube. I’ve been recapping these playlist and my interaction with the bands on twitter on *MYFAVORITEMAOI.com. Interactions being “favorites” and “retweets” because really now, these things make me quite excited. I have yet to actually post a song every single day in a month, because I don’t just want to post any old song. It has to jump out to me in some way, and hit a nerve. It’s a reflection my month, an audio diary.
April was not a stellar month for me, and the lack of songs is a clear reflection of that. May on the other hand flowed. Not to say it was free from stress, my family experienced a loss and work had its moments. But collectively the general energy of the month was good, like a solid playlist.
Kicking off the month with a 7 minute long song by Courtney Barnett,”Porcelain”. I was passively listening to music when her song came on, it totally grabbed and held my attention. Amazed that a song this long continued to be interesting and complex throughout its entirety, that’s exactly the sentiment I tweeted. And she tweeted back!
Sometimes the songs I select are discovered on Birp.fm. A site which creates a long playlist at the beginning of the month. The bands on their playlist vary from popular indie artist, to just kids making music in their dorm room. Like Car Seat Headrest a guy I interviewed after hearing his work on Birp last year. Because not everyone is well known, having the song available on YouTube to share isn’t always an option. So I find an alternative song, by the same musician which is available. Unfortunately (for me) in the case of Y.O.U the song I wanted was only available on SoundCloud.
This actually inspired me to open a SoundCloud account. You’d think a music lover like me would’ve been all about it, but I tend to check outs band through their BandCamp links before SoundCloud. Anyways I love that after a bands songs are all played out, SoundCloud starts its own “sounds like” radio. That’s how I discovered Little Racer, it started after listening to another #sotd band Alvvays. The song Vanessa is structurally similar to “Wanna Be Adored” by the Stone Roses, calling them out on it, I loved that they retweeted the observation.
Full playlist after Frankie Rose tweet – Love it? I love it!
What was your favorite song this month?
Follow me on Twitter and get #SOTD somewhat, sometimes, daily.
Blanket Fort Adventures 