hipster

Earworm: “Flaws” by Bastille

You all know my weak heart for indie rock.

And we all know how much I love the UK. And having recently rediscovered Bastille through YouTube of all places, I figured I’d share this with you all.

I’ve had Bastille’s debut album Bad Blood sitting in my music folder for the longest time, my friends had recommended them to me and I downloaded their album without even thinking about if I would like their music or not. This is one of the greatest leaps of faith ever, because lo and behold, I love their music. They’re a high quality four man group, and Dan Smith’s vocals definitely throw it over the edge.

And his hair? DAMN HIS HAIR IS AWESOME. (This lil bit about hair is a little joke at The Big Cheese and my other cousins who mock me and my “One Direction” hair. By the way, my gravitar is inaccurate to my face, now. I should change that.)

Anyway.

Bastille is great, listen to the entire album Bad Blood. Look up their acoustic sessions on YouTube. Find their Abbey Road sessions, too. It’s incredible. The violins and the vocals it’s just heavenly.

Regular:

Acoustic Live in Paris:

Abbey Road:

Join Spotify!

I know, I know. Pandora has been your go to. Or maybe you just pirate your music. Possibly you just use YouTube for all of it.

Well now is the time to stop that. Ever wonder how I come up with such obscure songs for my Earworms? Well you shouldn’t, because I try my best to inform you lot of how I came across the songs. Regardless, the predominant culprit is Spotify. (more…)

Earworm: “Ocean’s Deep” by Born Ruffians

Judge my indie music taste. I dare you.

[Disclaimer: hipster music has gotten to me.]

Born Ruffians is a band incredibly popular on SoundCloud, and I realize why. Their sound is infectious. “Exuberant pop,” I heard, was one of their taglines on SoundCloud. And it reigns true to its word, this description.

Lead singer Luke Lalonde has one of those whiny voices girls swoon over, but I’m glad zero of my friends know of this band, for they’d ruin it for me.

My largest fear for indie bands (and yes, this is so ‘hipster’ for me to say) is to see them become a radio/production company puppet. One where their music no longer comes from the heart but from trying to make pop hits. Acts lose their integrity from fame, it’s the sad truth. Sure, some bands handle it properly, such as Fall Out Boy and Paramore and Panic! at the Disco (all coincidentally signed to Fueled by Ramen records). But many bands just go to shit.

Born Ruffians is unheard of, and they’re unspeakably good.

Have a listen to this acoustic jam.

And here’s the regular edition.

Let me know which one you prefer!

Earworm: “Horchata” by Vampire Weekend

What in the blazing balls is a Horchata?

horchata

Okay, so that’s a horchata. Why did Vampire Weekend use a Mexican concoction as a song?

I’m honestly too lazy to delve deeper, though. I like the song, it’s soothing, it’s fun to say “horchata.”

There’s no music video, but the live version is available. Oh, and this just makes their fanbase look like 16 year old hipster girls.

Top 30 Favorite Songs of All Time: #8 “Young Blood” by The Naked and Famous

Arguably this New Zealand indie electronic ensemble’s best known song, it lands at #8 on my list which is, as a reminder for you all, in no particular order besides me just telling you how it is.

This was the first song I listened to when I downloaded the Spotify app months ago. This song turned me onto testing my musical tastes, yknow?

The beat is mellow and it really relaxes me. Call me a hipster, I dare you.

Top 30 Favorite Songs of All Time: #10 “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” by Cake

Damn, being young and too good to know that pop songs were about sex, sex, and more sex… I miss those days.

But now, listening to this song, I can just feel the all too obvious sexual tension from this 2001 hit off of Cake’s album, Comfort Eagle.

That doesn’t change how I feel about the song, though. I love it. I think it’s hilarious and extremely catchy.

Go back 12 years and have a listen, why don’t you? Watching the video will just show us how much our society has grown. Seriously.

Top 30 Favorite Songs of All Time: #13 “Northern Downpour” by Panic! At the Disco

Off their acclaimed album Pretty. Odd., Panic!’s Northern Downpour is probably my favorite song from them. This is pre-break up Panic! at it’s mellowest, and I love it.

Acoustic songs have a nice warm spot next to my aorta, you see.

I often talk about how music that confuses me or makes me think or sends a good message out are more likely to appeal to me, and this song definitely is one of the songs that confuses me. I get it, that the song shows that material objects matter the least, but the entirety of Pretty. Odd. is highly abstract, living up to the name.

“I missed your skin when you were east…” What does this mean, Brendan Urie!?

This Pretty. Odd. album was highly influenced by the Beatles, just watch this music video to see why. There’ll be another song off this album in this list to further prove my point.

Top 30 Favorite Songs of All Time: #14 “We All Try” by Frank Ocean

Another one of my favorite artists, as you may know, is Frank Ocean.

Also, as you may know, I love songs with meaning. Songs that make you question your values and the wiring of your brain.

This fantastic acoustic is off Frank’s free EP, nostalgia,ULTRA. I really do recommend this album if you need a change of pace from your typical music.

As usual, have a listen. This is a music video, however I don’t think it is official. Maybe another fan made. But it’s well done.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/36423502″>Frank Ocean – We All Try</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/high5collective”>High5Collective</a&gt; on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>