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May 2016 >> I see you, Kevin Bacon.

Hi you, seeking new music! I’m kicking off a monthly playlist for you to hopefully find your favorite new jams! They may be new releases, things I’ve discovered recently, or old favorites I just want to share. Throw this baby on shuffle and enjoy.

Highlights include:

New Andrew Bird! Including a special appearance by Fiona Apple

Kesha's first recording since 2013

"I see you, Kevin Bacon"

Til June ~        LG

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Kimbra - Goldmine

The video for Goldmine, one of the stand-out tracks off Kimbra’s recent sophomore album The Golden Echo is here and it’s as entrancing as the song.

The stop-motion format of the video makes for a mesmerizing viewing experience. The jolted animation makes you acutely aware not only of the detail of the crumpled gold foil spilling throughout the scenery, but also of the delightful easter eggs in the production. Kimbra’s cool and throwaway “hey” at 2:57 may be easily ignored while playing through your car speakers, but the visuals of the video enhance these shining details that make Kimbra’s music so juicy.

Kimbra continues to prove that she is eagerly adverse to the status quo with this artistically-charged and visionary clip.

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Ben Folds has a history of unexpected covers, the most famous of course being Dr. Dre’s Bitches Ain’t Shit. But more recently he’s tackled Ke$ha, and even lesser known, The Darkness. Only Folds could pull off a cover of a spitting, rocking guitar extravaganza by a wannabe 70s glam rock rock band with only his piano, bass and drums. While nobody can match Justin Hawkins' dramatic falsetto soaring to the stratosphere, Folds gives the song his own flavor with his angrier high-pitched squeals that don't mimic, but rather pay tribute to, the histrionics of The Darkness. Let’s never forget this happened.

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Day 42 // George FitzGerald

There's music that tells a story, music that makes you dance, music that sends a message, and music that creates an atmosphere. George FitzGerald’s Fading Love is a vibe, a mood, a place in time. The DJ’s full-length debut lives in the BPM realm of club beats, yet is best enjoyed in solitary moments outside the club.

Listening to “Knife To The Heart” belongs while driving down a desolate highway in the very late or very early hours, when light is scarce and thoughts are buzzing, turning over all those parts of your mind you don't allow yourself to visit often. It's a melancholy trip to lost romances, foreign places you may never see again, radical feelings often suppressed and forgotten.

The album continues to evolve down this path of electrically-charged reflection. The dreamy repetitive synth lines seem to stop time and lure you into a trance. Its dance beats are subdued yet yearning, like pacing in thick wool socks across an aged and sighing hardwood floor, footsteps plodding insistently while scarcely making enough sound to cause anyone to stir.

"Your Two Faces" is spacey and ethereal with a pulsing heartbeat orbited by waves of jagged melodies. It fades in and out of a lonely drift, always returning back to its cruising pace into the unknown. The vocals are simply another color on the palette, barely above a whisper, adding a touch of human presence to the otherwise celestial emptiness being painted.

While a feeling of anticipation characterizes the mood of most of the tracks, it doesn't become cumbersome, but rather carries you on an enchanting ride. Also acutely aware of its limits, the album clocks in at a cool 38 minutes, enough to bring you in yet leave you wanting more. Less sample-heavy than his previous work, FitzGerald has created an enticing collection of organic originals that showcase his endearingly dark sound.

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Day 35 // Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes take you back to a different time in music history. A time when the worth of an artist wasn’t measured by the number of plays racked up on an endlessly expansive pay-by-play music-streaming warehouse. It isn’t polished, perfected by pitch correction, or pushed down the throats of the masses through a pretty package. It’s that group of friends jamming at the house down the street with a dash of magic called Brittany Howard.

Brittany doesn’t have a Berklee-trained back-up band, but that’s part of the allure. It’s like your favorite punk garage band started listening to blues and soul, found the girl on the block who could wail, and sparks flew. It’s rough around the edges, with lackadaisical guitar scales that hang off the beat just enough to induce that head-wavering groove that makes good blues rock great. While it seems indulgent to make comparisons to Janis Joplin, and while Brittany herself may buck the suggestion, it’s hard to know how else to quantify the heart and power of her vocal, especially on hard-hitting tracks like “Miss You.” Her soft, sultry croon and endearing cracks soothe and draw you close through the verse, only to knock you back at the advent of the chorus. The unleashing of raw power straight from her gut produces a growling belt that hits a primal spot between your ears. The intimacy that infiltrates the full range of her delivery is unprecedented in today’s canon. Listening to Sound and Color is being a single-member audience to the growth of a chemistry-rich group of musicians only starting to discover the power they hold.

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Day 21 // Tom Jones

“Do you have a song that you play over and over again in your head in this moment?”

And Bruce Jenner, after tears have been shed for over an hour, begins to sing Tom Jones’ “She’s A Lady” and snap his fingers.

This was one of Diane Sawyer’s best questions. We all have music that helps us through trying times, that sheds light and positivity onto dark moments that seem inescapable. Music is that escape, it reminds us that nothing is permanent, and there are better times ahead.

I’m in awe of Bruce Jenner’s courage and optimism. Finally, after 60 years, a burden can be lifted and life can start again. Telling the truth is empowering, and Bruce’s willingness to share his story will improve the future for so many struggling today.

This one goes out to you, Bruce. Keep that sense of humor, bravery, and keep on singing - you’re going to be ok.

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Day 15 // MGMT

The first 5 tracks on Oracular Spectacular are a near-flawless run of party anthems, and certain to induce a flood of nostalgia from carefree times. Each song is catchier than the last, leading to a bombastic mid-album finale with “Kids.” The second half of the album takes on a stranger, more subdued groove. The acoustic guitar is strummed casually as the songs take on a stronger 70s psychedelic character. “Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters” shows off a more experimental side of the duo, ending with a long instrumental chock full of strange effects panned furiously and building to a fizzling-out conclusion. Honestly, it’s extremely rare that I make it to the end for “Future Reflections.” But who needs a consistent album when you have such a powerhouse of pop classics all stacked in one deck?

It’s hard to believe I’m revisiting the album over 7 years after its release - it feels like yesterday I heard “Kids” blasting from every store I entered. I was studying abroad in London at the time, and it felt like MGMT had infiltrated everything. The sharp, high croon of Andrew VanWyngarden and the bright, arpeggiated synthesizers seemed inescapable just walking down the streets. Granted, Oracular Spectacular reached a more wide-spread popularity in the UK, with the album reaching #8 and going Platinum (the album made it to #38 in the US and went Gold). The infectious melodies give the nostalgic feel of college parties, carefree days, and maybe even a naive optimism.

I never delved much into the MGMT discography following this first studio album, mostly because I was afraid of ruining a good thing. It felt those first handful of crazy-catchy masterpieces were a product of rookie magic that couldn’t be recreated. This doesn’t, however, diminish my appreciation of Oracular Spectacular, and it remains a go-to mood boost and escape from the daily drone. Opening track “Time to Pretend” is a modern classic in my mind: a tounge-in-cheek, playful yet decadent, and surprisingly dark introduction to a daring album debut.

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Day 12 // Janelle Monae, Yoga

I’m feeling very conflicted over the video release for Janelle Monae’s new single, Yoga. As a yogi myself, I have strong opinions about yoga selfie culture and the capitalization and sexualization of the yoga industry. To be honest, I think if a more commercial female artist had released this track, I would be fully up in arms. However, as a congregant belonging to the Church of Janelle Monae, I’m left scrambling to take a stance.

This is certainly the most sexual I’ve seen Janelle throughout her career. The video opens on her gyrating in front of a mirror in a crop top and skintight ripped jeans  - a world away from being suited up and strutting her classic James Brown-inspired fancy footwork in Tightrope. As a feminist, I’m not going to shame Janelle for embracing her overtly-sexual side. This is clearly sexual empowerment, not objectification. In fact, the stand-out lyric from the track is easily “You cannot police me, so get off my areola” (100% agree girl, #freethenipple). However, I naturally begin to cringe when I see a shot of a dozen women in sports bras and hot pink pants, shaking it on yoga mats. The dancers go from classic yoga poses like tree and dancer into a hyped-up choreography complete with booty-shaking close-ups. The scene doesn’t go full-on club video, and it appears a deliberate choice that there’s no men to be seen in this yoga dance fest. In fact, a male doesn’t appear at all in the video until Jidenna’s guest verse, where the lyrics turn a shade of degradation with lines like “So when she downward dog I jump up on her.” Sigh.

I’m torn because the song is undeniably catchy. How often have I forgiven terribly sexist lyrics in my favorite rap music because I dug the beat? On top of that, Janelle has a history of being a stand-out role model for young women. A great story is going around about a tweeter encouraging Janelle to embrace her sexier side, to which she smartly retorts, “I’m not for male consumption.” What strong woman doesn’t read that and say YEAH! So do I ignore a little cultural appropriation and sexualization of a spiritual practice on account of past good behavior?

It’s personal for me because I don’t fit the thinspiration, Instagram-ready image of yoga in the US. I can’t put my leg behind my head and I’m not under a size 4. I’m very passionate about the concept that yoga is not about weight loss, cute pants, or impressive photo ops. Yoga changed my life by helping me take charge of my overall well-being. It improved my habits and made me think more consciously about my health. It played a major role in decreasing my stress levels, and gave me a community of support. It got me in touch with the positive voices inside my head, and quieted the negative ones. Yoga isn’t meant to be a display of sexuality. So to me, a video like this is a clashing of worlds, and a disservice to true yoga culture.

And yet...here is this artist I truly respect and admire doing it. So, do I defend Janelle, lighten up and accept that yoga can be sexy? Or do I defend a tradition I care deeply about? All I can say is that it’s a slippery slope, and I hope Janelle stays true to herself as her career continues to explode. Use your powers for good, girl, whether you’re rocking that suit or a crop top. The world needs powerful female voices like yours.

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Day 6 // Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright seems to be captivated by his own creations as he performs. He weaves his head back and forth to the sound of his own hands commanding the piano keys, suddenly contorting his face at the beautiful strike of a chord or gliss of notes. The boozy sound of his lush arrangements pairs perfectly with the rich vibrato of his voice that gracefully hops and slides along his elegantly simple melodies.

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Walk the Moon Being an adult is hard and I think about this way more than I should. Regardless, blasting Walk the Moon today because it's mindlessly perfect for a sunny day like today. #the100dayproject #100soundbites #walkthemoon

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Day 3 and I'm switching gears to do some research on this slayer of the uke, drums, and punch-you-in-the-face vocals. If you're a fan of Merrill and @tuneyards please share why! #the100dayproject #100soundbites #tuneyards #tywomen

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Day 2 // Kimbra

If it’s gloomy where you are today (like me), here’s a little pick-me-up funk-fest from Kimbra - my subject these first few days of #the100dayproject. I’m writing about the mixed reception of her second album, and what it must be like to be the only female in a studio full of dudes, all while pushing your creative process to the limits and trying to bring your otherworldly artistic vision to life.

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Day 1 of #the100dayproject. I'm writing about this goddess, and here's a little bit why. Also, bear with me as I stretch my photoshop muscles through the process of this project #kimbra #100soundbites

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My take on #the100dayproject

Music has always been a way of life to me. Listening to my favorite albums is cheap therapy. My tour posters are my most prized possessions. Seeing an intimate performance feeds my soul. Going to a festival is like a spiritual retreat where I spend seemingly endless days escaping reality with my fellow zealots. I believe in the power of music to augment our often mundane lives, provide a sense of purpose, communicate that which can’t be said, and express a beauty thats pureness cannot be matched in the physical world.

I’ve always wanted to write about music. I’m no audiophile, and certainly not a musicologist. I don’t want to write reviews or in-depth studies, but rather appreciation pieces. Maybe it’s highlighting my favorite moment in a particular song, or how a certain album reminds me of distant memories. So for 100 days, I’m going to listen to music, and I’m going to write about it. Maybe not pages, but a little bit each day will go a long way. And I’m hoping you’ll help me.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of music appreciation is the act of sharing your newest obsession with friends.  Someone will introduce me to something new they’re into, I check it out, and in turn I pass it along to someone else. I like to think of it as musical currency that’s constantly exchanged. Over time, I’ve realized the music I have the deepest connection to is often music I discovered because someone else was passionate about it, and shared that excitement with me. That exchange of tastes through your network is an experience that marketers chase, but at its core, it's a truly organic phenomenon. Collectively getting excited about good music is one of the things that makes me tick, and I hope you’ll participate with me over these 100 days by recommending your favorite artists, albums, and songs for me to listen to. You can post them here, through my Instagram, or my Facebook.

I’m looking forward to this project as an opportunity for me to share my reflections, opinions, praises, and most importantly, exchange that musical currency - I’ll share with you what I’m loving, and I’m hoping you’ll participate by sharing what could be my next obsession.

The 100 days starts Monday, April 6. You can play too by doing something for 100 days! Start your own 100 day project by visiting #the100dayproject HQ here.