As far back as high school, I was the kid you'd go to if you wanted new music on your iPod.
A friend of mine suggested I have a place to post some tracks every once in a while, and I thought that would make a great integration into a personal blog I've been meaning to build.
Here's the first post!
About the tracks:
- Somos is an alternative band I discovered after moving to New England. I think I actually found them in either a Spotify suggestion or a Google Play Music playlist, but they're from the Boston area, and I love their sound. I can't wait to see them live!
- Better Off just put out a new record in September, and I've been listening pretty heavily. It's got that edgy pop-punk feel of the '00s that I loved listening to in middle school, with dark lyrics and a poppy presentation.
- Lydia is one of my favorite bands, and their new record, Run Wild, is excellent. The Sounds In Your Dream is my favorite track on the record at the time of writing, and you really just need to listen to it.
- I listen to Baths now and then when the mood hits. "Aminals" is easily a most-loved track, but Ocean Death is more recent with a darker sound. Give it a try!
- Stray From The Path is a heavier band I've been listening to for a while. I remember jamming out to "Negative and Violent" from their first record as far back as high school! Their latest record is very political and deals with issues like police brutality and public surveillance. Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari (one of my favorite bands, and probably my favorite band to see live) does guest vocals for Eavesdropper.
- After an intense track like Eavesdropper, Kanta's Theme will bring the mood back down with some ambient sounds and piano melodies. As you may know, Chris Walla recently left Death Cab For Cutie, and his solo record of instrumental tracks was just released. The album is appropriately named "Tape Loops" because it was recorded on magnetic tape reels and edited with razors on a cutting block.
- Transit's "Joyride" came out last year, and it was a pleasant surprise. This is another great autumn pop punk track that pairs well with the first two tracks of this playlist.
- I listen to Dance Gavin Dance every once in a while, and their latest record was on repeat for me a bit last week. It's a fun album!
- Coheed and Cambria is another band I've been listening to since Jr. High or so. The Color Before The Sun just came out, and it's fantastic. Here To Mars is a fantastic little prog-rock love song, and it sounds great.
- I discovered Australia's Dustin Tebbutt a few months ago, and I've been following his work pretty closely ever since. It's quiet and tranquil, and sounds influenced by Bon Iver. Also, he recorded his video for Bones in Sweden, and it's beautiful.
- This track ended up on my Spotify Discover playlist, and I can't stop listening.
- "The scariest thing is not dying before you reach your dreams / but reaching them and still feeling dead."
- Another Tebbutt song, because I couldn't resist.
- I was getting lunch with Amanda at the Green Elephant here in Portland and heard Radical Face faintly through the kitchen doors, so it put them back on my radar this month.
- I love Beirut, and their latest album is fantastic. This is my favorite track off that so far.
Thanks for listening! If you like what you hear, let me know on Twitter!