Rest in peace, Cory Monteith. You will be missed. Gone but never forgotten 1982-2013.
Hey guys! So it's been July for a little while, and I've got a new monthly playlist for you!
Also, I would recommend that you listen to these songs in order! But I'm not gonna make you or anything. ALOL.
PS: If you think you recognize some of these songs from How I Met Your Mother...you would be right. The show has awesome music. I'm currently rewatching the whole thing from season 1, episode 1. :-)
July Playlist
1. "Hard Left" - 2:50
ALBUM: One Foot Barefoot
ARTIST: Robin Hackett
This song has a great guitar instrumental, and Robin Hackett's mournful voice is absolutely heartbreaking. If you like sad, alternative folk-pop, then this song is for you. "Hard Left" isn't a traditional summer song by any means, but it's great to listen to.
2. "Pompeii" - 3:34
ALBUM: Haunt - EP
ARTIST: Bastille
I LOVE this song! It's an addictive alt-electro-pop that manages to be both radio-friendly and also wildly unique. It's remarkably well-produced, and Dan's Smith is that perfect blend of raspy and smooth; he's also got a great range. Plus there's this one part in the middle where the drums change into something like a haunting marching band and the harmonies just get under your skin. A+, 10/10, would recommend.
3. "Rewind" - 3:35
ALBUM: Tally of the Yes Men
ARTIST: Goldspot
I'm a sucker for a good introduction (though unfortunately I usually struggle with writing them...c'est la vie), and the guitar hook of this song will make you stop and go "wait a second, I HAVE to hear the rest of this." The lyrics are somewhat simple, but every line is strikingly poignant and well-placed. And it's perfect, because it's just a little bit upbeat, like a single beam of light in a darkened room.
4. "You Belong To Me" - 3:27
ALBUM: Over and Over
ARTIST: The 88
The song is one of the coming down songs on this playlist, the fall in the rise and fall. Keith Slettedahl just has one of those voices, the kind I tend to gravitate towards; gravelly and capable of great vocal feats. This song is a little bit bluesy, a little bit alternative, and a little bit amazing.
5. "Soul Meets Body" - 3:50
ALBUM: Plans
ARTIST: Death Cab for Cutie
Unlike most of the bands on the playlist, who I'm only now stumbling onto, I've been a casual fan of Death Cab for Cutie for the last couple years. Not a huge fan, but always appreciating a tune of theirs if it came on the radio. This album in particular has a lot of greats, but right now, I can't stop listening to "Soul Meets Body." At every turn, the lyrics sort of surprise me with their beauty, and the accompanying music has this really wonderful ebb and flow that makes it a truly well-rounded listen.
6. "Stay Out" - 2:45
ALBUM: Stay Out - EP
ARTIST: Nina Nesbitt
Marcus Butler tweeted about this music video, and now it's one of my favorite songs! Nina Nesbitt is gorgeous and an amazing songwriter. It's one of those songs you expect to be played ad nauseam but somehow isn't mainstream yet. I'm totally hooked on this pop tune, and unlike some of the other songs on this playlist, it's a quintessential summer song about being young and staying out late.
7. "Classic" - 2:54
ALBUM: Role Models
ARTIST: MKTO
Does anyone remember "As The Bell Rings," that miniseries on Disney Channel like six years ago? Of course you do! Now do you remember that super cute guy that sang with Demi Lovato in the hallway?! Of COURSE you do! Well, he didn't fall off the face of the earth, in case you were wondering. Neither did that African-American kid on "Lost" ... which I didn't watch. :-) Nonetheless, Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller, outside of doing some TV and movie work (including working together on the short-lived TeenNick drama "Gigantic"), are now the two-man band MKTO that makes you fall in love with pop again! This blurb has started to get pretty long, but here it is in a nutshell: Tony Oller's voice makes me melt, Malcolm Kelley is a terrific rapper with a real knack for embodying the mainstream flow, and the song "Classic" should be blasting from everybody's car radios this summer.
8. "The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1" - 2:00 / "The King Of Carrot Flowers Pts. 2 & 3" - 3:06
ALBUM: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
ARTIST: Neutral Milk Hotel
NMH made a brief appearance on my June playlist, and this month I'm listening to a different tune off the sophomore album of the band. The two (or three...) part song is simple alt-folk-pop with unassumingly brilliant lyrics. That's the style of Neutral Milk Hotel, to make you hear a song once and like it, hear it a second time and love it, and then on that third listen, to totally blow your mind.
Alright, goodbye guys! Thanks for reading! I'll be back soon with some more stuff for you. Till next time! :-)
PS: Don't forget to check out my music videos on my YouTube channel:
http://youtube.com/jensenmcraeofficial
