Music Monday - cold, wet, lazy days

The weather outside was pretty miserable today - cold, rainy and dark by 4pm. I took the opportunity to have a beautiful, lazy day indoors. I stayed in bed until very late in the morning (okayyyy, it was noon), savored my cup of coffee, perused the newspaper, caught up on my favourite TV shows, listened to some beautiful music, drank hot chocolate, nuzzled with Meeko...ahh, bliss. Such a good idea to have one these lazy days every once in awhile.

"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."

Music Monday - Happy Autumn

Photo taken from Mode Reporters

Jenae & I planned an Autumn Party, or a Fall Fête as we called it, this past weekend. We had so much fun brainstorming and planning our activities, decorations & menu and even more fun putting it all into action together.

 In the process of making a music playlist
for the party, both Jenae & I came to the same conclusion -- it's difficult to find nice Fall or Autumn music that isn't super depressing! We wanted the guests to have fun and not be bummed out by our music. After a lengthy search we were able to find what we were looking for!

Let me know if you like this playlist 

or if you can think of any other "Happy Autumn" 

songs that should be on our list for next year!

Music Monday - Paradise Valley

My ears (and the rest of my body) are continually craving new John Mayer music. Unlike a McDonald's breakfast after working a night shift, satisfying this craving always leaves me feeling fantastic. Paradise Valley, John Mayer's sixth and newest album, is streaming for free on iTunes now before the official release tomorrow. I have already pre-ordered my copy (obviously) but have had the stream on repeat since last week.

His music style is evolving, but I think my tastes are evolving alongside it. There are a couple tracks that are distinctly more "country" than any of his other music. I am generally not a huge country music fan, but honestly, for me, John Mayer can do no wrong. Topping my list of early favourites are "Waiting on the Day" (his guitar solos make me weak in the knees!), "Who You Love" (a duet with Katy Perry-- I swear it's great), & "On the Way Home" (who can resist a catchy "ooo-o-ooo" and some harmonica?).

I'm not sure about the outfit, but he lives in Montana now so I guess I'll give him a break.

Listen to the album, love the album and then buy the album. It deserves the attention ...and you deserve to listen to good music.

Music Monday - J & J's Travel Favourites

Jenae, the driver & Jessica, the navigator =)

 

I've been home for just over a week now and I can honestly say that it was the trip of a lifetime. People told Jenae & I that we were crazy to try to cover so much ground in such a short time period, and maybe we were, but oh man! - every single day was an exciting adventure in a brand new part of the world. We had the best, best time. 

 We travelled almost exclusively by car for 3 weeks (through Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, Slovenia, & Austria and then around Portugal - we were BUSY), so our road trip playlists had to be up to par! "Just Give Me A Reason" was dubbed the official song of the trip - not because we loved it but because it followed us around the entire trip! From Paris to Ljubljana, it seemed like every shop and restaurant had it playing!  

Here are a few of the songs that I found to be the most memorable! Enjoy =)

Music Monday - Tegan and Sara

I'm reaaally enjoying this song from Tegan & Sara's new album, Heartthrob. The piano intro is kind of addicting.. I think I'm going to have to learn it!


PS - I will be on a different continent next Monday so I don't think there will be any new tunes for Music Monday here on the blog. I'm thinking that when I get back I'll share some of the music I enjoyed most throughout the trip. Deal?

Music Monday - Disclosure

I've probably promoted this song enough already this week, but I honestly CANNOT. GET. IT. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD. I've had it playing on repeat since it was used in the Jazz Round on So You Think You Can Dance. After seeing choreography for this song, I've had a hard time listening to the music without imagining dance with it -- almost like the song was made for dance. I'll stop babbling, here is "Latch" by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith. Enjoy!





Also, this choreography is pretty great too. (Seeeeee? I can't stop!)

Music Monday - Brandi Carlile

I knew about Brandi Carlile before I ever listened to her music, thanks to my good friend, Julia, always raving about her. I even listened to a mixtape from Margui, another friend & "musical soul buddy", with a few of her songs on it without paying her too much attention. Her voice, her songs, her sound -- just how good they all are didn't hit me until last week, listening to my iPod on shuffle. Despite having less than 5 of her songs in my iTunes library, they seemed to keep popping up to play. And I loved them. And now I'm going to get the rest of her songs. And listen to them on repeat. Because I should've done it a long long time ago. "Save Part of Yourself" from last year's album, Bear Creek, is my current favourite. =)

Music Monday - Vacation Tunes!

I don't want to brag or anything, but while you're reading this (and hopefully listening to some killer music), I'm on vacation. I know you're jealous...so here's what you need to do: Change into your bathing suit, go lay on your bathroom floor with the shower on and then pop in some headphones with this playlist! The bathroom will get all warm and humid and you'll basically feel like you're on a Mexican vacation too! I revamped my entire iPod before this trip, this is just a small, eclectic sample - enjoy! Xo

Music Monday - Airborne Toxic Event

I'm not super familiar with this band, but this particular song seems to be following me around! Not that I mind, since I'm kind of loving it. I first heard it in the pilot of Suits, which is possibly one of the most addicting TV shows everrr, then a friend was playing it and then it's also been played on the radio a ton. The beginning bit is so catchy that it put me in a really great mood, even after working a busy 12-hour night shift.
Countdown to Cabo San Lucas! I'm breaking out the vacation music for my iPod - stay tuned! =)

Music Monday - The Shins

It's the May long weekend and I've been camping for the past 3 nights out in the mountains. Today I was driving home when my favourite song by The Shins came on. With iced coffee in one hand and sunnies on, not even my sweaty clothes, slightly sunburnt cheeks or dirty hair could take away from the feeling of casual coolness that came over me. A car pulled up beside me a stoplight, also with it's windows down... You know when you can just tell that someone is looking in your direction? Well yeah, that happened. Probably because I looked exactly like I'd been camping in a tent for several days in a row, but I still felt pretty dang amazing. Oh the power of a good song! Enjoy the song and the week ahead! Xo

Music Monday - Spring Favourites

Nancy Newman Art

I figured out how to make a playlist and share it - hooray! These are only a few of the songs that I've been listening to over the past couple of weeks. Some, like Blood, by The Middle East have been favourites for a long time and some are newer to me. Hope you are enjoying the lilac bushes, the cherry blossoms and the warm rain as much as I am! Happy Monday and happy listening! =)

Music Monday - Alt-J (∆)

Ugh, perfect music. This song is fantastic for morning, afternoon and evening...for suntanning, for driving, for cooking. I cleeeearly can't get enough. I first heard about Alt-J when the Silver Linings Playbook released its soundtrack. I immediately checked out the artists that were featured and Alt-J was one of them. "Something Good" is probably their most popular song, but honestly the whole album, An Awesome Wave, is amazing. Listen listen listen!

Something interesting: alt-J (∆)’s name takes a little explaining. Pronounced “alt-J”, the delta sign is created when you hold down the alt key on your computer keyboard and punch ‘J’ on a Mac computer. The symbol has a deeper meaning for the band, as guitarist/bassist Gwil Sainsbury notes, “in mathematical equations it’s used to show change,” and the band’s relatively new name came at a turning point in their lives.

Music Monday - Walk off the Earth

I'd never heard of this group until a week or so ago. I heard their song "Red Hands" on the radio and immediately got it stuck in my head. It feels like if I'm not actually listening to it, I'm humming the chorus or it's playing on repeat in my head. I looked them up on YouTube and discovered they are from Canada (yipeee!) and are well-known mostly from covering popular songs. Their most watched video is a cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know". The video tagline is 5 Peeps, 1 Guitar, which I didn't get until I watched the video...and then I was kind of blown away - so you should definitely watch it! I know I'm definitely going to be checking out more of their originals and covers!

Music Monday - Serena Ryder

Apparently I'm a bit late to this party because Serena Ryder has been a part of the music scene since at least 1999 - putting on shows, doing covers and writing her own music. She won a Juno in 2008 for Best New Artist and I still hadn't heard of her until several months ago when "Stompa", from her newest album Harmony, debuted on the radio. It was instantly catchy and great even after being stuck on repeat (I don't know how many songs I've ruined that way). This past week though, I've had another song, "What I Wouldn't Do", from the same album stuck in my head. It has a really strong beat and melody!

Also, I've been really impressed with the music selections this season on one of my favourite TV shows, Grey's Anatomy. Week after week they are including great artists, such as MS MR, Metric, Lord Huron, Grizzly Bear, Daughter, Ellie Goulding AND Serena Ryder. Kudos to whoever is in charge of music over there at ABC!

Are you a Serena fan? Are you addicted to Grey's Anatomy like me?

 PS - Congratulations to Serena Ryder for picking up 2 trophies last night at the Juno Awards for Harmony and "Stompa"!

Music Monday - ??

I've always been a bit obsessed with television...the programs AND the commercials. In elementary school I was proud of how many advertisements I could recite and how many different jingles I knew by heart (I've gotten a lot cooler since then, right?). While I am less TV-crazed than in those days, I still enjoy a good commercial..and good music is a big part of that. Shazam, a smartphone app, has made it a lot easier for me to find out the names of those really catchy songs that get stuck in my head. Here are three commercials I've "Shazam-ed" recently: Windows 8, Netflix, & the Chevrolet Trax one (it's always those car commercials, isn't it?).

Every once in a while, a song comes up that seems impossible to find. Shazam won't work, I've tried googling every descriptor I can think of, and YouTube isn't any help either. I'm taunted with that beautiful 20 second clip every time the commercial plays and left wanting more...sorry, am I being a bit dramatic? Maybe I am, but that's kind of how I felt after hearing this new song from the new Kia commercial...especially when I found out the bad news...that 20 second clip isn't from a full length song, it was only written for this specific ad. Tragic, really. Here it is...I'm sure you'll love it and then we can lament together.

Ohh yeah! You've got me flyin'... Ohh yeah! You've got me smilin'... Shine! Shine! Takin' some time awayyy... Keep an open mind and... Flyyyy awayyyy! We flyyyy awayyyyy...

Music Monday - John Mayer

John Mayer was my first official favourite musician. His name was always the first to escape my mouth whenever someone asked me, "What type of music do you listen to?" I have all his albums on CD and I faithfully brought them with me to school to play on my discman for the bus ride home. I repeated them so often that I could tell where on the bus route we were just by hearing what track was playing. Certain songs trigger memories from middle school and early high school -- very memorable years.
Let's be real, he's still one of my favourites as I'm always returning to his music. I think his earlier albums, Room For Squares and Heavier Things, are still my favourite, but I always enjoy the new music he puts out. It would be sinful not to mention Where the Light Is, a live concert that was released by the John Mayer Trio - there are some amaaaaazing songs on there..like really REALLY good. I know people are always talking about his public image or attitude towards others, but at the end of the day, I care about the music. Nobody is perfect and I'm in no position to judge him.

More recently, John Mayer struggled with health concerns about his vocal cords. He took some time off, even taking of vow of silence for voice rest. He's back now though and heading out on tour for his most recent album, Battle Studies, because it has been delayed. I'm pretty bummed there are no shows near me...not even Seattle, but it's still on my bucket list to see him live! I know he spent a lot of time writing music on his time off, so I'm excited to hear what's next for him!

Music Monday - Born Ruffians

When I'm driving in my car, I usually have the radio turned to The Peak 102.7 fm. They play really good tunes, a lot of local bands, and often turn me onto new artists to look up. This week they introduced me to the Born Ruffians, from Ontario. They've been around for awhile, putting out 2 studio albums so far, with their 3rd album, Birthmarks, to be release on April 16th! I'm a little bit addicted to their single, "Needle". All week I've been playing it on repeat at the nursing station at work, just loud enough for me to enjoy! It's so catchy, especially the chorus, and has had me bopping around through night shifts. Thanks for keeping me awake boys, much appreciated! =)

Music Monday - Lord Huron

I've been loving the music of Lord Huron for a couple months and they are just starting to get airtime on the radio. Their newest album Lonesome Dreams is full of beautiful songs, you should definitely look them up! I hope you like this one! Happy Monday, friends. =)

Music Monday - King Charles

Charles Johnston, AKA King Charles, is my go-to guy for happy, peppy music. It's the perfect sound for sunny days that include iced tea, open sunroofs, & overdue chats with gal pals! (I had a good day today, can you tell?) "Bam Bam" is one of my favourites, largely due to all the silly dancing in the music video and the tea cup toss at 0:54 seconds in! While Charles hasn't released a ton of music, he makes up for by touring and releasing a song with Mumford & Sons...that's pretty big. Plus, doesn't he just seem super hilarious and charismatic? Maybe I'm just a sucker for those groovy moves!


Have a listen to some of his stuff & let me know if you're likin' it!

Music Monday - Burnell Taylor

Okay....so..here's the thing. Burnell Taylor, my current obsession, is a contestant on the once hugely popular TV program formally known as...American Idol. If you feel the need to tease me about still watching American Idol, I get it, I understand - feel free to laugh, I don't care. Phillip Phillips won the show last season and he's freaking amazing, so there!

A few weeks ago Burnell sang "This Time" by John Legend and I was transfixed! His voice, his look, and the way he moves are all so natural. I'm hoping he wins!


More recently, he sang "Ready for Love" & "I'm Here" - of course they were amazing.

Are you watching this season too? Who are your favourites?