Eleni Mandell - Midnight Hauler

Noistrade outdid itself a few weeks ago when it introduced me to Eleni Mandell, and her Babies, Boys & Bumpers.  Her music is effortless jazz-pop-country that kind of reminds me of a female Tom Waits, but less grit, more easy-going beauty.  I'm a big fan already, needless to say.  The LA native will hopefully be as big and well-known as I'd like her to be soon, but in the meantime, I'll enjoy the likes of "Midnight Hauler."  It harbors a country twang while not being a country song, mixed with lovely and slow acoustic work and deep vocal work that I can't complain one bit about.  "Midnight Hauler" really creates the atmosphere of driving down a desert road at sundown, a man behind the wheel of a truck going home to the one her loves.  That's the thing about Eleni Mandell's music: it all has a story to it, and creates an image that's hard to shake.  Nothing else to say about this one, folks.

Queensrÿche - Redemption

You should just get used to regular absences around this time of the year, mostly because the internet at my parents' house sucks, and nine times out of ten, I don't even try to load Facebook, or even Twitter, to spare myself the frustration.  Today I told myself when I woke up that I have to publish at least one post while I'm home, however.  I may not embed the video until I have faster internet again, however, so be patient with me.  I'm working with what I have.

Queensrÿche is the band of the day, coming to me through the Century Media Youtube channel a few weeks ago.  The Seattle metal band has been around for a while now, but with a new album out they're back on everyone's radar.  "Redemption" is what they are: good metal with a power-ish influence that kind of makes them sound like the forefathers of Avenged Sevenfold.  The chorus is pretty killer, I have to admit, and their sound there is what separates them from other bands.  "Redemption" has a bit of a twisted sound to it, but the vocal work is amazing, and the guitar work is even better.  No complaints from me!  Hell, the rest of their new album self-titled by the looks of it, is worth taking a look at.  I find it refreshing from all of the death metal I've been listening to, and maybe you will too.

Avatarium - Boneflower

I'm a sucker for female-fronted metal groups, but we all know that by now, right?  I'm always looking for new bands with a strong lady at the helm, though sometimes, they find me.  Avatarium is a Swedish band that hasn't been around for very long, but they've already got my attention.  Their genre is a little more throwback to the old days of metal.  Think along the lines of Christian Mistress and Spacegoat, if you will, but with a European metal twist.  That's Avatarium, and they're my new favourites.  Their debut album is actually out now, and I've already fallen in love with the single "Boneflower."

"Boneflower" has some grit to it, but definitely has that throwback-metal feel that sets it apart from the more modern sounds of today.  Lead singer Jennie-Ann Smith has a Blondie sound that's mixed with the metal version of the Wilson sisters.  It's a unique sound, definitely reminiscent of the past, but the music itself still has some modern metal sound to it.  Just a touch, but don't worry.  Now that "Boneflower" has sealed the deal, we just need to get Avatarium together on a tour with Christian Mistress and Spacegoat, pronto!

Sub Swara feat. Dead Prez - Speak My Language

Lately the rap music that I've been revisiting is a little older, and by that, I mean that it's song I've accumulated a year or two ago.  It's nothing brand-spanking new, but it's not aged either.  It's just right, though Sub Swara is more than just right.  The Brooklyn duo of Dhruva Ganesan and Dave Sharma blend their own electro-dubstep-if-you-really-want-to-call-it-that beats with vocal work from helpful contributors, and it all turns out beautifully.  Even on its own, their music is just as strong without the vocal work.  "Speak My Language" has a chorus that catchy enough to get in your head, and even though electro can sometimes overwhelm rap when done wrong, it all comes together here.  The electro side of "Speak My Language" is what lightens it up and keeps it the song from getting too heavy, though I find I can headbang to it if I really want to.  Dead Prez, the rap duo responsible for the rhymes here, gives "Speak My Language" more of an old-school rap feel, and with sub Swara's electro bits, it all works, while keeping the track from being too far into dubstep territory.  Everything works here, and I have no complaints.

CHVRCHES - Gun + We Sink

I can't escape CHVRCHES, it would seem.  The Scottish electropop trio has me reeled right in, hook-line-and-sinker.  I'm okay with this.  More than okay, if you're wondering.  I've been looking to feature them again, though had enough trouble deciding which song to go with, and thus, we have both "Gun" and "We Sink."  Both good, but both different.  Why don't we look at "Gun" first?  It's fun-and-frothy electropop, where sweet vocal work mingles with strong percussion and synths that just won't quit.  It's catchy, namely, and remixed correctly, would be a hit in the clubs.  On the other hand, the lyrics are deceptively darker (though not as dark as "Caduceus" was yesterday, don't worry), dealing with scorned love and using the title nicely (I will be a gun, and it's you I'll come from).  You know I love me so dark-lyrics-cheery-tone songs.

"We Sink" has something more lush and organic to the sound of it, showing that CHVRCHES is versatile, and capable of many different sounds.  It has a little Metric or Dragonette flavor to it, though that might just be the Canadian in me speaking.  "We Sink" is more love than scorned love, and while also catchy, relies on a little more of a build to make its impact.  I think that it's absolutely perfect, and I really don't have anything bad to say about "We Sink."  It's a lovely little electropop song.  Played after "Gun," it's the right compliment, and both songs make for the best start to a snowy morning like this one.

Hiss From The Moat - Caduceus + LYRICS

Oh, metal.  Even during the hardest days, it's the genre that's always been there.  Rather than pay tribute to what metal has done for me by revisiting another song from Nightwish, Arkona or Protest The Hero, why don't we try something new?  The Italian metal scene has always been a good one, and it includes Hiss From The Moat, a death-slash-black trio from Milan, and off their latest album comes "Caduceus."  The caduceus may have been the staff of Hermes, but the song has something more religious to its lyrics, but religious in that strictly black metal kind of way.  "Caduceus" is the dark side, where there are no lighthearted images conjured to those guitars and growling.  This is fine black metal.  The instrumental work reminds me a bit of Behemoth, and the growling is impeccable.  It's clear and it's not too throaty, with a bit of a screech, just how I like it.  First Ancient Bards, then Fleshgod Apocalypse, and now Hiss From The Moat?  Be careful, Italy...I'm coming for you and your metal scene.

You've called Christ the Lamb
I am the Caduceus
Evil's against evil now
There's no light that makes the way

I am the owls of Romance Age
There's no St. Michelle arkangel
To beat the Dragon upon Hell
The Shepherd's lost his flock
Humanity sold his soul to iconography
I am wisdom that brings the end

I bring the end
I am the end

Of this shaft
Where Christians clean
Their consciousness
In blood of dead martyrs

We will be
In the sanctuary of the cursed
I will be sitting at the throne
You will be In line
For the end

Pater, ignoscis eos quod ignorant quid faciunt
Hodie in paradiso mecuti erit
Femina, ecce filius tuus!...filie,ecce mater tua!
Deo meo,deo meo cur me relinquisti?
Habeo sitim
Omina perfecta sunt
Pater,in tuis manibus spiritum meum trado
Amen

CocoRosie - Gravediggress

My favourite experimental sisters are back and better than ever!  That's right, CocoRosie put out a new album in the spring of 2013, going by the title Tales of a GrassWidow.  I'm a little sad I didn't really realize this until now, but sometimes I can be guilty of falling behind the times.  Now everything in the universe is right, however, and things will go according to plan from here on out.  *Insert evil laughter*

"Gravediggress" is experimental, remember, but it's accessible, and it definitely shows some growth from the duo's earlier work.  It's got that lush-ambient-underwater sound to it, with a clockwork menagerie of percussion, whistles and strange forest sounds that could only expect from the Casady sisters.  The vocal work shows signs of growth as well, though still retains the creepy touch that made me fall in love with the likes of "Lemonade" or "R.I.P. Burn Face."  Gah, this is what perfection in music sounds like, and it has everything you could want in an accessible experimental track.  Don't worry, it's not too weird for people like us.

Little Boots - Earthquake

I've still got a soft spot in my heart for London's Little Boots.  Even though the world is currently overwhelmed by a sea of female pop and dance artists, there's something special about her that sets her apart from everyone else.  It might be the throwback feeling you get from her music, or just the fact that it's damn good and damn enjoyable.  I have yet to find a song that isn't the least bit easy to dance to.  Simply put, listen to her stuff if you haven't already.  "Earthquake" is from her debut album, 2009's Hands, but still has that fresh feeling four years later.  It's a catchy little thing, pulsing with electropop and some synths...and it's just a moment of magic.  Little Boots also has a set of pipes, believe me, and still manages to sound sweet and innocent without overwhelming you.  "Earthquake" is pop perfection.  There's nothing negative I can say about it, except that my version is a little messed up and plays quieter than it should.  I've just got to turn it up a little louder.

Protest The Hero - Mist

Oh, I'm not done with the boys of PTH and Volition just yet!  "Skies" came out as the early leader, but as with most albums I buy, there's always something else wondering waiting to hit the track.  So after a listen of the whole album, "Skies" was the song that stood out the most.  All caught up?  Good.  After my excitement passed and I got further into the other songs, another emerged as a favourite for more reasons than one...

"Mist" is awesome.  There, I said it.  Why?  Because like "Skies," it's strikingly different from everything else they've ever done.  Mr. Walker sings of leaving Newfoundland and always having a home there, set to the tune of instrumental work that weirdly reminds me of "To Porter, With Love," that bonus track from Scurrilous.  The guitar work is a touch lighter than you may be used to from PTH, but there's nothing wrong with it.  It gives "Mist" a very lush sound, and adds to the atmosphere of that long ride home and the foggy shores of Newfoundland.  Perhaps the best part of "Mist" is the ending, comprised of about a minute and a half of acoustic guitar flecked with piano, something you don't get very often at all from Protest The Hero.  It's all about the atmosphere here, and "Mist" definitely isn't falling short.

Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon + TROPICO

There are two orders of business today.  Sure, I could split these two up into two separate posts, but I'm the one with the keyboard, and I make the rules.  First off, we get something that has come from my recent obsession with American Horror Story.  I've only seen the current season so far, but if you're following the news that comes with it, I'm sure you've heard that Stevie Nicks will be on a future episode.  She's mentioned on the show whenever Lily Rabe's character is around, and "Rhiannon" was on one of the first episodes she appeared on.  Stevie Nicks is a white witch, and "Rhiannon" is her anthem.

Even though I consider myself a fan of Fleetwood Mac, "Rhiannon" had escaped my radar before all of this happened.  It has everything I love about the band: breezy guitars, a folk flavor, Stevie, and backing vocals that won't quit on you.  I might have found a new favourite here, and songs like this make me wish that I was either a white witch or could still play the guitar.



Still with me?  Good.

Secondly, Lana Del Rey's short film came out this morning.  Tropico is technically restricted to only American viewers, but some people are nice enough to upload it again so the rest of us can see.  Sure, you could call it one long music video, but I would rather look at Tropico as one 27-minute-long piece of art.  Go on, press play and start watching.  It does kind of drag near the end, but the first two thirds of the film are fairly strong, in both music and cinematography.  Now we've just got to wait for Ultraviolence to come out next year....

Buddy - Awesome Awesome

Buddy is proving to be a little difficult to research online this afternoon, thanks to what looks like Rcrd Lbl being down (I do use it for basic info on artists I'e found there in the past).  Ugh.  Well, all you really need to know about Buddy is that he's a rapper you probably haven't heard of before, but should.  His "Awesome Awesome" is produced by The Neptunes too, so you've already got a platform for success.  The track has a good gangster flavor to it, that kind of sounds like Chingy, if I have to name someone, but a good version of Chingy.  The sputtering beats elevate "Awesome Awesome" into something a little grittier, and it's all catchy enough that it won't be long before you're humming awesome awesome to yourself one dreary afternoon.  Huh.  It's working.

I can be the match to your gas can.

Teletextile - I Don't Know How To Act Here

Pamela Martinez, founder of the Brooklyn collective known as Teletextile, describes the band's name as "packed in suitcases with things words can't describe."  Words are definitely hard to put together for this brand of dreamy art-indie, I'll tell you that, but that doesn't lessen its impact any less.  The art part of that is the most important, because there is something avant garde about Teletextile's kind of music, as seen in the likes of "I Don't Know How To Act Here."  Don't be scared by the word art, because this one is something that's easy to approach.  The vocal work from Martinez is something that sounds like it could be in a regular old indie song, but it's brought to the next level in "I Don't Know How..." by what sounds like a xylophone and sections of what I can only describe as a conversation without using the words we recognize.  "I Don't Know How..." is very different from most indie out there, but there's something strange and unique about it that just draws you in, and it won't be long before you never want to leave.

IllScarlet - Nothing Special

Some of my favourite nostalgia trips involve some good alternative tracks from my punk/screamo phase.  *sigh*  And what a phase that was...  Back before high speed internet and cable television, the only way for me to find new bands and music was through the Big Shiny Tunes albums that came out through Much Music, and the twelfth incarnation (the third last to be released) contained "Nothing Special" from Clarkson, Ontario's own IllScarlet, who still seem to be releasing music now.  Good for them.

I'm sick and tired of everybody thinking they know what's best for me, and maybe God wanted me to be nothing special.  
I'm past the point of breaking, and I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it.
I'll keep this gift from breaking as long as you believe.

"Nothing Special" is something special, coincidentally.  It's infectious alternative, and you tell me if you find a more enticing opening to a song.  It's just as good to me now as it was back in the tenth grade when I first heard it.  The vocals and perfect for the genre, with some yelling sections that aren't too cliche either (let's save that for Blink 182).  As a whole, it's catchy, it's infectious, and once you learn all of the words, you won't be forgetting them anytime soon.  Nostalgia doesn't get better than this.

Memoryhouse - Walk With Me

I've been having an affair with Memoryhouse ever since they came my way through Rcrd Lbl (ah, the nostalgia).  The Toronto indie duo of Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion sound a little like Metric crossed with Stars, two other pretty awesome Canadian bands, so you know they've got some good roots.  "Walk With Me" is the track of the day now, and it's a delicate a breezy indie number that kind of sounds like it was made to listen to in winter.  I'm just sayin'.  The electric guitar work is very laid-back and nothing too overwhelming, or generic for that matter, and Denise's voice is very refreshing for the genre.  "Walk With Me" is the perfect track to lighten up your dreary Sunday afternoon.  After all, it's working for me.

Within Temptation - Somewhere

I kind of began the month with Within Temptation, so why not finish it with my favourite Dutch symphonic metal band?  I actually think it was when I posted about "Paradise (What About Us)" that I came across "Somewhere," which is the last track off of 2004's The Silent Force.  There's also a great live version on Youtube featuring Anneke van Giersbergen of The Gathering worth listening to too, and I'll include it with this post.  The original studio version of "Somewhere" is still awesome, and sounds a little bit like Anette-era Nightwish to boot.  It's not a head-banging symphonic number, but rather something a lot slower and orchestral, which seems to be my next big kick these days.  Sharon den Adel is probably the strongest vocally here that I've ever heard from her, even if she's always killing it.  The combination of her sweet vocal work and some really nice orchestra arrangements is what breathes life into "Somewhere,"  and boy, what a life it is.

Britney Spears - Perfume

I`m definitely going to be getting my hands on Britney Spears' new album next week, after "Work Bitch" and now "Perfume."  Dear lord.  Our little Britney has grown up.  "Perfume" is one of her vocally strongest songs I've heard yet, out of everything she's ever done.  It's definitely not a dance number (unless it's remixed...), more of a tale between a woman who knows her man is cheating and marks her territory with perfume.  If any singer knows anything about perfume, it's Britney.  "Perfume" is different from the slower songs she's done before, which is good, because I could never really get into those other ones.  This track is softer, but more powerful, and most importantly, it's effortless.  Next karaoke night, this one's mine.

Gordon Lightfoot - Black Day In July

It was two weeks after Thanksgiving when we were all at my aunt's house, about to bring my brother back to Toronto to get on a bus, when we were playing with her old record player.  Usually my sister and I try to put on Jay-Z's The Black Album which one of my cousins have on vinyl, but it seems that we've been forbidden from playing gangster rap at family gatherings.  A shame.  That day, we decided on some classic Gordon Lightfoot and eventually, "Black Day In July" was stuck in my head, and remained there for quite a bit of time.  Hell, it's still on repeat somewhere in there.

My dad's the one that told me "Black Day In July" was about the 1967 Detroit Riot, which is pretty obvious when you give it a listen (I just got the chorus stuck in my head, of course).  Socially charged songs are either good or awkward, but Gordy makes "Black Day In July" anything but dark and dreary.  It's almost peppy-sounding.  Huh.  At least it doesn't bring you down, it just tells the truth.  As a whole song, "Black Day In July" is solid classic rock track, and I am in love with the guitar work here.  Now give yourself a history lesson and listen to this one.

Cats On Trees - Jimmy

My new obsession is French duo Cats On Trees, who were on itunes the other week for free with their English-language "Jimmy."  Gah, itunes always knows how to make me believe again.  You can think of Cats on Trees as the Frenchified version of Stars, but less indie, more art.  After all, they're French, and I love me some artistic French music.  On "Jimmy," Nina Goern's vocals are sweet and delicate, complimented perfectly by her own piano work and percussion work from Yohan Hennequin.  It's piano-heavy, quick-paced indie.  Facebook says they're J-pop, but I think that's just for shits and giggles.  If "Jimmy" is anything, it's catchy, and it won't be long before you know all of the words and can sing along with Nina.  It also won't be long until you're hunting down the rest of their repertoire either.  It might be light indie, but there's something special about "Jimmy" that makes it one of the best tracks I've heard all year, and I mean it.

50 Cent feat. Ned The Wino - Lay Down (Smoked)

I still think 50 Cent's The Lost Tape is one of the best rap mixtapes that's ever come out (don't tell FKi that, though...).  I always find something new to enjoy from it, and now it's "Lay Down (Smoked)" that comes with the help of Ned The Wino, who doesn't have a Facebook page for me to creep, but I'm sure there's more information out there for the curious.  "Lay Down" is pared-down gangster rap, nothing too aggressive or overpowering (I save that territory for DMX).  50 Cent is his lovely gritty and husky self, and Ned The Wino gives "Lay Down" a nice little twist with variety.  I also like that warped-sounding electric guitar bit that appears throughout the song.  You know I am about electric guitar in rap music.  Dear god.  This isn't "O.J." but it's still pretty high up there.

Charlie and the Foxtrots - Mademoiselle

I can't seem to shake my folk kick, apparently.  Then again, why would I want to stop now?  There always seems to be someone new popping up in the genre, or simply groups that have had yet to breakthrough to the masses.  Case in point: Charlie and the Foxtrots.  They're a six-piece folk-pop collective from Nashville, and when you're from a place like that, you better believe some country elements bleed through.  It's nice, not overpowering, and in no way makes it country.  We've still got folk here, folks.

"Mademoiselle" grew on my quickly, and by god, it's not going away anytime soon.  It's a soft and sweet folk ditty that I'm surprised hasn't been in a romantic comedy soundtrack yet, but don't let that scare you.  The instrumental work is brilliant, like a folk orchestra of sorts, and lead Chas Wilson is fresh and light.  I find that sometimes folk singers can all sounds the same, and he doesn't really strike me as being similar to anyone else now.  "Mademoiselle" starts out slow and delicate, and finishes with a quicker tempo and a bigger punch.  It's perfect, in my opinion, but that's just on me, the girl blogging at 7 o'clock who has to wait an hour for the food order to come in.  In the meantime?  Charlie and the Foxtrots, because there's more where "Mademoiselle" came from.

Taylor Swift - Red

I tried to hold out for as long as I could, but eventually I gave in and copied my sister's Red onto my computer.  In the past I haven't minded Taylor Swift.  Markedly, I would only like one song here or another song there, and never get too far in.  Red is actually a pretty nice album as a whole, but also as one unit, it's not as country as I'd like it to be.  The pop outweighs it in some respects and overwhelms it in others.  In fact, my favourite songs off the album are the ones that have a little more of a country kick to it.  Like the song of the same name, "Red."

Loving him was red.

"Red" is grown-up country for Miss Swift.  It has the acoustic guitar and the violin/fiddle accents and sweet lyrics, but there's still a touch of edge to it.  This isn't at all what she was doing back in her early recording days.  She's grown up, people, and I like what it's become.  In fact, "Red" and another country-tinged song, "State of Grace" are her vocally strongest tracks off the album.  Lyrically, it's Taylor's bread and butter of scorned love, but this one has a tinge of hope to it, which sets it apart from things like "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" or "I Knew You Were Trouble."  I hope to see more of things like "Red" on her next album, please and thank you.

Diane Birch - Nothing But A Miracle

Noisetrade has become my new Rcrd Lbl.  Rcrd Lbl and I had a lot of fun together, I know, but now it's finally time to move on.  Especially now that I'm suspended from making a Youtube account (copyright infringement my ass!), I've got to find new music somehow.  Noisetrade pointed me in the direction of Diane Birch, a.k.a. the reincarnate of Carole King, an American indie darling whose sophomore album, Speak A Little Louder, came out not too long ago.  I got the sampler from Noisetrade, and was surprised.  Diane has the modern punch that you can get from artists like Florence Welch or Adele, but the seventies charm that came from Ms. King and the likes of Stevie Nicks.

"Nothing But A Miracle" is a sunny and soulful track that makes you want to fling open your curtains first thing in the morning, and welcoming the day.  It's empowering too, about saying the final goodbye to a scorned love, and getting yourself back together in one shiny piece.  Diane's vocals are phenomenal, first of all, and don't even get me started on the instrumentals here.  There's the piano, some lazy electric guitar (my favourite kind of electric guitar), and some kind of woodwind instrument that makes it feel like you're listening to "Nothing But A Miracle" in a quiet jazz club.  I wish!

Kanye West - Jesus Walks

It's only been about a month since the last Kanye song...not bad.  This could have come earlier.  I love nostalgia kicks, and no Kanye song gives me more nostalgia than "Jesus Walks."  I still remember first hearing it in 2004, the first track of his that I ever heard, and wondering what the hell was going on.  It was an enlightening experience, and one that I had only gotten out of the rap genre through Swollen Members before.  2004 was a good year for music.  "Jesus Walks" pulses with something gritty and southern, but also has some refinement to it too.  This is where I realized that Mr. West wasn't a typical, run-of-the-mill rapper.  He was doing things differently even on his first album.  Obviously, "Jesus Walks" has some strong religious elements to it, but it's never preachy, if you're worried, and even then, this track is more about Kanye's despair and desire to get back on the right path.  That's deep, yo.

Lady Gaga - Venus

I had to buy the new Gaga album.  C'mon.  I've been around long enough to know how it works.  I picked up Artpop a week ago, the day after it came out, and even paid the extra $12 for the package that came with a Lady Gaga t-shirt.  Perfect.  As a whole, the album doesn't offer much variety, but when you separate all of the songs, the shiniest gems get shinier.  It kind of reminds me of The Fame in sound, but has the edge from The Fame Monster and the glam rock from Born This Way.  She applied everything she's learned before to this one, people.

Aphrodite lady seashell bikini, garden panty, Venus

"Venus" really stood out to me when I gave the album a complete listen-through on an hour-long bus ride last week.  It's dark and edgy glam pop, something that David Bowie himself would be proud of.  The synths and electro elements that Gaga makes use of make the track sound very cosmic, though I shouldn't be surprised, if she's going to be performing in space soon.  The chorus?  Dear lord, I don't know if I've heard something that catchy in 2013 before now.  I hope this becomes the next single off of Artpop, because I'm intrigued about how a music video would look.  Hmm....

Gin Wigmore - Black Sheep

I've been listening to a lot of swampy-sounding tunes as of late, thanks to a playlist called "Swamp Witch" that I found on Tumblr a few weeks ago.  Swampy music is a little folk, a little country, heavy on the piano and the tambourine, and has a grungy feeling to it, like when you rub dirt between your fingers and feel the grit.  God, I love that grit.  Someone that I am now aware of with her gritty music is Gin Wigmore, an Australian chanteuse who I can compare to Adele or Duffy, if you threw one of them into a ditch.  I mean that in the best way possible, of course.

"Black Sheep" is an empowering gritty little thing, summed up by the one line everybody's doing it so why the hell should I?  It's the kind of song that could be your soundtrack to walking down the street, wearing a shrunken leather jacket and a swagger in your step that you weren't sure existed before.  It's alternative with a heavy jazz influence, in proper terms.  Listen closely, and you can even heard the Australian accent to her voice.  Australian alternative Duffy, I call it.  Now get on it.

Chevelle - Mexican Sun

Chevelle never gets old.  I've said this many different times and in many different ways, but it's all the same.  Their music only gets better with age, and I enjoy the classics off of Sci Fi Crimes a little more with each listen.  "Mexican Sun" is part of that album;s holy triumvirate along with "Jars" and "Shameful Metaphors" (which I gave a good listen too earlier with a walk down memory lane).  It's edgy enough to become the sleeper hit of the album, the song that doesn't make it on the radio but worms its way into your head.  "Mexican Sun" is both catchy and very lush.  That chorus....dear god, it just flows in the way that nature intended for music to flow.  Pete Loeffler's vocals are some of the strongest I've heard from his end, and the instrument work from Sam and Dean  build the complete story upon his words.  There are no complaints from me on this one, only that I'm mad you haven't listened to it yet.

Sarah McLachlan - Good Enough

I'll always be a fan of Sarah McLachlan.  Come hell or high water, I'll stop listening to Protest The Hero or Kanye if it means she'll keep making music.  A few weeks ago I had my music on while I was walking to school, no big deal, when one of her songs came on.  Well, "Good Enough" seemed to be one I wasn't very familiar with before, but after one listen, I knew the only thing to do was share it with the world on the blog.  I seem to have only the alternate version off of The Freedom Sessions, however, and for some reason failed to copy it off of my Fumbling Towards Ecstasy.  Ugh, typical Laura.  Well, I listened to the real version on Youtube, and it's still good, don't get me wrong, but there's something really nice and raw and minimal about the version from The Freedom Sessions that sets it above the rest.  "Good Enough" is dark, but don't you dare tell me it isn't good.  Great, actually.

Panic! At The Disco - Far Too Young To Die

My sister has kind of taken over the Panic! at the Disco fandom in our house, but I don't mind.  As long as they keep making music, electronic alternative or not, I'll keep listening.  Case in point, I finally got my hands on their Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!  I'll start out by saying one thing: major improvement from the last album.  This one is a lot more cohesive, and dare I say it, I hear some of their electronic roots in this one.  It's still Brendon Urie and Spender Smith kicking around, but tour bassist Dallon Weekes is now an official member too.  Maybe it's him that makes this the best Panic! album since Pretty. Odd.?  Maybe, but if the band is known for anything, it's for changing it up regularly.

"Far Too Young To Die" is one of the tracks with electronic roots.  There's the synth, first of all, that reminds me of a Diamond Rings song, and all of those beeps, sounds and doodads on top of that, that really show how that band has grown from the days of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out.  Brendon Urie isn't as vocally strong here as other tracks, but he really gets this feeling of desolation into his words.  It's the desolate electronic genre that speaks to me just as much as melancholy rap does.  And the chorus on this one?  Dear god, that's lush.  Panic! at the Disco surprised me with this album, so here's hoping they keep doing just that.

Haim - The Wire

If you're tired of the same old indie, pop and folk music that's coming out these days, I've got something fresh for your troubles.  It's Haim, a Los Angeles band that consists of the three Haim sisters and some guy on drums...but he's not too important.  They've been compared to Fleetwood Mac, but I don't really want to compare the girls to anyone else, because they might be the most original group to come out in a very long time.  Sure, I hear a little Stevie in there, but they've still got their own thing going on, and that's why Haim is a band you have to check out.

"The Wire" is a mix of heavy percussion and indie vocals, with some nice electric guitar thrown in for good measure.  All of the girls sound different vocally, but they still have incredible harmony and work well together.  "The Wire" is hella catchy too...though isn't most of what I post catchy?  Just do me a favor and give it a listen.  There's not much else to say about that.

Slipknot - Vendetta

I've been featuring quite a bit of metal lately, but I promise that after today, there will be a touch more variety.  Don't you worry your pretty little head.  We can end this metal run on a good note by looking at my old favourite, Slipknot.  Well, they're still a favourite now, but not the favourite.  Even so, the eight (or the nine, depending on how serious I take my fanship) will always have a special place in my music-loving heart.  "Vendetta" is a favourite from their last (hopefully not last forever) album, All Hope Is Gone, and it's pretty much a good stomp-your-feet-headbang-away nu metal track.  Corey's vocals are softer than you may expect, but still hold a lot of power to each word.  By god, his voice on the bridge is brilliant, and don't even get me started on how the instruments change it up there either.  The guitar work is nice and heavy, and Joey Jordison never ceases to stop killing it on the drums either.  "Vendetta" is a Slipknot song that's more accessible to everyone, though you don't need to be afraid of them.  If a sweet little thing like me could get into them, I bet you could too.

Let's pretend we're not at the end, pretend, that we have nothing left.

Protest The Hero - Skies + LYRICS

I got Protest The Hero's new Volition the Thursday after it came out, so about a week and a half ago, and by god, it's already the best album I've heard in 2013.  I mean it.  They've improved upon everything they've done before.  You've got the lush sound of Fortress and Kezia, the thrash from Scurrilous, and the vocal prowess of A Calculated Use of Sound.  The boys of PTH have grown up well, it seems.  Lamb of God's Chris Adler also does all of the drums on this album...yeah.  I enjoy the album more as the days pass, but "Skies" will always be the best one.

"Skies" is classic Protest The Hero, but it's also something new at the same time.  The slow start is something you don't see very often from the band, but it works here, and it leads into something great.  This is a six-and-a-half minute wonder.  You've got superb lyrical content (which I have to include, of course), lush instrumental work that still retains a good amount of prog and thrash, and vocal work from Mr. Walker that makes everything he'd sung before sound terrible.  There's also some guest vocal work from a few guys I haven't heard of, but they add their own flavor while still leaving Rody in center stage.  "Skies" will ruin your life, simply put.  It just gets into your head and doesn't want to leave, and that's perfectly fine with me.

Cough, gasp, and sputter, spinning helplessly down toward the earth.
A loss of control, the sky swallows whole.
Falling down, down. Forever falling down, down, down.


But is it entirely a flightless fall?
No deceptive currents, no rise at all?
Maybe it’s too naive to not jump ship when deviating so drastically from the initial script.


Tremble beneath the weight of inevitability, and all the casualties therein.
Cower in the shadow of the ever-present sun, witness eclipsing, eclipsing, eclipsed.


Is it completely void? Or is the truth in shade?
Are all the facts before us a masquerade?
Suffering no deceit, no selfish lies, we stand in our own crypt and we mobilize, waking up to blazing heat and the stench of rancid meat.
Don’t have the patience or the time to repeat mistakes. 
Like high, hot hauls, through highway tolls with bigger brothers for hungry trolls.
Each horn sharpened by eye sockets torn, standing on the graves of the worn. 
Welcome to the place integrity is born.
Heart in the right place, just missing the mark.
Feigning exception is a shot in the dark.
With no remorse and no regret, is anybody listening yet?


Tremble beneath the weight of inevitability, and all the casualties therein.
Cower in the shadow of the ever-present sun, witness eclipsing, eclipsing, eclipsed


Bask in uncertainty.
Strange things can happen when faced with adversity.
Ask and you shall receive, or swing frantic your arms.
Fate is nothing but a nervous belief.


I don’t believe the end is in pavement.
I don’t believe there’s anything beneath.
I don’t believe there’s death in the basement, no I don’t believe.


Embrace the fall, there is no end.
No ambiguous hypothesis to comprehend.
No bruised and battered egos in descent’s entire ethos.
No magnificent creation myth.
No wind to pad the story with.
Only I will never quit, or watch my brothers quit, but I’ll lower down a lifeboat if you’re abandoning the ship.
“True sailing’s dead,” should have been the first thing said before the writing could be written, 
before the writing could be read.


The wreckage was never found, but the black box was recovered.
The message therein profound.
In our final moments our true names are all discovered.


So let it fall.
Even if it turns out to be futile, at least we couldn’t ask for a sky so clear or a day more beautiful.
They’ll never find the wreckage, transcending all human languages.
Just a promise and a final message: the descent is all there truly ever is. 
Just a promise and a final message: the descent is all there truly ever is. 
Just a promise and a just a promise and a  final message: the fall is all there ever is
Just a promise and a final message: the descent is all there truly ever is. 
Just a promise and a just a promise and a final message: the fall is all there ever is

Stumble beneath the radar,
big holes in each great city is all the evidence I need.
Knowledge often beckons and can lead astray.
Whisper release me, release me, release.


Dive into an endless sea.
No reason to falter
no plan supersedes.
Altering frequencies, but we welcome the change.
Fate is nothing but a nervous disease.

Cough, gasp, and sputter
Spinning helplessly down toward the earth
A loss of control, the sky swallows whole
Spinning down, down, forever falling down, down, down...

Julie Kathryn - In My Dreams

Who is Julie Kathryn, you ask?  Well, she's going to be the next big thing, that's what!  The New York City chanteuse is a hybrid of Norah Jones, Florence + The Machine, and Bebe Black....now that's what I call a winning combination.  Her debut Black Trees is out now, though you can find it for free on Noisetrade if they've still got it there too.  I highly recommend it, because it's one of the best albums I've heard in the past year, no foolin'!

"In My Dreams" is a delicate and soulful track, with dark piano and guitar work and an atmosphere that will have you in an endless slow dance with the man you once loved.  Gah, it's beautiful!  Julie Kathryn's voice is soft, smokey and generally brilliant...this track you don't hear it as much, but sometimes I swear she sounds just like Norah Jones.  It may not scream catchy at first, but "In My Dreams" has a chorus that is bound to get stuck in your head eventually.  This one will be in your dreams.

Alison Krauss & Union Station - If I Didn't Know Any Better

I don't listen to much country, I'll admit, but I do hold that the country I do like is the best of the best.  Carrie Underwood is the queen, obviously, but I've had a soft spot for Alison Kruass ever since I heard of her collab with Robert Plant years ago.  She does her own stuff too, obviously, though on the album Lonely Runs Both Ways (which is awesome, by the way), she works with Union Station, which is kind of her backing band, and also her original band.  It's more a bluegrass album, but I take what I can get.

"If I Didn't Know Any Better" is good because it's not the kind of country music that's too overpowering.  It must be the bluegrass that runs through the acoustic guitar work.  Alison Krauss is brilliant, obviously, and her vocal work here is as amazing as it's always been.  The instrumental work really brings it to the next level here.  This isn't your mother's country, let me tell you that.  The flow of the music is simply stunning, and it all just sounds so sweet and sad at the same time.  If I didn't know any better, it doesn't get much better than this.

Tool - Stinkfist

If this blog needs anything, it's definitely more Tool.  I got 10,000 Days when it came out back in 2006 (flashback alert), and was mostly in a neutral fan zone.  That was until my brother's friend sent all of her CDs over to me to borrow, and Lateralus, Undertow and Ænima came my way.  Funny thing, now I've got the whole discography, and I love it.  Their old stuff is even better than "Vicarious" and "The Pot."  From the latter of the albums listed comes today's selection, and boy, is it a doozy.  Don't be intimidated by Tool, this is the band for cool kids.

"Stinkfist" may conjure a crude image, but lead Maynard James Keenan has said that this one is about "choosing compassion over fear," and not necessarily taking a hand up the butt (sorry, mom!).  Keeping this in mind, the lyrical content can take on something crude....and I thought upon first listen that this was a sweet love song!  Oh god, I love being proven wrong.  As long as you're not squeamish, you'll get into it.  Some people online have found their own interpretations, and some of them make sense, so I'll leave the grand scheme of things up to you, the listener here.  Lyrics aside, I like the quiet vocals on the verses and power-hungry singing on the chorus, and the guitar work of early Tool makes me wish more and more that they hurry up and finish their fifth album already.  If there's anything like "Stinkfist" on the new album, I'll be a happy camper.

A$AP Rocky - Goldie

I've got a bit of A$AP Rocky in my collection, but sadly, this blog hasn't seen much of his music (aside from a Lloyd Banks collab...note to self: reacquaint myself with that one).  He's definitely not a rapper I'd expect to disappear from everyone's radar, because his strength is in his versatility.  Rocky can do the aggressive gangster rap thing, but like he does in "Goldie," the subdued thing works just was well.  The song still retains a good gangster rap sound as well, so there's nothing too soft about this one.  The background beats are very nice, the rhymes are slick, and there's one super-catchy-but-crude (depending on how much of a prude you are) part (mentioned below) that I absolutely love for both the content and flow.  Apparently "Goldie" was meant for Jay-Z, which I can kind of imagine, but Rocky has it now, and he does amazing things with it, just as he'll continue to do into the future.

Tell that bitch, hop up on my dick, rolled up on her quick,
In a six, told her suck a dick, motorboat her tits

Within Temptation feat. Tarja Turunen - Paradise (What About Us)

This blog has been lacking in its usual Nightwish quota, I know, but this still counts.  First, we have Within Temptation.  I'm a big fan of their work, obviously, because they do symphonic metal simply amazing.  That's a fact.  Second, we have Tarja on guest vocals, and just as obvious, I'm just as big of a fan of hers.  This is why I can't believe that "Paradise (What About Us)" only crossed my path by accident, and that I didn't know of the collaboration until a few weeks after it was released.  Well, at least I've got it now.

On "Paradise," Within Temptation's lead Sharon den Adel and Tarja work together like this collab was meant to be all along.  We can dream of Tarja working as the lead of another band, right?  This is a big epic symphonic number that reminds me of Dark Passion Play-era Nightwish, but if Tarja was a part of it.  Yeah, "Paradise" is Nightwish-y, but you have to kind of anticipate that with the original lead hanging around.  That point aside, it's catchy.  I get this song stuck in my head regularly, and to stand out in the symphonic metal world, you need to be memorable to get by.  Within Temptation gets by, and then some.

Meshuggah - Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion

I think the defining moment I had a metalhead was when I found out Meshuggah was an "extreme metal" band, and I was confused because they didn't really sound that extreme to me.  I suppose I've been desensitized to this kind of thing, after ten years of headbanging my life away.  Also, "Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion" is really where I started with Meshuggah, and I'm only now getting into more of their work, so maybe the most extreme stuff is still out there, waiting for me to uncover.  I'll keep you posted on that, you can be sure.  Meshuggah, to me, is for the most metal of the metalheads.  Casual listeners beware, this will either infect your soul in a good or bad way.

"Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion" is a dark and heavy little thing, and kind of reminds me of Amon Amarth, but less folk and even more death.  The instrumental work may sound innocent enough upon first listen, but the darkness really lies in Jens Kidman's impressive growling work.  Now that is one of best growls in the metal genre, believe me.  I didn't know if I would like Meshuggah before this, but "Break Those Bones..." pleasantly surprised me.  Now I've got to see what else Koloss has to offer me.  So I've gone from punk, to metalcore, to post-hardcore, to experimental, to folk, to death, and now extreme.  I'll stay here for a while and see what's going on, but I'm more intrigued by where metal will take me next.

Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out

Well, I've done it again.  This 100 took a little longer to get through than the last, but my friends, this is the 700th post.  As the faithful readers know, every 100 posts is reserved for something that's especially brilliant.  You know, the forever-and-ever faves.  I knew this blog was missing something, as I sorted through my songs to find the perfect one for post number 700, and it wasn't long before I got it.  I haven't posted any Florence + The Machine!  I've been a fan for a while, though I count myself a very big fan of "Shake It Out," and the accompanying music video that may be one of the best music videos ever made.

All of these questions, such a mournful sound, tonight I'm going to bury that horse in the ground.

"Shake It Out" runs deep with lyrical genius, unique instrumental work, and power and emotion that only Florence Welch can pull off.  She sounds better singing here than she does in anything else, I'll promise you that.The song also oozes with this nice lush and opulent feeling (reinforced by the video, but listen to the song by itself first) that makes "Shake It Out" something like Lana Del Rey crossed with Sarah McLachlan and a dash of Fiona Apple.  That being said, it's still all on Flo.  She is going to be the artist we look back on in 20 years, and remember the way we do the likes of Carole King, Stevie Nicks, and all those folk-rock queens.  I dare you to listen to this and don't fall in love.  Triple dog dare you.

Lights - Savior

Lights' debut album, The Listening, will always be a forever fave of mine.  It was simply a perfect collection of electro pop, and by god, it's just as beautiful today as it was in 2009.  I remember seeing the video for "Savior" on Much Music, back when there were still good videos on that channel, and simply falling in love with that raven-haired girl on the keytar.  The video is still a favourite of mine, with the cartoonish sci-fi characters sprinkled throughout the three-and-a-half minute stretch.  As a song, "Savior" is a delicate little thing, though it bursts with emotion and power when it's needed.  To me, it's more electro than her later work, and that's what I enjoy the most about it.  The synths...oh god, the synths.  Bowie is proud of the synth work here, if he knows it or not.  Now, get on with watching the video before I make you.  It's all brilliant.

Matenrou Opera - Otoshiana no Soko wa Konna Sekai

Last year I didn't really do anything spooky for my Halloween post, so this will probably be as spooky as it gets.  After all, what is more terrifying than visual kei?  I kid, because I do really enjoy today's selection, and wasn't really aware it was visual kei until I did some preliminary research the other day.  For those out of the loop, visual kei is a genre/movement in Japanese music that takes pride in being elaborate and androgynous.  They're doing a good job of it too, because I'm 95% the band is all-male and damn Sono sounds like a beautiful woman.  Without knowing what they look like, all you get is this strange variety of symphonic metal that comes through in "Otoshiana no Soko wa Konna Sekai."

"Otoshiana no Soko wa Konna Sekai" is what Nightwish would sound like if they were Japanese and if Floor was a boy.  That's how you can start out with this one, because it's complex to boot.  I don't think of it as visual kei, but an exotic subgenre of the symphonic subgenre.  Also, I have no idea what they're singing about, but it all just sounds amazing regardless.  The guitar work is stellar as well...something you'd see from Epica or even Sirenia.  It won't be long before you're saying Otoshiana no Soko wa Konna Sekai without having to check if you're saying it right.  Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to see what else visual kei can offer me.

Happy Halloween!

Little Green Cars - Big Red Dragon

Wednesday may be hump day, but a rough hump day is always cured by cheery indie music.  Today's selection comes from Little Green Cars, a Dublin collective that sounds more like English indie than the Irish variety, but I take what I get.  They're still good.  Their work kind of reminds me of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, but a little more alt-indie than they are.  "Big Red Dragon" is a catchy little number that will have you chanting oh my god along with the band members, and that guitar work has me drooling.  It's effortless instrumental work, but without it, "Big Red Dragon" wouldn't be the song that it is.  This makes me wish that I had a little choir following me around to sing along to my day....

The Orb feat. Lee Scratch Perry - Ball of Fire

I know that I've been dragging my feet through October, but I'll be damned if I don't post today, because I know that I can, and I don't want to keep things like "Ball of Fire" to myself anymore.  Here we have two great things coming together for something that may never have happened if you asked me ten years ago.  Ambient and reggae made a love child, and this is what it is.  We take The Orb, an ambient electronic duo that's a big name in the electro community, and add Lee Scratch Perry, legendary reggae great.  Together, there's no stopping them.

"Ball of Fire" comes off of their collaborative effort The Orbserver In The Star House, and that's an album I really need to listen to now that it's come up.  "Ball of Fire" may sound like dark reggae at first, but there are many layers to this one thanks to The Orb.  Lee Scratch Perry's doing this strange spoken-word-but-singing shtick that Ke$ha could never understand (sorry, my love), and it's all to something that sounds like a dark and twisted version of Rio's carnival, but slowed down and tripped up.  "Ball of Fire" takes place in a strange world, where genres blend and nothing is as it seems.  Well, this seems pretty good.  In fact, it is.

Kalmah - Seventh Swamphony

I've been sitting on "Seventh Swamphony" for a little while now, deciding when the right time to reveal it would be, but now is the time, my friends.  It comes from Kalmah, a Finnish melodic death metal (still riding that kick, it seems) band that kind of reminds me of Equilibrium, but less folk metal and more death.  Listening to the bridge that comes in about halfway through, it's Equilibrium meets Avenged Sevenfold.  It's nice, if you're into some good growling and heavy guitar work.  "Seventh Swamphony" is off of their last album of the same name, and it doesn't sound as swampy as some of the folk songs I'm currently obsessed with, but that good kick of melodic death is something that I can never say no to.  The guitar work is quick, but you can still appreciate it quite well, and the growling is spot-on.  I like being able to understand the words of the song now and then, and Kalmah's got it.  Oh boy, do they got it.

Even better, the video is pretty awesome too.  So you know...check it out already.

Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou - Spin Me A Rhyme

The husband and wife team of Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou named their duo after themselves, which is perfectly fine, because they're awesome.  The English duo have folk down pat, with a little indie twist to boot.  It's all good for me.  I've had "Spin Me A Rhyme" for a while now, and recently rediscovered it within my own collection.  Well, it's finally here and ready for you all to appreciate.  It reminds me of a folkier version of Fleetwood Mac, updated too, of course.  The acoustic guitar work is nice and sweet, and the vocal work from Hannah-Lou follows suit as well.  This could have done just as well in the seventies with that shaking tambourine in the back.  The best part is that "Spin Me A Rhyme" is hella infectious, crafted to get stuck in your head and brighten your day all in the same three-minute timespan.  I'm onto their plan...and it's working...maybe too well...

Moist - Ophelia

Ah, sometimes I miss late-90s-early-2000s alternative enough that I have to watch a really bad teen movie to listen to it.  Well, not anymore, though.  A while ago I found the very first Big Shiny Tunes album at Value Village, which I bought mostly for the nostalgia and also for it being the first.  Until I bought that album, I had never heard of Moist, a four-piece Canadian group that is apparently back again after a record thirteen-year absence.  Well, well, would you look at the things you learn from Wikipedia searches.  Since buying that Big Shiny Tunes album, I also bought Creature and Silver, and from the former comes the great "Ophelia."

"Ophelia" is some lovely late-90s alternative, which reaches its peak at each instance of I'm letting Ophelia die.  The lyrical work is a little dark upon research, but understand that it's a bit of a sour love story, tinged with regret and a but of yearning for the past as well.  The guitar work is solid...some of the best I've heard from this era of alternative music, and obviously, we have to have a collection psychedelic sounds before the guitar solo in the bridge.  "Ophelia" is pure nostalgia for my generation, and by god, what beautiful nostalgia this is.

Kanye West feat. KiD CuDi and Raekwon - Gorgeous

Simply put, Kanye is one of my forever faves.  I say this every time that I write about him, but it still has to be said.  You can't name another rapper who's done what he's done, I'll tell you that.  Today we'll look at something off of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and album that has been growing on me for the last three years, to be honest.  Kanye went over-the-top for the sound, and sometimes, like with the case of "Gorgeous," it pays off.  He's also got help from Kid Cudi and Raekwon, both rappers that I love and respect.  Cudi and Kanye are a bromance that was meant to be, sure, but he's got just as much chemistry working with Raekwon.

"Gorgeous" is an electric-guitar tinged track that has a certain swagger to it, which is a good thing in this case, don't worry.  Dare I say it, the guitar work sounds a little bit like Daft Punk.  Kanye's in charge once again, sending some slick rhymes our way.  Cudi and Raekwon are as perfect as featured artists can be; they're awesome, but don't overshadow Mr. West.  There's a reason that "Gorgeous" has been in and out of my head since this album came out.  It's got something that keeps you coming back for more, the same something Kanye's been using to keep me around for this long.  Let's hope that it lasts even longer.

CHVRCHES - Recover

It's true, sometimes itunes does give you some great free music on Tuesdays.  A few weeks ago, the catch of the week came from CHVRCHES.  The Scottish three-piece is a group that I'm very glad to have encountered, because they sound like a sugary, less-club version of Dragonette.  Gah, I'm in heaven.  "Recover" is my weapon of choice, and it sounds like something like a hymnal in a stained-glass church mixed with sharp electric David Bowie-esque synths.  It's a lot to take in at first, sure, but it's heavenly.  Lead Lauren Mayberry is angelic, and Iain Cook and Martin Doherty on the instruments compliment her voice to a T.  "Recover" is beautiful and overwhelming, and hell, you're going to need a moment to recover after this one.

Nightwish - Dark Chest Of Wonders

It's been a while since we've had some Nightwish here....so....Nightwish!  They made a semi-big announcement recently, though I kind of expected it.  Floor is now the permanent lead singer, and they even added another band member for good measure.  I'm still a little iffy about how I feel about her, but she does sound a little more like Tarja than Anette did, if that's something.  She's a goddamn beast too, but that's beside the point.  The point today is that I've been getting more and more into Once lately, the last album that Tarja recorded with the band.  Well, I've already featured "Planet Hell," "Ghost Love Score" and "The Siren," so now it's time for...something else.

"Dark Chest of Wonders" gets stuck in my head a lot, because first and foremost, it's the kind of symphonic metal song that can get stuck in your head and stay there.  The guitar work is surprisingly heavy, and Tarja's vocals are less crazy opera and more refined opera.  She can't sing without sounding like she's on stage belting out her heart, but she's scaled back a little with "Dark Chest of Wonders," and that's what I like.  It kind of has a similar sound to what you could find on Imaginaerum...Anette could take this one on just as well.  All in all, it's a solid track from a band that stays solid no matter who's at the helm of the ship.  I guess we'll see what Floor can do with it now...

Wild Child - Tale Of You & Me

Noisetrade has been fueling a good indie kick for me lately, and I blame the really good mix of songs I got from Austin, Texas' Wild Child, a seven-piece indie folk pop dream team that made quite the leap onto my radar in the past few weeks.  They just released The Runaround a week ago, but today's selection comes from the amazing Pillow Talk.  Seriously, before we can get any farther, look these guys up and get downloading now.

"Tale Of You & Me" is a song in two parts.  In the first half, we have an Americana-gypsy-folk-fest in the form of a conversation between lead singers Alexander Beggins and Kelsey Wilson.  I kid you not, they sound like Mumford & Sons dueling with a banjo and a folkified Hayley Williams all at once, and it's beautiful.  It's a great start, and it gets better.  There's a switch about halfway through, where "Tale Of You & Me" becomes like a less gospel-ish version of Blood Warrior, where a chorus repeats sleep good and hold tight, just know I'll make it right.  All the while, you still get the folky elements that drew you in from the beginning.  I don't throw the word perfect around very often (well, I might, but who cares?), but this here is simply...perfect.

Protest The Hero - C'est La Vie

It's been enough time since the last Protest The Hero post, so it's that time again.  Their new album release is fast approaching, but I'm still listening to Scurrilous until my heart is content.  I still remember finding it by surprise at Wal-Mart a few years ago, wondering why I'd been so out of the loop that I didn't know they had a third album coming out.  This year I'm on the ball, though.  I'll be the first person in town to own Volition.

"C'est La Vie" jumped out to me at first because it's the first track on the album, but what an opener, let me tell you that.  It's some coarse and crazy progressive metal, perhaps a mathier sound that what you could find on Fortress, but still refined enough that it's not over the top.  It's a complex track, but when is anything from Protest The Hero ever exactly what you think it is?  The lyrical content is suicidal in nature, with lines like stepped off a building to find some concrete evidence that he'd ever make an impact (holy shit, that's good) and stepped off a platform and he briefly made the news and even stepped off a bridge so he could make a splash.  My highlight is Mr. Walker's gritty another lamb that chose the slaughter.  In a nutshell, "C'est La Vie" is a strong dark ditty that shows PTH's growth as a band.  I can't wait to see what's next.

St. Lucia - Before The Dive

Alright, alright, I'm back, and I've brought some nice poppy alternative music with me from Noisetrade, which has been giving me some great material for the next few weeks.  St. Lucia is Jean-Phillip Grobler and the gang jamming with something that sounds like a delicious tropical version of Passion Pit, though not too island-y at the same time.  He's a transplant from South Africa, if that helps to explain the differences in sound.  He's got an album out now, but I got his Elevate EP for free, and am enjoying the hell out of it.

"Before The Dive" is the highlight of an EP full of highlights, with the help of a female vocalist I can't really identify.  But we've got everything we need for something magical to happen.  The synths are lovely, the keyboard makes me want to travel into the jungle just to dance, and the vocal work is delicious electro-alt that reminds me a little of Everything Everything.  Delicious seems to be the word of the day for this one, and seriously, if you at least like Passion Pit, you'll love St. Lucia and "Before The Dive."

Lana Del Rey - American

Lorde may be talking smack about my girl Lana lately, but I'll never have anything bad to say about her.  who cares about that lush opulent feeling from her music?  That's what gives it its edge, people!  Lana gives everything she does an rich depth, just like our very own gangster Nancy Sinatra should be.  We've got the short film Tropico coming out soon, which is something to look forward to, and a third album that may or may not happen to boot, but at least we've got a lot of older work that makes the up-in-the-air notion of her future a little better feeling.  Take her Paradise EP for example, and a nice good song like "American."  That's all we need, right?

"American" has that old-world Americana charm that always gets me drooling when I listen to Lana's work.  This woman is nothing but an artist, the world is her muse, and our ears are her canvas.  "American" could have been in The Great Gatsby movie just as much as "Young and Beautiful" was, if you ask me, but it also has a hint of the Born To Die sound in it too.  This EP was serious growth from her major label debut, and "American" is that delicious cherry on top of a cherry sundae.  Opulent?  Lush?  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Deftones - Romantic Dreams

I've been getting more and more into Deftones lately, and last night, I had an epiphany as to why.  In a nutshell, they're the alternative metal version of Chevelle.  A lightbulb has gone off, and now my entire life makes sense.  Well, maybe not, but it's pretty cool to realize things like this.  Now, you remember that lovely track "Swerve City" that I featured a while ago, right?  Well, why don't we take another look at Koi No Yokan, the album it came from, and see what other gems we can find, perhaps "Romantic Dreams"...

"Romantic Dreams" is a lovely lush sounding piece of alternative metal, that's kind of like a longer, more angsty version of "Swerve City," and if you know how much I love that song, then you can imagine how I feel about this one.  We can sum up the lyrical content by the line I wish this night would never end, and that's because it seems to be about that lovin' feeling, and it should be when the song is called "Romantic Dreams."  But is it a dream?  I'm hypnotized by your name could suggest so.  The instrumental work is very lush and organic-sounding too.  Everything just flows together, the exact way that it should.

Disturbed - Pain Redefined

I remember when I bought Ten Thousand Fists, my first Disturbed album in a collection that would soon grow very rapidly.  There was something about it that simply spoke to me, just as the band's music still continues to do to this day.  If it wasn't for this album, who knows when I would have gotten into Disturbed?  I first saw the "Land of Confusion" video on TV, fell in love, heard "Stricken" by chance, and fell in love enough that I got the album with money from my tutoring job.  Who knew that the shiniest gem of them all was waiting for me there?

I have fallen again, this is the end.

"Pain Redefined" simply sounds like nothing else.  It's indicative Disturbed, the kind of song that you hear and think yeah, this is what nu metal is supposed to sound like.  Mr. Draiman slays it with vocals, sounding a bit like he used to on the good tracks of The Sickness, and the instrumental work is spot-on with a hint of technical-sounding samples.  It gives "Pain Redefined" a little (just a smidge) flavor of 80's rock that we can see in the original "Land of Confusion."  The lyrics are freaking amazing too; many MSN statuses came from this, and back then, that's how I knew a song was amazing.  I still know, with this one.

Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me

Remember when Mike Posner was a thing a few years ago?  He had a good run, but most of his music wasn't as thrilling as I would have liked it to be.  Don't even get me started on that one song he did with Lil Wayne that I can't remember the name of, the one where he wore an afro in the video.  We had our fun with Mike, but then it was time to move on.  Well, putting the dark parts of the past aside, there is one song by him that I can't help but love, and by now, you should know what that would be.  "Cooler Than Me" is a soft hip-hop song that never ceases to be stuck in my head after giving it a listen.  I like the Daft-Punk-esque electric guitar at the beginning, and the light club thumping that dominates the rest of the song.  It's never too much, but just right.  At the same time, it's nothing too pretentious either.  I like it.  So forget the rest of his stuff, this is where the money is.

Michael Bublé Feat. Naturally 7 - Stardust

I don't care what you say, the biggest Michael Bublé fan in the world is my sister.  When she turned seventeen, I got her his Crazy Love album (probably his best work, I think), and before I knew it, I was falling in love too.  He follows the same scheme that ABBA does in my heart: you can't listen to him and not be happy.  It's a requirement.  It's also very hard to pick one song that really defines Mr. Bublé, but I have to go with his cover of Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust," which comes with some help courtesy of the acappella Naturally 7.

"Stardust" takes you a land of yesteryear, where jazz was simply the smoothest, and there were no worries of crazy albums that were a departure from the artist's original work.  Michael Bublé's covers are always wonderful, and this one is no exception.  It would have succeeded back in the time that the music and lyrics were written, just as much as it succeeds today.  I wouldn't mind slow dancing to this one at all, just as it should be with any good jazzy love song.  He's done it again, people!

The Birthday Massacre - Calling

Well, what do you know?  Last year I got both The North and The Birthday Massacre's Hide and Seek for Christmas, and here they are together again, one blog post after another.  It's like they were meant to be this whole time.  Well, synth rock is always meant to be, and it's hard to find anything wrong with The Birthday Massacre.  I've been in love ever since I heard "Down," and the whole album keeps the ball rolling.  Lately, it's been "Calling" that's got me reeled in for good.

"Calling" is pure alternative synth.  Let's think of it as Metric meets Evanescence, a drool-worthy combination that has me picturing Emily Haines and Amy Lee together on stage.  But I digress, as this is about The Birthday Massacre and their infectious synth rock.  "Calling" is a little dark and a little spooky with some images of being pulled alive into an open grave, perfect for this month, and black ice, I hear you calling out for me tonight, no rest for the soon departed is bound to be stuck in your head by the time the three and a half minutes are up.  So what are you waiting for?  Get on it!

Stars - Lights Changing Colour

Stars is really a Canadian treasure, and if you haven't heard of them before now, failing to read far enough back in my blog to notice, you need to give them a listen.  Indie has never sounded sweeter from another five-piece out there.  Now, In Our Bedroom After The War is hands down their best work, but I've been getting more and more into The North lately.  I got it for Christmas last year, and even though I've found that lately I'm not as good at listening to an entire album as I used to be, it's all amazing.  There are no faults to be found here.

"Lights Changing Colour" is a sweet and somber little thing with Amy Millan in charge of all of the vocal work and the background music reminiscent of something you'd hear on a Sarah McLachlan album.  There is a real feel of despair, like the scene of a movie where the main character sadly walks through dark streets on their own.  Good music should inspire images, and that's what "Lights Changing Colour" does.  Now I've just got to get another album out of them soon...

SL Jones - Bet It Up

The perfect way to end to month of September is by giving you guys a hella good rap track.  From Little Rock comes SL Jones, who I have a few tracks from, but never got into too much.  A few weeks ago "Bet It Up" came up while I had my library on shuffle, and since then, I knew that it needed to be shared.  Now, "Bet It Up" isn't the melancholy rap you may know me to feature.  This reminds me of the days where I'd be listening to Nelly, Chingy and the like, but thankfully, SL Jones is more refined than Chingy.  "Bet It Up" definitely has a southern flair that can only come from the deep south, and boy, is it catchy.  I wouldn't mind dancing to this next time I go out.  SL Jones is definitely someone to watch out for in the next few years; I see big things for this guy.

Soilwork - Long Live The Misanthrope

I never get tired of any incarnation of melodic metal.  Melodic metalcore, melodic power metal, melodic death metal, melodic folk metal...it's all good to me.  Let's focus on the death side of the spectrum today, as we look at a band that I've been sitting on for a while (I wish), waiting for the right moment to reveal.  Soilwork is a Swedish band that has been around for a while now, but I only caught wind of their efforts in the last year or so.  Their work is never too death for me, and it's the melodic element that makes their work memorable and infectious.  Don't be scared if death metal has done you wrong in the past; there is hope for everyone to get heavier.

"Long Live The Misanthrope" is the Soilwork song that I've been listening to a lot lately.  The guitar work is superb, the gritty-growling-tinge-of-clean vocals are hard to compare to anyone else, and by god, this is just as heavy as I like my melodic death metal to be.  If I have to compare them to anyone, I'm thinking the melodic death counterpart of Slipknot...with some elements of another band I can't put my finger on in the chorus.  Whatever it is, Soilwork is prominent on my radar right now, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them a little better now...

Alanis Morissette - Torch

You should know that I love few artists unconditionally.  Everything they do is brilliant, and I'm always looking forward to what will come next.  One of those artists is Alanis Morissette, and recently, I've gotten back into some of her more recent work, and off of Flavours of Entanglement comes "Torch."  You all remember when Alanis was shacked up with Ryan Reynolds, right?  "Torch" is what she wrote after the breakup, and listening to it, you understand that there is both pain and growth.  Even though this album had a newer sound for Alanis, "Torch" reminds me of the good o' Under Rug Swept.  It's slow and it's sincere, and it pulses with true heartbreak.  There's hope behind the words as well, and that's what gives "Torch" its punch.  Things are bad, but they will be better.  Alanis, you've done it again.