The xx Just Want You To Be More Affectionate

2017 is off to a slow start new music wise, but today The xx seized the opportunity by releasing a new single titled Say Something Loving. It fits the Indie/Electro, vocal driven style they've become known for, but this time around they really layered on the emotion. Following a steady ebb and flow beat cooked up by Jamie xx, Romy and Oliver trade heart wrenching vocals that plead for the listener to be more affectionate.
It's a rare song that I wasn't really a fan of on first listen, but after a few laps around it, I can't seem to stop pressing play. Being a fan of lyrically depressing songs, this one is sticking on me. The track is the second single off their upcoming album, I See You. As icing on the cake, yesterday they tweeted a karaoke session in Japan where they are singing the song. It's a small thing, but little snippet performances can give much needed context to a new track. Needless to say, I'm a fan...#SaySomethingLoving

A few weeks ago we were in Tokyo and filmed ourselves doing karaoke to our new song 'Say Something Loving', we had a lot of fun! xx The xx pic.twitter.com/zctL2funtL

— The xx (@The_xx) January 1, 2017

The xx - Say Something Loving

"I Count My Time in Dog Years, Swimming in Sevens"

By now, you've probably seen Pharrell's buzzworthy reaction and heard Maggie Rogers debut single Alaska. I don't need to tell you how soothing her music is or that she's an incredibly talented vocalist. Whatever it is, she has it and lucky for us, she's decided to more openly share her talents with us. Her new song, Dog Years, is just as memorable as her debut in that it has a relaxing ebb and flow that puts on full display her range as a singer. The electro-synth instrumental does exactly what it needs to by giving her a simple canvas to paint a beautiful story. If you're wondering what the song is about, it's basically the feeling of nostalgia...

"Dog Years is about a day I skipped class to stay in bed and make frozen pizza with a boy I loved. Dog Years is about dance parties in the kitchen. Dog Years is about chocolate milk and the Tompkins Square dog park. Dog Years is about a thank you note. Dog Years is about change, about loving and leaving and still loving, about trusting yourself, about trusting the universe, about being a good friend and never having enough time." - Maggie Rogers

I'm convinced that it's only a matter of time before Maggie has us all eating from the palm of her hand. She's only two official tracks deep, but I want to hear more and more and more. Needless to say I'm going to continue F5-ing the internet until it delivers me more of her music...#DogYears
Maggie Rogers - Dog Years

"We're Livin' Out the Back of the Car"

There's being poor and then there's being proud to be poor. RAC's newest one with Nate Hendricks falls under the latter of those two with a jubilant pop anthem about living out the back of the car. In sort of a Indie pop sort of way, Back of the Car makes for a perfect road trip track. For over four minutes you feel like they're saying the exact same phrase, but it's such a cool mix of chill and happy that it's easy to give it a pass. For me, it's the acoustic guitar during the hook that pushes the track toward it's infectious heights. Windows down, rocking this one the way to Happy Hour tomorrow...make it happen...#BackOfTheCar

RAC feat Nate Hendricks - Back of the Car

"Some Hearts They Burn Like a Wildfire"

In the same way I find the Haim sisters' music mesmerizing, Scavenger Hunt has this fun, throwback sound to their music that resonates with me. It sounds like it's straight out of the 80s, but I was born in the 80s, so you could argue I grew up on pop music that sounded just like this. If you need a quick refresher on Scavenger Hunt, give a quick look at their recent featurette that was created to hype their upcoming EP...

Wildfire represents everything I remember about Scavenger Hunt when I posted their first single Lost. It's easy listening, light and catchy as hell. It's not usually what I post on the site, but that's the point. The second my posts become predictable on a daily basis, you guys probably won't be finding this space on the internet as fun as it used to be, so cheers to broadening your horizons tonight kind listener...#Wildfire

Scavenge Hunt - Wildfire

Some Carefree Music From Two Great Up and Comers

Seeing that both Miami Horror and RAC are noteworthy names on this section of the internet, a collaboration between the two elicited some genuine excitement tonight. What I heard wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but RAC's mix of Wild Motion is about as carefree as a dude smoking a blunt walking down the street. It's smooth, funky and Indie to the point that you can envision hipsters singing along with every lyric. If you're not wearing a smile and starting to get ready for the weekend after a few listens, then you may want to hit the next blog button...#WildMotion

Miami Horror - Wild Motion (RAC Mix)

"I'm Just a Believer That Things Will Get Better"

As a broad generalization, I generally gravitate toward uplifting music. Whether that be uptempo beats or lyrics that are inspirational or fun, genre matters less when there's an underlying positivity about it. A great example is American Authors track Believer, which is a feel-good Alt-rock track with a positive message. Check the original below...

Evidently Tiesto felt the same way because he blessed it with an equally uplifting EDM version. Basically take the lyrics of the original, add in a few drops and some fist pump inducing synths and you've got yourself a remix. It's a fun addition to an already solid track that translates it to a completely different audience...#Believer

American Authors - Believer (Tiesto Remix)

"Finish What We Started, We'll Be the Lionhearted"

Admittedly, I'm about four years behind on the Porter Robinson train. Since the age of 18 he's been on the rise, reaching the top of Beatport's overall chart three times before the age of 21. Over the past year he's been dominating the main stage of all your favorite festivals including Ultra, Tomorrowland and Bonaroo to name a few.

Rather than focus on what he's done, let's talk about what he's doing now in the form of a studio debut album called Worlds that is going to hit iTunes in mid-August. If you're as behind as I am, you should probably give a listen to the first two singles off the album Sea of Voices and Sad Machine before pressing play below. Lots of progressive house marked by ethereal synths that are more calming and dreamy than excitable.

What I find most cool about his music is the organic Indie vibe he's able to impart into his music. Call it Indie EDM or Indietronica if you want to be super specific, whatever it is, it's imaginative. Lionhearted is a great case in point. With the help of Urban Cone, Porter is able to create a Passion Pit meets funk vibe. All in all, it's upbeat, fun and extremely catchy. Color me excited for the full length studio album if the singles are an accurate representation of what's to come...#Lionhearted

Bonus: Check the video below...

Porter Robinson feat Urban Cone - Lionhearted

"Everything We Touch Turns to Gold at Night"

Would it be unfair to compare Say Lou Lou to MGMT? I ask because the comp was the first thing that came to mind when I listened to Everything We Touch. The vibe of the track is part Madonna, part new school synth-pop aimed directly at the hipsters who want nothing more something a little different, but stress-free.

Sure, it doesn't hurt that they are attractive Swedish/Australian twins, but the duo has a fun aura about their music. The Kilbey sisters are equipped with soft and calming voices that sound powerful when fused together. No word on what their upcoming album will be titled, but word has it, it's going to land on iTunes in September. Let's all collectively hope they can keep their momentum going to a great debut album...#EverythingWeTouch

Say Lou Lou - Everything We Touch

Divergence Continues With Kendrick & Tame Impala

When the tracklist for the Divergent Soundtrack found its way on the internet a few weeks back, the track below was one that I circled with a red pen. Not just because Kendrick Lamar is on top of his game...and Hip Hop for that matter, but because he was collaborating with up-and-coming Australian Indie group Tame Impala. Before you jump to pressing play below, take note that Backwards is a remake of Tame Impala's single Feels Like We Only Go Backwards. Video below for those who aren't aware of the original...
My first reaction when hearing the original was "how old is this because it sounds like it is straight from the 70s?" Taking it one step further, if you like either the original, you need to check out Say Lou Lou's cover of the track, which is every bit as awesome as both versions in this post.

The track may only be a few years old, but it has a throwback vibe to it that adds to the intrigue of Kendrick presence on the new version. You better believe he spits with vigor on the track, yet he finds a way to keep the storytelling accessible by resisting needless vulgarity. It's sad that it's a challenge for most Hip Hop artists to tell a compelling story without raging vulgarity, but this is yet another great example of why we should appreciate the talent of Compton's Prince. Oh and tally another +1 to the Divergent Soundtrack that drops in less than 48 hours...#DivergentSoundtrack

Kendrick Lamar & Tame Impala – Backwards

Indie Music That Will Make You Rush Into Love

God bless the Hipsters! Where would we be without their youthful spirit driving the Indie music scene? I know one thing, I wasn't planning on writing about Dale Earnhart Jr Jr until they started pulling in some of my favorite artists. Slim of 112 had me at Cupid over a decade ago and we all know about my deep seeded infatuation with the better half of The Cool Kids.

Collaborations aside, the cheerful, but heavy synths in Rush Into Love are legitimate super hot freshness. Does the instrumental fit in the 80s? Maybe, but that's part of it's throwback allure. Sure, it could be that I was thrown by a loop by one of my favorite R&B voices crooning over an 80s beat, but when you drop something like that outta left field, I'm all ears. Now, it seems I need to keep an eye out for new music from the tremendously white duo from Detroit with a name that started out as a joke and has subsequently continued to be a joke as they continue to gain followers. Word has it Daniel and Josh are going to release a Produce mixtape soon, but if you're chomping at the bit for music by them give a listen to their latest album, The Speed of Things...#IndieMusic

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. feat. Slim from 112 & Chuck Inglish - Rush Into Love

Chainsmokers Turn NONONO Into YESYESYES

In a turn of events that can only be described as awesome, The Chainsmokers just let loose their second freebie of the year. Yes, of the year, that same year that started two weeks ago. That sort of generosity isn't usually common AFTER the holidays.

In true Chainsmokers fashion, they took another great Indie track and blessed it with their own blend of magical progressive house. This time it happened to be NONONO's hit single Pumpin Blood. Hands down, my favorite part of the remix was the beat breakdown between 2:15-2:45, where they eased off the synth pedals a bit and slowed the beat to a more measured pace. Nice touch, especially when sandwiched between the uptempo bookends of the track. If you're like me, you need to hear the original to judge the remix, so feel free and give it a listen below...
Yep, the whistling is addictive and you'll end up repeating it the rest of the night. Still, not sure I would have enjoyed the original version as much as some of the other awesome Indie artists they have introduced me to like Tove Lo. Circle January 28th on your calendars kids, cause that's they day #Selfie 2.0 will be hitting Beatport. Get excited...#PumpinBlood

NONONO - Pumpin Blood (Chainsmokers Remix)

Diplo Goes All Grizzly Bear on Will Calls

Yet another awesome example of how awesome things are possible when Indie and EDM collide. I've never taken a full dive into the discography of Grizzly Bear, but I do know that my boy Mikey Mike is a huge fan of theirs and he is my go-to for all that is Indie. That being said, you can imagine how excited I was to get served a plate of Grizzly Bear in a way that I can fully appreciate it (EDM).

Diplo deserves the lions share (yea I'm gonna stick with the whole lions, tigers and grizzly bears theme, deal with it) of the credit for this coincidence of awesome. Quirky, bubbly synths mixed with bass works any day of my week, especially when it's set to a backdrop of an interesting Indie act. You better believe I'll be rockin' this throughout Thanksgiving week when I find a way to emerge from multiple food comas to do some cardio...#WillCalls

Grizzly Bear - Will Calls (Diplo remix)

"High Without You Now, Keepin' Up a Life Somehow"

One of the music exciting things happening in right now is the proliferation of Indie music into Hip Hop and EDM. It seems like every time week I hear about well-known Indie artists like Bon Iver collaborating with a Hip Hop or electronic artist. The latest collaboration of the Indie/electronic variety took place this week when dubstep wizard Dillon Francis hooked up with Orlando Higginbottom, aka the English Indie/electronic producer known as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs on Without You. As a quick sidebar, he's got without a doubt one of the the best stage names.

The track starts off like your run of the mill mellow Indie track driven by mundane lyrics. Then, miraculously, the synths come in to save the day with a delightfully cheery pep that acts as a hook. It got my attention real quick and didn't take long to grow on me. If anyone is wondering how mellow can blend well with electronic music without the use of a hook, this is a sparkling example. Still no word when/if we're going to get a debut album out of Dillon, but who needs a full album when singles like this are leading the way...#TEEDinosaurs

Dillon Francis feat Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Without You

Ellie Presses Alt-J and Tesselates

One thing I really appreciate as a constant consumer of music is when an artist that I follow covers a song from an artist that I've never heard of. For example, I'll always have a special place in my heart for Kid Cudi who randomly sampled LCD Soundsystem's Dance Yrself Clean in his track All That Talk. Little did he or I know that his mash up would lead me to being a devout follower of LCD and a fateful night at Philly Cruise Terminal where I got to witness LCD in what I still regard as the most memorable concert I've ever attended.

I use that example to preface Ellie Goulding's recent cover of Alt-J (∆)'s track Tesselate. Prior to the cover I had no idea Alt-J (∆) existed and now I have an appreciation for the British Rock quartet. Below is the original version of their single that was released last summer...

The original is more of a mellow Indie track that Ellie managed to turn into an even mellower jazz cover. Between Ellie's angelic vocals and the saxophone interlude around the 1:30 mark, it's an extremely well done version. Feel free to cool out to this one or at the very least burn it on a cd for your parents because they'll appreciate that their kid doesn't just listen to noisy music with bad language...#Tesselate

Ellie Goulding - Tesselate (Alt-J (∆) Cover)

Julian Gets The Chainsmokers Treatment

It seems like there is an underlying secret relationship that electronic DJs are developing with Indie artists. I'm not talking a Facebook official type of relationship, it's more like electronic music calling Indie music when it needs a piece type of relationship. If I were to over-generalize it, I'd say that Indie music brings an element of unique and unabashed creativity, while electronic music brings energy mainstream radio appeal. It's a symbiotic relationship that usually works out because both sides serve to benefit from each others' strengths. Quick disclaimer - that's not to say that both genres can't find their way onto the radio by themselves or that either genre is more creative than the other, in a nutshell they just work well together like nutella and banana.

Supporting what I just said above, the The Chainsmokers just took a really unique, melodic and slightly haunting Indie track by the Swedish/Australian duo Say Lou Lou and took it to another level. Before you give the remix a listen, check out the original video for Julian below...

After listening to the original, I was left with the same feeling that I get when I listen to Lana Del Rey. There's something mystic and soothing about their vocals that makes it difficult to turn away. Still, after hearing the NYC duo's progressive house remix of the original, it's easy to understand why Indie music can benefit from a BPM spike. The best part about it, all they require is a like to their Facebook page to cop the track. You'll realize that after you listen below...#TeamYogaPants

Say Lou Lou - Julian (The Chainsmokers Remix)

The Day Everyone Got Their RAM

Well now that Daft Punk's new album has finally leaked four days before the official release, Daft Punk did what they could do today by allowing everyone to stream the entire album on iTunes. All you need to do is go to iTunes and click View in iTunes and you can hear the entire album. Kudos to the music industry for adapting to the new culture of music on the internet and realizing that if there is a physical copy of the album somewhere on a truck, it has probably fallen off that trunk already, been ripped and made readily available to everyone on the internet.

After one full lap around the album, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the sound of the album. By new EDM standards, it's definitely not an electronic album. It's more of an intricately composed funk album with a bunch of electronically amplified vocals. It's way more mellow than it is exciting and it's packed to the brim with grown and sexiness. If you were to ask me to pick a quick favorite, I was most intrigued by DP's collaboration with Indie superstar and Animal Collective founder Panda Bear. The simplicity and funkiness of the track is addictive. Panda's vocals are a stark contrast to Daft's usual lyrics and the synth breakdown around the 2:30 mark is pretty cool too. Pretty fun track overall, but it's one man's opinion, go over and pick a favorite yourself on iTunes...#RAM

Daft Punk feat Panda Bear - Doin' it Right

"We're Ridin' on a Wave Baby"

If you're in the mood for some Passion Pit and tired of waiting for new material, let me introduce you to The Crystal Fighters. They have a similar Indie vigor and happy-go-lucky tone that is accomplished through easy listening electronics. Evidently their second album Cave Rave is dropping at the end of May and it will include tracks like their newest single You and I. It feels good to listen to a group I've never heard of, especially when it results in me really liking their music. Hopefully you give them the same chance that I did...#CaveRave

Crystal Fighters - Wave

"Is There a Place Called Love in Modern Hearts?"

Either disco is coming back or there is an Indie electronic movement on the rise. About a year ago, I posted a track by The Knocks called Learn to Fly that sounds pretty similar to their new one with St. Lucia. In a way, The Knocks remind me stylistically of Matt & Kim, which is compliment because their free spirited music is absolutely awesome. Hopefully you're in the mood for something easy listening like I was tonight because Modern Hearts hit the spot...#EDM

The Knocks feat St Lucia - Modern Hearts

"Don’t Stop, No One’s Ever Enough"

Going on a year now I've continually heard @HAIMtheband's name bandied about throughout the blogosphere. I'm not going to pretend I know anything about their music yet, but what I do know is that when they start collaborating with some of my favorite artists, I'm going to start paying closer attention. That came a little over a week ago when @ducidni announced that he has a track on his upcoming album with Haim and @Hit_Boy...(Antennae goes up...).

Which brings us to the track at hand, feel free to grab a bite of the original version of Falling before diving into the dope remix...
Simple put, these three sisters and a drummer have a refreshingly unique style. It's a completely coin flip whether the remix below that @DukeDumont put together is as good as the original. What I do know is he did a great job of extracting the catchiest part and taking it up a notch in danceworthiness, but both versions are great in their own right. Key takeway, Haim is officially on my radar and they should be on yours too...#Haim

Haim - Falling (Duke Dumont Remix)

"Ghost Love Story Like Patrick Swayze"

No lie, on first reaction to the track below I did like a quadruple x 2 take. I'm talmbout like a Bruce Willy-style stop the car type of disbelief. Wait a min, Three Six's own @therealjuicyj and @passionpit...on a track together? Anybody else think this is beyond left field? Hmm...@wizkhalifa will co-sign on it, that much I do know.

Do the "ninja" references throughout Juicy's verse stand out? Yea, a little bit, but I applaud the effort because there was a concerted effort to not alienate Passion Pit's audience, which I can appreciate. In fact, the only word they might have to edit out for radio is in the last bar where he says "and her p****y hit hard like Ron Artest." In my eyes, even though on first glance it would seem like mixing ketchup with peanut butter, Juicy did very best to merge together strip club Hip Hop and Indie pop. Never thought the ambassador of "ratchet p****y" would end up being an olive brand to Indie music, but thanks his new friendship with Passion's lead singer @mangelakos, it all came together remarkably well...#ConstantConversations

Passion Pit feat Juicy J - Constant Conversation (Remix)