Archive by Author

elephant revival

27 Jun

Today’s Indie: Sing to the Mountain / Elephant Revival


‘let the fires burn tonight / let the jugs of wine get drunk’

Ring Around the Moon / Elephant Revival

‘and I can hear it in the wind / hear it rise and descend’

The beginning of summer has left me flushed with folk fever, and I am currently sweating over my newest obsession, Elephant Revival, a porch-ready quintet from Colorado that I discovered amidst cheap wine and good conversation with friends Friday evening.

The slow burning duet on Ring Around the Moon  has me pining for yesteryear a la The Civil Wars, while Sing to the Mountain has more of a Trampled by Turtles kick to it, with sliding strings, banjo strums and hum along harmonies. Feel good music at its finest, oh the simple things in life. #indie / tory

Tags:

50 shades of stars

25 Jun

Today’s Indie: Bright Star / Ben Watt, Stimming & Julia Biel (Sunset remix)

‘every road that I walk has a bend / has a fall / and I make the choice I make / and I take the path I take’  

I caved at the airport bookstore on a recent vacation and bought 50 Shades of Grey – mostly out of shear curiosity to see what all the buzz was about. I found out about 100 pages in, and now understand why so many people are getting it on E-readers after getting more than a few raised eyebrows of interest on the Muni. As my cheeks turned to various shades of pink the other day I got to thinking about the inevitable upcoming blockbuster (Twilight for adults!) and what sultry soundtrack they will decide to surround the tremendously attractive actors they find to play Grey and Ana with.

Ultimately this remix of Bright Star came to mind – the perfect slow jam with off beat tinges of Thom Yorke like ambience. Even though it is a different sound, it still reminds me somehow of Desiree’s old song Kissing You in the fish tank scene of Baz Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet. Ah, bittersweet young love. #indie / tory

Tags: , ,

stubborn love

22 Jun

Today’s Indie: Stubborn Love / The Lumineers (live on KEXP)

‘it’s better to feel pain than nothing at all / the opposite of love is indifference‘

Like any new favorite band, The Lumineers have settled into my bones and stirred all the pieces in me that needed stirring. I really love these guys. Stubborn Love is a close second to my favorite track, Ho Hey, on their debut album, and has an age old tale to tell: love is not all rainbows and butterflies… it can be stubborn as hell, but it is so much better to fight through it than forsake it.

I can’t get enough of the Colorado trio’s wholesome, earthy, heartwarming sound and simplicity:

When we were young, Oh Oh, we did enough
When it got cold, Ooh Ooh, we bundled up
I cant be told,  Ah Ah It cant be done

Here’s to embracing the storm, together.  #indie / tory

Tags:

1957

20 Jun

Today’s Indie: 1957 / Milo Greene

‘the scent you wear moves in lines / from your apartment into mine’

Los Angeles folk-pop band Milo Greene instantly caught my attention with first listen of their single, 1957, with a sound that ranks amongst the heavenly likes of The Head and the Heart, The Lumineers and Of Monsters and Men. The quintet is gearing up for their self titled debut album out July 17th after cultivating some serious buzz from their performance at this year’s SXSW.

The group has defined their sound as having “ethereal wisps of guitar, drums and vocals that are both calming and a call to action,” and I dig it and hear it here. 1957 captures that moment in life when someone is driving you absolutely crazy, and you wish you could stop the affect they are having on you, but you feel helpless:  ‘you act like you don’t know me / my god you tempt my anxious mind.‘ #indie / tory

Tags:

jamaica

15 Jun

Today’s Indie: Jamaica / Van She

‘we are just all animals / eating food making love to the music of life’

While we are heading down to the beaches of Cabo instead of Jamaica this morning, this song still feels like a perfect backdrop for our travels… sun kissed coconut drums, a sway to the rhythm beat, and breezy lyrics. I fell in love with Van She via their single Idea of Happiness, but after only a few listens, Jamaica already has me firmly in its grasp.  Trading in the computer for sand and margs — we will see you next week. #indie / tory

Tags:

an offering

13 Jun

Today’s Indie: Offering / Ernest Saint Laurent ft. Tatiana Heintz (Capital Cities remix)

‘I’m like water / I’m touching everything’

I must admit that I hadn’t heard the original of this song until Capital Cities posted their remix of it on Facebook yesterday, but I am so am so glad that they dished this up in all its sultry perfection. The track holds a steady pace while still making me want to slow everything down, and the soft vocals have a kind of effervescent feel to them, singing of those times where your senses feel heightened and you are absorbed in every one of them, and someone else. I could picture this as the perfect backdrop to a blur of a movie scene like Black Swan’s little bit with Natalie and Mila. Mew.

I am going to see the boys of Capital Cities do their own thing at the Rickshaw Stop June 21st, and San Francisco folks this is not to be missed… they can turn a room in seconds. #indie / tory

Tags: ,

blind pilot

12 Jun

Today’s Indie: One Red Thread / Blind Pilot

‘now at best we would make our dreams with something used’

I spent last weekend in the rain soaked hills of Northern Oregon to celebrate a high school friend’s wedding, and lost myself in the trees and fog and found myself back in love with the Pacific Northwest, despite my souvenir of a summer cold. Accordingly, I wanted to bring some Oregon back to the Bay, and am sharing one of my favorite bands from Portland, Blind Pilot, today. This is a group I fell in love with years ago, and while my love hasn’t spilled over in the same way for their newer music, I haven’t ruled them out yet. In the meantime, One Red Thread is off of Blind Pilot’s 2009 album, 3 Rounds and a Sound. The title track, while already shared on TUATI long ago, is also not to be missed.

3 Rounds and a Sound / Blind Pilot

‘now I see you, ’til kingdom come / you’re the one I want / to see me for all the stupid shit I’ve done’

PNW #indie / tory

Tags:

departure

6 Jun

Today’s Indie: Departure / Germany Germany

I love Germany Germany and was delighted to come across a new single by him this morning off his upcoming album, Blank Mind Empty Heart, out this July. Instead of washing the song with rain like in Take Me Home Tonight, Drew Harris wraps Departure with chirping birds… you can almost see the sunshine pouring in with its sound. While the word departure can evoke a sense of loss with leaving, this kind of departure feels like the good kind — off to the quiet, sun soaked sands of Mexico, or that feeling of releif that comes with getting away from something (or someone) you need to get away from. Looking forward to more next month. #indie / tory

Tags:

slow it down

4 Jun

Today’s Indie: Slow it Down / The Lumineers

‘act like you’ve been here before / smile less and dress up some more’

Welp, it is a rainy Monday, and I am in a bit of an emo mood today, so here is an emo track and a happy dog (our dear friend T, rocking some killer protective booties on our camping trip up the Lost Coast). As I mentioned last week, I just discovered Colorado’s The Lumineers, and life wont be the same. While Slow it Down is decidedly more glum than the band’s upbeat Ho Hey, there is something so pulling in lead singer Wesley Schultz’ despair ridden vocals and tale of trying to move through life when you feel like part of you is missing. As it says at the end, ‘don’t you frown when you’re feelin’ like that / only love can dig you out of this.’ #indie / tory

Tags:

boogie lights

1 Jun

Today’s Indie: Boogie Lights / Work Drugs

‘it feels so good / it feels so good to dream’

Even with a short week, Friday could not come soon enough. Celebrate with this new Work Drugs song, which has California summer written all over it. The track is off the group’s upcoming album, Absolute Bearing, out this July.  Work Drugs self identify as ‘Philadelphia’s premier Bat Mitzvah and Quinceanera party band.’ A pretty lofty title to carry out, but the boys do it well. Buckle up and let’s go for a drive down Route 1. #indie / tory

Tags:

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →