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cause I been thinkin’ ’bout forever

19 Oct

Today’s Indie: Thinking About You / Jhameel (Frank Ocean Cover)

I didn’t know what to make of this whole Frank Ocean frenzy until I stumbled upon him breaking it down, hard, with Thinkin Bout You on SNL. Whew. His falsetto in the chorus is enough to cut through the toughest skepticism and buckle the most resolute of knees. The Bay Area’s up and coming pop prince Jhamel gave his own take on swoon inducer after asking his Facebook fans to vote for his next cover, and it came out great. It’s fun to hear the verses with a pop twist, and J’s own falsetto can (almost) give Frank Ocean’s a run for its money. Happy Friday to all. #indie/tory

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breakers

18 Oct

Today’s Indie: Breakers / Local Natives

‘you’re breathing out only to breathe in / I know nothing’s wrong, but I’m not convinced’

Local Natives debuted a new track today off their upcoming sophomore album, Hummingbird, and it is awesome. A steady tap-tap-clap intro gives way to classic Local Natives soaring vocals, and the song has the kind of movement that pulls you right in with them. The lyrics speak a life perched precariously amdist the breakers: do you turn back to the safety of shore, or swim until you don’t see land?  Or just stay where you are and continue to get pummeled?

Hummingbird will be out January 29th via Frenchkiss, and if it is anything like this debut, I am stoked. #indie/tory

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moonlight matters

17 Oct

T0day’s Indie: The Fear / Ben Howard (Moonlight Matters rework)

‘oh I will become what I deserve’

I apologize for my lapse in posts, but it has been a big week with Treasure Island Music festival, my birthday, and big announcements on their way. To make up for it here is a great ‘rework’ of Ben Howard’s The Fear done by Belgium’s Moonlight Matters, aka, Sebastiaan Vandevoorde. MM ups the tempo on the track, giving it a great pace and artful twists without undoing Ben’s original work. His retake on the song is reminding me of the subtle but skilled work of RAC.

I’ve been worrying that my time is a little unclear
I’ve been worrying that I’m losing the one’s I hold dear
I’ve been worrying that we all live our lives in the confines of fear

When I listen to this song it makes me want to do something, anything. Here’s to not living life in the fear. #indie/tory

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y la bamba

12 Oct

Today’s Indie: Ponce Pilato / Y La Bamba

‘hold my hand and grow / whisper in my ear and be bold’

Oh those happy moments when a song hits you for the first time at right time and plays as poetry, granting the auditory version of an unexpected warm breeze or the feeling of an arm wrapping around your shoulders. These are the feelings Ponce Pilato makes me feel.

This wonderful birdlike, transfixing voice comes from Portland’s Y La Bamba’s Luz Elena Mendoza, who I discovered in a roundabout fashion via a playlist published by The Lumineers’ Neyla Pekarek’s on Consequence of Sound this week. Pekarek’s list has a lot of gems, but I was most taken with the final track and its description: “Watch a sunset, hold hands, and switch this puppy on. You won’t regret it.” That’s what Fridays are for.

Let’s drive to California 
Let’s go and find our homes
We come from the same town 
Let’s drive through the woods
And bring them with us

#indie/tory

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places that you go

10 Oct

Today’s Indie: Ventriloquism / Savannah Smith

It’s folk Wednesday friends, and here is a promising young lady I found via the wonderful blog Folkhive. Savannah Smith is a ukelele toting 22 year old hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, with a genuine  sound that rings beyond her years. I am loving both of these tracks: Ventriloquism has biting foot taping oomph to it, while the earnest simplicity in Places’ soft spoken words of pining bring peace: ‘and I want to be the places that you go / and the reason that you turn around and come back home.’  

Ms. Smith has been on the YouTube circuit the past couple of years, but I imagine it will only be a matter of time before she graduates beyond the online world. Enjoy.

Places That You Go / Savannah Smith

‘honey I’m not trying to save you and I’d write it off as sin / but I’m dying to be the one that you let in”

#indie/tory

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can’t hardly wait

5 Oct

Today’s (throwback) indie: Can’t Hardly Wait / The Replacements

‘I’ll write you a letter tomorrow / tonight I can’t hold a pen’

San Francisco is gearing up for what has to be one of its biggest weekends in history: three days of tunes at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival at Golden Gate Park, both epic air shows via the Blue Angels and the America’s Cup at the Marina, lots of nudity and revelry at the Castro Street Fair, and a string of home playoff games for the Giants over at AT&T park. While it is going to be absolutely impossible to get anywhere, I love this city. There is a lot to look forward, and I can’t hardly wait. #indie/tory

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explosions

3 Oct

Today’s Indie: Explosions / Ellie Goulding


‘and the mountains would shake / I need to know I can still make / explosions’

Ellie is definitely far from indie anymore, but I can’t help in continuing to share her music… I simply like it so much. Today’s track is the second single off of her sophomore album, Halcyon, due out October 9th. It is a slow building, sweeping ballad with beautiful keys that highlights the Brit’s beautiful songbird chops (just listen to first few seconds of her ethereal church choir cooing).

I knew the world halcyon as an adjective: ‘denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful; calm, tranquil.’ However, halcyon also refers to a mythical bird in Greek legends fabled to ‘have had the power to calm the wind and the waves while it nested on the sea during the winter solstice.‘ Sounds about right. #indie/tory

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y luv

1 Oct

Today’s Indie: Driftin / Y Luv

‘time was moving like it will often do’

Soothe / Y Luv

‘soothe my soul / with your eyes’

Los Angeles’ Y Luv released their new EP this morning, It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense. I have been transfixed with the indie rock/pop quintet originating from USC since I came across their song Keep it Rolling earlier this year, but it wasn’t until several solid plays of today’s EP that I have been able to pinpoint why: Y Luv has provided me with a version of emo for grown ups, delicious pop for a more educated palate.

When I listen to their music at present, I feel like I did when listening to a lot of pop songs I liked during the late 90’s and early 2000’s, songs that no longer have pull on me, but once carried great weight. They carry weight; they have captured some kind of sound in this music with its pulse and pulling vocals that has me reliving the heart wrenching intensity of first heartbreak, the stop the world feelings of first love. Not an easy feat. #indie/tory

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howling

28 Sep

Today’s Indie: Howling / Frank Wiedmann & Ry Cuming (Ame remix)

‘I fell into your skin / the night you let me in / you had me howling’

Howling is a sprawling, beautiful collection of sound created by Ame’s Frank Weidemann and Aussie singer-songwriter, Ry Cuming. It has the kind of feel to it that can get your heart rate up a bit: lush and full, with a pulling pace that moves you forward. After over two minutes of only instrumental, Ry’s voice cuts in and blends in seamlessly to carry out the track — a perfect collaboration of untz and indie. Even at eight minutes, you don’t want it to be over. #indie/tory

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sky rockets in flight

26 Sep

Today’s Indie: Lost Without You / Robin Thicke (Dublin Aunts Daytime Sex remix) 

Well, our indian summer is finally settling into the Bay, with a weekend weather forecast of the high 70’s, and Lagunitas have been heavily be pitching their new DayTime brew, so it only seems fitting to have some “daytime sex” music to set the mood from Melbourne duo Dublin Aunts. Dublin Aunts’ SoundCloud page says they have a pretty simple mission: “WE MAKE MUSIC TO DANCE & HAVE THE SEX TO!” Ok. Here’s to some midweek afternoon delight with their rundown on this Robin Thicke classic. Enjoy. #indie/tory

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