somebody collide

18 Jul

Yosemite totally blew my mind and gave me the retreat I was hoping for… amazing company, peace and quiet, rolling mountains, epic rocks to scamper across, and a fucking freezing river to take my breath away, followed by beers and s’mores and city free stars. I returned to San Fran on Sunday filthy and exhausted, but feeling fresh and recharged. Reminded how important it is to have weekends away from routine to recalibrate.

Today’s Emo: Somebody That I Used to Know / Goyte ft. Kimbra

‘but you didn’t have to cut me off / make out like it never happened’

This track expresses that sinking feeling when something is over, and it is suddenly really really over, to the point you can’t even collect your own stuff back and have to send a friend in your steed. Goyte sums up the dramatic role reversal of having someone be your everything to nothing overnight sadly well.

I am loving Goyte’s (aka Wally De Backer) sound and the unexpected duet folded into the second half of the song, where Kimbra shares the she side of the story. Somebody That I Used to Know is the first single of the Belgian turned Australian singer’s new album, Making Mirrors, out in August. #emo

Today’s Untz: Collide / Leona Lewis (Afrojack remix)

‘crash into me / at full speed’

Drama in the untz and emo world. Leona Lewis has allegedly snatched Avicii’s amazing signature beats from his track Penguin and sliced them into her new song, Collide. Bleeding Love may or may not have been the most played song in my iTunes library in college, but I can’t blame Avicii for being more than a little pissed that a mainstream pop princess has claimed this brilliant sound (try not smiling when you listen) as her own. The blog Vacay Wave has Avicii quoted on the matter: ‘To answer everyone, the first time I heard Leona Lewis ‘Collide’ was today. I didn’t produce it and neither me or my manager could approve it. I’m just upset for someone taking credit of our idea before I had a chance to release it… And for the time and effort that has been put into this by my manager and label.’

Afrojack counter sues Leona Lewis by untzing the shit out her sappy pop song (skip to 2:25). The result is delightfully danceable even if it is not conflict free untz. #untz

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reeling home

15 Jul

I am packing into a minivan with six chicks after work this afternoon and making the three hour drive over to Yosemite where we will set up camp, hike, eat gourmet camp food (happen to have a chef amongst us) and lose ourselves in the dirt and pines for a couple of days. Work has been crazy the past few weeks, and I cannot think of a better way to retreat… even if I will be tugging along the laptop and mifi card. Bears beware, kittehs are in the woods.

Today’s Emo: Home (untitled) / Mumford & Sons

‘you went left and I went right / as the moon hung proud and white / you would of loved it here tonight’

A new sigh inducing melody from the crafters of Sigh No More, Mumford and Sons have me pining for home with this recording off their sophomore album due out late this year. I had the pleasure of seeing the English folk quartet at Coachella in April and was floored by their poise, presence and talent, feeling warm, fuzzy and inspired as they played out track after track during nightfall of the second day.

From the opening strums of banjo to Marcus Mumford’s aching vocals, the song quietly unfolds a tale of longing and regret. Delightfully tragic, beautifully nostalgic – a few listens and I find myself wanting to hop onto Kayak to find the next flight home to Oregon to curl up with my parents and my dog. Alas, the real world… a phone call will have to suffice for now. I’ll be home in a little while. #emo

Today’s Untz: The Reeling / Passion Pit (Calvin Harris remix)

‘now I pray that somebody will quickly come and kidnap me’

I have heard this song a million times, but never like this. Calvin Harris provides the perfect Friday mix to unravel for the weekend and get lost in the woods with. PP is in studio, gearing to release a new album early next year to follow Manners. About time! #untz

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broken concerto

13 Jul

‘He’s rigged a tiny cassette player with a small set of foam earphones to listen to demo tapes and rough mixes. Occasionally he’ll hand the device to Mindy, wanting her opinion, and each time, the experience of the music pouring directly against her eardrums–hers alone– is a shock that makes her eyes well up; the privacy of it, the way it transforms her surroundings into a golden montage, as if she were looking back…’ – Jennifer Egan / A Visit from the Goon Squad

Wednesday. Thank god for headphones.

Today’s Emo: Winter Beats / I Break Horses

Christmas in July! Swedish duo Maria Liden and Fredrik Balck have produced some cozy musical layers for us to snuggle into in spite of the the heat of these summer months with yesterday’s release of Winter Beats. The timing could actually not be better with the cold spell rolling through San Francisco, leaving a permanent layer of white low hanging clouds over us all.

The vocals are almost childlike, the synth sharp, and the vibe surprisingly dreamy considering it comes from a group called I Break Horses. The sweeping sound makes me think of Sufjan’s Steven’s Chicago. I Break Horses release their debut album, less originally named Hearts, in mid August. Pleased to have. #emo

Today’s Untz: Warrior Concerto / the Glitch Mob

This is not your sixth grade orchestra. The intro to Warrior Concerto starts like a happier, less frenzied version of the epic strings build in the theme to Requiem for a Dream, and moves its way into something triumphant and then playful. Beats meet strings, strings flourish and meet more serious beats, ears meet happiness. The Glitch Mob is an electro tripod from LA with a new EP, We Can Make the World Stop, out yesterday. Download the track off their site for free here. #untz

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rocks and stones

11 Jul

Back to a regular five day work week. Countdown to Friday and weekend escape to Yosemite commenced with blaring of alarm clock this morning.

Today’s Emo: Box of Stones / Benjamin Francis Leftwich

‘there when the rain came and settled on your skin / more like before and you let it all in’

Gentle singer songwriter Monday morning emo. I came across Benjamin Francis Leftwitch a couple of weeks ago and have been getting lost in his smooth vocals and peaceful sound… he reminds me of a naive, more literal version of Josh Ritter, and I love the sleepy rolling feel to this song.

The title of his debut album, Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm, had the emo monger in me rumbling before I even heard a track, evoking an image of someone lighting a cigarette looking over a Midwestern field, biting the cold as clouds roll in. BFL is a mere 21 years of age and hails from York. While collectively his songs get a bit repetitive, I hear loads of potential. Will be keeping an eye on this one. #emo

Today’s Untz: Hits Me Like A Rock / CSS (Dillon Francis remix)

‘it’s been so long since I heard that song / made me sweat all night long’

I apologize in advance for getting this song stuck in your head all day. Dillon Francis jazzes up an already jazzy CSS song and the result are these beats playing on loop on my speakers and in my head all weekend long. Fitting, since the song is about when a song hits you like a rock. Love these Brazilian dance poptarts… perfect summer backdrop.

CSS = Cansei de Ser Sexy = “tired of being sexy.” Aren’t we all?  #untz

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amor video games

8 Jul

After almost six months of blogging and shameless plugging myself via Facebook, Twitter and gchat statuses, as well as several failed url submissions onto the Hypem site,  I officially got TUATE listed on Hype Machine this Tuesday. Beyond floored.

I ordered a Hypem shirt from the site a week or so back, and low and behold it got dropped off on my desk that very same afternoon. Fate! Happiness. Music. Bribery?

Today’s Emo: Video Games / Lana Del Rey

‘he holds me in his big arms / he’s drunk and I am seeing stars / this is all I think of’

Sultry. The harp filled intro makes me feel like I am stepping into Florence + the Machine’s You Got the Love, but Video Games quickly takes a pace and sound all its own. Lana Del Rey’s look and that velvety voice feel from an earlier era: buffed blonde hair, penciled doe eyes, sharp full lips… I could picture her singing this in an old smokey jazz club, all eyes on her. Then she mentions video games and suddenly I find myself on my couch in high school, curled up with an old boyfriend, smuggled beers and a flirtatiously heated game of Mario Kart. The whole vibe and feel of the song is a string of beautiful contradictions to get lost in. A sincere declaration of adoration (‘it’s better than I ever even knew / they say that the world was built for two‘ meets Sonic the Hedgehog? 60’s vibrations meet modern love?

Thoroughly transfixed by this 24 year old emerging starlet from New york, who describes her music as “Hollywood sad core” and herself as a “gangster Nancy Sinatra.” Lana Del Rey  is currently embedded in studio working on her debut album. More video games please. #emo

Today’s Untz: Amor Fati / Washed Out

‘My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it—all idealism is mendaciousness in the face of what is necessary—but love it.‘ – Ecce Homo / Friedrich Nietzsche

I know this is a little quiet for a Friday, but turn the dial to the right and ride this chill-wave straight into the weekend. Another great track off Washed Out’s upcoming album, Within and Without. Everything I have heard thus far screams Santa Cruz, surf, sand and a simpler life, and I am eagerly awaiting the official debut. Happily accepting my fate to listen and listen and listen.  #untz

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enough sunshine

6 Jul

An epic 3rd of July BBQ led to a much more restful 4th, topped off with champagne and watching fireworks glitter across the bay from my roof with a few of my girlfriends. San Francisco picked a wonderful weekend to forget to be foggy and cold. Now on to the pseudo hump day of a short work week. 60 more days until Labor day.

Today’s Emo: Come Rain, Come Sunshine / Pallers

‘if we had the chance to do it all over again / would we / let it be’

Things start slow here and slip into something steady, with dreamy, celestial synth and chiming beats that build into hints of the Rainbow Road theme from N64. The translucent vocals from Swedish indie trip hip pop group Pallers remind me of the softer side of Hot Chip, and this track has me on repeat.

The duo’s album, The Sea of Memories, is set for a late September release, and if it sounds anything like Come Rain, Come Sunshine I look forward to the perfect soundtrack to ease out of summer into the fall. #emo

Today’s Untz: Enough is Enough / Avicii (live at EDC)


I love untz tracks with epic female vocals, in part because I get a little emo mixed right into my beats… ying and yang serviced at once. It has always surprised me how the cheesiest words can find themselves amongst the most earnest untz, and somehow sound like they belong there. It sounds Avicii killed EDC laying this out for the crowd, and I would have loved to be there. Further props to the Swedish DJ phenom… here’s to hoping he makes his way to the Bay sometime soon to catch a taste of this live. #untz

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naked whale

1 Jul

The first of July brings an onslaught of U-Hauls, for free signs on battered couches on corners and for rent signs throughout city windows as people come and go with the changing of a summer month. I have moved the past three summers, spending July surfing craiglist, battling for real estate away from crackheads, cable cars and preschools, and miserably folding my life into boxes to Katy Perry (tough times call for terrible music). This will be my first summer of being settled, and it feels great to stay home.

Happy 4th of July! Signing out til Wednesday for some much needed R&R and playtime.

Today’s Emo: Tonight’s the Kind of Night / Noah and the Whale (RAC remix)

‘on his lips the perfect smile / his eyes begin to flood’

English folksters Noah and the Whale got RAC’ed, and the result is indie pop happiness. Once again, the threesome behind the Remix Artist Collective take a great track and keep it great… not an easy feat. I love that this version isn’t overdone… the original holds its own without cheap thrills tossed in for fanfare. Instead, just jubilant sounds woven throughout to wash something warm over Noah and the Whale’s already standout track off their new album, Last Night on Earth.

It is Friday, and tonight’s the kind of night where everything could change. #emo

Today’s Untz: Young Blood / The Naked and the Famous (White Sea remix)

‘the mood it changes like the wind / hard to control when it begins’

Surprisingly not mis-categorized as untz. White Sea’s version of Young Blood starts even slower than the original version, emitting ethereal emo with whispy, echoing vocals amidst hushed sounds, but then electro hijinx kick in at around 1:51 and do their thing for the rest of the track. Things sound off and on at the same time, with playful drums, discordant beats, and lots of ‘yeah yeah yeaaaahs’ sprinkled throughout. Love kiwis The Naked and the Famous’ original version of the song, loving this trippy, hopped up version as well. #untz

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steal the boat

29 Jun

Big changes here at TUATE. This week I purchased my domain and dropped the .wordpress from the url. I will still be using WP for my hosting, but excited to present this sleek and sexy abridged version of the site address, straight up theuntzandtheemo.com.

And the beat goes on.

Today’s Emo: If I had a Boat / James Vincent McMorrow

‘this is not the end / this is just the world / such a foolish thing / such an honest girl’

Another JVM song because I have been lost in his album, Early in the Morning, all week. This track manages to make me sleepy and wake me up at the same time, with a silvery sleek intro building into a tragic chorus of love lost amongst the rocks. The more I listen to James, the better that voice sounds… lately stirring up an Amos Lee feel. Interesting that he crafted the album in a similar fashion to Bon Iver’s creation of For Emma, but forfeited the seclusion of a cabin in Wisconsin for an Irish beach house. Glad that he did. #emo

Today’s Untz: Steal the Rainbow / MonstaR

Rise and shine, we made it to Wednesday and it is time to celebrate. So close to the luxuries of a three day holiday weekend, sink into these double rainbow inspiring beats of MonstaR and feel that much closer. Thanks to Chubby Beavers for debuting this newbie onto the scene last night. #untz

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kiss popstars

27 Jun

Wine tasting, lake swimming, BBQ hosting, sleep lacking few days with new friends and old. The busiest weekends lead to my briefest posts.

Today’s Emo: Kiss Quick / Matt Nathanson

Kiss Quick

‘kiss quick, I’ve got a line out the door / who all think they can save me’

Matt Nathanson was the first of many singer songwriter crushes, totally charming me during our spring fest my freshmen year of college. His shows are part stand up, part sap drenched guitar and swoon inducing vocals, and I have kept him on my radar all these years although his newer music has fallen a bit short for me.

He released a new album last week, and this is one of my favorite very emo tracks off of it. Matty is great at articulating all the tumultuous side effects of time spent between the sheets, and Kiss Quick captures the sentiment of when your love life starts to feel like a revolving door, where people are quick to push their way in but then suddenly equally quick show themselves out. Have found myself in this position in the past, but also participated as the inverse.  #emo

Today’s Untz: Song for Lisa / The Japanese Pop Stars (Benny Benassi remix)

The Japanese Popstars, aka The Jappy Pops, Jap Pops, or The Japsters, are from Northern Ireland and are killing it with Benny B vamped up track. Turn it up and it’ll speak for itself. #untz

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disarm promises

24 Jun

It is almost the end of June and I am left wondering where the month went. Throughout early life, we define the passing of time by our academic years. The six years of pre-adolscence get lumped into one’s elementary school period, then the three awkward in between years of middle school, followed by two rounds of being freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. Suddenly we emerge from it all and have no way to qualify our time, no freshman fall to refer to or that really wild spring of junior year. All we have are the growing number of years between us and our academic based selves, and the changing of seasons and coming of holidays to keep time.

I suppose I am now entering the summer before my senior year of being an adult. I tend to fair well as a senior, having picked up on things along the way, so this should be a good thing. But then what… super seniors foreverz?

Today’s Emo: Disarm (Smashing Pumpkins cover) / The Civil Wars

‘I used to be a little boy / so old in my shoes’

As I mentioned, Civil Wars really brought a show to the Great American Music Hall on Sunday night, and I heard Saturday’s sold out show was equally as dazzling. The Music Hall is a perfect venue… grandiose and intimate at the same time, with a sprawling domed ceiling and wrap around balcony, it is big enough to accommodate a solid crowd, but boosts acoustics that make you have to whisper and try to hide coughs during guitar strums. A great backdrop for the delightful banter and beautiful americana that Joy and John Paul delivered, the duo managed to make their original songs sound even better than the studio recordings, and also delivered two covers: Billy Jean and Disarm.

A folky Billy Jean was loads of fun, but they made Disarm their own… respecting its sanctity but stripping it down and weaving arching harmonies with gentle guitar while quietly building the chorus into something epic yet hushed. Chills. A really special moment that I have been reliving all week. This recording is from a prior show, but does the experience justice. Enjoy. #emo

Today’s Untz: Promises / Nero ft. Sub Focus

‘you got me so high / don’t you see it in my eyes’

England untz forces unite to present Promises: a little drum and bass, a little dubstep, and a lot of fun. Nero and Sub Focus’ track exudes energy, packing a lot of punch while still being totally easy to listen to. Volume down, charges me through the work day / volume up, time to play… a perfect Friday find. Check out the heavier, tougher stronger version a la Skrillex for all those that like it a little harder. #untz

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