Birthday Playlist of Random Songs Heard January 15, 2015

Birthday dinner with oyster shooters & our BYO OLD BAY

Like my post last year, I started a list of songs heard during my birthday that seemed chosen especially for me. So here's another playlist of music that appeared throughout the day as I tuned into fave radio stations KEXP, KCRW and WFUV's The Alternate Side online or otherwise in the kitchen, at my desk or in the car. I also enjoyed John In the Morning's pick of "Spiritual High Part III" by Moodswings, sampling the famous words of Martin Luther King with whom I share my birthday. (I'll post it below, always inspirational but especially appropriate as we head into the long MLK holiday weekend.) There was also a live session with Panda Bear on KCRW -- listen to it in the archives here -- that I enjoyed midday as if I was in the room.  And on my way home from a yoga class later I heard that Field Report song, "Home (Leave the Lights On)" that I wrote about during an emotional time last fall. During this listen however I turned the corner and saw my own cozy house lit up in welcome, simply because I had thought to turn on the lights before I left. It was a nod to being another year older and a nice reminder to take care of myself.

Take a listen on Spotify here or at the widget on the home screen.

1. "Dreams Never End" - New Order
2. "Follow" - Mr. Gnome
3. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem
4. "Where It's At" - Beck
5. "First Song" - Band of Horses
6. "Jumping Jack Flash" - Rolling Stones
7. "Home (Leave a Light On)" - Field Report

Top 20+ Songs of 2014 With YouTube Playlist

I put together this Top 20 plus songs of 2014 list while putting up holiday decorations -- thinking over the year and culling the songs that meant so much to me (while finding the best order of presentation of course!) If I had to pick a Song of the Year, I'd add my vote to others that chose Future Islands' "Seasons Waiting on You." Along with the breakout performance by frontman Samuel Herring on David Letterman that was so crazy passionate and borderline creepy, the tune encapsulated all three genres listed on their Wikipedia page with gusto:  synthpop, alternative rock and indie pop.  It's simply a great song that doesn't get old with repeated listens.

Yet the song that yielded the most meaning for me this year would have to be Field Report's "Home (Leave the Lights On)."  As I wrote about in a post back in October, hearing this song in a different context gave this sublime tune a personal resonance that cut to my core. It's going to be one of those many songs that will take me back to that time and place in the fall of 2014.

Listen via the YouTube playlist below or on Spotify at the link here. Here's to another fine year of new music!

1. "Inspector Norse" − Todd Terje 
2. "Can't Do With Without You" − Caribou 
3. "Dangerous" − Big Data 
4. "Red Eyes" − The War On Drugs 
5. "Seasons Waiting On You" − Future Islands 
6. "Come a Little Closer" − Cage the Elephant 
7. "Digital Witness" − St. Vincent 
8. "Fall In Love" − Phantogram 
9. "Do You" − Spoon 
10. "Home (Leave the Lights On)" − Field Report 
11. "Step Out" − José  González 
12. "Past Life" − Lost In the Trees 
13. "The Tower" − Wye Oak 
14. "Alexandra"  − Hamilton Leithauser 
15. "Handreds of Ways" − Conor Oberst 
16.  "Blue Moon" − Beck 
17.  "Summer Noon" − Tweedy 
18. "Woke Up To the Light" − Strand of Oaks 
19. "Lonely Press Play" − Damon Albarn 
20. "New York Morning" − Elbow 
21. "Moving To the Left" − Woods 
22. "Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)" − Ages And Ages

YouTube Playlist of Fall 2014 New Music Playlist

This time around the videos for my latest playlist yielded no straight up band in action footage, which I have mentioned before is my favorite kind. Getting a glimpse of a group doing their thing is always a treat, whether in a montage of gigs or any livestream opportunity. The exception here is the Operators' song "Start Again," as I chose a live session from my fave morning listening station KEXP since there was no other official video. Not to complain however, as I was able to see this new band's set up and witness the vibes between the new personnel and rock veteran Dan Boekner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs and Divine Fits) -- interesting indeed.

I also enjoyed the dancing found in the videos for Foxygen and Sondre Lerche. Californian duo Foxygen brings out colorful characters in a bleak office setting for this psychedelic groove and I especially loved the back up dancers. (Sign me up!) Meanwhile Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche shows off his solo moves in a stylish white fitted shirt, although I had a hard time believing he could not attract any partners.

The TV on the Radio, Ariel Pink and Field Report videos were already featured on the blog, but I relished seeing them again in context of the Fall New Music Playlist. Plus kudos for Populous for producing an arty animated video to capture the listener's attention, and Tom Vek's colorful old school Hollywood glamour infuses an effective use of strobe lighting to mimic musical blasts. The September Girls and Cold War Kids opted for black and white footage to tell their song's stories while Bear In Heaven filmed a series of bleak NYC scenes. Sorry to include only an album teaser for my favorite Purling Hiss song, "Learning Slowly,"and Flying Lotus's entire album is up on YouTube but not the track "Turkey Dog Coma." Rounding things out is Zero 7's cover artwork for visuals along with lyric videos for Motopony and The Drums (did I really need to know how to sing EEH EEH OOH OOH?) Check it out below or on the NMMatterscorp YouTube page.

Fall 2014 New Music Playlist

Catch up with recent releases here – piles of colorful new music to rake up and add to this fall’s soundtrack.  Bands such as Motopony, Bear In Heaven and Foxygen offer songs from solid follow-ups, while music scene stalwarts TV on the Radio and Cold War Kids return to drop more tunes into a vast archive. Solo artists Sondre Lerche, Ariel Pink and Jenny Lewis also appear on the playlist along with Dan Boeckner’s new band Operators. It’s a harvest to behold, so listen here and enjoy!

1. “Time Between” – Bear In Heaven

Brooklyn-based indie rock quartet Bear In Heaven just released its fourth studio album since 2003; Time Is Over One Day Old. “Time Between” offers a mix of handclaps, heavy percussion and pulsating synths layered with singer (and founder of the band) Jon Philpot’s seductive crooning.

2. “Kiss Me Again” – The Drums

The Drums is the musical project of childhood friends Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham, now living in Brooklyn.  This indie pop confection, “Kiss Me Again,” is off their third studio album since 2005, Encyclopedia.

3. “Bad Law” – Sondre Lerche

Norwegian singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sondre Lerche has added life experiences such as divorce to his sunny singing, allowing dissonance and expressive word play. “Bad Law” is the single from Please, his seventh full length album since 2001.

4. “Get Down (Come Up)” – Motopony

Seattle rock sextet Motopony has released a follow up to its 2011 self-titled debut with this solid single “Get Down (Come Up),” part of an EP called Idle Beauty. Singer Daniel Blue brings an out of this world shaman approach to this soulful odyssey.

5. “Put Your Number In My Phone” ­– Ariel Pink

“Put Your Number In My Phone” is the single for L.A. artist Ariel Pink’s first album released as a solo artist, pom pom.  His combination of wry lyrics and gauzy pop convictions laid the foundation for a new seven-piece band.

6. “Start Again” – Operators

Canadian Dan Boeckener (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs and Divine Fits) has a new band, Operators, with an EP titled EP 1.  His signature gritty vocals pour over the synth-centric and hard rocking urgency of “Start Again.”

7. “All This Could Be Yours” – Cold War Kids

Indie rock quintet Cold War Kids of Long Beach, CA released its fifth album since 2004, called Hold My Home.  “All This Could Be Yours” is the first single for the new collection, with singer Nathan Willet’s passionate delivery leading the way.

8. “Happy Idiot” – TV on the Radio

Brooklyn indie rock band TV on the Radio is ready to release its fifth studio album since 2001, Seeds. This teaser single, “Happy Idiot,” features Tunde Adebimpe’s smooth vocals riding above a pulsing soundscape.

9.  “Sherman (Animals in the Jungle)” – Tom Vek

London multi-instrumentalist Tom Vek returns with a third album since 2005, Luck.  His signature gravelly voice provides a sonic drive for the single, “Sherman (Animals in the Jungle).”

10. “Heartbeats” – September Girls

This quintet from Dublin mixes a 60s girl group vibe with 90s low-fi production and a punk rock attitude.  “Heartbeats” is a single from the September Girls’ debut album, Cursing the Sea.

11. “Learning Slowly” – Purling Hiss

Philadelphia’s Mike Polizze has created a trail of albums as Purling Hiss; the latest is called Weirdon.  “Learning Slowly” showcases the band’s confident grunge rock aesthetic: weaving guitars over a percussive backbone and buried vocals.

12. “Home (Leave the Lights On)” – Field Report

Christopher Porterfield formed alt folk band Field Report (an anagram of his name) a few years ago in Milwaukee, WI. The group just released its sophomore album, Marigolden, full of heartfelt melodies and soul-searching lyrics as found in “Home (Leave the Lights On).”

13. “How Can You Really” – Foxygen

Jonathan Rado and Sam France started band life together at age fifteen in Agoura Hills, CA. “How Can You Really” is the first single from Foxygen’s third album since 2005; … And Star Power, highlights psych pop leanings and over the top musical indulgences.

14. “Just One of the Guys” – Jenny Lewis

L.A. singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis has released her third solo album, Voyager.  As produced by Ryan Adams, sunny songs such as the single “Just One of the Guys” juxtapose a sweet delivery with searing lyrical content.

15. “Turkey Dog Coma” – Flying Lotus

Multi-genre electronic producer Flying Lotus (the stage name for L.A.’s Steven Ellison) has released You’re Dead!, his fourth album since 2001.  This intricate tune, “Turkey Dog Coma,” demonstrates his fearless approach to composing music.

16. “Brasilia (feat. Giorgio Tuma)” – Populous

Populous is the musical project of Italian producer Andrea Mangia, who returns to this moniker after the side project Life & Limb.  “Brasilia,” the closer for the new album Night Safari (the fourth since 2002), is a multi-layered composition with haunting vocals. 

17. “Simple Science” – Zero 7

British duo Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker are back with an EP called Simple Science, their eighth release since 2001 as Zero 7.  The title track weaves a tuneful web of sung melodies and multifaceted electronica.

New Song by Field Report "Home (Leave the Lights On)"

My beloved bike from college at the St. Michaels harbor

Sometimes it takes hearing a song in the right setting to have it really resonate within. I had listened to the second album by Field Report, Marigolden (out October 7 via Partisan Records), in its entirety recently without finding a standout tune for my next new music playlist. Yet last week I found myself back in Maryland shortly after celebrating the life of my mother, with my father landing in the impressive University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

Per usual, I found solace in music through local radio stations as I ferried myself back and forth over the Bay Bridge from the Eastern Shore, where my parents have lived for over twenty years in St. Michaels. Independent station WTMD 89.7 in Baltimore offered up favorite bands such as Dr. Dog, Okkervil River and Band of Horses just as I needed an infusion musical jams to keep me rolling, while WRNR 103.1 out of Annapolis presented a more standard lineup and advertising breaks that clued me into the local scene. WRNR also had the inside scoop about area boy Dave Grohl's visit for an episode of his HBO show Sonic Highways, airing an interview where Grohl admitted to flying some Chesapeake blue crabs out to the West Coast because he missed them so much! Plus when R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" came on WRNR as I drove my Dad home from his extended stay, my heart sank with every swelling refrain.

But that first night I drove to stay at my parents house alone, which in itself was unprecedented, was crazy dark and stormy. The Field Report song, "Home (Leave the Lights On)" came on WTMD, with a breezy beginning that belies the depth of meaning found in the lyrics. Voiced by laid back singer/songwriter Christopher Porterfield of Milwaukee, the tune haunted my soul as I realized there wasn't anyone to complete this simple task at my destination. Truths such as how we wake "up everyday just a little bit changed," and how "the body remembers what the mind forgets, archives every heartache" resonated deeply, as I faced another challenge in my family. Check out the band's video below, and I suggest listening carefully to every word.