Starbucks Sounds of Summer Compilation 2013

I admit going to great lengths for new music compilations.  I'll happily hand over my email or even pay for such things, always looking another favorite song to add to my next playlist.  In a recent email from The Olms, the new band with Pete Yorn, there was a link to a free eight-song compilation produced by Starbucks which I snapped up immediately. It has "Wanna Feel It," The Olms' song that is found on my own Summer 2013 New Music Playlist, as well as the self-titled song by California band Cayucas (the group's song, "High School Lover," was featured on my Spring 2013 New Music Playlist).  There's also "Ride On/Right On" by Phosphorescent, another band from that playlist but represented with "Song for Zula."

Plus there are two songs I have cued up for my next playlist, so it brought mixed emotions to see them already posted.  The compilation includes the new single, "It All Feels Right," from Washed Out's upcoming album,  Paracosm, which I wrote about here.  Brazos' "How the Ranks Was Won," is a sweet tune that stuck with me after a listen through a publicity email. Check out a live and official video for the song in my post about the band back in April.  The 10th anniversary edition of The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" rounds out the collection, along with a song by Jenny O. and Marie 7 the redCat.  

Pick up your own copy of the "Starbucks Sounds of Summer," now through July 29 here.

YouTube Playlist of Summer 2013 New Music Songs

You gotta love the rainbow colored heart by the YouTube logo -- my Summer 2013 New Music playlist yielded mostly official videos this time around. I was hoping for a rockin' live version of Divine Fit's "Ain't That the Way," since they're so awesome on stage (We were lucky enough to catch them early at Moogfest 2012) but I had to use a bootleg of an audio upload. Maybe there will be one to use in the future?

"Modern Jesus" by Portugal. The Man. is represented by a very pared down acoustic version on a small stage for 91X radio in San Diego, California.  However, there were two songs in my collection that just couldn't be represented.  I'll link to the Soundcloud pages for Honeymoon and Secret Colors instead, see below.  Link to the rest of the playist here.

Honeymoon Soundcloud page for "Sure Stuck"

Secret Colors page -- for other songs than the chosen one "King"

Summer 2013 New Music Playlist

Let the summer anthems rule – new tunes by Holy Ghost! and Empire of the Sun pave the way for this latest playlist.  Debut albums from The Olms, Palma Violets and Secret Colors are juxtaposed next to   During the next heat wave, why not cool down by listening to the breezy acoustic strumming of The Olms, ambient music from Eluvium, Bibio’s electronica and more. Link to listen here, enjoy!

1. "Dumb Disco Ideas" -- Holy Ghost!

This single off the upcoming second album, Dynamics, by Holy Ghost! could not have arrived at a better time.  Brooklyn-based synth pop duo Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel capture the seasonal mood to dance, without losing the irony of its history.


2. "Alive" -- Empire of the Sun

The Australian electronic music team of Nick Littlemore and Luke Steele has released their sophomore album, Ice on the Dune.  “Alive” exploits a soaring synth melody over a pulsing dance beat.


3. "Wanna Feel It" -- The Olms

Singer/songwriter Pete Yorn joined together with musician, artist and photographer J.D. King for a new band called The Olms. A warm acoustic vibe masks the discontentment in the lyrics embedded in this song off their self-titled debut album.


4. "Your Life Your Call" – Junip

Swedish folk and psych rock trio Junip are back with their second self-titled album.  “Your Life Your Call” is the single for the collection, featuring the unique vocals of José González.


5. "À Tout à L'heure" – Bibio

English electronic music producer Stephen Wilkinson has released his seventh full-length album, Silver Wilkinson.  This whimsical tune, “À Tout à L'heure,” translates from French to “in a little while.”


6. "Oh Sailor" -- Mr. Little Jeans (featuring The Silverlake Conservatory Music

Youth Chorale)

This single from Norwegian (now based in LA) singer/songwriter Monica Birkeness enlists a children’s choir for endearing background vocals.  The soaring, melodic song will appear on the forthcoming debut album.


7. "In The City" – Caveman

Caveman has released a self-titled sophomore album, which embraces the strength of their guitars and a confident singing by Matt Iwanusa.  The dense instrumentation mirrors this single’s theme of the quintet’s life in New York City.


8. "Miracle Mile" -- Cold War Kids

This indie rock band returns with “Miracle Mile,” the single for a fourth album Dear Miss Lonely Hearts.  Nathan Willet’s raw, heart-on-your-sleeve vocals lead the charge for the quintet from Long Beach, CA.


9. "Ain't That the Way" -- Divine Fits

This North American indie rock quartet formed by Texan Britt Daniel (Spoon) and Canadian Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade) recently released a double-sided single. The band exploys the crunch of a Spoon song with “Ain’t That the Way.”


10. "Modern Jesus" -- Portugal. The Man.

Portland’s quintet Portugal. The Man. returns with a sixth studio album, Evil Friends.  Vocalist John Gourley finds a soulful point of reference for the musical montage of “Modern Jesus.”   


11. "Hurricane" -- MS MR

This NYC duo (pronounced “Miss Mister”), vocalist Lizzy Plapinger and producer Max Hershenow, met as students at Vassar College.  This alt-art rock meets dream pop single is off their EP, Candy Bar Creep Show. 


12. "Sure Stuck" – Honeymoon

Australian LA-based music producers Aaron Shanahan and Benjamin Plant embrace their love of 60s and 70s psych pop with this new musical project.  This brightly bouncing tune is off a forthcoming debut album, scheduled to drop later this year.


13. "College" -- Rogue Wave

This indie rock quintet from Oakland, California, is back with its fifth album, Nightingale Floors.  Frontman Zach Schwartz (a.k.a. Zach Rogue) overlays his distinctive, laid back vocals for a catchy single about higher education.


14.  "Best of Friends" -- Palma Violets

U.K. indie rock band Palma Violets was recently formed by frontmen Samuel Fryer and Chilli Jesson.  A distinct, fuzzy swagger permeates this lead track off their debut album, ISO.


15. "King" -- Secret Colors

Seattle’s Matt Lawson abandoned his previous guitar-based improvisational methods for writing music with a cheap Yamaha keyboard and pared down composition.  This electronic puzzle of a song is from the new album, Days Off.


16. "Envenom Mettle" – Eluvium

Ambient recording artist Matthew Cooper blends various genres with a steady craftsmanship over seven albums.  This hazy tune is off the latest double album, Nightmare Ending.

New Song by Pete Yorn's Latest Project The Olms, "Wanna Feel It" (Album due June 4 plus NYC Tour Dates June 10 & 11)

Peter Yorn & J.D. King

When people hear I'm a music blogger, I get all sorts of reactions.  Sometimes I try to explain my preference on new indie pop by up-and-coming bands, but usually I just wince through stories of "awesome" bro rock concerts at huge arenas. (I was once asked if I liked "jam," which by itself made me think of the kind that comes in a jar.)  However, there is always room for a song on my playlists by the heart-on-the-sleeve troubadour or a fun, jangly group jam.  The Olms' new song "Wanna Feel It," perfectly sits in this latter category, ready for my summer soundtrack.

The Olms is the latest project of Pete Yorn, whose 2001 solo album, Musicforthemorningafter, brought wide acclaim as that singer/songwriter troubadour type, even going gold.  His 2009 album with Scarlett Johansson, Break Up, continued the theme of deeply personal songs about relationships.  Here Yorn teams up with musician, artist and photographer J.D. King, enjoying the partnership of a band.  

"The album has an old-sounding feel, but I feel like it still sounds really fresh,” Pete Yorn writes on the band's Facebook page. “It sounds uniquely like us and a hybrid of our influences, from my love of Brit-pop and groups like The Beach Boys and The Kinks, to J.D.’s love for British Invasion bands like The Animals, as well as bluegrass and country music.”  As friends, Yorn and King decided to write a song together that quickly let to enough to fill and album.  They decided to record on tape, utilizing a vintage AMPEX 440 analog recorded that provides the "warmth and hiss," according to King on Facebook.  “It gives the sound a transience and depth that you don’t get when you track straight to digital,” he explains.  The full album is due out June 4, but there is a three-song EP available with art nouveau-inspired cover artwork by King.  The band is the first signing to the newly re-launched label, Harvest Records of Asheville, North Carolina, home of classic 70s albums by Pink Floyd and ELO.

The kicker tune, "Wanna Feel It," is on heavy rotation on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic," where it caught my ear. Its golden SoCal feel belies the themes of "numbness and apathy" (according to the band), with lyrics wistfully asking for "time for a conversation."  The song is available as a free download when you sign up to their newsletter on their website, theolmsmusic.com. Take a listen with the retro black and white video and check out tour dates below. 

TOUR DATES:

5/21 San Jose, CA - Blank Club

6/03 Hollywood, CA - The Troubadour

6/06 Asbury Park, NJ - The Stone Pony

6/07 New York, NY - Housing Works Bookstore Cafe

6/08 Philadelphia, PA - Prince Music Theatre

6/10 New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre

6/11 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

6/12 Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall