march / april sounds ...

“time hard” … “airborne” … ” too much pressure” … notice a theme?

in the face of this bizarre time, finding humor in the little things is helping me stay positive.

i’ve found solace in listening to upbeat songs about stressful situations.

i’ve also found these songs are perfect to listen to while you’re doing the dishes, reorganizing your closet, being the ultimate couch potato and/or dancing around the house.

The Pioneers - “Time Hard” from Trojan Records, released 1972.

e v e r y d a y things are getting worse… enough said.

Cut Copy - “Airborne” from the album Haiku from Zero, released 2017.

i was introduced to cut copy shortly after i graduated college, while visiting a friend in australia. i was hooked. australia puts out great music. i still remember listening to their first album, in ghost colours, every time i’d go for a run around albert park in melbourne.

so here i am, back on the cut copy, and they’ve been my go-to while painting ~ or dancing around the house. every album is amazing, but i’ve found i’ve been loving this album the most :)

The Selecter - “Too Much Pressure” from their first album, released 1980.

i began listening to ska in college - and the selecter became one of my favorite bands of all time. not just because pauline black is a badass, but because they truly capture the spirit of ska.

if you enjoyed this song, i also recommend “missing words”, “on my radio”, “out on the streets”, “danger” or “the whisper” - just to name a few.

stay safe, be considerate & don’t forget to…

c391dab50d2c5be531f01656732361d1.jpg

january / february sounds ...

welp. here we are. march is almost over - better late than never to post this, i guess! i believe it is a universal truth to say it was an awkward start to 2020. i felt like i was consciously living every day of 2019, but as soon as 2020 hit - january flew by, followed quickly by february, and then march happened. now we’re all trapped inside. and you know what? i have entirely welcomed it. i have needed this time to catch up, strategize an action plan for my creative business, revisit what motivates me, and give this little dream of mine a final push. i say final because, i’ll never have an opportunity like this one again - for it to be socially acceptable to be isolated from the world, and putting all of my back energy into ME. all i can say is, yay! i’m loving it. and in the spirit of being selfish, let’s kick this sound list off with my rediscovery of morrissey . . .

The Smiths - “Shoplifters of the World Unite” from Louder Than Bombs, released 1987.

when i can’t find new music i like (which again - is often), i turn to the musical icons of the past. if i remember correctly, i simply had a hankering to listen to “how soon is now”, and the next thing i knew, i had fallen down the morrissey rabbit hole. his run-on lyrics are hypnotic … like they’ve been torn straight from his diary. poetic and raw and blatantly self-centered. he’s an interesting guy. i’m intrigued by his life - shrouded in mystery. every song is charged with genuine emotion. i went on a repeat binge from “how soon is now”, to “suedehead”, to “the last of the famous international playboys”, to “heaven knows” before i landed on “shoplifters”. i can imagine all the angsty teens (probably hanging around Hot Topic) fueled by this ballad.

Jonathan Bree - “Valentine” from Sleepwalking, released 2018.

i’m beginning to believe new zealand produces quite a few artistic goodies… jonathan bree is definitely different, and at first listen, i wasn’t exactly sold. for some reason, i kept listening, and began loving almost every song. of course, listening to valentine in february was fitting - it’s whimsical and fun, and i love the kitschy karaoke aesthetic of the music video. “you’re so cool” and “weird hardcore” are some of my other favorites. however, as i say all this, i understand that, like the cheese, bree might not be for everyone…

Tame Impala - “Lost in Yesterday” from The Slow Rush, released 2020.

speaking of valentine’s day… the much-anticipated new album was released on february 14th of this year… and i was expecting tame impala to go all out for me. but he didn’t. is it my fault he’s set the bar so high with albums past?! nevertheless, “lost in yesterday”, one of the only songs that grabbed me, was on repeat for almost two weeks. “patience” and “borderline”, which were released earlier, continue to be some of my other favorites from the album. even though i was let down by this album, tame impala will always be one of my favorite artists. his music is fitting for road trips, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, background music for when we all can have our friends over again…

thanks for reading & happy listening

november / december sounds ...

happy holidays and merry christmas eve! yes, living in paradise has its perks … but when the photos start rolling in from my snowy home state of new hampshire, i can’t help but miss the dark and the cold. call me crazy, but i think it’s cozy. i remember slapping the christmas music into the cd player l i t e r a l l y the day after thanksgiving. here are two albums that were on repeat in my house growing up during the holiday season … and a little coal for your stocking ;P

Bing Crosby - “Mele Kalikimaka” from his holiday album White Christmas, released 1945.

obviously this would be my favorite song on the album. back in the ancient 90’s, there wasn’t a repeat button on the cd player we had, so i’d keep running back to push the “back” button as soon as the song ended. it took me to a happy, retro, elvis-in-hawaii, island paradise where the spirit of aloha, and old hawaii, were palpable. i always loved this song, and it made me feel connected to my dad’s hanai sister from the big island (another reason why i was inspired to move to hawaii at some point in my life).

fun, classic, timeless - reminiscent of a simpler time - this album should be played by generations forever and ever.

Andy Williams - “White Christmas” from The Andy William Christmas Album, released 1963.

the first song of the album immediately sets the mood for twinkling lights and a quiet night at home. this is the perfect song for decorating your christmas tree, wrapping presents, baking cookies or simply enjoying a calm and reflective moment.*

*for best results, include glass of red wine (or tea… i guess)

Amyl and the Sniffers - “Angel” from their album Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled), released 2018.

i stumbled upon this aussie band and was really surprised about how much i liked them, and this album in particular. it has literally been a staple in what i’ve been listening to all of november and december. “angel” is a gateway song to the rest of the album, with a little of a more surf rock feel, it is a little easier to swallow than other songs you have to build up to loving like “monsoon rock” (which is still not one of my favorites, to be completely honest), “cup of destiny” or “control”. songs like “got you” and “some mutts can’t be muzzled” have a bit more traditional structure, and in this way, i can imagine being slightly more appealing to listen to for most.

welp, whether it helps get you pumped up to clean your house, do some push-ups, or face your dysfunctional family over the holidays - i feel like you’ll be surprised at how much you like it, too!

cheers to a happy + safe holiday season

unnamed.jpg