Music Diary Project Day 7

  • Vampire Weekend - Contra
  • Tanlines - Mixed Emotions (x2)
  • Tennis - Young and Old (half)
  • Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
  • Anoraak - Wherever The Sun Sets
  • CANT - Dreams Come True
  • Kindness - World, You Need A Change Of Mind

Music Diary Project Day 6

I started yesterday off with ALB’s I Beg For A Summer EP, which is perfect from beginning to end.  Then I organized this pre-summer playlist:

  • Tanlines - “Brothers”
  • Jonquil - “It’s My Part”
  • The Bewitched Hands - “Birds and Drums”
  • Django Django - “Life’s A Beach”
  • ALB - “Show Me Your Love”
  • Birkii - “Shade Of Doubt”
  • New Build - “Miranda, Be My Guide”
  • Mark Foster/A-Trak/Kimbra - “Warrior”
  • RAC - “Hollywood (ft Penguin Prison)”
  • Is Tropical - “Land of the Nod”
  • Yuksek - “Dead or Alive”
  • YACHT - “Le Goudron”
  • Bear In Heaven - “Sinful Nature”
  • Anoraak - “You Taste Like Cherry”

Went to a party where one side’s playlist involved the Daytrotter session of someone I can’t remember the name of, “Call Me Maybe,” and “Somebody That I Used To Know.”  The other half was spinning a combination of top 40 and old school hip hop.

Music Diary Project Day 5

I started the morning with Year of the Tiger’s Good Day For A Tiger EP while working on an article that I interviewed vocalist Sable Yong for.  I also listened to We Are Serenades’ Criminal Heaven (in anticipation of the evening) and the Chris Baio EP again (in anticipation of the afternoon).

I had a really nice chat with Chris about the EP, which sounded pretty excellent on a sunny day like today.  Afterward, he encouraged me to enjoy the weather and walk from Greenpoint to the Bedford Ave L stop, which I did.  Along the way, I heard one of the big singles from Lily Allen’s first album playing from a cafe.  I can’t recall if it was “Smile” or “LDN,” but either way, it’s something that always speaks of summer to me.

Tonight, I took Katie with me to see We Are Serenades with HITS and the Aviation Orange at the Knitting Factory.  We Are Serenades are members of Shout Out Louds and Laasko; the latter never got quite as much attention in the US, but “Aussie Girl” was always a rather striking song to me.  Together, they’re just as pleasant.  I also remember hearing the Undertones and School of Seven Bells amongst the selections for house music.

Called it an early night and got the urge to listen to “Corinne” by Metronomy once I got home, so I listened to the end of The English Riviera.  Followed that with Vampire Weekend’s iTunes Sessions EP.

Kindness Kindness Kindness.

Music Diary Project Day 4

I’m in an interview transcription hole, so pretty much the only music I have listened to today has been Chris Baio of Vampire Weekend’s debut solo EP because I am interviewing him tomorrow.

Also, the guy I was talking to about French rap last night sent me this song.

Music Diary Project Day 3

  • ALB - Mange-Disque (will write more about this when I have time)
  • School of Seven Bells - Ghostory
  • The first four songs on Holy Ghost!
  • Heard Foster the People - “Houdini” coming from a burger place in Williamsburg when I walked past
  • Vampire Weekend - “Oxford Comma” coming from that Vietnamese restaurant next to the Meatball Shop on Bedford
  • Zero recollection of what was playing while I was actually at the Meatball Shop/Good Co, but I did have a conversation about French rap

Music Diary Project Day 2

Got to a late start again this afternoon.  I didn’t hear any music until I listened to a handful of songs off Licensed To Ill while getting some schoolwork done.  (I will assuredly be blogging more about my work music habits later in the week.)

There was The Hood Internet’s The Mixtape Volume Six, as reblogged earlier.  The Hood Internet always make for a good time, and over the years, they’ve provided my first exposure to some of my favorite artists, including Chromeo, Yuksek, and Kid Sister.  The latest mixtape’s got some good ones—“Polish Girl” vs “Rack City”!—though I have to say that “GANGS&M” is possibly my least favorite thing these guys have ever done involving Rihanna.  (It’s all about this.)

This evening, I finally got around to Crystal Fighters’ debut Star of Love.  On the scale of albums that have come out so far this year that I’ve listened to, it out-weirds Django Django, but is a little less accessible.  I’m going to need some time to unpack everything going on, but I’ll enjoy it.  ”Plage” is pretty excellent.

Listened to the Kindness album again.  I know I’ll be spending a lot more time with it.

I was sent this old Yelle interview earlier, which is still a good read if you are capable of reading it.  I think I’m going to watch this professionally-filmed, 45-minute set of theirs before going to sleep.

Music Diary Project Day 1

I’ll be blogging for the Music Diary Project this week.

I didn’t wake up early enough to listen to anything before going to class this morning, so the first music I sat down with was the Kindness album.  It had initially been recommended to me while I was working on my article about international bands at SXSW, but I hadn’t properly listened to it until today.  I really wish I had gotten around to it sooner, there’s too much glorious DFA-style disco stomp for me to have missed out on.  ”Gee Up” is remarkable.

Incidentals/miscellaneous: heard “Amanaemonesia” by Chairlift during a stop at Uniqlo.  Watched Girls and Mad Men, so you know what that means.  Got the urge to listen to Yuksek’s “Always On The Run,” so I did.

This evening, I got an email from one of my editors requesting a list of “late night songs,” which immediately brought back the memory of one night of my study abroad trip in Angers, France that involved Coeur de Pirate’s “Comme des Enfants” video on TV at 2 a.m.  At face value, that’s not really much of a late night song, but “With Just One Glance” by Nicolas Jaar is.

I just watched this video of Metronomy’s road trip from San Francisco to Coachella and I’ve got some School of Seven Bells photos to finish editing—the Ghostory songs sounded incredible live.