Music Monday: Current obsessions

Artist: Har Mar Superstar
Album: Bye Bye 17 (listen here on Grooveshark)
Why I love it: It's a funky good mix of pop and soul.
Favorite song(s): Lady You Shot Me
For fans of: Eric Hutchinson,
St. Paul & the Broken Bones

Artist: Aunt Martha

Album: Norway, ME (listen on Spotify) 

Why I love it: It's the melodic and mellow kind 

of music I first fell in love with.  

Favorite song(s): Blue Buildings

For fans of: Beta Radio, Hudson Taylor

Artist: Nikki Lane

Album: Walk of Shame (listen here on Grooveshark) 

Why I love it: It's old school female country sprinkled with a dark edginess. 

Favorite song(s): Gone, Gone, Gone and Look Away

For fans of: Cary Ann Hearst, Loretta Lynn

Artist: Lily & Madeleine

Album: Weight of the Globe 

(listen here on bandcamp) 

Why I love it: Their voices are absolutely mesmorizing and the lyrics will break your heart. 

Favorite song(s): Back to the River and 

In the Middle 

For fans of: Von Grey, Julie Miller 

Bonus: Their version of 'Sea of Love' on their Daytrotter session is the most beautiful thing I've 

ever heard. 

Artist: The Dwells

Album: Don't Ever Leave Me Like You Do (listen here on their website)

Why I love it: I dig their twangy harmonies.

Favorite song(s): Georgia

For fans of: Spirit Family Reunion, Gram Parsons 

Grooveshark picks for September

Artist: The Deep Dark Woods
Album: The Place I Left Behind
Why I love it: It's a kind of dreary, twangy sound. Which you would think would be awful, but I'm digging it.
For fans of: The Wooden Sky, Daniel Romano

Artist: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Album: The Lion, The Beast, The Beat

Why I love it: It's a crazy-good album mix with several beautiful, powerful ballads and then other hard rock pieces that will make you think back to the 1980s—but in a good way. Overall it's just a well-balanced and unique album. 

For fans of: Brandi Carlisle, Blondie

Artist: A Fine Frenzy

Album: Bomb in a Bird Cage

Why I love it: She has such a sweet and fresh voice. And all of her songs are toe-tapping, fun and upbeat. 

For fans of: Ingrid Michaelson, Rachael Yamagata

Artist: The Avett Brothers

Album: The Carpenter

Why I love it: While it's not my favorite album of theirs, I still think the Avetts can do no wrong. Yes, there's less banjo, but the sound is pretty incredible. And of course the lyrics aren't bad either. 

For fans of: Dawes, The Head and the Heart

Grooveshark picks for August

Artist: Shovels & Rope
(Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent)

Album: Shovels & Rope

Why I love it:  It sounds like if First Aid Kit were 

to date Justin Townes Earle and they had a bad relationship so they wrote a few melancholy songs 

and sometimes the Civil Wars would stop by to hang out. Yeah, that's why I love it. 

For fans of: First Aid Kit, Justin Townes Earle, 

Civil Wars

Bonus: They also have a new album out called 

O' Be Joyful

Artist: Milo Greene

Album: Milo Greene

Why I love it:  It's folky and dreamy all at the
same time. 

For fans of: The Head and the Heart,
Civil Twilight

Artist: Spirit Family Reunion

Album: Spirit Family Reunion

Why I love it:  It's old school country type of
music and a sing along knee slappin good time.

For fans of: Shovels & Rope, Sunday Valley

Artist: Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside

Album: Dirty Radio

Why I love it:  Her voice is so cool, unique and quirky in an upbeat soulful kind of way. Plus it's impossible to listen to this album without shaking your shoulders and your head. Don't believe me? Just try it.  

For fans of:  April Smith & the Great Picture Show, Imelda May

Artist: Michael Kiwanuka

Album: Home Again

Why I love it:  It's soulful, yet peaceful, smooth
and easy on the ears. 

For fans of: Otis Redding, Amos Lee,
James Taylor, Van Morrison

Grooveshark picks for July

Artist: Typhoon
Album: Hunger and Thirst
Why I love it: The horns. They give the
band and the album such a cool, unique sound. And yet somehow it's still super mellow.
For fans of: Quiet Corral, Local Natives

Artist: The Mowgli's

Album: Sound the Drum

Why I love it: It's sing-songy, fun & upbeat. My fav songs are of course the ones that have 

the entire band chiming in on the singing.

For fans of: Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros 

Artist: Trampled by Turtles

Album: Blue Sky and the Devil

Why I love it: Um, who doesn't like tapping their feet to some good ole bluegrass from time 

to time?

For fans of: Bluegrass, The Devil Makes 

Three, Yonder Mountain String Band

Artist: The Wood Brothers

Album: Smoke Ring Halo

Why I love it: It's kind of country meets 

a little bit bluesy.

For fans of: Justin Townes Earle, Anders Osborne

Artist: Lissie

Album: Catching a Tiger

Why I love it: It's a little bit girly rock, a little bit singer/songwriter and a little bit near pop radio type of music. Sounds strange maybe, 

Lissie makes it work.

For fans of: First Aid Kit, Brandi Carlisle, 

KT Tunstall

Grooveshark picks for June

Artist: Act As If
Album: The Iron is Hot - EP
Why I love it: I love stealing music ideas from other bloggers like Jennifer. She mentioned them on a recent post, so I had to check em out. It's good old fashioned easy listening mixed with a few "get excited" type of songs. (I'm sure this description makes zero sense to anyone but me.)
For fans of: Of Monsters and Men, One Republic

Artist: John Mayer
Album: Born and Raised
Why I love it: Just when I've completely given up on Johnny (yeah, I call him Johnny. That's normal, right?) he goes and creates a phenomenal record like this one about trying to (finally) grow up. I love that, like his first album, several of his clever lyrics seem to closely mirror my own thoughts lately.
For fans of: John Mayer, Ray Lamontagne and the Pariah Dogs

Artist: Enoch Light

Album: Persuasive Percussion

Why I love it: Major kudos to Natasha for turning me on to Enoch Light. Because of her blog post, I checked him out and this is some seriously rad stuff. So retro and hip. I feel like I am pool side in LA in the 1950s. 

For fans of: Swanky music. (I am new to this genre so I have no idea what similar artists would be)

Artist: Givers

Album: In Light

Why I love it: It's fun and upbeat and so far it's always been able to put me in a good mood.

For fans of: Florence and the Machine, Ra Ra Riot, Local Natives

Artist: Twin Sister 

Album: In Heaven

Why I love it: It's got an underlying tone of the 80s. Not too much, but just enough.

For fans of: Tennis, Blouse

Grooveshark picks for May

Artist: Jason Mraz

Album: Love is a Four Letter Word

Why I love it: It's Jason Mraz. I think I'll always love everything he does. But mostly I love it just because of the one song "I won't give up." If you listen to it and don't want to cry, you don't have a soul. 

For fans of: Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Mat Kearney

Artist: The Lumineers

Album: The Lumineers

Why I love it: Obviously I have a soft spot for folky-pop type bands. I really can think of a great way to describe these guys or their sound but I truly, madly, love it and think everyone else will, too. 

For fans of: Of Monsters and Men, Ben Howard,  The Head and the Heart

Artist: Rosie Thomas

Album: If Songs Could Be Held

Why I love it: So what if this album is 7 years old and I am just now discovering it. It's really pretty and girly and mellow and I like it so I'm sharing my knowledge in case anyone else is just as behind the times as I am.

For fans of: Patty Griffin, Racheal Yamagata

Artist: Vintage Trouble

Album: The Bomb Shelter Sessions

Why I love it: I get to see these guys open for the Alabama Shakes in a few days when I head up to Portland. Super psyched. They are gonna rock it out just like this album of theirs rocks. 

For fans of: Alabama Shakes, Ghost Hounds






And don't forget that today is the last day to enter my Vedette Shapewear giveaway!

Grooveshark picks for April

Artist: Ben Howard
Album: Every Kingdom
Why I love it: It's (mostly) upbeat and
melodic and his voice has a beautiful rough
clarity that I can't get enough of.
For fans of: James Vincent McMorrow, Gregory Alan Isakov, Of Monsters and Men

Artist: Emily Wells
Album: The Symphonies: Dreams
Memories & Parties
Why I love it: It's so unique. I think her
album title aptly sums up the sound. It's a symphonic blend of what I think dreams, memories and parties would sound like.
For fans of: St. Vincent, The Pierces,
Lily Allen

Artist: Fun.
Album: Some Nights
Why I love it: Because it's fun!
Ok, lame pun, but seriously true.
For fans of: The Format,
Panic! At the Disco, Queen

Artist: Quiet Corral
Album: Quiet Corral
Why I love it: It has a nice ebb and
flow to the whole album. It's just
classic good music.
For fans of: The Decemberists, Blind Pilot

Artist: Rubblebucket
Album: Omega La La
Why I love it: This album and the sound
of Rubblebucket in general is just neat-o.
For fans of: Ra Ra Riot, The Ting Tings,
Toubab Krewe

Grooveshark picks for March

Artist: Andrew Bird
Album: Break it Yourself

Why I love it: It's equal parts folksy and
singer songwriter with a little twist of a
world music sound thrown in.

For fans of: Punch Brothers, M. Ward

Artist: Charles Bradley

Album: No Time for Dreaming

Why I love it: I recently found this guy
because of this post by Caitlin. The way
she described him made me curious about
his sound, so I did my GS research and I
was not disappointed. This whole album
is just so soul-ful. If that's a word? 

For fans of: James Brown, Sam Cooke,
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Bonus: Charles Bradley & His
Extraordinaires are coming to Workplay
Friday April 20th. Tickets are $15. I'm still
looking for a plus one...any takers? 

Artist: Gold Leaves

Album: The Ornament

Why I love it: It's pretty dreamy.
And maybe just a little bit country.

For fans of:  Great Lake Swimmers,
Band of Horses

Artist: Pretty Lights

Album: Making Up A Changing Mind

Why I love it: It's funky. And it has such
a solid beat that it made its way from just
being a part of my life at the climbing gym all
the way to my work tunes. I mean I need
psych at work, too. 

For fans of: Big Gigantic, Mimosa

Artist: Delta Spirit

Album: Delta Spirit

Why I love it: Ok, so no this doesn't sound 

like the original Delta Spirit that I fell in love 

with their Americana, soul and a little bit of 

funk sound. This is definitely more rock. Yet 

I still like it. I don't love it as much as the old 

stuff, but still, sometimes change is good. 

For fans of: The Strokes, Arcade Fire

Bonus: Delta Spirit will be at Workplay 

Monday April 9th. Tickets are $14.

(Technically this isn't on GS, but I've been streaming it here)

Grooveshark picks for February

Artist: Alabama Shakes
Album: Alabama Shakes EP
Why I love it: It sounds so different from everything else I have been listening to lately.
For fans of: James Brown, The Black Keys
Bonus: They have a forthcoming full album that will drop on April 3rd. Get excited. They are also coming to Workplay here in Bham at the end of March, but sadly it's already sold out.

Artist: Gotye

Album:  Making Mirrors

Why I love it: For starters, the song
"Somebody that I used to know." And also because of the diverse sound of the album. 

For fans of: The Strokes, Bon Iver, The Police (trust me, I know this is a weird combo but it totally works)

Artist: Miike Snow

Album:  Miike Snow

Why I love it: One word. dance. 

For fans of: Prince, Daft Punk
Bonus: You can stream all of his music
via his website here.

Artist: Of Monsters and Men

Album: My Head is an Animal

Why I love it: It's beautiful folk music at its finest with some great upbeat moments.

For fans of: Seryn, The Decemberists,
Florence and the Machines

Artist: Punch Brothers

Album: Who's Feeling Young Now?

Why I love it: It's fun and upbeat. It's impossible to not tap your foot and listen to
this album. Just try it.  

For fans of: Bluegrass, Nickel Creek,
Sarah Jarosz