moe. – Silver Sun
There’s only room for so many jam bands in my playlists and moe. has rightfully earned their spot as one of them. I’m a sucker for hypnotic bass lines, tight drums, and buttery sounding organs. The first half of this track is very laid back while the second half has a more psychedelic vibe.
The Magic Beans – Mr. Scientist
Similar to moe, The Magic Beans have a great ambient but engaging sound. They’re kind of link Pink Floyd with more funk and soul influence. I particularly think the placement of the keyboard solo in the middle of the track is perfect. It comes at a time when the track needs to breath and is super effective. I like it!
Lianne La Havas – What You Don’t Do
I was told about this artist from a student of mine. It’s a little weird because I actually watched a video of her covering a Radiohead song but didn’t make the connection til months later. She’s a wonderful singer and puts great amount of emotion into the music. This track almost has a bit of a do-wop feel from the piano and the swinging drums. This is off her most recent album Blood.
Space Jesus – Hmu
I know the name of this artist can be a little off-putting but if you’re looking for a nice electronic groove I think this track will deliver. The beginning was deceiving as I was kind of expecting the sample to be more present in the rest of the composition. I was extremely delighted by my expectations being shattered. It may get a little repetitive but I think has it’s standout moments.
T.R.A.M. – Seven Ways Till Sunday
Every now and then I really like to challenge you guys with some of the weird music I find. It’s not just for my amusement but I also hope it really helps you appreciate the duality of music. Just as in nature we have light and dark, in music we have consonant and dissonant. Elements that make music hard to listen to are notes or colors that don’t usually belong together, rhythms that don’t line up, and a lack of patterns. This has all three!
Periphery – Reptile
Piggy backing off the idea of the previous song, this song may challenge my listeners in a different way. This piece is long, aggressive, intense, and has metal vocals (some screams). I do believe there are enough awesome things happening in this track to catch the ear of people who don’t usually listen to metal.
Anders Osbourne – Fools Gold
I was lucky enough to discover this artist in a live setting at a music festival in New Orleans. I was at the stage waiting for Galactic to come on and he was on before them. I was blew away by his stage presence and energy. He played a mean slide guitar solo and the song was really jammin’. He’s an artist to definitely keep an eye on!
Mocky – Sweet Things
I have to give credit to my good friend Rob for this one. He’s always sharing unique and jamming artists in his Instagram story and I started jotting them down. This particular track feels more jazz and r&b influenced than some of his other works and the result is very “sweet”. I can imagine cooking breakfast to this on a relaxing weekday morning .
Lisa Gerrard – Geisha
Over this past weekend I was able to find time to watch the film Samsara. It’s a video journey through sacred places, industrial complex, historical sites, and disaster sites. The music throughout the film played an extremely important role as it helped shape the story behind the scene, as there is no dialogue in the film. This piece in particular was very powerful for me.
Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains
I discovered this song by hearing it as a cover first on Youtube. The 4 part vocal harmonies in the beginning caught me by surprise and immediately I was hooked in. The echo and reverb on several of the instruments are a nice touch. It’s a pleasant blend of pop, folk, and country done very tastefully.