Shooting Stars by Bag Raiders

This isn't the type of song you're used to hearing from us, but I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Bag Raiders are a house group, which probably means something to most of you. I must confess that I don't fully grasp the definition of house, except that it seems to be well-suited for house parties. If there is any other house music that is even remotely as catchy as this song, let me know, because I haven't heard it. This song is quickly becoming my jam. Yep, that's right, I'm going to put a copyright on it as my own personal jam. Listen after the break.

NEW SONG: Better Days by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

There's not much that you're doing that's more important than this. New Edward Sharpe is a cause for intense celebration. Their new album, Better Days, is coming out July 23 here in the US of A, and the Edward Sharpe frontman, Alex Ebert, called it "the rawest, most liberated, most rambunctious stuff we’ve done." That is certainly a tantalizing description, and we've been waiting for this new album with baited breath. The album opener, "Better Days" was released earlier this week, and it doesn't quell any of our excitement. Listen after the break.

Miss Lonelyhearts by Robin Pahlman

Robin Pahlman is a man after my own heart. A former lit student, he counts among his influences a Moist Melodies favorite, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and several others, including Kurt Vile and Iron & Wine. From Finland originally, Pahlman has moved around a good deal throughout the years. On how this informs his music, Pahlman said, "Maybe since I have moved around quite a bit in the past few years, I write songs about space, place, and travel." He also seems to know exactly what elements are surefire ways to get me to like a song, with a heavy use of horns (in Miss Lonelyhearts) and whistling (in Waves). He's hoping to release his first album later in the year, so keep an ear out for him. Listen after the break. 

Silver Soul by Beach House

When I first started listening to indie music, one of the first bands I discovered was Beach House. They were unlike anything I'd ever heard before, and anything I've heard since. Their music defines any label that you might try to put on them. They sometimes border on a post-rock, atmospheric sound, but that is a far from perfect definition. Their music requires exactly how much concentration you're willing to give it. If you put it on in the background while you write a paper, it'll calm you down and keep you focused. But if you want to be actively engaged, there's more than enough going on to keep you interested. Listen to "Silver Soul" after the break.

Late Night Special: Arcade Fire- Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

As you may know from reading past posts, I really like the Arcade Fire and I've probably already talked about them too much.  So I'll keep this short and sweet, really cool, funky keyboard driven song with strong female vocals and a catchy use of guitar and drums.  Try it, you'll like it.

Oceans by Coasts

Coasts are a folk-rock group out of Bristol. Much to the behest of Colan, my Connecticut-born fellow editor, that is Bristol, England. Which, if we're honest, is probably a good thing in terms of us liking this band. My best attempt at a description of this group is probably not one that they would appreciate, but it's in my head now, so it's being written. They're like a British Yellowcard, complete with the whole ocean theme, except that this band is significantly less embarrassing to play in front of other people. The chorus gets pretty epic; this band is ready-made for soldout arena tours and epic concert montages. Definitely worth a listen, after the break.

Hey! If you're still up listen to these two songs!

Hey! You there up late living the life, out on the town or perhaps just chillin out laxin relaxin all cool.  Either way listen to these two songs:

Shifting Sands of Sound by Dick Walter

Without reading the Youtube comments, can you tell me where this song was sampled? That song/artist happens to be pretty awesome as well, but the sample stands quite fine on its own as well. The coolest of jazz horns, and all sorts of other strange sounds. I did a somewhat extensive Google Search for Dick Walter, but I got pretty much nothing. I'm forced to guess when it came out, and truthfully, I have no idea. It really is a tough one to place chronologically, but it's probably more recent than I'm thinking. If you know anything about Dick Walters, let us know, because I'm genuinely curious. Listen after the break.

Review: Daft Punk- Random Access Memories

The first thing I can say about the highly anticipated, newly leaked album from famed electronic duo Daft Punk is listen to it.  Stream it, download it, find it somewhere and listen to it, in its entirety beginning to end.  You don't need to be a fan of Daft Punk or really even of electronic music, I myself usually don't care much for electronic or dance music, as I tend to prefer real instruments and am not much of a dancer.  But this album is something else, and I mean that in the way that a grandparent would compassionately regard their grandchild doing something different that they may not completely understand.  This album took some huge, metal, robot balls to make and it will doubtlessly disappoint if not outright piss off a lot of fans of the groups previous work.  This is not a dance album.  It is not the album to fuel your summer night parties.  Sure certain tracks could fit, with the single "Get Lucky" being one of them, but that is one of the few truly upbeat, dancy tracks on the album.  This is not to say the rest of the album won't get you moving, but each track is so experimental that if you were to play it in its entirety, most of the time your drunk, dance loving friends will be giving you weird, sidelong glances.

Two Awesome Songs That Sample Lazy Day by Spanky and Our Gang

"Lazy Day" is a classic, feel good song from 1967. Recorded by Spanky and Our Gang, a folk group from Illinois, it has become, in my mind, the quintessential sunny day song. It also happens to just be an awesome song. And you don't have to just take my word for it; it has been sampled in at least two awesome rap songs, and probably a bunch more that I haven't heard. I don't think it's any coincedence that the two songs of which I speak happen to be their respective artist's most popular song on Spotify. Masta Ace's "Take A Walk" actually touches on some deep shit. It takes us on a walk through the Brooklyn ghetto on a sunny day, with Ace commenting on the stuff that he sees. Expect a post soon on the full album, Disposable Arts, which is awesome from start to finish. Forgive us for being nine years late on that one. oops. The other song is "Low Class" by Anthm, off his much more recent EP, A Handful Of Dust. It came out in March of this year, and has not been getting the attention it deserves. Honestly, I'll probably put up a post on that full EP as well. But for now, check out these songs, because they're among the best out there for driving on a sunny summer day.

Coastin' by Cities Aviv

I can't find much biographical info on Cities Aviv. He released this EP in 2012, and he appears to be from Memphis. He's got a real old school style sound, aided by a jazzy sample that really ties the song together. In the lyrics, he eloquently says "fuck you" to the people who didn't/don't believe in his ability to follow his dreams of rapping. Not exactly an unfamiliar subject, but his flow compliments the sample perfectly, and it comes together nicely at the end. Definitely want to hear more from him. Listen after the break. 

NEW SONG: Cirrus by Bonobo

Pretty trippy stuff coming from Bonobo lately. His sound resembles a more upbeat XXYYXX, infused with a bit of hip-hop influence. Like most good music, it's hard to categorize. But it's in the shoegaze/chillwave genre, I'm pretty sure. I can't lie to you and pretend that I have a firm grasp on what either of those genres entail, but I'm convinced that nobody does. It's like pornography; I can't define it, but I know it when I see it. Or in this case, hear it. Anyway, Bonobo's latest album, The North Borders,  was released this year, and it's worth a listen. Take a gander after the break.

How To Introduce Your Mother To Good Music

My mother and I are on pretty opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of music. My mom spends most of her music listening absentmindedly humming along to Top 40 radio stations. Outside of that, she doesn't get much enjoyment out of music, and I think that is a damned shame. Think of all the good songs you've heard over the years, songs that have come to define a time in your life, songs that make you think, songs that you roll the windows down and blast on the first true day of summer; my mom hasn't heard any of those songs that you just thought of. So yesterday, I trapped my mother in her car for a total of 3 hours on our way to the godless shithole that is Long Island, and I tried to introduce her to some new music. Honestly, the whole experience was like pulling teeth. Patrick, turn it down. There were too many curses. She couldn't focus on the music while driving. Patrick, turn it down. Too weird. Patrick, turn it down. It started raining buckets while in bumper to bumper traffic on the GW Bridge. Patrick, I don't care about your stupid website, turn it down. All of those things happened. But I gleaned a couple of things from the whole affair, and I have recorded my observations for you below. Obviously not all mothers are the same, but honestly, they can't be that different. So maybe some of this will be useful for you as well. Read on, if you dare.

North by Port St. Willow

This song is gonna be a bit of a stretch for those of you with pop sensibilities. Port St. Willow makes ambient, nature-walky music, that develops slowly. Not exactly something you'll want to sing along with, but if you put this album on your headphones and go for a walk through the woods, I imagine it'd be a pretty cool listening experience. But even sitting on my couch at home, those horns are a great sound. The entire album is of a similar vein; mostly slow, ambient stuff, but if you give it your attention, it really can be a fun album to listen to. Listen after the jump.

Ghosts of Happiness by The Tree Ring

Everybody loves a good granola-y band; this is the kind of music you would listen to in a log cabin with no electricity after a day of doing outdoor stuff. I can't help but hear similarities between The Tree Ring and Andrew Bird (who we have featured here and here); maybe that's just because of the ample use of the violin, but if you like one, I'd expect you to like the other. I also recommend watching the video of their "hike-in" show, which is exactly what it sounds like. The band and the audience hauled all their equipment out into the mountains outside San Diego to play a show among the trees and lakes. It might be a little corny, but the result is a pretty rad piece of music. Listen/watch after the break.

Jack White-Love is Blindness

If you are anywhere near as hyped as I am for the release of the film "The Great Gatsby" this coming weekend you are damn hyped and have probably heard at least a bit of this song before.  I'm re-reading the book this week to prepare.   I had a listen to the soundtrack of the film and this song was the standout for me.  There is also a cool track from Lana del Rey worth listening to, "No Church in the Wild" which hasn't changed a bit from the last few hundred times you heard it and an atrocious Beyonce and Andre 3000 cover of "Back to Black" that must have Amy Winehouse turning in her grave.  This song may be a bit more intense then the melodies that usually grace our pages, but if you like movies or books and are the least bit interested, or just like the sound of Jack White doing a U2 cover, than this track will get you fuckin hyped.  Its precisely what Fitzgerald had in mind, but with a cooler guitar solo.
Listen after the jump, old sport.

NEW SONG: 100$ Bill by Jay-Z (From the Great Gatsby soundtrack)

At this point, you've probably heard that Jay-Z is doing the score for the new film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Jay-Z is probably my favorite rapper of all time, and The Great Gatsby is probably my favorite book of all time, so naturally, I have been licking my chops ever since that first announcement. I acknowledge that I'm a little nervous that the movie won't live up to the impossibly high standard set forth by the book, but so far the soundtrack at least has sounded great. Jay-Z's new original song, "100$ Bill" is infused with references to New York, elements of the plot, and the characters within the movie/book. Of course Jay-Z feels a particular connection to Jay Gatsby, perhaps part of why he wanted to work on this film. Also, there's the fact that the book is fucking awesome. I know we're a music blog, but I cannot recommend enough that you read the actual book, especially if you're going to see the movie. I give you the green light to listen to the song after the jump across the bay to East Egg. Just don't hit Daisy on the drive. Hooray for plot references to prove I read it.

NEW SONG: Bugs Don't Buzz by Majical Cloudz

I think I like this song. It's certainly different. It's made up almost exclusively of piano and voice, with some haunting effects that I don't even know how to describe thrown in between. It's sorta like a slowed-down, more depressing version of M83's Splendor, with much more of an emphasis on vocals. The lyrics themselves straddle between a commentary on love and love songs in general, as well as a love song in of itself. He opens the song by singing, "The cheesiest songs always end in a smile, this won't end in a smile my love." So it's not cheery, by any means. Just want to warn you going into it. This single comes from Majical Clouz upcoming album, Impersonator, due out May 21st. Listen after the jump.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo- Stairway to Heaven y Diablo Rojo- Rodrigo y Gabriella

My background in Spanish culture is limited mostly to whatever I have learned in American public school Spanish classes from around 6th grade on.  So when it comes to Spanish music, I'm clueless to a great deal of it.  However, one group I found and loved were the Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriella.  They are both incredible guitarists with very different styles that happen to compliment each other perfectly.  Rodrigo is, in a sense the lead guitarist and he plucks out his melodies with feeling and often incredible speed.  Gabriella brings new meaning to the term dexterity as she is responsible for both the harmony and the rhythm, a task she accomplishes with some insane finger picking I cannot even hope to understand and also hitting the shit out of her guitar to create percussion.  The stairway to heaven cover is both a tribute to the bands roots (they met as members of a Mexican heavy metal band) and a gorgeous acoustic version of the song that starts faithful and builds to something that is very much their own.  The second song is said to be about a roller coaster and its sheer speed seems to prove this.  Give it a listen while your sucking down margaritas, coronas or whatever other way you are celebrating what is supposed to be a historic and reverential holiday.  ¡Empina el codo y escucha!
Escucha despues de saltar

Upward Over the Mountain by Iron & Wine

Iron & Wine is the musical pseudonym of Sam Beam, a singer-songwriter based outside of Austin, TX. This particular song is off his first full length album, The Creek Drank the Cradle. It's a slow, folky tune, with ample use of the slide guitar, which is always a plus in my book. There's not really much I can say about Iron & Wine that would do him justice; his body of work does the talking. The guy has been recording virtually nonstop since 2002. I don't know much about record companies, but they're not gonna let you record this many albums unless you've got some serious talent. Listen after the break.

A lil Sunday Acoustic- Deep in an Ancient Hawaiian Forest by Makana

This is the first in a series we here at moist melodies are going to try to remember to do every Sunday for all those who may have been out having a good time last night and perhaps are not having as good a time this morning.  To help you ease into your Sunday morning we'll provide you with something nice and easy on the ears, a lil acoustic music to soothe whatevers ailing you, or perhaps to simply make your Sunday morning sunrise a little more pleasant.  To start off this series here is a very pretty acoustic guitar track from, well, from deep in an ancient Hawaiian forest I suppose.  If you're wondering where you may have heard the tune, it is featured in "The Descendants" a good but altogether depressing movie that came out a couple years ago that happens to have a great soundtrack full of cool Hawaiian tunes.  So kick back with whatever your hangover remedy of choice may be and have a listen.  We're here to help, we promise.  When it comes right down to it, we care about you.  Yes, you.  How many other music blogs have that kind of compassion.  Seriously, if we could rub your back and spoon feed you fruit loops we would.  We're that kind of music blog.
Listen after the step, but, you know, take it easy, no rush...

A Light in the Attic by This Patch of Sky

Post-rock is a genre that sometimes can get overlooked in the fray of lyrically based music that seems to be the most popular. Which is fine, most of the time. But it does cause us to miss some truly great stuff. This song, from This Patch Of Sky, sounds more like something off a movie soundtrack than anything off a traditional studio album. But alas, it is exactly that. It's epic, instrumental music that makes you want to see wide, sweeping landscape shots. I'm gonna go watch Vimeo nature videos for a couple of hours, bye. Listen after the jump.

Patrons of the Arts by Bro. Stephen

This isn't the first time we've featured Bro. Stephen on Moist Melodies. In fact, his "Tears on Tape" was one of the first songs we ever posted on here. Still, the guy makes great music, and I doubt this is the last we'll be hearing of him. He grew up in Michigan (I know that sucks, but we can't hold it against him), in a very religious household. That certainly informs his songwriting, reflected in the fact that his first album was called Baptist Girls. Anyway, he falls into the singer-songwriter style of folk music; most of the album is just him and his guitar. He manages to keep the sound fresh, and he is not limited at all by it being just him on the record. There's also the coolness factor; this band is about as unknown as they come. 900 views on this video on Youtube. My middle school French project  broke the millenium mark and this didn't? Bullshit. Absolute bullshit. This is the kind of music that everyone should be listening to. Hear for yourself after the break.

NEW MUSIC: The Lone Bellow

I hear you like Mumford and Sons. That's what the word on the street is. Or at least at the Grammy's says so, although experience tells us that that isn't necessarily a good indicator of what people actually listen to. But, I know enough people looking for music that sounds similar to Mumford that I think this might be appropriate. I don't mean that as a way to take away from The Lone Bellow, who are a fantastic band of their own merit. Based in Brooklyn, they've released one, self-titled album. That's just about all the information I could find on them, so you'll have to just deal. The music though, is worth having to see another fucking guy from Brooklyn wearing a bowtie. Listen after the jump.