We have been loving the sounds of Matt + Kim lately and wanted to be sure to share! The indie dance duo/couple formed in Brooklyn, New York in 2004 consisting of Matt Johnson (vocals, keyboards) and Kim Schifino (drums, vocals) is known for their DIY attitude toward music. They have released four studio albums to date: Matt & Kim (2006), Grand (2009), Sidewalks (2010) and Lightning (2012).
After the success of their first album, Matt & Kim signed with the FADER label releasing their next three. They gained popularity with indie fans over the years through their many outgoing tours. The duo, known for their energetic shows, wrote, recorded, and produced their last album in their Brooklyn home studio. Praised for the albums dynamic sounds, their single “Let’s Go” was performed live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon prior to launching a 2012 headlining sold-out North American tour.
Our favorite song is “Daylight” which was was the first single from their second studio album Grand. The duo performed this song on August 26, 2009 on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show. The song appears in the video game NBA Live 10 and is the only non-hip hop song on the soundtrack! The lyrics are inspiring and upbeat ending with the line “And in the daylight I don’t pick up my phone because in the daylight anywhere feels like home.” Check out the quirky video here:
Best known for his witty rhymes, infectious attitude and playful vibe, Jonathan Park, also known by his stage name Dumbfoundead, is a native Los Angeles rapper of Korean descent.
He has been dubbed by NPR as “A Rising Star In A Genre In Transition”. Their reasoning behind this is because when you hear the word “rapper” most people envision Jay-Z wearing a scary mask or Ice Cube snarling. However, Jonathan is the complete opposite from your typical rapper and comes off as a playful goofy guy who is quick witted and really intelligent.
Jonathan is contributing to breaking the typical rapper stereotype by creating rap music with his own cultural twist. He believes Asian rappers didn’t step into the hip-hop scene in large numbers initially because they hadn’t figured out they could broaden the genre with their own cultural spin. They pictured rap as African-American, and hesitated to break that mold.
In the past couple of years, he has been establishing a strong online presence and has received the most views for his song “Are We There Yet”. In this song he talks about the struggles of being born to Korean refuges in Argentina then being taken to Mexico and finally smuggled into the U.S. Throughout the song, he praises his mother for giving up her dream and handing it down to him. We love this inspiring upbeat song and cannot stop playing it in our offices! What do you guys think?
Named after Fader Movitz, a character in a story by an 18th-century Swedish poet, this Swedish band, Movits!, is one of the most eclectic bands we have listened to in awhile. They are a Swedish-hip hop-swing band that started pretty mainstream as an acoustic hip hop reggae band . The DJ and multi-instrumentalist of the band Anders Rensfeltdt said. “It was just acoustic guitar, organ and cajun.” Eventually, though, inspired by the drums and the horns of the swing era, they started working on the music that turned into their first album called, Äppelknyckarjazz, which translates to Apple swiper jazz or scrumping jazz in English, and is referencing the apple-stealing trousers worn by Swedish street kids in the ’30s and ’40s. After being featured on The Colbert Report, Movits! received quick fame and they claim that was the reason for their popularity. We love their unique sounds and style; listen for yourselves. Here’s one of their newest singles, Nitroglycerin:
The British drum and bass quartet recently visited Los Angeles over this past weekend and we were lucky enough to listen to the dance group perform live at the legendary Troubadour club . They are a mix of electronic music with amazing instrumentals — the perfect sound to dance to, and they sounded especially great at the intimate venue. They recently just confirmed the release of their long-awaited debut album called Home will go on sale on April 29. We can’t wait to hear the rest of the album, but meanwhile we will keep on listening to “Not Giving In,” which features vocals by John Newman and Alex Clare.
It was only a year ago that the band members of Imagine Dragons were couch surfing and surviving off of Del Taco before exploding onto the music scene. The indie-rock band was first recognized nationally in November of 2012 when their single “It’s Time” was certified platinum by the RIAA. “It’s Time” gained the attention of Hip-Hop producer Alex Da Kid, who then got the band their first deal with Interscope Records.
So what kind of sound results from an indie-rock band mentored by a hip-hop producer? You get an album meshed with various genres where every song is interwoven with different beats, percussion and guitar melodies. Their album “Night Visions” can be described as a cross between Lil’ Wayne’s lyrics and Coldplay’s electro beats!
The bands’ unique sound can be credited to the city of Las Vegas, where it was formed and developed its musical style. Frontman Dan Reynolds explains he and his three band mates had to compete for attention against show girls and slot machines -forcing them to get creative.
Even the band’s name, Imagine Dragons, is creative. It is actually an anagram in which every letter stands for a phrase that only the band members know!
Known for their catchy stomp-and-clap “Hey Ho” single which hit No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart, the Lumineers, never thought they would earn two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Americana Album. “When things are good, there’s only one way to go: down. You start to be, ‘What’s going on right now? Grammys? Is this a joke?’” said drummer Jeremiah Fraites in a Rolling Stone interview.
Jeremiah and band leader Wesley Schultz became childhood friends in the spring of 2005 playing gigs in New York. Before long, the two moved to Denver and met cellist Neyla Pekarek from a craigslist ad. Their 2011 self-recorded EP led to a tour attracting fans from all over the nation.
What’s great about these guys is that they’re not just known for their hit single, but for their entire album. In most of the trio’s songs they give off this cheery vibe that will put anyone at ease.
This folk-rock-group isn’t afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves allowing them to create songs that fans can relate to! They are a mix of front-porch-folk music spiced with a little soul and acoustic rock. It’s not so often a fresh faced band gets nominated for the Grammy’s after not being on the radar for long. Make sure to also check out their performance at the Grammy’s!
Although this Canadian indie-pop band, Stars, has been around now for some time – since 1999 – we just recently discovered and fell in love with their music. We first heard Stars when “Dead Hearts” played during the movie “Like Crazy.” And now, already out with their sixth studio album, Stars, recently came out with the album The Norththis past September. The band consists of five members, who all grew up in Toronto, Torquil Campbell, Christoher Seligman, Evan Cranley, Amy Millan, and Patrick Mcgee. We currently can’t stop listening to “Hold On When You Get Love.” The instrumentals and Millan and Campbell’s vocals put us instantly in a good mood – it’s hopeful, upbeat and makes us want to dance.
This all-girl band has had us in a trance recently. It’s probably a combination of their ethereal voices and layering melodies that make their music such an easy listen. They definitely give off a feeling of a punk-y, psychedelic band, reminiscent of the 1970’s. The really cool thing about Grass Widow is that all three of them, Hannah Lew, Raven Mahon and Lillian Maring, contribute to what each song is about. And there isn’t a “head” of the group either, just 3 women who like to make music and share it with the world. They even started their own record label, HLR, after touring Europe, England and China. The ever-creative women have also made some of their own music videos, several of which were written and directed by Hannah Lew.
“Goldilocks Zone” is one of the many songs we’ve had on repeat by them. Hearing the song and watching the music video make you question if you’re in The Twilight Zone, but we’re not complaining. They’re a breath of fresh air because they’re different than other bands that have been gaining popularity recently. We love that they’re not short on authenticity and they’re not afraid to be themselves.
This year’s summer music festivals are slowly dwindling down, but one of our favorites is finally here this weekend, Lollapalooza. And despite the sticky Chicago humidity and sometimes unpredictable weather (last year’s rain), Lollapalooza is the perfect weekend to wrap up the summer and enjoy amazing music with friends at Grant Park.
We put together an outfit that will keep you cool and stylish through the long and warm days with our summer favorite Thalia shorts. Pair the denim shorts with a cute white lace top for a boho look, or we found this amazing loose black top with the back holes (great ventilation) creating a skull face! Don’t forget to accessorize with over-sized shades and an arm party!
We loved seeing The Head and the Heart at Coachella Music Festival, it was unlike anything we ever imagined. Not only did their music make us want to stand up and dance around, but it also touched our hearts and minds. Originally from Seattle, they optimize the indie/folk genre while also appealing to rock/pop aesthetics. A band made up of five talented guys, it was their one girl, Charity Rose Thielen, stole the show for us. We haven’t stopped listening to “Lost In My Mind” and “Sounds Like Hallelujah”. Look into tour and concert dates on The Head and the Heart’s website and Facebook; we would love for you to be able to experience them in person! We hope you find that their songs are the perfect summer melody like we have!
