Music Monday--Noah & the Whale

Somehow Noah and the Whale were able to encapsulate the beginning of spring perfectly--I pull out this album every March, and it never fails to disappoint.

Music Monday--State and Madison

About a week ago, this arrived at my doorstep...

...and I haven't stopped listening to it since!  State and Madison hail from Chicago, and have been one of my favorite local bands for a long time.  They've finally put out an LP, and it is an amazing collection of music.  Check out the single here.  

They put on a mean live show--if you know what's good for you, you'll be at their record release show on April 6th at the Beat Kitchen!

Music Monday--Tommy & the High Pilots

Happy Monday!  I know it's going to be a good Monday, because tonight I'll be seeing these guys at Lincoln Hall!

Music Monday-Be My Valentine?

A little late, but here's the playlist that I sent out to friends for Valentine's Day this year.  I've been making Be My Valentine? mixes for 5 years now--thank goodness there is no shortage of love-themed songs out there!

Music Monday-Gold Motel

Lollapalooza 6.7.11

As ready as I am for fall and all of its hoodie-wearing opportunities, I will never turn down the sunshine summer feel that a Gold Motel show provides.  This Chicago local band is by far one of my favorites, and I've been to going their shows since they got their start in December of '09. They played a set at Middlewest Fest for the second year this past Saturday, so I took the opportunity to hike out to DeKalb, pick up my brother who goes to NIU, and head to see my favorite locals play.  (with the added bonus of getting to finally check out a Company of Thieves set, and a Tokyo Police Club set!)  Gold Motel's brand of pop is intelligent and so very catchy...best listened to with wayfarers on and the open road in front of you.  (But also effective as an injection of summer for those cold February days!) 

Check out their latest single here.

Music Monday-Beirut

A few days ago, this arrived at my doorstep...

...and it has made me happy ever since.  I discovered Beirut a few years ago thanks to the ever amazing Pandora, and have been in love since that day.  His music instantly transports you to Europe, but it never feels like a novelty or knock-off.  I'll be the first to admit I'm a sucker for a good melody, and the melodies of this and his past albums are the simple and clean yet rich and full.  The kind of melodies that stay with you long after you listen.  Zach Condon, the man behind Beirut, explained his love for melody in a recent article, saying: 

"I’ve always been searching for some sort of epic melancholy, I guess. It sounds silly saying it out loud, but it’s the truth. I can remember the first melody that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It was this haunting Italian aria. My mom put it on. It had a haunting melodic twist at the top of the singer’s range, and I remember thinking, I wish this just repeated and didn’t go anywhere else."

Epic melancholy pretty much sums up his music, so the man has clearly accomplished his goal.  I'm seeing him live at the end of this month, and I couldn't be more excited!

Music Monday-Cold War Kids

For the first time in far too long I've been able to pull out my cardigans and the adjective "chilly" when interacting with the weather as of late.  While I'm certain it will return to scorching just as soon as I settle into chilly, the change in temperature has firmly planted ideas of fall in my mind.  Fall has always been my jam, my favorite season for sure.  Cooler temperatures, school supplies, changing colors, cardigans, my birthday month.  And I always find myself changing my music wardrobe at the same time I pull out the hooded sweatshirts.  I'm not 100% ready to retire my summer tunes (I've still got a few more windows-open-sunglasses-on car jam sessions in me!) but I've already started listening to the more mellow fall material.  The stuff that makes you turn inside and think think think.  Cold War Kids fits that bill perfectly, and has been on repeat in my Itunes for the last week or so!

Music Monday-Foster the People

Steps to a happier Monday:

1. Put on your dancing shoes.

2. Press play.

3. Dance like there's no tomorrow.  Suggested dance move: the running man.  But it's not my place tell you how to groove.

Music Monday-Andrew Belle

I saw Andrew Belle at Anonapalooza, a festival in Geneva this past Saturday. It was one of those perfect laidback summer concerts--sunglasses on, grass in your toes, sun setting behind the stage--and Andrew Belle's performance was the perfect soundtrack for the evening!

Music Monday-Ha Ha Tonka

I've seen these guys live a few times now, and always leave impressed by their energy and talent.  I saw them most recently on Saturday, as part of Wicker Park Fest.  Thanks to incredibly slow (but entertaining! included a drunk guy yelling "HAVE FUN BEING A HATER!" to anyone who wouldn't give him a high five) public transit, I didn't get to the fest until halfway through Ha Ha Tonka's set.  But no matter, I guess I'll just HAVE to see them the next time they're in town!  Check them out live if you get the chance!

Music Monday-Summer Loving