Don't you hate it when something really exciting happens and you aren't allowed to talk about it. These are all things I will be able to share in the near future, I don't like surprises but that's the way it goes sometimes. Fuck it's like the moment I turned 30 and things just started falling into place. 20's were the "make mistakes but make sure you are also working hard at whatever it is you love to do." Get your heart broken, clean up the mess, pick yourself back up and do it all again until you hit 30 if ...
EXGF – We Are The Hearts (Premiere)
We Are The Hearts...
Have you ever denied yourself the opportunity to make the right decision? i.e. You know shouldn’t take a job for the money, you know the person you’re with isn’t right for you, but you do it anyway, you carry on for the wrong reasons. What makes us so reluctant to choosing our nobler influences and why are we ruled by habitual vices, weak to our desires?
Those are tough questions but often times it’s our own ego hidden in the form of intellect that gives credence to our ego supported qualities. The intellect is nothing more than a middle man ...
Parra For Cuva feat. Anna Naklab – Wicked Games (Original Mix)
The original "Wicked Games" by Chris Isaak has to be one of my favorite songs, the lyrics, and the luring strums of the guitar, it's so effortlessly beautiful and timeless. So when I heard this original mix from Parra For Cuva & Anna Naklab I fell in love all over again. I can shamelessly say that I am in love and it doesn't matter with what or with who, so you can just keep on guessing, but the original is what plays in my head on a weekly basis, and now depending on my mood I now have two versions ...
Marina & The Diamonds – Starring Role
I've been a little under the weather the past few days but I guess that's just the time of year that's why I always like to find new tunes that are a little more upbeat but still have an aggressive message, I just think the majority of us are feeling a little more aggression around this time.
Marina & The Diamonds really hit home lyrically in this track. I have to always stop and remind myself that maybe when we feel a distance from someone in our lives or anything in general its not necessarily us, but maybe the weather or ...
Luis Crucet’s Current EP starts off on a wonderful note that feels more like post-rock than any sort of electronic music that he looks to delve into throughout the rest of the record, setting a stunning tone that informs the atmospherics to come. “Mist”, a single I previously delved into on our pages, sounds even more beautiful within the context of understanding the full scope of Crucet’s vision. On the heels of it comes “React”, an edgier cut that slices through the haze and straight to the center of your brain while still maintaining a mystique. “Lines” reminds me quite a bit of Bonobo with a trappier percussive edge while “Power” closes out the EP with a lighters-up anthem. From top to bottom, Current is a wonderful dreamscape worth immersing yourself in for its entire runtime.
I’ve allowed myself to flow through life’s current without any sort of friction and am finding myself at the most positive point of my existence. I am living with utter balance that echoes the harmonious nature of the universe (as above, so below) and continue to follow the guide posts set out for me. The past year has been an absolute spiritual journey that required intensified efforts and endless repetition until it all finally began to click and become a reflex, whether it’s my morning meditation or pulling oracle cards to better understand what the day has in store. I’m full of gratitude and absolutely thankful.
I was really impressed when Lo Lytes came across my radar at the beginning of this year and he’s continued to improve with each release. There’s no doubt “Devil You Know” is his best single, a steamy proclamation of irresistible friction that his nameless lover can’t help but return to again and again and again. His vocals are top notch that would be totally fitting on pop radio and the production here is full of layers that continue to reveal themselves with each and every listen. Also, “baby loving me is suicide” has to be one of the most seething lines of all time – I can’t help but keep thinking about that one even when I’m not listening to the single because it’s the type of art that sticks with you.
I heard a lecture where a speaker proclaimed that literature isn’t the only thing that should be part of the sacred canon of spirituality. He made a case for movies like The Devil’s Advocate as philosophical entities that deserve appraisal as communicating ideas worthy of historical significance (which I fully agree with as the devil’s monologues in that film have stuck with me since it arrived in the ’90s). I think that concept speaks to a larger idea that ALL art needs to be taken seriously wherever it delivers an impact, so I have to say that aforementioned lyric from “Devil You Know” fits the bill. I suggest holding your favorite music up to the light and appreciating it beyond your favorite playlist!
Want to be let in on a little secret? Well, here you go: Austin band Nané has been making the rounds in their cities with some apparently amazing results and have now brought their sound to us listeners outside the ATX area code. Consider it a blessing to my ears and yours, because this record is rock at its most charismatic, dashing, and genuinely fun. There’s no overly serious optics to slug through here – instead, it’s a rousing good time that’ll make you want to hit the dance floor with your friends and lose track of the time as the night waxes and wanes. And hey, if that’s hard for you to picture, there’s a perfect music video to check out too that’ll make you ready to show off those dance moves you’ve kept in store.
Love is a funny thing. We focus so hard on making ourselves the best versions of ourselves, then in turn we give it away as a gift to someone who reciprocates that act. It’s like a beautiful cycle of positive vibrations circulating from one into another and back again. You know that cycle has commenced when you can’t get them off your mind – when you wake up in the morning, when you’re in traffic, when you’re miles away. They’ve become an integral part of your development and, man, are you fortunate to have that feeling. I hope years of that and beyond are coming your way if they haven’t already arrived.
CLRX is a brand new artist that came on my radar today and I’m so excited to help introduce her to your ears. Coming straight out of San Francisco, she’s an insanely talented vocalist who flows like your favorite rapper while also showing genuine singing chops. It’s the kind of versatility I want from an artist in 2019 and man does she deliver. “So Clean” reminds me of the don’t-give-a-fuck tunes from people like M.I.A. who perfected a sound to throw on with the windows down, cruising down the highway and living nowhere except in the immediate present moment. Smash play on this one and don’t look back with the weekend upon us.
I’m operating on a clean slate where my spiritual life is back to a grounded center. It’s just in time for the beginning of a new month and right around the corner of a new year, and man, what a year it’s been. There’s been so much beautiful learning and growth and I feel possibly the best I’ve ever felt. Work is good, friends are good, my philosophic pursuits are good, everything is good! I’ll be carrying this vibe of positivity into the weekend and beyond!
ÆDAN had me intensely hyped up with the release of “HORIZON” and oh man does he deliver on this brand new EP. You can hear the influence of his C2C days through the scratches and old school hip-hop touches, but he’s operating in way more electronic territory that’ll make your head spin with excitement. My personal favorites are “EVOLUTION” which sounds like it should soundtrack the most epic video game of all time and “STORY” which feels closer to pop than anything he’s done before in the best way possible. This is such a good EP from top to bottom and I can’t recommend listening to it on repeat enough to you all.
Today has been weird in my little microclimate, but that’s okay. I’m keeping my eyes on the bigger picture and understanding my capacity for growth beyond little bumps in the road. We’re all spiritual beings having human experiences and that’s something to keep in mind on a daily basis no matter your little slip ups or imperfections. Practice compassion for not just others but yourself and you’ll find a much softer way to exist on this massive rock hurtling infinitely through space as the universe expands with no end in sight.
I swear Carter Reeves is an old soul in the best way possible. He has pure emotional depth combined with catchy hooks which is a formula for genuine staying power in music. That balance he strikes feels like a classic, long-lost approach with how quickly the scene moves, and I must say, finally hearing his new wave in the context of an EP just makes his work hit even harder this time around. I is like a psychedelic little daydream on the California coast, the sun shining and the waves slowly churning and feeling all of your senses blend into each other. “Lucy” is a personal favorite for this heady zone out, but “Yellow Soul” hits more modern pockets that vibe with my taste too. This project is just amazing from top to bottom and I can’t recommend it enough.
I’ll admit that I’m caught within the wondrous daydream that is SoCal. The weather is finally cooling off, the energy of people all around me seems to be more relaxed, it’s just a good time to be exactly where I’m at. I can finally exhale after a long summer and jam packed year and let these last few months coast on out like a message in a bottle floating off into the sea. I feel super fortunate to have this experience while I know other people are in panic mode with fires around the region, so I’m sending all my energy to those affected and hope everyone regardless of the area can reach their inner peace.
Dad is a brand new bedroom pop project that’ll catch your ears in a flash. The twist is that Dad doesn’t exist – she’s a virtual conjuring of the 21st century style and emotion that’s more authentic than most vocalists playing the industry, Spotify playlist chasing game. There’s some serious pop songwriter talent contributing to this project and you can really feel the catchiness of the hooks woven through an honest, organic lens. It’s such an interesting concept from top to bottom, but when you boil it all down, “Alligator” is one of the best songs of the year with no context needed. Dad has captured my full attention and I look forward to hearing what this figment of our collective imagination does next.
I woke up on the right side of bed this Monday morning, so having a song that makes me smile like “Alligator” is perfect timing. The sun is shining, incense is burning, candles are lit, the salt rock lamp is on, coffee is being sipped, tarot cards have been read, reading has been done, a beautiful day is in total motion. It’s a fresh entrance to a busy week ahead, helping me slow down before philosophy seminars and Halloween festivities begin to roll out with a quick pace. Now, back to hitting repeat on “Alligator” again and again.
The conversation around mental health has become the most public it’s ever been in our present society and that’s such a blessing. There’s no need for people to hide in the shadows anymore – they can be totally forthright about their experiences and that’s led to brave music in particular like Moxi’s “Wolves”. It’s a beautiful uplifting song that will fill you up with intense emotions as it’s lyrically honest and the music feels like the sun finally breaking through cloudy skies. You can feel their emergence from the depths into a beautiful new world that’s all the more rewarding once we’ve escaped our demons and put them to rest. I just don’t have enough positive words to say about “Wolves” and how important a song like this is.
It’s funny thinking about how hushed trying to discuss mental health even at the beginning of the 21st century was. It felt almost shameful for people to talk about seeing a therapist or taking medication, like that suddenly made them a weaker person, less deserving of sympathy, when in reality they needed a stronger societal support system to prop them up in times of need. But now, being able to flip on the TV and see NBA players talk about their struggles with depression is a totally normal occurrence. Ailments of the mind are like ailments of the body – they deserve compassion and treatment and celebration once they’ve been overcome!
01. Jordan Mackampa — What Am I 02. Samm Henshaw — Only One to Blame 03. Winston Surfshirt — Smile 04. North Downs — Dads Old Tapes 05. Blue Material — Personal 06. Isaac Delusion — fancy 07. Turnover — Plant Sugar 08. The Strands — Yoney 09. Claire George — Alone, Together (Forever) 10. Moon Duo — Eternal Shore 11. Swing Set — Love Her 12. The Internet — Hold On (LSCHYLD Remix) 13. Roshima — Tense (ft. Falcxne, Stacey Shopsowitz, Jan Morez) 14. Sampa The Great — Dare To Fly (feat. Ecca Vandal) 15. Jrxse — Solace (ft Starchild)
Aedan delivers cinematic trap goodness on “HORIZON”, a song that feels like Paper Diamond and Pretty Lights at their heyday (which makes sense because Aedan was crushing that style of hip-hop influenced sounds himself around the same time). It comes with a stunning music video that pushes the boundaries of the medium and feels more like an intense psychedelic head trip than something you’d throw on in the middle of the day (please excuse me while I now zone out into another stratosphere at 1PM). The song also is the first look at a new EP Aedan is dropping called MICROCLIMAT which I’m extremely excited to dive into if “HORIZON” is any indication of the quality at hand!
Always chase the horizon. Keep working toward the best version of yourself. You’ll never be perfect, but if you keep moving forward and progressing, nothing but the best of benefits to your mental, physical, and spiritual growth will follow. I’ve been chasing that horizon my entire life and am nowhere close to done yet, but that doesn’t slow me down! Anything I do at this very second to advance my present moment will make future me, whether that’s tomorrow or in a year or in decades, a much happier individual. In the end, isn’t that we all want? To be fulfilled and content?
