Category Archives: Music

30 podcasts from 2016 you need to subscribe to

Podcasts are trendier than ever now. Which is a grand thing to say. There’s a lot out there – some top notch, some not so much – and trying to find the right one for you is tricky. Here are 30 I listen to that I suggest to a lot of people I meet. Most of them are the “mainstream” ones, because I haven’t done much of a deep dive. Chances are you’ve listened to most of these if you love podcasts, but if you haven’t listened to much, you should definitely check some out.

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30 albums from 2016 you need to hear

Looking for a song to party to? How about study along with? Need a song to take your sex life to the next level? Here are thirty albums I enjoyed this year on one level or another, in alphabetical order. I spared you all the commentary and just included a song from each album.

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Favorites of 2016 (so far): music

We’re halfway through 2016 and that means every pop culture site is going to make a “Best of 2016 (So Far)” type of post. I respect them. They help me catch things I may have missed. I also like to do one for my friends to enjoy. However, I never claim my list has the “best” of anything. Just my favorites, because I can admit something that isn’t meant to be a pinnacle of pop culture is my favorite. Like School of Rock being one of my Top 5 Recommended Films and Casablanca isn’t listed. Savvy?

I never knew what the “cool” music was. While boys were jamming to Blink-182, I was bopping to NSYNC. When it seemed like everyone was listening to the hottest rap track, I was into the deep cuts on The Killers’ Hot Fuss (okay, maybe that was cool, but it didn’t seem it at the time). Whenever I tell someone my favorite band is Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s they go, “Never heard of her.” I think I have a couple of mainstream albums that have been my favorite this year though. So that’s new.

Now for the list:

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Favorite albums of 2015

I have a confession: I missed a lot of new albums this year because my nose was buried in books (more on that later). There were a lot of bands who released highly anticipated albums as well as a few indie artists who splashed onto the scene. Here are ten of my favorites, which surprisingly doesn’t include Of Monsters and Men after their sophomore effort failed to resonate with me.

Here we go:

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Richard Edwards on his rotted gut and a decade of rarities

[Update: Richard Edwards is releasing his first solo album. Read about it here.]

Richard Edwards is set to release a box set of rarities recorded by his feverishly followed band, Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s. The Bride on the Boxcar – A Decade of Margot Rareties: 2004-2014 will provide fervent fans with demos of hit songs, tracks that were cut from albums and as well as different versions of fan-favorite releases from the band’s five LPs. It will be released December 4th via Joyful Noise.

Edwards, who has been suffering from stomach affliction for years, revealed that he “recently re-entered a pretty gnarly stretch with this stomach ailment” that he has been fighting and is “spending a lot of time at the doctor’s and in bed.” He asked if we could communicate via email. The following responses are unedited, and reprinted from his original email.

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“Grit and Glitter” playlist

The name doesn’t really make sense. I was going to put really gritty songs and some synthy pop on a playlist and sorta changed a lot of the songs eventually. The flow isn’t perfect, but there are some good up beat songs as well as some slower, melodic ones. I made a Spotify playlist, so you can listen to that here.

gritandglitter

  1. “Future People” – Alabama Shakes
  2. “She’s Not Me” – Jenny Lewis
  3. “Video Girl” – FKA twigs
  4. “Sober” – Childish Gambino
  5. “Colony (Sombear Reach 4 Remix)” – Now, Now
  6. “I Was a Fool” – Tegan and Sara
  7. “Bright” Echosmith
  8. “Crystals” – Of Monsters and Men
  9. “Master Pretender” – First Aid Kit
  10. “Call Your Girlfriend (Robyn cover)” – Allison Weiss
  11. “I Love You, Honeybear” – Father John Misty
  12. “Flying Saucer Blues” – Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s
  13. “Who is You Lover?” – yellowbirddd
  14. “Allston” – Tancred
  15. “Digital Witness” – St. Vincent

Listen to a demo from Richard Edwards

Richard EdwardsRichard Edwards, the singer-songwriter behind Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, just released a demo on his Soundcloud account titled “Something Wicked.”

Edwards, who has released music under the Margot band umbrella since 2004, has changed his sound over the years. First the band was almost an orchestra with horns and strings. The chamber pop of their first two releases got a little rowdier with Buzzard and even more so with Rot Gut, Domestic. Then he stripped everything down for last year’s Sling Shot to Heaven, which relies heavily on Edwards, his raw vocals, and gentle guitar.

There’s no saying what the new album that he already plans on recording this year will sound like, but it will most certainly feature his intricate lyrics that read almost like extremely short stories. “Something Wicked” is a perfect example. It’s about not caring about a girl’s new man and how certain that the new man is doing her wrong.

Along with releasing the link, Richards thanked fans for buying a little from the band’s merchandise store, but claimed the song probably won’t make the album.

Thanks for picking a few things up from the merch store to help fund recording. Here’s a newish demo of a song that probably won’t be on the record, as a thank you.

It’s slow and emotional. For a demo, it’s pretty perfect. Check it out below.