A Thousand Miles Behind

YES, DAVID F*CKIN’ GUETTA. I don’t know if you’re reading the song credits in today’s big artists like Madonna, B.E.P., Usher, Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, Snoop Dog, Ludacris, etc. Well I do. This guy is their secret. You want to make a killer dance record? Work with this guy. It’s about time he gets his share of the credit. Indeed, he’s THE ambassador for dance music, and by the looks of it, he will do everything in his power to bring dance to the masses. It may sound like he’s selling out, but if this is the sound of selling out, it sounds really good. Guetta’s fifth album, Nothing But The Beat, isn’t a critically acclaimed album. It will never be. But the album’s fun, infectious and happy, so why deprive yourself of that? (I really, really respect this artist. If you want to know why, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6NAzyOmhto)

Press repeat:  Where Them Girls At, Little Bad Girl, Sweat, Without You, Titanium

The National’s High Violet was a record that was released last year, which I really fell hard for this year. I can remember how it happened. I was walking in A. Lacson Avenue beside campus. It was dark, cold and windy. The air was not melancholic. It was sort of angry. So I decided I wanted to hear “Sorrow” from this album. I played it on my iPod and never listened to anything else for 2 weeks. Rock music may be in the back burner in the music scene dominated by the Gagas and the Beibers but if rock would return, I would like it to return in this form. Not the newly renovated and emo Linkin Park. 

Press repeat: Terrible Love, Sorrow, Anyone’s Ghost, Bloodbuzz Ohio, Conversation 16

If you would like to listen to something else but Adele on a rainy day, I would recommend this record, Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars. What I love about this record is that it sounds so delicate and wonderfully crafted. They took the minimalist approach in this one: Singing, oh so naturally and playing just about the right number of instruments. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s like listening to a story book come to life. If you’d like a little more folk in your collection, this one deserves your attention. Tell me if this doesn’t move you on a rainy day by the fifth track, Poison & Wine. 

Press repeat: I’ve Got This Friend, C’est la Mort, Poison & Wine, My Father’s Father, The Violet Hour

There’s really a dearth of knowledge about this band. Most people probably know them from Tap Tap Revenge 2 or their beautiful contribution to (ugh) the Twilight soundtrack. Most people don’t know that Ben Gibbard, the vocalist, was the husband of Zooey “New Girl” Deschanel. Or that he has another excellent project, The Postal Service. Then again, Death Cab for Cutie isn’t really out to get everyone’s attention. They make music the way the want to. That leads us to Codes and Keys, the follow-up to Narrow Stairs. You won’t find anything that is as catchy as The Sound of Settling here, but it doesn’t matter. Codes and Keys is calculated to make you fall in love deeper with the band or make it easier for you to be introduced to one of the most underrated acts for the last ten years or so. 

Press repeat: Home Is a Fire, Codes and Keys, Some Boys, Monday Morning, Portable Television, Stay Young, Go Dancing.

Bon Iver is the future of music. There I said it. Ok, that was an exaggeration, sorry. :D It won’t be an exaggeration though to say that Bon Iver’s self-titled album is a revelation. Here is an artist, who writes, plays and produces his own music and just puts it out there. I don’t think he cares at all of people’s perception of his music. Bon Iver was known to have locked himself in a cabin to record his debut. He didn’t come out until he thought it was perfect. Frankly, I wouldn’t say this record is perfect. I would say, though, that this record is real and heartfelt. Honesty is something that’s been missing in the music industry recently and Bon Iver found it… This record is something I would listen to if I found myself alone on top of mountain. It will give you peace. 

Press repeat: Perth, Minnesota, WI, Holocene, Michicant, Wash.