Wye Not Wye Oak

Meet Wye Oak; indie folk duo from Baltimore made up of equal parts Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack. In their latest release, Civilian, expect a cross between Florence + The Machine and Deb Talan of the Weepies. Riveting from the first beat, it didn't take long for me to wrap my headphones and heart around this amazing track, which revels in a humble combination of Elliot Smith's lyricism and the unapologetic grit missing from mainstream music. Tremendously brave and beautiful, Civilian is a song to fall in love with.

I am nothing without pretend
I know my thoughts
can't live with them
I am nothing without a man
I know my faults
but I can hide them

I don't need another friend
when most of them
i can barely keep up with
i'm perfectly able to hold my own hand
but i still can't
kiss my own neck

Second Annual - Year in Musical Review

A little glimpse into the mixtape of my year. What better way to measure your time but musically...

January
Symphonies - Dan Black

"as the lights of the cars go by in a stream
seems like i stand pretty much unseen
but i open my eyes and beams come out"

February

Ambling Alp - Yeasayer

"you must stick up for yourself, son
never mind what anybody else done"

March
Winter Winds - Mumford & Sons

"and my head told my heart 'let love grow'

but my heart told my head 'this time no"

April
The Chaconne - Dessa & Matthew Santos

"the books i read said you were a fragile kid, just as i imagined it your story goes"

May

Never Knew Your Name - Mason Jennings

"put the ghost in my sail/put the spin in my wheel/ roll me up in your heart,
awe make it seem real/i'm clay in your hands, i'm the ball in your game

i've been lovin you forever but i never knew your name"

June
Franklin Avenue - Jeremy Messersmith

"waiting for/ that sinking feeling/it's all that keeps me together + im so scared to let it unwind"

July
Mouthful of Diamonds - Phantogram

"wake up
you're getting high on your own supply
oh baby,
you're still alive when you could've died
the world is not around because of you
you know?
i'm not around because of you"

August
Eid Ma Clack Shaw - Bill Callahan

"show me the way to shake. a memory"

September
Heart of Gold - Neil Young

"it's these expressions i never give, that keep me searching for a heart of gold"

October
Who You Gonna Run To? - Solid Gold

"who you gonna run to?
who you gonna run to now?"

November
The Light - Common

"granted,
we known each other for some time -
it don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine"

December
Revival - Deerhunter

"i know they won't believe me, but i've got favorite memories
darkness, always
it doesn't make much sense"

As the new year approaches, I only hope that it is happier, calmer, and more beautiful than any year before. Try not to make too many resolutions, you don't need 'em.
xx

Kill The Light

Expect to hear these two next time you venture into Urban Outfitters.
An 80s, slightly sexed up version of Tegan and Sara, Kitten provides some good clean hipster fun with Kill The Light. Would easily fit into any techno-pop montage in a Sofia Coppola movie.


Not to be outdone, Deerhunter will leave you begging for more on the trance-like Revival - another song too short to be played less than a few times in a row.

Age of Adele

Adele, whose breakout album 19 was touted as the vocalist's powerhouse debut, comes back strong with her sophomore effort appropriately titled 21. Expected to hit iTunes this February, the first single Rolling in the Deep has been pre-released to thunderous praise from both sides of the pond. (Pure vocal power. If you want to listen to something that sounds. good. this is the song for you...) With a maturity transcending the age suggested on her albums, Adele's bold, soulful tracks resonate louder than many of her more half-hearted counterparts.
From powerful vocals to a richly transcendent artist tethered to textural fragility, Sufjan Stevens presents Futile Devices - a tiny work of art. This 2 minute gem is one of the most beautiful tracks off of Sufjan Stevens' latest album, The Age of Adz.