Music of the Moment (March 2014)

Happy spring peeps! Spring is officially one day old and there are two things that are quintessential spring to me: updating my wardrobe and finding new music. These past few weeks were spent sorting through 1000+ songs to update my playlists and of course listening to the goodness that made it through my tough selection criteria. Of the selection, I made an even stricter selection and those 16 songs made it into today’s post. So without further ado, I present to you: my 16 favorite songs du moment in alphabetical order.

Banks – Waiting Game

If you like London Grammer, you’ll like Banks. Just think of this as darker, deeper and more mysterious.

Bastille – Of the Night

My first concert this month was Bastille (I’m seeing Backstreet Boys on Monday in case you’re wondering) and they played this song as part of their encore. What do you get if you mix Bastille’s sound with retro 90s dance tracks Snap’s Rhythm is a Dancer and Corona’s Rhythm of the Night? This fun, dancy, feel good song.

Biro – Misty

Time for some chillwave! But a happy, trippy sort of chillwave with a jazzy piano and horns. If there is one type of music that breathes sunny spring time afternoons in the park with a bottle of wine, it’s this! Enjoy and be mellow.

Chris Malinchak – So Into You

It seems to me that one thing that is super hot right now is sampling 80s and 90s songs (preferably R&B and Eurodance songs, see the Bastille song above) and this song is one of those reasons. The minute I heard the lyric: “cuz I’m feeling so real, I’m so into you”, I knew I had heard that somewhere before. With some help from Google I found the lyric is a sample from The System’s Don’t Disturb this Groove, but I know it because the Backstreet Boys recorded it as a demo for their 2005 album Never Gone. Apart from the lyric, this song is a chilled and relaxed type of chillwave song like above. Get that laidback vibe going!

Eyedress – Nature Trips

Another laidback type of song. This one isn’t as happy and bubbly as the first two, but still relaxed and easygoing.

Francis and the Lights – Etc

Indiepop with a dreamy feel to it? Yes please! There’s a nice beat going on and the echo on the vocals give this song something eerie and fragile.

Hiatus – Empress (ft. Hayedeh)

What’s good about this song? The fact that it’s so mysterious. From the piano melody, to the nicely build up beat, the strings and vocals in a language I don’t recognize, this song oozes mystique from start to finish.

Hippie Sabotage – Stay High (Tove lo Flip)

One of the most popular songs on youtube of this list, I can see why. Despite it’s quirky vibe this song is easy on the ears. The drums are in line with current day trends and leans towards a dubstep feel. Yet, this song cleverly fuses in R&B vibes by alternating rhythms between chorus and verse.

Hollow & Akimbo – Solar Plexus

Veering off into a slightly more dance oriented vibe in a pop sort of way, this song is a good combination of guitar and beat. This is probably one of the very few songs in this list that comes closest to a conventional idea of what a song should entail.

Joywave – Tongues (ft. KOPPS)

Time for something truly out there. This song has you the minute it starts playing. The drum band type start combined with the trippy too-doo-too-doo melody line (just listen to it and you’ll know what I mean) make this an instant earworm.

Laura Welsh – Undiscovered

The first song in this list that has a more organic feel to it. Still a drummachine beat, but the singing on this track is amazeballs. Think a less belty version of Florence & the Machine with the warmth of London Grammar.

Ólafur Arnalds – Fyrsta

I shared Haust the last time I did a post like this, but I just can’t get over the beauty of Ólafur Arnalds music. Talking about organic. This music takes your right back. It’s got a feeling of vast loneliness and blackholed sadness that I have yet to found in any contemporary music. This is so beautiful it makes you weep. Great for putting your mind at ease after a long, intense day.

Parade of Lights – Golden

Like Bombay Bicycle Club? Like Two Door Cinema Club? Like any music that is catchy, puts a smile on your face and makes you want to sing along at the top of your lungs? This one’s for you.

Phantogram – Fall in Love

Repetitive indie electro with a driving beat and easygoing vocals. Walk along the street with this playing and you have the perfect rhythm to your step.

The Blow – Make it Up

Catchy, yet quirky indiepop song. Starts off with an interesting rhythm pattern which is the main selling point of this song. Wait until the chorus hits: that’s when this truly comes together.

Tycho – Spectre

Instrumental dance like song, with more variety to it than an average AVICII song or anything else you’ll find on popular radio. Nice guitar riffs are layered over a steady beat that comes together to create a song that is a tad dreamy, a tad funk and a tad dance.

What’s your current favorite song?