Thao Nguyen has been compared to sultry indie vocalists like Cat Power, but her influences read a little differently. She credits Motown, 60’s pop/rock, and early 90’s hip-hop/pop as some of her influences. Take a listen to this playlist and see if you can put the puzzle together. Download a free track, “Know Better Learn Faster,” from her new album here!
A lie is a lie, no matter what you call it. This playlist was inspired by Blackalicious’ “Deception.”
I”m not really sure what qualities a song needs to possess to be considered autumnal, but this playlist is my best shot at figuring it out. It seems like I mostly chose mid-tempo songs that aren’t very summery. Enjoy!
Okeh Records was an indie record label that featured many prominent jazz and blues artists, including Louis Armstrong, Mamie Smith, and Big Maybelle. Grab Big Maybelle’s The Complete Okeh Sessions 1952-1955 here for $4.99!
LA’s Princeton first gained attention with Bloomsbury, a concept EP about the Bloomsbury Group (Leonard Woolf, Lytton Strachey, Virginia Woolf, and John Maynard Keynes). This playlist examines some of Princeton’s influences, including Arthur Russell and Serge Gainsbourg. Grab Princeton’s latest album Cocoon of Love here for only $6!
If Lisa Simpson is your favorite female jazz musician, then you need some serious education. Here’s a salute to women in jazz like Billie Holiday, Marian McPartland, and Mary Lou Williams. Purchase Billie Holiday and Lester Young’s A Musical Romance here for $4.99!
Recently, I started rewatching all the episodes of Arrested Development, and I came across the one about the Blue Man Group. Naturally, I was inspired to make a playlist about the color blue.
We’ve got it covered, including Ary Barroso, Judee Sill, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Nirvana. Our personal favorite is the cover of Animal Collective’s “Leaf House” by Momo & The Coop, an a cappella group at Lewis & Clark College. If that doesn’t float your boat, then Celine Dion’s cover of Michael Jackson’s “Bad” should entertain you. Watching the video is highly recommended.
We’re experiencing a heat wave on the East Coast, and all we want to do is plop down in a shaded kiddie pool with a cool beverage. So, we put together some songs that are so chill that you won’t even need A/C to cool down. And, yes, it’s possible that my brain has melted in this heat.
Today, we give you a compilation of some of the songs that best capture the constant rhythm and magnetic pull of New York City. The gritty beauty of the city has provided ample inspiration to artists for generations. As a subject, NYC transcends the genres, and has proven itself almost impossible to capture. Here are a few songs that successfully embody the attitude, spectacle, and sound of New York City.
