Bands I would walk 500 miles to see-Part 2

These are a few of the songs that have floated my boat, tickled my fancy, and rocked my socks this year! Yep, they have deeply connected to my beating drum, my heart. You can listen to Part 1, here. Go figure that in Part 2 some are older, but maybe I was just late or maybe the songs themselves are timeless and I can play them over and over and they still seem fresh, new and powerful in the music sense of the word. These are a few of my deepest infatuations and they come full throttle to the forefront of my mind. I hope you might find something you hear that speaks to you as well, or maybe you’ll just smile and say, “Dang, I knew they would make a wonderbar list!”

Jake Bugg– Sometimes a young musician and songwriter can have an old soul with poetic words that dig deep. Genius.

https://soundcloud.com/joaqu-n-bello/jake-bugg-broken

Vampire Weekend– What is not to love about their lyrics and the keyboards? Check out some of the remixes on Soundcloud, they are also quite fun.  When the music is right….it is just right.

Washed Out– Okay, maybe I was just completely psyched about seeing them on NYE. They came to my attention with the theme song for Portlandia, and I have been following them ever since. They have a cool vibe with a chill, what I tag as a sway and swagger kind of sound. After meeting Ernest Greene and finding him to be so humble and quite adorable, I will make a point to tune in next week and watch their debut on David Letterman. They are really ready for the big time, just wait and see.

https://soundcloud.com/artsandcraftsmx/washed-out-it-all-feels-right

Small Black-This band strikes my fancy as an up and coming band with a totally amazing sound. This video is completely beautiful, focusing on the sweet vulnerability of life. The music is just right…..breathless. The band rejects the idea of being chill wave, but there is a vibe that definitely has a laid back and hang loose sound.

Smith Westerns– When I listen to this song, I hear a throwback of the Beatles. I adore it and relish the vibe of the album, Soft Will. I listened to the album over and over this past summer and it makes me smile because it is forever connected with happy memories of shrimp boil dinners, ocean wave riding, sunning, and bicycling.

https://soundcloud.com/smith-westerns/smith-westerns-varsity

Phosphorescent– Okay Okay Okay….everyone has been praising Matthew Houck for a long time. Wake up! There is a serious reason why….it is just exquisite and downright divine. He has a lyrically poetic approach to his songwriting that leaves me enchanted. This is your chance to listen again and embrace the lyrics and the power of the instruments. Yes, embrace.

“Some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Oh but I know love as a fading thing
Just as fickle as a feather in a stream
See, honey, I saw love. You see, it came to me
It put its face up to my face so I could see
Yeah then I saw love disfigure me
Into something I am not recognizing”

https://soundcloud.com/edespa/phosphorescent-song-for-zula

Grizzly Bear-All I can say is wow. I have seen them live this year and found them to be just as spectacular live as all of their recorded music. This is a remix, but it is so wonderful because the original is so flawless. Yes, it brings their music back after being away for awhile. Nothing wrong with that, thank you, Diplo!

I bet that after I publish this, I will remember others….. but I think now, I will look forward to the sparkling and exciting possibility of new music in 2014. Won’t you hang around and listen with me?