As we drift closer to the end of the year, it’s important for me to issue a reminder related to posts and Pick Your Poison. Specifically, things slow down throughout the music industry, and there’s simply not that much being sent out to share. Therefore that limits what I’m able to share with you. Normally through much of December I tend to scale back Pick Your Poison editions to once a week, and that may very well be the case this year. I’m planning to play it by ear, and if there are enough tracks to make a post worthwhile, I’ll put something together. The week between Christmas and New Years though will definitely be a dead zone. Anyway, just wanted to make sure that was clear with December right around the corner. In today’s edition of Pick Your Poison, keep your eye out for great tracks from Giraffage (as remixed by RAC), Gold Fir, and artist-to-watch Jessie Reyez. Keep going past the jump for additional songs from ARIUS, Balkan Bump (ft. Paul Bertin), C-Trox (ft. Sammy Adams), Kipp Stone, MANICS, Pip Hall, Sam Fischer, Shy Glizzy (ft. Trey Songz & A Boogie With Da Hoodie), and Vundabar.
Giraffage ft. Japanese Breakfast – Maybes (RAC Mix)
Gold Fir – Sirens
Jessie Reyez – Cotton Candy
On an exceptionally chilly Monday night on the Near West Side of Chicago, a few hundred people gathered at House of Vans for a remarkably intimate set from The National. The band had flown into town from Europe for a special performance at the Obama Foundation Summit, but arrived a couple days early to give fans an extra special treat. Tickets to the show were being given out for free through an online lottery, and considering the 500 person capacity of the venue, it’s safe to assume that a lot more people entered than actually won. Those with luck on their side were treated to an engrossing and often aggressive performance that skewed towards the dark and political. 