Category: music Page 42 of 188

Chicago is getting pounded with snow this week, which is kind of par for the course in February, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. The tracks in today’s Pick Your Poison made me feel a little less hopeless, so I hope they have the same effect on you. There’s a new one from Bardo Pond, a special Black History Month track from Blood Orange, and a gorgeous shoegazey number from Holy Motors, all of which I hope grab your interest. Follow along beyond the jump for more songs from the likes of 3LAU (ft. Nevve), Badrapper & NXSTY, Dark Dark Horse, Fine China, Hatis Noit, Nova Moura, SOB x RBE, Stevie Wolf, and a Tee Grizzley remix (ft. Meek Mill).

Bardo Pond – Inner Light

Blood Orange – Christopher & 6th

Holy Motors – Signs

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Normally on Mondays I’d have an extended edition of Pick Your Poison to get your week started right. That typically includes several downloads. This week I don’t have enough mp3s to make that possible, so a collection of only Soundcloud streams will have to do instead. The diverse highlights today come from the likes of Chappo, GoGo Penguin, and Julia Holter. Always happy to hear new stuff from all three of those artists. Head past the jump, and you’ll discover more songs from Balkan Bump (ft. Talib Kweli), Becky and the Birds, Downlowd, Hibou, Lauren Auder, Lean Chihiro, Strange Names (ft. Jorge Socarras), $uicideboy$, and Yoste.

Chappo – White Noise

GoGo Penguin – Window

Julia Holter – So Humble The Afternoon

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Welcome to February, where we’re just a day away from finding out whether or not we’ll have six more weeks of winter. Yes, the ever-elusive groundhog known as Punxatawney Phil will attempt to see his own shadow tomorrow morning, in a tradition so goofy and unscientific that I hold the Bill Murray film about the date in higher esteem. Still, if past experience holds true, we’ll once again be told that winter will stick around a little longer than usual. How about some great tunes to help pass the time? Pick Your Poison has you covered, as always. There’s a new solo album from The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. on the way, so you can hear something from that in the highlights below. Also noteworthy is a fun cover of a Nada Surf song by the one and only Charly Bliss. Make sure to give that new Cold Fronts song a shot as well. Keep going beyond the jump if you’re at all interested in hearing tracks from Bryde, Fanshore & Tropic, JD. Reid (ft. Bossman Birdie & Ghetts), King Shelter, Kyle Rapps, Malena Zavala, Mija, Onra, and Sky Keller.

Albert Hammond Jr. – Muted Beatings

Charly Bliss – The Way You Wear Your Head (Nada Surf cover)

Cold Fronts – Staying In

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Let’s skip straight to the details with today’s Pick Your Poison. The three lovely tracks up top come from AVEC, Local Natives, and White Cliffs (ft. Ricky James). All of them are well worth your time, so I hope you listen and enjoy. Of course there’s plenty more for discerning tastes beyond the jump, including songs from Blair Sound Design, Blanco White James, Cooper Saver’s remix of a Cut Copy track, HYLLS, Kindo, Llovers, Oliver Hazard, Soft As Snow, and Will Long.

AVEC – Youth

Local Natives – Colombia (Demo)

White Cliffs – Heart Start (ft. Ricky James)

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By sheer coincidence, my favorite three tracks in today’s Pick Your Poison are all associated with artists that have nature associations in their names. The Field is obviously an open patch of grass, Garden City Movement has homegrown vegetables in the first part of their name, and Palm is a type of tree. That says absolutely nothing about the music itself, it’s just a weird word association exercise for fun. But yeah, the songs themselves are great and you should check them out. Head beyond the jump, and there’s even more great music to digest, including songs from Dabrye (ft. DOOM), Dear Boy, DJ Koze, The Garden (another nature connection!), George FitzGerald, Keys N Krates (ft. 070 Shake), Team Picture, Triathalon, and TSVI.

The Field – Staircase

Garden City Movement – Foreign Affair

Palm – Composite

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Have you ever woken up in the morning with a slightly scratchy throat, chalked it up to sleeping in a weird position or snoring, only to have your sinuses go haywire several hours later? Yeah, apparently I’ve come down with a cold. It’s the third cold I’ve had in six months, with a fun additional detour through flu country as well. The point being, it’s not fun, and apparently I need to take better care of myself. My advice to you for staying healthy? Get enough sleep. And vitamins. And try to minimize the amount of junk food you eat. Hopefully that’s a reasonable recipe for avoiding getting sick. Oh, and wash your hands! But that one should be a no-brainer. Also a no-brainer? Today’s Pick Your Poison. Good stuff in this set, especially from Birocratic, Dead Meadow, and EDEN. If you’ll continue onward past the jump, you’ll also be treated to tracks from AMERA (covering The Cranberries aka RIP Dolores O’Riordan), AVIVA, Gundelach, Kasbo (ft. Tender), Major Murphy, Pinky Pinky, Russ, Ukiyo (ft. FEELDS), and more!

Birocratic – Extra Fresh

Dead Meadow – Keep Your Head

EDEN – love; not wrong (brave)

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Before we wrap up the week, I’ve got one more collection of top notch songs for you to hear. Trust me when I say these will help carry you through the next few days. Happy to recommend a new one from Daniel Avery. Chicago’s own Minor Characters are back and better than ever with the first track from their forthcoming album We Can’t Be Wrong (out April 6th). And Mt. Joy have the word “joy” in their name, which is really my reaction whenever I hear something fresh from them. Follow after the jump if you’d like to check out more songs from the likes of Apathy, August Greene (ft. Brandy), Bonny Doon, COG, Kasbo (ft. Tender), LEA (covering Jeff Buckley), SONIKKU, Sure Sure, and Swimm.

Daniel Avery – Slow Fade

Minor Characters – Pimps of Freedom (Whores of D.C.)

Mt. Joy – Jenny Jenkins

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One of my favorite things about bringing Pick Your Poison to you is the eclecticism. There are no genre restrictions, and no artist too small or large. The goal is to lay these tracks at your feet and let you decide what to listen to. Everybody has different tastes, and that’s what makes the world great. So you can get a folksy song from Rogue Wave, another attempt at big band/swing revival from Squirrel Nut Zippers, and something dark from Young Fathers all in a row. Head past the jump, and you’ll find tracks from Ansel Elgort (yes, the actor), Caitlin Canty, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Ezra Feinberg, Haux, Helena Deland, Rachael Cantu, TSVI, and more!

Rogue Wave – The Show

Squirrel Nut Zippers – Karnival Joe (From Kokomo)

Young Fathers – In My View

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Lots of quality tracks from lots of quality artists in this set, so let’s jump right in, shall we? Right up top, I can tell you that the new Acid Dad single rocks, as do songs from NADINE and Nap Eyes. After the jump, you can also stream goodness from the likes of Beach Riot, Cautious Clay, Cavern of Anti-Matter, Emily Burns, Lauren Ruth Ward, Onra (ft. Pomrad), Oscar Jerome (ft. James Massiah), PENPALS, and Strange Names.

Acid Dad – 2Ci

NADINE – Pews

Nap Eyes – Every Time the Feeling

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How are your New Years Resolutions holding up? I realize it’s only been a week or so, but you’d be surprised at how quickly people fall off the wagon. I’ve got my own personal strategy for keeping resolutions: not making any. It’s been working out great so far! Onto today’s Pick Your Poison. The highlights are up top, and include tracks from Pale Grey (ft. Serengeti), Public Access T.V., and Wild Child. Still plenty of great stuff after the jump though, including songs from Bad Decisions, The Green Child, Holy Now, Knightstown, Max Styler, Nightwave, TSVI & Wallwork, WRRY, and Young Galaxy.

Pale Grey – Late Night (ft. Serengeti)

Public Access T.V. – Lost in the Game

Wild Child – Sinking Ship

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