Ultraviolence

Lana Del Rey just released the title track from her upcoming album and it is a beautiful take on an ugly situation. Del Rey has a way with words that really sets her apart from not just other artists on the radio but just in general. "He hit me and it felt like a kiss...this is Ultraviolence, I can hear sirens" she sings like she is still lusting for this deranged love. It is classic Lana with its orchestral sound but you can definitely hear producer Dan Auerbach's imprint on the song with its woozy guitars and moody backdrop.

Jack White is Sorry (Kinda)

If you haven't been keeping up with the drama surrounding Jack White here’s a little recap: Jack White's private letters were released by lawyers in his divorce battle revealing some pretty harsh comments about the Black Keys.  He went even further to explain his distaste for the duo the latest issue of Rolling Stone basically calling them copy cats and accused them of riding on the coattails of his former band The White Stripes. Here is the full quote from the article:

"There are kids at school who dress like everybody else, because they don’t know what to do, and there are musicians like that, too. I’ll hear TV commercials where the music’s ripping off sounds of mine, to the point I think it’s me. Half the time, it’s the Black Keys. The other half, it’s a sound-alike song because they couldn’t license one of mine. There’s a whole world that’s totally fine with the watered-down version of the original.

Some people will hear that and say ’Oh, Jack White thinks he’s the first person to play the blues.’ But certain acts open up a market for a certain style. Amy Winehouse: Did she invent white soul? Wearing a beehive? No. But she did something brand new and fresh, altogether as a package, and you see who’s in her wake, from the Duffys to the Lana Del Reys. Adele selling 20 million records? That would not have happened if Amy Winehouse was alive. The White Stripes did the same thing, and in our absence, you’re gonna find someone to fill that. And you get a band like the Black Keys, who said they never heard of the White Stripes? Sure."

Ouch. While I do think there are definitely some similarities between the White Stripes and the Black Keys I think perhaps Jack White needs to check his pride. Essentially all music is borrowed from something or another, that is how music works. People create and are inspired by genres and add something new to it. And clearly Jack White hasn't heard any of the new Black Keys music because he would never create something as commercial. Don't get me wrong, I am HUGE Jack White fan, but I think he perhaps overstepped his boundaries. Apparently he thought so too (or maybe his publicist panicked) because he just issued a long apology on his website. You can read the apology HERE.

Did you read it? Okay good, now we're on the same page. It is rather wordy so if you didn't read it he basically just wishes every person he called out in the Rolling Stone interview (the Black Keys, Lana Del Rey, Adele) all the success they can get and he feels no ill will towards them. He ended the apology with "God bless the Black Keys, Danger Mouse, Adele, Meg White, and anyone else I’ve spoken about, and thank you for understanding. Good fortune to all of them, and I’m sorry for my statements hurting anyone." Bullshit

Maybe it is just in my experience but when you really don't like someone and don't want to deal with them, whenever you say something like "I wish them all the success in the world" or something vague like "I wish them love and happiness", it really means "I just want to be done with the situation and for them to not get in my way". Definitely some damage control going on. Both White and the Black Keys are based in Nashville and I'm sure it was starting to feel a little crowded with all the negativity surrounding them. I also find it interesting White chose to bring up Lana Del Rey as a follower in the article, who just so happens to have worked very closely with Black Keys' front man Dan Auerbach on her new album. Could be something, could be nothing. Regardless, I don't foresee a collaboration between the Black Keys and White anytime soon. At least the "feud" has been to bed...for now. 

Thee Oh Sees

Thee Oh Sees is a San Francisco band that I have been a longtime fan of. Thee Oh Sees started off as just a solo project for frontman John Dwyer messing with different sounds by himself at home and eventually became to be a full band. Their latest studio album Floating Coffin came out April 16th and it is an exceptional album, definitely one of my favorites of theirs. All of their albums have such intense energy, simmering falsettos, and lots of loud guitars, and this one was no exception. My favorite songs on the album are the title track, "No Spell", "Tunnel Time", "Toe Cutter - Thumb Buster", and title track "Floating Coffin".

click HERE to watch the music video for "Toe Cutter - Thumb Buster"

Settle - Disclosure

Settle by Disclosure has to be the album I have been playing the most this summer. Every song off this record could be a single on its own but as a whole it flows together so nicely. The album starts off with a very short intro that evolves into the repetitive but groovy "When a Fire Starts to Burn" that definitely sets the tone for the rest of the album. The albums is full of catchy synth riffs, enticing dance beats, and insane vocals from various artists. The third song "Latch" has to be my favorite off the album. "Latch" is a very dancey song with a beat that really builds and just explodes during the chorus. The song also features vocals from Sam Smith, he absolutely kills it and gives the song an interesting R&B vibe with his shimmering falsetto. Other standouts are "White Noise" featuring up and coming duo AlunaGeorge (so stoked for the album coming out on the 29th), You & Me featuring Eliza Doolittle, and "F For You". If you haven't already I strongly suggest checking this album out.

It's hard to believe the brothers behind this masterpiece are only 18 and 21.....

 click HERE for the music video for Latch featuring Sam Smith

Jamie XX

Okay so I recently have discovered the awesomeness that is Jamie XX and I am obsessed. He has this live 30 minute set from a festival in Berlin that took place in May and it is fantastic. This will seriously take your mind off of everything and just make you dance. It's very calming like the XX music but much more dancey and I personally think this is better then either of the XX albums.

listen for yourself:

Jamie XX 30 min LIVE @ Night + Day 2013 Berlin

https://soundcloud.com/pyramus/jamie-xx-li

The entire set is awesome but the first 10 minutes or so is my favorite, he incorporates a cover the XX did of "You've Got the Love" by Florence + the Machine thats is just great. This entire set flows so well, I barely even noticed it was 30 minutes long. 

MY SUMMER JAMS

It is the summertime and I just want to dance. So, here are my top songs to GeT CrAzY to this summer:

- Belispeak - Purity Ring

- Wide Eyed - Animal Collective

- Get Free (feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors) - Major Lazer

- Black & Blue - Miike Snow

- Dance Yrself Clean - LCD Soundsystem

- Fitzpleasure - Alt-J

- Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings - Father John Misty

- Instant Crush - Daft Punk feat. Julian Casablancas

- 212 - Azealia Banks feat. Lazy Jay

- xoxo - Cherub
- Jet Blue Jet (feat. Leftside, GZA, Razz & Biggy) - Major Lazer
- My Number - Foals

- Juice - Chance the Rapper

- White Noise feat. AlunaGeorge - Disclosure
- That's What's Up - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

- Keep You - Wild Belle

- King of the Beach - Wavves

- Rose Quarts - Toro y Moi

- Hate The Taste - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

- Wax Face - Thee Oh Sees

- Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys

- Latch - Disclosure

- I'm Writing a Novel - Father John Misty

- MS - Alt-J

- Your Drums, Your Love - AlunaGeorge

- Hang Loose - Alabama Shakes

- Goldie - A$AP Rocky

- I Got You Babe - The Bahamas

- F For You - Disclosure

- DNA - Empire of the Sun

- Cough Cough - Everything Everything

- Don't Save Me - Haim

- Mosquito - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

- Know Til Know - Jim James

- Bluish - Animal Collective

- Man on Fire - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

- Mind Mischief - Tame Impala

- Doing It Right - Daft Punk feat. Panda Bear

- Figure 8 - Ellie Goulding

- Glitter Freeze - Gorillaz

- My God is the Sun - Queens of the Stone Age

- Taste it - Jake Bugg

- New Slaves - Kanye West

- Crown on the Ground - Sleigh Bells

- High Living - Toro y Moi

- Ice on the Dune - Empire of the Sun

and of course the ULTIMATE song to listen to on a beautiful day is What Would I Want? Sky by Animal Collective 

all of these songs have been on repeat non stop in my car. NONSTOPDANCEPARTY. chchchcheck em out.

WELCOME

I have decided to make this blog as a way to discuss topical music news. I find that I spend most of my time reading music blogs, music mags, and stalking bands so I figure there must be other like-minded music lovers out there to share my obsession with. I grew up listening to classic rock and 90s grunge and consider Jack White to be my musical hero. Although I have a preference to awesome rock music, I make an effort to try and listen and appreciate all genres because every great musical work is inspired by other musical works and there will be no genre left behind! I am student at Belmont University in Nashville studying Music Business and I hope to one day actually get paid for my musical opinion. Alright so I’m hoping to make this like a community of people with awesome musical tastes and opinions, so feel free to comment and put your opinion on here. This page formerly used to be on Tumblr (http://everlasting-music-spot.tumblr.com) but I've decided to move it off that site because it was linked with my personal page and I wanted to keep that separate...so with that being said...LETS GET ROCKIN.