Feist - Caught A Long Wind

I can't say things have been exactly conducive to upbeat music for me lately, and I've been listening to lots of traditional Chinese music (go figure) in the pentatonic scale, the same scale the blues are based in, while I work. This track of Feist's latest album totally fuses all of the sounds that have been resonating with me in one, super mellow, and slightly melancholic, song. Enjoy.

 

Chico Mann - "Ya Yo Se"

Chico Mann fuses latin rhythms, afro-beats, and electro into a funky fusion. This tune is from his debut album 'Analog Drift' out on Wax Poetic records.

The Strokes - "Life is Simple in the Moonlight"

Ahh The Strokes. When their debut album 'This is It' dropped in 2001 it was like the second coming of rock and roll for me. I had just started grad school, was living in Vancouver, away from my significant other, and was enjoying/lamenting a second bachelorhood. I was deeply immersed in electronic music at that point, and The Strokes brought a vibrancy that was missing for me in rock at that time. They were the soundtrack to many many a good night.

In one guys bathroom near the computer lab was engraved the names of lots of rock bands, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Kyuss, Deep Purple, etc. I'm proud to say I added The Strokes on there. That's the magnitude of their importance for me at that time.

This track from their 4th studio album 'Angles' and is a return to form for them. Their 3rd album 'First Impressions of Earth' was an attempt for mainstream radio appeal, and was a bit of a flop. While nothing will capture the magic of that first album, (although their second album 'Room on Fire' came hot on the heels of the first and was pretty damn close), this tune is one of my favorites from the new album.

B.T. Express - "Happiness"

The B.T. Express were a funk group from Brooklyn, who pioneered some of the dance oriented funk that evolved into disco. This song from their 1975 album 'Non-Stop' is one of my favorites.

FUN - 'We are Young' - feat. Janelle Monae

Yelle feat. Crookers - "Cooler Couleur"

This French electro-pop band released their second album "Safari Disco Club" this year. They remind me a bit of Stereo Total, a band Regan was pretty infatuated with a few years back.

The Boom Chucka Boys - "Hockey Hockey Hockey"

Saw these guys this summer at the Central Alberta Music Fest back in August. A local band with a rockabilly vibe. This ode to hockey was inspiring tonight.

All hail the greatest game in the world!