This Week's Picks: 10/28-11/4

Two reasons to celebrate: a) it’s Friday b) a new playlist is up! 

For this week, the setlist I curated is a mix of bands I saw at the Meadows festival in the beginning of the month, and some new music I’ve been listening to. 

The first track “Washed up Together” from Knox Hamilton has been stuck in my head all week! Their site describes their sound as "laid back guitar riffs and catchy bass lines with rhythmic drum beats and soaring vocals to produce a sound that’s as likely to make you want to visit the beach as it is to move your feet”. They’re definitely a band that I will be watching over the next couple of months.

As I mentioned before, I went to The Meadows festival in Queens, New York the first weekend of October. There I saw The Temper Trap, Empire of the Sun, and Coast Modern. I included songs from all three groups in the playlist this week. My favorite track of the three would have to be "High and Low" from Empire of the Sun. They put a lot of effort into their performances and were really fun to watch.


Jimmy Eat World and Cloud Nothings both just released new singles in the last couple of weeks, which are also featured this week. I highly recommend giving them a listen and checking out the rest of their new music!

Have a great weekend and enjoy!
-Diana

This Week's Picks: 9/18-9/25

HELLO EVERYONE!

I’d like to start this post by thanking Bastille and Local Natives for blessing my ears with their new records and fueling me through this week. I am OBSESSED! I will keep my ranting short and say I have included my favorite track from each album on this week’s playlist. I hope you enjoy and decide to check the albums out in full if you haven’t already. (Wild World - Bastille, Sunlit Youth - Local Natives)

I know we’ve previously shared the singles from Young The Giant’s recent LP release, Home of the Strange and I am so thrilled to share another! Please forgive me for not saying it sooner, this album is a MASTERPIECE. In my personal opinion, it may be the best album released this year! My dear friend, Christina Casillo beautifully describes the album (way better than I can) in the current issue of Pop To It. Check it out here: https://issuu.com/poptoitmag/docs/poptoit2digital

Though Rostam Batmanglij left Vampire Weekend and hurt me a little — I am incredibly happy he is still creating music and pursuing other projects. I have never been disappointed in a piece of music he has created or collaborated on. He has recently been working alongside former Walkmen frontman, Hamilton Leithauser. This past Monday, the duo performed their single, "A 1000 Times” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Out of their 3 current single releases, “A 1000 Times” is definitely my favorite.

Enjoy this assortment of new and old songs, tell me your favorites, share new tunes with us, etc!! We can’t wait to be back in the studio. SOON-ISH!

-Rebecca

This Week's Picks: 9/1-9/8

Happy September! For those of you who started school this week like we did, I hope it’s going well! For those of you who start next week, I am extremely jealous! I know it’s going to be a busy semester full of work and studying, which calls for some killer studying playlists!! 

When you think about alternative music, there are so many different sub-genres that also fall under the category. If you go onto iTunes and look up the Top 100 chart for alternative songs, you will find all different types of bands. For this reason, I decided to add a song to this week’s playlist that I typically wouldn’t. The song is called “The Weekend” by Modern Baseball. They fall under the Alternative genre, but are a little more pop-punk. I’m going to be seeing them in November with The Front Bottoms and Brand New, and I can’t wait! This song is a little older, but I can’t get enough of it! The title is appropriate for the one thing that cannot come faster after the first week of classes, the weekend. 

I’m all for sharing music with my friends, and love it when we just spend the night swapping songs and making recommendations about what we think the other should listen to. On a beach trip last weekend, my friend put on the song “Lost It” by Circa Waves and I loved it! I was a fan of their song “T-Shirt Weather” that was getting a lot of play on the radio last summer. I’m looking forward to listening to the rest of the album and finding another favorite!

Enjoy your long weekend!!

Diana

This Week's Picks: 8/25-9/1

IT’S THURSDAY!!! I am thrilled to share some more of my favorites this week! We are hoping the studio is officially ready to go when we get back to school next week and can’t wait to start up the show again. Stay tuned for more details!

I don’t know why I have waited so long to share the Phil Collins, “Easy Lover” cover by Panama Wedding and Great Good Fine Ok! BUT, here it is if you haven’t heard it yet! It is easily one of my favorite covers in existence. The keytar solo is obviously the cherry on top. If you saw them perform the cover live on their tour last Winter, you’re probably still recovering. (at least I am)

Savoir Adore released their new album, The Love That Remains, on August 12th. It is amazing!! One of my favorites is Paradise Gold, which I have included on this playlist. DEFINITELY give this album a listen. Also — check out their music video for “Giants”. A lot of creativity was put into it and it came out beautifully! (oh, and maybe my hands make a cameo at some point?) They’ve also released a few tour dates with Bear Hands in the Fall, so if you have yet to see them, now’s your chance!

By going to more Albany shows when I’m home in the Summer, I’ve come across a lot of great local talent! Last summer I saw Stellar Young open for The Vaccines and finally got to see them again a few weekends ago! If you follow me on Spotify, you’ve probably noticed they’re all I’ve been listening to the past few weeks. I highly recommend giving them a listen and seeing them if they come your way. They released an awesome live in-studio session that’s available to stream on Spotify or watch on Amazon. (Stellar Young Woodstock Sessions Vol. 5)

Now back to packing…. 

Have a great weekend!!

Rebecca 

This Week's Picks: 8/18-8/25

Summer is winding down, and it's almost time to get back to school! We can't wait to get back and hopefully have the radio up and running again! In the meantime, here is another playlist to help you get through the rest of the workweek, and get you thinking about the weekend!

This week, I picked songs that I've come across from a couple of different places. I'm always looking for new music by searching through Spotify playlists, iTunes, listening to different radio stations, etc. If there's anywhere you find new music that you think we should checkout, let us know!

One of my favorite songs for this week is "Shut Up Kiss Me" by Angel Olsen. This is the kind of song that just makes me want to get up and dance around my room while I'm getting ready to go out, which makes it perfect for the upcoming weekend! Olsen's third full-length album "My Woman" will be released on September 2, 2016.

Two bands featured on this week's playlist will be touring together this fall, and I cannot wait!! Which bands am I talking about? Saint Motel and Hippo Campus. Saint Motel just released the single "Move" this week, which will definitely make you get up and move.  Look out for their new album "Saintmotelevision" in October! If you like what you hear from Hippo Campus on the playlist, you should definitely give them a listen! I've had the chance to see both of these bands recently and I'm very excited that they'll be coming together!

Hope you're all enjoying these playlists as much as we enjoy making them for you!! Comment and let us know who you've been listening to this summer, and who you would like to see on our weekly playlists!

Diana 

This Week's Picks: 8/11-8/18

Hey everybody! I can’t believe it’s already Thursday — meaning, ANOTHER playlist! I am super excited to share these tunes with ya!

I don’t know why it took me so long to add “You & I”, the newest Colony House single to a playlist. I’ve had this song on REPEAT since it came out. I am obsessed! It’s for sure a catchy song that will make you get up and dance. Their next full length album is due out on September 16th AND they recently announced a co-headline tour with The Mowgli’s and opener Dreamers! Now that is a stacked lineup you surely don’t want to miss! 

Another band on this list to look out for is HONNE. A lot of my friends have been raving about them and I decided it was about time I check them out and I am so glad I did! Their first LP, Warm On A Cold Night was released on July 22nd and they’re touring across the US as we speak! If you’re on the East Coast — catch them! They’re headed over here in the next upcoming weeks, so it’s not too late! 

Jukebox The Ghost’s, “Somebody” is definitely one of my favorites on this weeks playlist. I saw them back in March headlining a sold out show at Bowery Ballroom. They are not only great songwriters and musicians, but also INCREDIBLE performers! They are such energetic, interactive, fun, and happy guys! The crowd couldn’t help but soak up those same feelings. I highly recommend giving their tunes a listen and DEFINITELY catching a show when they come around. You will 100% have a grand ole time!

As Summer is nearing it’s end — we can’t help but be super excited to be back in the studio soon! Our gears have been turning all year, thinking of great new features and segments to add to our show and we can’t wait to get them rolling! We hope you’ll be joining us!! 

-Rebecca 

This Week's Picks: 8/4-8/11

This week I'm listening to a lot of upbeat songs that are perfect for those summer drives with your friends. Just roll down the windows and turn the volume up!

First on the playlist, we have a new track from Two Door Cinema Club called "Bad Decisions". The band just played Lollapalooza this past weekend in Chicago, IL. They played "Bad Decisions" along with another single that is currently out titled "Are We Ready (Wreck)" . I highly suggest checking it out if you're a fan!

I'm a big fan of The Naked And Famous' work from 2010, with songs like "Young Blood" and "Punching in A Dream". They released another album in 2013 titled 'In Rolling Water', and now they're back this summer with the track "Higher", which made it onto this week's playlist. Look out for their new album 'Simple Forms' this fall!

Also on the playlist we have "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots. Not as upbeat as the rest, but just as good! This track is featured on the Suicide Squad soundtrack. Other artists that are included on the soundtrack include: Panic! at the Disco and Grimes. I'll be seeing the band next week at Madison Square Garden and I couldn't be more happy for them and all of their success! Just a few years ago I got to see them at Bowery Ballroom and now they're headlining Madison Square Garden!

Hope you enjoy the playlist for the week!

Diana

This Week's Picks: 7/28-8/4

As much as I have a love/hate relationship with Spotify and artist royalties… I LOVE my discover weekly playlists! This week I was really digging bands, Golden Coast and Al Bairre from my playlist. These two bands definitely need to be added to your summer mixes! Their music is fun, light, feel-good, and great for a relaxing day at the beach or pool. 

I am so excited to share “Beggars” by Mainland! I have seen them several times this year and they always played it live. It is one of my favorites and they finally dropped it as a single! They are all about spreading those good vibes and this song does just that. If you ever need a pick me up, just crank this one extra loud!

Bastille dropping their new single, "Fake It", yesterday couldn’t have come at a better time! I am so excited to share it on this week’s playlist. If you follow me on Spotify, you may have noticed I was listening to this an unhealthy amount last night. I cannot stop, I am obsessed! Dan Smith’s vocals are hauntingly beautiful and exceptionally passionate, accompanied by an incredibly powerful melody. You can feel his heartache, despair, and anger over what seems to have been a bad relationship. This is definitely one of their most compelling songs yet. I am now itching for their new album, “Wild World”’s release on September 9th!

“Say Yeah” is a new single release from Kishi Bashi. His new album, “Sonderlust” will be released on September 16th! He also announced a Fall tour, so definitely catch a show of his if you can. If you have yet to listen to him, his sound is considered experimental/orchestral pop. He transports you into a fantasy with his music, so magical, happy, and enticing! His talent needs to be talked about more often!

I hope you enjoy the songs I’ve included on this week’s playlist. Please let us know your favorites or what you’ve had playing on repeat this Summer! :)

Have a great weekend!

Rebecca

This Week's Picks: 7/21-7/28

This summer has been jam-packed with new music and we want to share it all with you! This week's playlist is full of recent singles from Young the Giant, CHVRCHES, The 1975, and some new artists that we will continue to see throughout the year.

This month, Tame Impala's 'Currents' turned a year old. To celebrate, I included their single 'The Less I Know The Better' on this week's playlist. This week, frontman Kevin Parker announced on Instagram that they will be releasing a deluxe edition of the album that will include b-sides. 'Currents' is one of my favorite albums and I have been listening to it nonstop since it's release last July. I got the chance to see the band In Brooklyn last month and it was one of the best shows I've ever been to. If you get the chance to see them I highly recommend! 

CHVRCHES released a music video for their song 'Bury It' featuring Paramore's Hayley Williams earlier this month. According to a recent Billboard article, a remix of the song will be included on an extended version of the album 'Every Open Eye' that will be released.

POP ETC is a band to watch this year. They recently released the album 'Souvenir' featuring the song 'What Am I Becoming', which has been getting a lot of buzz lately. I included one of my favorite songs of theirs, 'Vice', on the playlist this week. I saw the Wombats back in November and POP ETC was one of the openers. I couldn't believe how amazing and catchy their music was. Looking forward to hearing more from them!

If you see that there's a band you're listening to that we haven't gotten to yet or if you're listening to something new, feel free to comment and let us know!

Have a great week!
-Diana

This Week's Picks: 7/14-7/21

This week’s playlist contains songs and artists that I’ve currently been listening to on repeat. As you may notice, a lot of them are recently released songs. This summer is big for single releases, albums, and tour announcements. Ranging from Radiohead, Marian Hill, Colony House, Bastille, and more...

I also have my spotify weekly playlist to thank for helping me choose some of the songs this week. Nodaway was on one of mine a few weeks back and I’ve been listening to him nonstop! His songs are the perfect combination of pop and funk! “Coming Attraction” is one of the most ear-grabbing songs I’ve heard in a while. 

“Tranquilize” is another one of my bigger favorites on this list. I just saw Finish Ticket last night and they put on one heck of a set, so you should definitely check them out. The lead vocalist, Brendan has an incredible voice. (side note: they did not play this song and I was super bummed….but maybe during their Fall tour. I recommend checking those dates and heading to a show!)

ENJOY!

-Rebecca

This Week's Picks: 7/7-7/14

This week's playlist is a compilation of songs old and new. I'm currently on the road, so this is what I'm listening on while in the car and on the beach this week. This summer we've been getting a lot of great new music from artists like The Strokes, Band Of Horses, and Fitz and the Tantrums. Artists like Day Wave and Best Coast are perfect for those hot beach days. The track by Whitney is my top pick for this week. I heard it on the radio before I left for my trip and knew it had to be on my road-trip playlist before I got in the car. Hope you enjoy the playlist! Stay cool, keep up with us for music news/updates, and let us know what you're listening to this summer!


-Diana