Monday, December 19, 2016

Merry Christmas to All


Sending you something a little less traditional this Christmas. Hope you enjoy it. I know we said one song but a medley counts, right?

Bluegrass Christmas Medley : The U.S Army Band




It's been a tiring week, but such a good one. Of all the things I love about December, baking cookies and good Christmas music are somewhere at the top of the list. What is especially exciting to find are artists who instead of covering common Christmas songs, compose new ones. Josh Garrels' Christmas album is such a great example of this. Even the ones he does cover, he makes his own with new arrangements and a variety of instruments. 

This song is my favourite and is probably my most played song this month. I think part of why I love it is because the intro reminds me of something from the Ocean's 11 soundtrack. (Ok not exactly, but a bit similar!)

I know you are really far from home this Christmas. But I hope that the week is a good one for you. (Btw., catch up needed!)
-Tanisha

Gloria : Josh Garrels

Monday, December 12, 2016

Christmas Feels

Hey hey!
If this is a blog about discovering new music, here it is. Jolan made it big on the Voice UK and his career has taken off since then. I couldn't get this Beyonce' song out of my head and found a perfect mix for you this week. Hope you enjoy!
-Sudhir

XO : Jolan



I know we decided that next week would be Christmas week, but I really couldn't help it. I spent the entire day listening to Christmas music yesterday and then went for a lovely concert in a beautiful cathedral last night- all the Christmassy feels. Makes me miss home.

Here's the nicest find from yesterday. Such a warm cover of the song. I read this description of his music from Facebook.

"You can almost hear the landscape in their songs – melodically rich, sweeping pop that washes over and basks you in sunlight." 

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas : Charles William



Monday, December 5, 2016

EDM for the Uninitiated

One of the fun things about new friends is being introduced to their tastes in music. Despite being someone who claims to appreciate all music, I've given EDM quite the cold shoulder. It takes a fellow music lover to convince me otherwise. 

Thanks Dan- we have more things to talk about besides dessert! :)

-Tanisha


I'm a structural engineer hailing from the frozen tundra of Minnesota. I love soccer, ice hockey, red pandas, anything sweet (especially cookie dough) and coincidentally, music. I spent many a year deeply entrenched in rock music but always longing for creative electronic tunes that would lift my soul. In the last decade and the upswing in all things EDM, I slowly followed a progression of vocal trance, trance, chillstep, melodic dubstep, dubstep, then diversifying to drum & bass, future bass, chill out, and trap. I still enjoy all of the above, but today I want to share some of the iconic tunes that brought me into chillstep and melodic dubstep, a move that opened up a whole new world of musical enjoyment.
- Dan

Sit back and let this tune float you across the clouds like a bird on wing. I love the mixture of a joyful tune with lofty, airy vocals. The music itself is fairly unique to the former classical pianist Mitis. It is somewhere between drum & bass, dubstep, chillstep, future bass, and classical. Also notice how the pace of the music tempts you to dance or let your thoughts fly, yet the drum beat itself is quite slow, similar to a dubstep or chillstep tempo, but so unique.

Open Window (feat. Anna Yvette) : Mitis





This now is a true and iconic mix of chillstep and melodic dubstep. Like a vast majority of EDM, the tune is musically driven; the vocals only add to the effect, they are not the focus itself. Perhaps this is what I appreciate in electronic music, the music comes first. The artist hires the vocalist to add to the track, rather than the reverse. They play on the same field. And it is not merely a catchy, poppy vocalist brutalizing your memory, but a wave of sound on which you can ride. And that is how I would describe melodic dubstep, not a jagged rift of sound after the drop (how non-melodic dubstep may sound to the uninitiated), but a smooth wave that compels you to be swayed. And no one provides this melodic drop like Skrux. This specific tune is the work of four separate artists (each one of worthy note in themselves) and a vocalist. It is also my favorite song to test the full range and quality of a superb sound system!

Cosmos (Skrux & Complexion Remix) Clark Kent & Yinyues