Tag: Maroon 5

Music - What I'm Listening To

Friday Jam Session Vol. 18

Amanda

I love music. My taste is very diverse — continually being shaped by an unique combination of people, places and experiences. I never try to pawn myself off as someone who “knows music,” because I have too much respect for those who do. I did dance and took piano lessons growing up, but trust me, you do NOT want to hear me sing. But music is a topic that I never tire of and I love swapping recommendations. Please join in and share your own picks! View past posts HERE.
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Friday Jam Session

1.Favorite New(ish) Album
JUST KIDS – Mat Kearney

There is a special place in my heart for fellow Oregonian Mat Kearney’s music, and his new album is no except. The song above “Coming Home (Oregon)” is obviously my favorite, after we of course overlook the fact that the music video is a tribute to the Oregon Ducks. I respect his intense passion for a college football team, but does it really have to be THAT team? I feel like am committing a crime for even linking to the video. Also on the album I really like it’s first single “One Black Sheep,” as well as “Air I Breathe” “The Conversation” and “Heartbeat.”

2.Favorite New (new-to-me) Artist/Band
for KING & COUNTRY

This Christian band was a random find on Spotify last week that I instantly fell in love with. They appear to have been around awhile and are the two brothers of contemporary Christian artist Rebecca St. James. Their music isn’t just uplifting, it is dynamic and great to jam to. “Fix My Eyes,” shared above, is probably my favorite so far, but “Busted Heart” is a close second. I also am really liking “Run Wild” “Light It Up” “Crave” “Fine Fine Life” and “Without You.”

3.Jam I Have on Repeat
Live Forever – The Band Perry

I’m always a sucker for a good anthem song and people, I am obsessed with this song. Then again, I’ve felt that way by every single The Band Perry has put out. I saw them few years ago at Country Stampede in Kansas and I was really impressed by their range of influences and covers they chose to feature alongside their own songs.

4.Favorite Collaboration, Cover, Remix or Mashup
Hey Brother – Dierks Bentley (original by Avicii)

Considering Dierks has a great bluegrass album I’m not surprised he flip a song like this and add his own spin.

5.Favorite Spotify List
“Confidence Boost” by Spotify

A solid mix of mostly songs from the past 5 years or so.

6.#SoulMusic I’m Obsessing Over
Thunder Clatter – Wild Club
Listen HERE

7.”Oldie, But a Goodie” I Heard This Week
Kerosene – Miranda Lambert

This song is 11 years old. Just let that sink in for a few moments. I knew from this very first single I was going to be a Miranda fan. At that time I don’t think there were that many new, young strong voices in country music. Don’t get me wrong I LOVED Faith, Martina and Shania, but Miranda had an unique sound and outlaw country attitude. Fast forward to now and I’d say she’s pretty much stayed true to that.

8.Current Beat That Makes Me Want to Dance…in the Car…Jamming With the Windows Down
Love Myself – Hailee Steinfeld
 Listen HERE

I really didn’t like this song at first. Which was a bit disappointing because I hear she was good in Pitch Perfect 2 (which I haven’t gotten around to watching yet) and I still am bitter about her not getting the Oscar at 13 for her role in the remake of the movie True Grit alongside Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon. ANYWAY. I still wouldn’t say that I particularly like it that much, but dang it, it is really catchy and at some point I found myself not skipping it anymore.

9.Taking Me Down Memory Lane
“Clubbed to Death” – Matrix Theme
Listen HERE

Last Sunday night I watched the 2016 Miss America pageant where Miss Alabama danced for her talent to this song and I freaked out a little. During my freshman year of high school on the dance team, we did a Matrix theme for our state competition performance and this was our opening song. I loved that routine, but our makeup and costumes were pretty intense and any picture proof I have is conveniently not on Facebook or my computer.

10.Work, Work it Out
Uma Thurman – Fall Out Boy
 

Umm, let’s be honest. Anything by Fall Out Boy is great to work out to.

11.Making Me Want to Fall in Love
My Heart is Open- Maroon 5 ft. Gwen Stefani
Listen HERE

This song is over a year old now, but it came back up on my playlists today, and is probably one of my FAVORITE collaborations!

12.Guilty Listen of the Week
 Dirty Work – Austin Mahone

Oh don’t, worry I’m judging myself enough for everyone. #shame

13.Song That I Originally Loved, But Is Now Overplayed
Bang Bang – Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
 Listen HERE

I was totally on the bandwagon for this song for much longer than I would like to admit, but a few weeks ago I made an effort to go back through and take it off of all of my playlists.

14.Popular Song That Is Making My Ears Bleed
Downtown – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Listen HERE

Nope. I gave it try, and once was enough.

15.Country Pick of the Week
80’s Mercedes – Maren Morris
 Listen HERE

I’ve been wanting to feature this song for the last two weeks but this girl is so new that hardly any of her music is on YouTube. Except, she’s not new. Apparently she’s been doing the red dirt scene for a few years now and was first noticed for her songwriting (Piece by Piece – Kelly Clarkson and Last Turn Home – Tim McGraw). But I really like this song so the link above takes you to Spotify. The song has a really “cool” vibe and I’d venture to say that this girl’s sound is similar to Kasey Musgraves, so I’m hoping that we start to hear more from her soon.

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So, what have you been listening to this week?

Linking up with these blogs today!

Here, Here, Here and HERE.

Cheers!

Music - What I'm Listening To

Friday Jam Session Vol. 14

Amanda

I love music. My taste is very diverse — continually being shaped by an unique combination of people, places and experiences. I never try to pawn myself off as someone who “knows music,” because I have too much respect for those who do. I did dance and took piano lessons growing up, but trust me, you do NOT want to hear me sing. But music is a topic that I never tire of and I love swapping recommendations. Please join in and share your own picks! View past posts HERE.
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Friday Jam Session


1.Favorite New(ish) Album
Smoke + Mirrors – Imagine Dragons

This album might be the one I have listened to the most in 2015. Imagine Dragons is one of those bands where I love and know every single song on the album. They hit it big with “It’s Time” (their third EP in 2009/10), but once I heard their debut album, Night Visions, in 2012, I knew they were going to be big. I’ve been to a lot of country concerts, but Imagine Dragons at Starlight Theatre in KC is probably my favorite concert (the drums are amazing!) Their sophomore album Smoke + Mirrors is what you hope for from a band that saw so much success with its debut. The song above is my favorite but I also like “I Bet My Life,” “Gold,” “Polaroid” and “The Fall.”

Imagine Dragons, Twenty-One Pilots and Others.
Imagine Dragons | Starlight Theatre | June 2013

2.Favorite New(ish) Collaboration
Golden – Travie McCoy feat. Sia

This could have very well been my jam on repeat this week (or summer.) I’d say in the last two years Sia’s voice (and quirky style) has been the go-to obsession for people, and “Golden” does not disappoint. I love the contrast of the artists and their voices here.

3.Favorite New (new-to-me) Artist/Band
George Ezra

Most people recognize George Ezra for his first single “Budapest,” but my favorite is “Blame it On Me,” above. I just love a really deep singing voice that comes across so smoothly (think country music’s Josh Turner.) This guy is young, a true musician and with the successful of this debut album, I hope he stays around. I also like “Barcelona” and the video for “Listen to the Man” is light and funny featuring Sir Ian Mckellen.

4.Jam I Have on Repeat
Poison – Rita Ora
Listen HERE

I haven’t actually decided if I’m a Rita Ora fan and I could see myself deciding later on that I don’t like this song as much as I originally thought. But for now it’s been on repeat a lot.

5.Favorite Cover, Remix or Mashup
Blank Space/Stand By Me – Imagine Dragons

BBC’s Live Lounge could probably have its own category on this list. They always have the best covers. I’ve lost track of the amount of times I’ve sent people to go listen to this one. I know I featured Imagine Dragons already in this post but this cover is SO different and fun.

6.Favorite Spotify List
“Good Vibes” by Spotify

Good mix of old and new. It’s a solid list.

7.#SoulMusic I’m Obsessing Over
Shorty Don’t Wait – A Great Big World

They are talented, but some of A Great Big World’s music is a bit too much for me, so I was a little late to discover this song. But I definitely have it on repeat now. It’s a great song for their sound, stripped down, both silly and sweet, almost making me laugh.

8.”Oldie, But a Goodie” I Heard This Week
With or Without You – U2

I’ve always been a U2 fan, but this summer I have been watching Friends from start to finish and re-fell in love with this song. I’m well past that episode but the song popped up on my Spotify this week, reminding me how sad I’m going to be when I finish the series. Man, what I would have given to be just a little older when the series was airing. Instead of the music video, I included the clip from the show.

9. Current Beat That Makes Me Want to Dance…in the Car…Jamming With the Windows Down
Ugly Heart – G.R.L.
Listen HERE

Ugh. Girl bands generally give me a headache and I probably skipped this song at least a dozen times before I finally got all the way through it. But friends… jam to it just once in the car and I promise you’ll be sold.

10.Taking Me Down Memory Lane
Feels So Close – Calvin Harris

I might be wrong, but it always seemed to me that this was one of the first songs that made Calvin Harris a well-known name, outside of EDM music. At some point in college I got a new phone and I wanted a fun ringtone that didn’t have a lot of lyrics so I chose this song, somewhat on a whim after hearing it I think on a commercial. It ended up staying as my ringtone for over a year. I’m not generally a huge EDM fan, I don’t know that much about it, but I’ve always liked how universal this song felt. I love words and lyrics, but as  a kid who grew up dancing, I also like when the music itself takes care of telling the story.

11. Work, Work it Out
Come With Me Now – Kongos
Listen HERE

First heard this in a pre-game highlight reel for K-State Football. It’s a solid workout tune, I usually skip it and save for the last hard leg of my run.

12.Making Me Want to Fall in Love
Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran

I am really going to have to make an effort to not include Ed Sheeran every week on this series. This song is not considered new anymore and the video is almost a year old. Most people would have probably put this in the “Song That I Originally Loved, But Is Now Overplayed” category, and I don’t blame them, I’m just a bit of a fan girl. Honestly though, the girl does most of the core dancing but his part was probably harder than you think. Props to the awkward white boy.

13.Guilty Listen of the Week
Ghost Town – Adam Lambert
Listen HERE

So I actually saw most of this video before I heard the song. I was in a bar on the 4th of July that was really loud and it was playing on multiple screens. I remember thinking, “this is slightly creepy, I don’t know that I actually want to hear the song.” Then I did on Spotify and found myself NOT skipping it. Guilty, I know. It’s terrible, but its great.

14.Song That I Originally Loved, But Is Now Overplayed
Fight Song – Rachel Platten

People, please don’t be mad at me. I love this song, I really do, but I just need to NOT hear it for a while. IT’S EVERYWHERE. I mean I lost track of how many times I heard it while I was in Vegas, whether it was actually the song, or the fact that my sister felt the need to sing it over and over. In my mind, its not supposed to be a song that gets stuck in your head. Let it fade and then we can fall in love with it all over again when we rediscover it.

15.Popular Song That Is Making My Ears Bleed
Strip It Down – Luke Bryan
Listen HERE

Listen, say what you want about “bro country,” but I like Luke Bryan. His is music is fun and he has pulled off the sexy country slow song before. But not this time. This one is flat and repetitive in a way that is annoying. Also, the lyrics are dumb. “I want to drop the cell phone now, let it shatter on the ground…” Umm WHAT? No, phones are expensive, have two seconds of self control and set it down like a normal person.

16.Country Pick of the Week
Long Stretch of Love – Lady Antebellum

It’s kind of hard to believe that Lady Antebellum’s first country single “Love Don’t Live Here” debuted eight years ago. It came out when I was high school and I vividly remember how refreshing this new band was. It’s been fun to follow their success. Expect for them to be a regular over time on this series.

BONUS: 5 More Songs On My 2015 Summer Jam Playlist
Some of these first came out last year, but they’ve been my repeats this summer

Geronimo – Sheppard
Sugar – Maroon 5
Rather Be – Clean Bandit ft. Jesse Glynne
Pompeii – Bastille
Let Me See Ya Girl – Cole Swindell

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So, what have you been listening to this week?

Linking up with these blogs today!
Here, Here, Here, Here and HERE. Whew, did you get all that?

Music - What I'm Listening To

Friday Jam Session: #SoulMusic Vol. 1

Amanda

This week’s Friday Jam Session, is brought you on a Saturday morning.
..because someone’s Friday ended with an epic five hour nap.
Yeah, I like to live life on the edge.

Anyways, this week’s music is best enjoyed on a quiet, sun-shining morning with a cup of coffee, so as least I’m doing something right. By far my favorite playlist on my iTunes is one that I affectionately refer to as “#SoulMusic.”

I’m a writer and a lover of words, so as a music junkie, I love a set of lyrics that has the power of moving people. Today I’m sharing #SoulMusic that all has a similar sound, but that doesn’t mean that those are the boundaries. On my #SoulMusic playlist I have songs that are happy, sad, inspiring, fast, slow and some that don’t have words. They cover every topic that one can sing about and come from every genre. The one thing that they have in common is that they are songs that move me. My fellow music junkie roommate describe these as “lay-your-head-on-your-computer-speaker-and-be-absorbed-into-the-music” kind of songs.

Yeah, she has an unique way with words.

Stubborn Love by The Lumineers
The Lumineers are one of my newest discoveries and really, their entire album could be considered #SoulMusic. The lead singer has that raw type of voice that convinces you that it only speaks the truth. I particularly love this song not just for its lyrics but because of how the music progresses through the story that it is telling. Plus, the little girl in the video is adorable.

Drops of Jupiter by Train
Either you are laughing at me or raising your eyebrows right now, but either way, most of you can’t help but sing along. And that’s why this song makes the list, because it doesn’t actually make sense. “She acts like summer and walks like rain.” What does that even mean??? All I do know is that this song makes me smile…and that the 90’s were weird. Pat Monahan, you are creepy and your shirt clashes with the rugs that you are standing on, but hey, thanks for this song.

Runaway by Mat Kearney
Mat Kearney has a special place in my iTunes partially because he is a fellow Oregonian, and while I actually have no idea where he gets his inspiration for his music, I like to tell myself that it comes from the same things that I love about our home state. For some reason this one reminds me of my mountains and is one of my all-time favorites to play on long drives.

This is The Thing by Fink
I discovered this song on the “Dear John” movie soundtrack (which is a gem in itself.) It’s the only song that I have ever heard from this artist but it is one that I always put on repeat for two main reasons. First it is one that you could drop the vocals and I would love it just as much. I am a sucker for that guitar. Second, it sounds so personal and a little sad. It’s sort of, as if we are getting an inside peek into someone’s inter-monologue.

Daylight by Maroon 5
This is a little bit different for Maroon 5 and I think it’s beautiful. It’s both happy and sad, and the kind of song that you can determine it’s meaning for yourself. They took two different approaches for the music video. I’m featuring the one I like better and you can find the other one by clicking here. Neither of the videos feature the song in it’s original form, so I definitely recommend looking that up as well.

A few other artists that sound like this that I can always count on for some good #SoulMusic are Phillip Phillips, Lifehouse, Bon Iver, Snow Patrol, Augustana, OneRepublic, NEEDTOBREATHE, Goo Goo Dolls, Imagine Dragons, Mumford & Sons and The Fray. In a few weeks I’ll feature a Vol. 2 post and share some #SoulMusic with a different sound.

Enjoy!