Music Monday (#17): March 2016 Playlist

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

Music Monday (#16): Feb 2016 Playlist

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

Today I'm sharing my February 2016 playlist with you all! I want to start compiling some songs I listened to and enjoyed in each month, so I'll try to share them here with you. The songs/lyrics don't necessarily have any relation to things that happened in the month. They're just mood/aesthetic music and music I found.

Listen to the playlist!

Music Monday (#15): Spotify Playlists I've Been Listening To Lately

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

Many of my past few featured songs have come from Spotify playlists, and I know I've mentioned some of those playlists before. But I thought I'd just share my favorite playlists/the ones I've been listening to quite a lot lately. There are more that I listen to from time to time, and I'm always on the lookout for new playlists, but these are the ones I have saved.

Your Favorite Coffeehouse

The first Spotify playlist I discovered. I find all/most of these on the Browse Overview, where they recommend/suggest some playlists. I haven't listened to this in a while, but it's still a go-to.

Deep Focus

For when I need to study. My savior in college so far.

Epic All Nighter

Another one for when I need to study. I don't listen to this one as much, but it's still great.

Calm Down

Great for when I'm blogging or just need some background music, though I haven't listened to this one in a few weeks.

Feel Good Indie Rock

I think Indie Rock (or similar, ie indie pop) is my favorite genre of music, though I haven't really found many of the artists yet. This is another great playlist for when I'm blogging and also when I want to discover new music/artists.



What are your favorite Spotify playlists? Do you have any recommendations for me?

Music Monday (#14): Those Girls Playlist

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

I meant to post this ages ago, but I only just got around to it now. I happened to be listening to music and thinking about Those Girls by Lauren Saft, when one of them just connected and made me think of one of the characters (I can't remember which one exactly). This started the ball, and I decided to try to find songs on my phone that would fit each of the characters. I'm not completely happy with all of the choices here, but at the time, I didn't have enough time to really listen through all my songs and find the best fit, so this was the best I could do. Hope you enjoy! (On a side note, I didn't mean for three of the four songs to be by country artists, but it just happened. xD)

you belong with me // taylor swift

Alex

Oh, I remember you driving to my house

In the middle of the night.

I'm the one who makes you laugh

When you know you're 'bout to cry.

I know your favorite songs,

And you tell me about your dreams.

Think I know where you belong,

Think I know it's with me.

Can't you see

That I'm the one

Who understands you?

Been here all along.

So, why can't you see

You belong with me.

you won't find this // carrie underwood

Alex and Drew

You can hold any girl that you like

Fall in love when it's easy at night

But, you'll wake up wondering why she ain't ever something better

When you're lost and run out of road

Find what I already know

In the end close is all there is

But you won't find this

No, you won't find this

need you now // lady antebellum

Mollie

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.

And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now.

And I don't know how I can do without.

I just need you now

I just need you now.

Oh, baby, I need you now.

drunk on love // the wanted

Veronica

I'm a lover not a hater,

Not a fighter or a player

And I'll party 'till the sun comes up

Getting a hangover without a cure

We could end up anywhere but that's all part of the rush

When the lights are shining that's where you will find me

Getting drunk on love

That's what we do,

When I see you dancing

Gets me so excited

Gonna pour my love all over you

Those Girls: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Lauren Saft: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

Music Monday (#13): Oceans by Seafret

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

I've missed these non-bookish posts, so here's another music recommendation! I must admit that my next few recommendations will probably be songs on Spotify's "Your Favorite Coffeehouse" playlist, but anyway. Here's Seafret's Oceans. I didn't even know Maisie Williams was in the music video, so that's an added bonus. Let me know what you think!

Music Monday (#12): Wilder Mind by Mumford and Sons

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

For the longest time, I was feeling really skeptical about Mumford and Son's new sound, but while I still really love their original sound, I don't mind their new direction. I feel like at the heart, they're still the same. Their lyrics are just as deep and insightful. Their style of singing actually isn't all that different. All they've really done is change the instruments they use to get their music and lyrics across. It's certainly new, and I don't know that I can say that I like the new sound better; I think I'm still partial to their original sound, but I don't mind it the way some other fans do. It doesn't sound or feel like Mumford and Sons at the surface, but I think that if fans, new or old, could get past that, they would see that the heart of Mumford and Sons has remained the same. That being said, I do sort of hope that they go back to their original sound. Either way, however they decide to move forward, I recommend their new album and look forward to their next one (already).

1. Tompkins Square Park
2. Believe
3. The Wolf
4. Wilder Mind
5. Just Smoke
6. Monster
7. Snake Eyes
8. Broad-Shouldered Beasts
9. Cold Arms
10. Ditmas
11. Only Love
12. Hot Gates

Music Monday (#11): Gamble by Lily Rose

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

I could have sworn that I'd heard this song before, but evidently not because I didn't know the song title nor the artist. Anyway, I found Spotify's "Your Favorite Coffeehouse" playlist, and I'm now in love with the whole playlist. But right away, Gamble stuck out to me. I'll definitely be checking out more of her music.

Music Monday (#10): Little Toy Guns by Carrie Underwood

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

This week, I'm kicking it back to an artist I've loved for a really long time: Carrie Underwood. I love her music, and I love her as a person. She's so inspiring, and I'm excited for her new music, whenever we'll be getting that.

In her new greatest hits album, Carrie Underwood Greatest Hits: Decade #1, she has two new singles, Something in the Water and Little Toy Guns. I absolutely love both of them but for different reasons. I also love both of the music videos, but lately, the one I've been obsessing over more is Little Toy Guns (perhaps because Something in the Water came out first, so I was obsessing over that before).

It's such a Carrie Underwood song. It's catchy, but there's also so much meaning behind it, which I think the music video really got at. The music video is visually stunning, but it's also incredibly able to convey the full story Carrie is telling in the song. It's so beautiful and refreshing to see Carrie continue to address big issues through her music, something that artists tend to stay away from. It really shows how parents fighting and arguing all the time really affects children and how we often forget about others when we're arguing because we're only thinking about protecting ourselves. But what about the kids who deal with the yelling on a daily basis? How do they feel? How does it affect them? Little Toy Guns scratches the surface of the answers to these questions.

Music Monday (#9): Budapest by George Ezra

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

It's been a while since I've done one of these, but as I've started getting back into regular blogging, I wanted to share this. 

I stumbled upon George Ezra after watching his performance on Ellen, and oh my gosh, I'm now obsessed with him and his voice. His most well-known song right now is probably Budapest. I can't praise him and his music enough. I highly recommend you check out more of his music. AH-MAZING.

George Ezra on Ellen:

Music Monday (#8): Cities + It's Just Love by Nat and Alex Wolff

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

I've been so busy that I've forgotten about my Music Monday posts, so here's one (finally)!

I went to their concert on Saturday, and I just love them so much. So of course I'm extremely excited about their two new singles, and I'm really hoping we'll get news on Album #2 soon because it's been too long!

Anyway, these two songs are just amazing, especially Cities, which I just love with my whole heart.

Now, there are two different versions: the official, recorded version and the live version. I love both in different ways. The recorded version is much simpler, but I also love the live version. Since it hasn't been released yet, I don't have a Youtube video of the recorded versions, but you can listen to them here! I highly recommend listening to this version!

The live versions from the concert I went to are below. These aren't my videos, as mine aren't as great quality.

What do you think? Which version do you prefer?

Music Monday (#7): Echosmith

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

Thanks to Spotify, I found out about this band. 

Needless to say, I am now a fan!

At first, I was a little hesitant about their music, but after really listening to their music, especially the ones in the latter half of the album and also upon re-listening, I fell in love. Thanks again, Spotify!

Music Monday (#6): Taylor Swift Favorite Album Analysis

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand. Some may have special themes or surprises. This means that I might share a playlist, fan!mix, Top Ten list, etc.

Today's post is a topical one, and it's based on a brief conversation I had with Jessica @ Just Another Teen Reading on Twitter. Basically, she asked which Taylor Swift album was our personal favorite. I responded that I love them all for different reasons and that I couldn't just pick one because they're all great in different aspects. So I figured that I'd go into that in a more thought out post! Thus, this post will be me discussing what I like about each of T. Swift's albums. I won't go into what I DON'T like about them, but feel free to discuss it with me in the comments below! (Note: I used the album covers for the versions I have minus Taylor Swift because I don't own a copy of it.)

I really love the innocence and simplicity of Taylor's self-titled album. The songs feel so genuine, and it's nice to not think about who each song could be about. Additionally, I love her sound here. It's country with just a hint of pop, but it's still mostly country. Most of the songs on this album are among my favorites by her because of the sound and especially the lyrics.

Still writing heart-felt songs with meaningful lyrics, this album showed Taylor delving more into pop, and I think that's fine. I like the mix of sounds on this album, and it shows great variety in her singing. There's still this air of innocence in her songs, and there's just something that draws me to the songs, both lyrically and melodically. Again, many favorites came from this album, although I guess it's only natural that I do have favorites from each.





I feel like this is when her sound really started to change. She moved away from her country sound and became more pop and more appealing to a broader audience. There's so much subject and melodic variety in this album, and I love it. I loved how she didn't just have songs about love and heartbreak, and I liked the playfulness of some of the songs on this album. I think she really grew musically, even though I love her country sound a bit more. Her lyrics for the songs on this album are what I love the most, I think. Most of my favorites are from this album.

This one is a bit tricky for me for a couple of reasons. In the end, though, I love how mature her music sounds. She's really grown as an artist, and it's clear that she's stepping away from the sound of her previous albums. There's a lot less country (to the point that I wouldn't consider her a country artist anymore, generally), but some of the songs are softer pop, which I prefer. I love so many of the songs on here that haven't been released as singles, though that applies to all her albums. There's a difference between the singles released to appeal to a bigger audience and the songs on here with a really deep meaning. Once I listened to the album a couple of times, I really started to love it.


At the end of the day, I think I'd go with Speak Now as my favorite if I REALLY had to choose one, but there's a lot that I like about each of them. I don't know that I articulated that well in this post, but.

Which Taylor Swift album is your favorite? Why? (Or are you like me?)

Music Monday (#5): Ilse DeLange

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand.

An oldie, but a goodie.

And again, thanks, Spotify!

If I had listened to this even two years ago, I might not like her music, but I like it! It's something that my dad might listen to, but it's also a bit country. I like her sound, and the songs and lyrics are great. I enjoy that "old" sound to her music.

Music Monday (#4): Parachute

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand.

Thanks to Spotify for recommending them!

I don't know if anyone knows any song by them, and I haven't listened to the album enough to decide on my favorite tracks.

I don't know...I kind of like their sound. I'm not a fan of all of their songs, and I had to listen to the album once or twice first, but I'm definitely going to listen to some of their other music. I'm hoping to expand my music tastes, so I'm experimenting on Spotify. Hehe. 

Music Monday (#3): Nat & Alex Wolff

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand.

I can't even pick a favorite!

For those of you that don't remember or don't know, Nat and Alex Wolff used to be The Naked Brothers Band. But they don't go by that name anymore (I wonder why (that's me trying to be sarcastic over the internet, by the way)). They have a completely new sound, and I LOVE it. Recently, I've been so engrossed and obsessed with this album (the iTunes version has even more songs). I used to love watching The Naked Brothers Band when I was younger (no, I don't remember almost any of it, but). I completely forgot about them until Nat Wolff got the part of Issac in The Fault in Our Stars. And then I discovered this gem. I'm really excited to hear new music from them, especially now that they're both older (it's so weird to think that Alex is a few months younger than I am). Now, brb while I fangirl and eagerly await their next album.

What are you listening to this week?

Music Monday (#2): Psych: The Musical

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand.

The song people may know more: Santa Barbara Skies, I've Heard It Both Ways, Jamaica Inspector

Song I Love Most: Shawn Hears the Theme/The Breakdown

While the musical was slightly disappointing, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm kinda grooving out to the soundtrack. So they don't make a lot of sense out of context, especially if you don't watch the show, and they're not really meant to be taken seriously, but I like it. It's fun. It's funny. It's meant for fans. Sure, not all the singing is fabulous, but they're actually pretty good.

Again, this isn't for everyone, but it should be nice for fans of the show. And it's good for when you're not feeling great and just want a laugh (same as the show! Until it gives you ALL THE FEELS).

Music Monday (#1): CHVRCHES

Every other Monday, I'll share a song/artist/album that I'm either currently listening to or currently obsessed with, though they often go hand-in-hand.

The song by them that everyone seems to know: The Mother We Share

Other songs I love: How about all of them?

I've fallen in love with their music, especially how great Lauren Mayberry's singing is. Perhaps it's not the style of music I thought I'd ever like, but it's funky and new, and I really do like it a lot.

I say, give it a try, everyone! I never thought I'd like their music, but now I'm a tiny bit obsessed. ;)