I love it when someone tells me about their recent music obsessions, so on the off chance you love it too, here’s what’s been on nonstop play in my ear-holes lately:

Sea Wolf, “You’re a Wolf”

Pandora served up this song the other day and I instantly bought it. It’s just sort of wonderfully perfect in every way. The harmonizing makes my hair tingle.

Mumford & Sons, “The Cave”

I have AndreAnna to thank for my complete and total addiction to Mumford & Sons. I don’t even know how to describe them—sort of bluegrassy, but not twangy, and deep and lush and will give you goosebumps and you’ll just replay their stuff over and over and over and over. If you only listen to two songs, I recommend “The Cave” and “White Blank Page”.

Phantogram, “Mouthful of Diamonds”

I like this whole album but “Mouthful of Diamonds” stands out. Sparkly and gorgeous and takes you somewhere lovely when you listen.

Fujiya & Miyagi, “Collarbone”

I dare you to listen to this song without your head moving back and forth. No. It is impossible. Your argument is invalid.

Ratatat, “Loud Pipes”

I have no idea how I stumbled across this song but MAN is it great. No singing, just this weird and awesome mashup of guitars and electronica. Instant favorite.

Broken Bells, “The Ghost Inside”

Broken Bells is a guy from The Shins and another guy from Gnarls Barkley and Gorillaz, or something like that? Whatever it is, it’s awesome.

Arcade Fire, “Rococo”

You bought The Surburbs, right? There’s a review on iTunes that says “I feel like the double rainbow guy listening to this album” which I totally get. So far this song sticks out as my favorite, but the whole thing is amazing.

Sleigh Bells, “Treats”

Sleigh Bells makes a hell of a lot of noise for two people, it’s aggro and ear-bleeding and somehow tender all at once. You will probably either love or hate this.

La Roux, “Bulletproof”

Pure pop candy, dance-y and butt-shakey.

Moon Sountrack, “Welcome to Lunar Industries”

And now for something completely different: the first track off the Moon album. Haunting and kind of orgasmically beautiful and builds to an unforgettable crescendo a couple minutes in. If you haven’t seen the movie, you should check that out too.

I hope you enjoy some of these as much as I have been. Feel free to share back some of your recent favorites, okay?

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kalisa
14 years ago

I am all about the Sundry music recs. You’re the one who first turned me on to Spoon.
~k.

Nothing But Bonfires
14 years ago

I love Mumford & Sons as much as the next person (I might describe them as an English Fleet Foxes, perhaps?) but the BEST part is their names. You would THINK that Marcus Mumford would take the prize of Best Name In The Band. However, no: that distinction goes to Country Winston.

Ang
Ang
14 years ago

Love all the tunes, keep them coming!! I also love Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons.

Nolita Morgan
14 years ago

Brett Dennen, baby! ALL of his stuff. We discovered him (he was a featured artist on Hilton TV spot in Austin) a couple of years ago and got to actually chat with him after a show about 6 mos later in KS – http://nolitamorgan.blogspot.com/2009/03/pew-pews-gather-in-yard.html

AndreAnna
14 years ago

I’m pretty sure I described Mumford and Sons to you “like if David Gray had a banjo and made you want to kill yourself less” and I still stand by that description.

La Roux, Arcade Fire, and Sleigh Bells have been some of my favorite new music over the last couple years so seeing them on your list makes me giddy to go try out the other stuff up there I haven’t heard yet.

Thanks!

Susan
14 years ago

I have been craving some new music – thanks so much for sharing these!

Julie
14 years ago

I am so with you on the Mumford & Sons love! My fave from them is “Little Lion Man.”

Amber
14 years ago

I need the whole world to please start loving Frontier Ruckus. Their new album came out a few weeks ago, and is SO GOOD. “Silverfishes” and “The Upper Room” are greatness. “The Latter Days” on their previous album is one of my all-time favorite songs.

They have a SAW PLAYER. COME ON.

And when I saw them live a few weeks ago? That saw player was playing that saw WITH A SCREWDRIVER. That’s winner stuff right there.

Lyrics are amazing, too! Oh, how I rave. Check ’em out!

Kristi
14 years ago

Dude, Ben Westbeech – Hang Around, So Good Today, anything really! Kraack&Smaak “Squeeze Me”!

Kacey
14 years ago

I’ve been loving Mumford and Sons since you tweeted about them, beyond that I’ve been rediscovering old Over the Rhine, the “Til We Have Faces” album in particular, their newer stuff is great too.

Wendy
14 years ago

I love Over the Rhine! I was just listening to “Ohio” this weekend. Good music to write to.

Kaitlyn
14 years ago

I’ve been listening to Ron Hawkins. He’s very folky, but his album 10 Kinds of Lonely has been playing steady on my ipod lately. He’s Canadian, from Ontario (maybe?). check it out, ‘sgood stuff

Dawn
Dawn
14 years ago

Check out Seventeen Years by Ratatat. Amazing.

shriek house
14 years ago

Oooh I got all Brian Eno there for a few minutes, setting all the songs on play in various order and making an audio slush of them all. Fun workday activity, thank you!

I’ve been listening to “Time” from the Inception soundtrack — very sad and big and slowboomy. (That’s a word right?) Also Martha Tilston, who sings for Zero 7 sometimes but also does solo stuff. And Kronos Quartet’s Floodplains. And *cough*Jem*coughcough* when I’m feeling perky.

Hilary
14 years ago

If you like Mumford and Sons, you have to check out The Avett Brothers. It’s like folk rock and bluegrass smoothed out on the punk pop tip. (To paraphrase Bel Biv DeVoe.) Lovely and a little bit rough, with great emotionally raw lyrics.

Justin
Justin
14 years ago

Xavier Rudd- Simply AMAZING music. If you have a chance to see him live GO! One man band, plays drums with his feet, guitar on his lap and didgeridoos. Folky and rock like…

Heather
14 years ago

We just got back from a nightmare vacation in Myrtle Beach at a not-so-very baby proofed house. Staying home and walking on nails would have been more relaxing than trying to do a beach vacation with a 3yo and a 1yo.

I just downloaded a few of these songs and am now happily doing the 15 loads of laundry I need to do before I vacuum the sand from my truck, along with cleaning the rest of the house.

If you like Mumford & Sons. then check out Langhorne Slim, they also sound like blue-grassy Americana music (Checking Out, Worries, & Diamonds & Gold are three of my favorites). The drummer is the son of one of the Violent Femmes

Thank you for the suggestions :) I’m always looking for new music.

Ashley
Ashley
14 years ago

AH! How have I never heard Mumford & Sons? I am going to buy the album, brilliant! Love the recommendations.

The newest one on my iPod is Florence & The Machine.

LM
LM
14 years ago

Thanks for the new music suggestions. . . always looking for new running tunes to add to my iPod.

This one isn’t all that new, but it is one I have been grooving to lately- Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (kind of reminds me a little bit of Peter Bjorn and John’s Young Folks):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjFaenf1T-Y

Speaking of Peter Bjorn and John, their song Nothing to Worry About is kind of fun too.

Mrs Soup
14 years ago

You would probably love Silversun Pickups too. So many great music selections to try….

mixette
mixette
14 years ago

Not wondering any more what I’m spending my b-day itunes gift cards on any more. Sea Wolf = Love!

The True Blood music wiki charts out *all* the music they use, listed by episode, not just the songs on the official soundtracks: http://bit.ly/c4Bh5v . Kinda fun.

Sara
14 years ago

La Roux “Reflections are Protection” and “Growing Pains” are a must add to your existing collection, amazing promise.

Sarah
14 years ago

Freaky! I feel like you just raided my ipod.

I can’t recommend Dan Mangan enough. His album was just released in the US yesterday I think. Amazing voice, fantastic album (nominated for Canada’s most prestigious music award) AND he’s the nicest cutest guy ever. He and the Avett Bros are in constant rotation at my house.

Also f you like La Roux, you might like Dragonette.

Jaida
Jaida
14 years ago

Seconding Florence + the Machine. Love her.

perl
perl
14 years ago

My sister actually bought Freedom Rock for me when I was in HS. TURN IT UP, MAN! Thanks for the memories. One of my recent faves is Tighten Up by the Black Keys. It’s not often that you hear something that rocks this hard nowadays (geez, I sound like an old fart).

Magpie
14 years ago

Linda, you’d really like Pinback, I think — the only good thing to come out of a rather disastrously-ending dating thing I had a couple of months ago. Let my romantic humiliation become your listening pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59cQWw9ctOA

Jennifer
Jennifer
14 years ago

I have really gotten into the Gaslight Anthem lately; kind of Social Distortion meets Westerberg meets Springsteen….good stuff

Brenna
14 years ago

I’ve been crushing on that Mumford single for weeks now, and I hear Spoon has a new album out, because apparently they’re Prince now. Liked a lot of these, LOVE Pandora.

Tammy
14 years ago

Linda, this comment is a response to your recent twitters about your 2 yo overachiever in the tantrum category. I have this May 30, 2007 post by the Yarn Harlot bookmarked for those days when my 12 year old pushes my buttons a few too many times. It gives me a little comfort, and I hope it will give you some as well. http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2007_05.html

Sometimes muttering “this too shall pass” over and over works too. :-)

April G.
14 years ago

Oh, man. I need Mumford and Sons now.

By the way, do you listen to the Too Beautiful to Live podcast? It’s by a guy who lives in Seattle. He used to have a radio show on KIRO, and when they cancelled his show he switched to a podcast-only format. He plays a song or two on every show, and played Sleigh Bells today.

Anna
Anna
14 years ago

Band from NZ – The Naked and Famous.
This song is called Young Blood and is fabulous for running to at night time or at dawn. Awesome awesome song and incidently my brother in law directed the video –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdO85Qf4Poc

amber
amber
14 years ago

Oh, hey! Re: Sea Wolf – do you know their song “Middle Distance Runner”? That’s my favorite and best one. The album version is lovely, but so is this one:

http://vimeo.com/1072494

Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

I love “Seventeen Years” by Ratatat. You should check it out if you haven’t already. Thank you for posting this. After having the great pleasure of having to watch a Toby Keith video and a video told to me as “now this is freedom rock. These guys really care about the soldiers”* at work of all places, your title is just so fitting. I turn on the innernets and lo-great music courtesy of Sundry! *I have nothing against the music, just not their views, coming from a long line of military vets. Ok..lastly, I agree with Magpie. I’ve seen Pinback at least 4 times, and they’re kinda tops on my list. “Shag” was the first song I heard from them. CRANK IT UP!

Amy
Amy
14 years ago

Ring Ring by the Sleigh Bells is one of mine right now!

Jane
14 years ago

I came on here to link to The Naked and Famous as a little contribution from New Zealand (reached #1 on our charts) – but I see that my sister linked to it already.

Anna, technically you can’t claim video-director Joel as your brother in law as we’re not married. Nice try though.

Lisa
Lisa
14 years ago

I am going to second The Gaslight Anthem recommendation. I just found them last week and they are awesome. I love “The ’59 Sound” I think you would like them too, Linda.

Amity
Amity
14 years ago

I saw that La Roux video a few weeks ago and I couldn’t get past how much the lead singer looks like Tilda Swinton.

Karen
Karen
14 years ago

Yeah, yeah! Pinback rules! I also really like Blonde Redhead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU-kBxIy8cI

Holly
Holly
14 years ago

Can I just have your ipod? These are all great – needed some new music to make me feel hip and less old.

Currently obsessed with “Band of Heathens” out of Austin, TX. “Look at Miss Ohio” is my fave track. Slow & bluesy.

Angie
Angie
14 years ago

Thanks for the hot tips. Breaking Bad totally turned me on to Fujiya Miyagii. Can you believe that show?! Love it.

I’m a big fan of the Breakup Album – Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson http://www.thebreakupalbum.com/

joaaanna
joaaanna
14 years ago

I honestly didn’t think that I would bob my head to the Collarbone song. (to myself, “I’ll prove her wrong!”)

You win!

Thanks for the recs – here in KS we still think ACDC is new music – I like finding new good music to add to my list.

The one person I just can’t get enough of is Regina Spektor. Especially ‘Poor Little Rich Boy’ – just her singing, one hand on a piano, the other hitting a chair with a drumstick – and she rocks that shit!

Jas
Jas
14 years ago

Haven’t listened to the recommendations, yet, although I usually love the music you listen to (so keep these kinds of posts coming). I really just commented to say due to the title of this post, I now have that commercial living in my head again. “Well, turn it up, man!” Love it. Thank you for the smile.

Anais
Anais
14 years ago

Maybe it’s because of your last entry about the dog balls that I misread the band name when I got to “Broken Bells.” I read “Broken Balls.”

Great music, by the way. Must go update my iTunes.

Kristi
14 years ago

Kind of old, but can’t stop listening to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bccKotFwzoY

Mike
Mike
14 years ago

@Amity – Tilda Swinton? I think she looks just like Rupert Grint!

deesigner
deesigner
14 years ago

Wow thanks for these recommendations – I just bought 3 new songs from Amazon!

honeybecke
honeybecke
14 years ago

Oh man, these are all great songs! My itunes was feeling a bit stale, so thanks heaps for these awesome recommendations. Love the Cave, omg.
I’ve been really chilling with Laura Veirs album July Flame. It’s very mellow and her lyrics are worth listening to. My favorite song (although they are all super good) is the title track, “July Flame”. Here’s a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOG5m7TrCnM&feature=related

jody
jody
14 years ago

trampled by turtles….if you check ’em out, listen to ‘wait so long.’ also, can’t get flo + machine or grace potter out of my playlist. (my first time commenting although i’ve been reading for more than a year – cheers!)

Christina
14 years ago

I second whomever said The Avett Brothers.

Also, Marina and the Diamonds (sort of like Florence and the Lungs), Edward Sharpe, Josh Ritter, The National, The Black Keyes (SO GOOD!), Citizen Cope and Augustana.

You named most of the others I have been loving lately!

Smileen
Smileen
14 years ago

SO funny you posted Collarbone. I have been on Pandora with the playlist “Electric Feel” and they play that, Spoon, and MGMT? I may be leaving out a letter, MNGMT? maybe thats it. Also a Ghostland Observatory fan..Fantastic picks doll!