Friday Playist: Royal Wedding Style

        Royal Wedding day! Woooooh! Even though technically the big event happened sometime around 12 hours ago, we are still reveling in making cutout Kate and Will masks (seriously) and finding excuses to use the word 'bloody' a lot. Whether you're in the camp of "I want to be a princess!" or just bitching about how much you have to read about it, we've compiled our best brit-list to ensure you take something positive away from the day. Unless you're currently in England, in which case fuck off, you and your national holiday too.

So here it is, our royal-hooplah tribute playlist featuring all Brits all the time. A few even have some correlation to love or weddings too. We have day jobs guys. Step.


A la JG:

Jay Jay Pistola - Hooked Up On Us

Nancy Elizabeth - Feet of Courage

James Blake - Measurements

Jonquil - It Never Rains

The Vaccines - All In White

A la CM:

The Kinks - A Well Respected Man

Mumford & Sons - Awake My Soul

The Libertines - The Man Who Would Be King

The Animals - I'm In Love Again

Peggy Sue & The Pirates - Lover Gone

UPDATE: Joy Formidable

Hey New Yorkers, just got this email. Joy Formidable is playing Webster Hall tomorrow. If I wasnt going to be bbq'ing my booty off I would go, but alas... can someone go for me and report back? K thnx bye.

Everyone not in NYC. Keep on keepin' on hoes.

Buffalo - The Phoenix Foundation

The Phoenix Foundation - Buffalo from Nathan Hickey on Vimeo.

I actually first heard this song because someone made a stop motion wedding video to it and the good folks over at Design*Sponge, posted it. These guys have been around for awhile it seems, but seeing as they are from New Zealand, we have only just begun to get decent word about them here in the states. Their fourth and latest album Buffalo was released here in January and the title track is the second single off it.

I'm a sucker for a slow buildup of sound and videos that are magical and nonsensical and altogether gorgeous. Plus I could totes hold my breath longer than this kid. Double dare you not to get into this song.

check it out if you like: "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire 

if you like it, give a listen to: "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap

Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap by infectiousmusicuk

The Joy Formidable

Hey doodlebugs. This week is crazy as shit and I just don't have time to deal with you friggen needy music vultures. I JUST DONT OK. Here's a rad tune by a little band from North Whales called the Joy Formidable. I dont have time to be witty and deep so here is my review in a stream of consciousness type of style.

Billy Corgan, Courtney Love, Shirley Manson, 90's grunge, toured with Passion Pit and Temper Trap, doesnt sound like either, The Big Roar, real appropriate album name, Producer of Muse and Foo Fighters, loud and dirty, 3 piece, blonde hair, badass, mad bass, blurry/fuzzy noise, furious and joyful

oh dip.

The Joy Formidable - Whirring

The Joy Formidable - The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade

Crystal Stilts

wait, what?! how am i just finding out about these guys now? who can keep track these days? crystal castles, crystal stilts...a girl gets confused. i stumbled upon this little hidden gem of a band (well, apparently not so hidden to the rest of society), and i am a smitten kitten. the brooklyn clan recently released their 3 years in-the-making sophomore album, In Love With Oblivion, and it's got everything one could ask for: peppy keyboards, tambourine shakes and distinct, drowning vocals. think: 1960s psychedelic surfer pop beats.

if you like these dudes, check out: Beach Fossils and (re-visit) Joy Division.

put them on your: i think i want to try acid playlist

treat your ears to 'Shake The Shackles' below.

Playlist Friday's - Earth Day Mix

So, I don't know if you guys heard, but its EARTH day. Appreciate. Plant a tree. Recycle something. Breathe in the fresh air wherever you live and think of me as I breathe in bus fumes. Friday here at Doors is now officially fun theme playlist day. With the 'theme' varying to suit our mood and the songs being really just whatever we feel like throwing at you. Today in honor of sweet sweet mother earth, we have comprised some tunes that while not having anything to do with the actual earth, will definitely make you want to sit and ponder in a meadow, or like twirl on a mountain and sound of music your shit all over the place. TGIED. You'll get it eventually.

cm's picks

Calypso Gold - Princeton

Again and Again - The Narcoleptic Dancers

In Our Talons - Bowerbirds

Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds

Where Do The Children Play - Cat Stevens

jg's picks

A Good Place - Grizzly Bear

Ten Thousand Words - Avett Brothers

Saw You First - Givers

Whirring - The Joy Formidable

Don't Stop - The Dodos

The Antlers Do it Again

guys, i LOVE, LOVE the antlers. i listened to 'hospice' more than i care to admit (i.e. if my iPod could talk it would say, "cm, if you play epilogue one more damn time, i'm out. peace, loser.")

with their new album Burst Apart coming out may 10th, i googled that ish and got my hands on some new tracks. my first hit was 'parenthesis'...and i hated it. no, seriously, i mean hate. (insert boos and jeers) it felt too hard, unnatural and electro for me...BUT, i gave it another listen (or 30) and it has completely grown on me. you know, like when you get a hair cut and fight back tears of regret leaving the salon, but then a couple of washes later you're like, "dude, this looks great". yeah, like that. may i also highly recommend 'french exit' & 'every night my teeth are falling out' (which basically salvaged my initial opinion of the album).

If you like this, check out: James Blake, Local Natives, all other Antler albums

the band previewed Burst Apart at this year's SXSW. check out 'french exit' LIVE.

Francis and the Lights and some nutty legwork

A friend at work sent me this video awhile ago, with a direction to stay tuned for the fancy dance moves at the end. Man, are they fancy. But getting back to the band, the lead singers name is Francis Farewell Starlite, fo reals guys, his last name is effin STARLITE. How are you not hooked yet? No? Need more? How about he is buds with MGMT with whom he attended Wesleyan. Yep, he did that. He also toured with them... and Drake, and Ke$ha (weird?) and Kanye is a fan, he probably wrote about Francis in caps somewhere, but I digress. He's like a funky jello legged 80s pop star with 50's greaser hair and WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THAT. Happy Friday or whatever.

check him/them/him out if you like: Phil mother effing Collins. 

Building Pictures

there's something to be said about stripping music down to it's core. this dude is raw talent: an acoustic guitar and a voice that connects (think jarrod gorbel meets kind of like spitting). john gribbin, an irish native, delivers lyrics that speak to his listeners and say everything you wanted to say but didn't know how. did i just indirectly quote an oasis lyric?-yup, i did. mooooving on...i recommend putting this shit on your ipod and taking a long train ride on a rainy day to clear your head.

peep a track below. he's playing at pete's candy shop in brooklyn, tuesday, 4/26. check him out.

The Heavenly States

The Heavenly States, a band hailing from good 'ol San Fran just released a new EP called Oui Camera Oui on Tuesday, their first album with Hippies Are Dead Records. The name of the label is enough to make me love it, but also the free single "Model Son" they are giving away is great. Mostly because I like free shit, but also because its catchy, and recalls a combination of southern rock, folksy/blues, and some sort of rock n' roll Bob Seger feeling that I might not be identifying properly. Its been a long day, here's your comparison:

listen to it if you like: Spoon but its also getting a lot of Modest Mouse comparisons from critics, I don't see it personally but I'm sure you can decide that for yourselves
Pop it on your: BBQ playlist

The Heavenly States - Model Son by The Wounded Jukebox

If you only listen to one thing this week.... well youre an idiot.

Dog is Dead is an 'indie pop' band from Nottingham, self described as "Louis Armstrong lost in disco." I first heard them in the season finale of the lastest series of Skins UK. I guess a band who screams out "We are a mess, we are failures, and we love it!" really speaks to the motivated, self confident essences of youth today.... Right.

Anyway, disco Louis and Skin's loving failures aside, I am in love with this band. Despite all being in their early 20's (as far as I can tell) their sound is surprisingly unique and developed. They sometimes touch upon a bit of the rolling metronomic drum sound of Vampire Weekend (or Super Mario, whatever floats your boat), and their vocal harmonies seem influenced or at least awed by those of Mumford and Son's, who funny enough are supposed fans. Its fun, its quirky, its jazzy and infectious and stuck in my goddamn head like nobody's business. Plus, theres a pretty distinctive triangle in there. Who doesn't love a good triangle? These are summer-is-coming type of tunes, get ready.

listen if you like: Vampire Weekend, with some flair.

Dog Is Dead - Glockenspiel Song by charmfactory

Dog Is Dead - Motel by thisisfakediy

Dog is Dead - Young by HighVoltageMusic

Phone Home

Phone Home, a local NYC two-piece band consisting of brothers Michael & John Vallarelli, serve up whimsical keyboards & percussion with punches of serious excitement sprinkled throughout. After listening, my weird brain immediately thought to itself, "WHOA, this is totally what it would sound like if Jupiter met Earth"...you know, some sort of epic collision of worlds with monster highs and soft tempo lows. OK, judge me. I just can't get the whole E.T. thing out of my head.



Listen. Love it? Buy it. Hate it? This never happened.

phone home EP

You might also like: the books

Helplessness Blues, ya'll

Mark May 3rd on your calendar, folks! Fleet Foxes' highly anticipated sophomore album, 'Helplessness Blues', is set to release. Though commonly known for their pop-folk sound and vocal harmonizing, this album deviates from the upbeat melodies we have come to know and steers towards a more subtle and psychedelic experience for it's listeners.

Pros: This album provides a sense of enchantment and wonder, yet maintains the signature American-folk sound. In all seriousness, these 12 tracks make me want sit barefoot on a dock, in a far removed location and feel the sun glisten on my face (which will probably lead to a sunburn on my pasty NYC skin) and wind in my hair.

Cons: Many of their tracks are quite lengthy (in the "I'm impatient, when are the words going to come?" kind of way). My advice: enjoy the musical journey and heed the advice of a very wise, and very quotable young man named Ferris Bueller: "...if you don't stop and take a look around once in a while, you might miss it."

Recommended tracks: Lorelai, Battery Kinzie, Helplessness Blues (let's be real, I would list them all if I could)

Deciding if the Balkans are worth a listen

This name keeps popping up on the random music blogs I frequent, so I gave it a listen. While I do enjoy the first track I heard, "Troubled and Done", I can't decide from their other songs whether I want to become a fan or just go play that Strokes song on guitar hero. Influence or replicia? Yeah, I made a "Reptilia", reference. Bite me.

Below, some tracks from the Balkans, and one from The Strokes.

Balkans - Troubled and Done by gulsah turgut

Edita V Single by Balkans

The strokes - room on fire - reptilia by Atómica

File this under, "More Shit That Sound Like MGMT"

Afternoon Kids

I found out about The Naked and Famous through a random listen on Hype Machine many ions ago, but back then this blog didn't exist and so my love only went as far as earbud sharing. Their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You, came out September 2010 Aussie-side (we are so effing behind) and March 15 over here. The New Zealand band played SXSW this year apparently in hopes of 'introducing itself' to an American audience after it raged across New Zealand and Australia quicker than something really quick. This is of course assuming that their numerous plays on shows such as Chuck, Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl didn't help at all. Their single "Young Blood" has been getting a lot of play, and is probably the most catchy, but the mellow drumming and Zero 7 sounding vocals on their track "The Sun" makes me want to roadtrip, at sunset, doing the airplane thing out the window with my hand. That and the video for "Young Blood" below. Hope on before the bandwagon fills up.


The Sun // The Naked and Famous by Lucy vs. the Globe

The Head and The Heart

Following the mainstream explosion of folky types such as Mumford and Sons and the Avett Brothers comes Seattle's The Head and The Heart. I figured since all New York wants to do is rain lately, a Seattle band is totally appropriate. Listen now kids, because before you know it these guys will go from playing little intimate shows with you in the front row, to being on the Grammy's and dating fucking Carey Mulligan..... Hmmmm.

Anyway here's a vid for "Rivers and Roads", it aches, its lovely, they're in a tunnel. What more do you want from me on a wednesday?

also please go buy their album (which did I mention is out today?!),
theres two free downloads on their site as well. 

Sub Pop/ The Head and The Heart

Listen if you like: Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers
You might also like: Johnny Flynn

New Bon Iver FINALLY

FINALLY, that bastard that stole my heart and plucked it's strings with For Emma, Forever Ago, has put aside his various celeb collaborations (ahem: I'm talking about you Kanye. If you can tell me which part of "Monster" is Bon Iver I'll give you a million monopoly dollars) and will release a self titled sophomore album on June 21st. Read more and dig the tracklist and a preview on pitchfork.

badabing.

Bon Iver Announces New Album


and For Emma, just to make you feel magically contemplative.

Bon Iver - For Emma by donknox

Junip aka Things I'm Way Behind On.

I don't know about any of you kids, but i'm getting preeeeettty sick of this weather. April's definitely having some sort of identity crisis and trying to pretend like its February, and I have no patience for identity crisis, unless of course you are that cute kid from Glee, or the mom from United States of Tara or like anyone who isnt the month of April.

ANYWHO. Apparently José González who pretty much wrote the playlist for April showers (Bon Iver has the also confused January), released an EP with Swedish Band Junip (featuring two other people i've never heard of) and then after 5 years off (unless wikipedia's doing the thing where it lies to me) released Fields. Which brings us to this, a verbose introduction to a remix of their song "In Every Direction". Which will totally prepare you for the floods about to crush our beautiful SPRING mother-effin weekend.

listen to it if you like: José González (I mean seriously guys? Just listen to it)

Junip - In Every Direction (Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Remix) by Mute UK

GROUPLOVE

Grouplove

       I recently had the pleasure of seeing Grouplove open for LA band Foster the People at Mercury Lounge in NYC. I was very pleasantly surprised and also a little salty that I hadn't heard of them before.


Grouplove's 5 members looked like all of them belonged in a different musical genre and their sound was a testament to such. They couldn't quite decide whether they wanted to give us an ode to the Smashing Pumkin's Billy Corgan, a Surfer Blood-esque beachy love letter or a combination of them all. The result was reckless and fun, a sound of the sort of youth that even us whipper-snappers in our late 20's have lost a grip on... the fun you have before things like shitty overdue bills and anxiety about your stagnant job.


It reminded me of soundtrack music to be played at some epic movie-house-party I'll never get to go to. You know, the one in the backyard of some house on the beach, where everyone is lounging around smoking pot and reveling in just not giving a shit. Keep an eye out kiddo's, I have a feeling they will do nothing but grow into themselves. If we could all be so lucky.

Naked Kids

Check them out if you like: Weezer

and read on for our Foster the People review...

Foster the People at Mercury Lounge

A few weeks ago I fell deeply in love with Foster the People's EP. The kind of love that makes you hate yourself because you listened to one song on repeat until your eyeballs rolled back into your skull and all your words came out in song. So, before I went to see them last Friday at Mercury Lounge, I had the pre-concert panic that the world of auto-tune and synthesizers would prove Foster to be just another shitty band with a really good production team behind them. The horror!


Thankfully for us, the rest of their tour stops, and the lucky bitches at Coachella this year, that couldn't be further from the truth. Their amazing energy transferred perfectly through the small setting at Mercury, one of those shows where you couldn't help but awkwardly bounce around your 11 inches of floor space. Equally entrancing, the boys penchant for trading instruments, including a few songs where they featured 2 drummers (one standing and focusing on the symbol). As you stood in the crowd and watched lead singer Mark Foster do the everyman-shoulder-dance you really just couldn't help but love them.  

check them out if you like: The idea of MGMT and Passion Pit 
having a love child

if you like them check out: Temper Trap, the band behind the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack killer "Sweet Disposition" and a band you will quickly discover, is my fucking favorite.

Foster The People - Helena Beat by The Clink