Summer Music: Get Downloading!

Clearly, I have not been very good at maintaining a blog since starting graduate school, but I recently discovered (and rediscovered) a couple bands that I really need to share with you. Most of these finds have been through NoiseTrade, which has been my primary source of new music discoveries in the last few years.

1. Jordan Ruiz
(FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD HERE)
If you are remotely interested in bands like Bon Iver, Iron and Wine, or Josh Garrels, then you should DEFINITELY check out Jordan Ruiz. His music is beautiful, smooth, and calming without being boring - which in my opinion, is difficult to achieve. His new album, The Mountain, is a wonderful soundtrack to life: road trips, studying, reading a book, or just relaxing with friends. I highly encourage you download it today.

Be sure to check out his first album, Sundial Heart, which is available for free download as well!

2. Nickel Creek
(band website)
Sadly, this album is not free, but that's probably because it's selling like hotcakes without any extra publicity. Nickel Creek is an amazing Grammy-winning folk band that took a seven-year hiatus and finally came back into the scene in April. Their newest album, A Dotted Line, is upbeat, whimsical, and ironic all at once. Check out two of my favorite songs on this album below. And, go buy A Dotted Line!

3. Twin Forks
(FREE ALBUM DOWNLOAD HERE)
Remember Dashboard Confessional? Of course you do. 

Well, the former lead singer of Dashboard Confessional has started a new band called Twin Forks. It has a folky, newgrass flare which is intertwined with a voice that will flood you with memories of breakups and power ballads (or maybe that's just me...). It took me a few listens to get used to, but I like it now, and I think it makes great summer driving music. Go ahead, download! It's free, what do you have to lose?

I hope you enjoy my music suggestions! Until next time, blogosphere.

H

The Civil War[s]

If by some strange chance, you haven't heard of The Civil Wars, consider this your introduction. Maybe if you used to (or still do) listen to CCM, you are familiar with Joy Williams who represents half this band, but if you want to hear something with that same sound, this band is not for you.

In case you don't know, this pair has been feuding and the two haven't spoken in over a year...yet, they were still able to record this new album (oh, the wonders of technology). Anyway, if you're not familiar with The Civil Wars, you should go look up their first album, "Barton Hollow," because it's amazing. They were not fighting at that time, and their vocal chemistry is pretty awesome. I haven't listened to their new album in entirety yet, but what I've heard so far can be summed up by this review on iTunes: 

"...run through with riveting tension, enigmatic beauty, and smoldering emotion." 

Sounds like the perfect soundtrack for this transition to the dark, cold winter that approaches us. :)

Enjoy.
H

New Music Friday: Track 4

I have some new jams for you. I just discovered this artist recently by downloading his free music on NoiseTrade (which I am promoting for the thousandth time...). It looks like his EP is still free, so you should definitely go check him out! His name is James Bay and he's from the UK. He has a beautiful, earthy voice that makes me feel all gooey inside. ;) Do I really need to say more?

Happy Friday!
H

Keep your eyes wide open...for Gotye.

Okay, I realize I might just be very late to the party here, but does everyone already know about Gotye? I mean ASIDE from Somebody That I Used To Know? To be honest, I completely wrote him off as a one-hit-wonder with that single, but I have recently listened to his other music and it is awesome! I was shocked. It's a pretty unique sound, and occasionally I feel like I'm listening to a modern version of The Police. I don't know about you, but I like The Police, so I consider that to be a positive thing. :)

His music videos are quite artistic and entertaining, so I highly suggest checking them out. Also, if you're not too stingy and actually still buy music, I would encourage you to pick up his album Making Mirrors. It's definitely worth the purchase. Highlights from that album are the songs: Easy Way Out, Eyes Wide Open, and Save Me.

Have a great weekend.
H

I don't know what you're doing, but I know who you are.

Since blogging takes energy and I don't seem to have any right now, I will instead share this video by one of my very favorite artists: JJ Heller. This woman knows how to write about real life. Grief, pain, joy, love, guilt, anxiety - she pretty much covers it all. Whenever I am struggling and can't find the words to express my feelings, I can always find a JJ Heller song that says it perfectly. Her vulnerability and transparency is inspiring. What I wouldn't give to sit down and have a cup of coffee with her...

On a side note, please don't conclude from me posting this video that I am depressed right now. I'm actually doing pretty well. I just stumbled upon this video today, remembered how much I LOVE this song, and decided it needed to be shared. Maybe it will speak to one of you!

Love,
H

For Your 'Big Day'

I want to take a minute to give a shout-out to my friend Bryan. If anyone is looking for a wedding videographer or DJ, you should go check out his website today. He does videography for more than just weddings - he also films commercials, music videos, and just about any other event you might want to catch on camera. I know quite a few people who have hired him to DJ their weddings, and I can honestly say he comes highly recommended. 

As I was looking through his website, I saw one wedding video in particular that I loved. First, because it reminded me a LOT of my own wedding day, and second, because it made me tear up! Go ahead and take a look, and if you like what you see, check out more videos on his website. :)

H

Sweet, Sweet Sound

New band alert!

The band is called Lily & Madeleine, and it's comprised of two teenage sisters (15 and 18, respectively) from Indianapolis. I just discovered them a couple hours ago, thanks to a newsletter from Asthmatic Kitty Records (label of Sufjan Stevens). I am in musical love. They posted their first YouTube video 3 months ago, and it already has over 250,000 hits. And that's about all I can tell you!

Check them out for yourself. :)

H

Enjoying Life [On A Budget]

Being the fairly frugal couple that we are, I thought it would be fun to share some tips from the Zook Nook on how to save money and still enjoy life. Some of these tips are aimed at newlywed couples, but not all of them. I don't claim that any of this is groundbreaking advice, but you may learn something new!

1. Chipotle: To make your money stretch further, split a burrito bowl between two people. To do this, ask for extra rice (you must ask very sweetly and maybe even wink - my husband does this well) and they will give you bigger portions of all the toppings, making the bowl larger. You can even ask for a tortilla on the side, and then have one person scoop half the toppings into the tortilla. This gives you the feeling that you are eating a normal burrito, except it's a much healthier portion size for each person. Plus, it's delicious!

1B. Around Christmas and Graduation time (in May), Chipotle offers a deal where you can buy a $30 gift card and get a free burrito at your next visit. We take great advantage of this and buy one gift card every time we go during this time period. That way, we get a free burrito bowl each visit, AND we are stocked up with Chipotle gift cards for the rest of the year. We rarely pay actual money for Chipotle.

2. Netflix: This may seem obvious to most of you, but using Netflix Instant instead of paying for cable TV saves a TON of money! Since getting married, we have never had cable, and yet we watch TV all the time. We pay $7.99/month for all the TV we could possibly need. Plus, we have been exposed to shows like 30 Rock, Parks & Recreation, Friday Night Lights, Jericho, Lie To Me, The West Wing, Bones, etc.

2B. For free movies, we use the...library! Again, this may seem obvious, but you can order pretty much any movie from your local public library, and it will eventually get in your DVD player for FREE. Does this sound familiar to anyone *cough*Netflix*cough*? Boom, save $7.99 additional dollars each month.

3. 2-in-1 Shampoo: I don't think I need to expand much on this topic. Buying 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner saves money, time, and space in your shower. Garnier Fructis has a good 2-in-1 product.

4. Generic Products: Consider buying off-brand products. Of course, you can always do this with food at the grocery store, but in my opinion, there can be a significant drop in food quality with certain brands. What I am referring to here is generic brands of medications, vitamins, paper goods (but not toilet paper), hand soap, etc.
*Did you know that Equate brand "Tums" are WAY better than any other brand?

5. Noisetrade: Free music, people! Subscribe to their weekly emails, and you will enjoy the benefits of getting free downloads of new bands, old bands you didn't know, and bands you already love. I found most of my current favorite bands on Noisetrade. Seriously, who needs iTunes when you have Noisetrade and YouTube?

6. Thrift Shops: Again, super obvious, but if you look hard enough, you can find art, picture frames, and cool decorations for your house at thrift shops. I will have to add Craigslist to this category as well. If you don't know about that (are there people who don't?), you are missing out.

Speaking of thrift shops, let's take a break for this gem. Don't worry, it's the clean one.

7. Public Transportation: I know your options for this may vary based on where you live, but most cities have a decent public transit network that may reach farther than you think. All you suburbanites out there, you should look into your nearest bus/train stop at home and work and check to see if the route saves you any time/money. I took the bus to work last winter, and it made me a much happier person!

Okay, I don't want this list to get obnoxiously long so I think I will stop here. Maybe you learned something, and maybe you just got to jam out to "Thrift Shop." Either way, thanks for reading my blog! :)

H

New Music Friday

I just found a new band (founded in 2009, so I guess they're not technically "new") and felt like sharing this video with you. I don't really have much else to say, except HAPPY FRIDAY!

The band is The Head and the Heart and the song is "Lost In My Mind."

Lawdy: The Vespers

As previously mentioned, I've gotten into the band The Vespers lately. They released this video a few months ago, and I wasn't sure at first how I felt about it. Now, after listening a few times, I've decided I really like the song and it is worth sharing.

Enjoy.

Kate McGill, A Hidden British Gem

I want to introduce you to Kate McGill. She's the master of acoustic cover songs, and an adorable quirky British girl that everyone secretly wishes was their best friend. I first discovered her on YouTube while looking up Mumford & Sons' song "White Blank Page" (click here to watch that video), and I've been hooked on her ever since.

She released her debut album last year, and she's been touring the UK to promote it. Unfortunately, she has yet to come to the US on tour, but if/when she does, I am willing to drive 6+ hours to see her. She's hilarious (https://twitter.com/katem3 - but remember, she's British, so don't be offended by her use of swears), and I bet she's really entertaining to see live.

Below is an official music video for a song off her first album (I believe she's currently working on her second) - called "Cursed." Listen, watch, and enjoy!

And here are some of her best covers (in my opinion):

Too Close by Alex Clare
The Only Exception by Paramore (collaboration)
Holocene by Bon Iver
Payphone by Maroon 5
I Can't Make You Love Me by Bon Iver/Bonnie Raitt

But I'm Better Now

I just discovered something wonderful, and I'm so excited about it that I need to write this down before I forget! "It" is the song Better Now by a band called The Vespers. I downloaded their album for free a few weeks ago on Noisetrade* but I am just now getting a chance to listen to it. When you hear this song, you will almost immediately think of Nickel Creek (another wonderful band), get warm fuzzies, and then smile, knowing there exists another band that is rocking this sound. If you're not familiar with either of the bands I just mentioned, I will describe them like this: folk, soulful [female] vocals, banjo, acoustic, worship. Honestly, what could be better?

Warning: if you actually watch the music video and listen to the lyrics, you might get a little teary-eyed (like I just did).

Oh but I'm better now
Why do you shake your head no
Oh and I met a man
Oh and he saved my soul

*To download their free album for yourself, click here: http://noisetrade.com/vespers.

City and Colour

Lately I've become somewhat of an obsessive YouTuber. Not the kind of YouTuber that watches videos about British children biting their siblings, or kids going to the dentist, or worst of all: kittens. Rather, I've realized that I greatly enjoy watching music videos and discovering new artists online - and apparently YouTube is the new VH1.

My method is this: listen to Pandora at work, hear a new song that I like, look it up on YouTube, become a little obsessed, and find a new favorite artist! It's quite a fun hobby. :) 

A recent new find is the artist called City and Colour. The band consists of a guy from Canada (Dallas Green) who writes and performs the music. Here's his website: http://www.cityandcolour.ca/. I don't know a whole lot more about his personal life, but I am totally digging his sound. I think he sounds like a folky, more whimsical Iron & Wine. And honestly, I tend to get a little bored with Iron & Wine, so this is a refreshing change. Check it out.

Come on, Canada, share the love!

H