lack of sleep/excess of homework + sounds of summer: royksopp

i'm in a terrible mood today.

my room is right underneath my upstairs neighbors' kitchen and for the last week, i've been woken up at around 4:30-5:00am every morning by the sounds of someone stomping around upstairs.

it happened again this morning.

luckily, after about an hour, the elephant who lives upstairs left the kitchen and i was able to sleep again.

but i woke up an hour later.

and then a half hour after that.

and then another hour after that.

and so on and so forth until 10:45am.

i have a major headache and a spanish test to take today [which i am a little nervous about] so, all in all, i'm a little grumpy.

as we all know, the cure for grumpiness is good music.

enter royksopp.

my brother introduced these norwegian dudes to me last summer and love their electro-pop sound and dance club vibe.

it's impossible to listen to the opening track, "happy up here," and not have a smile on your face.

in fact, after listening to that very song, my grumpy mood is now 35% subsided!

it's a christmas miracle!

listen to this album on your next summer morning run or while getting ready for a girls night out!

favorite tracks:

happy up here

the girl and the robot

vision one

miss it so much

sounds of summer: best coast

best album cover art ever.

this has been my walking around rexburg soundtrack.

it's perfect for sunny and warm days like today.

this album, "crazy for you" by best coast has themes of secret crushes, unrequited love, and the glory of summer.

it also has a poppy, surf rock-y and even at times motown-y feel to it.

listen to it the next time you find yourself doodling your first name plus his last name all over your diary.

favorite tracks:

boyfriend

crazy for you

summer mood

our deal

happy

summer sounds: beach boys' party!

it just wouldn't be summer without them.

last year i posted about pet sounds, my absolute favorite album of all time, but this year i'm posting about a live recording of the beach boys called "beach boys' party!"

it's pretty self-explanatory.

but it's pretty dang awesome, too.

this record is so upbeat and fun and makes you feel like you're just hanging out in a recording studio with the boys singing songs together, goofing off, and laughing.

so, basically, put this record on, close your eyes, and you're in heaven.

fun fact: the recording of "barbara ann" that we all know and love came from this very album!

so, imagine "barbara ann" times ten and you've got this charming and fun record.

anyway, buy it/check it out from the orem library/borrow it from a friend and let the party of the century begin!

track listing [because they're all my favorite]:

-hully gully

-i should have known better

-tell me why

-papa-oom-mow-mow

-mountain of love

-you've got to hide your love away

-devoted to you

-alley-oop

-there's no other (like my baby)

-medley: i get around/little deuce coupe

-the times they are a-changin

-barbara ann

sounds of summer: jenny and johnny

i'm having fun now // jenny and johnny

[doesn't that album cover just scream summer?]

jenny and johnny is comprised of jenny lewis [of rilo kiley] and her boyfriend johnathan rice.

i first heard of the duo back in september, but didn't buy their debut album, i'm having fun now, until the day before thanksgiving break. i listened to it in its entirety as i packed up all my stuff for my week-long vacation and even though it was november, the catchy melodies and fun beats made me feel like i was packing for a fun beach trip.

all in all, this just a fun record!

i highly recommend playing this album at your next barbecue, in the car with the windows rolled down, or on your ipod as you take a stroll around town.

favorite tracks:

-big wave

-my pet snakes

-just like zeus

-scissor runner

-committed

ps: the heat came on this morning. it is june 17th. ENOUGH WITH THE COLD ALREADY, REXBURG! LET'S GET SOME SUNSHINE AND WARMTH GOING!

sounds of summer: sixth installment

i might be a tiny bit biased because i just saw mates of state live, but this is one of my favorite summer soundtracks because it was introduced to me by my sister-in-law, eva, while i was hanging out with her in columbus a couple summers ago.

every song grabbed me and it was pretty much the only album i listened to for the rest of the summer. it's fun, upbeat, and super pleasant to listen to.

now when i listen to it, it reminds me of all the fun things eva and i got to do in c-bus and it makes me love the album even more.

give it a listen.

or ten listens.

favorite tracks:

"get better"

"now"

"my only offer"

"the re-arranger"

"blue and gold print"

sounds of summer: fifth installment

i have found that there isn't a single song in my music library that doesn't remind me of something or someone or some time.

for instance, whenever i hear tom petty's song "it'll all work out", i immediately think of winter semester of 2008 [or as i like to refer to it, the semester from hell]. sometimes listening to that song was the only thing that held me together.

but whenever i listen to this album from jens lekman, i think of last summer. it was the best summer of my life. memories of bike rides, snow cones, long car rides all over madison county, playing at the spray park, burritos at ramires play through my mind like a filmstrip and it makes me smile.

but enough about me.

this album is a story about first kisses, lost loves, heartbreak, and friendship.

that alone screams summer to me.

but it's the instrumentation and arrangement that really make it stand out to me as the perfect summer soundtrack. ukuleles, harps, pianos, guitars, and a wide variety of percussion along with a latin, caribbean, and 1960s influence make it an interesting and unique sound that is a joy to listen to.

listen to it during a picnic in the park with good friends.

i guarantee it'll make you want to dress like you're stuck in the 1960s and eat ice cream and go on a long bike ride.

isn't that what summer's all about?

favorite tracks:

"sipping on the sweet nectar"

"the opposite of hallelujah"

"a postcard to nina"

"i'm leaving you because i don't love you"

"your arms around me"

"shirin"

"kanske ar jag kar i dig"

sounds of summer: fourth installment

i was introduced to yelle by my niece. she was doing a jazz routine to "je veux te voir" for her dance recital and i fell in love with the song.

but it wasn't until about two days ago that i knew who sang it.

i found a copy of her album "pop-ups" at the library and loved every single track.

it's french electro-pop at its finest and has kind of an 80s feel to it.

it's the perfect getting-ready-to-go-out/driving-around-town-in-a-convertible-with-the-top-down-with-your-girlfriends album.

every track is pleasantly upbeat and danceable.

and that, my friends, is what summer music is all about.

favorite tracks:

"ce jeu"

"tu es beau"

"je veux te voir"

sounds of summer: third installment

anyone who knows me know that i adore the beach boys.

they played a significant role in my childhood. i used to turn on the stereo in the living room and wait and wait and wait for "kokomo" to come on. i remember hearing "surfer girl" in the car when we were living in oklahoma and thinking it was the most beautiful and romantic song i had ever heard.

it just simply isn't summer without the beach boys.

although all of their albums are fantastic and the perfect soundtracks of summertime, i had to pick pet sounds for this week's installment.

it is, without a doubt, my very favorite beach boys album.

all i have to hear is the intro to "wouldn't it be nice" and a big smile will appear on my face. this album is full of perfect harmonies, captivating and surprising melodies, and the usual summer feel the beach boys are known for.

it's the perfect summer night driving with the windows down album.

if you've never heard the album all the way through, then you are really missing out.

don't even bother checking it out from the library or borrowing it from a friend.

go to your local record store and buy it.

my favorite tracks:

"you still believe in me"

"sloop john b"

"god only knows"

"i just wasn't made for these times"

"caroline, no"

sounds of summer: second installment

if i were to take a spontaneous road trip to california, i think my playlist would consist mostly of the beach boys and vampire weekend's most recent album contra.

it's the perfect beach soundtrack.

with its infectious melodies and toe-tapping beats, it epitomizes all the fun and madness that summer brings.

here's my favorite track.

give it a listen.

if it doesn't make you want to hop in your car and head to the nearest beach, i don't know what will.

first installment here.

sounds of summer: first installment

i first heard of the band little joy from my first viewing of whip it.

you know the part where bliss is at that party and she goes upstairs and puts on a record and this song plays?

i knew, from that very moment, that i had been introduced to something very special.

fabrizio moretti [of the strokes fame], rodrigo amarante, and binki shapiro's old-timey style, warm sound, lush vocals, and latin influence make this album a dreamy, lay-in-a-hammock-for-hours soundtrack for summer.

check it out.

i dare you to not like it.