Song of the Day

**12/28/10
Sam Tsui - Firework & Grenade Mashup (Explosion Medley)
----------------I love Youtube sensations, mostly because of the artistic license to call your mashup an "exposion medley." Rightfully titled, because Sam Tsui performs beautifully on piano and knocks out the radio hits with a voice that puts up a great fight with Bruno Mars.

  Sam Tsui are two crooners on Youtube named Sam and Kurt. They're on iTunes, but their mashups and covers gain the most attention from over 500,000 + subscribers. Check their page out after hearing this song of the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_IWRuryzaY

Song of the Day

12/27/10
Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On
-----------------2011 is quickly approaching, which means the chance to create a mix worthy of a champagne toast at midnight (or at least a shot). Superstars will definitely feel the warm welcome of a new year with Lupe Fiasco's "The Show Goes On." Sampling the Modest Mouse hit "Float On," Fiasco has pulled off a perfect combination of indie rock and hip-hop that makes a solid radio replay. The set release date for Fiasco's new album Lasers is March 8, 2011.

http://lostinthesound.com/news/396-lupe-fiasco-releases-new-music-video.html

Song of the Day

**12/26/10
Girls - Carolina

---------------------The tropics on acid? Pretty much, and you don't even have to get sandy bottoms to hear it. Girls "Carolina" is dreamy noise with a few stark grinds and haults here and there. There's not a better compliment to the likes of Beach House and other whimsical, Sonic Youth meets the surf music than Girls new EP Broken Dreams Club.

  In the midst of blizzards and the aftermath of Christmas, all you want to do is find some warm weather and a cool drink for New Years on some deserted island, how about southern Carolina? Girls will never let you go from there.

http://www.truepanther.com/#/artists/girls

Seven Songs for Christmas

Seven Songs for Christmas Day

1. Straight No Chaser - Let It Snow
--------A little more funk and doo-wop in this rendition.

2. Mariah Carey - When Christmas Comes
--------It's not the overdone "All I Want for Christmas is You." This song off her new holiday album is romantic mistletoe R&B.

3. Kelly Rowland - Wonderful Christmas Time
---------Suited for those twenty-somethings who can't live without a phat beat during the holidays.

4.  Michael Buble - Let it Snow! 
---------Classic swing done by the crooning heartbreaker of today.

5. Relient K - Sleigh Ride
----------This will always be a must-have on my mixes - it truly rocks around the Christmas tree.

6. Maroon 5 - Happy Christmas (War is Over)
----------No kids choir, no crazy build ups. This stripped down, piano solo is enough to give you chills. Adam Levine will make this John Lennon ballad your new favorite.

7. Stephen Colbert - Another Christmas Song
----------For the politically incorrect.

Song of the Day

**12/24/10
Gagalicious Cheer.

Merry Christmas!

Top Tips for a Party Mix

Hey everyone,

  So whether you're attending a Christmas party this season or throwing one yourself, chances are the music will make or break the bash.

  If you're in charge of the music, here are a few recommendations of albums to include and the overall mood of the mix.

1. Keep it Cheerful
-----------Most Christmas carols are, so this is a pretty easy tip to follow. Avoid "missing you on Christmas" songs and lumbering church hymns.

2. Combine Old and New
----------- Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Vince Guaraldi (Charlie Brown Christmas) throw a lot of vintage jazz and big band into an otherwise traditional mix. For new stuff, the Glee Xmas album is great and your dose of diva can come from Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas II You. 


3. Shuffle the Playlist
------------ Ten Christmas songs by the same artist gets old very quickly. Set your ipod to "Shuffle Songs" in the Settings on your ipod. That way if your mix is longer than the party (usually happens), a bigger variety of songs can be heard in a shorter amount of time.


  Good luck, and happy holidays!

Song of the Day

Niki and the Dove - Mother Protect
----------------Somehow the posting has been slow but the Tweeting hasn't slowed down. Hey, sometimes its easier to just let you know what I'm listening to with an artist and song title, rather than a description. But that's what this blog is all about, and I owe it to you all.

  Niki and the Dove is featured on Nylon Magazine's website as an artist under the radar. She's a confident lioness in the jungle of female singers (what'd you think of that metaphor? Lame? Meh). Niki and the Dove have a new-world electronica aesthetic that sounds less like M.I.A. and more Florence and the Machine on holiday. Niki and the Dove's Swedish gothic-pop music is definitely something to hear, and you can for free on NylonMag.com.

http://www.myspace.com/nikiandthedove

Free Download on NylonMag

Performance of the Week: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at Vh1 Divas Salute the Troops

Images Courtesy NYDN Photos

 -------------If you watched Vh1 Divas Salute the Troops on Sunday night, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry and Keri Hilson made over-the-top performances that fit their superstar personas. Good for them, but there was one other diva who stopped the show without parachutes and back-up dancers.

   Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. The New York Daily News called it a "hair-raising" performance. In a good way, of course, considering now they've topped The Beatles on the Itunes Rock Charts. No big deal.

  And following their performance they got so many hits on their website that it crashed. Also, no big deal.

  Watch It Here

  If you have only a few minutes, take a look at Grace's duet with Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart singing "Crazy on You."