Have you ever noticed just how many songs there are about giving someone a ring on the ol' telephone? Because there are a lot. And we like 'em all -- from payphones to drunk dials and every one in between.
This week's playlist is dedicated to Kristen's fallen friend/phone, who served her well for the better part of two years. Rest in peace, iPhone 4.
remind us again why there aren't phonebooths anymore? (via)
"Call on Me" - Eric Prydz "Telephone" - Lady Gaga (feat. Beyonce) "One Call Away" - Chingy "Drinkin' and Dialin'" - Darius Rucker "867-5309 (Jenny I Got Your Number)" - Tommy Tutone "The Call" - The Backstreet Boys "Ricky Don’t Lose That Number" - Steely Dan "Payphone" - Maroon 5 & Wiz Khalifa "Yellow Pages" - Ed Sheeran "Call Me Up" - The Magic
The other day, I heard Howie Day's "Collide" on the radio and I was immediately transported back to the angst of high school. It was kind of fitting, too, that I was driving pretty near where my high school...
On a tangential note, who goes by Howie when they're, as Wikipedia informs me, 31 years old? Just saying.
Don't kid yourself. Your heart stopped a little bit when Anna Kendrick performed "You're Gonna Miss Me" in last summer's vomit-inducing comedy Pitch Perfect. Anyone that plays the cup game in post-Lunchables life is an All Star. Since the film, Anna continues to perform this song live and it even received it's own radio version (that sounds like it was remixed by Imagine Dragons...) and music video. But, we wanted to share these two OTHER versions of the song that are less commercial and just as cup-centric.
First up, the original jam by Lulu and the Lampshades:
AND our favorite kiddos over at PS22 Chorus recently did a cover of this song and it's just as wonderful as you would anticipate.
Now, please excuse me while I take over the break room and teach my co-workers how to play.
TIOJ had a chance to catch up with our latest pop favorite, Charli XCX. Read on as we chat with her about love, growing up in the British rave scene, and performing “I Love It” with Icona Pop. Listen while you read:
Tell us about yourself! Where are you from and how long you’ve been making music.
I’m from London. I’m a pop singer and I’ve been making music since I was 14. I started playing these raves and traveling up to London when I was 14 or 15 years old, and I got interested in the pop world and London while I was playing these shows and parties. Everything rolled on from there, really.
How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?
I’d describe it as definitely pop music -- but pop music with a twist. I describe it as “purple pop.” I think I see my songs as being the color purple just because they’re emotional and rich and luscious.
As females, we empathize a lot with your music. Can you tell us about your writing process and where you find inspiration for your songs?
With this record, I was really just focusing on my experiences with love, I suppose, and everything that has happened during to me during love. I feel like I’ve really grown up through the process of writing this record. One of the songs on there, I wrote when I was 15 and, then most of it, I wrote when I was 18, 19, 20. I feel like you change a lot as a person during that time period, and you have all different types of experiences of love -- whether that be first relationship, first break up, or first time you think you’re really truly in love. I feel like I was just drawing inspiration from what I thought love was and I’ve definitely fallen in love during the process of writing this album.
I think that romance is only true when there’s two sides of it -- when there are the times when you are on top of the world and you sparkle like you’re living in this state of ecstasy and you’re so happy, but then there’s also the side where you’re feeling really dark and depressed and you’re crying and alone. I think romance is only true when you have both sides of that.
Last Thursday we hit U Hall for the quintessential All Things Gold lineup of three great up-and-coming indie electro pop rock bands in preparation for Saturday's Sweetlife Festival.
Rhode Island five-piece Magic Man started things off with a fun set, as they completely lived up to the recent hype they've been receiving (especially since it was just announced that they'll be supporting Walk The Moon's upcoming tour). We dug their song "Texas" that's wonderfully reminiscent of The Killers.
Sir Sly was up next, and while we knew some their songs, we had yet to get a real sense of what the band's sound was and how it would be executed live. The band quickly put all of our doubts of their cohesiveness aside with an energetic set made memorable by the lead singer's distinctive voice and the heartfelt rocking of the entire band that was much more apparent in a live setting.
Full disclosure, we also may have been rather biased toward liking the band due to lead singer's resemblance to New Girl'sNick Miller.
Brooklyn band MS MR ended the night. Lead singer Lizzy Plapinger has stated in interviews that she doesn't really consider herself a singer. However, she proved that she not only has the chops for the job but she also has the on-stage persona that makes you truly appreciate her music -- while also making you want to invite her to brunch and discuss where one shops for crop tops. (But seriously girl, where did you get your shirt? We want.)
The crowd was clearly excited to hear MS MR's set and showed their adoration during their hit "Fantasy" and while also singing an impromptu "Happy Birthday" to Lizzy.
All in all, it was a great night and was a great consolotion for not being able to hit up Sweetlife this year.
Next Up: Jessica Pratt and Father John Misty at 9:30 Club!
This mashup album from DJs Jaymee Franchina & Jeremy Smith really needs no introduction. You just need to know that it mashes up The Notorious B.I.G. with the beats of Australian musician Flume (who's already a winner in my book thanks to this jam featuring my crush Chet Faker).
Happy Mother's Day! A special thanks to our moms for being so loving and supportive and always answering their phones to give us solicited cooking and medical advice and unsolicited, but not unappreciated, boy advice. You ladies are our jam.
To celebrate this special day, check out our Mother's Day playlist and watch children talk about their moms in this adorable video from Small Fry.
SweetGreen's Sweetlife Festival is tomorrow at Merriweather Post Pavilion, which means one thing: it is undeniably and officially (east coast) festival season!
If you're headed up to MPP tomorrow, you can't really go wrong -- you'll catch so many great acts. We'd be particularly excited about Phoenix and Lindsey Stirling. And don't forget to check out the Treehouse -- SO many TIOJ faves will be there (HAERTS, MS MR, and so many more!)!
We'd also just like to throw out that it is thanks to Sweetlife that we discovered Walk the Moon (and we owe SweetGreen a thousand thank yous and salad toppings for that) -- so who knows! You may end up finding your new favorite band tomorrow. Let us know who it is.
It's a very special day in the TIOJ offices, friends. As of today, This Is Our Jam is officially two years old!! As you know, TIOJ takes birthdays very seriously (really, we celebrated our first blogiversary for an entire week, as we are wont to do). This year, we decided to recount some of our favorite jams and the favorite things we've done this past year.
"Tete-a-Tete"- Walk the Moon "Big Parade" - The Lumineers "Cutty Love" - Milo Greene "Mountain Sound" - Of Monsters and Men "Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey" - John Mayer "I Got" - Young the Giant "Take a Walk" - Passion Pit "Only Love" - Ben Howard "Seeds" - Hey Rosetta! "Favorite Song" - Chance the Rapper and Childish Gambino
We've said it before and we'll say it again: thanks for indulging us for the last two years. We've loved every minute of it, and we can't wait to keep the jams coming for you in our third year (fingers crossed we don't have the terrible twos...).
