The One About Music

One of the least favorite questions I like being asked is, "What kind of music do you like to listen to?" It's really difficult for me to quantify my taste in music. I like music that speaks to me in the moment. I like listening to music that either matches the way I feel, or that makes me feel something, and that can been anything from Ben Folds to Sara Bareilles to Drake to a concerto by Bach. Over the past few years I've come to realize that I gravitate towards singer-songwriter stuff, because, despite how hipster it sounds, I love finding something that the world hasn't discovered yet; something full of raw emotion and brimming over with heart, and more often than not that's the genre where you'll find it.

When I was younger, I loved poring over song lyrics inside of CD covers and finding words that spoke to me. The leaps and bounds of growth in the way we listen to our music over the years and the introduction of iTunes made it even easier for me to find new music, and I would spend hours searching playlists and genres  like a game of hide and seek that I was usually fortunate enough to win. I'm not sure what happened, or when it stopped, but I haven't done this for years. I guess I just grew up and got busy with all the distractions of adulthood - jobs, responsibilities, and everything in-between. Recently, though, I've stumbled across a plethora of incredibly lovely music in places that I wouldn't have expected to find it, and it's re-awakened that old desire in me to search and discover. So that's what I did.

I wanted to share some of my favorite discoveries with you, because they're just so fun I couldn't keep them to myself. So, grab a pair of headphones and a cup of coffee, sit back, and have a listen. I promise you won't regret it. (A lot of these won't play here on Blogger, but just click the link to take you to YouTube and you can watch them there!)

So You Think You Can Dance Hits
Heard these two on SYTYCD over the summer and had to download them. Love listening to Gold Rush by Clinton Sparks ft. 2 Chainz, Macklemore & D.A. during my workouts, and Tank's cover of Bonnie Raitt's I Can't Make you Love Me is, in my opinion, so much better than the original.





Till Kingdom Come by Coldplay
First heard this in the new (well, it was new at the time) Spiderman movie. Love the guitar, love the lyrics, it's really just a very beautiful song.



The Gabe Dixon Double Feature
Occasionally, my company brings in people from various industries to talk about their experiences and how they manage their personal brands. Gabe came in to perform for us, and I loved his style. Very talented guy. All Will Be Well and Running on Fumes are two of my favorite songs of his.





Songs from "Parenthood"
Not only is this show phenomenal, it also has some really great music. Two of my favorites are High Hope by Glen Hansard and A Case of You, a Joni Mitchell cover by James Blake; both incredibly heart-wrenching, but in the most delicious way.





Joshua Radin
Just a guy and his guitar. Josh has so many great songs, but My My Love and Think I'll Go Inside are two of my favorites. They make me miss being in love.





Restless Heart by Matt Hires
This one is a great "This guy may be super hot but he's bad news and I need to psych myself up to stay away because it will only end badly" song. Plus, it has such a fun beat!



When the Right One Comes Along by Striking Matches
This song was covered on the show Nashville recently, but I prefer the original version. Love the lyrics and the way the vocals blend so well with the simplicity of the accompaniment.



Sara Bareilles = Love
She is my favorite female singer-songwriter, hands down. I love this woman, and I love just about everything she does. These are my three favorite songs from her newest album, The Blessed Unrest. She can write the hell out of heartbreak, as evident in Manhattan, which I listened to on repeat for three days straight when I first heard it. 1000 Times tells the familiar story of a dysfunctional relationship that we've all been through, and Little Black Dress is one of the best post-breakup songs I've heard in a long time.






Songs from About Time
I saw this movie recently and was surprised at how many songs I heard that had me frantically searching for them in Google Play. I highly suggest checking out the movie as well - it has such a beautiful message, just like all three of these songs; The Luckiest by Ben Folds, How Long Will I Love You by Josh Boden, and Gold In Them Hills by Ron Sexsmith.