Monthly Mix: July 2015

Tame Impala sends out Currents

      The summer started off relatively hot and the good times keep on rolling. The beaches and lakes have been in picturesque form, and an added bonus has been the healthy doses of fresh tunes.
     Australian psych-rockers Tame Impala are generating some buzz with their latest effort Currents [July 17, via Interscope]. Band leader Kevin Parker has elements of his signature hazy 80's dance music throughout the thirteen tracks. For the lengthy tripped-out "Let It Happen", the group goes on an adventure down a path of fuzzy synths and acid rock. The rest of the record rides along a similar path and creates for a smooth listen. Check these guys out as their tour spins through the U.S. and Europe with big gigs at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits.
     It's great to be able to fire up the grill every night and knock a couple cold drinks down. As the summer continues to roll on, it's good to have gas in the lawn mower, beer in the fridge, and some fresh beats in the headphones.


July 2015 Playlist

1.  Cold War Kids  -  "First"

2.  Astronauts, etc.  -  "Eye To Eye"

3.  Tame Impala  -  "Let It Happen"

4.  Atlas Genius  -  "Molecules"

5.  Day Wave  -  "Drag"

6.  Wilco  -  "Random Name Generator"

7.  Awolnation  -  "I Am"

8.  JR JR  -  "Gone"

9.  Foals  -  "Mountain At My Gates"

10.  Civil Twilight  -  "Holy Dove"

11.  Toro Y Moi  -  "Pitch Black"  ft. Rome Fortune

12.  The Weeknd  -  "Can't Feel My Face"

Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any songs featured in Orbit Sound!

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7


   

Monthly Mix: June 2015

Muse launches Drones

   
     The summer is officially here, and thankfully for us, a boat-load of fresh new music came down the pipeline just in time for the backyard barbecues.
     English mega-rockers Muse are back in the fold with their latest offering Drones [June 5, via Warner Bros.]. Frontman Matt Bellamy explains the new album as "more politically charged" and "has less synths and computers" than their previous three albums. This can be heard on the loud rocker "Mercy" which features the band's vintage heavy bass and Bellamy's operatic singing style. Check them out as their tour treks through Europe, Japan, and South America.
     It's good to know there is a fresh batch of tunes to refill the mp3 players on these warm summer nights. Whether mowing the lawn, or lounging by the pool, the June Playlist provides the perfect soundtrack.


June 2015 Playlist

1.  COIN  -  "Run"

2.  The Arcs  -  "Stay In Your Corner"

3.  Muse  -  "Mercy"

4.  Phases  -  "I'm In Love With My Life"

5.  The Moth & The Flame  -  "Young & Unafraid"

6.  Beck  -  "Dreams"

7.  Metric  -  "The Shade"

8.  Circa Waves  -  "T-Shirt Weather"

9.  Neon Indian  -  "Annie"

10.  The Struts  -  "Could Have Been Me"

11.  Jamie xx  -  "Loud Places" ft. Romy

12.  Major Lazer  -  "Lean On" ft. DJ Snake and M0

Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any songs featured in Orbit Sound!

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7

Monthly Mix: May 2015

My Morning Jacket slides down The Waterfall

   
     It seems as if summer is just around the corner. Pool parties and backyard barbecues will be in full swing and they wouldn't be complete without a fresh batch of new tunes.
     Kentucky rockers My Morning Jacket are riding high after releasing their latest album The Waterfall [May 4th, via ATO]. Packed full of  heavy guitars and complex rhythms, this record is vintage Jim James. For the cut "Compound Fracture" James sings a message of getting the most out of life before our time is up, while a summertime beat provides the backdrop. The whole album weaves in and out of smooth grooves and big ax shredding. Check out the band as their tour makes big stops at Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, and Forecastle Festival.
     It's time to dust off the grill and get the summer festivities started. The May Playlist will provide enough new beats to recharge the iPods just in time to keep the party going well into the night.


May 2015 Playlist

1.  Bully  -  "Trying"

2.  X Ambassadors  -  "Renegades"

3.  My Morning Jacket  -  "Compound Fracture"

4.  Panic! At The Disco  -  "Hallelujah"

5.  Rozwell Kid  -  "Kangaroo Pocket"

6.  Third Eye Blind  -  "Everything Is Easy"

7.  Leaf Erikson  -  "Looking For Signs"

8.  Ducktails  -  "Headbanging In The Mirror"

9.  Hot Chip  -  "Need You Now"

10.  Elle King  -  "Ex's & Oh's"

11.  Diamond Mind  -  "Acid Jungle"

12.  MS MR  -  "Painted"

Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any songs featured in Orbit Sound!

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7

Monthly Mix: April 2015

Blur cracks The Magic Whip

     Spring is in full swing and the birds can be heard singing in the trees. Not only were the birds singing, lots of music lovers were as well as an influx of new tunes came pouring in.
     English alt-rockers Blur are creating some hype with their latest album The Magic Whip [April 27, via Parlophone]. Featuring twelve tracks, their newest effort touches on rock, pop, and psychedelia. The cut "Lonesome Street" is a delightful romp that contains post-punk guitars and a bouncy beat. The rest of the album plays out in similar fashion without a dull moment. Check them out as their tour swings through Europe, Australia, and Mexico.
     As the weather continues to get more enjoyable and the golf courses open up, it's a good feeling to know the mp3 players are stocked up again and are ready to go as we try for that hole in one.


April 2015 Playlist

1.  Tame Impala  -  "Cause I'm A Man"

2.  Wolf Alice  -  "Moaning Lisa Smile"

3.  Blur  -  "Lonesome Street"

4.  Twenty One Pilots  -  "Fairly Local"

5.  Built To Spill  -  "Never Be The Same"

6.  Zac Brown Band  -  "Heavy Is The Head" ft. Chris Cornell

7.  Umphrey's McGee  -  "Bad Friday"

8.  Toro Y Moi  -  "Buffalo"

9.  Meg Myers  -  "Sorry"

10.  Turbo Fruits  -  "Don't Let Me Break Your Heart Again"

11.  James Bay  -  "Let It Go"

12.  Tove Lo  -  "Talking Body"

Check in every month for the hottest music from around the globe.

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any songs featured in Orbit Sound!

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7

Monthly Mix: March 2015

Modest Mouse become Strangers To Ourselves

     

     While the majority of the country was caught up in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, otherwise known as March Madness, there was another madness going around in the form of exciting fresh music.

     Washington indie-rockers Modest Mouse are topping the charts with their first album in eight years entitled Strangers To Ourselves [March 17th, via Epic].  Consisting of fifteen songs that are reminiscent of the band's vintage sound, it bobs and weaves through emotional highs and lows. On "Pups To Dust" frontman Isaac Brock wonders how we got here and if there's a bigger purpose or if maybe we should just wander. Check out the band as their tour swings through the U.S. & the U.K. and includes festival gigs at Sasquatch, Firefly, and Forecastle.

     As the snow melts away and the gardens begin to bloom, it's an added bonus that the mp3 players are also rejuvenated with fresh new cuts.

March 2015 Playlist

1.  My Morning Jacket  -  "Big Decisions"

2.  Absofacto  -  "Dissolve"

3.  Modest Mouse  -  "Pups To Dust"

4.  In The Valley Below  -  "Peaches"

5.  Lord Huron  -  "Fool For Love"

6.  Mumford & Sons  -  "Believe"

7.  The Mowgli's  -  "I'm Good"

8.  of Montreal  -  "Bassem Sabry"

9.  Muse  -  "Dead Inside"

10.  Penguin Prison  -  "Never Gets Old"

11.  Madeon  -  "Pay No Mind" ft. Passion Pit

12.  Snoop Dogg  -  "Peaches N Cream" ft. Charlie Wilson

Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any songs featured in Orbit Sound!

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7

Monthly Mix: February 2015

 

Imagine Dragons use Smoke + Mirrors

 

     In the aftermath of a bitter cold February comes a heat wave of piping hot new mp3s. The long winter is winding down and the excitement of spring is just around the corner.  

     Las Vegas alt-rockers Imagine Dragons are creating a buzz after releasing their latest record Smoke + Mirrors [February 17, via Interscope]. While not containing the stadium anthems of its predecessor, the album is still a colorful display of rock. On the single "Gold", the band uses a haunting beat and blends it into alternative pop song. Check them out as their massive tour makes stops through the U.S. this summer and features a festival spot at BottleRock.

     As the snow begins to melt, the iPod is reloaded with fresh tunes which makes the warmth of the spring seem that much closer.

 

 

February 2015 Playlist

 

1.  The Offspring  -  "Coming For You"

 

2.  Incubus  -  "Absolution Calling"

 

3.  Imagine Dragons  -  "Gold"

 

 

4.  Passion Pit  -  "Lifted Up (1985)"

 

5.  Saint Motel  -  "My Type"

 

6.  Awolnation  -  "Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)"

 

 

7.  The Wombats  -  "Greek Tragedy"

 

8.  Fort Lean  -  "I Don't Mind"

 

9.  Alabama Shakes  -  "Don't Wanna Fight"

 

 

10.  Mew  -  "Satellites"

 

11.  Walla  -  "101"

 

12.  Florence + The Machine  -  "What Kind Of Man"

 

 

 

Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

 

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any songs featured in Orbit Sound!

 

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7

 

Monthly Mix: January 2015

Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper

     Although the sun hasn't seen much action lately, the year is off to a hot start thanks to a healthy portion of fresh tunes.
     Baltimore's Noah Lennox, better known as Panda Bear is back making experimental electronic music, and his latest record Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper is his most complete effort to date. Lennox states he's "psyched to be an old guy", and it shows throughout the album. He also shows off a more youthful vibe as can be heard on the track "Boys Latin."  A large tour will support the album with stops in Europe and coming back home with a big slot at Coachella.
     The January playlist is a good way to stay warm while shoveling the snow, skiing down a black diamond, or drinking an Irish coffee in the lodge.


January 2015 Playlist

1.  Torche  -  "Minions"

2.  Broken Social Scene  -  "Golden Facelift"

3.  Fall Out Boy  -  "Irresistible"

4.  St. Vincent  -  "Bad Believer"

5.  Toro Y Moi  -  "Empty Nesters"

6.  Panda Bear  -  "Boys Latin"

7.  Catfish and the Bottlemen  -  "Kathleen"

8.  Death Cab For Cutie  -  "Black Sun"

9.  Sleater-Kinney  -  "A New Wave"

10.  The Decemberists  -  "A Beginning Song"

11.  Clones of Clones  -  "I Don't Need Your Love"

12.  Matt and Kim  -  "Get It"

Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any songs featured in Orbit Sound!

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter @SteveFerris7