Monthly Mix: December 2013

American Authors plan to write their own script

     December once again offered up a mountain of snow to keep all the skiers and snowboarders busy. There was also a stocking-load of fresh mp3s that made for the perfect companion alongside a fire and some eggnog.
     Brooklyn indie-rockers American Authors are ending the year with a bang. Although their self-titled EP was released back in the summer, the band is riding the waves of their songs into the winter. The folk-pop sound comes out on the track "Best Day Of My Life" and features some good banjo work by James Adam Shellby. Only one show in Huntington, NY, is scheduled for the tour so far.
     It's a melancholy feeling as one chapter ends and one chapter begins. This year has brought some exciting, unique, new music, and it appears the future will be just as bright in 2014.


December 2013 Playlist

1. Bipolar Sunshine - Drowning Butterflies

2. Miami Horror - Colours In The Sky

3. American Authors - Best Day Of My Life

4. Saint Motel - Ace In The Hole

5. Cut Copy - We Are Explorers

6. The Suits - Stars

7. I Know The Chief - Stay Coloured

8. The Strokes - Slow Animals

9. Black Lips - Boys In The Wood

10. 7 Days Of Funk - Faden Away

IN THE BONUS:

What would the last installment of the year be without a final rundown of the year's top tracks? Here is a look at 10 of Orbit Sound's favorite tunes of the year.

Favorite Tracks of 2013

10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs -  Sacrilege

9. Toro Y Moi - Say That

8. Arcade Fire - Normal Person

7. Ducktails - Jazz

6. Bear Hands - Giants

5. Max Frost - White Lies

4. Fitz And The Tantrums - Out Of My League

3. Queens Of The Stone Age - I Sat By The Ocean

2. Phoenix - Trying To Be Cool

1. Portugal. The Man - Creep In A T-Shirt

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

Best Albums of 2013



Phoenix went Bankrupt! in 2013

It’s hard to believe another year is almost in the books. This time of year is always fun
to look back on all the great albums that came in and were absorbed into the eardrums.
Once again, the music world treated us to a diverse platter of exciting sounds. There
was a surge in indie rock, and we saw the return of some alt-rock giants from the past.
As the smoke cleared, there were a few gems that stood out above the rest.

With that being said, here is a look at Orbit Sound’s list of Best Albums of 2013:

30. Deerhunter - Monomania

29. Yo La Tengo - Fade

28. David Bowie - The Next Day

27. Cut Copy - Free Your Mind

26. Vampire Weekend -  Modern Vampires Of The City

25. Dawes - Stories Don't End

24. My Bloody Valentine - m b v

23. HAIM - Days Are Gone

22. White Denim - Corsicana Lemonade

21. Pearl Jam - Lightning Bolt

20. M.I.A. - Matangi

19. The Avett Brothers - Magpie And The Dandelion

18. The Flaming Lips - The Terror

17. Wale - The Gifted

16. The Strokes - Comedown Machine

15. Kings of Leon - Mechanical Bull

14. Foals - Holy Fire

13. Atoms For Peace - Amok

12. The 1975 - The 1975

11. Arctic Monkeys - AM

10. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks

9. Franz Ferdinand - Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action

8. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

7. Atlas Genius - When It Was Now

6. Toro Y Moi - Anything In Return

5. Queens of the Stone Age - Like Clockwork

4. The National - Trouble Will Find Me

3. Arcade Fire - Reflektor

2. Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends

1. Phoenix - Bankrupt!


Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any albums featured in Orbit Sound.

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7

Monthly Mix: November 2013

M.I.A. brings the noise with Matangi

     November brought with it the first glimpse of snow and also a heap of new music with plenty of variety. As Thanksgiving draws near, the music world gave us one more thing to be thankful for.
       English hip-hop artist Maya Arulpragasam, better known as M.I.A. is back making headlines with her new release Matangi [November 1, via Interscope]. Drawing from elements of punk and pop, she manages to balance both of her inspirations. On "Sexodus", she gets the help of her friend The Weeknd as they freestyle over one of the better beats on the record. Although there are no tour dates in the works, look for her to hit the festival circuit in the spring.
     The trees may be bare this time of year, but the reservoir on the iPod is most certainly not. The November Playlist aims to keep the heat up with cuts from the hip-hop world and the indie realm, making it the perfect companion alongside the last drumstick.


November 2013 Playlist

1. Bastille - Pompeii

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Run

3. Arctic Monkeys - One For The Road

4. Broken Bells - Holding On For Life

5. Young The Giant - It's About Time

6. M.I.A. - Sexodus

7. Tycho - Awake

8. Nonono - Scared

9. Bear Hands - Giants

10. Tennis - Mean Streets

11. Wooden Shjips - Back To The Land

12. Eminem - The Monster ft. Rihanna

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: October 2013

Arcade Fire looks through the Reflektor

     Like usual, October set a colored backdrop of flouresent trees to help ease us into the colder months. While the leaves were busy changing colors and falling from the branches, the phenomenal music cuts also continued to fall down from the skies.
     Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, indie rockers Arcade Fire are creating a major buzz around their latest album Reflektor [October 29, via Merge]. Some of this is because their previous effort won a Grammy, and some of it is because their new one is produced by LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, who is known for infectious dance grooves. Reflektor has elements of imagination, indie rock, and a few dance numbers of course. For the track "Afterlife," frontman Win Butler admits that the song started out with an old recording of a Haitian percussion loop, went through a few variations, and finally ended up with a chorus being added. The band will go on tour as The Reflektors and has two shows in California before heading across the pond to Europe for a couple shows.
     As the brisk weather continues to near closer, it is always good to have some fresh tunes in the mp3 player ready to keep us warm. The October Playlist conjures up some alternative rock cuts, as well as sprinkling in some indie rock and chillwave offerings. As the leaves crunch under our shoes during these autumn strolls, it is good to know the beats will keep going strong.


October 2013 Playlist

1. The Killers - Shot At The Night

2. Phantogram - Black Out Days

3. Pearl Jam - Let The Records Play

4. AFI - 17 Crimes

5. The Neighbourhood - Afraid

6. Arcade Fire - Afterlife

7. Ducktails - Jazz

8. Hollow & Akimbo - Solar Plexus

9. Balance and Composure - Reflection

10. Ra Ra Riot - I Shut Off

11. Toro Y Moi - Campo

12. Cut Copy - Free Your Mind

Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any tunes featured in Orbit Sound.

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7

Monthly Mix: September 2013

Nine Inch Nails are back with Hesitation Marks

     September was enjoyable and featured a mega surplus of stellar tunes that streamed in like fish swimming down current. The weather may have cooled off a bit, but the mp3s certainly did not.
     Cleveland Ohio's industrial rock project Nine Inch Nails have returned to relevance with their new album Hesitation Marks [September 2, via Columbia], the first offering from them in five years. As frontman Trent Reznor puts it "I'm not the same person I was twenty years ago." While that may be true, the Nails still deliver enough punch to help get the head bashing going strong throughout the night. Taking a turn from driving industrial beats, the track "Everything" explores the unfamiliar realms of the pop world. Their massive fall tour starts up in the midwest and features a slot at the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans.
     This month's playlist is filled with alternative tunes and a healthy dose of indie flavor. It makes a good companion with headphones and the brisk autumn trails.


September 2013 Playlist

1. The 1975 - Chocolate

2. Nine Inch Nails - Everything

3. Arcade Fire - Reflektor

4. Two Door Cinema Club - Changing Of The Seasons

5. The Naked and Famous - Hearts Like Ours

6. MGMT - Cool Song No. 2

7. Rubblebucket - Save Charlie

8. Step Rockets - Kisser

9. Minus the Bear -  Riddles

10. Dive In - Let Go

11. Polica - Chain My Name

12. Cults - High Road

13. Satellite Stories - Campfire

14. Keep Shelly In Athens - Recollection

15. Quasi - See You On Mars

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: August 2013

Franz Ferdinand delivers Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action

     August seemed to continue the trend for the summer with good weather and hot tracks in the background. While the bees were buzzing around the hives, so were the mp3s this month as a few alt-rock giants emerged back to the forefront.
     United Kingdom alternative rock group Franz Ferdinand are making waves with their first release in four years Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action [August 27, via Domino]. Stacked with guitar-pop flavor, band leader Alex Kapranos says "For this one, we tried to act as if we didn't exist to the outside world and we could just make whatever we want and have our own world to live in and work in." The opening track "Right Action" jumps out of the gates with a flurry and gets boots stomping on the floor, reminiscent to the band's early days of writing fiery garage dance tracks. The album is a fun ride as the energy flows in and out. Their United States tour kicks off in October as they make a trip to Texas, including a spot at Austin City Limits.
     Hard to believe the summer is almost winding down. The August Playlist does its best to keep the heat index hot on the iPod while we soak up the last few days of sunshine and leisure.


August 2013 Playlist

1. Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?

2. Kings Of Leon - Supersoaker

3. Franz Ferdinand - Right Action

4. Dr. Dog - The Truth

5. Max Frost - White Lies

6. Cage The Elephant - Come A Little Closer

7. Yuck - Rebirth

8. White Denim - Pretty Green

9. Pond - Giant Tortoise

10. HAIM - The Wire

11. St. Lucia - Elevate

12. Lorde - Royals

Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any songs featured on Orbit Sound.

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7 

Mile of Music Rocks Downtown Appleton

     Over the weekend of August 8-11, Appleton was the destination for the inaugural Mile of Music Festival which featured 100+ musicians and bands playing in more than 40 different venues scattered across College Avenue. The mastermind of the festival was hometown singer/songwriter Cory Chisel whose vision was to bring original music to Appleton and give the community an event where people could have fun, listen to music, and party with friends. Mission accomplished, Cory.
    The Mile of Music Festival showcased musicians and bands of various genres, including Americana, indie rock, country, jazz, soul, folk, and more. Local band Greg Waters & The Broad Street Boogie kicked off the festivities Thursday evening in the newly renovated Houdini Plaza. The group played a bunch of fan-favorites out of their original catalog and helped set the pace for a stellar weekend.
     Chicago indie rockers California Wives had multiple sets over the course of the weekend, but really stole the show at Chadwick's Bar with a blistering set that included their hit song "Purple." As frontman Jayson Kramer belted out the lyrics "Will you break until you quit it?", the packed crowd most certainly did not want to quit dancing all night. Look for these guys as their fall tour schedule will be announced shortly, and we hope to have them back at next year's Mile of Music.
     In typical Orbit Sound fashion, we've produced a Mile of Music Playlist that features tunes from some of the great artists that graced the stage this weekend. The first year was a success and we are stoked for next year, as plans are already in the works for the second Mile. Enjoy!


Mile Of Music 2013 Playlist

1. The Blakes - Don't Bother Me

2. Phox - Slow Motion

3. California Wives - Purple

4. Bright Kind - Documentation

5. Dead Horses - Glitterbug

6. Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons - Times Won't Change

7. The Candles - Blind Light

8. Orange Iguanas - Tell Me More (Demi Moore)

9. JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound - Rouse Yourself

10. The Traveling Suitcase - King Eliot

11. Those Darlins - Oh God

12. Norah Jones - Happy Pills

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