Note: Those of you with a keen eye would’ve already noticed that this was posted on the 28th i.e. not today i.e. not Friday. I’ll leave it as it is (let’s blame my overexcitedness over the first WW) and let’s just pretend it never happened…

Welcome to the first edition of the Weekly Windup! Every Friday, I’ll post songs from my favourite artists and ones I’ve found myself listening and jamming to. I’ll stick with five or so songs for now though that may change (actually, it probably will haha) as well as the name of the playlists. Weekly Windup kind of works, doesn’t it?? What do you think?? Leave a comment below with feedback, I’m open to suggestions and ideas and would love to hear about what you think of the tunes. And if you have any music recommendations, songs you’re loving and would like to see on here, please let me know! Just leave a comment below. Occasionally, I’ll post my I Heart Hamilton Tour Playlists.

I’ve just thought of something, like literally just this second, called The Rewind. I’ll  post one of these occasionally and the name says it all- a little rewind to a song from back in the day.

This week’s Weekly Windup (whoa lots of w’s there) is more of a indie/rock/acoustic list with a dash of electronic, featuring musicians who’ve had albums/compilations come out pretty recently or who I’ve seen perform recently. In any case, their music is most definitely worth taking a listen to.

Heeeeeeeeere we go!

Weekly Windup #1
Morning Parade– “Us & Ourselves” (Listen)
I kick my legs and I surface for air
I’ll show you when I’m out of luck
I first learned about this Brit alt-rock band last year after hearing their song “Under The Stars” on The Vampire Diaries. I’ve been following them since then and was excited to learn that their self-titled album would be released here in Canada this year! This rocking track opens with vocals and guitar, slowly building up with added synths, bass and finally, the pounding bass drum which turns into a rocking, persistent Coldplay-esque drum beat. You can hear the heart and soul in this song and Steve Sparrow’s vocals soar as he sings about trying to find oneself in this world. The drums echo the sentiments of the song and are a standout. Soon, the rest of the band joins in the chorus, singing “it’s us and ourselves”. It’s a track that dominates in its well rounded sound and the guitar progressions throughout and hearing the live version only confirmed this. Funny enough, they just finished their North American tour with the next band on this list and will be on tour with Civil Twilight (you’ll see them pop up here). They are sure to be a breakout act here in North America and I can’t wait to get their album.

Gavin Slate– “Life As A Salesman” (Listen)
You gotta slow this down, a better man once said to me
But I just can’t wait for all these left hand turns
One listen to Gavin’s music and you’ll have a smile on your face. I’m not kidding. My friend Kristin first introduced me to Gavin’s music, describing it as dreamy, beautiful acoustic music. Naturally, being a fan of dreamy acoustic music, I took a listen to his EP Life As A Salesman and loved it. His voice, the musicality in his songs (the cello is beautiful in all of his tracks) and the depth in his lyrics. He also found his way on my first Tour Playlist and now here! Gavin recently released a brilliant video for this upbeat song which has received rave reviews and has been shared on Facebook and Twitter. We get to see his mischevious side as he goes around Toronto, pulling a hilarious prank on Starbucks in his bid to be their Pick of the Week…unofficially, of course 😉

Walk The Moon– “Anna Sun” (Listen)
We got no money, but we got heart
We’re gonna rattle this ghost town
Having recently describing themselves as “indie pop fiesta”, there’s no question why they’re on my Weekly Windup. I first heard these guys a few months ago and was hooked onto their song “Anna Sun” from first listen. The song symbolizes the days of youth, “we’ve got no money, but we’ve got heart”, getting out there and enjoying life, living in the moment and celebrating life. This song makes me want to get up, sing along and dance like nobody’s watching. The video reflects the song so well, it’s fun, filled with hilarious choreography and neon colours. With fun beats and infectious guitar and synths, this is sure to be a summer hit and will have you singing along in no time. Their album came out just last week and is another once I can’t wait to put for a spin.

Robyn Dell’Unto– “I’ve Got Stars” (Listen)
In the light of this bar you look exactly like James Dean
Maybe I’ve had a drink or three, maybe I’ve had too much
The first Robyn Dell’Unto song I ever heard was “Astronaut” (featured on the Everybody Dance Now, Vol. 6 compilation) and I was instantly a fan, knowing that this was a local musician who I really wanted to see live. There was something about her unique voice, her style of singing and the lyrics which weaved stories about life and love that drew me in. Kristin and I had a chance to see Robyn perform last month and we really enjoyed her set, so much that we picked up a copy of her album. This song, about being starry eyed in lust and getting caught up in that lust, was a standout and one I’ve found myself singing along to every time.

DJ Eco
“Drowning” (Listen)
“We Watched The Sunrise Until Our Eyes Burned Out” (Listen)
“I seriously don’t know how he does it. Everything this man is touching is turning into pure melodic gold.” – Armin van Buuren.
DJ Eco’s name may sound familiar, his song “A Million Sounds, A Thousand Smiles” was the inspiration behind the music and photo sections of this blog. This American DJ and producer’s music reached my ears during the live broadcast of the A State of Trance 550 celebration back in March. This being my first time ever hearing his music, I was blown away by his set from start to finish, not only by his selection & mix, but by his own tunes. This first track has a beautiful melody and great beat, you can hear the thought that’s gone into creating this song, from the vocals to the splash of water (alluding to the song’s title), to the synths that slowly build up and layer upon one another.

I couldn’t pick just one song so I included another one (see above), a favourite of mine. When I’ve closed my eyes, I’ve imagined myself on a beach watching the sunrise with this as the soundtrack. It’s a beauty from start to finish, again, Eco uses the vocals effectively, complimenting the melody and the piano trill you hear throughout; the beats almost mirroring the progression of the sun rising above the horizon.

Drawing inspiration from artists like Sigur Ros, Pink Floyd and Arcade Fire, DJ Eco creates a fusion of musical brilliance with influences of indie rock mixed in with progressive trance to create echoes of sound that leave listeners with a stellar first impression. Also check out “Wide Open”, “And We Flew Away” (lovely tune) and “Borealis”, as well as his latest compilation mix Constellations In You.

The Rest– “Who Knows” (Listen)
And who knows where I go
You could offer silence as a reward
After overcoming some unforseen troubles and obstacles with their latest album Seesaw, local band The Rest can certainly take a rest and let the good times roll! Kristin and Carly had raved about The Rest after seeing them play last month and I was curious to hear what they were all about. This slower track is a perfect way to open the album, the name Seesaw infering how the album not only “bounces the listener back and forth along various sonic and emotional spectra” but takes you through the band’s ups and downs on their journey in putting this album together. I wonder if in some ways, this song speaks to the sense of uncertainty regarding this. I’m looking forward to seeing this guys this Saturday in Hamilton at their CD release party!

And so ends the first Weekly Windup! Stay tuned for the next 🙂

xoxo