Hall and Oates

Playlist for a Pandemic, a look at music series on YouTube

Posted on by ginnandtopics

The worst symptom of the Coronavirus might be boredom. So it’s time to go down some of these wormholes on YouTube to get me through the social distancing.

Also, to start writing my blog again.

So I’m going to do different topics, I think mostly music related. This one will be kicked off with some various music series on YouTube that are fun to follow. To be honest, I haven’t checked in with some of these for a while.

AV Undercover

This is a fun series where top up-and-coming acts come through and cover a song from a selected list. Some of these can be really inspired.

Other times, you’re wondering what the hell you just watched.

But that’s the pure fun of this series. I haven’t been following this lately. But above is a fun cover of “Brandy, You’re a Fine Girl” from Looking Glass. Or maybe you’ll know it better from Guardians of the Galaxy II,

Below is one of my favorites from the series, which is Ted Leo and the Pharmacist covering “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” It’s just a fun rock-punk vibe to an 80s staple.

And this one might be my favorite, Nada Surf covering “Bizarre Love Triangle” from New Order. This song seems to be a favorite of a lot of people as I’ve seen numerous covers of this song. Nada Surf added some horns and a beatbox (kind of) to this song which makes it fun.

PS22 Chorus

I stumbled across this when I was looking up music from Walk The Moon, and “Anna Sun” was one of those earworms I couldn’t shake off. That’s when I discovered this performance with this chorus in New York. It’s a really good series that’s truly inspiring.

Here’s another fun video with Portugal the Man performing “Feel It Still” with the chorus.

Live from Daryl’s House

This is an amazing series that features Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates, and he brings in various acts for some amazing jam sessions. This started when I was obsessed with Fitz and the Tantrums and I was blown away when they were on.

I think this one is a real gem with Nick Lowe, covering his hit “Cruel to be Kind.”

And finally, here is Neon Tree with Daryl covering their hit “Animal.”

Let me know what your favorite music series are on YouTube and I’ll feature my favorites in a future blog. I need the inspiration during this pandemic.

My Coachella 2017 playlist … so far

Posted on by ginnandtopics

 

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By Leighton Ginn

I got the alert today that my Coachella wristbands are on the way.

To prepare for the 2017 edition, here is a playlist of some of the songs I’m looking forward to. This is in no way a complete list.

BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE

I love this band and it was a great performance when they played in 2013. They were actually on against Phoenix, who was the Saturday headliner and that was a tough decision.

But New Order represents my college days and I just love the band. And Bizarre Love Triangle was the soundtrack of those days.

Whenever I hear it, it just makes me happy.

WELCOME TO YOUR LIFE

So anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I love Grouplove. I especially love the song “Shark Attack” because it was written and inspired by their first appearance at Coachella, which I caught.

But they have an impressive catalog of songs that I love, including their latest.

The energy they bring to their performances is infectious. I’ve caught them numerous times and haven’t ever been disappointed.

ON HOLD

I know the XX has been around and I’ve followed them peripherally, but their latest CD, “I See You” has really hooked me in.

“On Hold” isn’t necessarily my favorite song on the CD, but the sampling of Hall and Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” that I didn’t recognize immediately … or actually until I Googled it.

HIGH AND LOW

One of the most visually dynamic bands out there. Again, I didn’t follow them closely, but the first song from their newest CD, “High and Low” hooked me in immediately.

These guys are a staple in the Sahara tent, but it will be interesting if they will be back there again, or on a bigger stage, which would also mean a more elaborate stage set.

That would be fun.

CHANGE OF SEASONS

Two Door Cinema Club’s last performance at Coachella was one of my favorites. The band has a dynamic sound, starting with Alex Tremble’s voice.

They’ve changed their sound for their latest CD, so it will be interesting to see how it will play out on stage. But their new stuff is solid, even if it is a bit of a departure.

“Bad Decisions” is my favorite from their latest CD, but since I featured it in a previous blog, I went back a few years for “Change of Seasons,” a really great song.

RIVER

A new voice that is big and bold, I’m really looking forward to seeing Bishop Briggs. She’s low on the lineup sheet, but feels like a chance to see a future star.

I think her song “River” really captures her dynamic range.

SAFE AND SOUND

Great sound and great energy. When I saw Capital Cities at Coachella, there was a moment when I thought this might be the best set I saw that year and was right up there with the best I saw.

That thought same when they played “Safe and Sound.”

I just remember I couldn’t sit still and I don’t think anyone else could.

And the trumpet player is killer.