Favorited ex.fm Songs

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Song of the Day: So Good At Being in Trouble by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

One of my favorite songs of 2013 has been the excellent "So Good At Being In Trouble" by Unknown Mortal Orchestra off their creatively titled second album "II". I actually think it may have prevented me from getting into the rest of the album more because as soon as that song plays I can't get it out of my head and fully focus on the rest. Oh well... It's a good problem to have.

Today, while reading through music blogs that I had fallen behind on, I stumbled upon this equally amazing acoustic version of the song. I've posted the video for it here as well as the original track below for comparison. Enjoy!




Thursday, May 9, 2013

Wakin On A Pretty Daze by Kurt Vile

Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside's amazing second album was my runaway favorite from the first part of the year and Kurt Vile's "Wakin On A Pretty Daze" is looking like the clear favorite to take that title for the next part.

Sometimes an album seems to be released at just the right time of year and I always wonder if that's by design or if I just associate that time of year with the album because of its release. It could be a chicken and egg type problem that I'll never get to the bottom of, but Kurt Vile's "Wakin On A Pretty Daze" has been the perfect soundtrack for those lazy days in between winter and the nice weather of Spring/Summer. The songs never feel like there is a real sense of urgency, which normally might seem like a bad thing, but they manage to convince you that there's no reason for urgency. Life will move at whatever pace you want, and while you're listening to Kurt Vile, it's darn sure going to slow down and take its time because the journey is just as important as the destination.

The clear album highlight is the opening track, "Wakin On A Pretty Day," which sets the tone for everything to come. It's rare for an almost 10 minute long track to seem too short, but somehow I'm always looking for more when "Wakin On A Pretty Day" reaches its conclusion. Fortunately, there's an entire album to follow even if that song has to cruelly end. Vile mixes acoustic and electric guitar expertly to create a hazy backdrop for his similarly laid back vocals. At the 4:20 mark in the song, he sings:

Risin at the crack of dawn
I gotta think about what wisecrack
I'm gonna drop along the way
Today...
Despite hearing it countless times by now, the delivery of that line never fails to draw a smile to my face. This album has just become part of my daily routine at this point, rearing its face at some point to get me through each day.



You can listen to / download another track here.

If you enjoy the tracks, I highly recommend picking up the album since the whole thing is amazing. Once you do, either give it a spin while driving in the car or with headphones while walking around outside, and you won't regret it. And if you're anything like me, you'll find yourself repeating the process over and over and over again.


Interested in checking out Kurt Vile?

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