Growing up, it seemed like somebody or other was always scolding you for being too loud— whether it was your grandfather telling you to pipe down at dinner, or your folks critiquing your new look during that punk phase. But you know what? “Loud” gets a bad rap. Loud isn’t something to be afraid of— Loud is the Rolling Stones coming through on the airwaves. Loud is kids at a war protest in Washington D.C. Loud is the volume of revolution, and of revolutions-per-minute. So, yes, maybe these special edition Record Store Day desert boots by Clarks are a little loud. But so are you— all the best things are. Get them in Clarks stores while they last— pick ‘em up on your way to go flick through vinyl because, hey, brick & mortar is sorta what Record Store Day is about.
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Growing up, it seemed like somebody or other was always scolding you for being too loud— whether it was your grandfather telling you to pipe down at dinner, or your folks critiquing your new look during that punk phase. But you know what? “Loud” gets a bad rap. Loud isn’t something to be afraid of— Loud is the Rolling Stones coming through on the airwaves. Loud is kids at a war protest in Washington D.C. Loud is the volume of revolution, and of revolutions-per-minute. So, yes, maybe these special edition Record Store Day desert boots by Clarks are a little loud. But so are you— all the best things are. Get them in Clarks stores while they last— pick ‘em up on your way to go flick through vinyl because, hey, brick & mortar is sorta what Record Store Day is about.

February means two things: bone-chilling weather, and heartwarming valentines. Whether you’re on the corporate love-bus or not, we’ve rounded up some tracks that’ll help you stop singing those wintertime blues…unless, of course, that’s how you prefer to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Strange Powers (Magnetic Fields cover)— The Shins Love Will Tear Us Apart— Joy Division Wishes and Stars— Harper Simon Beta Love— Ra Ra Riot I Don’t Love Anyone— Belle & Sebastian  Girlfriend— The Modern Lovers She Loves Everybody— Chester French New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down— LCD Soundsystem Love In Vain (Robert Johnson cover)— The Rolling Stones Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand— Primitive Radio Gods Ask— The Smiths Up The Junction (Squeeze cover)— The Decemberists All links to Hype Machine.
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February means two things: bone-chilling weather, and heartwarming valentines. Whether you’re on the corporate love-bus or not, we’ve rounded up some tracks that’ll help you stop singing those wintertime blues…unless, of course, that’s how you prefer to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Strange Powers (Magnetic Fields cover)— The Shins

Love Will Tear Us Apart— Joy Division

Wishes and Stars— Harper Simon

Beta Love— Ra Ra Riot

I Don’t Love Anyone— Belle & Sebastian 

Girlfriend— The Modern Lovers

She Loves Everybody— Chester French

New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down— LCD Soundsystem

Love In Vain (Robert Johnson cover)— The Rolling Stones

Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand— Primitive Radio Gods

Ask— The Smiths

Up The Junction (Squeeze cover)— The Decemberists

All links to Hype Machine.

Like any heritage enthusiasts worth their salt, we know that it’s just not the holidays without those traditional songs— Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby—but somewhere between Black Friday and December 24th, we go a little stir-crazy with the classics and feel the need to bust out some new favorites in order to stay sane. Below are our favorite modern and alternative holiday jams— think of them as your musical lifeline during this most wonderful (and most stressful) time of the year. Holiday (What Do You Want?)— Mike Doughty & Roseanne Cash Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)— Slow Club Lo, How A Rose E’re Blooming— Feist Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing— Sufjan Stevens 2000 Miles (Pretenders cover)— Coldplay Getting Ready For Christmas Day— Paul Simon Baby, It’s Cold Outside— Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel Santa Claus is Back in Town— My Morning Jacket Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me— Belle & Sebastian Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas— Eels Donna & Blitzen— Badly Drawn Boy Auld Lang Syne— Black On White Affair All links to the Hype Machine.
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Like any heritage enthusiasts worth their salt, we know that it’s just not the holidays without those traditional songs— Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby—but somewhere between Black Friday and December 24th, we go a little stir-crazy with the classics and feel the need to bust out some new favorites in order to stay sane. Below are our favorite modern and alternative holiday jams— think of them as your musical lifeline during this most wonderful (and most stressful) time of the year.

Holiday (What Do You Want?)— Mike Doughty & Roseanne Cash

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)— Slow Club

Lo, How A Rose E’re Blooming— Feist

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing— Sufjan Stevens

2000 Miles (Pretenders cover)— Coldplay

Getting Ready For Christmas Day— Paul Simon

Baby, It’s Cold Outside— Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel

Santa Claus is Back in Town— My Morning Jacket

Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me— Belle & Sebastian

Everything’s Gonna Be Cool This Christmas— Eels

Donna & Blitzen— Badly Drawn Boy

Auld Lang Syne— Black On White Affair

All links to the Hype Machine.

We’re not going to insult your intelligence by telling you for the billionth time how much we love fall. This month, we’re particularly enamored with songs that have a bit of that smokey, sultry, spooky vibe that makes autumn the best part of the year. Que Sera— Wax Tailor Black Keys— The Minutes Twin Peaks— McChris October Song— Amy Winehouse The Fox— Niki & The Dove A Commotion— Feist Girls’ Night Out— The Knife Morning High— Lizzy Mercier Descloux and Patti Smith (all links to Hype Machine)
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We’re not going to insult your intelligence by telling you for the billionth time how much we love fall. This month, we’re particularly enamored with songs that have a bit of that smokey, sultry, spooky vibe that makes autumn the best part of the year.

Que Sera— Wax Tailor

Black Keys— The Minutes

Twin Peaks— McChris

October Song— Amy Winehouse

The Fox— Niki & The Dove

A Commotion— Feist

Girls’ Night Out— The Knife

Morning High— Lizzy Mercier Descloux and Patti Smith

(all links to Hype Machine)

What’s summer without a road trip? We spent a few days in the Windy City soaking up some tunes, beer, and (a little too much) sun. Here’s our August Playlist, masquerading as a Not-To-Miss list representing some of the acts at Lollapalooza. Solitude Is Bliss— Tame Impala Always Looking— Dum Dum Girls Telephone— The Black Angels Kiss With A Fist— Florence and the Machine No You Girls— Franz Ferdinand Gold On The Ceiling— The Black Keys Mercury— Moon Taxi Make It Home— Thenewno2 It’s Only Life— The Shins The Devil Takes Care Of His Own— Band of Skulls Sixteen Saltines— Jack White Miles Davis And The Cool— The Gaslight Anthem (All links to Hype Machine.)
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What’s summer without a road trip? We spent a few days in the Windy City soaking up some tunes, beer, and (a little too much) sun. Here’s our August Playlist, masquerading as a Not-To-Miss list representing some of the acts at Lollapalooza.

Solitude Is Bliss— Tame Impala

Always Looking— Dum Dum Girls

Telephone— The Black Angels

Kiss With A Fist— Florence and the Machine

No You Girls— Franz Ferdinand

Gold On The Ceiling— The Black Keys

Mercury— Moon Taxi

Make It Home— Thenewno2

It’s Only Life— The Shins

The Devil Takes Care Of His Own— Band of Skulls

Sixteen Saltines— Jack White

Miles Davis And The Cool— The Gaslight Anthem

(All links to Hype Machine.)

It may only be March, but you know how we get— give us one sunny, seventy-degree day and we’re already dreaming of long nights with the windows down. So, in the spirit of seriously jumping the gun, here are a handful of sticky-sweet, sultry, and just plain ecstatic tracks that’ll last you well into summertime. Mess Your Hair Up— White Denim The Grand Apartment— Louis XIV Screenwriter’s Blues— Soul Coughing Isis— Bob Dylan Hotel Yorba— The White Stripes Thieves and Kings— The Peach Kings We Are Young (Shiko Shiko remix)— Juveniles I Follow Rivers— Lykke Li Myth— Beach House
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It may only be March, but you know how we get— give us one sunny, seventy-degree day and we’re already dreaming of long nights with the windows down. So, in the spirit of seriously jumping the gun, here are a handful of sticky-sweet, sultry, and just plain ecstatic tracks that’ll last you well into summertime.

Mess Your Hair Up— White Denim

The Grand Apartment— Louis XIV

Screenwriter’s Blues— Soul Coughing

Isis— Bob Dylan

Hotel Yorba— The White Stripes

Thieves and Kings— The Peach Kings

We Are Young (Shiko Shiko remix)— Juveniles

I Follow Rivers— Lykke Li

Myth— Beach House

Well, it’s February, and what’s more, Valentine’s Day is fast-approaching. Whether your take on this particular holiday is cynical, joyful, nostalgic, or somewhere in between, we’ve got some tunes to get you through the candy-heart sugar rush…and some to get you through the rest of the month, too. Modern Romance— Yeah Yeah Yeahs Tainted Love— Gloria Jones Friday I’m In Love (Cure cover)— Dean & Britta Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You— Colin Hay The Book of Love— The Magnetic Fields Ask— The Smiths It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World— James Brown Love Shack (B52s cover)— Sloan Clark Take It Easy— Surfer Blood You Make Me Feel So Young— Frank Sinatra Valentine’s Day Is Over— Billy Bragg I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked— Ida Maria Heartbeats (The Knife cover)— Jose Gonzalez Growing On Me— The Darkness (All links to the incomparable Hype Machine.)
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Well, it’s February, and what’s more, Valentine’s Day is fast-approaching. Whether your take on this particular holiday is cynical, joyful, nostalgic, or somewhere in between, we’ve got some tunes to get you through the candy-heart sugar rush…and some to get you through the rest of the month, too.

Modern Romance— Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Tainted Love— Gloria Jones

Friday I’m In Love (Cure cover)— Dean & Britta

Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You— Colin Hay

The Book of Love— The Magnetic Fields

Ask— The Smiths

It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World— James Brown

Love Shack (B52s cover)— Sloan Clark

Take It Easy— Surfer Blood

You Make Me Feel So Young— Frank Sinatra

Valentine’s Day Is Over— Billy Bragg

I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked— Ida Maria

Heartbeats (The Knife cover)— Jose Gonzalez

Growing On Me— The Darkness

(All links to the incomparable Hype Machine.)

Whether you have big travel plans for the new year (Cut Copy), big personal improvement plans (Peter Fox), or you “do not believe in the new year anymore” (Los Campesinos!) and just want to survive it (Mountain Goats), we hope that these songs will start your year off on the right foot…and provide for you all through January. Los Campesinos!— My Year in Lists Gin Blossoms— Found Out About You Little Comets— Dancing Song Cake— I Will Survive Peter Fox— Alles Neu The Zombies— Time of the Season Mike Doughty— Get Along Cut Copy— Take Me Over DJ Earworm— World Go Boom (United States of Pop 2011) Black on White Affair— Auld Lang Syne The Mountain Goats— This Year (All links to the incomparable Hype Machine.)
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Whether you have big travel plans for the new year (Cut Copy), big personal improvement plans (Peter Fox), or you “do not believe in the new year anymore” (Los Campesinos!) and just want to survive it (Mountain Goats), we hope that these songs will start your year off on the right foot…and provide for you all through January.

Los Campesinos!— My Year in Lists

Gin Blossoms— Found Out About You

Little Comets— Dancing Song

Cake— I Will Survive

Peter Fox— Alles Neu

The Zombies— Time of the Season

Mike Doughty— Get Along

Cut Copy— Take Me Over

DJ Earworm— World Go Boom (United States of Pop 2011)

Black on White Affair— Auld Lang Syne

The Mountain Goats— This Year

(All links to the incomparable Hype Machine.)

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