Delorean- Stay Close (RAC Mix)

Jam:  Stay Close (RAC Mix)
Good to jam when:  Stoked about life

     From the north Basque region of Spain in a city called Zarautz comes this awesome band with an attempt to change the mediocre electronic music that resonates through most club scenes today, Delorean.  Remix Artist Collective (RAC) is a group of random dudes that put their personal spin on many popular songs of today, including the featured jam of today "Stay Close."  For those that reminisce on the days when Napster and Limewire were legal and cringe over the thought of actually paying for music, it's your lucky day because RAC's website pretty much lets you download all of their stuff for free, including today's wavy jam.  Anyways, enough factual and technical details for now, let's focus on what's cool, like this band.  Delorean is worth checking out because they are finding a way to progress music in a new direction by magically combining techno-electronic beats with harmonic longing voices that anyone can hum along to and that anyone would be ever so delighted to add to their Summer 2011 Beachside Mix!  Not sold?  Well, they also live in Barcelona, which is my current city of residence and which happens to also give this stellar band automatic cool points in the book.  I can assure you, I'll be spendin' my recent sunny days along the Mediterranean in Barceloneta jammin' mad hard to Delorean beats and keepin' the look out for these guys, and you should do the same.  

Givers- Up Up Up

Jam: Up Up Up
Good to jam when: You're happy, it's sunny, or if you are pumped for summer!!!!

I'm calling it now... this song will be blaring out of everyone's car windows and pulsing out of every speaker with the accompaniment of a lil' sunshine and a nice brew this coming summer. After performing at SXSW this year, music lovers cannot stop raving over this Louisiana-bred-band and as the sun tends to get hotter and the jackets start to get comfortable in the shed, I also can't seem to get this band off my Ipod repeat! Sorry it has been a while in-between posts, but I don't feel the same blogging about a band that I don't feel completely passionate about, and it has been some time since I have been this pumped about a new band. I like to post the songs that don't have videos so that you try to judge the music more for the feel than for the visual image, but in this band's case, the Givers have an amazing live version of this song performed just recently at SXSW that you should check out here. BUT, before you do any sort of clicking away from this site, you have to promise me one thing.... since I am apparently computer-technically challenged, and can't figure out how to post two different videos on the same post, you have to promise me that you will also listen to their other single Saw You First because not only is it another summer-hit that must be on every playlist, burned CD, cell phone ring back, etc. but it was also debated in my head for a solid amount of time on whether or not to feature it as the main song on my blog. It's catchy, upbeat, and just simply awesome, so listen to it. Now, to upgrade you to super-fly, mega-cool, phone-number-wanting status for the summer, you should add "Up Up Up" to the magnitude of your music devices by downloading it for free here!

Maxence Cyrin- No Cars Go (Arcade Fire Piano Cover)

Jam: No Cars Go (Arcade Fire Piano Cover)
Good to jam when: Needing to feel

Simply wonderful is the only way to describe Maxence Cyrin's Arcade Fire cover. Songs like this have a strangely weird impact on how they make people feel and its clearly evident when people respond to his video posts saying "this makes me feel alive," "Saved my life," "moved me so much it brought me to tears," or even all the way to refer to listening to the song as "putting on a pair of glasses." Because "the world gets a little clearer as you listen to it." Call me crazy for getting all deep and sentimental, but you have to admit, if a song can make you say something like that, then it must be pretty freaking cool. If intrigued, you should check out a few of his other piano covers to popular songs including the Pixies "Where is My Mind," and Beyonce's hit "Crazy in Love" which are all mostly accompanied by his own ensemble of clips from classic black and white films from around the 30's.  

Bonobo- Terrapin

Jam: Terrapin
Good to jam when: In a jungle, rainforest, or just pretending to be

This electronic, safari-sounding jam has been on a solid repeat lately and for good reasons. Bonobo was nominated for two different Beatport Music Awards under the categories of Best Chill Out Artist and Best Electronica Artist in 2010. The captivating, jungle-loving beats align perfectly with the groups' disguise as the title Bonobo, which is also the name of a pretty sweet and uncommon chimpanzee. This ape is so uncommon and endangered that you can only find it in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, cool right? Anywho, moving on from fun facts of the day, this should tell you something about the band:  their rare and worthy of savoring by giving them a solid jam. Further, the rare group started out with one British DJ and producer named Simon Green releasing his first gem-of-a-single "Terrapin" under the album titled Animal Magic in 2001. Other good jams to check out if you dig this are: "Kiara," "Eyesdown," and "The Keeper." And not to fret, even though the jam featured is from a while back, the stellar group came out with a new album early last year titled Black Sands that's definitely worth a listen.  Download "Eyesdown" for free here and get your jam on and, oh ya, save the apes while you're at it.