Twin Sister - Lady Daydream

A good lazy day song, to go along with this week of lazy posts. Sorry about that, I'll be back to normal next week.

I Said Yes - When The Night Comes In

I have been digging into the UK music scene recently and "I Said Yes" is one I came across. I love this free spirited song. Just a fun one for summer. You can get free downloads of this song and others at their myspace. Enjoy.

Villagers - Becoming a Jackal

The video is a bit strange but cool at the same time. The important thing is the song, and you're in luck because it is so good. Maybe jackals will become the new vampires, this song makes me think there is potential there. It is a simple song, but it has that somethin'-somethin' special. You just have to listen...

I have to wonder if he is a vegetarian...can someone answer that for me please?

Leona Naess - Leave Your Boyfriends Behind

I probably shouldn't admit to how I came across this song because one of my college friends said he would disown any of his friends who confess to watching one of the most mindless shows on T.V., Cougar Town. Don't laugh, it is my one guilty pleasure, probably because I hope that when I am 40 I can look half as awesome as Courtney Cox, drink wine with friends from 8am-midnight, live next door to my bff, and hook up with my hot neighbor. In writing that, I just realized how utterly horrible the show is, oh well I'm already hooked. So this song was on it last night and even though this song is old (2008) it is a new one for me. Her album is really good and she sang with Ray LaMontagne on his C.D., so her voice is legit. This song is just really fun but check out her other stuff too on myspace.

Leave Your Boyfriends Behind

Leona Naess | MySpace Music Videos

No music, just that summertime feeling...

Sorry about today, I was enjoying the first beach day of the summer. I didn't even take my ipod, I just enjoyed the sound of the waves. It was a refreshing break. My ears needed it. So hopefully you all enjoyed nice weather outside today too. I'll be back tomorrow. Sending summer love your way xoxo

All the Damn Kids - Like Seeing a Fox in Daylight

"It's not just, it's not just falling in love", this was instant love. This is the first song that plays on their myspace page. After a day of constantly listening to new music All the Damn Kids struck me the most. I have no idea why, but maybe it was just the uncomplicated indie pop that grabbed me. I dislike genres as much as the next person, but I think that because this is a perfect definition of an indie-pop group is why it works so well. They aren't trying to be experimental, or fuse six different genres into one song, they are just making music that suits them. And it is absolutely scrumptious. It is like Snow Patrol and Shout Out Louds had a British love child together maybe with a punk rock lover for a step-mom. Maybe it's true, maybe not, but it doesn't matter, I like it. "Like Seeing a Fox in Daylight" was the first one I liked but  "The Books Stop Here" is the one making the rounds on the almighty blogosphere and you can find available legal and free downloads on soundcloud. For those of you not familiar with how to download from soundcloud it is a nice thing to learn if you love music, so figure it out (sorry I would be horrible at explaining it, it's not hard). Here is the link for their soundcloud. Hope you like it.
Like seeing a fox in daylight [single version] by AllTheDamnKids
Video for The Books Stop Here:

Boston Concerts Updated

Here is a list of Boston concerts that I keep on the sidebar but you might not come across it if you don't scroll down often. I just updated it today. While it is not a complete list of Boston area concerts, it is rather thorough. I did leave out quite a few concerts for space issues, but I think I included a lot of good ones, especially if you are interested in the national acts. There are some really good ones coming. The venues include: Lizard Lounge, All Asia, Middle East (ME) upstairs and downstairs, TT the Bear's Place, House of Blues (HOB), Paradise, Cafe 939, Great Scott, and Harper's Ferry. Take a look at the following list, you may be surprised by who makes it to Boston. If there are any concerts I should add, please let me know. Thanks!

• 5/30 Besnard Lakes @TT the Bears
• 6/1 Blue Rodeo & Cuff the Duke @Harpers Ferry
• 6/1 Stars @Paradise
• 6/3 The National @HOB
• 6/5 Matt Pond PA, Wintersleep @Great Scott
• 6/8 Junip (Jose Gonzalez) @Great Scott
• 6/9 Moon Taxi @TT the Bears
• 6/9 Cowboy Mouth @Paradise
• 6/11 Joe Firstman & Josh Hodge @cafe939
• 6/11 Buffalo Tom & Peggy Sue
• 6/11 Future Islands @?
• 6/12 Plants and Animals @tt thebears
• 6/14 Peter Wolf Crier @Great Scott
• 6/16 Civil Twilight @Paradise
• 6/17 Soda Frog @tt the bears
• 6/18 New Pornographers @HOB
• 6/19 Tift Merritt @Paradise
• 6/20 Born Ruffians @Great Scott
• 6/24 Yacht Club @Harper's Ferry
• 6/25 Modest Mouse @HOB
• 6/27 Yukon Blonde @ME Upstairs
• 6/28 Delta Spirit @ME Downstairs
• 7/01 Ad Frank @Great Scott
• 7/02 Everyday Visuals @ME downstairs
• 7/09 Powder Kegs @All Asia
• 7/12 Delorean, Mystery Roar @GreatScott
• 7/17 Au Revoir Simone @TT the bears
• 7/25 Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes @North Hampton, The Pearl

Mixtape available for free download

If you want an awesome mix tape with an equally awesome title: Summer Days Through the Folkish Haze, go to The Blue Walrus and get it while it's hot! And it is free too! Below is the track listing. It is seriously good stuff. Thank you so much for putting this together Blue Walrus, it is fantastic!

01. The Damn Choir – Love is a Trap
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
02. Daniel Zott – Living A Lie! (live)
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
03. Alessi’s Ark – Shovelling
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
04. My First Tooth – Typewriters
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
05. Trips and Falls – And In Real Life He Wears Corduroy Pants
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
06. Planet Earth – Goodbye Song
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
07. Twin Sister – Nectarine
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
08. Beans on Toast – Can’t Buy Me Love
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
09. Peggy Sue – Hadlock Padlock (Kimya Dawson cover)
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
10. Admiral Fallow – Squealing Pigs
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
11. Johnny Flynn – Kentucky Pill
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
12. I Said Yes – Whe The Night Comes In
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]
13. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home (RAC Mix)
[Buy] [Homepage] [MySpace]

Just tidying up loose ends and more

Firstly, I would like to apologize for my two lazily and horribly written posts yesterday. That was not a cool way to start the week. I was in transit this weekend and was in no way prepared to find a Monday morning post. Sorry. But I do hope you liked the cover of "Graceland" and Quiet Company's new song. They are rather good tunes. I just didn't do them any justice by not linking to the band's websites and I did some hot linking which always makes me feel like a horrible person. I swear I will get my own media player up and running soon.

Jakob Dylan in Review...still

Secondly, I have promised all the wonderful Jakob Dylan fans a response to their many questions from my concert review, and it is on it's way, I just don't know when. To tide you over, here is a picture of Dylan with his insanely good looking guitar (my picture from the balcony w/o flash). I don't know much about guitars, I am a piano gal, but upon seeing this I was in awe, it is just so darn pretty. Someone in the crowd even called out, "I want your Gretsch!" Dylan responded with "Make me an offer." I'm sure plenty of people out there would.

Kingsley Flood, and Free Songs

In other news I also write for another website, one that is way more official and cooler than this one. And I get to interview bands. You should check out my latest interview with a Boston band, Kingsley Flood, here: http://www.teapartyboston.com/2010/05/kingsley-flood/. There are more interviews coming soon. The site does a great job detailing the eclectic Boston music scene and I am overjoyed and very thankful to be a part of it. As for Kingsley Flood, they are a cool rock and roll band and you can download three of their songs for free from their website. I love "Cul de Sac" and "Cathedral Walls". I also really like the lyrics "I hope when I grow up, I grow up" from the song "When I Grow Up". After reading the responses to my questions I liked the band even more because I really felt like I could bump into them anywhere and just chat over a beer. I like that.

The Rant that deserves its own weekend post

If I hear one more over synthed, lyrically stupid, computerized piece of crap song I am going to smash an acoustic guitar (that sits in the corner of my bedroom dying to be played by someone who isn't string challenged) over somebody's head. While I have embraced the more electronic sounds of indie music that we have now a days, and I like my fair share of them, there are some songs and certain bands that get a lot of attention for absolutely no reason. Oh wait, there is a reason. Some bloggers get sent hoardes of music on a daily basis from PR people, managers, bands themselves, and tell them to post their free song on their blog, so they do. They create a buzz and other bloggers follow suit so that they too can be some of the first to write about this new band. They think they like it for all these reasons that are indistinguishable from the reasons why they liked the last 20 songs they got for free in their inbox. I understand the competitive nature out there between music bloggers and I like it. But am I the only one who gets mind numbingly bored one minute into Surfer Blood's "Swim" or Gayng's "The Gaudy Side of Town" and seriously, by the time there were 10 remixes of any The XX song, it was too much, I don't want to hear more than one remix of a song that was already good to start with. At least most music bloggers were smart enough to agree that M.I.A.'s newest song "XXXO" is no good. There is so much to say on this topic, that many others have said before me, but I will just leave it at that for now.

Just give me a god damned song, you lunatic!

I already did, with the link to three songs from Kingsley Flood. But if you really want another song you should take note that today is Tuesday and that means new releases come out today! Yay, overwhelmed by new music yet again. But I am going to give you a song from Greg Laswell's newest album because he is all singer/songwriter style so I don't have to worry about wondering if I like the synth in any of his songs.

  

Quiet Company - How Do You Do It?

And then there is this....I am loving Quiet Company's newest, Songs for Staying In, and just wanted to add on to today's post since I wasn't around this weekend. This song is so much fun and it should make you want to listen to the rest of what they have too. You won't regret it. (Read an actual review and find out more about the band here.) This is a great pop song that makes you wonder, why can't stuff like this be played on mainstream radio? Really, why?

Quiet Company – How Do You Do It

The Tallest Man on Earth - Graceland (Paul Simon Cover)

      Paul Simon's Graceland album was a staple in my childhood. The african drums beat throughout many dinners, it was a great accompaniment to  summers grilling on the patio, and countless other events. That album, combined with a few other ones like Quincy Jones, James Ingram, and George Winston, was part of the soundtrack to my childhood.
      As of late, it hasn't been Paul Simon in my C.D. player but rather The Tallest Man on Earth's most recent album, The Wild Hunt. I should have mentioned this months ago when the single for "King of Spain" came out in March but somehow I forgot to. Although it was available for free download in an American Songwriter compilation that I posted about. But if you hadn't listened to his album, you absolutely should. It is truely fantastic and many people are saying it is one of the top albums of 2010.
        Getting back to the song at hand, this cover blew me away. This time I think it really is because of the banjo and the unique voice. I have loved this song for such a long time and it was nice to hear a different version of it. And now I have been playing it over and over. It is sold exclusively on his european tour which is kind of a bummer but I was lucky enough to come across it. So you can play and download it using the link (from one of my favorite music blogs Music vs. Misery) below and you can listen to it via the youtube video as well. Enjoy!

The Tallest Man on Earth - Graceland (Paul Simon Cover)

The Powder Kegs - La Mariposa

The Powder Kegs play satisfying dreamy pop songs gently laced with trumpets and pianos. "La Mariposa" is worth a good listen and the clear standout song, but "The Right Time" is enjoyable too. You will either love them (like this blogger did) or feel indifferent, but they would be hard to straight up dislike. Take a listen to "La Mariposa" and decide for yourself.  You can listen and download their entire E.P. for what ever price you see fit--$0 is O.K. too--using the link above. Gotta love the free music while we're still able to get it. 

Plants & Animals - Kon Tiki

I know I have been all amped up on summer songs, so you are just going to have to deal with it. All of my summer mixes from years past have been top notch playlists and now I am starting to feel the pressure. Luckily this is a perfect track for a backyard bbq mix.

Plants and Animals just released an incredible sophomore album, La La Land, that was recorded in both their home base of Montreal and also in Paris. Using the two studios added a nice diversity to the album. I am new to this band but their debut album, Parc Avenue, gained them a lot of attention and a Juno award with their summery rock tunes and hits like "Bye, Bye, Bye". (An absolute must listen.) There are mixed reviews out there of their second album with one blogger saying the album feels as superficial as L.A. itself which I think is too harsh. It is music that sounds like it could have come from the 70s, maybe from a prog-rock band, but with a comfortable familiarity that lures you in with catchy tracks like "Tom Cruz" and "The Mama Papa". The aimless haziness of "Kon Tiki" is the track that caught my attention. It conjures images of lazily drifting down the South Platte river on a 100 degree day, enjoying whatever influences you might be under. Like the band says, La La Land is not about L.A. but about that state of mind. I think they nailed la la land mentality with "Kon Tiki" in a wonderful way.

Will Kimbrough - Wings

Will Kimbrough has been around for quite some time now but released a new album, Wings, in February. I posted this video because there were limited choices and because this song reminds me of my favorite story people quote: 

"She is self-conscious because everyone knows she has wings but they've never seen her fly. Now & then there will be a feather in odd places or maybe a footprint to show she was there. All in all, she thinks it's nobody else's business what she does with her free time."

Wings is far from my favorite song with others like "Horseshoe Lake", "Big Big Love", and "Everyone's in Love" being much better songs. But if you are in the mood for overly happy folk/americana songs look into Will Kimbrough and I think you will be pleased with this Tennessee man. Listen to more on his myspace.

The Ultimate Trifecta of Social Media Songs

Today I was supposed to be insanely productive and do 1,000 things. Then I took adderall and it's almost noon, I have accomplished zilch despite being awake at 6 am, FML.  So let's hate on facebook, myspace, and twitter, the best time wasters and portholes for oversharing the details of our mundane lives with complete strangers and "friends".

However, that is not where I have been wasting my time, but I have been wanting to post this trifecta of songs for some time now. Instead of doing anything useful, I went to go see a raw milk rally and got to pet a cow that was being milked in the Boston Common because random stuff like that amuses me to no end. Protect our right to drink raw milk, yeah! Suck it Louis Pasteur! Speaking of protests, adderall should be outlawed, it makes me a raving lunatic, who randomly falls in with farmers fighting to have raw milk legally sold in Massachusetts. I love my life.

Ok....awesome songs that make fun of the evils of facebook, myspace, and twitter. 

Molly Lewis - MyHope (a cool boston chick with her ukulele, check out her bandcamp page here to listen to her full album)

Kate Miller-Heidke - Are you F***ing kidding me? (another awesome Aussie artist about to blow up on the music scene. She is touring with Ben Folds right now.) Check out her myspace and her kick-ass set of pipes.

Ben Walker - You're No One if You're Not on Twitter (download his whole album for free on his bandcamp page)

Simon Fagan - Damn Honey

This is a fun song from an Irish singer/songwriter who is about to release his debut album, Outside Looking In, on June 7th. Simon Fagan's song "Never Really Cried" recently won the International Songwriting Competition's category for Best Performance, which is a really outstanding accomplishment for this new musician. You can download his EP for FREE from his website and I highly suggest that you do. His song "Bring the Dance" is a great upbeat song on the EP. I chose "Damn Honey" for today because it is his first single that can be found on his new album and the line "damn honey you got it all going on tonight" sounds remarkably natural coming from his mouth. You can listen to more on his myspace and if you happen to be around Ireland this summer you could catch him at one of the many festivals he is playing. Enjoy.

Legally download "Damn Honey" for free: http://simonfagan.bandcamp.com/

Jamaica - I Think I Like U 2

I have some weekend ramblings prepared but first I just wanted to give you this dance floor or pre-going out jam to listen to. It is a little bit cheesy but the beat is irresistible. I cleaned the kitchen with this blaring in the background this morning and it made me really happy. It went on my summer loungey/club mix and I can't stop playing it, even if it is a little bit corny. I like the video too. Happy Weekend!

Delta Spirit - Bushwick Blues

I am so excited for Delta Spirit's new album, History from Below, coming out June 8th. So far a few songs have been (unintentionally?) leaked on the internet and you can get "Bushwick Blues" and "911" if you want to search for them, but I'm pretty sure they are there illegally so you can listen to "Bushwick Blues" on their myspace. While you are there you can check out their tour dates for this summer, it's pretty extensive. They will make an appearance at the Middle East (Cambridge, MA) on June 28th, I will be there. It's going to be a really fantastic summer album, you can tell just by looking at the cover art. That is assuming you judge things by their covers like I do. It screams "awesome summer album for driving to the beach with the windows down and volume up" right? Right.

I loved their last album, "People C'mon", is a song from it that we have mentioned before. They do guitar and drum driven rock with a very classic sound, no computer stuff, the way rock & roll should be. It's nice to know that music like this still exists, thank you Delta Spirit.

"911" is a perfect song about the current times with lyrics, "the folks back east they say the market's fine/ I heard that before in 1929" and other politically charged bits and pieces. "Bushwick Blues" gets played on repeat a lot because it has a fast tempo and well written hooks about a love that's hard to get over. I give this band one of my highest recommendations. I like it so much that I took the time to transcribe the lyrics of my favorite verses just for you (sorry if I botched them). Plus that way I got to play it on repeat some more. During SXSW, Delta Spirit did an acoustic recording of Bushwick Blues that you can watch in the video below. For the more upbeat album version listen on myspace. Hope you like it!

Hold on to my hand 

Never let go, never let go,

We were just two kids, acting tough, 

Well then we grew up, me not so much

All the other guys, that you see, 

are nothing compared  to me, 

because my love is strong and my heart is weak after all. 

(skipped a verse)

To the other side of the states return,

I met a young girl, well I couldn't manage her, 

Because I think of you in every girl I meet, 

It's no relief, it sounds to me, just as sweet,

So maybe I'm a fool for feeling used,

But the way we kiss at night I thought you knew,

Cause my love is strong, and my heart is weak afterall

Wild Sweet Orange--Either/Or

In looking for The Spring Standard video, I started watching other Paste videos. (When I went to SXSW the songs from Paste were my favorites and I should invesitgate it more regularly.) Anyway, I stumbled upon the video for "Ten Dead Dogs" which they also performed on Letterman. But for whatever reason, I kind of liked this one.

The Spring Standard--Little Bug

I bought the 1% for the Planet on iTunes and just threw them all on my little iPod to shuffle. Whenever this song comes on, I'm usually cooking for whatever reason, and I find myself bopping (not really dancing) around the kitchen. I finally looked into them a little more and really like their sound. A fun little spring band!

Hockey - Song Away

It's almost Friday, which means it's almost the weekend, which is why this song is perfect to get you through the end of the week, because "tomorrow is just a song away." Here is the official video, which makes me laugh because of the awesome dance moves. Enjoy.

Moto Boy - Heart is a Rebel

For weeks this song this song was stuck in my head in the worst way. I walked around randomly singing "the heart is a rebel, stay with meeeee" to inanimate objects. It was not pretty, I am a horrendous singer. Eventually I thought the song got unstuck, but this morning when I decided to be crazy and make an egg and cheese sandwich over the usual yogurt, it seemed necessary to belt out "the heart is a rebelllll" in my most operatic voice...to an audience of yogurt that I wouldn't be eating. True Story. Moto Boy is clearly using Jedi mind tricks to make me post this song, that must be it. Maybe now the madness will stop. I do like the song, just not my turrets-like outbursts of it.  Go ahead and laugh, but once you listen to it, it will happen to you too because....the heart is rebel, just wait and see! 

The angelic voice of Moto Boy is Oskar Humblebo, a Swede described on his website as "a one man choir with a magnificent operaesque voice accompanied by high lonely tones on a hard rock guitar with the distortion pedal well hidden in the basement." After reading this, I realized his songs could easily be used in Phantom of the Opera. With a look that involves the combination of a George Michael earring, strong features, and the occasional red lipstick, Moto Boy is a hard face to forget, kind of like his songs. Download a lot of his songs for free here on his website.

The Heart Is A Rebelbymotoboy Click here to download Heart is a Rebel for free

The Roy Davis Funeral Home--You Will Never Be Alone

Roy Davis is from Portland, ME and is friends with some of my Northampton, MA musician friends. I found him through the creepy wonder of Facebook. Couple clicks here and there, who's The Roy Davis Funeral Home? YouTube.com. . .and here we have it!

"A lark in my heartbeat..."

I just wanted to remind you that Josh Ritter's newest album is out today on itunes or your local record store (yay! finally!).  I have really been enjoying listening to this album streaming on NPR's but I am very excited to finally have it on my ipod. It is a really interesting album, that I would go in depth explaining for you, but why do that when Josh Ritter can explain it for you here on his website.  Seriously, read it, it will increase your appreciation of the album.

"Lark" is a sweet song that struck me when I first listened to the album, and while I have moved on to obsess over "Rattling Locks" and "The Curse", "Lark" is such a happy, uplifting, perfect for spring kind of song. Josh Ritter continues to be the most consistent and talented singer/songwriters of the decade with yet another fantastic album. Enjoy.

Dj Moule - Marleymania

While on the search for the perfect summer songs for the perfect summer mix of 2010, I stumbled across this little gem. It is basically amazing. Some classic Marley songs put to the music of Phoenix's 1901. And it works, even though you don't expect it to. It's kind of like magic. Sweet summer magic, it's just around the corner...and everything's going to be alright.

Dj Moule - MarleyMania (click to play/dl)

Horse Feathers Concert @ Cafe 939 4/30 Review

Horse Feather's played for an audience seated on the floor of Cafe 939, a nice change of pace, making the venue that much more intimate, which complimented the indie-folk music perfectly. Justin Ringle, the lead vocalist and guitarist, even asked mid-concert "Since you are all seated, do you ummm have any questions?" sadly, the only question was "Can we stand up?" which received some boos from the people in the back benefiting from their lucky vantage point. When nobody moved, the cellist, Catherine Odell, responded with "awkwaaaaard." Ringle chimed in with, "It's folk music, it's supposed to be awkward." Somehow, Horse Feathers' skillfully arranged songs are anything but awkward. The crowd enjoyed this light banter which was a nice juxtaposition to the often sad and heavy subject matters of the lyrics, maybe that is the awkwardness Ringle is referencing. However, the skill and feeling that is poured into ever song by the quartet means the focus is on the musical arrangement and less on the lyrics. 

Horse Feathers opened with “Working Poor”, a well suited song for the current economy with lyrics “we all forfeit what we make/ too far gone, in our heads/ we all live and work in the red”, to which the crowd responded with loud applause. They continued to play a nice mix of songs from their newest album, Thistled Spring, and from their sophomore release House with No Home including; Belly of June, Cascade, Thistled Spring, and Curs in the Weeds. The gentle vocals took a backseat to the spectacular combination of cello, violin, guitar, and percussions throughout all of their songs. 

When the violinist, Nathan Crockett, put the saw in his lap for “Cascades” there was an audible buzz of excitement in the crowd. The saw’s emanating sound was not that cartoonish trembling noise often heard, but rather a haunting metallic cry. The saw’s pitch rose and fell exquisitely in tune, enhancing the dark mood of the song. The saw reappeared in the closing song, Heathen’s kiss, which was accompanied by the talented Sam Cooper who skillfully played the symbol with his violin bow as well as the mandolin. It should be noted that Sam Cooper adeptly switched from banjo, violin, mandolin, harmonium and percussion throughout the set, often managing two instruments simultaneously. While the musical saw was a treat to watch, Sam Cooper’s instrument shuffling was the real spectacle. For their encore they played a cover of Gillian Welch's "Orphan Girl", which they did a fantastic job with. The harmonizing of all four vocals was perfect and they did a good job playing the song with their own style. "Orphan Girl" could have been on their album and it would be hard to recognize as a cover song.  

The indie music scene has been trending toward the electronic side for some time now, making this acoustic indie band a refreshing pleasure to see live. Without the help of effect pedals, Horse Feathers relies on their musical abilities, the vocals of all four band members, and their creative experimentation with their instruments to create different sounds that many other bands are only capable of producing with the help of computers. The resulting music is pure and simply beautiful.

Watch Heathen's Kiss to see the saw in action. 

Weekend Ramblings

Happy Derby day! Get out your big hats and start sipping on those mint juleps. I feel like I should have come up with music appropriate for this event maybe something with a little country twang talking about horses, but it was just not what was on my mind. All I have is this picture and some tunes to share. The songs come from a delightful little music site called "Et musique pour tous" meaning "and music for all". Click the links to play the music and hopefully by now you remember what to do to download it. Enjoy.

The first one is great chill music to put on for background music. When I own the little cafe/sandwich shop of my dreams this music will be playing. It is just so happy and short and sweet.  

Delicious Vinyl All-Stars – Whats Up Fatlip (Breakbot RMX Instrumental) [Feat. Fatlip]

The second one is a Clock Opera remix of Marina and the Diamonds' "I am not a Robot". I have heard lots of remixes of this song recently and this one just blows them all out of the water. The original song is great and if you are on the anti-remixes side of things than definitely check out the original. 

Marina & The Diamonds – I Am Not A Robot

Marina & The Diamonds – I Am Not A Robot (Clock Opera Remix)

Oh, I almost forgot, here is how to make a Mint Julep from Eben Freeman of the Tailor Restaurant in New York City. 

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) club soda

2 heaping teaspoons superfine sugar

15 fresh mint leaves, plus 5 small sprigs for garnish

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) Bernheim or other high-quality whiskey

2 cups crushed ice

In julep cup, stir together club soda and sugar until sugar just begins to dissolve. Add mint leaves and, using glass muddler or back of large spoon, gently press leaves into sugar syrup until slightly darkened but not completely crushed. Add whiskey, then fill cup with crushed ice and, using long spoon, stir briefly. Tuck mint sprigs into top of cup and insert short straw.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mint-Julep-242525#ixzz0mghuYppY 

Picture is from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12268144/ read their article about the most expensive mint julep.