Mix Tape #5: Great Music--Indie-time, Indie-where

To begin with: AHAHAHAHAHAHA. Do you like my horribly cheesy pun? Yeah, me neither. I think my mom is rubbing off on me... But it gets the point across. ....does it?
Today, we are going to be looking at a super awesome list of great Indie Pop/Rock songs. I lovvee Indie Rock (and btw, I'm including Alternative Rock w/ Indie Rock here) and it's probably one of my favorite genres just because it's so diverse and dreamy and personal and real... So making this mix was fun!

1. "Fluorescent Adolescent" by Arctic Monkeys
I really, really like Arctic Monkeys. They're one of those bands where I kind of like everything they do, you know? What I mean is, there are artists who have really great stuff that is totally your style, but then they also have stuff that makes you go "gaaacckkkk". Then there are bands like Arctic Monkeys (in my case) where, no matter which one of their songs you're listening to, you have a good time. So yeah. I hope you have artists like that. :) Here's an idea: share them with me!! Anyways, this song by Arctic Monkeys is particularly amazing.

2. "Phantom Limb" by The Shins
I like "Fluorescent Adolescent", but I LOVE this song.... It was one of the first Shins songs that I ever heard and it is my favorite of allll their music. Which is saying something, cause I also really love The Shins! It's just.... so... goooodd. When I listen to it, I get this sort of warm and tingly sensation and it puts me in a very dreamy, philosophic mood. There's just something indescribably magical about this song, you know? I love the lyrics too, even though they don't make any sense. The Shins are really good in general, I think, at making songs that at once make no sense at all, but leave you feeling like you've just transcended into this higher level of worldly understanding and infinite wisdom. I just reread that, and I sound like a crazy person. That's what happens when you try to describe the indescribable...

3. "Paris is Burning" by Ladyhawke
I only recently started listening to Ladyhawke, but I really like her. I love the rhythm of this song (it's really good for dancing fyi). I also love that it's about Paris, but in a very non-cliche kind of way, you know? Most songs are like: Paris.. BAGUETTES! EIFFEL TOWER! ROMANTIC DINNERS FOR TWO! TRUE LOVEEE... And this song is more a partying in Paris sort of thing, which is cool. There's also this TV Show that I really love called Gilmore Girls. It had 7 seasons and it was super witty and hilarious and it had great characters. One episode was called "Paris is Burning" and it involved a character who was actually named "Paris". Before, I thought they just made up the title around that character, but now I realize, they probably named it after this song!! I love making discoveries like that...

4. "In The Sun" by She & Him
This is Zooey Deschanel's band! She has such a unique voice.... Have you seen her new show, "New Girl"?? IT IS THE BESTTT. I have to say, she's my girl crush. She's just so gorgeous and totally hilarious.

Ohhhh Zooey... <3

 I like this song because even though it's sort of talking about something a little sad (being rejected/unwanted by someone you love), it's still really frothy and happy and makes me smile. I always feel like skipping around in the sun when I listen to it. :)

5. "40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes
I kind of LOVE Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes. Their music is sort of a combination of Indie folk and Alternative Rock and it's just so different and magical and happy and I looovvvee it. And I loveeeee this song so much... It's the kind of song that just turns my whole mood around.

6. "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People
This is a song that I thinnnnnk has become pretty popular lately and I have to say I agree with the masses on this one. It's surreal, you know? That's how I'm gonna describe it. I just don't want to sound crazy again like I did when I tried to articulate my thoughts on "Phantom Limb" (though let the record show that The Shins still kick Foster The People's butt). I think I heard this for the first time on SNL... and that just automatically makes it awesome. Well.... not necessarily. But I love SNL, so I like to think only really awesome music is ever played there.

7. "How To Save A Life" by The Fray
I know what you're thinking, okay!! "My god this is an old and unoriginal Fray song! What were you thinking?" Sorry, if that's not what you thought, I'm just an insecure and untrusting person. :P Anyways. Yes. I do know this is an old song. But it's still my favorite Fray song so THERE.

8. "The Ghost Inside" by Broken Bells
This band has James Mercer from The Shins so... you kind of know it has to be great. And it is. "The Ghost Inside" has an epic beat and some pretty crazy lyrics (does that remind you of any other songs? Hmmmm? *nudge nudge*) Apparently the band is a collaboration between him and this band called "Danger Mouse", which I'm ashamed to say I'd never heard of until now... Sorry... I'll go check them out later.

9. "Where Does the Good Go" by Tegan and Sara
Okay, I really, really, really like this group. Tegan and Sara are two identical twin sisters who both play guitar, keyboard, write and sing! Their voices are very similar (because of the whole identical twin thing DUH..), but they are incredibly unique and I kind of love them. I don't know how to describe just how fantastically original their voices are (today isn't a good day for me, description-wise) but trust me, they are awesome. And I love this song and the lyrics to it and the beat to it and it's just great. They should really be more popular than they are, in my opinion.

10. "Bedroom Hymns" by Florence + The Machine
This is a pretty new song, I'm pretty sure their new album "Ceremonials" only JUST came out. I. Love. Florence. She is supercalifragilistic. Her voice is beautiful, in my opinion, and her music is really passionate and I don't know why but it pulls a really emotional response from me... This song has a lot of religious references (which is something I've always been kind of intrigued by, even though I'm not really very religious). It kind of reminds me of Lady Gaga in that way. But going back to Florence, the song is really powerful and the whole album in general is fantastic so you should check it out.

11. "No Illusions" by 78 Saab
I found this song through the TV Show "Grey's Anatomy" which has (or at least had) really great, obscure music in it. I don't know if I really like the band's collective work, so much as this one particular song of theirs, but I think I will check out a little more of their music before I make my final decision. But yeah, this song is really nice. It's just very beautiful and relaxing and it's good for calming me down after a lot of rowdy music. That's why I figured it would be a good end to the mix.

Well, that's it! I hope you like Indie Rock/Indie Punk/Alternative Rock/Indie Folk.... Cause if you don't... Well then, I've sort of wasted your time. Heh. But you've also wasted mine, SO THERE. Hm, I just thought about that and I'm not sure that makes any sense. Oh well. It's already typed and I'm too lazy to delete it. I hope you liked my Indie Mix and my random goofy shot of Zooey Deschanel... Until next timeeee. BYE.