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1. Kula Shaker – Ophelia
Kula Shaker is made up of Crispian Mills (son of Hayley Mills), Alonza Bevan, Paul Winterhart & Harry Broadbent from London. The bands name is taken from King Kulasekhara, an Indian emperor from the 8th century, and much of the bands sound and influence comes from Indian music and culture (partly due to the pilgrimage Mills took to India in the early 90s). This song struck me on first listen and I almost wanted to post it as a standalone track. It’s that good. You can buy their album Pilgrim’s Progress now HERE. Watch a great live video of this track HERE.
Kula Shaker – Ophelia

2. Kid Cudi, Best Coast & Rostam of Vampire Weekend – All Summer
Part of the Converse “Three Artists, One Song” project, they brilliantly picked three artist that somehow flow together perfectly. A little LA (Best Coast) and a little NY (Kid Cudi & Rostam), it captures that feel-good-let-loose feeling of freedom that comes along with summer months. You can download this track for free on the Converse website HERE. You can also watch the video for the track below.
Kid Cudi, Best Coast and Rostam – All Summer

3. Dumbo Gets Mad – Plumy Tale
Not much could be found on this solo project out of Italy. I found the track over at the amazing site The Needle Drop (seriously, go there), and other than that, there is a pretty simple MySpace page up HERE. It’s fun, swirling psych rock. I’m all about the ’60s sound and this captures it oh so well.
Dumbo Gets Mad – Plumy Tale

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Vocal Chords
“Life’s too short to play it safe.” Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. = Joshua Epstein & Daniel Zott from Detroit, MI. There is something just so happy and smiley about this track. They say it best on their website: “The music is easy to become infatuated with, as if they hooked directly into your pleasure receptors and refused to relent.” It’s an upbeat, hopeful anthem. You can buy their EP Horse Power now HERE.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. -Vocal Chords

5. The Drop Squad – Lights, Cameras
I’ve had my eye on The Drop Squad for a few months as they have continued to release amazing free songs over at their bandcamp site. They remind me of some of the best hip-hop from the 90s, flowing lyrics with an amazing backing of beats and effects. The Drop Squad is made up of Madoa and Botti who actually met in 2001 while serving in the U.S. Army. They say in their bio that, “Drop Squad’s main goal is to bring quality Hip-Hop to those people who are patiently waiting for the music to return to its essence.” Download this song and a bunch of other great tracks on their bandcamp site HERE.
The Drop Squad – Lights, Cameras

6. Foxes In Fiction – Flashing Lights Have Ended Now
Foxes In Fiction is the solo project of one Warren Hildebrand from Toronto, Canada. It’s light and fuzzy, lo-fi and dreamy. According to Warren’s site, “Most of these songs are tracks that arose from restlessness, breaks between classes, insomnia and 5am isolation while in my apartment in Toronto.” You can download the entire mixtape on his site HERE. I was fortunate enough to discover this track over at the blog I Guess I’m Floating.
Foxes in Fiction – Flashing Lights Have Ended Now

Oldies but worth a re-listen:

1. Nina Simone – Baltimore
A cover of a Randy Newman song, this comes of Nina’s 1978 album Baltimore. Kind of like if Nina Simone and Bob Marley met in a bar….

2. The Police – So Lonely
Yes, yes, yes.

3. The Association – Never My Love
Written by American siblings Donald and Richard Addrisi, The Association’s recording of this song peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in late 1967. Love.

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