July 2018

July 2, 2018

"Some say the creative life is in ideas. Some say it is in doing. It seems in most instances to be in a simple being. It is not virtuosity, although that is very fine in itself. It is the love of something, having so much love for something - whether a person, a word, an image, an idea, the land, or humanity - that all that can be done with the overflow is to create. It is not a matter of wanting to, not a singular act of will; one solely must."

What is it about summertime that makes anything feel possible? I've taken a few weeks off from working this summer to vacation, spend time with friends & family, and reflect. It only took a few days away from my obligations for my horizons to start expanding to soak in all the beautiful things and opportunities around me. A little time off and quickly my head is already buzzing with ideas, my body is feeling restored and stress-free, and I've developed a creative hunger to consume anything and everything inspiring around me. I shared the quote above from my current favorite book, Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés because creativity has been playing an important role in guiding me as I navigate into a new chapter. And here's a reminder that no matter whether you're an artist or an investment banker, creativity is a river that flows thru all of us, and we must allow ourselves to let this river quench the thirst of our dreams, aspirations, and creations in all that we do.

Music, writing, photography, dancing: these are all things that inspire me and get my creative juices flowing. I hope the tunes I've provided here for you will do the same in countless ways. A mixture of songs I've encountered over the past 6 months, and tracks provided to me from some of my amazing music gurus (shoutout to yall, you da realest), this month's installment might be the most powerful yet. Enjoy <3

Songs You Should Know // February 2017

February 14, 2017

It's been a long since I came around... Been a long time but I'm back in town.

And this time I've got a helluva lotta tunes for you!

*Photo collage by the fantastic Merve Özaslan*

Songs You Should Know // Summer 2016 Vol. 1

June 16, 2016

Summaaaaaaaatime, time, time…

I mean, I didn’t want to have to quote Queen Janis here but, I kinda had to because child, the livin’s eaaaasy….

The days are long, the nights are endless, the windows are down and your momma is so good-lookin’ babe, she’s a-looking good now…

Okay, okay, but for real. Summertime is the best time and these days, the music is as abundant as the scorching rays of sun and summer blockbuster movies. Not to mention, my favorite jams are the ones you bump when you’re cruising with the top down right at sunset, so, that’s basically what this playlist is: music for summer livin’.

But before we get to the real goods, can we talk about how Christmas came early again in the music industry since my last post? Where do I even begin! Read on!

*Keith Haring, rockin' and rollin' on <3*

Songs You Should Know // February 2016

February 4, 2016

Are you ready to feel the groove?

I'm switching things up a little bit this time around for my monthly playlist, so hope you're ready to pick up what I'm puttin' down. If you read my last music post, you'll know I'm sort of on a heightened 70's kick right now, and while I'm not saying this playlist is all Studio 54 disco jams, I've been inspired to think a little bit more about the past, and not just brand new music you need to hear now. My music acquiring habits lately has revolved around finding, simply put, good music, that doesn't necessarily have to be new. I guess it's always about good music but hey, just figured I'd try and introduce some sort of theme for this. You'll find another pattern in this month's edition, which is bookending tracks from one of my all time favorite artists, Flume, who's on the verge of releasing his new album, Skin. He's so far only released the two songs you'll find included, and I confess I've listened to each at least twice every day since they dropped. Once you hear them you'll realize why.

So, get your speakers ready, and put your boogie shoes, and get ready to rock out.

SONGS YOU SHOULD KNOW // OCTOBER 2015

October 29, 2015

read what i had to say about this month's playlist here: http://freshnewtracks.com/2015/10/22/songs-vol-7/

About a year ago, I was scrolling through the weekly email blast from my university's newspaper, looking for a story pitch that I would actually be interested in picking up. I'm not a hard news type, was involved little with campus happenings, and didn't know the first thing about sports, so I rarely felt compelled to contribute, but then all of a sudden, I saw it: "Ten Songs You Need to Hear Now." It was like someone knew I was now writing for the school paper. I jumped on it immediately, and in no time I had whipped up a Soundcloud playlist and corresponding tracklist with tidbits about each song included. I didn't think much of it, as I couldn't name one of my friends who read the school paper, but the response from that short playlist was huge. After that, it became a monthly write-up for me; I spent the first three weeks of every month aggregating good music from every corner of my world and published it on the last week for all my readers - err, listeners.

Well, after graduating and wrestling with feelings of being insignificant and not contributing to the world like I should, I realized, why should I stop doing something I love as simple as sharing music just because I don't write for a university paper anymore? Hence, one of the founding moments of this site itself, as a place for me to continue doing what I love and providing music for the lives of those around me.

Here is the first playlist I've released since graduating in May, sure to be one of many more to come. If you like my taste in music, then be sure to check back here at the end of every month for another one of my round ups. And, once you've exhausted this list, you can check my Soundcloud for all of the previous editions of "Songs You Should Know." And if you have any songs you think need to make an appearance on the next volume, send it my way :)

This playlist originally appeared on Fresh New Tracks. For the full article and tracklist, click here.