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

Bob Moses Sunrise Set, Burning Man 2017 by Christian Lamb

Songs You Should Know // December 2017

December 12, 2017

Hello my music loving mates :)

So much has happened since the last time we spoke. I saw countless of my favorite artists in concert, including Portugal. The Man, Kaskade (Redux), Rufus Du Sol, and most notably, ODESZA <3

I also attended SXSW, CRSSD Festival in San Diego, and Austin City Limits, with memories from all of the above that I’ll hold so close to my heart.

I’ve done my best to tell a story of the songs I’ve been listening to since our last meeting, in a way that suggests when to listen to them, and in what order, as a way to best convey to you what life has been like without having to write a huge intro essay :)

Without further ado, let’s turn on, tune in, and drop out.

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!

*Andy Warhol with Tamborine by Nat Finkelstein*

Songs You Should Know // April 2016

April 28, 2016

Well folks, it seems my listening preferences just get more and more diverse as the time goes on.

Just wait for these jams that will get your tamborine shakin' and yourself a whistlin'.

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.