Author: jenhearts247

GET NAKED FEST

You are cordially invited to throw some glitter on it and groove at “Get Naked Fest,” the first music festival where clothes are optional and guests are strictly prohibited. Location: your living room. Date: Today. Time: NOW, because I just dropped the hottest single of 2020: Me. Oh, and this Tame Impala track to kick off your festival experience:

F*ck saving the best for last, I like my festivals like I like my men: opening with a bang. *Crickets.* Tame Impala comes in hot with “Lost In Yesterday,” a synthy acid trip, best described by critics as an “eargasmic aphrodisiac”. *I am those critics.* Tame’s latest album is the drug-free high we need and deserve. Still feeling funky? Dance your way from the Couch Tent to the Coffee Table Stage, I hear there’s a dope new band playing sick tracks. Leggo.

If Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra conceived, Temples would be their child. I can confirm: he’s a beautiful, talented lil thing. Temples shredsss! And speaking of being “on something,” smoke your legal ganja and let the vibes carry you to our next set, Matt Maeson:

Anybody else feeling feels because WOAH Matt’s stealing my heart with his soulful indie-funk. True story: Growing up, Matt wasn’t allowed to listen to rock on the radio. Now, Matt rocks in more ways than one, and if you love introspective lyrics, I suggest you listen to his new album “Bank On The Funeral”… I mean, stay for his entire set!

Wanna switch it up? Then run quickly to the Sofa Stage. Our next rising star, Olivia O’ Brien, is performing right now!

Olivia is the crass queen we need, deserve, and love. She’s as cool as she is catchy, and while her sound follows a somewhat generic “pop persona,” her powerhouse voice is soon to rise above label politics and sing its way into our hearts! And speaking of badass lady crooners…

Willow whipped her hair back and forth, then dropped this banger. Keep it on the DL, but a little birdie told me that she’s opening her setlist with “Wait a Minute!”. *It me.* Willow crosses genres better than I’ve ever crossed a man who’s wronged me. But enough about my intimacy issues, ya’ll need to hydrate. Let’s head out and hang a left towards the hydration station.

I have a confession: I mayyyyy have had a bitttt too much to drink at the Beer Garden. And by Beer Garden, I mean kitchen. And by kitchen, I definitely mean: I drank tequila. Because there WAS NO BEER I ONLY HAVE TEQUILA. Fortunately, I have some good news: It’s shot o’clock. So throw it back and groove along with electropop superstar Kid Francescoli.

Look who’s performing in the Bedside Tent: Tanya Morgan, an American hiphop group that you’ve likely never heard of. Good news: In two years, you’ll brag to all your friends that you saw Tanya Morgan LIVE before they blew up. Don’t need to thank me… But you’re welcome.

Let’s close this fest out with someone we know and love, a guaranteed good time, Empire Of The Sun! They’re playing on the Mattress Mainstage, so dance until you can’t more. Then plop on down and have yourself a nice sleep.

Big Mood Music

Mercury’s no longer in retrograde, but I’m still feeling that VIBE. The universe keeps spewing off big dick energy, keyword: dick, and we deserve a curated playlist to help us trudge through its mess. I’ve done the dirty work for you and dug up some f*ck off favorites and feel yourself flavors to entice your eardrums. Let’s kick it off! “Alexa, play PS GFY by Griz!”

Yas live sax! Yas sock-it-to-ya lyrics! We stan an honest electro-funk king! Grant Kwiecinski, better known as Griz, is a 28 year old Michigander, who has far more success than me at this age. It’s true, we can’t all mix live instruments with electronic beats and still turn it into political commentary… But Griz can, and you should see him live at your next music festival.

Fun fact: Dan Luke is the younger brother of Cage The Elephant frontman, Matt Shultz. With the gift of genetics on his side, Dan launched his own band aptly titled “Dan Luke and The Raid,” characterized by easy breezy beachy beats that’ll catch on the tip of your tongue.

Brokenhearted? Damn, sucks for you!

Jusstttt kiddinnngg, we’ve all been there. It’s a bummer. And lovelytheband is here to help. With a vibe reminiscent of Two Door Cinema Club and Foster The People, lovelytheband thrives in the love lost-and-found department.

Don’t judge a song by the film it appears in and take a moment to embrace the beauty that is AN ANDERSON PAAK X JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE collaboration! “Don’t Slack” dropped TODAY and so did I! #Deceased

Grouplove is back and better than ever! If your anger manifests as an indie pop banger, this is that banger.

Rock out with your empowerment out! – I made that phrase up, let’s goooo! Doja Cat is a triple threat: singer, rapper, producer. An Angeleno through and through, Doja Cat brings justice to my hometown: the valley.

And speaking of rap, Rhapsody is climbing the hierarchy. I mean hellllooo, she’s already collaborated with Kendrick Lamar. “Oprah” will have you throwing money out your car window… so contain yourself! And dance along to the good beats instead.

“Fvck Somebody” is a MOOD. Ever felt trapped by a partner? GUILTY! The Wrecks relate, and they have a beautifully quirky music video to match.

I don’t know about you, but I could never get enough Dylan Minet. *He’s soooo cute!* The star of “Thirteen Reasons Why” is a breakout musician in his band Wallows, and I’m DEFINITELY NOT BIASED OR ANYTHING. “These Days” nails our lack-of-commitment-culture. “I need to know if you’re feelin it or I’m wasting my time.” — THIS. But just to be clear Dylan, I’m totally feeling it please slide into my DMs…

Bad date? I CAN RELATE. “It’s Not All About You” touches me so deeply it sees my soul. Clyde and Gracie Lawrence are dynamic soulful siblings on the verge of a Finneas x Billie moment.

There you go, a solid hour of music to kick your day into high gear. New fave song? Tell me in that comment section!

#WCW

Oh heyyyy, Jen here, coming at you early with another #WCW to get your #HumpDay bumping. Name the child after me. Too far? Never. Without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to the seductive sounds of Lianne La Havas:

Critics describe La Havas as a massage for your eardrums. And by critics, I mean me. She’s a powerhouse songwriter and vocalist, who sounds just as polished in real life as she does on her albums:

La Havas infuses soulful enthusiasm into her indie-folk beats. It’s a combination that, with her effortless vocal runs, made La Havas a Prince protégé. The quality of her sound far exceeds that of more relevant indie stars, so I can only presume that her cookie-cuter branding holds her back in a society that deems talent on an Instagrammable, aesthetic scale ie: plump lips and purple hair to match the offbeat sounds. Lianne La Havas is so much more than X amount of Instagram followers: she’s a musician through and through, who deserves to reign supreme!

Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the harmonies of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, the dynamic lead vocalists in Lucius:

There’s something nostalgic about their sound, an 80s throwback that swells in emotionally- charged choruses balanced by whimsically girlish verses.

Joining Roger Waters for his summer tour, Lucius seems to be hinting at something new. Remember their name: Lucius is on the verge of mainstream stardom.

Georgia Josiena Nott is the vocalist behind BROODS. I solemnly swear that this will be stuck in your head for the next week and a half:

Broods isn’t a new sound. But Nott’s charmingly sweet vocals are contagious, reminiscent of a young Ellie Goulding with a hint of Lorde. Broods is seemingly less produced than some of her predecessors. It’s all strategic, a ploy to keep her songs on rotation in your brain.

Let’s switch it up a bit with my latest obsession, Lil Simz:

How incredible is she?! I’M SCREAMING! Where do I even begin? Lil Simz spits gold and WE’RE NOT WORTHY! She’s only 25, but it’s already clear that Lil Simz is climbing the ranks of rap hierarchy.

Lil Simz is an articulate storyteller supported by stellar production. She successfully balances viscous hits like “Venom” with more mainstream hip hop tunes like “Selfish,” and she’s setting a new standard for rap artists everywhere.

Last but not least, Megan Markwick and Elizabeth Somerville of IDER:

IDER mixes catchy beats with angelic, wispy harmonies. If Tegan and Sara had a baby with Lucius that grew up in Echo Park, IDER would be that baby:

There you have it, just a handful of badass indie babes, who should, and will, become festival headlining sensations. Have a #WCW?! Drop her name below!

#WCW

It’s officially #WCW, when we honor some badass boss ladies in today’s music scene. Your Spotify playlist needs nurturing, and yes, I’M LOOKING AT YOU COACHELLA HEADLINERS! “No female headliners are you f*cking serious?!” *Chugs wine.* Here are the bangers you didn’t know you needed. Don’t worry, you can thank me later. Cue Olivia O’Brien:

I first discovered Olivia on a little song “i hate u, i love u.” You heard?

Her pop-funk fusion and catchy lyrics will have you converting your comb into a microphone, belting sweet nothings to your reflection. Or maybe that’s just me… Moving right along!

In just a few years, and at only twenty years old, Olivia has risen from aspiring Soundcloud cover-artist to Coachella performer. Let’s hope she snags one of those headlining slots someday soon. And speaking of powerhouse women…

Bishop Briggs alt-rock, stage-stealing vocals first caught our ears and stole our hearts on “River”.

Briggs is a powerhouse vocalist, who fearlessly experiments with genres and unabashedly expresses vulnerability in her lyrics. Her second album, Champion, is the lion’s roar we craved from this songstress.

Give us a tour soon Bishop, we need you!

Now SUE ME, Noah Cyrus doesn’t get enough credit. OKAY, I said it. And I meant it!

My appreciation for Cyrus was a journey. Admittedly, I couldn’t help but compare Noah’s label- appeasing hits to Miley’s Bangerz. *See what I did there?!* But on “Lonely,” Noah comes in swinging. There’s an authenticity, a palpable pain that makes us feel guilty for judging her in the first place. Moving forward, I’ll withhold judgment and let the sounds speak for themselves.

Happy Birthday to me, Sasha Sloan released this poppy mood-booster on, you guessed it, my birthday! *December 4th, I love cupcakes.*

Sasha is a reddit success story, who dropped her Soudcloud link onto a viral photo of herself. We stan an entrepreneurial creative! Sasha has since written for Camila Cabello, released several EPs, and is gearing up for her debut album. Her career just started, and I promise I’m not jealous that she’s had more success in the last year than I’ve had since college…

In today’s addition of “brooding badasses,” Charlotte Lawrence combines the catchiness of Robyn with the edginess of Billie Eilish for a sound that’s reminiscent of a modern Britney Spears. I knowwww, I’m all over the place here! But hear me out: She’s got the “It” factor. I mean COME ON, just look at this song title:

I love the dichotomy here between Charlotte’s angelic voice and the jarring lyrics coming out of her mouth. It takes a moment to process, but the orchestral flourishes guide you along.

Step aside Mac Demarco, we’ve got some rising Divas on our hands. Shoutout your #WCW in the comments below.

10 #TBT Hits We Can’t Forget

Anybody else feel old when you search for Jojo and this pops up:

Instead of this:

I’m scared. WE MUST NOT LET OUR ICONS DIE! What happened to our beloved Jojo? Where did she go? A battle with Jojo’s record label forced her into the abyss, and it’s our collective responsibility to bring this superstar back into the spotlight. Can I get a YAS KWEEN?!

I’m afraid we’re losing touch with the musicians who defined us and their one-off hits that got us through prom and finals. Just this week, I met up with my beloved friend and music aficionado, Brian Mates, who admitted: he’d NEVER HEARD OF MIKA:

Therefore, as a self-described wanna-be festival-going groupie, I feel a moral obligation to introduce some, or rather, reintroduce the majority of you to those throwback tunes by singers and bands that we *should* know and love. Cue some indietronica courtesy of Passion Pit:

Two Door Cinema Club shreds, and their longevity proves it. They’ve churned out hit after hit since 2010, but I hold steadfast to the belief that “I Can Talk” is their greatest… Admittedly, I might have a slight bias based on my OBSESSION with this video:

And speaking of shredding: Sleigh Bells. That’s it, that’s the post.

It would be a sin to exclude the ever-brilliant Jenny Lewis, who stole my heart as Rilo Kiley’s indie-rock frontman. Lewis was, and still remains, a force to be reckoned with.

In today’s episode of badass women, Lily Allen spits major truth on “Not Fair” and it’s all too relevant. Ladies, this one’s for you:

Phoenix makes a bad day into a great song in “If I Ever Feel Better,” and guess what?! It works! I prescribe one listen per cry session.

“Such Great Heights” brings back all the feels. I only listened to it fifteen times… per car ride to school….

Last but not least, “You Only Live Once” with 133million+ views. I’m not dancing, YOU ARE!

We stan a good throwback! Any throwback faves? Drop them in the comments below.

An Ode To Anderson Paak

It was a summer’s eve in 2016 when I stumbled upon Anderson Paak, performing to a Paak-ed house at Coachella’s Mojave stage. Truth-be-told, I was chasing Kendrick Lamar. My entire weekend setlist revolved around where Kendrick might pop up, and once again, I was right. Sweat drenched and sardined between scantily clad festival goers, I popped a squat and readied myself to recline until Kendrick made his appearance. But when Paak took the stage, seducing us with sweet tunes from his album “Malibu,” I was immediately TRANSFIXED.

Anderson Paak is, hands down, the best performer I’ve ever seen live. FIGHT ME. I DARE YOU! He’s the ultimate musical multi-hyphenate: drummer, rapper, singer, producer, pianist… Paak’s soothing, jazz-imbued rap performances radiate pure, contagious joy. If you’re still not convinced, allow me to name drop a few of Paak’s friends, who’ve either collaborated on a song or shown up to accompany a live performance: Stevie Wonder, Dr. Dre, Smokey Robinson, Eminem, to name a few… It’s no surprise, though, that my favorite Paak collaboration just happens to be about, well, me! Just listen to those lyrics: Jet black hair baby jet black hair. 😉

If you think I’m fangirling too hard, I’m not the only one. Sorry to throw you under the bus Billie…

If it’s any consolation, I’LL THROW MYSELF UNDER THE BUS TOO:

Paak has a song for every mood. He’s soulful. He’s jazzy. He’s funky. He’s dynamic. His music videos are as finely tuned as his albums, and one can only hope to be as cool as Paak’s son someday (48s):

Paak’s authenticity shines through in his perspective on growing up in Oxnard. The raw lyrics and edgier sounds shift from the calmer vibes of Malibu.

Anderson Paak has longevity. He seamlessly switches between rap, jazz, and hip hop, all while joining in on the instrumentals. Paak’s signature “Yes Lawd!” is here to stay. In fact, I just stumbled upon a Justin Timberlake x Anderson Paak Instagram post. Do we smell a collaboration?