The Soundtrack Of My Life's Top 25 Albums Of 2014

25. Kylie Minogue - Kiss Me Once

24. Neon Trees - Pop Psychology

23. Haunted Hearts - Initiation
22. Paloma Faith - A Perfect Contradiction

21. Spoon - They Want My Soul
20. 2NE1 - Crush

19. Beck - Morning Phase

18. Röyksopp & Robyn - Do It Again

17. The Drums - Encyclopedia

16. Dum Dum Girls - Too True

15. Kiesza - Sound Of A Woman

14. RAC - Strangers

13. Taylor Swift - 1989

12. Lykke Li - I Never Learn

11. Bleachers - Strange Desire

10. Betty Who - Take Me When You Go

9. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

8. Karen O - Crush Songs 

7. Trust - Joyland

 

6. La Roux - Trouble In Paradise

5. Imogen Heap - Sparks

4. Banks - Goddess

3. St. Vincent - St. Vincent

2. Tori Amos - Unrepentant Geraldines

1. Beyoncé - Beyoncé

La Roux - Let Me Down Gently

Raise your hand if you remember the brilliance of La Roux's debut album.  I know, it's been a while and you might need a stroll down memory lane, so here's a quick refresher.  Okay, now that you recall the androgynous ginger wonder, you should know that La Roux has a new track out.  It's called "Let Me Down Gently" and it's off of their upcoming record, Trouble In Paradise.  Pretty exciting, isn't it?  The new music is a shift from the first record's more straight forward dance mood and even the vocals have a new feel.  The bit that comes after the dramatic pause about halfway through is where the song really gets going.  Check it out...

Trouble In Paradise is due July 7, via Polydor/Universal.

Remixes You Should Hear: Part Two

"Quicksand (Boy 8-Bit Remix)" - 
La Roux
This "Quicksand" remix was included on the UK re-release of the single.  A marimba keeps the steady chord progression that the original song followed.  It gives the track a bouncy sound that works well.  At the song's half way mark is the climax.  It continuously builds until a sudden stop.  After the break, the mix finishes up with a synth covered instrumental.  There are several variations in the music, so it avoids becoming too monotone.  The "Boy 8-Bit Remix" adds a great new twist to "Quicksand" while still keeping La Roux's signature style.

"Alejandro (The Sound Of Arrows Remix)" - Lady Gaga

Okay, I know that everyone has heard the original "Alejandro", but this remix completely changes the hit single that you know.  The remix was created by The Sound Of Arrows.  They gave the song a lighter summer mood.  The lines "You know that I love you boy. Hot like Mexico, rejoice. At this point I've gotta choose, nothin' to lose." have become the real hook of the song.  The track is one of the best pieces from Gaga's album full of remixes, The Remix.  After hearing the original track so often, some may even prefer this remix to the original.  Both are great.

New Mix: Fever Ray, La Roux, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, & The Like

Every once in a while, I like to post playlists of songs that I'm loving at the moment.  They can vary in length and content, and genres are not limited.  This mix is made up of four songs and is approximately eighteen minutes long.  It contains a wide variety of musical styles from current artists and bands.  Hopefully, after reading the post, you'll be intrigued to check out some of the songs.

"Zero (RAC Remix)" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

"Zero" was the first single from their newest album, It's Blitz!.  Although the album has been out since 2009, I recently discovered this remix.  It clocks in at just under five minutes.  What I like about it is that it varies enough to give the track a new sounds, yet you can still recognize the hit single.

"He's Not A Boy" - The Like

I wrote a review on this band's song, "Fair Game" last month.  "He's Not A Boy" is an even better single.  It has an outstanding retro vibe.  The bridge adds a slightly psychedelic element to the track.  Overall, very upbeat and refreshing.  The Like is a new band that I'm definitely watching.

"Keep The Street Empty For Me" - Fever Ray

Fever Ray is Karin Dreijer Andersson.  This song off of her album, Fever Ray, is ambient and haunting.  I can't think of another vocalist her sounds anything like Karin.  Her voice goes from very harsh to soft instantly.  The pulse-like beat is a great spine to the dark sweeping echoes.

"In For The Kill (Skream's Let's Get Ravey Remix)" - La Roux

"In For The Kill" is the opening track to their self-titled album.  This particular remix gives a new life to the song.  It starts with just a synth behind the vocal track.  The beat then stacks up until the song turns into a dubstep ending.  I prefer it over the original recording.

If you give the playlist a listen, leave a comment and let me know how you feel about the tracks.

Playlist - Flyleaf, Phoenix, and more

It's been a long time since I've done one of these. If I remember correctly, the last one was all the way back in September. As I promised, another Grammy post is coming, just a little later.

Flyleaf - Memento Mori

I picked up this album on its release day, so I've had some time to listen to it. I bought the deluxe edition which came with a second CD of songs. Definitely get the two-disc version. A very good album, and very different from their debut. The stand out song for me is "Swept Away". It's completely different from anything they've ever done. The intro has full on screaming and the verses are half spoken half sung.

La Roux - Bulletproof

I wrote a post about La Roux here. Catchy dance-pop music pretty much sums it up. I predict they'll be a hit in the States as well as the UK, in which they are already popular.

Phoenix - 1901

Ever since the commercial with this song started coming on, I've been listening to this over and over. This is my first song from them. I felt that they should have been nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy. Oh well...

Tegan and Sara - Hell

If you look at the column to the right of this post, you'll see that I'm playing this on my guitar. I find that every time I play, I play this song first. It's awesomely catchy and upbeat. It should be a hit on Alternative Rock radio.

La Roux

Here's one of my latest finds. La Roux is an English electropop duo led by singer Elly Jackson. English pop music has always different greatly from American pop, but I'll take La Roux over Lady GaGa any day. Their music reminds me of the 80's. They sound similar to Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, and maybe even Prince. The music consists of incredibly catchy beats and synths, while Jackson sings even catchier melodies. I've listened to three of their songs, Tigerlily, Bulletproof, and a remix of In For The Kill. Tigerlily is my favorite of the three, with Bulletproof as a close second. While I've never heard the original version of In For The Kill, the remix (Heartbreak Remix) is a little to long for my liking. I could definitely see Bulletproof becoming a Top 40 hit. I'm actually surprised it isn't already. I guess mainstream radio in the US isn't quite as friendly to electronic and dance music as Europe is. If you like upbeat pop music with a dance/electronic twist, then check out La Roux.