Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons won me over from the start when they released Radioactive, an incredibly awesome song that I'm sure you've all heard at one point or another. After that came It's Time, another awesome song that was played on the radio quite often, yet I never got tired of it. One of my all time favorite songs of theirs though, is Demons. It's definitely my favorite from their first album and it's still my favorite even compared to their new songs they're releasing. Again, Imagine Dragons is also a band that is amazing live. They're such a talented group with some great songs and music. If you haven't listened to them yet, definitely check them out!

"When you feel my heat, look into my eyes. It's where my demons hide."

American Authors

No song will put you in a better mood than Best Day of Your Life by American Authors. But if you haven't listened to any other American Author songs, I definitely think you should. Their album Oh, What a Life is a great first album from them and is full of upbeat, fun songs. Two of my favorites are Oh, What a Life and Love. I love the lyrics in both of those songs and the music also makes them so catchy. Also, American Authors are a great band to see live. They're amazing performers and sing just as good live as they do on their album. They definitely won me over this summer & they're most definitely worth a listen!

"We put our trust in counting stars, we were counting stars trying to find our way." 

Passenger

I think it's safe to say there isn't anyone out there who doesn't or didn't like Passenger's song Let Her Go at some point. It was and still is a GREAT song. This summer, Passenger released a new album, Whispers, which includes a whole bunch of more great songs. One of my favorites not he album is Scare Away the Dark. This song has some of the best, most real lyrics. It is not a love song or break-up song, it's simply a song about our generation in life in general. The song talks about wasting our lives away in front of computers and how we're obsessed with the internet as a whole. It also brings up our fears of flying or of shootings because we constantly hear of bad news. It is fantastically written song and I definitely think everyone should give it a listen.

"Well sing, sing at the top of your voice, love without fear in your heart. Feel, feel like you still have a choice, if we all light up we can scare away the dark." 

T Swift

I'll be the first to say that Taylor Swift hasn't always been my favorite. Of course I've always liked a few of her songs here and there but I've never been so in love with any of her albums in their entirety until 1989 came out. I actually, really, truly like just about every song on the album. She nailed it. So in this case, I'm just gonna recommend that you take some time and listen to the whole album, whether you're a Taylor Swift fan or not. You may be surprised at how much you actually like the songs. Some of the best ones in my opinion are Blank Space (of course), How You Get the Girl, and Style, just to name a few. If you like any of those songs, I guarantee you'll like the rest of the album. So give T Swift a listen, it'll be worth it. 

"Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams."

Biggest Man in Los Angeles

Andy Grammer is one optimistic guy… at least that is what I get from his albums. His self titled album Andy Grammer is full of upbeat, uplifting, chill songs and I actually really like a lot of them. Granted, I probably wouldn't have listened to his album if I didn't go to a concert where he was an opener, but I am most definitely glad I did listen to the album in its entirety because he saved the best for last. The very last song on the album, Biggest Man In Los Angeles is my absolute favorite Andy Grammer song.  The lyrics are really great and its a mellow song to listen to (especially the acoustic version). While the other songs on the album basically sing about love and relationships, this song's topic is more about life in general; where you start out and how far you go. It's a great song to end a great album. Props, Andy Grammer.

"Because those moments on the street when the crowd would rock with me, I felt like the biggest man, the biggest man in Los Angeles." 

Country

Never did I ever think I would become a fan of country music, yet here I am writing a post, sharing with you a country song. I went from completely hating country music to now having a whole playlist of country songs I like. I'm not sure what finally changed my mind on country music, but I am actually quite happy that I enjoy it now. I am no expert on who and what's good in the country music world, but I do know that I greatly enjoy Brett Eldredge and his songs. If you listen to the radio, I'm sure you've heard his song Beat Of The Music at one time or another (which is a really catchy song) but I recently discovered some more of his songs that are pretty good as well. One of those songs I find myself liking more and more is Mean To Me. Everyone always seems to talk about the lyrics in country songs and how good and real they are, and I have to say, the lyrics in this song are pretty top notch. So, country fan or not, it's a good song, so give it a chance and maybe you'll like it too!

"If falling's what you feel, and perfect is what you see, then I'd be what you mean to me."

The Blessed Unrest

Sara Bareilles is a class act. Her songs are all fantastic and her voice is equally as fantastic. Between her belting it out in Gravity or lifting us all up in Brave, she does no wrong in my eyes. Another one of her songs that I absolutely love and think everyone should listen to at some point is I Choose You. Simply put, it's a happy, upbeat, love song thats incredibly catchy and impossible not to like. Not to mention that the music video for the song is absolutely adorable and may potentially melt your heart, but then again, what Sara Bareilles music video doesn't make you smile? If you can't tell, I'm a big fan of Sara Bareilles. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you check her out and definitely watch some of her videos (specifically I Choose You and Brave). You won't regret it and I strongly believe you'll have a hard time not smiling while watching them.

"My whole heart will be yours forever, this is a beautiful start to a lifelong love letter."

Tuesday

I'm changing the tunes up a bit this week and sharing with you a song by Timeflies Tuesday. I've always been a small fan of Timeflies, but I quickly became a HUGE fan of theirs once I saw them in concert. They are absolutely incredible. Now, Timeflies has some really great original songs, but what I love most are Timeflies Tuesday's covers and freestyle songs. The way they seamlessly blend completely different songs together is amazing. I highly recommend checking out their covers of either Say Something or Stay High. Both of which combine a few songs within, as Stay High starts off  surprisingly with Taylor Swift's Shake it Off and then goes in to Stay High. If you don't listen carefully, you may even miss the change up of different songs in each one; it's really quite impressive. Once you listen to one of their covers on youtube, you can't stop and you'll find yourself listening to all of their covers, trust me. I hope you like them (and I also hope that someday you see them in concert too, because it is totally worth it)!

"Cause if you try to chase tomorrow, you might lose today." 

Adam Levine

We all love Maroon 5 but more specifically, we all love Adam Levine. So, needless to say, it's pretty great when Levine creates a few songs sang just by him for the movie Begin Again. While I am still a fan of Maroon 5 and do actually like their new album, these few songs by just Adam Levine are a nice change and really show off Levine's talent even more. One song that is just extra great on the album is Levine's song Lost Stars. Lost Stars is a simple, easy on the ears kind of song featuring Adam Levine's  always wonderful voice. It reminds me a bit of Maroon 5's She Will Be Loved days which I personally think are the best Maroon 5 days. So take a break from listening to whole band and just listen to Adam Levine himself. I hope you like it!

"But we are all lost stars trying to light up the dark." 

California 37

Train is one of those classic bands that you can't help but like at some point in your life. They've been around for a long time going all the way back to 1998 and then making the forever popular Drops of Jupiter in 2001. They now have a brand new album out but I'm going to take it back and share with you a song form their previous album, California 37. California 37 is full of classic Train songs and has one of my favorites, Sing Together. This song just has a simple melody but is very catchy with some great lyrics. I remember this song was one of the last Train played at their concert and they had, quite literally, the whole audience singing together. It's just a feel good, sing along type song and I highly recommend you check it out and learn the lyrics, so that way we can all "sing together."

"Sing together, if I knew you from the very start, or not at all you're still a part, just sing together." 

Peace, Love, Jason Mraz

No one does mellow and laid back quite like Jason Mraz. From his Mr. A-Z days to his now most recent album Yes!, Mraz keeps with his signature style and if anything has produced even more mellow tunes than he use to, which I am completely okay with. His newest album Yes! is full of sunny day, laid back songs that are perfect for studying, long road trips, or even just relaxing (just to name a few things you can do will listening to good ol' Jason). Hello, You Beautiful Thing is one song from the album that to me, captures the overall feel of the album. It's simple music and cheery lyrics are guaranteed to make your day. It's most definitely a song you can listen to over and over again and not get tired of it, which can also be said of the entire album. The songs are all perfect to just sit and listen to all day long. Sit back, relax, and listen to this super calming album. I hope you like it!

"Cause I know, I know it's gonna be a good day, hello, you beautiful thing."

Bleachers

Since I just recently shared with you all my love for Fun., I figured I'd stay within the Fun. family and introduce you to Bleachers, a band started by Fun.'s guitarist Jack Antonoff. Now just because this Fun. guitarist is the lead man of Bleachers, don't expect them to sound anything like alike. Bleacher's has their own distinct style that completely different yet just as good as Fun. (well almost as good...I'm still a little biased). Antonoff is simply showing us all just how talented he is by now being the lead singer of his own band and creating some great songs of his own. The album Strange Desires is full of catchy, 80's inspired songs, so today I'm going to share with you two of my favorites from the album. The first is the very popular single I Wanna Get Better and the second is Rollercoaster. Both of these songs are very unique, upbeat, and catchy tunes. They give off an old school vibe which is totally different from the usual pop songs you hear on a daily basis. So, give them a listen and if you don't end up liking them, you can always go back to Fun. and still get a fix of Jack Antonoff.

"So now I'm standing on the overpass screaming at the cars, 'Hey, I wanna get better!'" 

A bunch of FUN.

Today I'm going to share with you the first, but definitely not the only, song that I love from the band FUN. It's pretty surprising I haven't already posted about them, but I promise you, this won't be my only blog about this fantastic band because I really love them a lot. If you aren't very familiar with them, they sing We Are Young, which I'm sure most of you have heard on radio at some point or another. For my first Fun. post, I decided to share with you one of their very underrated and wonderfully created song, The Gambler. The Gambler is a very pretty, simple song as it features just the piano and Nate Ruess's voice (which is really beautiful). I've listened to it so many times (including hearing it twice live in concert which believe it or not sounded even more beautiful) that I literally know every single word to this song and have no shame singing it at the top of my lungs. So check it out and get use to hearing about Fun. because this will not be the only time I write about them; I have many more songs of theirs to share! Have 'Fun.' listening. (: 

"I swear when I grow up, I won't just buy you a rose. I will buy the flower shop and you will never be lonely." 

Celebratin' with Allen Stone

If you're having a rough day or even week, you can kick start your weekend by listening to some Allen Stone to make you feel a little better. More specifically, you should listen to his song Celebrate Tonight to get your mood lifted up a bit.  Allen Stone is a really cool, self described "hippie with soul" singer/songwriter and his soulfulness is present in basically every single one of his songs, so I'd say he describes himself pretty well. Celebrate Tonight has a mellow, old school sounding feel to it, which is a nice change from your typical "today's hits." The best way I can describe his overall music is that it is simply and literally chill. It'll just put you in a nice, relaxed mood, I guarantee. So kick, back, relax, and "celebrate tonight."

"Just celebrate tonight, there's reason to feel right." 

Sam Smith

Photo Credit: MTV.com

It's basically a known fact that Sam Smith has the voice of an angel. After first hearing his single Stay With Me, I had very high expectations for the rest of his album, and he most definitely did not disappoint. The album is full of heart-wrenching, soulful, beautifully belted out songs that you can't help but love. One of my favorites, aside from the very popular Stay With Me, (which you just can't help but like no matter how often it plays on the radio) is his song I'm Not The Only One, which is becoming more popular with the newly released version featuring A$AP Rocky (which is pretty cool sounding as well). It was hard to pick just one of his songs to share with you because to me, they are all equally as good, mainly just because his voice is so amazing; however, this song just stood out to me a little more when I first listened to the album as a whole. Listen to this song, and then go on and listen to the entirety of the album. I guarantee you won't regret it.

"You say I'm crazy, 'cause you don't think I know what you've done, But when you call me baby, I know I'm not the only one." 

1R

Happy Friday! I hope you've all had a good week! If you haven't, hopefully this song will make your week better. Today I am sharing with you the song Good Life (iTunes session version) from one of my absolute favorite bands, OneRepublic. I'm sure most of you have heard the original version of Good Life or would at least recognize it, as it is one of their more popular songs. It has always been one of my favorites from OneRepublic and for me it's one that I can listen to over and over again and not get tired of it. However, after I went to their concert this past summer, I found out that there is another version of this song, a more acoustic version, and now I have become obsessed with this version as well. The acoustic beginning and music used through the song make it sound way cooler and change the song without losing the original, overall feel of it. So if you like this version of the song, I recommend you check out the other songs in OneRepublic's iTunes Session on iTunes as well because they are all great (but Good Life is the best). Happy listening! (:

"When you're happy like a fool, let it take you over, when everything is out, you gotta take it in"

John Mayer vs. Queen B

Photo Credit: directlyrics.com

Beyoncé is amazing, and while I don't necessarily listen, or love, every single one of her songs, I still think she is incredible and is indeed "Queen B". She just rocks and can do no wrong. John Mayer, on the other hand, is also pretty amazing and his cover of Beyoncé's song XO is probably one of the best. Like I said, I don't exactly listen to Beyoncé on a daily basis; I don't know all of her songs, nor do I like all of her songs. Her new album, though, did get me more into her than I was before and I'd be lying if I said I didn't love her song XO. But then came along John Mayer's version of the XO and I kind of quickly jumped ships and became partial to his version because it's just that good. Beyoncé's version is great, but there is just something about the soothing music and softness of John Mayer's voice that makes it just a little better in my books. Now, if you're a die hard Beyoncé fan, I can't promise that you're going to love John Mayer's cover, but try looking at it as a completely different song, and there may be hope that you'll still like it, even if it's just a little bit. 

"Your heart is glowing and I'm crashing into you, baby kiss me, before they turn the lights out."

Perfection

Photo Credit: VH1.com

Ed Sheeran is perfection. Now, I'll be the first to say that I didn't always love Ed Sheeran, or really like his music at all and this time last year, I would have never said that he is perfection. However, Ed Sheeran slowly won me over this summer with the release of his album X (multiply). There is no comparison whatsoever between this album to his A Team days, that's for sure. Ed Sheeran just went to another level on this one, as the album is more raw and the songs take an almost soulful feel. The song that ultimately got me hooked is Thinking Out Loud. I couldn't even tell you how many times I've listened to this song, and still love it. I personally find it to be a great song to blast in the car and sing (to the best of your ability) your heart out with Ed Sheeran. While the song itself is amazing, like wedding song material amazing, just yesterday I discovered the music video, and sure enough, that too is amazing. So, listen to the song, enjoy the absolutely beautiful video, and prepare to be won over by Ed Sheeran (that is if you weren't already an Ed Sheeran fan before). ENJOY (: 

"I'm thinking out loud that maybe we found love right where we are."

Andrew Hozier Byrne

Photo Credit: instyle.com

Now that The Script dedication week is over, I'm changing things up a little bit and sharing with you a new, different song that may take more than just one listen before you form your thoughts on it. Today, I want to introduce you to Andrew Hozier Byrne (a.k.a. Hozier). I just recently started listening to his music at the end of summer and the more I listen to it, the more I find that I actually and surprisingly really like it. His songs, while very unique and different, are strangely interesting and a nice change from the usual songs and artists you hear everyday. Not to mention, his songs make for some GREAT study tunes. So, the song that first got me interested in Hozier, and that I hope will get you interested in him as well is Like Real People Do. There's just something about the music and lyrics of this song that make it very soothing and mellow. So, expand your musical tastes and give it a try. I hope you like it!

"Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips, we should just kiss like real people do."

A few guys from Dublin (part 2)

As you already know, this week's posts are dedicated to The Script in honor of their new album being released on Tuesday (or for people like me who pre-ordered it, the album was released at approximately 11p.m. Monday night…woohoo!) So, I've now had a good few days to do some listening to the album and I am happy to say that it most definitely did not disappoint. The Script has stuck to what they're great at, producing catchy ( & oftentimes motivational) songs about life and love, and as cheesy as that may sound, they somehow make some amazing tunes about those topics. While I obviously love the entire album (a lot), the more you listen to it, the more certain songs stand out over others. One of those songs in particular that just gets me more than the rest is Never Seen Anything "Quite Like You". If the title alone doesn't make you like it, just listen to the lyrics and I guarantee it will melt your heart. So, once again, give this song a listen, and while you're at it, you might as well listen to the rest of the album. I hope you fall in love with it.

Photo Credit: thescriptmusic.com

"Sometimes words just ain't enough for this love that's more than love"

A few guys from Dublin

Happy Monday! Today marks the start of a great week because this week a little ol' band from Ireland is releasing their fourth album. Tomorrow, September 30, The Script's album, No Sound Without Silence, is FINALLY available for us folks in the USA! To say I'm kind of excited about this is a complete understatement. So, in honor of this big release, I am dedicating this week to The Script. Since I've been a big fan of these guys from the beginning, I'm throwing it back to start to share with you my favorite song (possibly all time favorite song) of theirs, The Man Who Can't Be Moved. I'm not sure if this song holds a special place in my heart because it was the first song I ever heard from them, or solely because it's just amazing. All I know for certain is that 6 years later, and many (and I mean MANY) listens later, I still love it as much I did the first time I heard it. So, give it a listen. I hope you like it at least half as much as I do.

"Going back to the corner where I first saw you, gonna camp in my sleeping bag, I'm not gonna move"

Say Goodbye to the Radio

What would life be like without any music? Probably a very quiet, boring, not so fun life, that's what. Music is cool, and nothing makes you feel cooler then when you come across a new song, recommend it to your friends, and later find out they actually like it. The amount of songs that are out and about in this world are probably more than we can even begin to imagine and there are always new songs to find. Now, while we all love (or love to hate) the catchy tunes played over and over again on the radio, there are WAY more songs outside of the mainstream that deserve a good listen or two. For the next many weeks, I will be sharing all of my favorite songs that are not your typical radio tunes in the hope that some of my favorites will become some of your favorites too…and that would make me feel very cool. So, stay tuned, keep your eyes out, and get your ears ready.