Jam of the Day | Hospitality - Friends of Friends

The charming, intricate, and intelligent compositions of Hospitality signal a sophisticated new pop sound from the newly signed Merge band. But their recent success in signing to such an awesome label hasn't come overnight. In fact, they've been beating the musical pavement for over four years, crafting their sound into what now encompasses their new self-titled LP.

Our Jam of the Day, "Friends of Friends," takes listeners back to the old New York City - not the dirty, crime-riddled, porn-theater version, but rather the romantic version created by Hollywood 2,700 miles away. It feels sincere though, and intimate, by layering wistful drums with horns, synthesizers, and strumming guitars over the hummable lyrics of singer Amber Papini.

Purchase Hospitality here and download "Friends of Friends" below.

10 to Spin | Alyssa Graham

Last August, we interviewed singer-songwriter Alyssa Graham, where she talked about her newly-released EP and her love for Neil Young (who, of course, is a favorite here at SIC). Well, today is a big day for Graham, as the full-length album of that aforementioned EP, Lock, Stock & Soul, has been released to the world (I'd recommend purchasing the Deluxe Edition that iTunes is currently offering here).

Our favorite track from Lock, Stock & Soul, "'Til My Heart Quakes," has been recently been made into a video of which we also highly approve. Check it.



We asked Graham to create a 10 to Spin playlist on the heels of Lock, Stock & Soul's release, and she didn't disappoint. In fact, it's one of our favorite ones yet. Thanks, Alyssa! 

Playlist: Songs On Contemplating President Romney
I’m not sure I need to say more about the concept of this playlist. Music is a powerful tool and we often turn to music in times of need to express ourselves and communicate with like-minded folks. So, without further adieu…

Help – The Beatles

Written by John Lennon and used on the soundtrack of the 1965 film by the same name, I would say this is one of the top 20 songs ever written. I remember as a little girl taking my mom’s cassette tape of the Beatles, sitting down at the river behind my house and listening to this track over and over again analyzing my “big problems” at age 7 or 8.

Airbag – Radiohead

I once read that Thom Yorke wrote this song after being in a car accident with his girlfriend in the 80’s. The song was released in 1997 on my absolute favorite Radiohead album, OK Computer. I fell in love with Radiohead after hearing this album and seeing Thom Yorke perform at an outdoor venue in MA. Something about his voice, his connection to the music and his unique presence hooked me.  Radiohead has a big place in my music collection.

Fool on The Hill – The Beatles

I loved/love Paul McCartney as much as I love John Lennon, so had to put one of his tunes on the playlist. It’s only fair. Recorded in 1967 as part of the Magical Mystery Tour which I always thought was so, well… magical as a kid. "Fool On The Hill" always made me think of a wondering poet or bard philosophizing on a grassy hill outside of town. I certainly thought there was one in our town that I could find if I looked hard enough.

You’re No Good – Linda Ronstadt

Her 1975 #1 hit.  I wasn’t a Linda Ronstadt fan per se but I always was/am a huge Neil Young fan.  I first heard Ronstadt’s voice on one of my favorite Neil albums, Harvest.  She sang back up vocals on "Heart of Gold" and "Old Man."  I started paying more attention to her after that. "You’re No Good" is a great anthem, one particularly appropriate for this playlist.

Lost Cause – Beck

I love everything about the album Sea Change; the production is mind blowing. I fell in love with this track while learning it on the piano. There is something very spiritual about the song and the whole album. It’s a sad song, but sad in a good way as it makes you feel something.

Wrecking Ball  - Emmylou Harris

Masterpiece album, masterpiece track written by none other than Neil Young. The mood is dark and complex and wide-open. In my opinion, this is one of Emmylou’s best and a beautiful departure from her traditional sound. This album really introduced me to the genius of Emmylou and producer Daniel Lanois.  Reminds me, I have to go pick this up in vinyl!

Vampire Blues – Neil Young

On The Beach is my favorite album… EVER. The tracks on side B, including the title track, "Motion Pictures" and "Ambulance Blues" are three of the songs that influenced me most in my life and my career. However, "Vampire Blues" is a kick ass tune and often overlooked. I think Neil wrote it as an attack on the oil companies, but metaphorically it works for this playlist too.

Destroyer – The Kinks

Written by Ray Davies off the Kinks album, Give The People What They Want.  Amazing song, amazing band.  No need to say more. Our musical landscape wouldn’t be the same without The Kinks.  Gotta love ‘em.

We Gotta Get Out Of This Place – The Animals

The Animals made this track what it is in 1965.  It became an anthem for U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War. I remember hearing this song as a teenager on one of my parent’s old records. I adopted it as my theme song when I got fed up with my parents, my high school, my town, etc. It was just a fun song to belt out at the top of your lungs.

Rapture – Blondie

No playlist is complete without Blondie! The new wave/pop hit from Blondie’s album Autoamerican was always one of my favorites.  Rapture… bliss or misery… you decide.

Jam of the Day | ASAP Rocky - Wassup

ASAP Rocky (AKA Rakim Mayers) released his stunning LIVELOVEA$AP mixtape last October. LIVELOVEA$AP fuses Rocky's dexterous delivery and raw lyrics with unique beats offered up by producers like rising star, Clams Casino. The 23-year old has the back story to support his brash, punchy lyrics. He started rhyming before the age of 10, saw his father go to prison on drug charges when he was 12, and his brother was killed when Rocky was just 13.

Those trials and tribulations inspired him to take to his craft seriously and that dedication is certainly paying off. "Wassup," a track that appears to mock the materialistic tendencies of mainstream hip hop artists, is the latest single off of the mixtape. The chilled out production feels oh-so right as it melds gently with Rocky's confidently unfiltered rhymes.

Check out the NSFW video for "Wassup" (produced in conjunction with VICE) below. Download the track, along with the entire LIVELOVEA$AP mixtape for FREE here.

Jam of the Day | Molly Nilsson - I Hope You Die

Judging strictly by song title, Molly Nilsson’s “I Hope You Die” appears to be the perfect soundtrack to end a stressful week where existing problems went unsolved - and were only compounded - as new headaches presented themselves on the hourly. Hell, I even pulled out a pen and paper to start making a list of people to dedicate this song to.

Well, dammit, if that paper isn’t still blank...because this shit is a secret love song! CURSE YOU, CLEVER SWEDES! And not only is it a love song, but it’s an addictive love song, about loving someone so freaking much you hope you die when they do, so you can enter the ether at the exact same time. So sweet, in fact, it somehow made me feel like sending the individuals responsible for my agitation one of those tasty fruit bouquets.

Listen below, and pick up Molly’s LP, History, and other wares here.

Hometowns | Vanaprasta [LA, Tulsa, Madras, Waimanalo, Silver Lake]

Whenever I listen to Vanaprasta's 2011 debut album, Healthy Geometry, I think to myself, "these dudes deserve a round of applause." Basically, you know, for being mega-awesome. And also for being themselves, not necessarily obsessed with being "different," which is one of the greatest things I can say about a band.

We wrote about Vanaprasta last year, making "Nine Equals Nine" our Jam of the Day. If you don't remember that one, let's all take a moment to soak in its goodness one more time.

Vanaprasta - Nine Equals Nine

Thankfully, we were able to catch up with Taylor Brown, Ben Smiley, Cameron Dmytryk, Collin Desha, and Steven Wilkin, as they talk about their various hometowns. Enjoy!

What/who do you miss the most about/from home when you’re touring?

Taylor Brown
Being the one guy in the band that's actually originally from LA, it's always nice coming back home from tour. There's something about LA that puts me at ease...the climate, the atmosphere, the vibe. I love touring, but when I'm away, I probably miss being able to sleep in my own bed in my own house the most. Having that personal space is important, and when you're crammed into a van with a bunch of dudes for a stretch of time, it's nice to come back and have that space.

In what hometown bar have you done most of your drinking? Tell us a story about that place.

Ben Smiley
It's a bar in Tulsa, OK called Another Round. I've been going there since high school because they're pretty lenient on the whole ID situation. The best story I have about that place is when I was back in Tulsa for Xmas break; it was pretty late into the night and everyone was feeling good. Then out of nowhere, two guys in Santa Claus costumes get into an argument and start yelling back and forth. Before you know it they're in an all-out brawl, which lasts until the cops show up. When I left the bar the two santas were sitting on the curb in handcuffs. It's an image I will never forget.

Who (besides you!) is the most famous person to hail from your hometown?

Cameron Dmytryk
For a small town of about 7,000, Madras has been home to a couple random famous people such as the late River Phoenix, and Jacoby Ellsbury, who currently play baseball for the Red Sox.

What's your favorite song about your hometown? Why?

Collin Desha
Hmmm, there is a song called "Waimanalo Blues" that will forever remind me of being a child with my grandpa and him pushing me to play guitar. He always wanted me to learn to play acoustic slack key songs, but I just wanted to play punk rock. It's funny how much more of an influence he was.

What's the easiest way to get in trouble in Silver Lake?

Steven Wilkin
Margaritas at any Silver Lake establishment. Ranked by strength in the following order:

1. El Conquistador
2. El Chavo
3. El Compadre

Or, go to the Thirsty Crow and have one Thirsty Crow. Or, walk outside my apartment.

Jam of the Day | Madi Diaz - Gimme A Kiss

Photo by Elizabeth Weinberg

And I know you want to take it slow
But baby you should know
I brought my stereo

How wonderful would it be to hear Madi Diaz sing today's Jam of the Day at Bonnaroo, perhaps at one of the smaller tents, at that exact time when the sun is at least bearable, and everyone is a little tipsy? We'd all feel invincible like Eddie Vedder, climbing anything in sight, choosing to be with animals, leaving our shitty pasts behind in our rearview mirrors, screaming, "It'sssss ... myyyy ... bloooood!" In other words, we would feel alive again.

I still like an infectious pop song, and I believe I've heard the first great one of 2012, Madi Diaz's "Gimme A Kiss."

It just so happens that I'm the happiest I've been in years, so yeah, this dose of positive glory speaks to me, even on the days where it slips below freezing level and we're all traveling at around 25 MPH on the freeway. Sometimes, we all need a freakin' kiss.

And if you're not dying to make out with someone with about thirty seconds left in "Gimme A Kiss," well, you need to turn it up and try again. 'Cause this one's as effective as beer goggles on a hot summer night.

Diaz's full-length debut, Plastic Moon, is available on iTunes now. Check out her "Hometowns" feature from 2011 on SIC here.

Madi Diaz - Gimme A Kiss

Contest | Win Tickets to See Old 97's + Caitlin Rose at The Pageant

Rhett Miller and the Old 97's are back at The Pageant next Tuesday the 31st, this time with songstress Caitlin Rose in tow (RSVP to the show here), and we have a pair of tickets to giveaway to two lucky winners! (Come on, ladies. Rhett could sweat on you or something.)

This will be a quick contest, with winners being chosen on the afternoon of Friday, January 27th, so let's get to it.

To enter, all you have to do is one of the following:

1. Simply copy and paste this into a tweet: I entered to win 2 tickets to see @Old97s + @TheCaitlinRose on 1/31 @thepageantstl on @speakersincode!

2. Send an e-mail to jason.speakersincode@gmail.com.

3. Leave us a comment on our Facebook page.

The contest will run through January 27th at 3 PM central, and we'll randomly pick and e-mail/DM the winners later on that night (if you enter through FB, we'll announce your name on our FB page). Good luck!

Pajammy Jam of the Day | The Milk Carton Kids - Michigan

Photo by Brendan Pattengale

"When it hurts most/ it's the right thing..."

Such hard hitting lyrics usually knock us on our asses, and in the case of The Milk Carton Kids' most poignant line of "Michigan," our Jam of the Day, it's no different. However, we gotta say, what hurts the most right now is that the fact that we managed to miss out on the Los Angeles duo for most of 2011, the year its outstanding album, Prologue, was released. Alas. It won't be the last time we jump on the bandwagon (see what we did there?) a little late, but the most important thing right now is that we have finally jumped. 

Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale's acoustic "Michigan" is a decidedly more-bitter-than-sweet farewell to the state itself and the former lover who lives there. Michigan might be in the rearview mirror, but what lies ahead is unclear. It's important to just keep moving forward, measuring the growing distance between the past and the future, between heartache and potential happiness, ensuring complete and total separation despite the lingering question: "What am I supposed to do now?"

Amazingly, and puzzlingly, you can download Prologue for free in its entirety at the duo's website. But, it's more than worth a $6.94 investment. And, be sure to check out The Milk Carton Kids recent Daytrotter session. You won't be sorry.