[Festival Review + Playlist] Take Us Back: Outside Lands 2014 Highlights through Photos & Songs

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During the Gold Rush, the area where Golden Gate Park currently resides was referred to as the “Outside Lands,” a sprawling seemingly uninhabitable expanse, before being adopted by the city of San Francisco and developed into what is now the gorgeous western portion of the city. Today, Outside Lands carries a whole new meaning as the the premiere music festival of the Bay Area located in the heart of the park. Every event has a unique charm and, for OSL, the magic of San Francisco’s physical and cultural beauty is truly at its core. With breathtaking scenery, quality food/wine and the lingering remnants of the hippie movement, Outside Lands 2014 served as yet another reminder of why the area has become, and has for so long been, such a desirable destination even with its famously cold summer weather.

Just over two weeks have passed since we took our final steps out of what was the most popular OSL in the event’s history. In the days following a festival, the mundanity of everyday life can become particularly evident. Luckily, with concerts, there’s always an artist’s music to revive the excitement of your most memorable, albeit sometimes least remembered, moments. This year’s Outside Lands lineup featured an incredible diversity in artistic styles making for a broad range of experiences to look back on. Join us as we take revisit a dozen of our top highlights from the weekend through photos and songs. Continue reading

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[Electro Pop] Grouplove – Ways To Go (Xaphoon Jones Remix)

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Ways To Go (Xaphoon Jones Finale Remix)

Well, ladies and gentleninjas, I have some tragic news to share with you all today. It appears that Xaphoon Jones is no more. Before you panic at the thought of a world without Xaphoon however, you must know that this is all part of an elaborate rebirth for the Philadelphia native under the new moniker, Noah Breakfast. Before preparing for life under his new identity, the talented producer decided to provide us with one last hurrah, this remix of Grouplove‘s “Ways To Go.” We didn’t think anyone could possibly top The Knocksrendition of the track, but Xaphoon is prepared to give them a run for their money. This latest remix  takes a far more unique spin on things, slowing things down from the original, isolating the vocals, and amplifying them with some much needed bass.

All in all, it serves as a fitting end to this chapter of Xaphoon’s career, which has been in a bit of a transitional period lately, especially after leaving Chiddy Bang. While we’re sad to see that awesome title go, we wish him all the best as he undergoes his new transformation.

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Ways To Go (The Knocks Remix)

Both Grouplove and The Knocks were recently featured in our MEGA SUMMER PLAYLIST series, and even though it’s September now, there’s no shame in … Continue reading »

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[New] Gigamesh remixes Grouplove’s “Tongue Tied” + Free Download

One third of Senor Stereo, Gigamesh has a penchant for delivering quality remixes of popular songs. His latest release is a new take on Grouplove’s “Tongue Tied”.

Gigamesh manages to keep the heart of the original track beating through a meaty, percussive, kick drum right from the start. The synth textures swirl and wave overhead while paving the way for Grouplove’s incredibly catchy gang vocal lines to come in. Once the parts all work in harmony at about the thirty second mark the song really begins to come to life and hits you with a wave of sound so big that when the track is over the silence just feels awkward.

To me the guitars on “Tongue Tied” have always felt like they should be the background music at a water park, and the fun move-your-body feeling is only amplified by Gigamesh’s new grooves. This track is guaranteed to occupy your playlist for a while.

Gigamesh is hosting the track for free download on his soundcloud page.

Grouplove – Tongue Tied (Gigamesh Remix)

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[Rock] Grouplove – Naked Kids


For many of us, the days are still dark and cold. However, Grouplove are here to change all that by making a track drenched in their native California’s sunshine. Packed with handclaps, ‘oohs’ and delightful guitars, ‘Naked Kids’ is a gloriously uplifting ode to the ultimate beach party that sees the band “order lobsters and Black Label” and have tons of fun instead of being “at home with Oprah” . Expect to hear this blasting out of cars hurtling down the highway this summer.

Grouplove – Naked Kids

’Grouplove – Naked Kids’

Via Earplugs Not Included

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[Indie/Pop/Rock] Introducing: Grouplove

My Photos  by ethan j edwin scott  GROUPLOVE
I’ve heard it said that some songs are just “terribly special”. Indeed, Grouplove’s self-titled debut EP is a flawless piece of music. According to the band’s MySpace biography, the five members came together on the small island of Crete in Greece. Whether it was fate, destiny, circumstance, or some combination of the three, they became so close to each other that they were compelled to come together in Los Angeles nearly a year later to record an album. As lead singer Christian Zucconi says, “…Our story a testament to fate, and our music is something we are ready to share.”

“Colours” is just the track for Grouplove begin that sharing process. A band with such a unique story is sure to produce uniquely great pieces of music, and “Colours” is indeed a track that is “terribly special”.

Grouplove -Colour

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