[TMN Premiere] Carousel – Dancing On My Own (Robyn Cover)

Carousel
Dancing On My Own (Robyn Cover)

Mondays are likely not the most exciting of days for many of our Ninja contingent out there in the blogosphere, but today’s exclusive premiere should hopefully pull a childish smile and a hip-wiggle out of your afternoon. Over the last few years, L.A. stationed “Happy-Dance” duo and TMN favorites Carousel have become a live act that hasn’t been missed once by some form of your Music Ninja squad in Denver, and one that even warranted an elated event review for their last jaunt out here with Mansions on the Moon. On that note, if you have found yourself fortunate enough to capture one of their intimate sets, then no doubt one of our favorite staples in their live diet – the duo’s synth-pop take on Robyn’s smash single “Dancing On My Own” – was happily consumed by an entranced audience. At least that is the effect it had on us. Jackson Philips’ smooth vocals and deft touch on an intimidating synthesizer sets this emotive pacesetter off, while Kevin Friedman’s sprightly guitar licks add another layer of depth only Carousel could add to a fun, but quite honestly vapid pop single. The Robyn cover has been begging to be recorded and released, so it was akin to an early birthday present when this gem was waiting for us this morning. Carousel’s version of “Dancing on My Own” could be played for an hour straight on our in house monitors and I don’t think many of us would have an inkling of a problem with that…. so you should maybe do the same. Check it out above and as always, let us know how this one strikes your fancy.

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[MP3 Playlist] Indie Dojo (May 2013 Round #5)

indie-dojo-music-ninjaWe all have those songs that we find eeeeextremely annoying the first time we hear them. So annoying that we publicly swear we will never listen to it again.  But then someway, somehow, they magically creep into our world and we find ourselves enjoying it more than we ever hated it. You know the one. The song that we blast in our cars and then the moment our friend gets in we quickly hit the next button while expressing how stupid it is.  The funny this is, those friends are probably secretly wishing you would have kept it on. And honestly, why should we be embarrassed of our musical taste? Everyone has got that one stupid song or 100 stupid songs for that matter. So be a ninja. Stand tall and let your musical taste fly free…..

’Milky Chance – Down by the River’
’Morningbell – Goodbye And Goodbye And Goodbye And Goodbye’
’Bipolar Sunshine – Rivers’
’Slothpop – Kokoro’
’Worry Dolls – Polaroids’
’Settling – Put a Ring On It (Beyonce Cover)’

 

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[Awesome] Daughter – Get Lucky (Daft Punk Cover)

Daughter
Get Lucky (Daft Punk Cover)

This weekend, folk trio Daughter take on “Get Lucky”, the ubiquitous new comeback single by Daft Punk (whose official artwork is above). It’s exactly what you might expect, in the most unexpected way, and a definite “must listen”. Check it out.

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[Mashup] Pentatonix – Evolution of Music

As music bloggers, our mindset often gets caught up in the new. New singles, new remixes, new albums, etc. Everything is about the here and now, and providing the latest and greatest material for all you ninjas out there. Sometimes though, it’s good to reflect on the old, and see how far we’ve come over the last few years. Pentatonix takes that exact concept and stretches things back all the way to the 11th century.

The California-based a cappella group takes us on a journey through history, showcasing some of the most popular music of the last century, and more, in merely four minutes. While every classic isn’t present (that would be kind of tough to fit within the time constraints), the band does do a tremendous job of summing up the sounds of each decade. This is more than just a gimmick too, as the group is able to demonstrate their vocal range and talents superbly through the mashup. See if you can name all the songs used in the medley, before peeking at the list after the jump. After hearing this, let’s all hope the band decides to make a part two. Also, make sure to check out more from Pentatonix on their official website.


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Chocolate (The 1975 Cover)

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Best Coast – Crying (Roy Orbison Cover) (ft. Snacks The Cat)

bestcoastt
Crying (Roy Orbison Cover ft. Snacks The Cat)

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard new material from Bethany Cosentino, aka Best Coast, but I think the music world will go on just fine thanks to little surprises like this. The surfy-vintage-pop-rocker takes on “Crying”, the beautifully somber classic ’60s track originally by rock legend Roy Orbison. Though not as heavy-handed as the original — it’s got Cosentino’s signature sweet, lo-fi shagginess — the cover still shows a good dose of tender yearning and romanticism. Cry to (or fall in love with?) it above.

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Little Talks (Cris Cab Cover)

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