Mixtape. (No. 11)

These days, there are large, twisted gourds on the windowsill and a steady replenishment of fresh cider in the fridge. Woolen socks have once again worked their way to the front of my dresser drawer and as the air continues to grow more and more crisp, life around these parts has become wrapped in scarves and sprinkled with pumpkin spice. In more ways than one, Fall has most certainly arrived in the city and boy does it feel good. So, so good.

There's something special about these Fall months-- something so unique about the tastes and smells and traditions that accompany this season. It's a time for transition, a time to take pause, a time to cherish the small moments of change each day. And after such a long, horrendously hot & incredibly busy summer, I can't tell you how welcome these changes have been for me.

With the coming of Fall, I've found a renewed pep in my step-- a refreshingly untapped source of energy-- that has spurred an insatiable urge to soak up every bit of this season. And so with that, here's to you, sweet Fall. Here's to patches of pumpkins and orchards filled with apples, here's to cold bottles of hard cider and mugs of hot tea, here's to the click of boots on the sidewalk and the rustle of fallen leaves, and here's to a playlist that I've found to be the perfect soundtrack & companion to it all.

Happy listening, friends.
xo

No. 11 from joie.de.vivre on 8tracks Radio.

On Top of the World -- Imagine Dragons

The Fear -- Ben Howard

Classy Girls -- The Lumineers

The Boxer -- Mumford & Sons (feat. Jerry Douglas & Paul Simon)

Walk It Off -- Angus & Julia Stone

Feel Again -- OneRepublic

Little Talks -- Of Monsters and Men

Lonely Boy -- The Black Keys

Icswyw -- The Hill and Wood

She Got the Honey -- Mat Kearney

Photo above via Celine Steen.

Mixtape. (No. 10)

It's been a good long while since I last found a second to share some music with you all, but after having the following on constant shuffle around these parts for weeks, let me just say that if there was ever a mix that was worth the wait, I promise this is it. While I'm not sure exactly what it is about this particular compilation that has managed to so perfectly speak to both my head & my heart at this particular junction in time, all I know is that amidst this season of irregularity, this mix just feels all sorts of right. From those late nights toiling away at the office and long layovers between flights to the slow weekend mornings spent experimenting in the kitchen and late afternoons browsing through stalls at the Flea, this mix has been a bit of a constant companion to me as of late.

A mix of the regular cast of characters alongside some new found favorites-- shout out to UVa alums/Charlottesville-based group The Hill and Wood (!!)-- this playlist has proven to be everything this season of life has called for, and more. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Happy listening, friends.
xo

No. 10 from joie.de.vivre on 8tracks Radio.

Love Lost -- The Temper Trap

Bloodbuzz Ohio -- The National

Flowers in Your Hair -- The Lumineers

Make a Noise -- Katie Herzig

Rebellion (Lies) -- Arcade Fire

And the Boys -- Angus & Julia Stone

Helena Beat -- Foster the People

Slow and Steady -- Of Monsters and Men

The Call -- The Hill and Wood

Take a Walk -- Passion Pit

I Found a Way -- First Aid Kit

Mixtape. (No. 9)

Hello, sweet friends-- goodness, it's been far too long since we last shared this weekly Monday dance, hasn't it? I hope you're coming off a wonderful weekend, wherever it is you might be.

I was beyond lucky to have a crew of dear friends descend upon this little borough of mine early last week and after six days spent touring around the city, staying up far too late sitting cross-legged on the living room floor playing endless hours of games and laughing ourselves silly over old memories, new pranks, and a mutual intolerance of this horrendously unbearable heat wave, I'm finding myself wishing I could just rewind back to Tuesday and start all over again. (What do you think, friends? Part III again soon?)

Many, many more photos, stories, and posts to come this week (trust me in saying that after weeks of bookmarking pages for a later date, I've got inspiration coming out of my ears at this point), but for now I say we kick back and get this week started off on a good note. Sound good?

Here's to a new week, friends.
Enjoy!

No. 9 from joie.de.vivre on 8tracks.

Dirty Paws -- Of Monsters and Men

Sit Down By the Fire -- The Veils

Called Out in the Dark -- Snow Patrol

Up Against the Wall -- Peter Bjorn and John

Way to the Future -- Katie Herzig

Dancing In the Dark (Live) -- Mat Kearney

Missed the Boat -- Modest Mouse

Big Jet Plane -- Angus & Julia Stone

Intro -- The xx

Sail -- AWOLNATION

p.s. beautiful photo above via Benjamin Bergh

Mixtape: No. 8

Last night was one of those nights. The skies were dark with thick grey clouds and the heavy cloak of humidity in the air was impossibly hard to ignore. As rain began to tumble yet again, there was nothing more I wanted to do than clamber inside and get away from it all. It was one of those nights where hunkering down and staying put sounded like the perfect solution. And by gosh, hunker down I did.

With a fellow Brooklynite and cooking aficionado graciously braving the weather to come join me,  the night quickly took a turn for the better as we dug into this week's CSA box and officially kicked off the season with a night spent busying ourselves in the kitchen. Two bottles of wine, an unnecessarily fancy (but oh-so-delicious) dinner, and four hours of good, wholesome conversation later we realized we had stumbled upon a tradition worth keeping.

Here's one of the many playlists that kept us company as the night lingered on. Happy listening, friends.
xo

No. 8 from joie.de.vivre on 8tracks.

Echoes -- Beatenberg

We Don't Eat -- Hullabahoos

Hollywood (featuring Penguin Prison) -- RAC

Our Window -- Noah & The Whale

Rome -- Phoenix

After the Storm -- Mumford and Sons

Dreamworld -- Rilo Kiley

Come On Home -- Honeyhoney

How Do I Know -- Here We Go Magic

Start a War -- The National

Mixtape. (No. 7)

I woke up this morning to a world of grey. Up above me, beautiful wisps of silver and white swirled while the clouds curled in unruly patterns across the sky. Just outside, small raindrops were beginning to catch on the windowpane, sliding in familiar patterns as they grew larger in their downward tumble. The air was crisp & the chill, refreshing. I breathed in deep, slowly letting the cold awaken my lungs.

It was the makings of another rainy day here in New York; but I didn't seem to mind. No, not today.

You see, just around the bend, there's a busy schedule waiting for me. A schedule laden with travel, an agenda of early morning flights, and a life restricted to 3oz bottles of liquid. There is a lot of time to be spent on the road, a lot of hours to be logged in the in between. And in this moment, the thought of those nine separate flights and train rides is proving to be nine too many.

So for now, I'll enjoy the grey. I'll take in the rain and the subtle hiss of the streets as the taxis whiz by, spraying bits of puddle as they go. I'll be glad I'm not leaving just yet. I think that worry is better left to tomorrow.

Today, I'll enjoy the following mix that's made its way to the top of my playlist these past few weeks. It's an assortment of eclectic tracks that I've had circulating for a while now, but there's something oddly perfect in the way they've come together here. Today seems to be the day for putting in the headphones and turning up the volume a bit louder than I would have yesterday. I hope you'll do the same.
xo

No. 7 from joie.de.vivre on 8tracks.

Ritual Union-- Little Dragon

Fake Empire -- The National

Trojans -- Atlas Genius

Same Mistakes -- The Echo-Friendly

Towers -- Bon Iver

Riding Coach -- 1, 2, 3

Lonely Boy -- The Black Keys

Wolf -- First Aid Kit

Feeling Good -- My Brightest Diamond

Comforting Sounds -- Birdy

Relocate -- Kauf

Mixtape. (No. 6)

Sorry for the absence, friends. It's been one of those weeks-- far too many things on the plate & far too little time to stop on by for a bit to say hello. I do hope you've been well!

After three weeks spent on and off the road, I woke up this morning unexpectedly realizing how ready I am to get back to Brooklyn-- ready to get back home. I miss the familiar warmth & comfort of my apartment; the ebb and flow of my neighborhood. It's funny how even the littlest of details can start tugging at your heartstrings after a while, isn't it? Regardless, I think the hectic nature of all this travel has started to slowly take its toll a bit.

With Wednesday still two days away, I've got the following mix of familiar sounds and melodies on steady repeat to keep me chuggin' along until my wheels touch down in New York. Here's to a productive week ahead for us all, friends. Be back soon.
xo

No. 6 from joie.de.vivre on 8tracks.

Museum of Flight -- Damien Jurado

Sooner or Later -- Mat Kearney

Apologies -- Jack Savoretti

Day Glo -- Brazos

Something About The Fire (Carlos Serrano Mix) -- Adele vs. Daft Punk

Between Two Lungs -- Florence + The Machine

Heirloom -- Sufjan Stevens

This (Album) -- Ryan Montbleau Band

Streets of Philadelphia -- Bruce Springsteen

On Through The Dark -- Mesita

Cats and Dogs -- The Head and the Heart

Ottoman -- Vampire Weekend

Bon Iver. (Live Session.)

Alright Bon Iver fans, if you haven't yet been fortunate enough to stumble upon the following, prepare to fall head over heels. Recorded at AIR Studio's Lyndurst Hall-- a church designed in 1880 by Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse, famous for New York's Natural History Museum-- the following session strays away from Bon Iver's usual large-scale, instrumental performances and instead provides an intimate showcase of founder Justin Vernon, bandmate Sean Carey, two pianos & a pair of incredible vocals.

A truly mesmerizing set of interpreted Bon Iver classics like Babys and Wash alongside an absolutely beautiful cover of Bonnie Raitt's I Can't Make You Love Me not only make this clip worth a listen, but will assuredly leave you begging for many a subsequent repeat.

Hoping you enjoy this as much as I have these past two days. xo

Mixtape. (No. 5)

From painfully early morning flights and mind-numbing layovers to seemingly endless nights trying to catch up on bills and emails and notes to friends, this little mix has been on constant repeat over here as of late. An unlikely combination of some old, classic favorites with a few new melodies that have been steadily finding their way into my daily rotation, this mix is oddly wonderful in its own special way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Headphones in. Volume up. Come on Wednesday, let's dance.

No. 5 from joie.de.vivre on 8tracks.

Closer Than This -- St. Lucia

Landslide (Virgin Magnetic Material Remix) -- Fleetwood Mac

Solitaire -- Wilco

Universal Traveler -- Air

Without A Word -- Birdy

Keep It Quiet -- Ra Ra Riot

Congratulations -- MGMT

Emmylou -- First Aid Kit

The Sound of Silence (T2MM edit) -- Simon & Garfunkel

Crooked Lines -- M. Ward

Cover art via Wit & Delight, here.

Birdy.

For those of you who have not yet discovered the soulful and incredibly mature voice of 16-year old British singer/songwriter Birdy, I suggest you hop on the bandwagon. And quickly, at that. After stumbling upon her rendition of Bon Iver's Skinny Love a few months ago, I knew this talented artist was one I wanted to keep around for a long, long while. Unfortunately for me, however, her debut album, Birdy, had yet to be released outside of Europe. (Ok, patience, we can do this.)  Well, three months later,  March 20th has finally arrived.  Hooray!

A solid compilation of original tracks mixed with some truly well-done covers of classics like James Taylor's Fire and Rain, this album is surely not one to disappoint. Having already had this record on repeat all morning, I can assure you, I'm head over heels and my fondness has done nothing but grow with each cycle. Gosh, I love it when that happens. 

Preview the tracks on iTunes here, grab your free download of Without A Word (!!), and then do yourself a favor and get a copy of your own. Happy listening!

Mixtape. (No. 4)

Hello, hello! My goodness it's been a while. Has anyone yet discovered where time seems to slip away to when we least expect it? Sorry for my absence-- I hope you've all been well as I've attempted to restore some order to my little corner of the world.

After an incredibly jam-packed & wonderful few days with Marie, Matt & crew in town over the long weekend, last week was quickly consumed by a work trip, an onslaught of meetings, and far too little time to pop in and say hello. Upon returning home last Thursday night to a giant pile of mail, a list of errands a mile long, the admittance that it had in fact been 10 months since my last haircut, and the realization that my broken iPod was leaving my half-marathon training in shambles, I embarked on a weekend-long journey to attempt making some positive strides towards equilibrium again. Thus here we are, with an entire week having disappeared and it being yet another Monday. Oh, life. (Cue deep breath).

But hey, it's a new week and I've got a good feeling about this one.

I've got lots of fun posts for you all planned for this week, but for now, I wanted to leave you with the following mix I've had on play in the corner all day-- thank goodness for productive Mondays. Enjoy.

No. 4 from joie.de.vivre on 8tracks.

She Got the Honey -- Mat Kearney

Hello -- Tristan Prettyman

To a Poet -- First Aid Kit

Lost In My Mind -- The Head and the Heart

Pitter-Pat -- Erin McCarley

July Flame -- Laura Veirs

Something In The Water -- Brooke Fraser

Rush Apart -- The Rural Alberta Advantage

The Broken Ones -- Dia Frampton

Lose Some Time -- Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Mixtape. (No. 3)

Happy Monday, friends. I can't believe it's already the start of another week, can you? After a busy, but incredibly enjoyable weekend, I've started this week off on a bit of a mellow note with the following playlist & it's proven to be exactly what I needed to ease into this work week.

Wishing you all my very best for a productive and joyful week ahead.

No. 3 from joie.de.vivre on 8tracks.

 

This House of Cards -- Jamie Mefford and Blue Light

Rochester -- Mat Kearney

Coachella -- Brooke Fraser

My Father's Father -- The Civil Wars

Winter Song -- The Head & The Heart

Rewind -- Paolo Nutini

Anna's Tambourine -- Carleigh Nesbit

Blood Bank -- Bon Iver

Almost Lover -- A Fine Frenzy

Bouncing Ball -- Honeyhoney

More Time -- Needtobreathe

Not Too Late -- Norah Jones

Photo above found here, via Wit & Delight.

Girl Walk // All Day.

Holy. Moly. Hello, Friday! Is anyone else as excited as I am for the weekend to finally be here? I'm not sure what combination of factors resulted in this past week feeling like it lasted a lifetime, but I do know how good it feels to have this wonderful weekend ahead to catch up on sleep, get outdoors to enjoy this unseasonably warm weather, and just re--lax. Two. Thumbs. Up.

In an effort to get this weekend off on a good note, I wanted to share this incredible dance project that I found through a friend of mine. Set to the soundtrack of Girl Talk's mash-up album, All Day, Girl Walk//All Day is a feature-length dance music video that follows three dancers through the streets and boroughs of New York as they use the architecture, landscape, and people around them to shape and inspire their collective, day-long mission to spread the joy of movement and dance.

 

The true magic in a public art project of this nature stems from the ways in which the spectators and environment react to and interact with the piece and, as you can imagine, in a city like New York, you just never know what you're going to find.

Take a peek at the trailer below and if you find yourself with some time, swing on over here where you can find all 12 chapters and watch the film in its entirety. (My suggestions? Check out Chapters 3, 4, 8, and definitely 10)

Happy Weekend, everyone!



Official Trailer: Girl Walk // All Day from Girl Walk // All Day

The Head & The Heart.

It's been one of those days, friends-- nothing but cold, dark, and damp for miles in every direction-- and unfortunately it seems my mood has managed to pick up every bit of it all. It's been a rotten start to the week, with my mind clearly elsewhere, and I can't seem to snap out of this funk that I've fallen into. But I've got a new band on shuffle in the corner and despite all odds, these melodies seem to be the only thing working to quell this miserable spirit of mine.

And so without further ado, I give to you today, The Head & The Heart--

So many decisions in life and in the music we love can come down to a critical tug between the logic in our heads and the hot red blood beating through our hearts. Seattle's The Head & The Heart live authentically in that crux, finding the joy and beauty wedged there... There is in this music a counter-cultural optimism, with roots that grow deep and melodies that lodge themselves far into that place inside you where the head meets the heart.

I just can't get enough of those strong instrumentals; those clear, balanced, and hearty vocal lines; the careful intentionality of the lyrics; and heck, the whole dang combination of it all wrapped up into one. All I can say is, these guys have got some true, raw talent and I'm excited to keep The Head & The Heart residing on my playlist for a good long while.

(Above bio and photos via The Head & The Heart's website unless otherwise linked)

Mixtape. (No. 2)

Another weekend, come and gone & on the horizon, another week ahead.

Looking forward to a combination of bottomless mugs of hot tea, giant bowls full of my homemade chicken noodle soup (yumm!), and having the following playlist on shuffle in the background to keep me on track this week: (Listen, here!)

Vienna -- Matt Costa

Skinny Love -- Birdy

Down in the Valley -- The Head and The Heart

Your Song -- Ellie Goulding

Everywhere I Go -- Lissie

Sleep All Day -- The Rural Alberta Advantage

Hometown Glory -- Adele

Oh, La -- Ra Ra Riot

Who Are We Fooling -- Brooke Fraser (feat. Aqualung)

Ocean -- John Butler

Here's to going into this week with a wealth of positive energy, being inspired with an abundance of productivity, stumbling upon some creative inspiration along the way, and trying hard to not wish the days away when they get long & hard, but instead remembering to find a little something to be thankful for as I go.

Alright, Monday. Let's do this.

Mixtape.

I've had the following mix on steady repeat this week and it's done a wonderful job of keeping me company through the rainy weather and this sniffly cold. A bit mellow with a few unexpected surprises, this mix is mostly tried and true favorites with a sprinkling of new discoveries that I can't seem to get enough of. Not much rhyme or reason, but that's the way it goes sometimes.

Enjoy.

Sailboats -- Brooke Fraser
The Ballad of the RAA -- The Rural Alberta Advantage
Oh Mama -- Honeyhoney
Timshel -- Mumford and Sons
One Upon a Street -- Jack Savoretti
Beach Baby -- Bon Iver
Wise -- Hey Ocean!
Poison & Wine -- The Civil Wars
Goodmorning -- William Fitzsimmons
Lullaby -- Sia
Picture in a Frame -- Ben Harper

Wishing you and yours a wonderful, wonderful weekend.

The Civil Wars

Happy Monday, all! Sorry for the late night post, but it's been a bit of a hectic day and I've only now found some time to get around to saying hello. How was your weekend?

Not sure what you've got on shuffle these days, but wanted to share a video from one of the bands that I've regularly had on play these past few weeks: The Civil Wars. I bought their first album, Barton Hollow, when it first came out in February and have just been in love ever since. Soft strums from the guitar, smooth and gentle melodies on the piano & a pair of absolutely incredible vocals--The Civil Wars are modest, minimalist & just downright beautiful.

Enjoy :)

Shake it Out.

Oh, Florence. You've done it again & I'm totally obsessed.





Does this not make you want to smile and do a little jig... just because? Such a great mood booster!