I wanna see all the stars and everything in between:

Easily too swept away with the warmth this weekend, I'm looking forward to what's to come - nothing pairs better with wishful thinking and a bounce in your step like pop music does. Give me those chart toppers (and ignore whatever weather is to come).

02.24.14 - Mixtape Monday

American Girl - Bonnie McKee
Happy - Pharrell Williams
Burn - Ellie Goulding
Birthday - Selena Gomez
Drunk in Love - Beyonce ft. Jay-Z
Hard Out Here - Lily Allen

Holy Grail - Jay-Z ft. Justin Timberlake
Stay The Night - Zedd ft. Hayley Williams
Started From The Bottom - Drake
Neon Lights - Demi Lovato

everyone's riding on the rolling tide, their hearts are heavy and the sea is wide:

02.17.14 - Mixtape Monday

Be Set Free - Langhorne Slim
Give Me Back My Girl - Fiction Family
Boathouse - Noah Gundersen
Take A Bow - Greg Laswell
Only Yesterday - Taken By Trees
The Real Thing - Sahara Smith
Flow - Emma-Lee
Don't Say - St. Lola In The Fields
O I Long to Feel Your Arms Around Me - Father John Misty
Call Me On Your Way Back Home - Ryan Adams

I am what you want when you don't want anything else:

02.10.14 - Mixtape Monday

Sunday Morning - No Doubt
Girls Chase Boys - Ingrid Michaelson
Ain't It Fun - Paramore
Quit Pulling Me Down - Secret Someones
The Night - States
The Mother We Share - CHVRCHES
Don't Save Me - Haim
Fire Escape - Hotel Cinema
All the Days - Haerts
But I Do - Now, Now

and when she passes, I smile - but she doesn't see:

02.03.14 - Mixtape Monday

Solar - Bill Evans Trio
Rockit - Herbie Hancock
Can't We Be Friends - Chick Corea, Gary Burton
The Girl From Ipanema - Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto
Freddie Freeloader - Miles Davis
Parker's Mood (Original) - Charlie Parker
Much Later - Wynton Marsalis
Fables of Faubus - Charles Mingus
Strange Meadow Lark - The Dave Brubeck Quartet
River Man - Brad Mehldau

Photo credit: Rebecca Jane; drink credit: Jason Cool.

all of your flaws and all of my flaws, they lie there hand in hand:

01.27.14 - Mixtape Monday

Instant Crush - Daft Punk/Julian Casablancas

Fool For Love - Stefy
Broken Trains - Patterns
Modern Jesus - Portugal. The Man
Thunder Clatter - Wild Cub
Love Like This - Kodaline
Santa Fe - Beirut
King and Cross - Asgeir
Instantly Gratified - People In Planes
Flaws - Bastille

there's no glitter in the gutter, there's no twilight galaxy:

01.20.14 - Mixtape Monday

Fader - The Temper Trap
There's Never Enough Time - The Postal Service
Pictures of Success - Rilo Kiley
Midnight Coward - Stars
Unbelievers - Vampire Weekend
Goodnight Goodnight - Hot Hot Heat
Seasick - Silversun Pickups
Needing/Getting - OK Go
Twilight Galaxy - Metric
Like Foxes Through Fences - The American Analog Set

remember your dream is your only scheme so keep on pushing:

01.13.14 - Mixtape Monday

Lovely Day - Bill Withers

Sunday Kind Of Love - Etta James

You Send Me - Sam Cooke

Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack

You've Really Got A Hold On Me - The Miracles

Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - James Brown

Let's Stay Together - Al Green

Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone

Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield

Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead

there is no courage in flirting with fear to prove you're alive:

01.06.13 - Mixtape Monday

Pocket Knife - Lowland Hum
Ever Could - William Fitzsimmons
Wish I Could Forget - The Weepies
Eat You Alive - The Oh Hello's
The End Of History - Fionn Regan
Tipperary - Joey Ryan
Rootless Tree - Damien Rice
What'll I Do - Lisa Hannigan
Working Poor - Horse Feathers
Keep Warm - Ingrid Michaelson

but now I see me in everything you don't say:

Top Albums of 2013, 5-1:

[5]
Kevin Devine - "Bulldozer"
iTunes / amazon mp3 / hard copy

Finding the appropriate place(s) for Kevin Devine on this year end list was a fairly difficult task with not one, but two fan funded albums released for our benefit. Sometimes you have to go with your gut, and for me “Bulldozer” came out on top this year over, still on the top ten list, “Bubblegum.” A little more personal with a lighter feel, “Bulldozer” grabbed and held my attention from first listen. One shouldn’t feel compelled to deny how the title track had you bopping along and thinking fondly of your own “Little Bulldozer” because no matter how personal Devine gets with his lyrics, the joy of music is to add your own meaning to the lyrics so kindly crafted for our ears. The heartfelt ideas of this wordsmith don’t stop at romantic ideals, as two stand-out tracks off the album talk of Hurricane Sandy aftermath. Devine touches on how the devastation was more than just watching helplessly as structures were demolished, but also to the idea of home, how that word is valued, and who and where it may be -- “My father built this place / In 1928 / I’ve got nowhere to go. / Where would I be? / My life is here / Entirely.” A true storyteller, Devine captures you with his vulnerability and keeps you coming back.

[4]
Tegan And Sara - "Heartthrob"
iTunes / amazon mp3 / hard copy

Heartthrob: the throb of a heart; sentimental emotion; sweetheart. When "Heartthrob" kicks off, we’re welcomed with open arms to an album that was made to be danced to - to the beat of the drum reminiscent to the beat of one’s heart. Your foot starts tapping along with the bass drum, and about forty seconds into the first single “Closer” you’re off in your own world - this feeling stays with you throughout the whole album about the most relatable of all topics, heartbreak. We’re given hope that we’re not alone and all we really need is an album full of vibey synthesizers and keys plus beats to get us through. 80’s dance music? Absolutely an influence, and it’s great to see Tegan and Sara take a chance with these songs showing growth by moving away from what many consider their comfort zone and reaching out to and connecting with a new fan base. As usual, there is no limit to substance and heart in this album, and the lyrics will prove to you just that. Singing along to “I Was A Fool,” for instance, will prove to be very cathartic - “If you’re worried that I might have changed, left behind all of my foolish ways, you best be looking for someone else without a foolish heart.” Listeners will become hooked to this album as quickly as they may have found themselves hooked to a new crush - but with the good kind of butterflies this time.

[3]
Owen - "L'Ami du Peuple"
iTunes / amazon mp3 / hard copy

Things that feel like a constant in my life? Owen’s music. If ever I’m feeling lost or looking for something to ground me, I always go back to his music. There’s something so simple yet complex about Mike Kinsella’s talents, especially his intricate guitar playing, and it’s easy to get blown away by the musicality of his albums. What may be better than his musicality you ask? His seemingly no fear attitude when it comes to singing some of the most honest lyrics you’ll ever come across. To me, that feels like a large part of why people appreciate Kinsella and his music - in a word full of constant badgering and people trying to hide their flaws, Kinsella has no problem being straightforward and embracing his ways in a public forum. In a song titled “Coffin Companion,” Kinsella reminds us that we’re not in it alone, and that you’re not the only one who feels down and out. “Coffin companions: early to bed, and weary to rise. A girl with work to do; a boy with two thorns in his side. Of all the coffins in all the dreadful corners of the world, you chose mine, and I yours.” Another favorite of mine, “Bad Blood” touches on the fact that we all have to work with the cards dealt, heredity and all. We’re not perfect, but we do our best to be who we are. I’m constantly coming back to “L’ami Du Peuple,” Owen’s best work to date, and I hope you find yourself breathing a sigh of relief and doing the same.

[2]
BOY - "Mutual Friends"
iTunes / amazon mp3

"Seven little numbers, baby, they could be a start. Seven little numbers, baby, I know yours by heart." After stumbling upon BOY’s “Little Numbers” on YouTube and falling for a sentiment we know all to well, I was immediately hooked and started searching the internet for ways to purchase an album. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was one, “Mutual Friends,” but sad to read that it wasn’t going to be released in America until this year. Without a second thought, at the end of last year, I purchased a download of the album and my debit card was charged an amount in Euros. This was one of the few times when risking your debit card getting stopped due to strange activity was completely worth it. "Mutual Friends" made getting from point a to b, wherever that may have been, all more the worthwhile and with a skip in my step. The duo of Valeska Steiner (bassist) and Sonja Glass (singer) have created a masterpiece, and from the first sounds of the album and opening track (appropriately the sound of needle to vinyl) "This Is The Beginning," you're transported into the riveting world that this pop duo has created especially for you. "Open the boxes, unpack what you own. Hang up some posters and make this a home. Walk down the stairs, and open the door, look at the things you've never seen before." That's exactly what this album is, a fresh take on all of your surroundings. It's time to see things through a new light, and that light is all thanks to BOY.

[1]
The Lonely Forest - "Adding Up The Wasted Hours"
iTunes / amazon mp3 / hard copy

To be honest, I didn't see this coming. I really didn't expect this album to win me over like it did, but boy was I wrong. This is more than just kicking the winning field goal to secure your victory by one point, The Lonely Forest went ahead and hit grand slam to win the game with their latest album. Yes, to state it plainly, they knocked one out of the park. From the simplicity of the opening with the listener's main focus being the vocals with minimal backing to the very last crescendo into the fade away to close out "Adding Up The Wasted Hours," you're in for possibly the most sonically pleasing album you've heard in quite some time. You'll be won over by first listen, but there's something new thanks to the many layers to catch you and your heart off guard with every listen. Each song discusses relationships, in their various forms, so you're bound to have your heartstrings pulled by thoughts you've most likely tried to push out of your mind. "Lovric's" is a standout track on the album, and in a whimsical way it brings forward the inconsistencies of our heart and our feelings - you know, being human. "Still everything that you do makes me want to sail to you, and I can see there's a line that I won't cross - you need time." After three studio albums, The Lonely Forest has proven themselves to me after "Adding Up The Wasted Hours." These gentlemen from Washington state deserve countless accolades for creating the most solid rock albums of the year -- I am incredibly grateful for it; hopefully you will be too.

but I made it through 'cause somebody knew I was meant for someone:

Top Albums of 2013, 10-6:

[10]
Jason Isbell - "Southeastern"
iTunes / amazon mp3 / hard copy

[9]
Lori McKenna - "Massachusetts"
iTunes / amazon mp3 / hard copy

[8]
The Front Bottoms - "Talon of the Hawk"
iTunes / amazon mp3 / hard copy

[7]
Kevin Devine & The Goddamn Band - "Bubblegum"
iTunes / amazon mp3 / hard copy

[6]
Lucius - "Wildewoman"
iTunes / amazon mp3 / hard copy

my little mischievous everything, my little shot in the dark:

Kicking off 2013's year-end lists with NeverBeenHeard's top songs of 25. It's quite a genre spanning list where you'll find out some of my guilty pleasure tracks over the past year (eek!), so here's to this year in music! Cheers!

12.16.13 - Mixtape Monday

Pompeii - Bastille

Chocolate - The 1975

Hold On, We're Going Home - Drake

TKO - Justin Timberlake

Flying Over Water - Jason Isbell

Most People - Dawes

Concession Speech Writer - Their / They're / There

When The Moon Brings The Silver - Matt Pond

Get Lucky - Daft Punk

Still Into You - Paramore

The Other Side - Jason Derulo

Brave - Sara Bareilles

I Was A Fool - Tegan and Sara

Lovric's - The Lonely Forest

Little Bulldozer - Kevin Devine

Say What You Mean - Allison Weiss

The Way I Tend To Be - Frank Turner

Sure Be Cool If You Did - Blake Shelton

Back To You - Twin Forks

Oh, Mama - Aoife O'Donovan

Horses - Grand Hallway

Bad Blood - Owen

How Loud Your Heart Gets - Lucius

Take Me With You When You Go - Lori McKenna

Thanksgiving - Stephen Kellogg

Photo credit: Tabatha Skelton Dorion.

hey cinnamon, will you be my sugar?:

12.09.13 - Mixtape Monday

I'm in a Bad Way - PJ Bond
The Ballad Of The Opening Band - Jeff Tweedy
Are You Listening - Kopecky Family Band
I Just Might Pray - The David Mayfield Parade
Ends of the Earth - Lord Huron
Brother, Sister - Beta Radio
Rust or Gold - Jill Andrews
I Will Not Take My Love Away - Matt Wertz
A Soft Place To Land - Kathleen Edwards
My Camera - Aaron Lee Tasjan

Art credit: Kurt Halsey.

you were always saying something, you swear you'd never say again:

A few of us went to our 10 year high school reunion this weekend, and nothing is more crazy and weird and fun than being in a room with people you grew up with...ten years later. It caused me to take many walks down memory lane, and I decided why stop - so today's songs are ones I may have found myself listening to on my discman on the way to and from swim meets or singing along with friends on the seven minute drive to and from high school. This weekend helped me come to terms that sometimes there's nothing wrong with a total blast from the past to help get you into perspective - no matter how embarrassing you thought things were, the music you listened to was way worse (kidding, I swear!).

12.02.13 - Mixtape Monday

Parachutes - Coldplay
If You're Gone - Matchbox Twenty
Be Like That - 3 Doors Down
Slide - Goo Goo Dolls
257 Weeks - Nine Days
Everything You Want - Vertical Horizon
In Too Deep - Sum 41
The Anthem - Good Charlotte
Swing, Swing - The All-American Rejects
Army - Ben Folds Five
Fa Fa - Guster
Out Loud - Dispatch
You Wanted More - Tonic
Wish You Were Here - Incubus
Here's To The Night - Eve 6

you're a needle in the hay, you're the water at the door:

It's the most wonderful time of the year - because it's Thanksgiving week! Enjoy & be thankful, friends. (I'm thankful for you.)

11.25.13 - Mixtape Monday

Fireproof - The National
You Got Me All Wrong - Dios Malos
Seventeen Year Cicada - El Capitan
Faint of Hearts - Maritime
Ask - The Smiths
Yesterday, Never - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Eyes - Rogue Wave
You Never Arrived - Midlake
Don't I Hold You - Wheat
Swim Until You Can't See Land - Frightened Rabbit

Photo credit: Adam Fromm.

but I hear the call of a lifetime ring, felt the need to get up for it:

11.18.13 - Mixtape Monday

All My Friends - LCD Soundsystem

(Everything Is) Debatable - Hellogoodbye

Roadrunner - The Modern Lovers

The Underdog - Spoon

This Is Why We Fight - The Decemberists

The King Of Wishful Thinking - Go West

Breakdown - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

Hannah - Freelance Whales

Amazing Eyes - Good Old War

I Guess I Should Go To Sleep - Jack White

I'm not a human, I am a dove, I'm your conscious, I am love:

Cool cats come from the 80's, and so do today's songs.

11.11.13 - Mixtape Monday

Take On Me - a-ha
Only You - Yaz
In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - Michael Jackson
Straight Up - Paula Abdul
I Would Die 4 U - Prince
You Got It (The Right Stuff) - New Kids On The Block
Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears

I've got no destination, don't know when I'll be back:

Do you like folk music, plaid, and/or beards?

If you've answered yes to any of the aforementioned things, then I've got the band for you. If you didn't answer yes to any of these...well, I'm still real confident that I've got the band for you...

Western North Carolina band Redleg Husky is a breath of fresh air for when I need a break from all of my heavier rock tunes and I'm looking for something different - something special. These Americana folk tunes are filled with really cool instrumentation that's not often seen in these parts, as they're unique to the Appalachia area. C'mon, how often do you see a saw in use in general, let alone for music purposes? I mean, what's more intriguing these days than unconventional instruments? Hearing a lot of buzz from the music community of, "let's hear something we haven't heard before," or the idea of always finding what's next first - start here, with Redleg Husky. With their first EP, and first release, available for free download on their bandcamp, there's really nothing holding you back from giving these musicians a little bit of your time to check them out. It'll be time well spent! Combining the eclectic musical backgrounds of Misa Giroux, Tim McWilliams, and David Funderburk, Redleg Husky is sure to have a spark of something you've already been listening to within the layers of these songs. Plus, we all need some boot stompin' tunes in our lives - you can't deny that.

Coming off releasing their first EP, the Husky folk have their eyes set on what's next, and for them it's coming to you to ask for help to get into to the studio to record their first full length album. They've been playing shows in North Carolina constantly and along with their impressive cover songs, they've been working on writing new songs to keep their sets constantly changing and always exciting! Please consider helping them out at their indiegogo page (click there!), and be sure to watch the video! It may be one of the best campaign videos I've seen in a long time, but I may be biased...since there's a dog in the video. Go see for yourself!

Good luck to Redleg Husky and their endeavors!



Photo credit: Andrew Payne.

you patched me up and sent me on my way:

11.04.13 - Mixtape Monday

I Like What You Say - Nada Surf
Let's Talk About Spaceships - Say Hi To Your Mom
Edgar - Lucky Elephant
Frame by Frame - The Honorary Title
Our Bleeding Hearts - Great Northern
Sons and Lovers - Black Light Dinner Party
New York - The Boxer Rebellion
Puncture Repair - Elbow
Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez
Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl - Broken Social Scene

but I know how she'll take her coffee in the morning:

"As the house lights go down, and the band queues up, the chills of excitement have already starting coursing through your body. When the lights slowly come back up, you're welcomed into a different world, a pleasant break from your own - a world dreamt up by George Woods and narrated by songs from his band’s latest album 'Heartbeat.'"

You may remember hearing about "Heartbeat: A Modern Dance Rock Concert" once before and then possibly found yourself missing out on this truly wonderful and seemingly once in a lifetime experience. Well, you're in luck - there's great news for those in the area of the lovely city of Boston! If you missed out on being a part of this at the Oberon this past March, the time has come for the second chance you have found yourself hoping for! "Heartbeat" is returning to The Oberon next month (November 7, 8, & 10) featuring a new cast and new choreography. 

It's an experience like no other that the George Woods band and choreographer Jen Kuhnberg have created to bring to life the storybook of songs off of the full length album "Heartbeat." The songs and the overall evening speak honestly to you as a member of the audience and to our own heartbeats. It's a night to remember, so find tickets and more information about performances please be sure to visit the Oberon's website! With your advanced ticket purchase, you'll receive a free digital download of a couple of songs from the performance and a chance to win one of the newly designed Heartbeat t-shirts!

To find my previous write-up on "Heartbeat" - go here!

As a thanks to Woods for being a constant supporter of NBH, today's Mixtape goes out to him!

10.28.13 - Mixtape Monday

Overture/Rewind - George Woods

Shake My Soul - George Woods

Please - Bette

Trouble - Ray LaMontagne

The One I Love - Greg Laswell

Static Waves - Andrew Belle (feat. Katie Herzig)

Something That I Want - Grace Potter

Complimentary Me - Elizabeth & the Catapult

You're Not Fooling Anyone - Lelia Broussard

The Last One - Cary Brothers

Easier To Lie - Aqualung

Photo credit: George Woods.

so used to the false alarms, it felt like a fire drill:

10.21.13 - Mixtape Monday

Something We Just Know - Twin Forks
Love For Long - Jenny Owen Youngs
Hard to Say - Harrison Hudson
Please Don't Go Away Like That - Brett Detar
Here We Go - The Spring Standards
The Pursuit of Happiness - Ben Sollee
Most People - Dawes
Monsters - Lucius
Safe - Kevin Devine
Warm/Happy - The Lonely Forest