I don’t think I’ve ever dedicated a post to music on this blog before, and there needs to be at least one.

Lately I’ve been listening to some damn good Spotify artists over and over. If you’re not on Spotify, the time has officially come. There’s too much good music you’re missing out on. There are too many public playlists to keep your ears happy, and far too much amazing new music to discover. Your ears literally do not even realize what they’ve been craving until they’ve heard all the music Spotify has to offer. It’s the one thing I gladly pay for every month ($10) and can’t get enough of.

That spiel being said, I’ve creeped on a lot of people’s playlists over the past few…well, pretty much all of 2014, and assembled a decent list of people who are worth giving a listen. Some are artists you’ve heard of no doubt, but others are still up and coming. I would say there’s a bit of something here for everyone.

1. Meg Myers
I put her first on my list because I just discovered her last week and I have been playing her album over and over. She’s Fiona Apple meets Alanis Morrisette meets any woman who’s ever screamed in a song. Also any woman who’s ever been scorned. At first you’re like woah, this girl is a bit risque because she uses the word ‘fuck’ in a song or two, but then you’re like wow this is deep and heartfelt and shit I am loving this! Her songs really cut deep into the blackness of the soul, and I basically can’t help but jam out. My favorite songs are Desire, Make a Shadow, and Curbstomp.

2. Phantogram
Many of you already know Phantogram. If you’ve been listening to any Miike Snow or Best Coast radio stations on Pandora, you’ve likely heard them. Although they have a unique sound all their own. Their most popular song, I’d say, is When I’m Small, because that’s the one I heard a zillion times on Pandora. But they have some great ones that get radio play, and even one I heard in my kickboxing class! I love Black Out Days and Fall in Love. Equally.

3. Houses
I can’t remember who’s playlist I was peepin’ when I discovered Houses, but I think I was looking for some chill music and randomly one of their songs played. If you’re into very chill, but good, relaxing music, these guys are for you. They are so good. I have their entire collection in a playlist specifically for when I’m in the mood for them. Like right now, writing this post. So you can get a taste, my favorites so far are Reds and Sleeping.

4. Lykke Li
You definitely know Lykke Li. Her most popular song would probably be Little Bit, which I first heard on Pandora as well. But I’ve been peeping her stuff on Spotify lately, and she’s just got such a damn good vibe and sound. She makes me crazy. Every time she comes on in the car, my anxiety dissipates. Especially the song I Follow Rivers. Another good one is No Rest For The Wicked.

5. Washed Out
I’m obsessed with Washed Out. It’s scary. They are another group I discovered on someone’s random playlist, and it sort of goes like this: I hear a song I like from someone’s random list, I click the artist’s name and see what else they’ve done, and I listen to some of their stuff for a few minutes to see if it’s good. It usually is. And this is what happened with Washed Out. They’re more…indie/chillwave, I guess? I’m horrible at this. But they use the right amount of voice and rhythm, let’s just say that. I remember listening to them when I first got my Chevy Cruze, ridin around like I was in a dream. Feel It All Around was the first song that made me feel this way. I also really love Within and Without, among a ton of others.

6. London Grammar
Another playlist peep. I wish I could remember who’s playlist I found all of this terrific music on, but it was someone magnificent. The moment I heard the song Nightcall, I was hooked. That song was in the movie Drive (by another artist), which is why I loved it, but sung by Hannah Reid…it gives me chills. This woman’s voice is amazing. It’s soft, calm, and chill. Perfect mood music for an evening in with a bottle of red and a good book. I just started listening to all of their songs after that and couldn’t stop. Stay Awake is my favorite, as well as If You Wait. Ooh wee I want to listen to them meow.

7. Solid Gold
A friend of mine recommended Solid Gold to me, and then I promptly forgot about that recommendation and ended up discovering them on Spotify. I’m no music blogger, so I can’t really describe what kind of music genre Solid Gold is, I just know I heard their song Six Days and I was hooked. Do you like or know of Broken Bells? I guess they have that kind of vibe. In a way.

All of these artists are mostly chill (save for Meg Myers). I use that word a lot throughout this blog post, but there’s no other word in the dictionary that can provide what I’m trying to describe this music as. These are the artists I start and end my day with lately. They coax me into continuing, into being creative, and inspired. They paint the day in blues and purples. They ignite the imagination, and can unclog some serious writer’s block with the right amount of play. That’s a blog post within itself.

I hope you enjoyed some of these, did you already know a few of these artists? Any of them your favs? Also, I could always use more recommendations! Let’s also follow each other on Spotify if you’re already on there!

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Monique Muro

Monique is an exceedingly happy human from LA. She runs the blog A Novel Quest, and writes. A lot.

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