5 'Oh Canada' songs

In the light of the recent Sochi Olympic Games 2014 'tis the perfect time to write about how proud citizens and people who live in Canada are proud of their country. 

Congratulations to Canada Olympic Team which came in 3rd in the competition, earning 25 medals (10 gold, 10 silver, 5 bronze)! We are very proud of you, although you were set aside by the teams of Russia and Norway who took 1st and 2nd place accordingly. More info on medal count can be found here: http://www.sochi2014.com/en/medal-standings .

Canadian athletes won medals in the following sports: freestyle skiing, alpine skiing, bobsleigh, curling, figure skating, ice hockey, short track, snowboarding and speed skating. Great job! 

For this reason, I decided to make and share this week's playlist that features great Canadian artists. While compiling the playlist, I specified it a little bit to feature electronic and trip hop Canadian artists, such as Crystal Castles, The Weeknd, Chromeo and Dr.Draw. 

Canada has a lot to offer (ofc not only when it comes to music), but some great Canadian artists and bands include Garou, Drake, Mylene Farmer, Nelly Furtado, The Barenaked Ladies. The most well-known pop singers include Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen.

The playlist opens up with Canadian Anthem (so obvious!), followed by vibrant rhythms of Crystal Catles "Suffocation", smoothing tune "Montreal" by The Weeknd, festive beats of Chromeo's new release "Come Alive" and a finishing touch of Dr.Draw's instrumental madness "Ra Ra Ra".  

So turn your speakers really loud on and be proud of Canada!

Top 5 Album Picks of 2013

Greetings to all of you, music junkies, and those who just view this post!

I should start off saying that last year our favourite artists released a lot of amazing songs and great albums. 
The list is nearly endless and includes artists from around the globe who perform in various music styles: 

Arctic Monkeys, Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Disclosure, White Lies, Drake, Franz Ferdinand, MGMT, Phoenix, The National, Lorde and Kanye West have done a really good job to give their fans new quality stuff to go crazy about. 

What's more, some of the old but still loved and internationally recognized artists are rocking it just like at those good old days. Check out new releases by Elton John, Paul McCartney, David Bowie and Sting!   

My Top 5 picks for album releases of 2013 have been sitting for a while in my iPod in "Quality Stuff13" playlist.

This post introduces those top 5 pics mentioned above. So turn on Mixcloud, YouTube, Spotify, VK Playlist or whatever it is that you're using to listen to your favourite music and get into the rhythm!

5. The National "Trouble Will Find Me" 

Guys from this Brooklyn-based indie rock band just seem to sound better with each recording they make: so far, out  of their albums, this one is the best. You can tell a difference between their first release "The National" and every one of those that followed. "Trouble Will Find Me" is not an exception. So far, the latest release of this band is the leanest and most aerodynamic.

Top tracks: Sea of Love, Demons, Fireproof, Heavenfaced

4. Daft Punk "Random Access Memories"

I don't think there's a single person left who didn't get himself dancing at the beat of Get Lucky and Lose Yourself to Dance - vibrant summer 2013's most recognized tracks. Daft Punk rocked dance floors since the band was created, but their 4th record "Random Access Memories" was a huge universal success. 

In fact, "Random Access Memories" was the fastest selling album in UK chart history even before it was released.

So turn your speakers on, put the volume on max and lose yourself to dance!

Top tracks: Get Lucky, Lose Yourself to Dance, Give Life Back to Music, Within

3.  Depeche Mode "Delta Machine"

Depeche Mode proved their ability to make unbelievably deep and touching rhythms over almost 35 years of being on stage. "Delta Machine" wasn't the exception to this statement. If I could make love to a song, I would get restless with Heaven. 

"Delta Machine" tracklist is provided for your enjoyment.

Top tracks: Heaven, Soothe My Soul, Angel, Slow

Depeche Mode - Delta Machine (Album Stream) by Juan Fortran on Mixcloud

2. Arctic Monkeys "AM"

Before the release of "AM", Arctic Monkeys had a few pretty (damn?) good recordings. Indie junkies were dancing their heads off with I Bet You Look Good on a Dance Floor and Fluorescent Adolescent.

But when "Do I wanna Know?" single was released last June, it all changed. It seems that everyone was singing together with Alex Turner 
"Too busy being yours to fall for somebody new..."
and waiting for the album to come out.

Top tracks: Do I Wanna Know?, Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High, Arabella, No.1 Party Anthem

XFM Track-By-Track: Arctic Monkeys on AM by Xfm Radio on Mixcloud

1. The Neighbourhood "I Love You"

Rolling Stone probably didn't include this music masterpiece to its Top 50 Albums of 2013. Nevertheless, this band literally made my year in terms of music. These smooth indie pop rhythms tune seem to be able to get everyone into the tune. 

Light. Catchy. Smooth.

No more descriptions. Just press play and dive into this indie pop perfection.

Top Tracks: Afraid, How, Sweater Weather, W.D.Y.W.F.M.

The Neighbourhood ‘I Love You’ Full Album Stream « Radio.com News

Playlists: courtesy of YouTube, SoundCloud, Mixcloud, radio.com

Useful links: 
http://www.metacritic.com/music 
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews
http://www.billboard.com/articles/reviews