Future Islands - "Thrill (COMPUTER DATA Remix)"

COMPUTER DATA takes Future Islands' stately ballad "Thrill" and adds a sleek beat along with hazy/trancey synths while folding and manipulating Samuel T. Herring's vocals into another musical element.  

Future Islands - "Glada"

Future Islands' sixth album As Long As You Are is one of their best, full of their trademark soaring synthscapes and Samuel T. Herring's emotional voice.  Lead track "Glada" is about finding yourself deserving of love again.  I love these lyrics:

"In the dawn
For far and long, as I have been
The last time around
Now finding a friend

Who am I?
Why do I deserve the sea again?
After all I’ve done
And finding love in the end."

Future Islands - "Moonlight"

 

"Moonlight" is a moving song about a relationship at a crossroads.  Lead singer Samuel T. Herring's vocals have never been so soft and subtle, with the rising synths giving him a base to sing on.  It is off their upcoming album As Long As You Are.

Future Islands - Moonlight from Will Mayer on Vimeo.

Future Islands - "For Sure"

Future Islands returns from a three-year absence with a new single, "For Sure." Featuring backing vocals from Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner, it is a synthpop stunner with sweeping synths, driving bassline, and Samuel T. Herring’s trademarked emotional vocals; a welcome return.

Jam of the Day: DJ Shadow ft. Samuel T. Herring - "Our Pathetic Age"

The title track to DJ Shadow's 6th album is a surprisingly effective and tender mid-tempo ballad with an emotional vocal from Future Islands' Samuel T. Herring.

Jam of the Day: Hemlock Ernst & Kenny Segal - "Down"

When I read that Samuel T. Herring of Future Island was releasing a rap album I was initially perplexed and confused. On paper, it sounded like the ultimate vanity project that would be at best a curiosity and, at worst, a total embarrassment. Turns out, after reading this article from Stereogum.com, Herring has been rapping in his hometown of Baltimore since before he was actually singing. He has now released Back at the House, a collaboration with LA producer Kenny Segal that is surprisingly a pretty damn good rap record. One of my favorite tracks on the record is "Down." It starts off with haunting Satie-esque ambient piano chords, entering in with a skittering drum beat and washes of synths. Herring provides impressive machine gun fire rhymes down on top.

Jam of the Day: Future Islands - "Black Rose"

Future Islands' new record The Far Field has a surfeit of riches. I really could post the entire record as a Jam of the Day, but for brevity's sake I will post the final track on the record, "Black Rose." It's simply a gorgeous mid-tempo track featuring muted synth swells and a driving bass line. And of course, Sam Herring's emotive vocals. Pure bliss. You can hear it here on Spotify.

Jam of the Day: Future Islands - "Cave"

Diving into darker Cure-esque territory, Future Islands releases the second single from their upcoming record The Far Field. Under a driving beat and baseline, dark synths swell with emotive singer Sam Herring going deep into himself.

Jam of the Day: Future Islands - "Ran"

I just can't with this country anymore. I sure wish I could run, but I will stay and resist. I'll let Future Islands' new single be my runner for the moment. It's a killer track.

Non-Sequiturs

Leather Daddy.

Beautiful eyes, and that fur.

Woof.

Sunning that chest.

Damn.

Beautiful tatt.

This man is so damn gorgeous.

Drool.

Woof.

Yum.

Pretty darn perfect.

Sup.

Nice abs.

Nice belly.

Grrrr.

Sigh.

Big slab o' man.

Amazing furry chest.

Nature boy.

Lick.

I don't follow rugby, but I'd follow him anywhere.

Damn, I want abs like that.

And this.

So. Damn. Cute.

See, I told ya he was cute.

Haaaaay!

So. Damn. Hot.

How about another one of him?

Love the look in his eyes.

Hot bubba.

Sexy.

Burly.

Woof, grrrr, and stuff.

Fuuuuuur.

Yummy.

Love his belly.

Amazing body.

Lick.

So cute.

Sexy man.

God, I love spring.

Astrology is such horseshit.

I feel very fortunate to live in a city where I have access to gay doctors.

This cracked me up.

Obviously I don't follow sports, but I would watch rugby just to look at James Haskell.

Coachella starts tomorrow. I miss going, but I still remember the last year I went being so bad that it still clouds my mind.

"When you've had the taste of silver, pennies just won't do."

Some how I have caught up with all of the Mad Men episodes, heading into the 7th and final season. While I haven't always liked where they have taken the characters, it has always been a riveting show.

I love these.

I just read an article which said that TomorrowWorld, the giant EDM festival held outside Atlanta (sister festival to Belgium's TomorrowLand), brought over $81 million in revenue to the state. That is as much as the NCAA Final Four tournament that was held in Atlanta

I really dislike cold weather of any kind.

21 years ago this week I moved to Atlanta. We've had our ups and downs, but she has become my home.

Patiently waiting for my leg hair to grow back after having my tattoo done; sigh.

People have gotten so damn lazy, they don't even Google something anymore.

Star Wars sunshade.  I want!

I am not into role play.

Usually when I see "consultant" on a resume, and it is not attached to a firm or company, I automatically assume they are unemployed.

The only thing I don't like about spring is that my office building thinks it is still winter and the heat keeps coming on.

Yes, yes he does.

Based on the new music I have heard from M83, they are going to be putting out the soundtrack from St. Elmo's Fire any day now.

Seriously, you have no pictures on your phone for Scruff? Whatever Mary.

I don't understand people you rarely talk with or interact with tell you they miss you.  Um, we never did much of anything together; what is there to miss?

It still amazes me how many people take my posts on FB so seriously.

Your cute for the day.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"When I couldn't see you for the wall
What was that you said?
What was that you said, before you called?

And when I couldn't catch you for the fall
What was that you said?
What was that you said?

"Nothing hurts this much"

But I've seen the way
That bodies lie
And bodies tend to break

And I've been away
I've been away too long
Too long to be afraid

But you know
What you know is better
Is brighter

And you know
You know
What you know is better
Is brighter

And this is where we were
When I showed you the dark
Inside of me, in spite of me
On a bench in the park
You said to me:

"This is not you.
This is not you..
This is not you!"

But I've seen the way
That bodies lie
And bodies tend to break

And I've been away
I've been away too long
And I don't know a better place

But you know
What you know is better
Is brighter

And you know
You know
What you know is better
Is brighter

And this is where we were
When I showed you the dark
Inside of me, in spite of me
On a bench in the park

And this is where we are
In your bed, in my arms
Outside of me
In spite of, 'we'

I showed you the dark
And you said to me:

"You know
What you know is better
Is brighter"

"And you know, you know
What you know is better
Is brighter."

Future Islands
"Light House"

"I don't have to leave anymore
What I have is right here
Spend my nights and days before
Searching the world for what's right here

Underneath and unexplored
Islands and cities I have looked
Here I saw
Something I couldn't over look

I am yours now
So now I don't ever have to leave
I've been found out
So now I'll never explore

See what I've done
That bridge is on fire
Going back to where I've been
I'm froze by desire
No need to leave

Where would I be
IF this were to go under
It's a risk I'd take
I'm froze by desire
As if a choice I'd make

And I am yours now
So now I don't ever have to leave
I've been found out
So now I'll never explore

So now I'll never explore."

The xx
"Islands"

Appealing Things

Aquilo
Calamari Fritti
My SoundCloud page
Future Islands
Game of Thrones back on TV
SZA

Annoying Things

Mad Men ending after this season
Being tired for no reason
Humid gyms
Hung bottoms
Shots in the butt