Don't unleash your "back to school" commercials and sales at me in July, people. Don't tell me a pumpkin spice latte is available until I at least need long pants to go outside. Let August be August. "Dog days of summer" means so little to me. It's meant as such an awful thing but in reality, dogs - let's face it - lead a pretty good life. They go outside and play, get unconditional love, lie around most of the day, and get to take a crap wherever they want and - better yet - have someone pick up after them! Dog days of summer? I'd take a dog day year for goodness sake.
Anyway, the reason I ramble is because there's so much to be joyous about as the summer season comes to a close. Suicide Squad wasn't as bad as critics say - though mind you - it was bad. Ichiro reached 3,000 hits. The Olympics - NBC coverage aside - were pretty fantastic. I could go on. But let's focus - for the purposes of this post - on music because there's so much good stuff out there right now. One act I want to get on your radar asap is Cardiknox. The indie-pop duo's debut album Portrait is filled with infectious, 80s throwback, uplifting, and dare-I-say-it inspiring tracks that will make you sing, dance, and forget about those so-called "dog days." Want to feel awesome? Watch Lonnie Angel and Thomas Dutton's music video for "Wild Child" by the way.
The Seattle pair just wrapped up a co-headlining tour with Phoebe Ryan AKA "The Boyz N Poizn Tour," and will no doubt sell out additional shows before Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy end our year with a thud on ABC. But enough... Cardiknox graced us with an A-Sides session and interview at the Gibson Showroom in NYC earlier this month, and it's all kinds of awesome. Watch below, and you won't find it shocking that the tag team have already been praised by everyone from MTV to Idolator. Enjoy the vids, which were filmed by shootmepeter.com, below.
Oh, and visit thisisasides.com for other cool sessions with other cool people.
A-Sides' "Delve Into Twelve" Countdown
Each week A-Sides unleashes its top 12 tracks of the week AKA the "Delve Into Twelve" based on the following contributing factors: songs I'm playing out that particular week (no matter when they were released -- think overlooked songs, unreleased tracks and old favorites), songs various publicists are trying to get me to listen to that I did and dug a bunch, song posts and trends I've noticed on my friends' Facebook walls and, most importantly: what my toddler is currently enjoying thoroughly with an assist from my infant.
About A-Sides with Jon Chattman - thisisasides.com :
Jon Chattman's music/entertainment series typically features celebrities and artists (established or not) from all genres performing a track, and discussing what it means to them. This informal series focuses on the artist making art in a low-threatening, extremely informal (sometime humorous) way. No bells, no whistles -- just the music performed in a random, low-key setting followed by an unrehearsed chat. In an industry where everything often gets overblown and over manufactured, Jon strives for a refreshing change. Artists featured on the series include Imagine Dragons, Melissa Etheridge, Yoko Ono, Elle King, Joe Perry, Alice Cooper, fun, Bleachers, Charli XCX, Marina and the Diamonds, and Bastille.