One of my favourite music blogs, Sunset in the Rearview, has just started a new feature called “Listen While You Work”. They put together a ten-song playlist that is perfect to plug into and get shit done while listening to awesome music. 

This is all them, I just really love listening to it…and as usual I think you will too. 

The National are back and here’s another track (….and she nailed the rhyme!) No, but seriously, here’s “Don’t Swallow The Cap”  from the upcoming album Trouble Will Find Me (check out other single “Demons” too). It’s got that nonchalant, I could give a attitude that Matt Berninger does so well and what makes The National something you look forward to listening to.

Trouble Will Find Me is out May 21.

The National debuted “Demons” this morning on BBC Radio 6 from their upcoming album Trouble Will Find Me (May 20). The new album is the follow up the incredible High Violet.

“Demons” is instantly recognisable from Matt Berninger’s deep baritone vocals and National-esque choruses. It’s good. 

As if being one half of the beautifully folksy Angus & Julia Stone wasn’t enough, Julia Stone is now doing some things on her own and they are just as beautiful and maybe this cover of The National’s “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is even more so. From her second solo album, By The Horns, Stone’s take on “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is almost a world away from the deep tones of Matt Berringer and The National’s original take on it. Instead, Stone brings it to much more familiar ground with quirky instrumentation and piercingly sweet vocals. However, there is still that sense of melancholy of the original.

If you liked that, also check out Oh Land’s take on The National track.

By The Horns is available now, right here.

Over the weekend NBC’s Chuck came to an end after five seasons. It was bittersweet because it was time but it always sucks to say goodbye to something you love. Chuck was a great show full of heart, good times and great characters. It was also full of some absolutely great music selections introducing me to artists such as The National, Frightened Rabbit, Band of Horses, Local Natives, The Antlers, Blitzen Trapper, Clock Opera, The Naked and Famous, Freelance Whales, Telekinesis to name a few. Oh and it also re-ignited my love and appreciation for Bon Iver (and we all know how much I love them).

Now I know this is a music blog but I want to pay tribute to Chuck and its influence on my music tastes that ultimately filter into what I choose to contribute to ITYLTS. So here’s some of the music that made this show great.

We kick the list off with the stellar “Short Skirt, Long Jacket” by Cake, Chuck’s opening theme…and then enjoy the rest of it.

And if you haven’t ever heard of or watched Chuck just try the pilot…and see how you go from there…

The National made some big noise this last week debuted two brand new tracks Rylan and I Need A Girl  on Canadian radio station Q and performed with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon on a track from The National’s amazing album High Violet. The last time The National released something new it was Exile Vilify, which was beautiful…and they’re keeping up standards. 

Here are the new tracks Rylan and I Need A Girl

and here’s Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks with Justin Vernon…

The National: Website…Facebook….Twitter…Buy

This is what we liked in October…after the jump

(including Bon Iver, Hoodie Allen, The Weeknd, Florence + The Machine, Summer Camp, Phantogram, Coldplay, Emeli Sande, Foster The People, Childish Gambino, Frightened Rabbit, The xx, Lana Del Rey…)

G3RST- “Stand By Last Friday Night (Katy Perry vs Ben E. King)”

Icarus Himself (New album Career Culture out now)

Emeli Sande- “Daddy” audio & video

Common- “Mr. Blue Sky” 

Phantogram- “Don’t Move”

Oh Land- “Bloodbuzz Ohio (National Cover)”

Anjulie- “Boom”

Work Drugs- “Blue Steel” 

Frightened Rabbit- “Swim Until You Can’t See Land”

James Vincent McMorrow- “We Don’t Eat (VIDEO)”

The Knocks- “Brightside”

St. Lucia- “The Old House Is Gone (The Knocks Remix)”

The Temper Trap- “Dancing In The Dark (Bruce Springsteen Cover)”

Foster The People- Remixes & Videos

Anthem- “Don’t Move (Phantogram Remix)”

Trails and Ways- “Midnight City (M83 Cover)”

Kanye West x Washed Out- “Diamonds From Far Away (Carlos Serrano Mix)”

Bombay Bicycle Club- “Lights Out, Words Gone” & “Video Games” Live Lounge Session

Bon Iver- Remixes & “Towers (Live on Jools Holland)”

Coldplay- “Princess of China ft. Rihanna”

Childish Gambino- Remixes and tracks from upcoming Camp

Body Language- “Seeds of Sight”

Metronomy- “Everything Goes My Way”

Summer Camp- Daytrotter Session and Down from album Welcome To Condale 

Two Door Cinema Club- “This Is The Life”

Lana Del Rey- “Video Games”

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds- “AKA… What A Life”

The xx- “Crystalized (Neon Lights Remix)”

Florence + The Machine- “Shake It Out” & “Breaking Down” from Ceremonials

Slow Club- “If We’re Still Alive”

MIA- “Paper Planes (DFA Remix)”

Martin Solveig vs Dragonette- “Big In Japan”

Death Cab For Cutie- “Some Boys (RAC Remix)”

Multiple covers of The Black Keys “Tighten Up” (Phrase, Hoodie Allen, e-dubble)

DyE- “Fantasy”

Jordan F- “Last Night”

Theme Park- “Milk”

Jodie Marie- “On The Road (Summer Camp Remix)”

Clock Opera- “Lesson No. 7 (VIDEO)”

The Black Keys- “Lonely Boy”

Pearl & The Band and Sophie Madeleine- “Firework (Katy Perry Cover)”

The Weeknd- “Initiation” 

Coeur de Pirate- “Wicked Games (The Weeknd Cover)”

Beirut- “Santa Fe”

Hoodie Allen- “James Franco (VIDEO)”

e-dubble- “Fight For Days”

The Do- “Bohemian Dances”

Rosi Golan- “Seeing Ghosts”

Danish singer/songwriter Oh Land has been popping up all over the place recently, White Lights from debut album Oh Land is rather good. And now she’s done a cover of The National’s Bloodbuzz Ohio. The cover completely changes the sombre tone of Matt Berringer’s vocals and instead introduces us to a more optimistic approach that still carries a little of the haunting-ness of the original. You can download it if you click that lovely down arrow on the soundcloud below.

Oh Land- Bloodbuzz Ohio (The National cover) by ITYLTSmusic

Oh Land: Website…Twitter…Download

Its July, so we’ve just passed into the second half of the year, HIGH FIVES. And with that milestone, every blog seems to be coming out with a best of the year so far list, so we thought we’d do the same. This is based merely on what ITYLTS thinks has been great this year. The only requirements to be on the list is for the track to either be released this year or to have ‘emerged’ this year, and it’s one song per artist. This basically covers songs that have been around maybe since last year but only have been released this year all official like. So here it is and in no particular order: 

Let us know if we’ve missed any out…

Those great guys at The National are giving away a free mp3 download of About Today from the album Energy Fire we think you should check it out. Grab your free download here