Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Quintet 10: You, Me and Dianna

Quintet is a bi-monthly periodic music review of any five songs I happen to come across/stumble upon, or were recommended, any how, any time. Suggestions from readers are most welcome because music deserves to be shared. Let me be your convert or critic.


This edition of Quintet will focus on the five best musical recommendations from movie and TV actress Dianna Agron. I had to pick out five I liked (because this is Quintet) but I suggest you go over her Twitter (@diannaagron) to see the various songs she recommended (or listened to at some point) which didn't make this list. From John Lennon's Look At Me to French singer Serge Gainsbourg to Oscar Isaac's Hang Me, Oh Hang Me to amazing covers (LP's cover of Beyonce's Halo and Pentatonix' cover of Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know) to this video of Don't Stop Believin' featuring Keenan Cahill, Dianna's Glee co-stars and Dianna herself.


Here are five songs I loved from Dianna Agron's musical recommendations:

1. Always Like This by Bombay Bicycle Club


 With lyrics like this (If I follow the light that I deem the brightest... it's always like this), you wouldn't go wrong. Although this band from London has a style of their own, they remind me of Fitz and the Tantrums--which is a good thing. Side note: Lead vocalist Jack Steadman eerily sounds like Kevin McHale from Glee.


2. All Eyes On You by St. Lucia

St. Lucia perfectly balances out a potentially sad set of lyrics with a very catchy and somewhat lively tune, and comes up with the just-right, All Eyes On You.


3. Is This How You Feel? by The Preatures


Watch this video and I'm sure you'll agree with me. To  paraphrase Veronica (@VeeHawl) on Twitter, if Haim, Chairlift and Fleetwood Mac had a stupidly catchy baby, it would be The Preatures.


4. Capital Cities


Dianna Agron impliedly recommended this LA band by posting a screen cap of the Capital Cities' "In A Tidal Wave of Mystery" album art. The whole album is worth listening to. It made my finals month last semester more bearable. But if I really have to narrow it down--maybe because you don't have time for the whole album (I pity you for missing out)--I pick Safe and Sound and Farrah Fawcett Hair as must-listen-tos. It's good shit.


5. Falling by Haim

The music of this trio (fun fact: they're sisters in real life!) from LA is frequently likened to Fleetwood Mac's (again!) but I think Haim is a mellowed down version of Florence + the Machine. Haim recently released their first album, Days Are Gone which features another good song, The Wire.


Other artists that didn't make the cut but deserve a second look and/or may get better with time are:

Polica. Their song Lay Your Cards Out made the Joss-Alex shower scene in The Mistresses steamier.

Cheers Elephant. Let this You, Me & Charlie article on the band convince you.

The Killers, if only for their Just Another Girl video which featured the amazing Dianna Agron as Brandon Flowers. Go watch it and give yourself a heart attack.

I leave you with this amazing screen cap of Dianna Agron in Just Another Girl.


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You may want to read other Quintet entries:

Quintet 9: Music is my Mistress
Quintet 8: Music for the eyes
Quintet 7: Something old, something new
Quintet 6: Top 10 Performances from Glee's Season 4
Quintet 5: Original vs. Covers
Quintet 4: Radio
Quintet 3: GLEE-king out
Quintet 2: Holy Week Playlist
Quintet 1: Music to my ears


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