Mood Mondays - Episode 7 and Episode 8

It seems that I've developed a terrible habit of not regularly posting descriptions and explanations of my "Mood Mondays". There's no real explanation as to why this is so, except that I've just been lazy. 

And that, coincidentally, was the mood for Episode 7. The week we filmed this episode, I was coming off a hectic week of rehearsals and projects, and didn't feel like moving to any upbeat music. I chose Youth Lagoon because Trevor Powers' muffled drawl is exactly the kind of music I would want to hear while lying in my bed and daydreaming: 

Episode 7: "Posters" by Youth Lagoon

Mood: Lazy

Location: Echo Park Lake

Videographer: Selina Ruthe

The following week I kicked it up a few notches. I heard Cayucas for the very first time on KCRW, and even caught them live in Pasadena at the KCRW Summer Nights event. Their carefree and uptempo sound transformed my mood, and I felt compelled (in a good way) to dance to their music: 

Episode 8: "Moony Eyed Walrus" by Cayucas

Mood: Optimistic

Location: Silverlake Reservoir

Videographer Selina Ruthe

Mood Mondays - Episodes 5 and 6

I know I've been slacking on updating my blog with my Mood Monday episodes, but here are the brief synopses for Episode 5 and Episode 6:

Episode 5: "H.S.K.T" by Sylvan Esso

Mood: Jittery and excited

Location: Echo Park Lake

Videographer: +Selina Ruthe 

Selina mentioned a few days prior to us filming Episode 5 how she wanted to see me do a more playful Mood Monday. And I was of course up to the challenge. We filmed this one the night before I left for my Barcelona trip, and I was naturally feeling jittery and excited. I heard Sylvan Esso for the first time on KCRW, and then caught them live at Coachella Weekend 2 late in April. Their album had been on repeat shuffle for the 2 or 3 weeks, and I immediately thought of this song because of it's upbeat tempo. 

Episode 6: "Gimme All Your Live" by Alabama Shakes

Mood: Messy and desperate

Location: Koreatown

Videographer: +Selina Ruthe 

Alabama Shakes is a strong contender for New Favorite Artist of 2015 for me. I also heard them for the first time on KCRW, and then fell head over heels in love after watching their performance at Coachella. The only way I can describe this song is through a coloring analogy: It sounds like someone coloring so intensely and passionately that it's as if the lines of the picture don't even exist. The wildness of Brittany Howard's voice is magical, rough, and beautifully desperate.