Music | Island & Hills

November 20, 2015 / 1 Comment

Love at First Listen: Orla Gartland, JR JR & more

As the days get shorter, I am mentally preparing myself for the forthcoming New York City winter. I was unprepared for the last one (my first ever as a resident here), so I am doing everything I can to keep a good attitude about the fast approaching season ~~of doom~~. This means creating a winter bucket list (concerts, movies and museums are all fun things you can do indoors) AND gearing up my Spotify with some happier, more upbeat tunes. Today’s Love at First Listen post is a collection of my favorite feel goods*, a proven antidote for weather/career/general life-related blues.

Kate Bush/Cyndi Lauper Mashup, Orla Gartland

October 15, 2015 / 1 Comment

I&H Music Festival Survival Guide: First Timer vs. Seasoned Pro

A couple weekends ago, I traveled to Las Vegas for the Life Is Beautiful music festival. This was my first ever music festival, and I relied on Aditi a lot beforehand for suggestions and advice about the experience. Originally hailing from Tennessee, Aditi is practically an expert on the music fest scene (she first started attending Bonnaroo in high school). As a seasoned pro and a first timer, we teamed up to give you our top tips on making the most of your next festival experience.

September 4, 2015 / 0 Comments

I&H Playlist: Labor Day Weekend

Happy long weekend folks! We’ve compiled a playlist with all of our favorite new and new-to-us traveling tunes for your listening pleasure. Whether you’re voyaging by bus, train, car, plane, or subway, we’ve picked some jams that will make your holiday even sweeter:

September 3, 2015 / 1 Comment

VMAs 2015: Kanye, Miley and important topics the internet failed to mention

So the VMAs happened on Sunday night and subsequently dominated the internet this week. While watching the show, it seemed obvious that certain things would grab everyone’s attention (Yeezus2020 & Taylor Swift domination), but there were also some aspects of the show that deserved more attention (Twenty One Pilots and A$AP Rocky’s performance), and others that over saturated my news feed in the worst way (it doesn’t matter that Nicki Minaj called Miley Cyrus out. It really doesn’t). Here are my thoughts.

August 12, 2015 / 0 Comments

Love at First Listen: Florence + the Machine, Sylvan Esso & Lucius

I have always been a lover of the ELJ (empowered lady jams) and BBT (bad bitch tunes) genres of music. Yes, maybe I just invented those acronyms, but plenty of my all-time favorite artists fall under these categories. From my Spice Girls Craze of 1995 to my Haim Frenzy of 2013, it is pretty much guaranteed that I won’t go long without finding a new female artist or bad ass girl band to keep on heavy rotation. Today I have rounded up my current favorites — an assembly of new releases and new-to-me discoveries. PLUS, TWO BONUS TRACKS. Surprise! That’s right! If three full albums of melodic goodness wasn’t enough, I’ve included two more songs for you because it’s a Wednesday and you deserve all the good music you can get.

July 6, 2015 / 0 Comments

Connecting Through Film & My Top 5 Bollywood Recommendations

I was born in London, grew up in Tennessee, traveled every few years to see visit family in India, then moved to Washington, D.C., and finally I am somewhat settled in Los Angeles. Along the way, I was lucky to make friends with experiences from all around the world, and I always noticed how entertainment was something that had brought people together. Living within these polarizing environments has given me the ability to observe and understand different groups of people. I have always been fascinated by the way entertainment, whether it’s film, music, or literature, has the ability to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers.

June 30, 2015 / 0 Comments

Love at First Listen: Leon Bridges, Kacey Musgraves & OITNB Season 3

This past week was a good one for music. I am always on my own personal quest for “the next big thing” — the artist with personality, talent and staying power. I look forward to “New Music Tuesdays” on Spotify, sorting through all of the latest releases, hoping I’ll strike gold amidst the generic pop and folk. It is rare for me to discover a new artist that is “love at first listen”; lucky for me, last week I found two.