There’s nothing quite like discovering music, but sometimes you just want to put on the radio and chill. A good Pandora radio station is no joke—you can do both the discovering and the chilling without any effort. These four are our go-tos lately, depending on my mood and what we’re doing… Writing, cleaning, catching up with friends on the patio, each station has its occasion. We also feel it’s incredibly important to support artists (and artists don’t get paid more than a few cents if at all, every time their song is “spun” on one of these stations. So, please keep up the honor system and buy the songs you like, adding them to your personal music library! Here’s where to look for inspiration…
Photo credit: Cea. via Visualhunt / CC BY
1. First Aid Kit. If you didn’t know, First Aid Kit is made up of two Swedish sisters whose 2008 cover of Tiger Mountain Peasant Song by the Fleet Foxes got their name out there. Their own artist radio is a mellow indie folk station to play while you write your own masterpieces or simply relax after a long day. It features the likes of The Lumineers, Bon Iver, and Brandi Carlile, and you’ll also discover a slew of lesser known artists with similar vibes.
2. Tom Waits. The great thing about internet radio is that you aren’t stuck with JUST contemporary radio hits. And because no one is quite like Waits, on this station you’ll open your ears to tons of other folksy, jazz-influenced genres and artists, from country blues classic Mississippi John Hurt to John Lee Hooker. Perfect for a night in with friends catching up each other up on your latest creative pursuits (and spurring a little creative magic too).
3. Fleet Foxes. If we’re going to show off some Fleet Foxes covers, we’ll want the real deal too. While you might find many of the same artists as First Aid Kit’s radio, you’ll also hear from both indie pop artists like Jose Gonzalez and classic late 90s/early 2000s bands like The Shins. And you can’t help but click “thumbs up” when Fleetwood Mac’s Never Going Back Again comes on, affording you the chance to mingle contemporary folk with classic blues-rock.
4. 60s Motown. Motown can cover anything from 50s and 60s R&B to pop and funk groups like The Supremes and The Temptations, but one thing’s for sure: It’s guaranteed to make for one fantastic end of the night dance party/sing off among you and your pals. Pour that last drink and end things on a high note.
Speaking of music, Our Editor in Chief here at Modern Vintage Life, Joy Lenz, is an accomplished actor & musician and she might be coming to your town very soon! See the updated music page for tour dates and locations.
What should we listen to next?
