Heaphones Optional Vol. 4 "Teach me how to Pivot"

Track 6. Sun Hands by Local Natives

When the Headphones Optional crew took in a early 2010 show of the Local Natives at Rickshaw in SF, their bassist was selling “merch” before the start of the show. After a summer tour as well as prime slots at Coachella, ACL, etc, they are definitely ready for groupies to handle those tedious retail duties. Local Natives might also rival Vampire Weekend in terms of business savvy as they played TBWA/Chiat’s parking lot Art/Music so come Xmas time this track might just be enticing you to drink Pepsi Max.  Here’s a little bonus clip of the band performing Paul Simon’s Cecilia in some Silverlake backyard. On another note, is there anyone but bands who take picture like the below? Isn’t it time we mixed the band photo shoot formula up?

This “history of hip-hop” isn’t featured on the FM Mix CD but goddamn it’s dope so we had to share. 

chuchscoop:

If you don’t enjoy this, you should probably de-friend me. via @ _VNL  History of Hip-hop by some French dude. Why do the French and Japanese love hip-hop so much?

Track 4. Bright Lights, Big City by Cee-Lo

Yeah, I know “Fuck You” was a amazing song, a viral hit blah blah blah….For those of discriminating taste however, this jam is smoother and had the added benefit of not being the basis for a terrible SNL skit with Gwenyth Paltrow. I also like the fact that Cee-Lo resembles a cross between a Turle and a baby Dinosaur.

Track 4. The Drums - Let’s Go Surfing

This infectious, crowd pleasing, endorphin releasing track was a selection by the wittiest receptionist in the business, FM’s very own Jenni Thomas!  Vegas has put the over-under at 98 for the number of commercials this song will be featured in over the coming year. In other news, I’m pretty sure these dudes combined weight is equal to that of my left thigh. Guess it’s time to ease back on the Chocolate Chocolate Chip Haagen Dazs

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Track 3. Rococo - The Arcade Fire

The closest thing to a religious experience I’ve ever been privy to was the Arcade Fire’s breakout performance at Coachella in 2006. If plotted on a graph, it was the start of their “hockey stick” growth. Ever since then the band has been unstoppable becoming a major commercial success without sacrificing it’s “integrity”. Additionally, lead singer Win Butler is supposedly one hell of a basketball player and was helping raise millions for Haiti before it became “trendy”.

Track 2. O.N.E. by Yeasayer

We’ve never personally experienced Bonnarro camping however, one can easily imagine this Yeasayer jam being played continuously as the youth “experiment” and combine hippie and electronic dancing awkwardly. I don’t really know what to say about this picture of Yeasayer below but the authorities thought it best to just focus on the song. Keep your children and koala bears FAR from this quartet.

Here’s the alternate cover of “Teach Me How To Pivot” designed as always by the immensely talented Liam Boylan.

Track 1. Bulletproof - Major Lazer & La Roux

If Hollywood ever decides to make a remake of “Blade Runner”, it’s hard to think of a better choice for the score than this Diplo produced mash-up. Speaking of which, does anyone have a cooler, more interesting life than Diplo right now? Even his Blackberry commercials inspire immediate envy.

“Teach Me How to Pivot” is the result of at least a combined 27 minutes of work by the team that makes up the formidable collective that is Headphones Optional. (Liam Boylan, Matt Jessell and Mark Chu-Cheong) We hope you enjoy the 4th compilation in this ongoing series and encourage your feedback and criticism. Over the next few weeks, we will be adding a track a day that is featured on the “Teach Me How To Pivot” CD as well as some additional “color” concerning the song selection. Please forgive us that this seminal curation contains undeniable, infectious, “baby making” tuneage. Play it loud!