Collective Soul: Playlist of Reference

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Another week, another installment in our new series delivering you trendy subgenre Playlist of References curated with love and attention from our community of music lovers. But it’s not enough just to accept the music, we also want the story behind the curation. This week it’s Collective Soul curated by the creator of Underground Playlist, Sal Cannata.  

When did you start listening to Collective Soul?

Collective Soul is a recent addition to my playlist catalogue on Whyd. Soul music has always been one of my favorite genres and I have seen a big change in how it has been implemented in music the past several years. Generally when one thinks of Soul they tie it in with R&B but with all the cross-genre experimenting going on, a lot of Soul-based music has translated into a unique style of Indie music that touches the boundaries of other genres. Despite the different genre influences of these particular songs they all sound so right when placed next to each other. I thought it would be great to put together a sample of this kind of music that we feature on Underground Playlist and showcase a new wave of Soul music to the Whyd community.

Did you ever have a moment when you felt like Collective Soul started speaking to you?

Totally. I live for this kind of music. Soul singers bring a lot of passion to each lyric. The artists in these songs have a great way of conveying emotion and I connect with that a lot. It seems like whether these particular songs contain certain elements of Pop, Rock, R&B, or Electronic, the aspect of Soul brings everything together and connects with me in a big way.

What are some example situations when you would listen to this playlist yourself?

I find that the overall tone of this playlist centers around relaxation. That could be useful in pretty much any situation except for maybe the dance club. For me, I’ve found this playlist to be a great listen towards the end of the day as things wind down. Everyone listens to music differently so this playlist can be used for all sorts of things like during work, cooking dinner, lounging with your friends, the list goes on!

If you had to choose just one track from this playlist, which one would be your favorite?

It’s hard to choose just one track out of the 80+ in the playlist. From a Whyd experience the Robin Schulz remix of “Waves” is one of my favorite finds on Whyd. I remember just browsing around and clicking on the song to see what it was about and instantly became a fan. I love how a bootleg can turn into a mainstream hit a year or so later. It’s rare and awesome that I was able to witness that journey early in the game. When I would hear the song on the radio in front of my friends I’d make sure to let them know how long ago I first heard this song and where I found it. Thanks for the bragging rights Whyd! :)

From a more musical standpoint, Ben Howard’s cover of Keisza’s song “Hideaway” blows me away every time. I love how an artist can flip a song and give it a brand new feel. A few others that never get old to me are Jordan Bratton - “The Grey,” Harper - “Animal,” Shy Girls - “Renegade,” Ari Lennox - “Bound,” The Prince Fox remix of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” and the newly added Kevin Garrett - “Coloring.” There are so many that I love but those are some standouts in this playlist. Stay tuned as I plan to update Collective Soul with new additions as time goes on!   

Thanks Underground Playlist! Check out the personal account of the creator of Underground Playlist, Sal Cannata for more Indie Soul and extra tracks! 

Selecterz: Playlists by Artists You Love

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Hey Pierre! How’s it going? Can you tell us about the main goal of Selecterz?

Hello Whyd! Everything is really good. The year started strong with the launch of the new version of Selecterz. The idea is simple: artists that I like make selections to share so I can discover new music. The site also proposes playlists, music videos, a focus on record labels, music channels, magazines. The goal: offer the best of what’s being made today, without being limited to style, and to guide music lovers through the vast desert that is the internet. 

How do you choose the artists that make playlists for you?

It’s just the artists that I like. There is no logical choice. The feeling that leads to it cannot be described. It comes from everyone. It’s also the feeling that makes me want to share. Know who listens to what. Smile when listening to certain tracks. Realize that an artist will be able to add tracks to their playlist that are completely separated from their universe. I tend to say that we are what we listen to, and I want to share these “stolen” moments, where we can get into the artist’s head for a few seconds. These playlist are also the best way to discover new tracks. 

Tell us about the new design for the site!

The new version is more user-friendly. You can finally search for the artists and playlists by style, shuffling from one style to another, learn about an artist, listen to their tracks on Soundcloud, YouTube, Deezer, and Spotify, and share them on Whyd! I wanted to make the site more visual, more attractive, and offer fast access to music without having to search. 

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What are your objectives for 2015?

Keep evolving the site, developing new functionalities, welcoming new collaborators, and continued to make people discover new music from the ears of the artists. 

Follow Selecterz on Whyd and Like Selecterz on Facebook. 

Electro Swing: Playlist of Reference

Continuing with our latest initiative of delivering high quality playlists meticulously curated by our top music lovers, today we bring you a subgenre that combines old and new, and is rapidly pushing its way into the mainstream. It’s Electro Swing curated by Louis de Sentenac. Let’s get the story behind the playlist with this quick interview: 

When did you start listening to Electro Swing?

When one of my friends told me about Parov Stelar, who was releasing their album “That Swing” in 2009 with tracks like “Wanna Get” or “Kiss Kiss” that are big references in Electro Swing for me. You’ll see a lot of Parov Stelar in this playlist!

Did you ever have a moment when you felt like Electro Swing talked to you? 

I immediately attached myself to Electro Swing, I loved the vintage jazz and swing influences mixed with contemporary electronic that made it very danceable and excellent to listen to. 

What are some examples of situations when you listen to Electro Swing?

Most often it’s during aperos with friends, before heading out or to a concert, listening to Electro Swing gets me ready to go! 

If you had to choose just one track on this playlist, which one would be your favorite?

Man that’s not easy. Being a big fan of jazz I would lean towards a jazzier track: Dimaa - “Andrew” 

Thanks Louis! Here’s his Electro Swing Playlist in all of its glory. Please share with your friends who are in to Electro Swing! 

Indie Dance Playlist of Reference

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Continuing in our series of Playlists of References comes an epic banger from Switzerland: Indie Dance. Time to get out your flower crowns, clip on your suspenders, and prepare to Instagram. But first, let’s get the story behind this 400+ track playlist from its curator, Rainer Etzweiler of RCKSTR Mag

When did you start listening to Indie Dance? 

Around 2007/08 when I started DJing and producing music. 

Did you ever have a moment when you felt like Indie Dance started speaking to you? 

A lot, if you count the remixes of pop or indie songs. Almost none if you don’t, there are not too many disco songs with heart-touching/deeply moving lyrics. Disco music is mostly about the simple things and that’s a good thing. 

What are some example situations when you would listen to this playlist yourself? 

Usually when I’m out for a run or when I have friends over at my flat. Also before I do a new mixtape, it helps me to pick the right tracks. 

If you had to choose just one track from this playlist, which one would be your favorite? 

Uhhhhh, that’s not easy. Especially since there are so many. I would go with one of my latest favorites: RAC - “Cheap Sunglasses” feat. Matthew Koma - Viceroy Remix. 

And now, cut loose: 

Your Weekly High Five: 5 Quality Tracks Per Week [Donnemencinq Interview]

Bonjour! When did you create Donnemencinq (Give me five)? Where did the concept come from? Do you give a lot of high fives? 

Hello! Donnemencinq was born in October of last year. I had wanted to launch a cultural project for a long time and instead of launching something too complicated, I prefered to start off with a simple and attractive start: each Monday one playlist with quality musical discoveries. 

The idea comes from two big motivations: my desire to share and my love for music and new sounds. 

Have you ever noticed that you always feel better after a high five? For me, every Monday I give myself a big high five and that guarantees me a successful week! 

You suggest playlist with five tracks each week. Where do you find these tracks? Why only five? 

I follow a lot of artists and labels on Soundcloud and on other social networks. Since I started to use Whyd I also discover more and more tracks thanks to other users’ playlists. 

Only five tracks for a question of quality. If we succeed in publishing five tracks that really make an impression on our visitors then we are already really happy. At the beginning it was a question of selecting one track per work day (from Monday to Friday) and finally we said that it would be even nicer to have a full list from the first day of work. 

Who should listen to your playlists? Tell us about your style of music, is it the same overall or does it change from week to week? 

Our playlists are made for the widest audience possible. Our goal is to make people discover tracks that haven’t been listened to a lot but deserve to be. We also like to bring back a few classics that have been forgotten. It’s important to remain accessible, it has to be a moment of pleasure! 

On the style side, even if we like electro, we pay attention to bringing diversity in our selections. We can go from one style to another very rapidly but we try to keep a certain progression to the flow of the playlist. 

We can we look forward to you in 2015? Do you have plans for world domination?

The project is still very young but we already have a lot of ideas. The next steps are: 

- Go to meet artists that have impressed us and interview them

- Create artwork for each playlist from talented photographers and graphic designers

- Present the latest news from artists that we really appreciate

With that, we might not dominate the world, but I’m sure that the simplicity and quality of our site will have a nice place in it! 

So Whyd, give me five! 

Follow Georges from Donnemencinq on Whyd, Like them on Facebook, and check back weekly for their latest playlists!

The Blog Sound of 2015: PLAYLIST

It’s getting towards the end of the year, with little under a month to go until 2015. True, for most of us, by the time 2015 came around we thought we would have flying cars and cities in the sky, but at least we have Facebook…

What we do have is an extraordinary music landscape, with more and more new, talented artists emerging every single day. So, what will be the trending sounds of 2015? 62 UK bloggers came together to make a 15 track longlist of what they feel will be the breakthrough musical acts of the coming year.

One of our top Whyd music lovers, Music Like Dirt, participated in the nominations, and was kind enough to put together a playlist of the winners (with his personal selections sprinkled in for good measure). It’s one hell of a crowdsourced playlist, and puts Hypemachine to shame!

What do you think? Who will be the breakthrough acts of 2015 in your (always humble) opinion? Tell us on Twitter!

On est presque à la fin de l’année, avec juste un petit mois avant 2015. Oui, c’est vrai, quand on a visionné 2015, on aura pensé d’avoir des voitures qui volent ou les villes dans le ciel, mais au moins on a Facebook…

Mais il y a quelque chose qu’on a c’est une paysage des artistes musicaux avec plus et plus des nouvelles groupes talentueux qui sortent tous les jours. Donc, quel va être le son qui marque 2015? 62 bloggeurs dans l’UK se sont réunis ensemble pour créer une liste definitive des leurs coups de coeur pour l’année prochaine.

Un des nos top music lovers, Music Like Dirt, a participé avec les nominations, et il était si sympa de construire une playlist avec les gagneurs (avec ses selections ajoutés là dedans aussi). C’est une playlist incroyable, encore mieux que Hypemachine!

Qu’est-ce que vous en pensez? Qui va être la grosse groupe de 2015 en votre avi? Dîtes-nous sur Twitter!   

URGENT: Calling All Music Lovers

Thanks to you, we are amassing an incredible resource of music from all corners of the world. It’s one of the coolest collections of music on the web, and it’s getting better every day. As we continue to develop the future of Whyd, we are collecting a list of key genre-specific playlists that will be our playlists of reference moving forward. These playlists will appear on the home page, in recommendations, and we will study these playlists to help music lovers find new music to love. 

What we need from you are living playlists that you have created that are genre specific. The more obscure genre, the better. If you already have playlists like this, can you send them to us at [tony at whyd dot com]? 

If you don’t have a playlist like this, but you consider yourself to know a thing or two about a certain genre, we would love you to create a new playlist and send it to us so we can list it. Ideally these would become living playlists, with new music added a few times per week to keep it fresh. 

Can you do that for us? Our community members who help us out will receive fun rewards and of course, our eternal praise and gratitude! 

If you know someone who doesn’t use Whyd but who is an expert in a certain type of music, can you share this with them please? 

Questions, ideas, playlists, we’re here! => [tony at whyd dot com]

Never stop jamming! 

Hilarious Playlist Titles

Things are just steaming along here at Whyd - up to almost 1.5 million tracks added on the platform, and a lot of playlists. Since we have people from all over the world, who make playlists for all sorts of reasons and situations, you can find music organized and curated for nearly everything. Here is a list of some pertinent, hilarious, and dirty playlists on Whyd

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Rwan: The Jamendo Playlist Contest Winner!

The past two weeks saw an abundance of great, independent music shared across Whyd from Jamendo, as music lovers created playlists made up of Jamendo artists. There was folk, there was metal, soul, and blues. There was also hip hop, instrumentals, and modern rock. 

Without further ado, the three finalists are: 

Rwan - 13 tracks

Damien - 11 tracks

Chaffibwek - 8 tracks

And after listening to each playlist, we have a winner! 

Congratulations to Rwan for his masterful harmony of tropical, poppy funk, elevated with an international electro spice. You’ve won two concert tickets to the show of your choice! 

A big thanks to everyone who participated, who shared, and who got to discover some great music! 

WINNER: Best #Paris #Summer Playlist: Les Disquaires de Paris

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The summer got off to a slow start, with rain and chilly temperatures across the French capitol for much of July and August. But it’s in full swing now, with big sunshine everyday and nice warm afternoon temperatures. It’s the classic Indian Summer, and we’re loving it! 

Over the summer, we asked our curators from the Paris community to propose their summer playlists. There were some excellent ones, which is no surprise considering the quality of the music shared by our curators. And we’re a bit selfish too, since those playlists became the soundtracks to our summertime (thanks guys!). 

It was a tough competition, but we promised our community that we would the best playlist would be selected, and the winner would be invited to the Tony’s loft to eat his famous, homemade sushi. Monsieur Dames, we have a winner! 

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