What's The Guru Listening To? - August Edition

Welcome to the August Edition of What’s the Guru Listening To? I get asked this question a lot. What am I currently enjoying and what would I recommend? And since time is severely limited these days, it gets harder and harder to post a full review of the outstanding music that I am discovering (or re-discovering). Therefore, every month I will fill you in on the latest song, album, and/or band that I am obsessed with.

Here's what The Guru is listening to this month:

Imagine Dragons – Evolve

The latest record from Imagine Dragons is as spectacular as their first two releases. This band continues to make exceptional music that is enjoyed by the masses. And while I like all the songs on the disc, my two favorite standouts are “Rise Up” and “Yesterday.” Both are wonderful and showcase what Imagine Dragons can do when crafting and recording. And while not all critics loved the record (Rolling Stone and The Guardian gave it two stars), they should have. Just because a band goes in a different direction critics are quick to write them off without listening to the new sounds thoroughly. A wise person would ignore the mainstream media and form their own opinion. However, if you’re on the fence about investing a lot of time in this record, I can tell you that it is time well spent. This is the third consecutive terrific album from Imagine Dragons.

KC & The Sunshine Band – Please Don’t Go

A classic song, “Please Don’t Go” by K.C. and The Sunshine Band is one of the all-time greatest ballads ever recorded. Every now and again I find myself going back to great songs that I’ve loved over the years. I’ll find an amazing one and listen to it several times through before I move on to some other song. This month the song happens to be “Please Don’t Go.” If you don’t know this song, or if you’ve just not heard it a long time, I recommend that you give it a whirl and bring it back into your life.

The Revivalists – Man Amongst Mountains

Admittedly, sometimes I’m late to the party with certain bands. Such is the case with The Revivalists a band that I should have recognized a heck of lot sooner than this summer. Their latest record, Man Amongst Mountains has been out for two years and I am only really appreciating it now. I first heard The Revivalists on an alternative station through Amazon Music. “Wish I Knew You” played through my speakers and I stopped immediately. I jotted down the artist and song and then sought out more of their music. That led me to their magnificent album “Man Amongst Mountains” which I’ve been playing ever since. If you like your music to be different but extremely entertaining, you will like The Revivalists. They are a talented 7-piece band complete with a horn section. You can see a lot of influences from bands like O.A.R. and Dave Matthews Band in their art. Their sound is well polished, well executed, and well worth your time.

Black Eyes Peas – Let’s Get It Started

I haven’t listened to this song in years. However, a recent viewing of the movie Hot Tub Time Machine reminded me how great a track “Let’s Get It Started” is and now I find myself playing it at least once a day. When this song first came out, I couldn’t get enough of it. The strength of this song was the reason I purchased the entire album and I was glad that I did. For a few months I listened to Elephunk nonstop. It was a terrific album full of fun songs that had great beats. It’s been nice to revisit a piece of this record and listen to “Let’s Get It Started” over and over and over again.

Rise Against – Wolves

I’ve been a fan of Rise Against for numerous years now and I was excited to hear their latest disc, Wolves. As expected, the record did not disappoint. Wolves delivers the sound and style of music that fans have grown accustom to with Rise Against. Pop punk rock and all the beauty that the music has to offer can be heard on every song throughout the record. And while the record was released earlier this summer (June) I haven’t had a chance to really kick back and dive into it until it recently. I’m certainly glad that I took the time to enjoy it, because Wolves is another fantastic album from this fantastic band.

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