WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: joy williams - woman (oh mama)

joy williams - woman (oh mama)
welcome to your female empowerment anthem of the week. co-writing with the amazing audra mae (and matt morris), this sparse gospel-esque jam just builds on itself until the powerful climax, showcasing what will be an exciting solo album for the ex-civil wars member. can't wait to see her live!

BALLAD MONDAY: paramore feat joy williams - hate to see your heart break

paramore feat joy williams - hate to see your heart break
bringing in her friend joy williams (ex-civil wars) into the song, paramore lead singer hayley williams says this re-record adds a different layer to the original. it's a lush sisterhood hug it out piece and perfect for this ballad monday. enjoy!

GOODBYE: the civil wars - you are my sunshine

the civil wars - you are my sunshine
though they've been on indefinite hiatus since 2012, the amazing vocal duo of the civil wars officially broke up today. it's a shame that singer joy williams and john paul white weren't able to reconcile their issues, so as a parting gift, they're sharing a free mp3 download of a rare vinyl cover of 'you are my sunshine' to their fans. here's what they had to say of the decision:

Joy Williams
“I am saddened and disappointed by the ending of this duo, to say the very least. JP is a tremendous musician, and I will always be grateful for the music we were able to create together. I sincerely hope that ‘You Are My Sunshine’ will be accepted as a token of my gratitude for every single person that has supported our duo throughout the years. I’m so thankful and my heart is full. Looking ahead, I’m excited to share the music that I am writing and recording in the midst of this difficult transition. I’ve loved being back in the studio, and have missed performing live. I look forward to seeing you soon.”

John Paul
“I would like to express sincere thanks to all who were a part of the arc of The Civil Wars—from the beginning, to the end, and all points in between. My deep appreciation goes out to all who supported, disseminated, and enjoyed the music. Whatever shape or form the next chapter takes, thanks for being a large part of this one.”

WONGIE COUNTRY FOLK DUET OF THE WEEK: the common linnets - calm after the storm

the common linnets - calm after the storm
firstly the fact that this catchy subdued country folk tune was selected to represent the netherlands in the eurovision song contest is crazy in itself (the competition is known for showy numbers), but then coming in 2nd and quickly making the top 10 in 15 countries is a feat in itself. this proves that a good song just can't be held down in this day and age, and the duo of ilse deLange & waylon are en route to becoming the next civil wars of europe. brilliant!

RECORD STORE DAY: the civil wars - behind the bars (elliot smith cover) / foals - bad habit (cctv) / nick lowe - i was born in bethlehem / queens of the stone age - i sat by the ocean / u2 - ordinary love / lana del rey - born to die / lady gaga - applause (empire of the sun remix) / sondre lerche - rejection #5

with people clamoring to buy stuff during black friday, the record store day folks have also decided that today would be a great day to celebrate independent record stores around the world via sales of one off special pressings on vinyl. though i'm a smidgen behind on this, it's still not too late to visit your local record store over the weekend to see if there's any good stuff left! check out some highlights of what you could find below:


the civil wars - behind the bars (elliot smith cover) "behind the bars EP"


foals - bad habit (cctv) "the cctv sessions LP"


nick lowe - i was born in bethlehem "quality street: a seasonal selection for all the family LP"


queens of the stone age - i sat by the ocean "…like clockwork (black on black) LP"


u2 - ordinary love "ordinary love 7""


lana del rey - born to die "born to die LP"


lady gaga - applause (empire of the sun remix) "applause remix picture disc 12""


sondre lerche - rejection #5 (package details - trailer) "public hi-fi sessions 7""

GOOD MUSIC MIX: the civil wars - dust to dust

the civil wars - dust to dust
though they look like they're on good terms for this video, these images are actually culled together when they were in paris back in 2011. so sadly this is not a reunion video for the amazing duo. will they ever perform together on stage is a mystery, but for now this is all we get from them. sigh.

DRAMA FRIDAYS: the civil wars - the one that got away (studio cut)

the civil wars - the one that got away (studio cut)
recorded during a tough period of their artistic collaboration (which they rumored to have broken up), joy williams and john paul white, aka the civil wars, may or may not still be together, but they do have a new album due for release in august. perhaps this dark single is a lovely teaser of what we'll hear from the long player, nevertheless it's pretty dynamic.

WONGIE FM: Best of 2012 #11-20

Best of 2012 #11-20

As we get closer to the Top 10, one wonders how pop icons like Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding and Ed Sheeran all got shafted into the Top 20 instead! Of course they all offered some serious tracks for the year (Riri with her club anthems, Taylor supplying some of the best pop ballads - and the heartbreaking Ronan, Ellie bringing her form of future pop and Ed just writing endless hit after hit) but somehow it still wasn't enough to break the 10.

As for the rest of the Top 20, they offer up a wonderful 'best of' 2012: Jake Bugg (the best old skool rockabilly young singer of the year! his energy is amazing!), Conor Maynard (the best pop boy vocalist out at the moment), Bastille (the best indie pop dude of last year and maybe this one!), Icona Pop (the best kick you in the neck bratty bitch song of the last year!), 2ne1 (the best kpop song of last year - it's 5 songs in one and all of them are catchy!) and Grimes (the best hipster girl pop song of the year - literally EVERYONE i know sings along to this song when they hear it).

And now onto the Top 10!

11. Rihanna – Diamonds / Where Have You Been / Jump
12. Taylor Swift – Safe and Sound (feat The Civil Wars) / Ronan / I Knew You Were Trouble
13. Jake Bugg – Lightning Bolt
14. Conor Maynard – Can’t Say No / Turn Around (feat NeYo)
15. Ellie Goulding – Anything Could Happen / My Blood
16. Ed Sheeran – Small Bump / Give Me Love
17. Bastille – Flaws
18. Icona Pop – I Don’t Care
19. 2ne1 – I Love You
20. Grimes – Oblivion

want to hear the rest of the chart? check them out with each click below:
#1-10
#11-20
#21-30
#31-40
#41-50
#51-60
#61-70

6 SONGS YOU NEED TO BE OBSESSED WITH NOW: clare bowen and sam palladio - if i didn't know better (nashville soundtrack)

clare bowen and sam palladio - if i didn't know better (nashville soundtrack)
who'd have thought that a civil wars cover at the tail end of a new tv show about nashville would spark a top 10 itunes hit? probably the best thing from the uneven pilot (which you get to see some footage of in the video), this tune just lingers and haunts you for days on end. it's glorious!

WONGIE SONG OF THE MONTH: taylor swift feat the civil wars - safe and sound

taylor swift feat the civil wars - safe and sound
[we tipped this song back in december and have been swooning over the intricate harmonies and taylor's subtle vocals. with the hunger games coming out in a few weeks, it's appropriate that a video is FINALLY out. i'm psyched on all levels!]

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: taylor swift feat the civil wars - safe & sound (the hunger games OST)

taylor swift feat the civil wars - safe & sound (the hunger games OST)
[oh this is a wonderful gift! not only does taylor showcase a non-surprise face adult track, but she's got the amazing civil wars in on the glorious harmonies. a definite treat AND a tease of what may be a kick ass soundtrack for the upcoming film!]

LIVE WONGIE: the civil wars - npr music tiny desk concert

the civil wars - npr music tiny desk concert
[joy williams and john paul white aka the civil wars, can make even a simple acoustic performance in the npr office sound amazing! i LOVE this duo!!!
their set list:
"Barton Hollow"
"Twenty Years"
"Poison & Wine"]

WONGIE SONG(s) OF THE WEEK: the civil wars - barton hollow / poison & wine

the civil wars - barton hollow

the civil wars - poison & wine
[it's the harmony! this duo made up of joy williams and john paul white make such BEAUTIFUL music together that it's just hypnotic. whether it's the retro bluegrass of their current hit 'barton hollow' or the balladry of 'poison and wine', this is music that you can lose yourself in! brilliant!]