Tag: Playlists

September 2019: In a Nutshell

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on September 2019: In a Nutshell

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

I’ve never made any attempts to hide or downplay the fact that Autumn is my favorite season and that I enjoy stereotypical “basic” Fall-related activities to the fullest. Apple picking? Pumpkin patches? Leaf peeping? Hay rides and s’mores over bonfires? I’m all about it and I’m not embarrassed or ashamed to admit it.

Needless to say, September through early November is my favorite time of year (after that- Winter, Christmas and coldness tend to take over!) and with this year being my first Fall living in the Pioneer Valley- I’ve been doing my best to make the most of it and indulge in every local Autumnal activity I can.

October is undoubtedly the month/time of year I look forward to the most- but I have to show some love to September, too- especially this past one since it was filled with beauty, travel, good food and time with loved ones!

September started off in true Fall fashion with a visit to the Appleseed County Fair where I got a head start on stocking up on apple cider doughnuts and kettle corn popcorn while browsing local vendors and farm stands. I was so enamored with my time at Red Apple Farm in Phillipston that I returned there a couple of weeks later with my mother and Oliver to partake in our traditional apple and pumpkin picking!

That wasn’t the only tradition I honored in September. My family and I also made our annual pilgrimage to Hampton Beach at the end of the Summer season to shop great deals and chow down on crab cakes, lobster rolls, and savor some fresh squeezed lemonade at their Seafood Festival.

And of course- no early Fall days in New England are complete without a stop at The Big E. I swung by there a couple of weeks ago to grab my favorite fair food (fried Oreos!) and take in the sights and sounds of the best New England restaurants, small businesses and farms had to offer!

And in-between all the travel, taste testing, decorating my place to look like my very own Fall-inspired farmhouse and unpacking my sweaters for the season- I was still able to put together a pretty dreamy Fall playlist, too!

All in all, this past September felt like the perfect way to bid a final farewell to Summer 2019 and usher in the Fall! There’s still a few things on my Autumnal “To-Do” list, of course- but that’s what October is for!

Speaking of- what do I have planned for the coming month ahead? Well, I’d like to photograph the foliage (which usually reaches it’s peak prettiness within the next couple of weeks,) cook up some more Fall-inspired recipes, put together a great Halloween costume and savor all the spookiness that comes with living in Western Massachusetts this time of year! Expect a lot of creepiness and macabre in October! It’s my specialty, after all!

But before I get too ahead of myself- there’s still a few hours of September left to savor- and I’ve got to get some work done at the office.

Enjoy the start of this week, everybody. I’ll be back with a quick, easy and delicious dessert recipe on Wednesday morning!

xx

– Ashley –

Back to Autumn – A Fall 2019 Playlist

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Back to Autumn – A Fall 2019 Playlist

Good Morning, Happy Monday- and Happy First Day of Fall, everyone!

It has been scorching hot here in New England these past couple of days (Summer never really goes down without a fight, after all…) but today is the *official* first day of Autumn so I’m hoping all the sweaters and wool knee-high socks I’ve unpacked since the beginning of September can finally be put to some good use soon.

And with it being the first day of the Fall- it only seems fitting that I share my Autumnal playlist for the year- as is tradition every September/October!

Every year, I compile a playlist of newer indie/folk tracks (with some old favorites peppered in here and there) to soundtrack those dreamy, rainy, and semi-chilly days spent out on the back roads in the country looking at the leaves or indoors- curling up with a good book and a mug of warm cider.

And while I typically host my playlists over at 8Tracks– they’ve admittedly gone a little overboard with the ads in recent months- which can be super frustrating when you’re just trying to enjoy some songs without being constantly interrupted. I’ve since made the switch to hosting them through Spotify which appears to be much more user friendly!

So without further delay, here’s “Back to Autumn – A Fall 2019” Playlist!

CLICK TO LISTEN HERE

– TRACKLISTING –

  1. Tall Heights – Depths
  2. Mac DeMarco – My Old Man
  3. Bon Iver – Hey Ma
  4. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam – In A Black Out
  5. Dawn Landes and Piers Faccini – Heaven’s Gate
  6. Isbells – Reunite
  7. Clairo – Sofia
  8. Ona – Golden Highway Deserter
  9. Maggie Rogers – Past Life
  10. Iron & Wine – Call It Dreaming
  11. The Head and The Heart – Honeybee
  12. Caamp – By and By
  13. Donovan Woods – Portland, Maine
  14. Darlingside – Old Friend
  15. Hozier – Dinner & Diatribes
  16. Josh Ritter – Thunderbolt’s Goodnight

And there it is! 16 songs (clocking in at about 58 minutes total-) for Autumn 2019.

I’m sure I’ll be playing this one to/from my travels this upcoming weekend when I head off to the Mohawk Trail to photograph the foliage!

But, alas- it’s Monday morning and that also means it’s back to work for me. I’ve got lots to do today, so until next time- I hope you all enjoy the playlist as much as I enjoyed putting it together!

xx

– Ashley –

[ Playlist art via Pinterest. ]

“No Lifeguard On Duty” – A Summer 2019 Playlist

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on “No Lifeguard On Duty” – A Summer 2019 Playlist

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Before we break for the extended Fourth of July weekend (I’m counting down the minutes until there’s BBQ and fireworks…) and I get ready to do the bare minimum at my office today- I wanted to share a little playlist I’d been putting together over the past couple of weeks in anticipation for impending beach days, popsicles and flip flops- three things I’m really looking forward to in the next few days.

As always, the playlist has been uploaded on Spotify for convenience. The tracks, mostly newer from both this year and 2018- were compiled from some of my favorite “Summer-esque” tunes we predominantly feature on Indie617– and vary between fun and upbeat to dreamy and electronic to moody and melodic. It’s a little bit of everything- but then again so is Summer, isn’t it?

This is “No Lifeguard On Duty – A Summer 2019” playlist – CLICK HERE TO LAUNCH

– TRACK LISTING – 
  1. Wallows (Ft. Clairo) – Are You Bored Yet?
  2. BLOXX – Sea Blue
  3. Alex Lahey – Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself
  4. Ladytron – The Island
  5. Arlie – Big Fat Mouth
  6. Japanese Breakfast – Essentially
  7. Stella Donnely – Tricks
  8. Tame Impala – Patience
  9. Local Natives – When Am I Gonna’ Lose You?
  10. Vampire Weekend – This Life

I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

I’ll be back bright and early on Friday before I hit the beach to show off some semi-patriotic pieces from my closet- but until then- enjoy your “Hump Day”, everyone!

And have a safe and joyous Fourth! If you’re setting off fireworks- please be careful.

You don’t want to go viral for an unfortunate sparkler accident.

xx

– Ashley –

Pre-Easter Prep

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Pre-Easter Prep

Good Morning and Happy (Good) Friday, everyone!

I’m not a particularly religious person. My family, rooted in Catholicism since way back when- have grown considerably more lax in our religious beliefs than say, my grandparents or my great-grandparents were in their day. While Easter was all about God and Jesus and uncomfortable, overly-starched frilly dresses or suits for my parents when they were little- they’ve thankfully raised my brothers and I to just make it all about food, fun, and being with family.

A holiday I can get behind, really!

This weekend- which will be spent at my mother’s house- is going to be a bit chaotic, to say the least. In-between all the cooking, cleaning, and decorating- I’m also taking on the responsibility of picking up and bringing back family members who reside way up North in Vermont- more than a few hours away. I don’t mind, since it’s a lovely drive and Spring has sprung and all- but it’ll take place in-between my gig at Indie617 on Saturday and work obligations on Monday.

Needless to say I’m going to need one serious power nap come Monday afternoon/evening- but I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, I’m just excited to see my family again before my big move next month! It’s going to be a bit time consuming and hectic around that time- so I’m looking forward to the calm before the storm where I can eat, drink, laugh and catch up with cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.

I’ve got some fun photos, re-caps, and my “Monthly Favorites” to share next week when I return to Blondie Birdie bright and early post-holiday on Monday morning- but I’ve got some handy links for those of you who are still getting your Easter breakfasts/brunches/dinners together that I hope will help!

That just about does it for me this week. I’ve got to get going at work and get ready for some plans I have later on today/tonight out in Western Massachusetts.

I hope you all have a fun, safe, candy-filled Easter! I’ll see you all again on Monday!

xx

– Ashley –

In Bloom – A Spring Playlist

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on In Bloom – A Spring Playlist

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone! We’ve made it to another weekend!

Earlier this week I talked about getting into a Spring state of mind since the snow, sleet, ice, and bitterly cold temperatures were starting to get me down. While I ready my floral print everything, pastels, and spend time in local greenhouses and at flower shows in an attempt to inject some nature and brighter colors into my life- I also needed a seasonally appropriate soundtrack to keep my spirits up until the warmer weather gets here!

Using 8Tracks– which remains one of my favorite ways to create/swap what are essentially good ol’ fashioned mixtapes online- I created “In Bloom”- a brief, ten-track playlist of some of my favorite upbeat and dreamy songs that range from recent releases to a couple of older, classic indie tunes.

I also lined up these songs in Spotify for when I’m in the car- and honestly they make my commute feel a little more cheery and calming despite the fact that there are still some pretty intimidating-looking snowbanks along the roadsides here in Massachusetts.

But I digress! You can listen to the Playlist below (or by CLICKING HERE)

And for the curious- here’s the tracklisting:

  1. Lucy Dacus – La Vie en Rose
  2. Cults – Go Outside
  3. Belle and Sebastian – Another Sunny Day
  4. Deerhunter – No One’s Sleeping
  5. Jenny Lewis – Red Bull & Hennessey
  6. Tall Heights – The Deep End
  7. Soccer Mommy – Blossom
  8. Billie Eilish – When The Party’s Over
  9. Beirut – Gallipoli
  10. Death Cab For Cutie – Northern Lights

This coming weekend I’ll be visiting one of my favorite art museums in the city and bracing myself for some much-needed Spring cleaning around my closet and bedroom- all while losing an hour of precious sleep once Daylight Savings Time kicks in on Sunday morning!

I’ll be back on Monday (and will undoubtedly be sleepy and confused when I am)– so here’s to a fun, warm, safe weekend to you all! Enjoy!

xx

– Ashley –