It's the new year, and for the beginning of the year I always put together a solid playlist of bands I find incredibly relaxing to listen to. I hope to keep this a series in the future, so if you like the playlist feel free to give it a listen. This month's playlist is the "January Indie Rock Playlist" by yours truly, MC Flimz (flim-zee).

The first song on the playlist is "Trees" by Plateau Green. The track rockets off and finds itself in a state of nonchalant-stasis infused with somewhat of an ambience in the vocals behind the song.

The next song you happily find yourself listening to is "4U" by Hoops. I really love this song, it's jangly notes and airy vocals reciprocate that ambient grunge we all grow to love from some songs. It's a short track, but I also recommend checking out some more of Hoops' stuff, they're pretty, pretty groovy. As "4U" rounds itself out on the playlist you might find yourself on top of a hill with a great view, or staring intently at your desk and thinking about the meaning of it all with "My Love" by the bahamas. There really isn't enough that can embody the emotions provoked from this song. The duality of a Male, and Female Vocalist between a slow, twining guitar melody and basic "nod-your-head" rhythm from the drummer makes this a SLOW jam of all slow jams.

Staying on the topic of Love, the next song in the set is Stello NYC's "So In Love". The lyrics of this song are very floaty, bubbly, and sultry. I can imagine sitting in front of a sunset, and showing someone I care about this song. The Drummer and Keyboard really carry this song's brunt of its weight, but the guitar tops off the melody nicely to make the song feel like it meanders between the two with a precarious balance that's strikingly enjoyable to relax to.

The song that plays next on the playlist is "Finding Peace Of Mind" by Kainalu. This song finds my peace of mind. If listening to this is what it's going to take to find a peace of mind, I'm a big peace of mind guy. This song sounds melancholic to an untrained ear, but if you listen closely there's something so much more than a song here. This is a song you go on random walks to clear mind with. I am almost (keyword almost) willing to start a nasty gambling habit to bet you will find yourself with a smile, or lower blood-pressure after listening to this track. Kainalu made a truly euphoric-hoppy track that somehow finds a way to make the keyboard the centerpiece of a beautifully crafted song.

Up next we have Polo and Pan's "Plage Isolee". This is an international track I decided to throw on the playlist, because I can't understand it, and I still enjoy every note. This song's plan is to enter like a lamb and leave like a lion, the introduction's climbing melody really fleshes out this song perfectly to get the listener in a listening mood. "Plage Isolee" in French means isolated beach, and with this song I really feel like the world around me is an isolated beach. This song is one of those odd instances where the incorporation of metal drums at whim is beneficial to the mission of the song, and quite frankly leaves me wanting to dance to this track every time.

If "Plage Isolee' means isolated beach, then the next track "Doobie Doobie" by Mother Mink is the surfer-dude coming to the beach fashionably late. The song enters with a kowabunga-chromatic sounding riff that reminds me of the old "Hawaii Five-o". This song really balances itself out nicely while it finds its own identity as a beach-rock track. While we're stuck inside for the winter, or hitting the slopes this will be a good track to remind those listening that Spring will arrive before we know it.

I'll leave the last three songs in the playlist up to interpretation for the good people to find themselves. Cheers to the holidays.

https://soundcloud.com/lesean05/sets/december-indi...