Last week, I published my review of the Bose Soundlink Mini II Bluetooth speaker. Needless to say, I've been using it like crazy since I bought it. After reading the review, you may be wondering: What does Ethan Smith listen to on the speaker that sounds so good? I've decided to take today's blog to outline some of my favorite artists and albums I've had on repeat over the past few months, and especially since I've gotten the Soundlink Mini II. 

1. Lake Street Dive

I first learned about these guys when they performed on the Late Show on CBS, and a friend recommended I check out their sound because we had just started our band at that point and needed some inspiration for song choices. I was blown away by the songwriting and instrumentation, but only after I got over Rachael Price's vocals. 

Founded in 2004, the four members of Lake Street Dive met while studying jazz at the New England Conservatory. The band features Mike Calabrese on drums, Bridget Kearney on bass, Mike "McDuck" Olson on guitar and trumpet, and Rachael Price as vocalist. The band's unique sound combines the interesting combination of electric guitar and upright bass, held together by the smooth vocals and rhythms of the drums. 

The group's genre can fit into many categories including blues, jazz, motown, and pop. They've become one of my favorite bands just because of the caliber of talent they possess in terms of musical ability and songwriting. Their song lyrics are clever and fun, and many of their songs feature time signature and tempo changes. Their album Bad Self Portraits is my favorite so far overall, but their most recent project Side Pony has some great tracks, too. 

My wife and I actually got to see them in concert this past February. They really put on a great show that was a lot of fun, and they hung out after the show to chat and give autographs. I'd recommend their shows to anyone!

So let's get to the music. One of the best videos of them on YouTube is their Tiny Desk concert. I'd recommend listening to it because you can get a good idea of how talented they are and how fun their songs can be: 

If you like what you hear, you can hear more here:

• their YouTube channel, 
• buy their albums on Amazon, or 
• stream on Spotify. 

2. Bastille

I've been a fan of Bastille ever since I first heard "Pompeii" on the radio. While they've never had another single to take Top 40 radio by storm, the rest of their music is brilliantly written and warrants a listen. 

Their music can best be described as alternative rock, but the album versions of their songs feature a lot of electronic sounds, and even sound bytes from various sources. Their cryptic lyrics sometimes take a few listens to grab the meanings, but it showcases their affinity for songs that don't conform to simple chord progressions and repetitive lyrics. Dan Smith's vocal abilities are also very impressive. He has a unique voice that I enjoy listening to. 

Bastille currently has two studio albums: Bad Blood and Wild World. I've been fortunate enough to hear them in concert twice, once on their first album tour, and most recently in May on their Wild World tour. I have to say that hearing them in person is vastly different from listening to their albums. The band members really showcase their musical talents, often switching instruments for various songs. As a bass player, I was particularly impressed by their bassist's ability to carry songs with just his groovy bass lines. 

Anyhow, Bastille may not be for everyone, but they're worth a listen. Start with the bonus version of their first album called All This Bad Blood, which features some of their early music that didn't make it onto the final cut of Bad Blood.

Their most recent album, Wild World, has a lot of fun songs, including, "Good Grief," "Snakes," and "Warmth." I've enjoyed listening to the album over and over, and it sounds even better now that I have my Soundlink Mini II. 

Chances are, you've heard "Pompeii." If you even remotely like it, you should listen to the rest of Bastille's music. Check it out here:

• YouTube
• Amazon
• Spotify

3. Imagine Dragons

I promise I'm not just listing bands I've seen in concert, but Imagine Dragons is another fantastic band that I've seen and worn out their CDs since they jumped onto the alt rock scene in 2012. 

You've probably definitely heard some of their music before. Their debut album, Night Visions, featured songs like "It's Time," "Radioactive," and "Demons," all of which got an abundance of plays on Top 40 radio. So if you enjoyed hearing those songs on the radio but never listened to them further, Night Visions is an excellent place to start. It is, in my opinion, one of the best albums I've ever heard. I can listen to it all the way through over and over again without skipping any of the songs. It's an incredible work, especially for a band's first album, and one that I believe will be considered classic some day. 

Their second album, Smoke + Mirrors didn't get nearly the fanfare of Night Visions, but it's still a solid album that I still enjoy listening to. They're able to maintain their unique sound while exploring a variety of instrumentation and melodies. There are some really fun songs on the album, including "Shots," "Hopeless Opus," and "Polaroid." 

They released their third studio album, Evolve, in June featuring their new singles, "Thunder," and "Believer." In my opinion, the high spots of the new album are elsewhere in such tracks as "Start Over," and "Walking the Wire." I advise listening to the album in its entirety. I think you'll enjoy it. 

Also, their show I went to in 2013 was incredible. I want to see them again sometime. Here's a picture from the show. They actually had the lead singer on a wire and he ascended up to play a bass drum that was mounted on the top of the stage. Interesting for sure. 

If you want to listen further, you can hear their music via any of the following links:

• YouTube
• Amazon
• Spotify

4. Tedeschi Trucks Band

If you like blues, this is the band to listen to. I stumbled upon the Tedeschi Trucks Band via YouTube's suggested videos after watching the Lake Street Dive Tiny Desk video I included above. Turns out, the Tedeschi Trucks band did one too. Derek Trucks's guitar playing is very unique. He almost never uses a pick, and he's incredibly adept at slide guitar. Combined with the smooth vocals of his wife, Susan Tedeschi, their band has a unique sound that's sometimes similar to the Allman Brothers, but other times sounds more like Chicago when the horns start blaring. I'll just let you take a listen to their Tiny Desk performance: 

The band has released 3 studio albums and two live albums, so there's plenty to listen to. They also have several full-length concerts available on YouTube so I highly recommend giving them a listen ASAP. 

• YouTube
• Amazon
• Spotify

5. Ed Sheeran (specifically his latest album)

Ed Sheeran has always been one of those interesting artists that I like sometimes and dislike at other times. He's had a variety of music styles over his three studio albums that range from slow ballads to almost hip-hop. I recently listened to his latest album, Divide, and I was impressed. You may immediately think of his single, "Shape of You," which admittedly I'm not the fondest of. The song is definitely an outlier when looking at the album as a whole. 

There are fun songs on the album like "Galway Girl," "Barcelona," and "What Do I Know?" but there are also some more slow ballads similar to "Thinking Out Loud" from his second album, X. "Dive" is a great song, and so is "Perfect." So if you've heard Ed Sheeran's music on the radio in the past and haven't given it a second thought, I'd encourage you to listen to Divide. It may just surprise you. 

I do like some of Ed Sheeran's other music, so give his first two albums a listen also. He's definitely a talented musician and songwriter, which always makes someone worth a listen. 

Check his music out here:

• YouTube
• Amazon
• Spotify

5. Various Others

I've been listening to a lot of albums which aren't recent, so I'll include a few of these "honorable mentions" in case you want to enjoy them, too. 

• The Essential Daryl Hall & John Oates
• The Partridge Family- Up to Date
• Fleetwood Mac- Rumours

And who can forget vinyl? If you're interested in what I've been listening to lately on vinyl, check out my post from a few weeks ago. 

I know there are others, but these are just the albums I've been listening to recently. I hope you've enjoyed this post, and maybe you've found some new artists that you can enjoy. 

Thank you all for supporting my posts, especially those of who who helped make my Bluetooth speaker review my most successful post ever. I've also recently surpassed 200 followers, so I appreciate all of the support, especially from my new-found community, The Unmentionables. 

First image on this post used via Creative Commons License.