This Month in Music is my new series that features my music highlights of the month. This January 2015 edition includes a recap of my favorite songs, concerts I've attended, soundtrack highlights, a blog recommendation, a throwback and some cool free downloads.

I've also added a new feature: Playlists! You can click below to listen to a playlist of all of the songs I mention.

Listen Here

Now, to start this one off...

- FAVORITES -

POP // "Life Support" by Sam Smith
I listened to this one repeatedly before the concert. It's orchestral background is especially refreshing to me, since I've been obsessing over electronic music lately, and is reminiscent of when I used to play violin and more classical instruments. The emotion in Sam Smith's vocals is contagious, and hearing "Life Support" as his opening song at his concert

INDIE // "Home By Now" by Bombay Bicycle Club feat. Lucy Rose
My Song of the Week featured a remix of this song by Louis the Child, which I still love just as equally. "Home By Now" is not typical track by indie folk/rock band Bombay Bicycle Club. It's hip-hop inspired beats and piano chord riff is different and catchy, and wonderfully accompanied by Lucy Rose's ethereal vocals. I haven't yet warmed up to the to the other tracks on their So Long, See You Tomorrow album, but something about this song just sticks with me.

TRAP // "O.G." by TroyBoi
TroyBoi showcases his talent for production in this song -- it's a mystical melody that includes some motivating trap synths that really get you into that "go hard or go home" zone. Add this one to your workout playlist. Love the heavy bass addition -- it's O.G. and he's new to the game.

RAP/HIP-HOP // "Collard Greens (GZ Remix)" by Schoolboy Q feat. Kendrick Lamar
GZ really knows how to add a trap-ify rap songs, and "Collard Greens" is no exception. I suggest adding this one to your workout playlist.

DEEP HOUSE // "Kings & Queens (Zimmer Remix)" by Brooke Fraser
This dreamy house song introduced me to Zimmer, a producer from Paris who never fails to put me in a good mood. It's such an easy song to listen to, so if you've never listened to deep house music before, maybe this one can convert you.

DANCE // "You Know You Like It (DJ Snake Remix)" by AlunaGeorge
I showed this one to my suite-mate last week, and we ended up having a little dance party in our common room, which to me is a more evidence of how DJ Snake really made it big last year with "Turn Down For What."

REMIX // "Latch (Annie Starlight RMX)" by Disclosure feat. Sam Smith
I've come to the conclusion that there can never be too many good remixes of "Latch." This one's slow, sensual and future-inspired.

- REMIXED OUT -
"Take Ü There"
by Jack Ü (Skrillex & Diplo) feat. Kiesza

"Take Ü There" by Jack Ü, aka the powerhouse collaboration between Skrillex and Diplo, features vocals by Canadian artist Kiesza. While I am not a fan of the original's drop, there are tons of remixes that bring out new dimensions to the song. Namely, the remixes by Zeds Dead (left below) and M3H (right below) are my favorites out of the growing collection.

Zeds Dead's version is intense and he replaces Jack Ü's drop with a more refined one, inspired by dubstep and the recent future-bass trend. M3H's remix is bouncier and simply more fun. Because of its added trap elements and eclectic beats, his remix makes for a much more danceable song than Jack Ü's original, while still maintaining its stylistic "Jack Ü" feel. I had the awesome chance to listen to M3H's full song, but be sure to follow him on Soundcloud here -- once he reaches 3,000 followers, he'll release the full version!

Listen to Jack Ü's "Take Ü There" remixes album on Spotify here.

- CONCERTS -
Jack Ü (Skrillex & Diplo) @ MSG for NYE

My cousin and I went to the Skrillex & Diplo concert for New Year's Eve in Madison Square Garden.

I was so excited to hear that Yellow Claw, Rudimental and A$AP Ferg were opening for Jack Ü (Skrillex and Diplo), since I am not normally a fan of opening acts. Highlight: Yellow Claw played "Higher Ground" by TNGHT, one of my all-time favorite trap/pump-up songs.

Their full mix can be found here, and I've created a playlist that includes all of the individual songs.

Sam Smith @ The Patriot Center

My friend and I went to Sam Smith's concert on a Monday night, and, needless to say, it was a breathtaking. "Lay Me Down," which Sam just announced his his new single, was my highlight of the night. I think I've included this link before, but this Saturday Night Live performance was what got me obsessed, and what skyrocketed his career.

George Ezra was his opening act, and I was happy to hear his popular song "Budapest." He just released his new album "Wanted On Voyage," which I'll be sure to check out soon.

- SOUNDTRACK -
50 Shades of Grey:
Ellie Goulding &
The Weeknd

50 Shades of Grey is being released on Valentine's Day this year, and in anticipation of that, Ellie Goulding released "Love Me Like You Do," a feel-good, classic Ellie pop song that I don't think is particularly unique in its title or melody. However, Ellie's delicate vocals combined with drum-backed synths create a dreamlike quality, which make it an appropriate addition to the film.

The Weeknd released also released his single, "Earned It," for the film, a song that is both sensual and strong. Its intensity stems from the swelling sound of violins, an instrumental element of the song that I love, and especially as a former violinist, think is underutilized in popular music. Since The Weeknd's trademark is his mystifying charm, I think his performance fits perfectly with the 50 Shades of Grey storyline.

Boyhood: Reliving a Millenial's Lifetime in Music

One of my new favorite movies is Boyhood, which for some reason I hadn't heard of until it was awarded with multiple Golden Globes, including 'Best Picture' this year. The film traces protagonist Mason's childhood and transition to adulthood, and what's incredible about it is that director Richard Linklater filmed with the same cast for 12 years. It's incredible to see, in just two hours, how Mason's life changes in accordance with the advances in technology, as well as the physical changes in each of the characters.

I love that Linklater incorporated the evolution of music along with Mason's coming-of-age story. Especially as a millennial, like Mason, I enjoyed the nostalgia that came with the movie soundtrack. Cheers for "Yellow" by Coldplay being the opening song. The movie will bring back memories of the era of Britney Spears, Harry Potter, Soulja Boy, Lady Gaga and more. I'm a big fan of Richard Linklater, who also directed Before Sunset (a 1995 favorite of mine whose sequels were released in 2004 and 2013). And, music aside, Linklater has a talent for incorporating a stream-of-consciousness dialogue that may seem trivial, but nevertheless is incredibly and almost hauntingly real.

Listen to the soundtrack on Spotify here.

- A NEW DISCOVERY -
CRWNS

Genre: Chill-Trap, Future, Remix

"Rollin' Tropical" is the first CRWNS mix I heard on SoundCloud. It's a 36-minute chilled-out mix of so many songs I love, ranging from ambient to hip-hop genres, and what His transitions are seamless, and he manages to keep that relaxed vibe throughout the entire length of the song. I love that he begins with the calming "To Build A Home" -- a beautiful song by The Cinematic Orchestra. "Rollin' Tropical" is available for free download here.

He most recently remixed "1901" by Phoenix, where you can download for free here.

Bonus: Lido
Free Music

Genre: Future Bass, Remix

As a treat to his fans, Norwegian artist Lido released a .zip file of his remixes for free on his website, including his awesome version of "Latch" by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith -- a remix that was removed from Soundcloud.

Download the free Lido remixes here.

- BLOG SPOTLIGHT -
Indie Shuffle

I've been loving the music blog Indie Shuffle lately, since I've been really into the genres they highlight, like electronic, female vocalist, remixes and ambient. Check it out if you want to hear the 'best of' new, unheard-of releases from independent and indie artists.

One awesome feature of Indie Shuffle is their notifications on Google Chrome that display which song is playing, even if Chrome is in the background. The folks at Indie Shuffle have also added a "Sounds Like" feature for every song, meaning you can hear similar artists to explore new ones more easily.

I've been digging their 'Best Of 2014,' where you can listen to here.

Their app is free on the App Store for the iPhone here or on Google Play for the Android here.

- A THROWBACK, REMIXED -
"Rehab (Tom Misch Remix)" by Amy Winehouse

I thought I'd end This Month in Music with a throwback remix that Tom Misch released this month. This one's a classic, and as usual, Tom Misch adds an incredibly smooth jazz twist.

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- FAVORITES -

- REMIXED OUT -"Take Ü There"by Jack Ü (Skrillex & Diplo) feat. Kiesza

- CONCERTS -Jack Ü (Skrillex & Diplo) @ MSG for NYE

Sam Smith @ The Patriot Center

- SOUNDTRACK -50 Shades of Grey:Ellie Goulding &The Weeknd

Boyhood: Reliving a Millenial's Lifetime in Music

- A NEW DISCOVERY -CRWNS

Bonus: Lido*Free Music*

- BLOG SPOTLIGHT -Indie Shuffle

- A THROWBACK, REMIXED -"Rehab (Tom Misch Remix)" by Amy Winehouse