Conner Youngblood

Rising electro star Conner Youngblood is back after a too-long absence with new song ‘Australia’. A slow-burner with soulful vocals and handclaps, this is a chill-out track that goes easy on the loud juddering beats that are typical of most dubstep, making it the perfect soundtrack for those Sunday morning comedowns. - The Music Ninja

Feel like mixing things up a bit today. Rather than hard electro of yesterday, I decided to drop some chill indie on you all. Dallas’s Conner Youngblood has been quietly been making a name for himself in the blog world over the past few months, first as a mashup artist and now as a chillwave indie producer. I’ve always been a fan of the guy and if you want to hear more of his stuff, check out our Shark Week mix from a couple months ago. - Dirty Mexican Lemonade

Conner Youngblood
Time Saturday October 22, 2011 10:00pm - 10:45pm
Venue Pete's Candy Store 709 Lorimer St. Brooklyn, NY 11211
Type Showcase
Genre Folktronic - CMJ

Our fascination with Conner Youngblood is nothing new. It was early last November when the 21-year-old Dallas, TX resident first caught our ear with his beautifully haunting tune “Monsters”. The song was so beyond anything we had ever heard before, and still is to this day. A detached, country-style banjo strums faintly behind a spacey dubstep wobble…all while this entrancing voice radiates over it. It was musically fascinating, and needless to say it got our attention. But soon after when we went to search for more music/ information on who Conner Youngblood is…we were left disappointed when we found little to no information on him. Even in the blogosphere where everyone knows about everyone, Conner was virtually unknown. And for the amount of talent he has, that kind of freaked us out. Fast-forward seven months, and although his music has gained a little more exposure, the notion of who exactly Conner Youngblood is is still a mystery. Well we here at LFTF were not cool with that. Recently we went on a mission to get in touch with this Youngblood character to figure out who exactly he is, and more importantly, how the hell he is making this wonderful music. Through some undignified Facebook stalking that we certainly are not proud of…we finally got ahold of our guy.

Hit the jump to check out our full interview with Conner Youngblood




Hello Conner, thanks for taking time to talk to us. Tell us a little about yourself. Where you’re from, where you’re living now, your age, that sort of thing.

What’s up guys, where should I start…I was born and (still currently being) raised in Dallas, TX, I am going to be a senior next year at Yale, and I turned 21 back in January (hooray!).


So you go to school at Yale. That’s pretty interesting, what are you studying?

American Studies…don’t ask. All right, all right, I’ll tell you anyways. I thought I was going to be a super-sick Architecture major, until I didn’t get into the architecture school (apparently you need to know how to draw), and American Studies kindly accepted all of my credits.


Do you plan on going into the field of American Studies after college?

I don’t even know what one really does with an American Studies degree, but my focus is in film, literature, and music. Not much of a ‘focus’ but I’m just going with the flow for now.


So where would you place music in your life? As in, do you ever think about trying to make it big and focusing solely on music…or is it just more of a hobby right now?

Everyday music has become more and more of a reality for me. A couple of years ago I would have never imagined trying to play music for the rest of my life and would have considered it as much as a hobby as playing Super Smash Bros, but now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I’m in it for the long run.


When did you first get into making music?

I played clarinet for a couple of years in middle school band if that counts haha. That was a waste of time, but on a serious note I got my first guitar in 7th grade, and didn’t write my first song until senior year of high school. Even though I had been playing instruments for years, it took me a while to feel comfortable with my voice.


Walk us through your creative process when making a song. Where do you start?

A lot of the times I will just jam with myself using a loop pedal with a synth and a few of my acoustic instruments hooked up into it, and just create beats galore. Sometimes I’ll just hum/sing a cool line or melody that I record into my phone and save for later. And some times I come up with something acoustic first and then either keep it acoustic or start adding electronic layers. This process can take a year or a day depending on the song/how focused I am.


Each song of yours is extremely diverse, and as far as your sound goes, you’ve tried a lot of different routes. Your Myspace page lists “Bluegrass / Club / Indie” as your different genere’s for god’s sake. Is this something you do on purpose or did it just sort of happen that way?

It’s a little bit of both. I’m really ADHD when it comes to just about anything and music is no different. I get bored of instruments so I like to mix it up. First I got a guitar, then a banjo, then a charango, then started playing some piano, got an accordion, got a harp, got an oud, got a synth, bought a drum set last month haha, bought some other random shit along the way, and started putting it all together. So with such a full arsenal of weird instruments I can’t help but make a wide range of music.


When writing lyrics, do you mainly pull inspiration from personal experiences or from something totally different?

I definitely like to be inspired from mostly personal experiences. I like to take pretty personal things and sort of cover them up with ambiguous, creative lyrics. But no matter how imaginative the lyrics may be, behind every song is a true-ish story.


I notice the pres - Live For the Funk

Conner Youngblood is a name you should know. He hasn’t exactly marketed himself for the masses–his cover art all looks like pictures he may have drawn himself, and he has two followers on Twitter. But with a little push he could be one of the next big things in indie.
Conner has a knack for these melodic, yearning indie pop songs that are filled to the brim with feeling but never too emo. And the kid seems to have talent when it comes to anything that makes musical sounds. Just watch his music video for proof. - Pigeons and Planes

Conner Youngblood- Australia
(video) - Mike Shinoda

don’t know about you, but I’m in desperate need of some mellow tunes right now. I thought I knew how to party…then I moved to Europe. Today I’m getting some serious schooling via an aching body and a hazy but incriminating set of memories from last night’s jaunts. Luckily I have the perfect solution to the headache, Dallas’ own Conner Youngbloood. Just 20 years old, he’s been making the blog rounds recently with his savvy self-promotion and the musical chops to back it up. The cool thing is that I actually know this guy. Well, if you count meeting once at a sushi restaurant as ‘knowing’…then we are best friends. Aside from the personal attachment (clearly I take my first-time encounters very seriously), Conner deserves all of the praise I’m about to give him because he makes absolutely beautiful music. Though his catalogue spans a wide variety of genres “from bluegrass to dubstep,” the song that screamed (whispered) Comedown Sunday was the gentle, folky Girl Hair. It reminds me somewhat of old Rogue Wave at their most docile, circa 2004’s Out of the Shadows. It’s features the same type of melodious interweaving of silvery guitars and delicate tenor vocals. The song is sweet, simple, and very much helping to cure my sour mood. Dallas (and the rest of the world for that matter), keep an eye out for Conner. - Loose L!ps

I think I’ve found one of my favorite new artists. Conner Youngblood. With the last track he shared, “Monsters“, I was completely sold. It was a little dark, but his sense of melody was so on point. It’s the kind of stuff that strikes a chord with me, deeper than a catchy chorus or a beat that makes me nod my head. It’s the kind of music that feels more like a memory, or like déjà vu. I don’t know, maybe it’s the banjo -Sufjan Stevens and Bela Fleck always had the same effect on me. Whatever it is, I’m loving it. Conner says:
This is definitely my official attempt at making a happy song. Its still got some bass and banjo aka the shit that people want to hear these days, but I also hit up some piano, guitars, and glitched it up a bit. Just trying to keep things fresh. - Pigeons and Planes

It’s funny how music seems to adapt with the seasons sometimes. When we first heard of Dallas, Texas’ Conner Youngblood, it was back in December in the dead middle of winter when he released his haunting track “Monsters.” The song had a hypnotic, ominous feel to it and reminded us of how eerie the winter can really be. Well fast forward 3 months and Youngblood is back…this time with a whole new kind of feel. Titled “A Summer Song,” his latest installment is simply just that. A breezy acoustic guitar loop shines over distancing dubstep-y synths…reminiscent of something we’d hear from The Flaming Lips. It’s a fun, laid back kind of track that works perfectly getting us into the right state of mind for spring break. Check it out now below: - Live for the Funk

Got a new track from the up-and-coming artist Conner Youngblood. This time he brings the track “A Summer Song” which is a bit more upbeat than his previous releases. This time he’s made a happy track that has his signature banjo usage as well as some glitched out elements as well. He always keeps you guessing as to what’s coming up next in the song because he doesn’t follow any type of formula. If you were’t a fan of Connor before; you will soon be. Check out the new track below. - Earmilk

It’s been a little while since the last time I came across a track as aptly named as “A Summer Song.” It is increasingly rare these days to find a track that lives up to such an impossibly broad namesake, but the Dallas based Conner Youngblood somehow did, and with flying colours.

In an odd mixture of acoustic guitar work and light electronica, the song comes to form that ethereal and light sound you need to make a good summer song. The song feels like a long sunset, the kind you want to last forever, and that brings back some fond summer memories. It may be a little early to the punch for summer, but it feels right at home in my library already. - The Music Ninja

After indie-rockers The Chapman Family scored our Hype Chart top spot last week, this week we’re on to a clean slate with five new artists jostling for position in the charts. Who will top the Hype Chart this week? Read on to find out.

In at #5 is Portland, Oregon-based metallers Across The Sun, rising 436% in the past seven days. Following suit at #4 is instrumental collective Lento. Influenced by artists like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Earth, the Italian group’s apocalyptic sound has won them many listeners, and “Hymn” is the current favorite, racking up 1,191 listeners in the last week.

Loreen hits the Hype Chart at #3, soaring 537% in the past week. The Swedish singer-songwriter’s new single “My Heart is Refusing Me” (originally intended to be Sweden’s Eurovision Song Contest entry) has shot up with 1,025 listeners, with the track’s various remixes also making an appearance in her charts.

In second place this week is Nottingham five-piece Dog Is Dead. Their track “Glockenspiel Song” has caught Last.fm listeners’ attention thanks to its recent appearance on the TV show Skins. The band is up 590% this week.

This week the Hype Chart #1 is Conner Youngblood, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Dallas, Texas with a fondness for artists such as Bon Iver and Elliott Smith. With the sunshine starting to break through the clouds, his aptly-titled new track “A Summer Song” has helped his listeners climb by 1,212% in the last week and has got Last.fm listeners in the mood for the long, lazy days of summer.

Stop by Last.fm Trends next week to find out if any of these artists will be sticking around for another week, and who’ll be toppled by new talent. - Last.fm

Conner Youngblood is an artist from Dallas, Texas who recently contacted us and sent along this odd, but marvelous track called "Monsters". It featuring elements as diverse as dub mixed in with bluegrass banjo and as he promised it works. Hypnotic little number that I'm really digging. You gotta love creative people that try different things from the usual. Good going Conner, keep up the great work! Here's "Monster's" free to download if you like what you hear. - Off the Radar

Not so long ago I received a song in my dropbox that surprised me. It contains both a nice banjo and somewhat reminiscent of dubstep! Say what? Well, not exactly two things that usually go hand in hand, right?

But still works number Monsters amazingly well. The rhythm is almost drawling, a wobble-like bass creates additional structural and banjo nestle dancing in and out of notes between the heads, necks and tabs.

Conner Youngblood - Monsters (Right click to download)



I decided to listen to what this Conner Youngblood from Dallas, Texas and a student at Yale University had otherwise doing. I found out that this dubby number so far seems to be a one-night stand. Banjo pops up often in Youngblood's music. But we also have to do with an artist who both like to play on other subtle instruments charango, ukulele and more common as piano and guitar.

But let's get on to some more concrete examples of his music.

Thunder Head is a number that starts with hypnotic ukulele (I think) finger games, and halfway complete character change. Ukulele stops suddenly, Youngblood takes a breath, and reflective piano playing begins. And then comes Youngblood's voice - empathetic, honest and also reflective.

Every time I listen to this number, I'd like to see the second part lasted longer. It calls for and deserves to flourish as a separate number. Do you hear Conner Youngblood?

Conner Youngblood - The Thunder Head (Download)



On the track Girl Hair show Youngblood, he also has a talent for knitting music with many layers in the form of especially varied stringed instruments have added more reverb to the vocals, making the atmosphere more spherical - and we can (read: me) well li 'here in the shop!

Conner Youngblood - Girl Hair (Download)



Last number I will introduce you to the Color Blind (I Swear), which I will not say much about, besides that it is also pretty cool.

Conner Youngblood - Color Blind (I Swear) (Download)



Conner Youngblood's sound ranges from very fair number to number - even more than the selected numbers in this post demonstrates (check his Sound Cloud to hear more). He is playing with and mixing various genres and uses his voice in different ways. This suggests that he is still finding his personal style and show simultaneously that his talent is multifaceted and can go in several directions.

Overall, I think the lyrics work fairly well. Normally, I attach no great importance or particular attention to the words in songs. My ears are more equipped to tune into the sounds, harmonies and moods. But here my attention was still for some reason directed towards texts universe. To me it seems they are both sensitive, melancholic, and lingering detail oriented. In other words: They move me and does he.

I would like to hear your opinion on the texts out there? Do you agree? - Musikmigblidt

Not so long ago I received a song in my dropbox that surprised me. It contains both a nice banjo and somewhat reminiscent of dubstep! Say what? Well, not exactly two things that usually go hand in hand, right?

But still works number Monsters amazingly well. The rhythm is almost drawling, a wobble-like bass creates additional structural and banjo nestle dancing in and out of notes between the heads, necks and tabs.

Conner Youngblood - Monsters (Right click to download)



I decided to listen to what this Conner Youngblood from Dallas, Texas and a student at Yale University had otherwise doing. I found out that this dubby number so far seems to be a one-night stand. Banjo pops up often in Youngblood's music. But we also have to do with an artist who both like to play on other subtle instruments charango, ukulele and more common as piano and guitar.

But let's get on to some more concrete examples of his music.

Thunder Head is a number that starts with hypnotic ukulele (I think) finger games, and halfway complete character change. Ukulele stops suddenly, Youngblood takes a breath, and reflective piano playing begins. And then comes Youngblood's voice - empathetic, honest and also reflective.

Every time I listen to this number, I'd like to see the second part lasted longer. It calls for and deserves to flourish as a separate number. Do you hear Conner Youngblood?

Conner Youngblood - The Thunder Head (Download)



On the track Girl Hair show Youngblood, he also has a talent for knitting music with many layers in the form of especially varied stringed instruments have added more reverb to the vocals, making the atmosphere more spherical - and we can (read: me) well li 'here in the shop!

Conner Youngblood - Girl Hair (Download)



Last number I will introduce you to the Color Blind (I Swear), which I will not say much about, besides that it is also pretty cool.

Conner Youngblood - Color Blind (I Swear) (Download)



Conner Youngblood's sound ranges from very fair number to number - even more than the selected numbers in this post demonstrates (check his Sound Cloud to hear more). He is playing with and mixing various genres and uses his voice in different ways. This suggests that he is still finding his personal style and show simultaneously that his talent is multifaceted and can go in several directions.

Overall, I think the lyrics work fairly well. Normally, I attach no great importance or particular attention to the words in songs. My ears are more equipped to tune into the sounds, harmonies and moods. But here my attention was still for some reason directed towards texts universe. To me it seems they are both sensitive, melancholic, and lingering detail oriented. In other words: They move me and does he.

I would like to hear your opinion on the texts out there? Do you agree? - Musikmigblidt

Here is an artist, Conner Youngblood, who I am sure will blow you all away.

This song, M.A.R.S, is co-done with Peter Johnson, who is an equally as talented musician, and just kills it overall.

From the great production, to the great chorus and hook, these men go in on this track sounding like they’re sleepy eyed, but then just let their words blow you away. There is mean “beauty in the bassline” on this track and the beat, which sounds a lot like Mean Lady’s track, Rain, just captivates a listener and with Johnson’s smooth voice and Youngblood’s great hook.

Conner Youngblood & Peter Johnson – M.A.R.S.



Next up is his song Colored Ghost which brings in the Texas Native’s Bluegrassy feel. Conner really owns this song and is a big change from his electro-esque “Monster” and moves into a more tame realm, where i really think that he can dominate for years to come. I love the banjo/ukelele and that uniqueness of his voice, which i really cant relate to any other’s.

Conner Youngblood – Colored Ghost - This Bonus Track

5) Conner Youngblood – Monsters

Probably the least heard of artist here, Conner Youngblood mixes bass into tracks that would otherwise be dubbed indie/pop. However, it is far more subtle than what Jai Paul does. Both have their individual merits and both are artists to watch for next year. - Compromise Music

5) Conner Youngblood – Monsters

Probably the least heard of artist here, Conner Youngblood mixes bass into tracks that would otherwise be dubbed indie/pop. However, it is far more subtle than what Jai Paul does. Both have their individual merits and both are artists to watch for next year. - Compromise Music

Not so much a band so much as one guy out of Dallas, but definitely one to watch just the same – Conner Youngblood has made his sound rather difficult to pin down. We’ve got two tracks to share with you today, but the vibe of each is so varied that it’s a little tough to believe they are by the same guy.

Monsters has a lo-fi reverbed vocal line and slow dubstep bassline that brings to mind similarities one Jai Paul – one of my favourite finds of 2010. The subtle banjo in the background keeps it all a little more upbeat but that bassline keeps that darker, brooding feel to the whole track.

Conner Youngblood – Monsters

Girl Hair is more more of a blissed out shimmering bluegrass/folk sound, reminiscent of Bon Iver. The vocals are bright and soothing, with the strummed guitar/banjo that stream along behind it wrap you in warmth. - The Blue Walrus

I contacted Conner because I was interested beyond belief with his music. The first single I heard of his was Monster and he hit it on all levels. After posting a quick journal I thought I had gone far enough. That would prove wrong after I continued to play his music over and over. This was one of those times where I had to get in contact with somebody because I needed to know more. I found Conner and he agreed to do a quick interview for us. Enjoy the words below as much as the words in his music.

Me: First off I have to ask you if Conner Youngblood is your birth name, and if so, I bet a lot of those vampire + "twilight" chicks are loving you .... ha. On a serious note though, where were you raised / first place you called home?

Conner: Yesssir, Conner Youngblood is in fact my real deal name, and yes, vampire chicks dig me. Even more Twilight-esque of my name is the fact that Conner means (were)wolf lover in Gaelic according to various baby name websites. As for my hometown, I was born and raised in Dallas, TX, aka the coolest place on earth.

Me: Was there any certain people that influenced you to get into music or did you find it on your own? Once you realized that music was what you enjoyed how did you go about really learning "music"? Did you pursue a teacher? Or other musicians? Or did you really just pick it up on your own and loved doing your own thing without much outside communication?

Conner: Music just kinda happened. I was the “starting” 6th chair clarinet in middle school band, quit, and moved on to bigger and way cooler things when I got an electric guitar for my 13th birthday. Unfortunately/fortunately I get tired of instruments really easily, and next thing you know I have a piano, accordion, banjo, charango, ukulele, oud, harp, and some other weird instruments scattered across the floor in my room. Even though I took piano lessons for credit for a couple of years in high school, the only instrument I’ve taken serious lessons for is banjo. All of the other instruments with stings I taught myself how to play by ear, and I basically click random buttons when I play accordion haha. I love to play around with all of my instruments and it’s always tough to choose which one to practice…I sort of have musical A.D.D.

Me: How did you decide to pick up the banjo and it use it so often? I have noticed it is a key part to your very unique style, which is why I have grown to enjoy your stuff so much and I think that others would say the same. Should we expect to hear you on the banjo in upcoming tracks?

Conner: I decided on the banjo once I became obsessed with bluegrass music after watching O Brother Where Art Thou for the first time. That movie and its soundtrack are incredible. Even though my music is in no way bluegrass, I like to take bits and pieces of traditional banjo styles and mix them into a contemporary sound. As for my next tracks, I haven’t really decided on using banjo yet. Its been a while since I’ve used accordion or piano on a track, but then again, everything tastes better with a little banjo on top.

Me: Last thing I have to know is what are your aspirations? I know this is a self-reflecting kind of question, but at least in terms of music where do you want to be? What should we expect from Conner Youngblood in the coming months and years?

Conner: I’ve been taking it one day at a time, one song at a time. Music is what I love to do, and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. Even though I’m basically unknown at the moment, I feel as long as I keep writing new (and hopefully good) music I can turn this passion into a career. (I literally knocked on wood as soon as a typed that last sentence.) In the coming months look for a couple more singles to be released, and hopefully by the summer I can put together a new album. Hopefully years from now I’ll be touring the world, making guest appearances on Kanye’s next album, and doing all of those other things cool musicians do.



I am already stoked on his upcoming tracks and I will be keeping OnlyTheTribe on the trail of Conner Youngblood. Below are some cherry tunes from Conner along with iTunes download links. We all lean on one another so let's support a great musician. - Only the Tribe

Electro/dubstep connoisseur Conner Youngblood’s “Monsters” is a thick-grooved, Massive Attack-styled track about things that go bump in the night. It’s a creepy, melodic, slick mix of genres. There’s the deep club thump combined with a bluegrass banjo riff. There’s the half spoken-word, half-hypnotic singing style. The lyrics are darkly seductive and the flow is right on: “I shoot down the stars / Collect them in jars / I shoot for the moon / I won’t be home soon / There’s monsters I hold / I feel so alone / I’m lost out in space / While standing in place / The grass here won’t grow / The colors won’t flow / There’s something creeping / Beneath my sleeping.” This Dallas, Texas wunderkind also has a second track out, “Girl Hair”, which sounds like a dreamy lullaby, and couldn’t be more different than “Monsters”. Youngblood sings in high falsetto, like a downtempo folk-version of Chocolate Genius. Both tracks are highly recommended. Note: Lyrics are unofficial. – David D. Robbins Jr. - Their Bated Breath

Electro/dubstep connoisseur Conner Youngblood’s “Monsters” is a thick-grooved, Massive Attack-styled track about things that go bump in the night. It’s a creepy, melodic, slick mix of genres. There’s the deep club thump combined with a bluegrass banjo riff. There’s the half spoken-word, half-hypnotic singing style. The lyrics are darkly seductive and the flow is right on: “I shoot down the stars / Collect them in jars / I shoot for the moon / I won’t be home soon / There’s monsters I hold / I feel so alone / I’m lost out in space / While standing in place / The grass here won’t grow / The colors won’t flow / There’s something creeping / Beneath my sleeping.” This Dallas, Texas wunderkind also has a second track out, “Girl Hair”, which sounds like a dreamy lullaby, and couldn’t be more different than “Monsters”. Youngblood sings in high falsetto, like a downtempo folk-version of Chocolate Genius. Both tracks are highly recommended. Note: Lyrics are unofficial. – David D. Robbins Jr. - Their Bated Breath

When someone sends you their music and describes it as “from Dubstep to Bluegrass”, you have no choice but to check it out, right?

I mean how can you ignore that kinda fusion? I can’t, and admittedly I was dubious of Dubstep and Bluegrass even coming remotely close to going well together, but holy fuck Conner Youngblood manages to do just that. I mean, Dubstep and motherfuckin’ Bluegrass! Next you’ll be telling me that cucumbers taste good with ranch dressing.

The Dallas, Texas resident is a mere 20 years old and has already amassed an impressive knowledge of what works and what doesn’t, and as far as I can tell everything he blends and tries his hand at works. A recurring theme is his trademark banjo, showing up on most of his songs either on its own and simply accompanied by his delicate voice, or backed by some of the dirtiest and eye-squinting (as in “what the fuck just happened”) basslines and electronic backwards arches you’ll hear this side of Mount Kimbie. Just try listening to “Monster” more than once. I double dog dare ya!

On his Soundcloud page he has eight songs to listen to, each one in its own little universe, some of which can be bought from iTunes too, four of which he sent me so you can hear below. - Listen Before You Buy

I am foregoing Album of the Week yet again (sort of), but for a good reason. The reason is Conner Youngblood and the release of his new EP, Colored Ghost. He released his first full length album about a year ago now, and recently has been releasing new material. Conner has a smooth way about him. He describes his music as bluegrass/club/indie. I love that. It is definitely a unique sound. You'll find that the bluegrass resides more in his earlier work and transforms into the club-ish, dubstep sound on his more recent music. I am sharing with you some of the EP and his newest singles "Monsters" and "Girl Hair." If you enjoy, I posted a link to buy his first album and the new EP. - The Idea Lingers Lately Still

Genres have increasingly become irrelevant and harder to define. I feel like we’re in a time where not only genres are blending but also art forms (ex. Kanye exploration of ballet in hip-hop). Everything being defined and redefined doesn’t come from just doing it. It still has to work in the eyes and ears of the majority. In “Monsters”, Conner Youngblood successfully combines a dubstep bassline with bluegrass finger picking to create something really unique and, most importantly, awesome. The Music Ninja throughout the term Bluestep, and I say lets roll with it!

Conner Youngblood already has an EP out titled Colored Ghost and two singles, one of them being Monster. I haven’t heard any word of a full-length album yet, but I’m guessing we’ll a lot hear more from him in the near future. - Ears

CONNER YOUNGBLOOD - this guys got range. 20 year old from dallas, texas, now at yale university. video is him playing 'colour blind (i swear)' just conner and ukelele and soul. great track. 'monsters' (my favourite) is a dubstep hinged alt-pop song. and 'girl hair' is a dreamwavey track that gives alot of sufjan stevens. he's got so much breadth to his talent, covers so many genres. and he's accomplished with guitar, banjo, piano, ukelele. 'colored ghost' EP is definately worth a look, doesn't have a slack track and keeps up the genre bending. - Died Young. Stayed Pretty.

British singer-songwriter PJ Harvey holds the top spot as most popular artist in the blogosphere according to The Hype Machine on December 6. Sweden's Robyn takes second place while US singer-songwriter Conner Youngblood debuts in third. Other hot topics in the day's top ten include Blackbird Blackbird and Destroyer.

Blackbird Blackbird, the project of San Francisco musician Mikey Sanders, was in the blogs last month after Sanders released a slew of new tracks on his website, including "Breaking" and "Little Respect," featuring samples from Aretha Franklin's "Respect." He also just released a new track titled "Eraser" from his upcoming and yet-to-be-titled sophomore album. "I was really surprised to hear the psychedelic, sample-heavy sound of Blackbird Blackbird's 'Erasers,'" reviews blogger Dipped in Dollars (dippedindollars.com). "The single almost sounds like something you'd hear from The Flaming Lips."

Canadian band Destroyer, fronted by musician Dan Bejar of The New Pornographers, re-enters the top ten as bloggers are swapping the track "Chinatown" from the band's upcoming album Kaputt, set to release January 25. "'Chinatown' may just be my favorite offering from Destroyer yet," writes blogger We All Want Someone to Shout For (www.weallwantsomeone.org). "Its dreamy layers of sound are putting my mind at rest."

The 10 most blogged artists on The Hype Machine on December 6 at 10 am GMT:

PJ Harvey (no change)
Robyn (no change)
Conner Youngblood (new)
Blackbird Blackbird (no change)
Daft Punk (-2)
Metric (new)
Destroyer (re-entry)
Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros (+1)
Teen Daze (-2)
Gorillaz (-4)

Launched in 2005, The Hype Machine aggregates information from more than 1,000 music blogs worldwide. Known for identifying up-and-coming artists, the site enables music fans to easily find out what music is hot in the blogosphere and to instantly hear and buy mp3s. - The Independent

20 year old Conner Youngblood is the hottest new thing to hit blog world as of late. His single “Monsters” is a seductive anthem that finds its distinct appeal in its genre defying nature. The Yale undergrad flawlessly marries the banjo with an electronic almost dub-steppy beat as if they were meant to be and delivers some poetically felt verses that have still got me contemplating the roots of their derivation. It’s good to see some young new talent with a fresh perspective and I’m definitely looking forward to hearing what else Conner has up his sleeves. - TrendLand

jag är så jäkla svag för skönsång kompad med tung bass, lägger då även till lite banjo-plink så smälter ännu ett av min själs 21gram. jag kan inte nått om Conner Youngblood, som är killen som lyckats skapa denna grymma låt, utöver att han i vanliga fall oftast gör sköra banjo-låtar (som inte äro fy skam de heller). absorbera nu ordentligt dessa låtar o NJUT!!! - Don't Make, Fake It!

If you've been paying attention to the music world at all there is a good chance you have stumbled upon this song within the last week or so. The song is called "Monsters" by Conner Youngblood and is a fresh mix of some slick dubstep with some subtle banjo picking in the background. Check it out and keep an eye out for this up and comer. - Music That Isn't Bad.

If you've been paying attention to the music world at all there is a good chance you have stumbled upon this song within the last week or so. The song is called "Monsters" by Conner Youngblood and is a fresh mix of some slick dubstep with some subtle banjo picking in the background. Check it out and keep an eye out for this up and comer. - Music That Isn't Bad.

I’ve got something a little different for you guys right here. This is a track called Monsters coming from a dude named Conner Youngblood. This guy is super talented. He’s 20 years old from Dallas Texas but currently attending Yale University. He can play the charango, ukulele, banjo, piano, accordion, harp and guitar. He combines all these different instruments with his own vocals to produce really unique sounding music. His style is all over the place, but I think it’s really sick. Monsters blends a heavy bass line with some strokes from the banjo to create this new style banger. This song kind of reminds me of a couple Kid Cudi tracks. Turn your bass up and enjoy this new banjo banger! - This Song Slaps

Conner Youngblood is what my mum calls a 'dabbler'. Not happy using his really-quite-lovely voice to sing about ladies and lads in the style of everybody's favourite beardie Bon Iver, he sideproduces a blend between the dub and pop. We're sticking with his first endeavor for now. 'Girl Hair' has picking as sparkly as any of the grizzled nu-folk alumni and vocals just as sweet. - Neu Magazine

Here at the Hive, we heart mail. Mailbag is a recurring feature where we hip you to artists seeking play via email.

Personal sidenote: I used to date this dude that thought it was funny to make light of Tori Amos’ rape (seriously) in front of myself and a super feminist Tori-loving pal of mine. I’m telling you this so I can round it around and tell you what I told him: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE, DUDES. Do not send me those new punks jams you’re cranking out in Australia. Say what you will about that country, I hate punk. And if you’re gonna tell me your sound resembles “The Beetles”, the least you can do is spell it right. And George Harrison’s name was not ‘Greg’, you cuss.Conner Youngblood does not make punk jams in Australia. In fact, I’ve no idea how to sum up what Mr. Youngblood is laying down but that’s not necessary. Jam on it. - Folk Hive

If i've told you kids once, i've told you a million times--at the end of the day, it's your music that's going to ultimately decide whether we post about you here at LET (or if i'm just really lazy and you're really lucky that day, but that's another story). That being said, it's your email pitch that often helps us to decide whether or not to listen to you in the first place (because we get a ton of submissions; and i'm a downright elitist and snob, but i don't speak for Megs). Today we have two cats who figured it out. First up, sure, Conner Youngblood appears to have sent out a bulk email, but A. he took the time to mention both Meg and me by name and B. he describes one of his tracks as "ambient and hypnotic with ELEMENTS OF DUBSTEP AND BANJO. You fucking win, kid. Most importantly, it's a hypnotizing track. Please to be enjoying. Second in order but by no means in our hearts, Music for Plants pretended to be from Estonia just because they knew. i certainly dig their style of tropical, instrumental music, but playing it like that deserves props, plain and simple. To you stalwart lads and lasses, i say bully! Bully, i say!!! - Les Enfants Terribles

Conner Youngblood hat zwei neue Songs veröffentlicht. “Monsters” könnte von einer noch nicht veröffentlichten The XX Platte stammen, die natürlich gewohnt großartig wäre. “Girl Hair” dagegen ist mehr ein im Wave verirrter Folk-Song. - Iamnosuperman

First up this week is new music from Conner Youngblood. You're getting Conner Youngblood for three reasons. The principal reasons are the banjo and the harp. Pretty much anything that incorporates a banjo and a harp is going to get the greenlight from me. Are there two stringed instruments that carry as much subtext as the banjo and the harp? The banjo, with its workman's crust of murder ballads and land chanteys; the harp, with its gauzy, elvish glaze of wispiness? Youngblood shackles these two unlikely bedfellows together and it's sweet. Tack on his breathy vocals and you've got a track that I'm humming in the grocery store. The third reason you're hearing Conner Youngblood today is Rob Lowe. Exactly. - Citizen Dick

the first thing you think of when you hear the songs of dallas singer songwriter conner youngblood is this guy. but his soft lilting falsetto aside, youngblood’s “voice” comes off like a dream pop ray of sunshine. These two new songs showcase a couple sides of the Yale student’s music. “Monsters” starts out with some warm lilting washes of keyboards before a menacing yet seductive synth line kicks in to give the song some punch on top of a pretty cool banjo riff. “Girl Hair” is all soft and tender and pastoral and floats along like little fluffy clouds of acoustica. It’s gorgeous. Comparisons? Anyone remember A.R. Kane? - Some Velvet Blog

This is a moment a talent breaks free of the GarageBand shackles and becomes an artiste. Dallas, TX native Conner Youngblood is a dynamic character, initially inviting but with an underlying breadth of influences that anyone would be proud of.

At 20 years old, the style in which he mixes numerous genres is impressive, even if his recent S/T album represents the sound of someone finding their feet. “Monsters” announces a new phase, mixing the ethereal with the arresting; for those who want the best of both worlds, Youngblood treats you to bluegrass fingerpicking and a similarly mind-boggling bassline. Bluestep? Dubgrass? .. If you will.

Disregarding a hilarious iTunes blooper (“Youngblood served in the Army for some time, and returned to Harlem in 1963?), there is very little to stop the boy on his ascension to indie stardom. He’s already got the bloggers on the side, next, the charts? - The Music Ninja

we first brought you conner youngblood back in october. he's got a great way of combining two completely disparate genre and blending them to perfection. just take a listen to his new tune, "monsters." it's chilled-out dubstep banjo. seriously. and it's good. - The Pop Sucker

On his new single "Monsters," this Dallas native reminds me of no one but Tunde Adebimpe from TV On The Radio. His high pitched/soothing voice is almost identical. This track is sweet, and at times sounds like Bassnectar is dropping a beat in the background. - Ad Lumen Musik

On his new single "Monsters," this Dallas native reminds me of no one but Tunde Adebimpe from TV On The Radio. His high pitched/soothing voice is almost identical. This track is sweet, and at times sounds like Bassnectar is dropping a beat in the background. - Ad Lumen Musik

Conner Youngblood is a renaissance man.

I think the guy is rocking a Tiple… with beats! I mean… who plays a Tiple anymore? - What I Heard Today

Texas is certainly a crossroads for many movements of music, but this Dallas-based artist sent me some of his tracks citing influences as varied as dubstep and bluegrass. Most of the time I’d cringe at such a statement, but hot damn, this is a sexy track. Consider this one more on the electro end of the spectrum, and turn up yr bass.

Mostly just demos from Connor thus far, but looking forward to hearing more from him soon! - YVYNYL

Conner Youngblood is a 20-something dude out of Dallas, TX. When he said via email that this track was a mixture of dubstep and bluegrass, I was a bit skeptical. But after repeated listens, I can appreciate the super-chill synth beat and the faraway banjo strumming that accompany Youngblood’s mellowed out vocals. There’s not a ton of material out there from Youngblood to listen to, but give “Monsters” a listen for an interesting mashup of styles.
As a bonus, here’s a completely different, acoustical styling from Youngblood that’s pretty swell, too. - The Wounded Jukebox

Just in two new tracks from our friend and Yale musician Conner Youngblood. Be sure to stay posted for the release of his ADDX x M.A.R.S. t-shirt that will be coming this December as well. Enjoy the music and be sure to download it by clicking the downward arrow. - ADDX

Sure, Conner Youngblood isn’t the greatest at Microsoft Paint, but the 20-year-old from Dallas definitely knows what he’s doing musically. I thought this was honestly going to be a rap song, but instead what I got was Youngblood’s soothing vocals over a pleasant guitar melody backed by long, droning yet catchy synths. - Decedope

Conner Youngblood is an up and coming musician/singer out of Dallas, Texas who’s made a name for himself creating music that blends genres and styles of all types. Though his discography isn’t all that deep, each song of his has been completely different than the last…sometimes sticking strictly to acoustics and other times taking on a more electronic sound. It’s obvious the young 20-year-old is still trying to find himself musically but hey, were not complaining! It’s ammounting to some very unique and progressive stuff. Youngblood’s latest song “Monsters” features his signature hypnotic vocals laid over a distancing banjo and deep ominous synths…hitting the perfect mix between indie/alt pop and dubstep/electro. - Live for the Funk

The bass and vocals work surprisingly well, great stuff by Conner Youngblood. - Musigh

We first heard from 20 year old Dallas representative Conner Youngblood back in July with the ambient/pop “Colored Ghost“. This time, he’s back with “Monsters”, a track that he tried to create with a “50% chill and 50% badass” feel to it. Nailed it – with a delicate melody backed by a deep, ominous synth, this track is on some sweet and sour. - Pigeons and Planes

Conner Youngblood is an interesting character. And I say “interesting” in a good way because he’s such a breath of fresh air to the music game. It’s hard to easily identify the genres that he covers and that’s what I like most about him. He’s released two new tracks, “Monsters” & “Girl Hair”, both of which showcase his ability to blend genres. The “Monsters” track even has a banjo sound thrown in but seems to fit perfectly in the whole arrangement of the song. Then you have the track, “Girl Hair”, which starts off like a indie/dream-wave track and continues to display Conner’s ability to pack on the layers. You get a Bon Iver like vibe from the second track which goes on to showcase how multi-faced this Conner guy really is when he has so many different sounds. Check out both tracks below and keep a lookout for Conner Youngblood in the future. Check out the tracks below and you’ll instantly become a fan. - Earmilk

Hitting a perfect mix of indie/alt pop mixed with electro/dubstep is Conner Youngblood, an artist based out of Dallas Texas. On this track Conner sounds a bit similar to TV on The Radio infused with some electronic elements. This track is one of the best things that has hit my inbox in weeks, so thank you Conner and keep it up. - Audio Drums

Out of Dallas, Texas, Conner Youngblood’s “Neon Flicker” has a unique sound. It starts out with a ukulele and builds with a pulsating beat that and an auto-tuned voice singing about “the wheels on the bus go round and round.” These are elements that normally should not work together. However, Conner has crafted a niche for himself. Creating organic music with an electronic flare. The song becomes hypnotic and perfect for a lounge setting. Check out the song below. - Stereo Typed Life

This song has a really cool sound to it. Pretty unique and cool background to the rapping. Apparently a Deerfield grad. - Hit This Jeffrey

never in a million years did i think i'd hear "the wheels on the bus" again. and never did i think it'd sound so cool. of course the wheels on the bus reference is only a minor part of conner youngblood's excellent "neon flicker." it's chilled electronica served with a side of ukulele on a bed of vocoder, with a drizzle of handclaps. deeeeee-lish! - The Pop Sucker

Conner Youngblood - Elbows Music Blog Aggregator

This is your Daily 2% – Chilled and Ready to Serve. We will try to bring you one “chill” track every day. This is for when you get home and you are trying to unwind. You reach for that glass of wine or that unlit Black & Mild or maybe you reach for something more herbal. This track is for those times. We will try to bring you at least one a day. We are just your milkmen and I’m here to make a delivery. Chill…..
Today’s delivery is brought to you by Conner Youngblood featuring Peter Johnson . Don’t you love it when you wake up and find little gems in your email inbox? That was the case for me today. This track was submitted to me and instantly I thought it was a great track with a chill vibe. The track is called “M.A.R.S” which is where you will want your mind to be before you embark on this voyage. The bassy background layer of the track reminds me of something I might hear in a Massive Attack track and the rest of the layers, including the hip-hop style lyrics, seem to take you to a west coast mindset. Conner is a 20 year old up-and-commer and I think the dude is going places if he keeps making tracks like this. Check out the track and chill…on mars…. - Earmilk

Þá er komið að síðbúnum seinni hluta svaðilfara ritstjóra um myrkar og djúpar hvelfingar pósthólfa Rjómans. Fyrri hluta geta áhugasamir nálgast hér.

Conner Youngblood
Tvítugur strákur frá Dallas í Texas sem vinnur nú hörðum höndum að koma tónlist sinni út til eyrna alheimsins. Hér er um að ræða tilfinningaríka kvikmyndatónlistarlega tónlist með rafrænu ívafi sem er vel þess virði að gefa nánari gaum. - Rjominn (Iceland)

När vi sände från Wayne's Coffee i Malmö i förra veckan fick vi besök av en ung talang från USA. Killen heter Connor Youngblood och gled in hos oss med en Banjo under armen, självklart bjöd han på ett smakprov av sin skönsång!

Mer av honom hittar du på: http://www.myspace.com/dirtypopin

Imorgon kommer Anorah förbi studion och hon har lovat att uppträda på ett alldeles speciellt sätt...

Kram Hakim
- NRJ Radio (Sweden)

PJ and Young Bleezy have been making a splash on the college scene of late, and Dan and I are excited to welcome them to the team. We've been doing some work together recently, collaborating on some design possibilities and whatnot. Youngblood and Johnson are a couple of Yale kids doing it big in the music world. Check out two of their collaborations here titled M.A.R.S. and I Hate Sundays, as well as one of Youngblood's solo tracks. We've got an unreleased track in store for you guys on our ADDX: The Team mixtape so stay tuned. - ADDX Clothing

Conner Youngblood is a 20 year old from Dallas, Texas. He describes his music as the type of ambient pop music you’d hear in a dramatic/emotional movie soundtrack. Sounds about right. You can listen to more of his music out here. - Pigeons and Planes

He's collecting world influences and grabbing any instrument he can get his hands on. - Indiefeed

These two artists came at us out of nowhere with their super sick track “M.A.R.S” that they made for a music class at Yale. For first timers it was an awesome result and a song I had on repeat for sometime.

Their new track features the same ethereal ambiance and reverb-y effects that made their first song so catchy. They sent this track a little while ago and to be honest, I thought the song was a little whack at first because of the “I’m sooo college” vibe of hating Sundays, but after listening to it a couple times I’ve actually come to like it a lot. The material is definitely prototypical college stuff, but after all that’s what our current existence is all about, so it makes sense and listeners will definitely be able to connect on a certain level. Both the quality of the beat and the lyrical control has improved on this track, though there’s still something about their aforementioned (and linked) track that has more of that “it” factor for me. But nonetheless this track is cool. Let us know what you think. - Big Green Beats

Really feeling this track, especially the ambient and ethereal qualities of the absurdly catchy beat. These two dudes got at us to check out their work, and I was really impressed seeing as it was their first time collaborating and rapping. While certain aspects of the flow could be refined, you can really feel the emotions and genuine nature of them - a key aspect that separates a real rapper from most of these fake dudes nowadays. For a first attempt, these two New Haven artists certainly grabbed my attention. Check out more here - Big Green Beats

Conner Youngblood- Colored Ghost - Hype Machine

När vi sände från Wayne's Coffee i Malmö i förra veckan fick vi besök av en ung talang från USA. Killen heter Connor Youngblood och gled in hos oss med en Banjo under armen, självklart bjöd han på ett smakprov av sin skönsång!

Mer av honom hittar du på: http://www.myspace.com/dirtypopin

Imorgon kommer Anorah förbi studion och hon har lovat att uppträda på ett alldeles speciellt sätt...

Kram Hakim
- NRJ Radio (Sweden)

Conner Youngblood is a 20 year old from Dallas, Texas. He describes his music as the type of ambient pop music you’d hear in a dramatic/emotional movie soundtrack. Sounds about right. You can listen to more of his music out here. - Pigeons and Planes

Conner Youngblood- Colored Ghost - Hype Machine

Here at Skeetbeatz, we like to promote new artists. Connor Youngblood and Peter Johnson are two students who go to Yale. They produced a pretty awsome track here, even though they are probably into that "whole Yale thing". - Skeetbeatz

Þá er komið að síðbúnum seinni hluta svaðilfara ritstjóra um myrkar og djúpar hvelfingar pósthólfa Rjómans. Fyrri hluta geta áhugasamir nálgast hér.

Conner Youngblood
Tvítugur strákur frá Dallas í Texas sem vinnur nú hörðum höndum að koma tónlist sinni út til eyrna alheimsins. Hér er um að ræða tilfinningaríka kvikmyndatónlistarlega tónlist með rafrænu ívafi sem er vel þess virði að gefa nánari gaum. - Rjominn (Iceland)

Basically know nothing about this guy, but I stumbled across this track over at BGB. Really caught my attention. Not sure how to describe the vibe but overall the track is super chill. If you like it, you can check out his MySpace here. - WheelHouseTracks

Basically know nothing about this guy, but I stumbled across this track over at BGB. Really caught my attention. Not sure how to describe the vibe but overall the track is super chill. If you like it, you can check out his MySpace here. - WheelHouseTracks

And here they are once again, this past weeks top scoring artists on jango Airplay. These 5 had the best PopScore from March 29 - April 4.
Artist: Conner Youngblood
Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Conner Youngblood is currently a sophomore in college and recently released his first CD.

Click to hear Conner Youngblood:
Neon Flicker
- Jango

And here they are once again, this past weeks top scoring artists on jango Airplay. These 5 had the best PopScore from March 29 - April 4.
Artist: Conner Youngblood
Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Conner Youngblood is currently a sophomore in college and recently released his first CD.

Click to hear Conner Youngblood:
Neon Flicker
- Jango

This October, Nashville-based singer and songwriter Conner Youngblood will release his sophomore EP The Generation of Lift, for which he did all of the production and instrumentation himself. Conner is rumored to be practiced in some thirty instruments, but one instrument he won't claim expertise in is the harp. "A few of my sisters took lessons growing up," he told The FADER in an email, explaining that he had instead been preoccupied with his clarinet at the time. "When they quit, I just snuck the harp into my room and started fucking around. I never really got good at playing it, but I’ve always wanted write a song with harp as the lead instrument, regardless."
That song is "Stockholm," a delicate composition of masterfully layered vocals, the occasional clap or patter of a drum, and of course cascading harp chords. We're no experts in the angel's instrument, but we can say that no matter his proficiency this song is pretty damn beautiful. Listen below, and look for The Generation of Lift EP this October. - The Fader

In the age of the multi-hyphenate, it’s not surprising for a rising star to have a few tricks up his or her sleeve, but in addition to writing and producing his own material, Conner Youngblood has taken his multi-instrumentalist status to the next level. Harnessing an eclectic mix of instruments including the banjo, clarinet and harp–each weaved effortlessly into his recent EP The Generation of Lift–Youngblood's new self-produced music video saw the Dallas-born virtuoso enlist director Johannes Greve Muskat to capture him tearing up South Dakota’s own barren terrain for “The Badlands”. - Nowness