Since Spotify does not feature every song we cover here, some will be missing. It still makes for an interesting playlist that we built, together.
All but one of this week's submitters suggested multiple songs. I've randomly selected one song from each submitter to focus on in depth here, but I have listened to all of them and I will share them with you as well. Let's get started!
Song #1: Matt Corby - Brother
Submitted by: Elizabeth Golden Taylor
What she had to say about it: “This is another spirit animal song for me. This guy is so crazy talented, vocally and on the guitar. I can't even.”
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| LANGUAGE WARNING! |
First Impressions: This is an Addison song. I love the alternation between animal wailing and tribal pounding with smooth lullabye singing. Hot diggity damn, this song is good. I simultaneously want to dance and stand on a cliff edge scream singing into the setting sun. I have to go buy this song now.
Over the course of the week: Guys, I really like this song. I played it for Abby and now she really likes this song. You will probably really like this song. Liz calls it her spirit animal. I do not know if I understood what she meant until I listened to this song; now I know. It means that listening to this song makes you feel like this:
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| If you cannot immediately name this movie, shame on you. |
Matt Corby was a runner up on Australia's version of American Idol, appropriately named Australian Idol. This immediately tells us something very important: Australia has better idols than us. I mean, could you see Justin Guarini writing a song like this?
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| Yes. |
I had to do a Google image search for Miley Cyrus to come up with those images and now I need to wash my eyes. I think I'll cool it on the images for a little bit.
Pairs nicely with: Straylight Run - Existentialism on Prom Night
I pick this song because it is my spirit animal. It shares some of the same quiet/loud dynamics with "Brother" and some of the scream-singing too. Every time this songs crescendos to its climactic ending, I decide it is one of the greatest songs humankind has produced.
In high school, I tried to teach myself the verse's piano line by ear, but it was always slightly off. Then one day while I was in the Dominican Republic, a Dominican missionary, who had likely never heard this song, sat down at my piano and played the line perfectly. He had had a companion who taught it to him. This song is like that; it demands to be shared across the world.
If you would like to hear more of Liz's recommendations, you should check out:
Kings of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance with You - “This reminds me of being happily/awkwardly single and just chill. It's a pretty even keel song that's just nice to listen to. Plus, the music video makes me smile.” - Liz
Check out for the adorable music video.
Kate Miller-Heidke - O Vertigo! - "If there were a song that were my spirit animal, this would be it. Just everything about it. It feels Cranberries-esque to me in the vocal/tribal singing area and it just makes me feel rejuvenated.” - Liz
Check out for the absolutely insane vocals in the outro.
The Refreshments - Banditos - "This is straight up nostalgia from dating Andrew. It was pretty much our theme song. Anytime we went on a date or hung out.” - Liz
Typhoon - The Honest Truth - "I like the way this song builds and the lyrics are great. The group part at the end is fun." - Liz
This is my favorite of these suggestions, so check it out! I especially like the lyric: So be kind to all of your neighbors/'Cause they're just like you/And you're nothing special/Unless they are too.
Song #2: Ludo - Lake Pontchartrain
Submitted by: Andrea Wallace
What she had to say about it: “I like the whole album because it's fun and creative. My favorite tracks are 4, 5...#5 (Lake Pontchartrain) is just plain goofy and silly. Can't help but smile when I hear it. I won tickets to one of their concerts, May 6, 2008.”
First Impressions: Fun storytelling. I especially like the bridge. It looks like Aunt Andy knows how to rock out. This will likely be the blog’s only entry about a swamp monster.
Over the course of the week: My research into this song focused on the story the singer tells of three Missouri boys who hear a strange advertisement to visit Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain. Two of them make the unfortunate decision to eat some cursed crawfish that leaves them defenseless to the call of the haunted lake, which lures them into the water and drowns them. Or, is the whole story simply an outrageous alibi from the narrator who actually murdered his two companions? Some fans claim that this is based on an actual urban legend that grew out of a series of drownings that followed an unfortunate ad campaign for the lake: Come down to Lake Pontchartrain! Apparently the lake can have hidden currents that suddenly pull you under to never return. Also, cursed crawfish. If you have limitless free time, treat yourself to some of the fan videos made for this song.
Pairs nicely with: Tenacious D - Tribute
I am hoping that every has already heard this song, but just in case, I have to share it here. There simply no other song that so perfectly masters the art of epic storytelling. I considered sharing The Dear Hunter's "He Said He Had a Story", but decided the Oedipal tale from a five-act series of concept albums depicting the awkward confrontation between the protagonist and his skeevy and oblivious father as the latter brags of his brothel conquest of the former's mother probably did not have the same fun, playful appeal of "Lake Pontchartrain." I also contemplated sharing Split Enz's "Dirty Creature" because it is the only other song I know about a confrontation with a haunted lake. And all this talk of lake monsters only means one thing: Old Gregg. (Extreme weirdness alert!)
Fun fact! Foo Fighters' frontman Dave Grohl, who also plays the drums on "Tribute," makes a cameo as the demon in the video, as does Ben Stiller.
If you would like to hear more of Andy's recommendations, you should check out:
Ludo - Topeka - "I like the message in (Topeka): "Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future." - Andy
Check it out for an insightful message on letting go of guilt.
Song #3: Trevor Reilly - Down with the Underground
Submitted by: Dan Rubio
What he had to say about it: "It has been one of my favorite songs since I was about 10 yrs old."
Trevor Reilly - Down with the Underground
First impressions: I was NOT expecting techno! I love at 3:20 where it cuts to strings. A quick Google search shows that this guy is relatively unknown still; not even a Wiki page. A happy dance song.
Over the course of the week: It was hard to track down much info on Reilly; it turns out he is a pretty big deal in the Scottish DJ world. He has had a couple songs that received international play and, you guessed it, this is one of them. Most of the comments I've found on the song are in Spanish and the track has earned the nickname "Los Violines," leading me to the conclusion that this song received significant airplay at the turn of the millennium on Californian, Spanish-speaking radio. I love the idea that some rather obscure Scottish DJ can have a big hit with a niche SoCal audience. Music is incredible like that.
Pairs nicely with: C2C - Down the Road
I know that it is almost ridiculous to pair a trance song with a breakbeat song like this, as they are extremely different genres of electronica. It's almost like pairing folk with punk just because they both have guitars. Still, this track makes me want to dance and I want you to dance too.
If you would like to hear more of Dan's recommendations, you should check out:
Joseph Arthur - Honey and the Moon - "Reminds me of going away to college. I'd listen to it a lot my first semester." - Dan
Check it out for its awesome nostalgia-inducing ability. I ended up having to own this track.
Song #4: Josh Groban - You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)
Submitted by: Bobby Tollefson
What he had to say about it: "I am a huge Josh Groban fan. He released his album
"Awake" November 7, 2006. I remember when I first heard the song
"You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)" it was exactly one week after meeting
my husband. I had moved to DC that year. It was a lonely year, I didn't really
know anyone, and had pretty much given up on love. Growing up gay in Montana
and being isolated had taken a toll. When I met Jason, I finally felt like I
could love someone and be loved. This song really spoke to me at the perfect
time. It gave me hope that I could be happy."
First Impressions: I do not listen to much Groban, but Bobby’s story gives this song such a personal power. The lyrics of this song embody my personal philosophy. So much energy is wrongly spent on making others feel like outsiders, hopeless and afraid to share their true selves. But all everybody wants is to be understood and loved. It’s time for a priority change. Powerful.
Over the course of the week: It is impossible to hear Bobby's story with this song and not be impressed by how perfect the lyrics are to his experience. It is incredible to me how music can create a shared human experience. We often do not know what personal experience leads our favorite singer to write the song lyric that speaks to us at just the perfect time; more than likely, our situations are completely different from one another's, and yet their insight still carries through and finds new meaning in our own interaction with the song.
Pairs nicely with: Guster - Come Downstairs and Say Hello
Pairs nicely with: Guster - Come Downstairs and Say Hello
Again, this is a very different track stylistically, but it pairs well because of the effect it has had on me. This song vies for my favorite song of all time and it is because it spoke to me in a powerful way during a pivotal time. During parts of 2006 and 2007 I struggled with anxiety and OCD that had the effect of overriding my personality and leading me to lose all confidence in myself. I had made a important strides in overcoming these issues during my time in the D.R. when I received word that I was being transferred into a very difficult area to work with some notoriously difficult people. The anxiety came back so hard I got physically ill. Then one day, a line from this song, a song I had always enjoyed but did not consider to be my favorite, came into my head: Be calm/Be Brave/It will be okay. The song became my mantra; the rest of the lyrics deal with breaking free from self-doubt and hesitance and coming downstairs to say hello. I have since conquered my anxieties, but this song still has a power for me.
Song #5: Strung Out - Velvet Alley
Submitted by: Daisy MacManus
What she had to say about it: “It’s just a ridiculously awesome love song.”
"My favorite song of all time. It's not a truly unknown song... But it is not known by enough people. It is the most beautiful piece of music I've ever heard. & I love when it's played on Amelie: showing how she loves the simple things in life. So tying the two ideas together makes me happy.” - Daisy
Song #5: Strung Out - Velvet Alley
Submitted by: Daisy MacManus
What she had to say about it: “It’s just a ridiculously awesome love song.”
First Impressions: Haha, I wasn’t expecting a hard hitting punk love song, though I should have since I do know Strung Out. Definitely not your traditional love song, but definitely awesome for the mosh pit. Ten years ago, I would have been thrashing to this at Warped Tour.
Over the course of the week: I'm still not entirely convinced that this is a love song, but I suppose the last line of the song says something along the lines of (paraphrasing) "Let's give up on the things that make us give up on each other." If that isn't a healthy romantic sentiment, I don't know what is. Strung Out's talent in the early 2000s underground scene was their fusion of metal with punk rock, with a seasoning of introspective lyrics. So the real point of this song is to bang your head.
Pairs Nicely with: Thrice - The Melting Point of Wax
Thrice and Strung Out shared a similar sound, especially in the earlier part of Thrice's career, as both combined punk and metal influences with dedicated effort to lyric-writing. This song is definitely not a love song though. Lead singer Dustin Kensrue is particularly interested in the story of Daedelus and Icarus. This song is from Icarus' perspective, whereas the later track "Daedelus" is from, well, Daedelus'. Everyone who appreciates some headbanging and epic endings to songs needs to check out Thrice's "Firebreather" as well.
If you would like to hear more of Daisy's recommendations, you should check out:
Infected Mushroom - Elation Station - “
Check it out to hear another awesome techno track with cool balloon noises.
Penelope Austin - Don't Rescue Me - "It’s
another great one I listen to when I run. I like how upbeat it is & the
lyrics to me feel like 'don't help me.. I got this on my own.'...
Mainly the music though hahaha & since it has zero radio play, I don't get
sick of it.” - Daisy
Nine Inch Nails - Right Where It Belongs - “As
weird as this one sounds, it is my favorite song when I like to seclude myself
from everyone. Yep haha.”
Check it out to question your perception of the reality of an outside world.
And to continue our unofficial tradition of ending each blog with a classical piece:
"My favorite song of all time. It's not a truly unknown song... But it is not known by enough people. It is the most beautiful piece of music I've ever heard. & I love when it's played on Amelie: showing how she loves the simple things in life. So tying the two ideas together makes me happy.” - Daisy
Funny thing, I had just watched Amelie for the first time before going through Daisy's recommendations. Funny how things work out that way.
I hope you enjoyed this weeks playlist and I will get to work on the next set!
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