Turn it Up
Summer 2014 Playlist (so far)
1. Lazaretto- Jack White // This will ROCK YOUR FACE OFF. And, the weird lyrics just sort of make me happy. And did I mention the rocking your face off? Good. Because it does.
2. Red Eyes - The War On Drugs // I love this for it’s sort of driving, easy-to-listen-to and easy-to-sing-along-with just good old fashioned greatness. It reminds me of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Perfect for summer driving.
3. Digital Witness - St Vincent // Superweird and Talking Heads-y (you can really hear the influence of working with David Byrne, for sure). This one will have you dancing.
4. Another Story - The Head and the Heart // Like so many THatH songs, this one is just sad and lovely and maybe just optimistic enough to make it bearable. It’s beautiful and pared-down, letting the gentle melody and lyrics shine.
5. 6am - Fitz & The Tantrums // This is one of the older songs on the list (from last year, I think). And, holy cow-I feel like I’m in my very own romcom montage when I listen to it. Watch as I so charmingly: walk down a Manhattan street, get coffee from an overly crowded coffee shop, run late for work-barely get my train, get the heel of my Manolo Blahnik cutely tangled the eighteen leashes in the hands of an apologetic dogwalker, get to my desk, flip on my computer… until it all fades to lunchtime when the plot structure of the film means it’s time to bump into Mr. Right (who, at this point, is being an utter dillweed/doofus).
6. Coffee - Sylvan Esso // So groovy and chill, totally hypnotic and light and just super, super cool.
7. Riptide - Vance Joy // So catchy. So, SO catchy! I love the playful lyrics and the tone of Joy’s voice.
8. Stay With Me - Sam Smith // Okay-Smith’s voice is as smooth as silk. This is a fun one to sing along with, and the lyrics just kill me. So achingly sad and beautiful.
9. Southern Sun - Boy & Bear // Sort of like the War on Drugs track, this one has a real nostalgic feel. I love the when-the-Eagles-were-cool guitar/beat along with the raspy vocals and soaring bop-your-head chorus.
10. To The Top - Twin Shadow // Like all Twin Shadow songs, powerful vocals, sad lyrics, catchy, 80’s-inspired pop/rock rhythm.
11. Talking Backwards - Real Estate // Light and lovely, acoustic realness.
12. Avant Gardner - Courtney Barnett // Such an awesome 90’s alternative feel! Man, this one is so great. Awesome lyrics, driving groove-good, good times.
13. Myth - Beach House // This song feels like floating. Turn it up, close your eyes, and let go.
14. Gooey - Glass Animals // So, so groovy. Also kinda creepy. Yep-I dig it.
15. Take Me to Church - Hozier // Love the dark, almost menacing, reverence here. The lyrics are freaking spectacular, and something about this hits me right in the gut.
16. Rhythm of Devotion - Sisyphus // Okay. Pardon the length here, but I’ve thought about this song a lot. So… This is Sufjan Stevens’s hip-hop side project. No, no-stay with me! This song, for me, came across as a little cheesy when I first listened to it, but also weirdly addicting-like, I just really needed to know where the narrative was going. Sufjan Stevens* does have way with imagery and that special pared-down earnestness of delivery that just makes his style shine. And this- is a song about devotion, and like almost everything that SS does, every single aspect of the sound feeds into that; nothing is superfluous. And while it’s catchy and hip-hoppy, it’s also deeply, deeply intense (especially as it builds toward the end… which is so freaking bare and beautiful, but also huge at the same time-It sort of blows me away), and while some of the language is definitely NSFW, the physical imagery is pretty vanilla, especially compared to so much hip-hop (which often dives head-first into vulgarity). But, I think that it is the song’s very simplicity and modesty (I put my head on your shoe/you put your hand on my back/I put your hand on my side/I feel more comfortable now) and (I can feel your heart beat strongly/under your open shirt/with the back of my hand) that makes it so deeply personal-almost uncomfortably so. This is raw devotion, a heart laid bare, and it is freaking moving, okay.
*Because this is not SS’s solo work, I’m pretty sure all of the aspects of making this song, from lyrics to instrumentation were likely the effort of the entire band.
Let me know what y'all think, and also feel free to share with me some of the stuff that's got you groovin' this summer, too :-))
1. Lazaretto- Jack White // This will ROCK YOUR FACE OFF. And, the weird lyrics just sort of make me happy. And did I mention the rocking your face off? Good. Because it does.
2. Red Eyes - The War On Drugs // I love this for it’s sort of driving, easy-to-listen-to and easy-to-sing-along-with just good old fashioned greatness. It reminds me of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Perfect for summer driving.
3. Digital Witness - St Vincent // Superweird and Talking Heads-y (you can really hear the influence of working with David Byrne, for sure). This one will have you dancing.
4. Another Story - The Head and the Heart // Like so many THatH songs, this one is just sad and lovely and maybe just optimistic enough to make it bearable. It’s beautiful and pared-down, letting the gentle melody and lyrics shine.
5. 6am - Fitz & The Tantrums // This is one of the older songs on the list (from last year, I think). And, holy cow-I feel like I’m in my very own romcom montage when I listen to it. Watch as I so charmingly: walk down a Manhattan street, get coffee from an overly crowded coffee shop, run late for work-barely get my train, get the heel of my Manolo Blahnik cutely tangled the eighteen leashes in the hands of an apologetic dogwalker, get to my desk, flip on my computer… until it all fades to lunchtime when the plot structure of the film means it’s time to bump into Mr. Right (who, at this point, is being an utter dillweed/doofus).
6. Coffee - Sylvan Esso // So groovy and chill, totally hypnotic and light and just super, super cool.
7. Riptide - Vance Joy // So catchy. So, SO catchy! I love the playful lyrics and the tone of Joy’s voice.
8. Stay With Me - Sam Smith // Okay-Smith’s voice is as smooth as silk. This is a fun one to sing along with, and the lyrics just kill me. So achingly sad and beautiful.
9. Southern Sun - Boy & Bear // Sort of like the War on Drugs track, this one has a real nostalgic feel. I love the when-the-Eagles-were-cool guitar/beat along with the raspy vocals and soaring bop-your-head chorus.
10. To The Top - Twin Shadow // Like all Twin Shadow songs, powerful vocals, sad lyrics, catchy, 80’s-inspired pop/rock rhythm.
11. Talking Backwards - Real Estate // Light and lovely, acoustic realness.
12. Avant Gardner - Courtney Barnett // Such an awesome 90’s alternative feel! Man, this one is so great. Awesome lyrics, driving groove-good, good times.
13. Myth - Beach House // This song feels like floating. Turn it up, close your eyes, and let go.
14. Gooey - Glass Animals // So, so groovy. Also kinda creepy. Yep-I dig it.
15. Take Me to Church - Hozier // Love the dark, almost menacing, reverence here. The lyrics are freaking spectacular, and something about this hits me right in the gut.
16. Rhythm of Devotion - Sisyphus // Okay. Pardon the length here, but I’ve thought about this song a lot. So… This is Sufjan Stevens’s hip-hop side project. No, no-stay with me! This song, for me, came across as a little cheesy when I first listened to it, but also weirdly addicting-like, I just really needed to know where the narrative was going. Sufjan Stevens* does have way with imagery and that special pared-down earnestness of delivery that just makes his style shine. And this- is a song about devotion, and like almost everything that SS does, every single aspect of the sound feeds into that; nothing is superfluous. And while it’s catchy and hip-hoppy, it’s also deeply, deeply intense (especially as it builds toward the end… which is so freaking bare and beautiful, but also huge at the same time-It sort of blows me away), and while some of the language is definitely NSFW, the physical imagery is pretty vanilla, especially compared to so much hip-hop (which often dives head-first into vulgarity). But, I think that it is the song’s very simplicity and modesty (I put my head on your shoe/you put your hand on my back/I put your hand on my side/I feel more comfortable now) and (I can feel your heart beat strongly/under your open shirt/with the back of my hand) that makes it so deeply personal-almost uncomfortably so. This is raw devotion, a heart laid bare, and it is freaking moving, okay.
*Because this is not SS’s solo work, I’m pretty sure all of the aspects of making this song, from lyrics to instrumentation were likely the effort of the entire band.
Let me know what y'all think, and also feel free to share with me some of the stuff that's got you groovin' this summer, too :-))