I picked this song because I love it, but also in honor of the passing of Liam Payne. As boy bands go, this one has added some great music into the world through its members. I started this playlist 10 months ago, adding songs almost every week. The intention was always to share a song once a week that was resonating with me at that moment – with no intention to highlight popular songs or artists. But in looking at the playlist this morning, I see many songs from artists who have passed tragically or lived otherwise complicated lives. I’m not sure what that says about songs that resonate or how they touch me. RIP Liam and love to your family.
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This is the perfect song for autumn. It grows and passes. It’s strangely hopeful while also grieving in some way. It’s short, simple, has no words, and is one of the most inspiring synth sounds/progressions I know. Now go grab a PSL and pour it down the sink.
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Frank Ocean is all the things. Full of mystery and style and beauty. Channel Orange is full of amazing songs and production. He’s fucking cool. All of it. Solo is a standout song for me because of its structure and minimalism. The chorus is so satisfying. This should stand as your weekly reminder to go listen to Frank Ocean.
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While not a traditional “song”, works like Clair de Lune helped set the stage for so many lyricists and vocalists. Its yearning is unmatched, an overall great example of emotive communication through melody and progression. I was speaking to a friend yesterday about how memories are our brains rebuilding what we thought we experienced, like a movie we make for ourselves. Imperfect. This is the perfect soundtrack for that.
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This is one of those songs that grows in your imagination years after hearing it for the first time. It’s unorthodox in some ways, and regardless of the parallels you could make between TV On The Radio and whatever bands that came before them, they exist in an important space of what we think of as “indie rock”. I don’t know if there’s a word for caring without caring, but that’s what I feel about Tunde’s writing. It’s just cool. This is probably their most well known tune, but they’re all very good.
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It’s almost impossible to pick a favorite from such a prolific songwriter as Paul Simon. I grew up with all forms of PS, including Simon and Garfunkel. When I first started singing, my mom would say that I reminded her of Art Garfunkel, and my hair is also curly like his if I let it grow out. I once listened to an interview with Paul when he was asked if ever worried about running out of inspiration. His answer was an earnest “no”, basically connecting his inspiration to living, and as long as he is living, he will be inspired to write and make music. Still Crazy After All These Years is a very good song.
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These two songs have melodies that will break your heart. Hide and Seek was a cultural moment and introduced many folks to the vocoder. Lyrically pretty abstract, but proof that melody and performance can make a lasting statement.
The Maze. I first heard this song in an emotionally touching scene in a series I was watching. It’s a great example of a song that can act as a character in a scene, or a moment in your life. It feels full of love while sitting on the edge of actually understanding romantic or parental love. It’s a theme close to my heart, and I really appreciate how MO records their music.
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Woke up to devastating news today. Eoin, who performed as Talos, has passed away suddenly. He leaves behind a family and many friends who love him. He also leaves behind a body of work that has inspired me and many others for years. Loss is a complicated beast, and it’s gutting, but I’m grateful that I have Eoin’s music to sit with. This is one of my favorite songs of his. Take care.
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I got this CD on a road trip away from my family and I remember being “too old” to cry from missing them, but I did. Luckily, Jamiroquai made me feel happy, just like he does today. It was hard to pick one from this record, but I saw him a few years ago at a festival in Europe, and this song still kicks ass, especially live. Similarly to how I like to wear beanies (weather appropriate), Jamiroquai wears a fun spiky light up hat (in all weather), so we are connected in that way. Enjoy Cosmic Girl!
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There are many a JV song that have moved the tides of hipness over the past 20 years or so, but the album made in a winter cabin somewhere in Wisconsin after a breakup is the stuff of legend. It’s the genesis of so much of the “indie” iconography we are all familiar with today. Lots of his lyrics are pretty poetic and hard to interpret, but the music and vocal affect are pretty undeniably moving here. And since this is a playlist about songs, I felt this was the most representative of his writing strength. An important album all around.
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As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the best choruses of the 2010s. I’m sure there are a lot of hot takes about MH, but this playlist isn’t about personalities, it’s about songs damn it! Love a chorus without a root chord. In fact, I don’t think there is one in the whole song. I’m a sucker for the affect of this song. It’s moody and broody.
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Back on my trip-hop bullshit. The smokiness and rain in this song captured me at a young age. I definitely thought this was the music that one would listen to while partaking in party drugs, and I probably wasn’t far off. I’m not sure what that says about elementary school aged me but I was vibing for sure. My favorite quirky thing about this song is that every element is soaking in groove, except for the acoustic guitar which feels over-eager and not really locked in. That’s the party drugs.
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This song is a great summer morning song. I got my first “nice” guitar when this album came out, it was an inspirational time. Fun fact, that guitar has been stolen twice and returned twice. Mindy’s voice and songwriting reminds me a ton of Kacey Musgraves btw. Easy to listen to, killer melodies, slight tinge of bluegrass.
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Grandma’s Hands will be familiar to many because of Blackstreet’s No Diggity, which couldn’t be a more different song. Bill Withers found me at a special time in my songwriting life. I was learning so much from those around me and Mr. Withers is one of the paramount teachers of calm confidence in writing and performance. This song is touching. Enjoy it.
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You don’t need me to tell you that a song with over a billion streams is good. But holy shit, this song is pretty fucking close to perfect. Regardless of your feelings about HS, this song exists and is objectively good if objectively means you are weighing it against ballads from the 80s, 90s, 00s, and 10s. So if you disagree with 40 years of SMASH vanilla teenage angst hits, maybe you are the problem.
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I Want to Be Your Man is a song with an iconic hook, iconic intro, and iconic use of the Talkbox. I hear this song’s influence from Dijon and Mk.gee (both of which i’m a fan). It was written by two brothers with a sad ending … a good reminder that many incredible pieces of art can be born out of incredibly broken circumstances.
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This band is my favorite side project outside of Chris Gaines. Being from Seattle, and also a human in the early 2000s, it was hard to miss Ben’s voice and writing style. TPS had some amazingly poppy songs, but as I listen back to them now, the production is pretty glitchy and gnarly in places, in a great way. This song holds a special place in my heart and reminds me of my first few tours in my old band.
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This is one of those songs that scratches my pop itch to the point where it bleeds. The affect of the time is almost at a dangerous level, it’s gratuitous in the perfect way. The production doesn’t exactly hold up, but I don’t think that was their goal. I could easily sing this song at karaoke and I hate karaoke. My favorite thing about this song is that it’s almost about nothing.
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I’ve been busy in the studio so here are two songs you should know! They are both kind of ridiculous in that they don’t follow many song “rules”. Just pure vibe. We listened to this UMO record while we painted our old apartment right before our son was born. Multi-Love is saucy fun. It’s like one big drum/bass/sitar solo. Absurd! Hooks for days! Go paint something!
Jai Paul is mysterious but I’m starting to think that was the marketing play from the jump. Either way, the limited material he has released to the world is special and probably one of the most influential writers/producers for many of the musicians I know. BTSTU came out in 2011, which is absolutely stunning given how cutting edge it still feels. My take is certainly not a hot one, but if you weren’t aware of him before, now you have something to talk to your hip barista/mixologist about while you wait for your drink.
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I am a recent fan of Mon Rovîa. This song is so beautiful. It’s well written and well recorded. It feels careful and in control, which I think is important not just in the musical spectrum, but also to accompany our everyday lives. Janjay’s life has led him to a beautiful place where the music he creates aids in healing for everyone, including himself.
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