These are all the songs I haven’t been able to get out of my head in the past month, the ones that make me want to close my eyes and sway, and the ones that make me feel too many things.
Deep Love by Lady Lamb: It’s about those moments that evoke a unique combination of warmth and tenderness. My favorite part is when she says “passing by a pure scene in somebody else's life gives my life meaning”. Her lyrics always have the power to make things brighter for me, to sweep away the shadows, and to bring about that normally indiscernible glow.
Try and Try and Try by The Snaz: Groovy rock and roll sung by a woman with a wonderfully sultry voice. She sucks me in by starting off strong and then adding in a tempo change almost immediately. This song makes me wanna dance all around the room, but it also has a somewhat gloomy and dark undertone.
Tracy Had a Hard Day Sunday by The Clientele: Perfect driving or walking music, it’s got the beat just in time to how fast I walk. The lyrics are just….wow “all of my friends are beautiful people, people are paper mache, people and the games they play”. The drums are exactly what you’d expect in a typical jazz number, and the guitar follows along sometimes but not always. Extremely innovative and evocative.
Mountain Man by Liz Cooper & The Stampede: I recently filmed a Liz Cooper house concert and got to interview Liz as well. Her voice is much deeper when she talks than when she sings which I thought was interesting, and a beautiful contrast. The guitar in this song makes you feel as though you’re taking a stroll along the boardwalk. The progression of the song is wonderful, starts out slow and gets a little faster, a beat of silence, and then it pulls you in again and really gets going.
Money on It by together PANGEA: A feel good song if I’ve ever heard one. The lyrics are pretty sad but it gives you that sense of moving forward, letting go, and a sense of hope regarding the future.
Memorial Day by Sharon Van Etten: The audio manipulation in this song is mind-blowing. The sounds used are all unique and evoke feelings of being lost in a big empty space. The scarcity that some of the sounds are used only makes me want them more. There are some parts that are almost orchestral, even though it seems like there aren’t very many typical instruments being used. Her voice works so well with all of the particular noises it’s almost eerie.
The Way Through by Deca: Deca is an incredible artist all around. He writes, produces, and raps all his songs. He’s one of the most honest lyricists I’ve come across — laying things out bare and not shying away from them. The drums in this song, the bass especially, works so well with the violin-like noises and the vocal samples.
Give these songs a listen if you get the chance, you won’t be disappointed.