Weekly Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0CG5JwwpS7LriFvDXP4dIj?si=02cxS8V6QkGJW8sTo1l6NQ 

Madelaine’s picks

1. The Paper Kites – “Never Heard a Sound”
2. Kurt Vile – “Feel My Pain”
3. Grand Lotus – “Move!”

“Never Heard a Sound,” from The Paper Kites’ 2013 album “States,” is full of acoustic guitar and dreamy harmonies. The Paper Kites are an indie-folk band known for their whimsical acoustic guitar riffs and their discography will have you feeling nostalgic. If you need some music to listen to while working or studying, this band is one to keep in mind.

Kurt Vile is an alternative-indie singer-songwriter and former guitarist for mid-2000s rock band War on Drugs. “Feel My Pain” comes off of Vile’s 2013 album “Walkin On A Pretty Daze [Deluxe Daze (Post Haze)].” The song is on the longer side at a little over six minutes long and features a finger-picked guitar melody, soft drums and Vile’s low voice. The lyrics of “Feel My Pain” seem to be inviting someone in to get to know your faults and bad traits — but only if they want to and think they can handle it.

Alternative-pop band Grand Lotus has around 30,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and “Move!” is the band’s fifth most popular song with just over 90,000 streams. “Move!” opens with a bright guitar riff and the song stays upbeat throughout its entirety. The song’s lyrics are about getting to know each other before the very beginning of a new relationship, with the singer asking the other individual to make a move.

Derek’s picks

1. Talking Heads – “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)”
2. Animal Collective – “Guys Eyes”
3. Bladee and Ecco2k – “White Meadow”

While certainly not a deep cut by any means, I’ve been hypnotized by the Talking Heads’ 1983 funk-rock record “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” since my sophomore year of high school. Its self-proclaimed naive melody wraps around my body like a weighted blanket, its lyrics cheerful and comforting. It’s such a fun song I can’t help but smile when I listen to it. Singer David Byrne is famous for his creative but sometimes nonsensical lyrics, though this song’s thesis is clear: there’s no place like home. 

Animal Collective’s 2009 “Guys Eyes” is equal parts Talking Heads as it is Beach Boys, homogenizing the psychedelic rhythms of the ‘70s with the lush vocal harmonies akin to Brian Wilson. Vocalist Noah Benjamin Lennox sings over himself, layering his voice on top of itself once, then twice, then thrice over. This vocal arrangement symbolizes the song’s theme of someone being pulled in every which way, torn between staying faithful to their partner and indulging in lust and desire. This idea is exemplified in the adjacent bridges which loop the phrases “need her” and then “what I want.” 

I first heard “White Meadow” over this past spring break the day after it was released at their NYC concert and it is absolutely incredible. I caught COVID-19 presumably from the moshpit immediately afterward, in which I laid in bed all day listening to Bladee’s and Ecco2K’s 2022 hyperpop collab album, “Crest,” for a week straight. “White Meadow” is by far my favorite track, and dare I say it, their best song, period. Neither artist writes verses, rather, each sentence is sung as a line in a stanza from a poem: “Blue light siren call, behind the city wall. Asphalt, acid wash, wash up against the rocks.” 

Parker’s picks

1. Fleetwood Mac – “Rhiannon – Live 1977”
2. The Beatles – “Get Back – Rooftop Performance / Take 2”
3. Bruce Springsteen – “Badlands – Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 9/22/79”

While it’s not a popular opinion, I love live albums just as much as studio recordings. Hearing a great group perform onstage creates a lively atmosphere that just doesn’t exist in the studio. Some of the best albums of all time were recorded from live concerts and these songs, while great as studio recordings, take on a new life when performed for an audience. 

“Rhiannon” was what proved Stevie Nicks to be a mainstay in Fleetwood Mac and the mystical lyrics penned by Nicks make this one of the band’s best songs. While the track sounds great on the 1975 album “Fleetwood Mac,” it takes on a whole new life on this recording, taken from the 1977 Rumours Tour. Not only is it three minutes longer than the studio recording but Stevie Nicks delivers powerful vocals further cementing her as a rock legend. 

One of the best parts of the Disney+ series “The Beatles: Get Back” was the complete showing of the famous Jan. 30, 1969 Rooftop Concert. Seeing The Beatles’ final live performance in its entirety was marvelous and even more fantastic when the band released the audio of the concert as an album. In roughly 40 minutes, The Beatles played five songs with some being played multiple times. “Get Back” was played three times with the second take being the best. The camaraderie and charm of the Fab Four can be felt strongly in this track and it’s an important part of music history. 

From the live album “The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts,” “Badlands” is one of many songs on the album that shows what a powerhouse Bruce Springsteen is live. The Boss is one of the finest live performers of all time and all of that energy shines through in this live recording of the first song from the 1978 album “Darkness on the Edge of Town.” 

Daija’s picks

1. Harry Styles – “As It Was”
2. Bon Iver – “Beth/Rest”
3. Manchester Orchestra, Phoebe Bridgers – “The Gold – Phoebe Bridgers Version”

“As It Was” is Styles’ latest single from his upcoming album “Harry’s House.” This single has only been out for one week but has already broken Spotify’s record for most-streamed track in 24 hours for a male artist. This song is different from his previous works as we hear him experimenting with a ‘70s groove beat and Christmas church bells that sound weird at first but it makes the song fun. 

Justin Vernon, lead singer of Bon Iver, talks about latching onto the person you love, but in the end, driving them away. The vocals in “Beth/Rest” are distorted. That’s normal for Vernon, but it doesn’t hide the pain and emotion in the song. The last two minutes of the song is just the instrumental, but it lets you think about the lyrics again and what Vernon is trying to say to his lost partner.

“The Gold” was originally performed by Manchester Orchestra, who wrote it from the perspective of a miner’s wife. With Phoebe Bridgers’ version, you are able to truly feel what the miner’s wife is trying to describe to her husband. Bridgers’ vocals further give the song a melancholy feeling.

Angelina’s picks

1. Kodaline – “All I Want”
2. The Lumineers – “My Eyes”
3. Saint Motel – “Getaway”

Kodaline is an Irish pop-rock band whose song “All I Want” was featured in season 9 of “Grey’s Anatomy.” It described the heartbreak that singer Stephen Garrian felt when his girlfriend went on a trip without him then returned home with another man. One of the more agonizing lines of the song is, “When you said your last goodbye I died a little bit inside. I lay in tears in bed all night, alone without you by my side. But if you loved me, why’d you leave me?”  

The Lumineers have been producing music since 2002, and have written a long list of meaningful music. “My Eyes” is one that has always stuck with me. It can be assumed that the subject of this song is heroin: the lure of the drug, all the things an addict feels it can offer them, but then the innocence that is lost. The chorus depicts it beautifully, “What did you do to my eyes? What did you sing to that lonely child? Promised it all, but you lied. You better slow down, baby, soon. It’s all or nothing to you.” It is as if he is singing directly to the substance itself. 

This upbeat song that is “Getaway” just makes you want to dance to the beat or drive with your windows down on a hot summer day. It is about taking your valuables and the one you love and just running away, escaping just the two of you. No regrets, just freedom. 

Grace’s picks 

1. Fresh Hops – “The Phone Call”
2. Silverchair – “Miss You Love” 
3. Something Corporate – “Only Ashes” 

Fresh Hops is a funky band with a sound that’s hard to put in a specific genre. They have hints of bluegrass, rock, and funk. This song is about the grandma of one of the band members calling and telling him he needs to write a reggae song. The lyrics are fun, the violin is a cool addition to the sound. It’s a total dance song. 

Silverchair has many songs that make the heart hurt. “Miss You Love” is a beautiful song about conflicted feelings and heartbreak. It has soft melodies along with grunge-sounding instruments. The line that gets me every time is “I love the way you love, but I hate the way I’m supposed to love you back.” 

Something Corporate never fails to create jamming songs. “Only Ashes” has great guitar riffs and even better lyrics. If you are into pop-punk or alternative bands, Something Corporate is a band you have to check out. You can hear the inspiration Something Corporate has given current pop-punk or alternative bands.