Author: Emma Weaver
Here are 10 songs you should be listening to this month, in no particular order.
“Do I Have To Talk You Into It” by Spoon
Spoon is one of those timeless bands and this song of theirs echoes the utter bouncing, grooving beat they possess. This song offers a unique booming funk sound that will reunite you with your own groove. It’s a magnetic song that will pull you into the Spoon world. Whether listening alone in your room, or at gathering with friends, I guarantee this song will put you in a place of euphoria and joie de vivre. You will be rocking out, with head nodding and fist bumping, in no time!
“17 Days” by Prince
Unfortunately, one of my idols, Prince, passed away in 2016. And unfortunately, I have found a lot of people are only familiar with his hits, such as “I Would Die 4 U”, or “Purple Rain”. Before I begin, I must confirm that, yes, his hits are hits for a reason—they are amazing and epitomize Prince’s talent. However, it’s also important to listen to his music on a wider scale. All of his albums and songs embody the very flair and pizzazz Prince was known for. One of songs I recommend as a gateway song to the full exploration of his discography is “17 Days” off The Hits/The B-Sides album. It’s a dance orientated song with Prince’s signature electric guitar and rhythmic drum sound. The song is about the 17 days that have passed since a lover left Prince. Prince sings that he was left “with two cigarettes and this broken heart of mine”. It deals with the need to move on and accept reality for what it is, but it also concentrates on the desire for someone who has left. It’s relatable and despite the more melancholic tone it will still get you up and out of your chair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrB55LokZQs
“You Get What You Give” by New Radicals
“You Get What You Give” is the perfect song for a drive along the coast, as you bask under the sun and poorly belt out all the worlds, especially the best part at the end when Gregg Alexander sings, “Health insurance /rip off lying/FDA big bankers buying/Fake computer crashes dining/Cloning while they’re multiplying/Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson/Courtney Love, and Marilyn Manson/You’re all fakes/Run to your mansions Come around/We’ll kick your ass in”. However, living in Seattle that might not be the best option. This song, however, will allow you to live vicariously through the sunshine filled beach days. It’s the quintessential ‘90s song, embodying an optimistic, multi-layered, stimulating aesthetic. It’s the song that can be applied to any situation, rain or shine. It’s an escapable tune that consists of reminiscence and exuberance. Always remember, “you’ve got the music in you”.
“I Need You Tonight” by Punkin Machine
Whether serenading that certain someone you need that one night, or the new series of Broad City recently released on Hulu, “I Need You Tonight” is the much needed and desired bona fide disco-pop song. It is 7 minutes of an ongoing uptempo, electronic-based rhythm. Its incredibly catchy and mesmerizing tune is the lush fusion of syncopated bass, pulsating drums, and rhythmic synthesizer. “I Need You Tonight” will allow all listeners to travel back in time to the discotheque days and bust out the The Hustle and The Bump. It is one of the more obscure ‘80s disco songs and featured on H-Track Edit Series 1– EP alongside “Soft Cell and “The Quick”. This song will become your go-to song at any party because it guarantees that everyone and anyone to get on the dance floor. Its lyrical simplicity is juxtaposed with its melodic complexity. It’s one of the songs that you find yourself unconsciously grooving to, regardless of the location or atmosphere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4MlIQc-sRo
“other voices” by LCD Soundsystem
Last year, LCD Soundsystem released their newest album american dream. american dream is filled of a diverse palette of sounds and thematic elements, ranging from love, friendships, heroes, and mourning. “other voices” resides in Talking Heads territory and references James Murphy’s, the leading figure of LCD Soundystem, relationship with David Bowie. It’s a climatic rendering of LCD Soundsystem’s complex blend of dance-punk, electronic rock, funk, and alternative dance. When Nancy Whang, a member of LCD Soundsystem, sings “This is what’s happening and it’s freaking you out/ I’ve heard it, heard it/And it sounds like the nineties/Who can you trust/And who are your friends/Who is impossible/And who is the enemy”, chills radiate throughout your body. Every one of James Murphy’s songs possess distinct idiosyncrasies and flair, that cater to every and any musical aficionado. This song is a pulsating electronic beat with bursts of clatter. american dream was one of the albums of the year and “other voices” perfectly demonstrates their overall ability to permeate the minds of all listeners and admirers.
“Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club
Where do I even begin with “Genius of Love”? Well for starters, this song has been a hip-hop/pop/disco staple since 1981. Beginning with the lyrical question of “What are you going to do when you get out of jail?” and the immediate answer “I’m gonna have some fun”, “Genius of Love” is lyrically superior. The funky riffs and melodies all serve as an essential experience, working in accordance with the tonal ranges of voice throughout the song. It’s a very sunny, danceable gem that has remained a crucial part of the evolution of the funk and pop genre. It’s timeless and everlasting nature has followed history for the pass thirty years or so. The first time you hear this song marks a significant moment in your musical life and the rest is history! “Genius of Love” is infectious – once it makes its way into your brain, it will never leave.
“The Perfect Girl” by The Cure
The Cure is my absolute favorite band. Robert Smith is a musical genius who has created so many wonderful, eerie, edgy songs that will forever remain in my heart. I mean who doesn’t like “Boys Don’t Cry” or “Pictures of You”? I have made the argument that The Cure is truly the cure. The Cure’s songs fall on a broad spectrum of rhythmic, melodic, and tonal wonders. “The Perfect Girl” off their Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me album is one of those underrated songs that embodies the intense allure and brilliance of The Cure. It’s a spooky pop sound that follows the love for a strange, yet perfect girl. I dream of Robert Smith, dressed in his all black attire and dark eye makeup, serenading this to me. This song makes me want to be “a strange girl… from another world”. It’s a rigged, yet heavenly song filled with their esteemed gothic pop-punk tunes. This song isn’t as angsty and sullen as others, for it possess an uplifting, lighter resonance that echoes throughout each lyric and beat. This song is perfect for dancing or dreaming about love and falling in love. Its versatility bleeds through each note and makes you feel invigorated. Fortunately, all of their songs offer this feeling.
“Sugar Water” by Cibo Matto
“Sugar Water” by Cibo Matto brings me back to the days when I would binge watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer. “Sugar Water” is a dreamy, ethereal song composed of a steady drum pulse and shimmering, fluttering synthesizer. Buffy The Vampire Slayer played a live rendition of this song in a dark, sensual club, with sensual being the operative word. It’s a melodically compelling song with a subtle, or maybe not so subtle, hint of libidinous. “Sugar Water” is incredibly calm and surreal, with similar sounds of Portishead. This song contains the seductive, atmospheric aesthetics of late ‘90s music that is accompanied by beautiful vocals and instrumental harmonies.
“Voices Carry” by ’Til Tuesday
’Til Tuesday is considered a one hit wonder of the ‘80s, but I promise you that connotation is false. Their main hit, “Voices Carry” is such an invigorating song that, in the end, it will have you belting out the words along with the lead singer Aimee Mann. This song follows the path a relationship takes, as the man stifles his lover and as she grows creatively and changes. Mann sings “When I tell him that I’m falling in love/ Why does he say-a-ay/ Hush hush, keep it down now, voices carry” and boy can we all relate—I know I can. Mann’s deep, wavering voice echoes throughout the entirety of the song, in rhythm with the bass, guitar, and drums and the left field keyboards. This song bleeds passion. ’Til Tuesday perfectly demonstrates the sonic portrayal of ‘80s new wave, with a little extra touch. The song vocal break towards the end, as Mann begins to yell out her apparent rage towards the man who suppressed her… and little known fact, but the mystery man is supposedly the drummer, her ex. The last lyric of the song is “I wish he would let me talk” which utterly sums up the entire theme of the song. If you like this song, I highly recommend their songs “Love in a Vacuum”, “What About Love”, and “You Know The Rest”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_0YTX9Hqr8
“Billy” by Lou Reed
Last, but not least, I had to include Lou Reed. Lou Reed was in The Velvet Underground, an amazing band of the ‘60s and ‘70s, but he also did solo work. His most famous solo album is most likely Transformer, but my favorite album of his is Sally Can’t Dance, with “Billy” being my favorite track off album. “Billy” has an acoustic jazz feel to it, as the guitar is calmly and slowly strummed alongside the the animated saxophone. Lou Reed’s almost raspy and dry, yet unruffled voice flows coherently through the song as he sings of the comparison between him and his friend, Billy. Some of Reed’s more well known songs are centralized around deeper and darker substance such as drugs and sex, but this song focuses on the path some friendships take as life gets in the way and people change. Personally, one of the best features in this song is the beautiful relation between Reed’s steady voice and the saxophone’s dynamic range.
EMMA WEAVER | KXSU Music Reporter