Author: Ciara Loughnane
Maybe I’m just a super nosey person, but I LOVE finding out what kinds of music my friends listen to when no one else is around, or what kinds of movies they watch on a Saturday night. That’s why I’m so excited to start KXSU Media Diaries! Each week, a different member of KXSU will be talking about all of the music, tv, and movies that they listened to or watched during the week. This way, we can all be nosey together, and hopefully get some recommendations for pieces of media that we never would have found on our own.
Let’s dive right in!
MONDAY
7:30 AM – Middle School Bangers You Can Now Party to Playlist
The past few weeks I’ve been really stressed, so I’ve been trying to work out more frequently to try and focus on caring for my body more. Running is one of my favorite ways to work out andI love being able to zone out and listen to music while I run around Seattle. I haven’t perfected my workout playlist yet, so I’m currently alternating between a few that I’ve found on Spotify. So, when I went out for a run to Volunteer Park that morning, I put on a Spotify playlist I found called “Middle School Bangers You Can Now Party To”, and there were indeed, some bangers.
Highlights include “Shake it” – Metro Station, “Bet On It” – High School Musical and “Girlfriend” – Avril Lavigne.
8:45 AM – Phoebe Bridgers
While getting ready for class, I popped on one of my favorite albums recently, Stranger in the Alpsby Phoebe Bridgers. I first heard about her on the New York Times music podcast, Popcast, where she was given an honorable mention for their Top 10 Albums of the Year episode. I’ve been obsessed with all of her music ever since.
12:20 PM – BROCKHAMPTION & HAIM
After class I need to leave campus and run some errands. To make walking around rainy Seattle a little less miserable, I listen to an interesting mix of SATURATION IIIby BROCKHAMPTON and Days are Gone by HAIM. I’m still not really sure why I chose this mix?? It didn’t really work as a playlist, but I’m a basic Seattle art b*tch, and I love both artists, so I didn’t really care.
4:00 PM – Discover Weekly Playlist
After going to a few meetings, I head over to the KXSU Lounge to input music into our song database for the radio. Every person on the Executive Staff has to spend one day per week inputting songs that DJ’s provide to us into the system. It’s long, boring, and I hate doing it. So, to make it a little more interesting, I throw on my Spotify Discover Weekly to see if I can find any new music I like. I spend an hour and a half inputting songs, and the Discover playlist is a huge bust for the entire time. Every song was had very “sh**ty sad boi with a guitar” vibes, which is not something I’m into. Very disappointing.
TUESDAY
7:30 AM – Taylor Swift
Going out for another run to Volunteer Park and this time I put on Taylor Swift’s new album, Reputation. Yeah, I’ll admit it, I actually listen to Taylor Swift and think she’s great. My mom and I have tickets to see her at Century Link next month. Fight me about it.
8:45 AM – Selena Gomez
After getting back from my run and listening to T. Swift, I still feel like listening to pop music. So, I keep the momentum going by blasting some Selena Gomez hits. Judge me all you want but “Hands to Myself” is a f**king bop and a half.
12:20 PM – Harry Styles
After my class ended, I was talking to a friend and Harry Styles came up in conversation. She mentioned that she hadn’t ever listened to any of his stuff since he went solo, so I recommended some of my faves. I’m personally a big fan of his cover of “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town, “From the Dining Table”, and “Sweet Creature.”
6:30 PM – Lord of the Rings
I’ve loved the movies ever since high school when I would constantly try to marathon the extended versions with my friends during sleepovers (during these poorly planned attempts we never made it past the second film). Because even the nonextended versions are pretty long, I only get about halfway through before I finish dinner and have to get back to work. RIP.
WEDNESDAY
9:00 AM – Up First
I woke up too late to go on a run today, so I have to rush to get ready for class. While I’m getting ready I quickly throw on Up First, a news podcast by NPR. Every day they have a 10 to 13-minute podcast about the top headlines in the news. I really like it because it doesn’t just focus on domestic issues, it actually talks a lot about international conflict in a really accessible way.
12:20 PM – dodie
As I’m making lunch, I throw on an album by one of my favorite singers, dodie. She’s a British singer songwriter that has been posting videos on YouTube for years. Only recently has she started actually recording and releasing music, and I’m beyond proud of her. We have really similar vocal ranges, so I love blasting her music while I’m home alone and singing along.
4:30 PM – Popcast
While doing homework, I throw on another podcast that I love, Popcast. A weekly podcast hosted by New York Times pop music writers and editors, Popcastis a roundtable style podcast where various New York Times writers and editors get together to talk about anything and everything pop music related. It’s like my dream. As a HUGE pop music nerd, this podcast gives me life. In no other setting do I get to listen to insanely intelligent people dissect Cardi B lyrics for an hour? This time, I listened to Was Ashlee Simpson Underrated? Discuss. It was a wonderfully in-depth look back to the ‘00s and all of the pop grunge music that was being made. 10/10 would recommend.
9:00 PM – Brooklyn 99
After I finished my homework, I switch on the latest episode of one of my favorite shows, Brooklyn 99. If you somehow haven’t seen Brooklyn 99, you are totally missing out. Brooklyn 99 is a sitcom following the lives of a group of detectives in a Brooklyn police precinct staring Andy Samberg and a stellar ensemble cast. With so many popular sitcoms (The Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and You’re the Worstto name just a few), it’s nice to have a show that’s so warm-hearted. It’s a welcomed 20-minute retreat from the real world.
THURSDAY
8:45 AM – Up First
Woke up late again today and threw on the newest episode of Up First. They post a new episode each morning at 5 a.m. so it’s nice to have such up to date info while I’m getting ready.
3:30 pM – Reading Chillout Playlist
While I liked being able to listen to an episode of Popcastyesterday while I was working, I realized that I was spending a lot more time listening to the podcast then I was working! So, I try a different tactic today and put on an instrumental playlist I find on the Spotify Focus tab. It’s called Reading Chillout, and it does the trick. I always like studying with something playing in the background, as I find that it helps time go by quicker, but clearly it can’t be too interesting!
7:30 PM – Good Girls
Ever since I finished Breaking Bada few years ago, I’ve been looking for a show to fill that void. Breaking Badwas possibly one of the best TV shows of all time (I will fight you about this opinion if you disagree) and Good Girlsis broadcast television’s attempt to cash in on the genre. The show follows three women (Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman) who decide they are fed up with men controlling their lives and financial situations and take control by robbing a local grocery store. Because this is television, things obviously quickly spiral out of control for the three women, and both debauchery and hilarity ensue. While the show still feels like it is trying to decide on whether it is a comedy or a drama, and some storylines are a lot stronger than others, it’s a fun show that finally allows female characters to explore the antihero storyline which is typically reserved for males. It’s definitely worth a watch if you have the time.
10:30 PM – Sherlock
One of my roommates has been given one of the best homework assignments ever—she has been tasked with watching an episode of the BBC show Sherlock. As a huge fan of the show, I insist that I and everyone else in the apartment join her. After realizing that another one of our roommates has never seen the show, we decide that we simply have to start at the first episode, and that we’ll get to the assigned episode later in the week.
FRIDAY
7:30 AM – Kesha
I finally wake up early enough to go on a run today, thank god. This morning, I throw on Kesha’s Rainbow, one of my favorite albums for the summer. I will forever believe that Kesha was robbed of a Grammy and deserved so much more than for her to single handedly have to carry the entire #MeToo movement in one single performance during the awards ceremony this year. I’ve been a huge fan of Kesha for years and hearing her finally make music that she truly loves, connects with, and is inspired by is such an amazing experience as a fan. She could have focused on such dark material for this album, but instead chose to focus on the light in her difficult situation and create a truly empowering piece of work. I can’t help but be happy when listening to this album.
5:00 PM – One Direction
While helping a friend get ready for a party she was going to that evening, we throw on the ultimate getting ready soundtrack, all of One Direction’s discography. They’re all such f**king bops and it was so much fun to sing along to. As mentioned earlier, I am a huge 1D fan, so I was living for this.
9:00 PM – Jane the Virgin
One of my roommates started watching Jane the Virginover spring break and has since become obsessed with the show, and for good reason, it’s amazing. I’ve already seen every episode and loved it, so I had no problem spending the night binge watching the second season with her. If you haven’t already seen Jane the Virgin, it’s probably the best show on the CW right now. It’s a story about 23-year-old Jane Villanueva who has decided to wait to have sex until after marriage, and then is accidentally artificially inseminated during a trip to the gynecologist gone wrong. Hilarity ensures when she needs to break the news to her deeply religious family and her loving fiancé. While the show is over the top almost 100% of the time, it’s heartwarming and features stand out performances from the entire cast. If you haven’t seen it already, it’s on Netflix and you need to start watching it right now.
SATURDAY
9:00 AM – Marketplace
On Saturday mornings, I like to wake up and make a more elaborate breakfast than my usual weekday oatmeal. This week, it’s pancakes! While I’m getting the batter ready I turn on the Friday episode ofMarketplaceon NPR. It’s NPR’s daily 30-minute business news show that I try to listen to at least once a week, so I can stay up to date about the economy. It’s important to stay informed!
4:30 PM – Melodrama
If you’ve read any of my previous articles for the blog, then you might know that I maybe like Lorde just a little bit (it’s totally not like I reviewed her album when it came out over the summer, previewed and reviewed her Seattle show, or followed her tour down to Portland the very next day). So, while I was getting ready to go out with a friend for the night, I put her album Melodramaon again. It’s a classic. I love it. There really is nothing more to say.
8:00 PM – Duke Ellington Orchestra
A few months ago, a friend of mine mentioned that he really wanted to go to the Seattle Symphony, so I decided to request tickets through KXSU to go see the Duke Ellington Orchestra. We got super dressed up and went to a fancy Italian restaurant beforehand, it was super cute. And the show was absolutely amazing. I had never seen a professional jazz musician preform before, so I was absolutely blown away by the amount of talent in the room. Every song was amazing and I had a spectacular time. Read my full review of the night here!
SUNDAY
1:00 PM – Peaceful Piano
Sunday is usually a homework day for me and unfortunately, I have a ton of reading for class. To make the experience a little less painful, I find another Spotify playlist on their Focus page called Peaceful Piano. It consists of exactly what you think it would. Some peaceful background piano music. Perfect for reading.
6:00 PM – Sherlock
To keep me and my roommates from going insane with all of the studying we’ve been doing today, we decide to take a break and watch an episode of Sherlock. Then one episode turns into two episodes and suddenly we look up and three hours have passed. It’s just such a good show! If you haven’t seen it already, there really is nothing I can say except GO WATCH IT IT’S ON NETFLIX AND IT’S SO GOOD.
If you’re still ready, bless your heart, because this is long as heck. Hope you’ve enjoyed a little peak into the things I like to watch and listen to during the week!
CIARA LOUGHNANE | Why do I have such basic taste? | KXSU Digital Media Director