Author: Haley Parsons
Like Ciara, I am also very nosey. So, I loved reading her installment of the Media Diaries last week. But now that it’s my turn to showcase my media consumption, I’m a little nervous. When I reflected on what I had been listening to all week, I realized that I listened to the same music over and over, which limited me from branching out and finding new artists. There’s so much music out there that I need to discover!! If you’re anything like me and you need new music, hopefully, this little peek over my shoulder at what I’ve been listening to will bring you inspiration!
MONDAY
8:00 AM – Discover Weekly Playlist
Every Monday I look forward to getting a new Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify because I love things that are made especially for me. The mix can be hit or miss but I’ve definitely found some gems from this weekly compilation, so I make time for it. I feel like it’s very symbolic that I listen to a new playlist while getting ready for a new week.
Highlight – “Read My Mind” (Killers Cover) and “Ignition (Remix)” by Catfish and the Bottlemen
9:00 AM – Killswitch
I procrastinated a little too long on the homework I had an entire week to finish and found myself watchingKillswitch, a documentary about Net Neutrality right before the start of my Media Systems class. Luckily, I finished the film in time and was able to head to class full of knowledge about hackers and internet censorship. If you are interested in censorship on the interweb, or love documentaries, I would highly recommend this film because it opened my eyes to tons of issues that the government is trying to silence.
12:20 PM – SPRING 2018 YEEHAW
After class, I head on over to C-Street to eat before I get to studying. I put on my current go-to playlist, SPRING 2018 YEEHAW, which is an original playlist by me that features local bands MONSTERWATCH, Naked Giants, and Dude York! Also, in the mix are Arcade Fire, Fleetwood Mac, and Interpol. I listened to this playlist on and off for the rest of the day.
TUESDAY
11:30 AM – Tame Impala
I don’t have class until 1:30 PM today, so I went to Pigott to try to get some work done. “List of People (To Try And Forget About)” was on my Discover Weekly, so I decided to delve into Tame Impala as I worked. “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” is one of my all-time favorites.
3:40 PM – Great Grandpa
After my Philosophy class, I went to the library to work on a PowerPoint about Rainbow Trout and decided I was in the mood for something fresh and less psychedelic than Tame Impala. I picked Seattle band, Great Grandpa, who I saw for the first time with Diet Cig. I totally love them and spent a majority of my time listening to Can Opener. From that EP, I chose to add “Cheeto Lust” to my Spring playlist.
WEDNESDAY
12:20 PM – Destroy Boys
After my classes, I ate lunch and read an interview with Oakland based band, Destroy Boys. I had never heard of them but decided to check them out because Alexia Roditis and Vi Mayugba looked like two bada**es and they have one of the BEST band names ever. I instantly liked their newest release Crybaby/Vixenalong with older tracks, “Gold Medal”, “Goldilocks Spot”, and “Cattywampus”.
10:00 PM – Dark Days
Later that night, I was sucked into a response thread to a post on Reddit about what urban legends people believed in and stumbled upon a couple of people who said they thought some people lived in the subway tunnels of New York City. Several users responded to that saying that it was real and there was a documentary about it. I began watching it and found that Dark Daysfocuses on several homeless individuals who built small homes beneath the city. It was fascinating to learn about each person and see what they did from day to day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GePTt0t7e6o
THURSDAY
11:00 AM – Psychedelic Furs
The sun was kind of out, and I was in a great mood as I walked to grab a coffee, so I decided to bump The Psychedelic Furs. “Love My Way” has always held a special place in my heart, but it took on a new meaning for me when I saw Call Me by Your Name, which features the song. Whenever I listen to it, I feel really happy and carefree, plus I want to dance.
9:00 PM – Father John Misty
My mans Father John Misty released new music!! So, while I did my Media Systems homework, I listened to “Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All” and “Just Dumb Enough to Try” a couple of times. Then, I reviewed Pure Comedy, his 2017 release, for reference. I determined that I love the new songs and can’t wait for the new album. I think it’s going to be a great mix of the slightly whimsical and dreamy; I Love You, Honeybear and Pure Comedy’s pessimistic yet witty message.
FRIDAY
8:00 AM – Father John Misty
I picked right back up where I left off the night before but decided to listen to my favorite FJM album: I Love You, Honeybear.I always come back to this album because it’s so perfect. When I fall in love, I want it to feel how this album sounds. Like, there’s NOTHING more romantic than “When You’re Smiling and Astride Me”, except maybe “True Affection” (which I like to interpret as a story about wanting to meet a Tinder Match super badly). But seriously, I would get the entire track list of the album tattooed on my body because every song is good. You know how sometimes there’s a couple of songs on an album that you don’t vibe with? That’s not the case with I Love You, Honeybear. Every song slaps.
9:30 PM – Summer 2017 II
To top off a beautiful, sunny Seattle day, I went to a show at Generations. On the walk over, I decided to listen to my playlistfrom last summer because it is FULL of bangers and I needed something to keep me in the right mood. This playlist features basically the entire Baby Driver soundtrack, plus a couple of Lil Uzi Vert songs, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, and some BROCKHAMPTON just to name a few. When I arrived at the venue, I was ready to party.
SATURDAY
11:00 AM – The Deep Depths of YouTube
On Saturday morning, the KXSU Blog Staff gathered at Head Reporter Julia Olson’s house for a wholesome brunch. We played games, chatted, and watched a bunch of weird YouTube videos. Highlights included a video about beans in places they shouldn’t be and another about the neatness of nature. Overall, it was an exciting bonding experience for the staff.
3:00 PM – Parks and Rec
I was exhausted after brunch, so I headed back to my dorm and snuggled up with my sweet laptop. Sometimes I feel like I need background noise to fall asleep, so I usually throw on the hilarious, Parks and Recreation mostly because I’ve seen every episode several times, so if I fall asleep I won’t miss any significant plot developments. Also, it’s not too heavy or emotional, because the last thing I want is to be crying in my bed over a show (I do enough of that without any help thank you very much).
11:00 PM – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
The rest of my night ended up being kind of a bust, so I found myself browsing the KXSU blog for music recommendations. After reading Emma’s article about Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s new album, Sex & Honey, I decided to check it out. I liked “American Guilt” because of its heavy, but catchy chorus and in-your-face beat. At least the music discovery part of my night wasn’t disappointing!
SUNDAY
12:00 PM – ABBA
I had to pick my favorite imported Media for my media systems class, and after much deliberation, I settled on Swedish group, ABBA. Have you ever heard “Dancing Queen?” That song invented being young and sweet, along with being 17-years-old. ABBA’s music makes me so happy because it’s some of the most beautiful pop music I have ever heard. Other fantastic bops include, “Take a Chance on Me” and “Fernando”.
11:30 PM – Foo Fighters
Late Sunday night, I couldn’t sleep, and I felt that I desperately needed to listen to the Foo Fighters. I settled on their 1995 self-titled debut. This album is one of the main reasons that I was a huge Dave Grohl fangirl right before my freshman year of high school. The album’s 12 songs range from pop to punk in a way that makes total sense, rather than confusing the listener. Plus, Dave played all the instruments and wrote the songs and recorded it and was essentially a music god at the time. I’m a big Foo Fighters fan still, but I wasn’t very excited about their most recent release, Concrete, and Gold. Yet, every time I re-listen to their earlier stuff, I feel all sorts of love well up inside of me.
HALEY PARSONS | Did I plug my Spotify enough? | KXSU Music Reporter