Category: Music

This song is covered fairly often and some of the artists do it very well. But last year was the first time I ever came into contact with the O.G.

To me, though they are great and super-easy to sing a long with, the lyrics are clearly not the star of this song, or this performance.

It’s the VOICE and the MUSIC that make this such a moving, soulful performance IMO.

Lee’s voice is the equivalent of lighting a match on your stubble. It’s that rough and full of funk…just like that bass guitar line throughout.

With songs like this, I like to tune in and find a new instrument to focus on for a few listens in a row. Like listen once tuning into that bass. Then again with the trumpets. It sometimes makes the next listen for me a little richer I think. Like appreciating the parts more allows you to appreciate the whole more. There’s a life lesson in there I think. 🙂

That’s what I like about going through these discoveries from 2023 and writing about what I like and what they mean to me. We all are going through our own personal journey and we get to choose the soundtrack to it in a couple ways.

The music we listen to, and the people we populate it with. Their voices are also a part of this arrangement! If one of those instruments is out of tune, we have to choose to give it the attention it needs, or put it down for the final time.

Food for thought. Go make some sort of music in your life today. Thanks for reading!

This is the type of song I hope my track-star niece Ava warms up to. Such a celebration of female strength.

Such a powerful statement from Dessa in this song which to me is a great one to get you pumped for anything.

“Double-jointed, triple threat, I’m not some method actress, trying to see my, my descent, you’re gonna have to play the tape backwards, save that breathe for choir practice, got no time for my detractors, standing on my staircase, all you are is a fire hazard, I’ve put my time in now, I’m vetted, uncontested, see how an honest answer shuts down, motherfuckers asking trick questions, I’m out here, arms wide, I’ve done it all in broad daylight, and I left the camera running”

I love the “take no prisoners” attitude here for workouts, athletic contests, and bouts of house cleaning.

Dessa’s delivery to me is raw and visceral. She’s on the attack from the get go, pulling no punches.

“I don’t need an agenda, I just tell the truth (yup), let it off the leash and, don’t touch it, it knows what to do, and I’m running a tight ship, every deckhand here has a five year plan, and an ice pick, they can write code, they can drive stick, I got an octave on you and a high kick, don’t blink, I don’t block, I’m a bleeder, all I do is hit, I don’t win them all but I’d say I take 5 out of 6, clock’s running, better glove up, if you insist (okay), let’s see who’s really counting coup, and who’s been counterfeit”

Such an amazing verse there. I absolutely love how hard it goes. There’s something about the “I don’t block, I’m a bleeder” that just describes going completely all in on something so well.

Let’s go all in on something today and kick its ass!

Have a great day! Thanks for reading!

This song is an amazing ode to adventure. Which, considering the show it’s made for, makes it PERFECT!

If you’ve never heard the voice of AURORA before…are you in for a treat. This song in particular is a wonderful showcase for it, and it’s such an empowering spinning dance of a tune.

“I’ll draw a map of the world, of lands unknown and untold, I’ll guide my ship towards the ‘morn, through the raging waters, the stars are pointing my way, from quarter of the globe away, and yet, I feel so astray, how did I get so lost”

We’ve all been lost before. It’s terrifying no matter what kind of “lost” you’re thinking of right? But if you’re reading this…I see you H…you’re here. You’ve conquered. Keep doing it.

“I’ve always been taught to be brave and strong, to see the hope when all feels wrong, I’ve always been taught not to be afraid, and look, the price, the price I paid!, I’m barely afloat, my sails are set and I’m coming home”

This is exactly the song I’d want to show my kids if I had any, because it contains all those elements of what we dream for our children right? Curiosity, grit, zest…such great elements of character. They are called Character Strengths and you should check them out: https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths

Have a fantastic day. Let’s go for a walk today. Maybe we’ll randomly pick the same place! Be well!

This song deserved to be higher on the list. There is something about Karen O’s voice that is so…punk? Maybe that’s the wrong word, but her voice has such a roughness to it but when she goes with high notes it is angelic. We’ve seen other female artists on this list with the same talent, and I really think I’m drawn to it.

“Cowards, here’s the sun, so bow your heads, in the absence of bombs, draw your breath, dark, dark places shall be none, she’s melting houses of gold, (and the kids cry out), we’re spitting off the edge of the world”

I love that steady percussion march. I feel like it gives the song a great anchor to build from, like a heartbeat. Part of me feels like this song is a sort of lament or ballad about apathy. Or maybe it’s a celebration of apathy?

“Mama, what have you done?, I trace your steps, in the darkness of one, am I what’s left?, silver lines whisper to me, “wounded arms must carry the load”, (and the kids cry out), we’re spittin’ off the edge of the world”

Whatever it is, it’s beautifully composed and wonderfully performed. I’m not as familiar with Perfume Genius so I have a little more discovering to do there, but Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs have a great catalog that goes way back. You should absolutely check them out. Heads Will Roll, Maps, and Gold Lion might be some hits I love. I’ll link ’em below.

Have a fantastic day! Thanks for reading. Love ya.

This song is a short one but a powerful one. It’s another great example of everything coming together so nicely I think when it comes to the vocals, guitar, piano, the whole shebang. 

“I don’t care for anyone else, guess I fell with you to hell, and now I’m starting to believe that I’ve lost something, to which I’ve clung for this love, and I can say it, I’m in love, but I don’t know what I’ve left unspoken, how do you feel that it all really turned out tired?, I’m worn out, I don’t wanna lie, I’m disappointed in you but I don’t have the words to describe it, I’m tired”

Are you tired? I’m a little tired, if I’m honest. Not of any specific thing I don’t believe, but more so just the combined weight of everything, you know? I’m not struggling…I don’t mean that. I just mean man, a lot of stuff is happening lately, and I feel like I need to unplug…that feeling.

But sometimes, it’s not that combined weight that’s bothering us, right? We’re only too aware of the specific thing that’s exhausting us. This song sounds like the end of a relationship to me. It’s heartbreaking in that way because it’s someone getting to the very end of their frayed rope. They’ve tried everything. It’s not working. 

“And I don’t care, ’cause I’m finding my own way out”

They put down some of that weight. Is it time for you to put something down? You have my permission and acknowledgement. It’s time. It’ll be ok.

Love you lots. Hope you’re well. Thank you for reading.

I first heard Labrinth when he teamed up with Sia and Diplo for their LSD album. What a supremely talented individual! He’s probably best known for is work on the Euphoria soundtrack for which one of his songs won an Emmy! There are many tracks on that album that are incredible, but my favorite has to be When I R.I.P. I’ll link at the end!

This song is a sonic boom best enjoyed loud. It’s the perfect song to put on when you need to be productive around the house. You know you can see yourself vacuuming or dusting to this banger. :) 

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is something they call a ground-breaker, so, let me first apologize,
to the shirts and the ties for your make-up, ’cause I’ll make you ugly, as soon as it drops
we’re on a rampage, bottles poppin’ off, before you know it, there’s rubble and dust, ’cause we’ll be fuckin’ it up, somebody say, “you better run”“

Definitely one of those soul songs for me…just can’t help but move to it. Great party song. Great club song. (Like I would know?)

The interlude between Labrinth’s and Busta Rhymes’ part is such a cool little choral moment that slows things down before we hit the nitrous for Bust’s verse. 

So let that be today’s anthem. Go forth and make the earth rattle with positivity today! Rock someone’s world today!

Here’s that song I was talking about before!

Songs like this really make me appreciate the mixer/producer talent level. I would love Song Exploder to do an episode on this one because it’s so rich and complex. The tell tale sign of a good song is if it makes you wanna move and for me this song does just that. Bonus if like this one it mentions JNCO jeans. 

I definitely hear MARINA vibes in Elliot’s performance here. There’s a similar longing to both. This one though definitely has a bit more defiance to it. A bit of swagger. 

“Call me drama queen, if that’s what you see, but I’m just tryna be, happy, I’m the drama queen, when I have to be, ’cause I’m just tryna be, happy”

Part of me gets feelings in this song of becoming the villain in your own story because you’re setting boundaries. Particularly after the lyric where she says “I taught myself how to smile”. There’s an implication here that whoever she’s singing the song to isn’t making her do it very much and she’s fed up and finally saying something about it. Sometimes it takes a lot to get to that point. 

We’re all just trying to be happy. Is there a boundary that maybe you need to set because you’ve been teaching yourself how to smile? Food for thought. Hope you’re well today. Be good. Thanks for reading.

If you’ve never heard Daughter, you are in for both a treat and a curse.

I like how the song starts with almost a doo-wop drum beat, and then that guitar kicks in and tells us this ain’t happy. The lyrics, melodies, and music are both beautiful and heartbreaking at times. I cannot suggest enough of doing a deep listen through their discography. You will not be sorry.  

“I seem to burn straight through, I think I’ve lost my head, I’m tryna keep my cool, my friends are vanishing, I fear the time wipe out, for fear that I’d forget, the worst night of my life, or even worse, the best”

They have such a deep, velvety, and moody sound and incredibly narrative lyrics. 

“All the infinite speaking and the secrets you told, well, I swallowed them all, then I crunched the ice”

I was lucky enough to see these guys live at Boston Calling one year, and would jump at the chance to see them again. Higher Ground would be such an intimate venue for their sound!

To me, this song channels the loss of time feeling that you sometimes experience when you’re just lost in thought. You know the one. You get it while you’re thinking and driving sometimes and suddenly you remember you’re driving and you wonder how you somehow navigated through three stop-lights? That one.

“I still recoil at the thought, my head in the clous, talking chaos, get flashes from hours dancing in some house, you were my escape, while a stereo serenades, the song on repeat, it’s hard to believe a thing, when my mind skips the scenes”

Every single song of their is like that. Same with lead singer Elena Tonra. Check out her solo stuff under Ex:Re.

I genuinely hope you have a great day. Get yourself a treat. You deserve it! :) Love you!

Noah has been the soundtrack to a lot of my self-discovery over the past year. I fell in love with the Stick Season album and really had fun exploring his older catalog. This song in particular, for a lot reasons, stood out.

“If I could give this all back, I would be home in the morning, I’d wake up in a cold sweat, take a flight back to the city I was born in, and I would wipe myself clean, of what I knew was unimportant, I’d want typical things, I’d try to fit back into all my old clothing, and I would prove myself wrong, that all along the problem was me, with all my bitterness gone, happy, I’d be”

I love the tone that the song sets from the get go. The shedding of unimportant things to focus on what matters. Simplifying, molting, and growing. To live is think, said Marcus Tullius Cicero. I’m learning it’s so.

“I’ll move back home forever, I’ll feed the dogs, and I’ll put all my pieces back together, where they belong, and I’ll say, “I’m a mess, I’m a mess, oh god, I’m a mess”

There’s something idyllic about the idea of moving home, feeding the dogs, and putting your own pieces back together where they belong. I think we all kind of long to do it in some form or other. To be true to our purest selves, and the great thing about our purest selves is that they are often messy, we really have to have an open dialogue with ourselves. Talk to yourself a little more. You’d be surprised what kind of stuff you roll around in that noggin’ and figure out with a little discourse.

To me that’s what this song is about. Embracing the fact that we’re all going through our first spin on this Earth and that it’s totally ok to be a mess. Our mess is kind of what makes us who we are. Don’t be afraid to share yours!

This song is hopeful and you should be too today. The horrors persist but so do we! ;) Love ya. Enjoy!

I cannot help but move to a song by The Beaches. The guitars and pace on this song give me Bloc Party-vibes. That’s high praise if you ask me. 

This song is just such a ROMP. You won’t find me digging into lyrics on this one mining for psychological tidbits. It’s just go go go from the beginning, don’t have time for emotions.

“I live up above of a McDonalds, sold my panties to some guy in Austin, I eat every meal at my bodega, livin’ off their egg and cheese and coffee, look on the screen and I meet my people, I’m gonna start some shit in the chatroom, you in the backlights, hide in the back light, if I squint, I can almost make you out”

Driving guitar at it’s simplistic best and a great beat ensure this song just hums when it gets going. It’s a vibe all of it’s own and a song I’ll never hit skip on. While some of the lyrics might be crass for some tastes, I just think it might be an honest look at a 20-something living it up and just not giving a general shit about anything else. I love it for what it is!

“I don’t know why I’m enjoying this, I just know that I’m enjoying this, I’m broke, I’m tired, I’m hot, give me a kiss, all I know is I’m enjoying this”

If you drank in your 20s, you’ve been there. Some of us old-heads probably have photographic and video evidence of it. Though my friends from that time of my life probably remember seeing me in them a lot, I’ve never sold my underwear. 🙂

Enjoy having the pedal to the metal in this song! Have a bitchin’ day.