My Five Song Playlist

(Five random songs generated by Spotify or iTunes.)

1.

“Drain You (Live At Paramount Theatre B-Side)” - Nirvana (Nevermind: Deluxe Edition)

8^th track off the groundbreaking album Nevermind, “Drain You” is a great example Kurt Cobain's lyrical prowess and Nirvana's trademark sound. With an opening line like, “One baby to another says I'm lucky to have met you..”, the song's lyrics allude to so many things about life and Cobain's abilities of introspection and observation. Although, it's been stated by Kurt that the lyrics are mostly meaningless.

I grew up in the 90's and anyone worth their weight in Gak remembers the reign of Grunge Music. Products of Generation X and implements of sardonic culture, Nirvana were everything in the early to mid-90's. I still remember seeing Kurt Loder emotionally break during his announcement on MTV News just after the tragic suicide of Kurt Cobain in his home in Seattle, Washington. Recently, The documentary “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” has been released highlighting Cobain's life and the events that lead to his death. I truly am glad to have witnessed the rise and fall of such an amazing epoch.

2.

“New Star In The Sky” - Air (Moon Safari)

I first heard Air on MTV2 back when that channel still played music (which was also hilariously said by my generation and the preceding generations about the original MTV). Like all songs by the band, “New Star in the Sky” calls back to the dreamy sounds of the 60's and 70's. Hailing from France, multi-instrumentalists Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel use electronic & traditional instruments to weave sonic tales of mystery and nostalgia. The downtempo and psychedelic feel of this track sends you on a journey through the complex emotions of love and melancholy. Whenever I need a quiet moment, Air is definitely one of my go-to artists.

3.

“After This Moment” - Craft Spells (Idle Labor)

Craft Spells' sound is definitely a throwback to 80's Post-Punk and New Wave and this song could easily be on the soundtrack to a John Hugh's film. And who doesn't love a good love song? “After This Moment” certainly does a great job at painting a picture of young romance and that indelible feeling of love. Its atmosphere of both elation and affection are highlighted by simplistic guitar riffs and reverberant vocals.

4.

“St8” - The Embassy (Life In The Trenches)

“St8” is just one of those songs that makes you feel happy. The acoustic guitar, electronic beat and love imbued lyrics combine to form a simple yet effective love song. The Embassy is a Swedish band who I fell in love with instantly upon first hearing. Their music is fun and impeccably produced. With the lyrics “The beat of your drum is wasted and the song that you sing is the same”, it's difficult to peg the nature of this track but that for me makes it all the more intriguing.

5.

“Be A Body” - Grimes (Visions)

I'll admit it, I avoided the “Grimes movement” like the plague when it first hit the scene. Firstly, I hate when niche musical genre are created for a handful of bands and Witch House is on the top of that list. Secondly, I despise over-hyped music and at the time Grimes was all the “cool kids” were talking about. But, after seeing Boucher perform live and actually listened to the music, I gained a new respect for her and Grimes. I can't say I liked all the songs off Visions, but there are standout tracks like “Be A Body”. Plus, I'm a sucker for dance-able, electronic music.