Happy Valentine's Day Claire Bear. This year I thought I'd do something different and build you a playlist of songs I think you might love. Your playlist has bit of a rockier edge to that I hope you enjoy. Let's dive in!
You're No Rock n' Roll Fun, Sleater-Kinney
First up, Sleater-Kinney, a post-punk band from Olympia, Washington. These three ladies can rock. They've produced a ton of music with a range from straight up rock, to punk, to really heavy stuff. This song is more on the pop-rock spectrum, and it was an effort by the band to build some commercial popularity. While they've got a very devoted following, they've never been huge. The effort didn't really pan out, and some fans were critical. I think this song, and the entire album All Hands On The Bad One, are both entirely excellent, as is this band. Two guitars and drums, no bass, all excellent musicians and a really wild, exuberant vocal style. There's nothing else quite like Sleater-Kinney.
In Bloom, Nirvana
Let's keep rockin' with Nirvana. It's hard to really state just how huge this album and this band were. They completely tapped into the mental and emotional condition of their fans, which were primarily Gen Xers. And they wrote really great songs. They could get super punky/hardcore at times, and at others, they could write great rock songs that have almost a pop feel like this one. The song shifts back and forth between a dark, dreary verse and a high-flying chorus with harmonies between Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl. The song itself is a bit of commentary on the cool kids - which Kurt definitely was not. The chorus goes on about a guy who "likes to sing along...but he don't know what it means." As one writer put it, "The brilliant irony, is that the tune is so catchy that millions of people actually do sing along to it." A classic.
Anarchy in the U.K., Sex Pistols
OK, hang on cuz things are about to get raucous. The Sex Pistols practically invented punk rock in the UK and were a major influence. I remember when I was in high school and the first time I heard this band and I was like "Wait, you can make music like this?" I'd never heard, or even conceived of anything like it before. All of which is ironic because they were sort of a manufactured band. There's a long backstory but this guy Malcolm McClaren had seen the New York punk scene developing, and essentially took a band he was managing and pushed them into becoming the Sex Pistols. No matter, the band is still incredibly awesome, irreverent and disrespectful - everything punk should be. And this song is a great example of that. It's their debut single and is #56 on Rolling Stones list of all-time greatest songs. Another song that tapped into how young people were feeling in the 70s in the UK - disillusioned, without a future, and angry. That pretty much sums this one up.
Safe European Home, The Clash
If we're gonna talk UK punk, we gotta talk the Clash. In my opinion, one of the greatest bands of all time. They were known as a punk band but they blended all kinds of styles - reggae, pop, rock, jazz - and produced so much great music it's hard to know where to begin. But I've always loved this song. It's big, anthemic with tons of energy, urgent lyrics and melody, an incredible drum part, and a really cool outro. This song was off their second album, which was followed by the ground-breaking double album London Calling and then just a year or so later they released a triple album. These guys could make music. The song itself is about trip to Jamaica gone wrong. It's always felt like social commentary to me, about people with privilege wanting to get back to their safe space. The Clash were definitely all social commentary. Gotta love a band that can rock and make you think.
Hanging On The Telephone, Blondie
Blondie are another really interesting band. Definitely part of the 70s New York punk scene, but also a band that blended sounds, crossed boundaries and even became pop music stars. This song is actually a cover, although you'd never know it. They totally own this song and it's one of their rockiest. Debbie Harry has such a snarl in her voice as she sings this, and the band is super tight, and also big and brash. It was off the album Parallel Lines which was really their breakthrough. And as evidence of their ability to cross genres, this album also includes the disco-inspired #1 hit "Heart of Glass." Impressive.
Care, beabadoobee
A fairly new song that I've come across on Spotify. beabadoobee is the "coffee for your head" singer. But I promise, this song is way better. She released the coffee song in 2017. And she also release a song called "I wish I was Stephen Malkmus" which I think is pretty cool - cuz Stephen Malkmus was an indie-rock guy from the 90s, which means he's my age (i.e., old). "Care" was released in 2020 and as she says “This song has end-of-a-90s movie vibes, like you’re driving down a highway." It does have kind of a 90s feel - which is something I'm noticing in a lot of new artists lately (and which I love, of course!) She goes on to say "It is pretty much me being angry at society, or people around me who I just don’t think know me and don’t care. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I just want you to understand what I’ve been through."
Cannibal, Tally Hall
I came across this song while listening to Beach Bunny radio (I'm obsessed - more to come). It's a really great twist on a love song. And I found out these guys are from Ann Arbor which makes them even cooler. Apparently they wear color coordinated neckties - which feels a bit Wiggles-like. But I'll cut them some slack cuz this song has the great feel of classic power pop, which I love.
Everyone Blooms, The Front Bottoms
This song came out over last summer, and it just kinda stuck with me. It's deceptively simple, but it builds and shifts along the way. And it's just a wonderfully positive message - and by the time we get to the end and we're singing the chorus over and over the energy is just awesome!
Dog Days Are Over, Florence + The Machine
OK, going in a slightly different direction here, but still pretty intense. Florence + The Machine make big, sweeping, emotional anthem indie rock music. "Dog Days Are Over" is off their debut album in 2009. Florence + The Machine are known for putting on spectacular live shows. Following the performance of "Dog Days Are Over" on the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, the track sold 96,000 digital downloads which signified a 257% increase over the previous week and leaped to number 21 giving Florence her first top 30 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. So much energy in this song - and I love the little false ending that unleashes the big, triumphant conclusion.
Independent Women, Destiny's Child
You're probably asking, what's an R&B song doing on my rawkin' playlist? Well, it happens to have been the #1 song in America the week you were born. So seemed worth including. It was written for the Charlies' Angels movie soundtrack (which you can kinda tell). It eventually hit #1 and stayed there for eleven consecutive weeks from November 2000 to February 2001. And while it may not rock, it certainly grooves and has a pretty good message.
Good Girls Don't Get Used, Beach Bunny
And now from R&B diva to alt-punk feminists (although there's a bit of a connection - both these women assert themselves). I'll admit I'm kind of obsessed with this band at the moment and a lot of the remaining songs on this list are because of that. This EP came out in January and in the four songs, singer Lili Trifilio sings of how society views girls/women, and she's not really up for that. Hence this particular song. I also love the cover art. Another band with a bit of a 90s alt rock feel, but so much musicality. I also particularly like how most of their songs don't end the way they start. Little touches like that really show the time and attention that went into writing the song. Yes, I'm a fan.
Tom Boy, Bettie Serveert
So in some ways, Bettie Serveert are the godmothers to Beach Bunny. A bit grungier sound (it was the 90s) but similarities in tone, content and a style that was all their own. The band's name translates to "Bettie Serves" which has a little subtext all it's own. This was a big hit on alt radio in the day, from their debut album Palomine, which I highly recommend. A look at the lyrics and you can see the connection to Beach Bunny - "They call me a tom boy and I love it. 'Cause only a tom boy could stand above it. By simply changing"
Houdini, Foster The People
Man I love this album. And I'm pretty sure you love this song - as do I. Fun story. "Houdini" was written by Mark Foster while he was working as a commercial jingle writer at Mophonics. While showing his then-girlfriend the offices on a so-called "take-your-girlfriend-to-work-day", Foster demonstrated how he wrote songs, putting a simple drum beat and vocal sample together in 10 minutes. Four days later, he revisited the composition and began adding piano chords. Reflecting on the song, he described his then-girlfriend as a "good muse". I'll say. Wish I could do that. Well, even if I can't at least we have this amazing song to enjoy. I love the way he uses the reference to magic as a bit of a metaphor for feeling trapped or contained.
Future Me Hates Me, The Beths
Believe it or not, I discovered this song by The Beths before I became with Beach Bunny. Crazy right? Anyway, another band with a bit of a 90s vibe and some really incredible songwriting. The premise of the lyrics is really cool as the singer looks into her future, knowing that she's about to let love lead her to some poor choices. And the song just has a great structure, beautiful melody, wonderful harmonies, great bridge! The Beths hail from New Zealand, and have a number of great songs - check 'em out.
Level of Concern, Twenty One Pilots
This was apparently the #1 alternative song of 2020 - and I'll admit I'd never heard it before. But I like it. I'm not sure what happened - seems like 3 or 4 years ago these guys were everywhere but I've sort of lost track of them. Maybe as fan you were more in touch than I was. But hey, they seem to be doing OK. This song sold 500,000 copies which is no small feat. A portion of the song's proceeds are being donated to the charity Crew Nation, a global relief fund made by Live Nation for touring and venue personnel made redundant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is cool.
Disolve, Absofacto
This is a song I'd heard before I looked it up. It was the #3 alternative song of 2020 (which is weird cuz it looks like the song was released in 2017). Turns out, Absofacto is a solo project by musician Jonathan Visger, a member of Michigan-based indie rock band Mason Proper (so now I gotta look those guys up!). Seems like it's been a hit on TikTok - but a few folks kinda got creepy with it so Visger went out and asked his fans on TikTok to take the song back, which thankfully they did.
Circles, Post Malone
Ok, I know I've been kinda hard on Post Malone, what with all the face tattoos and all. But, he won me over when he did the Nirvana tribute concert on YouTube, and then I came across this song which I really enjoy. It just has a vibe to it that's undeniable. It is one of those songs that never really changes (the chord structure is exactly the same throughout) but he changes up the arrangement and melody enough to keep it interesting. "Circles" became the first song to spend 30 weeks in the top 10 of Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 radio airplay chart, where it also ranked at number one for 10 weeks, becoming the first single by a solo male artist to achieve double-digit frames at number one on that chart. The song spent 61 weeks on the chart before leaving in November 2020. And it's got a trippy music video where he plays a knight on a mission. Pretty impressive.
Till The World Ends, Britney Spears
Still one of the funniest things I've ever heard anyone say. So of course I've included this Britney hit. It's interesting, people have sort of come around on Britney and have developed a bit of sympathy for her, which I suppose is good. "Till The World Ends" was released in 2011, fairly late into Britney's career. It sold 117,000 copies after its first three days of sales in the United States, debuting at number twenty on the
Billboard Hot 100. Not too shabby. And I gotta say, not a bad song.
Fever Dream, mxmtoon
I'll be honest, I just discovered this song a couple of days ago and really like it. She's a 20-year old singer/songwriter from California who apparently likes to play ukulele. And get this - Her 2018 self-released EP, Plum Blossom, recorded on her laptop in her parents' guest bedroom, has been streamed over 100 million times! Whoa. "Fever Dream" was released last year and she describes it as being about "the leap of faith that's required when you make decisions in your life at different points. you may not always know the outcome, but trusting yourself, allowing yourself the opportunity to take risks, and the chance to face new challenges can be utterly rewarding." Seems pretty cool to me.
Revolution, The Beatles
That's it. Hope you've enjoyed this set of songs - some with edge, some poppy all pretty cool - and I hope you find some that you grow to love.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Lots of love,
Dad
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