Some songs Ella might love!

Hey there Ella,

I thought it would be fun to create a playlist for you for Valentine's Day and share some songs that I think you may like (and a few I'm pretty sure you already do). I always enjoy talking about music with you when we're in the car. I can tell you share my appreciation for music that is fun to listen to, but that also tries new things and breaks away from what you might normally expect. So, without further ado, let's dive in!

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.

Care, beabadoobee

Another 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. Another 20-year old, 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."

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.

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 they were everywhere but I've sort of lost track of them. 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.

I Would Do Anything For You, Foster The People

I chose this song because it came on recently when we were driving and I pointed out the cool syncopated piano part. It's a great song off a great album (really, go listen to the whole thing some time). Released in 2011, it's got such a positive vibe, and so much going on musically. Foster use a lot of keyboards in their music - so I thought this would be a good song to kick-off a whole section devoted to piano/keyboard music.

No Place I'd Rather Be, Clean Bandit

This song was released in 2014 but it sounds like it could have been released at the height of the disco era. Between the strings and the beat, it's got a lot in common with The Bee Gees. But it's also got some cool keyboard parts across synthesizers and traditional piano that really propel the song. Just listen to all the little fills and details. Amazing. Clean Bandit is an English group and this song was a huge hit. The song was placed at number four on Billboard's 10 Best Songs of 2014 list. "Rather Be" also become an international hit in part due to the song's video becoming a viral hit on YouTube. Filmed in Tokyo and featuring Haruka Abe, it has over 570 million views. It also won the Best Dance Recording category at the 2015 Grammy Awards in the United States.

Things Can Only Get Better, Howard Jones

Ok, now this song is from way back - 1985 to be precise. Howard Jones was seen as a bit quirky but also an innovator back in those days. His style of music came to define a genre known as synth-pop. He toured as a "one man band" completely surrounded by keyboards and drum machines and he'd play an entire show by himself. Keyboard kids back in the day loved him. He's got a lot of really great songs. This is his biggest but I'm not sure it's my favorite. I like it quite a bit, but he's got so many more. 

Uncertain Smile, The The

Yep, that's the band's name all right - The The. They were part of the new wave/post-punk scene of the early 80s. They have a really distinct sound driven in large part by the singer Matt Johnson's voice. You may not love this one, but give it a listen until the end and I think you'll be impressed. This song was first recorded with a saxophone solo at the end. But was rerecorded with the long jazz piano solo at the end played by a guy named Jools Holland who was in a band called Squeeze. According to Matt Johnson "I think he had one run-through, said 'Let's go for it,' and laid the whole thing down. We were amazed. He told me years later, he gets asked about that more than anything he's ever done." It is that impressive.

Kate, Ben Folds Five

The band name is Ben Folds Five. Ben Folds is in the band (sings and plays piano) but there's only three guys total. And the band's initials are BFF. Cool. Ben Folds once described their music as "punk rock for sissies." I dunno, I love it. You can tell these guys are having a blast. And this song has such a great feel to it - wonderful melody, great piano playing, total commitment to the emotional energy of the song. I just really like how he uses the piano in a totally different way. Much more percussive and aggressive. He can play sweetly too (and does on other songs) but I think he brings a different perspective to the instrument on this tune.

Cantaloupe Island, Herbie Hancock

The piano is essential to jazz. It carries melody, keeps rhythm, and backs the other performers. This song is an excellent example of all that. Herbie Hancock is one of the jazz and piano greats. He began playing in the 1960s with Miles Davis, the legendary jazz trumpet player. And went on to have a pretty successful career of his own. He's written jazz standards (classics), and you've probably heard a couple of them. He even put a crazy hip-hop synth song called "Rockit" that has an equally crazy video. Go watch it sometime. "Cantaloupe Island" is a really wonderful example of jazz and the how essential piano is to the art form.

Cornflake Girl, Tori Amos

Tori Amos is another musician who built her sound around the piano and keyboards. A classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she won a full scholarship to the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University at the age of five, the youngest person ever to have been admitted. What?! But get this...She was expelled at the age of 11 for what Rolling Stone described as "musical insubordination". What a rebel! She was another big artist in the alt-rock scene of the 90s, bringing a different range of topics to her music including sexuality, feminism, politics, and religion. This particular song has a rather dark backstory, which I honestly was not aware of until I started to write this and do some research. I'm not gonna get into it, but Wikipedia will tell you if you're interested. What I like about this song is that it's another great example of using the piano to create atmosphere. At times her playing is big and bold, others sparse and simple. She uses the instrument to great effect to help drive the highs and lows of the song.

This concludes our piano/keyboard section of the playlist.

Dog Days Are Over, Florence + The Machine

This song sort of feels related to Tori Amos to me. Florence + The Machine make big, sweeping, emotional anthem indie rock music. This certainly has more driving force than Tori Amos, but the emotion and the commitment are there. "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.

So What, P!nk

Ok, you can skip over this one if you want. But I couldn't help it! You sang it in the bathtub! Honestly though, it's a pretty good song. The song entered at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008, earning the highest debut title for that week. Two weeks later, the song topped the US Hot Digital Songs chart, selling 197,000 digital downloads. One week later, it topped the Billboard Hot 100, selling 253,000 downloads that week. The song became her second number-one hit on the chart. This woman has really conquered the world with a career that spans 20 years Pink has sold over 40 million albums and 50 million singles worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists.

We Belong Together, Mariah Carey

I know what you're thinking - Mariah Carey? Well, it just so happens this was the number one song in America the week you were born. So that's kinda cool, right? And there's kind of an interesting story here. Mariah was big in the 90s. But she really cooled off between 2001 and 2004 and many thought her career was done. But this 2005 song was a huge hit. It spent fourteen nonconsecutive weeks at number one, making it one of the biggest hits ever. Later that year Mariah set another record, becoming the first female to occupy the first two spots atop the Hot 100, as "We Belong Together" remained at number one, and her next single, "Shake It Off", held the number two spot.

Good Girls Don't Get Used, Beach Bunny

And now from R&B diva to alt-punk feminists. 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.

Love Sick, Beach Bunny

I added this one cuz you checked my phone when it was playing at Claire's birthday. So I figured you liked it.

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"

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!

Cannibal, Tally Hall

I came across this song while listening to Beach Bunny radio (told you I was obsessed). 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.

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.

Hey Jude, The Beatles

Come on, you didn't think I'd put a playlist together without a Beatles song did you? Everyone gets a Beatles song and this one is simply amazing. "Hey Jude" was the year's top-selling single in the UK, the US, Australia and Canada. Its nine-week run at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 tied the all-time record in 1968 for the longest run at the top of the US charts. And it's seven minutes long! It's a great example of taking a song, building it, and changing it into something completely different. What starts as a sweet melody becomes a complete banger (yes I said it!) by the end.

OK, that wraps it up. I hope you find a few songs you like. Each of these songs connected with me in some way so I'm glad to be able to share them with you.

Happy Valentine's Day. 

Lots of love. 

Dad.