Category: Playlist

Songs for sad days

WK RAIN playlist

Sometimes when summer ends it takes a whole bunch of other stuff down with it. People move away, bars close, the rain sets in, maybe you even get your heart broken. No matter the reason, the changing of seasons kinda sucks until it doesn’t anymore. I’ve made a playlist with equal parts depressing indie music and vindictive pop to get you through the turbulence. Honestly, I went from crying to feeling kinda okay while listening to it. Hope it does the same for you.

(Note: Playlist has best effect if listened to IN ORDER.)

Track list, with key lyrics for your reference:

  1. Sad Girl – Lana Del Rey
  2. Calico Man – PHOX “And I will shout it from these corners that I may never love again”
  3. Pretend You Love Me – Sonny and the Sunsets
  4. Dark Parts – Perfume Genius
  5. Not Your Lover – Blitzen Trapper “In my sleep I’m not your lover anymore/ When I wake I have to remind myself that I’m sleeping on your shore.”
  6. All Too Well – Taylor Swift “You call me up again just to break me like a promise/ So casually cruel in the name of being honest.”
  7. The Good That Won’t Come Out – Rilo Kiley “I think i’ll go out and embarrass myself by getting drunk and falling down in the street/ You say i choose sadness, that it never once has chosen me/ Maybe you’re right.”
  8. Burn – Usher
  9. It Is What It Is – Kacey Musgraves
  10. Starring Role – Marina and the Diamonds
  11. Saltwater – Beach House “Love you all the time/ Even though you’re not mine.”
  12. One By One – Billy Bragg and Wilco
  13. Unfucktheworld – Angel Olsen “Here’s to thinking that it all meant so much more.”
  14. In Due Time – PHOX “And for years to come in the mornings/ You may think that I’m the best thing you’ve almost had/ In due time if I gain some self respect/ I could smile upon the day that we first met.”
  15. Tangled Heart – Luluc
  16. We’re Just Friends – Wilco
  17. Stay – Rihanna
  18. You Are What You Love – Jenny Lewis
  19. The Mermaid Parade – Phosphorescent
  20. Don’t Apply Compression Gently – Courtney Barnett “I may not be 100 percent happy but at least I’m not with you.”
  21. Stupid – Kacey Musgraves “Love is stupid/ Don’t know why we always do it.”
  22. If It Makes You Happy – Sheryl Crow
  23. I Won’t Share You – The Smiths
  24. I Care – Beyonce
  25. Dancing On My Own – Robyn
  26. The First Cut is the Deepest – PP Arnold
  27. I Go To The Barn Because I Like The – Band of Horses
  28. Really Don’t Care – Demi Lovato and Cher Lloyd
  29. Tears in the Typing Pool – Broadcast
  30. If I Needed You – Emmylou Harris
  31. Chasing A Ghost – The Morning Benders
  32. There Will Be No Divorce – The Mountain Goats “If i ever want to drive myself insane/ All i have to do is watch you breathing.”
  33. Love Hurts – Roy Orbison
  34. Happiness/The Gondola Man – Elliott Smith “What I used to be will pass away and then you’ll see/ That all I want now is happiness for you and me.”

Summer 2014, collected

It seems that summer has been full of new releases, and teasers for fall albums. Over the past few months, there’s been a lot to sink your teeth into. I’ve collected some of my favorite songs of summer onto a Spotify playlist that I will continue to update as I prepare to travel this week! On it you will find…

“Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj: Nicki’s booty-shaking song is rich with empowerment, humor, and all-around goodness. It’s an anthem for thick girls, man-eaters, and powerful ladies akin to Lady Gaga’s G.U.Y…. but better. Since it’s release, this song has become a staple in my routine–getting ready for the party, heading to the party, at the party, after the party, etc. And don’t forgo the video.

“Eyes of the Muse” by King Tuff: Following the release of his self titled album in 2012, I was a die-hard King Tuff fan, and I’m pleased with the first of two singles he’s released from his upcoming. The weirdo garage rock guru melds shimmering guitar, angst-ridden lyrics, and danceable melodies so seemlessly. It’s a summer jam for sure, and a song that’ll keep you warm through the beginning of fall.

“Bad Timing” by Pony Village: I’ve had the pleasure of catching Pony Village twice this summer. I’m a huge fan of their early-Death Cab-esque sound and all around stage presence. Up until recently, I never took the time to listen to their recordings–definitely worth sharing, and a local band to keep your eyes on.

“Avant Gardener” by Courtney Barnett: Courtney’s performance was a stand out to me at Pickathon. She is completely herself and completely rock n’ roll. Since first seeing her at the festival, I’ve listened to  The Double Ep: A Sea of Split Peas maybe 100 times. “Avant Gardner” is a ballad about breaking the mundane with dire consequences. Barnett delivers dark subject matter with humor and apathy… it’s perfect in its relatability.

“Raspberry Seed” by PHOX: PHOX released one of my favorite albums of summer. Each song is a beautiful, well crafted, and often-heartbreaking tribute to loves lost and what is left. “Raspberry Seed” is a long track that I feel really encompasses the mood of the album. The cutting lyrics, honestly, and tenderness of it all is woozy but crisp.

“Brooklyn Baby” by Lana Del Rey: No summer playlist is complete without indulging in a guilty pleasure. But honestly, Del Rey’s album Ultraviolent doesn’t make me feel that guilty. It’s solid. “Brooklyn Baby” is a breather from the heavier, heart-wrecking, gut-wrenching stuff on the album. Del Rey lifts her head from the Sad Girl puddle and delivers an ironic pop song about, what else, annoying people that live in Brooklyn. I love the song–thank god for artists who can poke fun at themselves.

Plus a ton more! And more to come!

Check out the playlist on Spotify:

Playlist: Summer @ Whiskey Kiss (vol. 1?)

Hello all! After painstaking negotiation with Spotify, Bandcamp, etc, I am finally ready to present this playlist I’ve made entitled, “Summer @ Whiskey Kiss.” Is it the first of many? Maybe!

I tried to stack this list with new/current music that will put you and keep you in the mood for summer fun. I threw in one summer standby that I’ve had ringing around in my head. Enjoy the YouTube playlist I’ve created, and let me know in the comments if you’d like me to share the Spotify playlist with you! I’ll be posting that on Facebook and Twitter shortly.

 

Tracklisting:
1.) The Way It Is – Denver (Denver, 2012)
2.) Unbelievers – Vampire Weekend (Modern Vampires of the City, 2013)
3.) Steady Rollin’ – Two Gallants (What the Toll Tells, 2006)
4.) Sand Talk – Akron/Family (Sub Verses, 2013)
5.) City – Thao & The Get Down Stay Down (We the Common, 2013)
6.) plamreader – Sonny & The Sunsets (Antenna To The Afterworld, 2013) [Note: This is the live at Pickathon version from KEXP. The album JUST came out, so I couldn’t find a video. The version here is really good, but be warned that the album version sounds a bit different!]
7.) Am I Wrong – Mikal Cronin (MCII, 2013)
8.) Dream Captain – Deerhunter (Monomania, 2013)
9.) Helicopter – Wooden Indian Burial Ground (Wooden Indian Burial Ground, 2012)
10.) In The Darkness – Foxygen (We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic, 2012)
11.) Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster – Thee Oh Sees (Floating Coffin, 2013)
12.) Demon to Lean On – Wavves (Afraid of Heights, 2013)
13.) Where I Stand – The Thermals (Desperate Ground, 2013)
14.) Mayonnaise – The Woolen Men (The Woolen Men, 2013)
15.) It All Feels Right – Washed Out (Paracosm, 2013)
16.) Plastic Cup – Low (The Invisibile Way, 2013)

Coming up on Whiskey Kiss: This week, I want to review some albums that’ve just come out. Get ready for that and maybe a show calendar… oh, and some tips and tricks for being a music fan in the summer in Portland. Until then–cheers!