Ragged Wood
Stuck in an unsure mood and in need of a shake up, I took to the good ole practice my best friend and I like to call the shuffle game. Over the past five or so years I’ve leaned more towards Spotify than the music in my iTunes library. The endless possibilities on streaming platforms have held my attention, but it’s not always the best choice, for me anyways.
I’ve spent years building my library of music before I started paying a monthly fee to have access to almost any song I wanted. The songs and artists that live on my phone define me better than my Spotify playlists and sometimes it’s easy to forget that.
As I hit the shuffle button and then the next button repeatedly, I search for something, anything, that will accompany my mood. Most times I have no idea what I want to listen to and sometimes I find it and sometimes I don’t. That’s the name of the game.
As for my latest trip to the dusty catalog, I found exactly what I didn’t know I was looking for. A true day changer and one hell of an upbeat celebration, Fleet Foxes’ “Ragged Wood” brought my mood straight to the top. This track will put a smile on your face and make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. At least, I sure hope it does.
Bask in all its reverb glory and enjoy a light tasting for your start of the week.
Survival
In opposition to the more mellow vibes of this week's playlist comes an old favorite of mine in Incendiary's "Survival."
Packed with energy and aggression, this track helped get me hyped on my way to this week's softball games. Just as the shuffle game throws the perfect song in my path, it can also provide inspiration. A quick redirect and a more specified search often finds exactly what I had been looking for. Hence, the end result in this punishing song perfect for an after work Tuesday drive.
Move Into Me
When I post songs to my Instagram story I rarely expect anyone to do their due diligent investigation. I guess it's sort of like these blog posts. Who am I to think people are reading and looking for my recommendations? Well, there might be some.
Anyways, I've grown more mindful of paying attention to what the people I care about listen to. In comes "Move Into Me" which was posted by a new friend who I'd like to learn more about. Music can be a giant open door into the mind and life of a person. I believe a lot of my personality and mood belongs to what I listen to and what moves me sonically.
I gave this track a go and in my likes it has stayed. It even reminded me of another particular friend to whom I shared it with. Lets all connect through music. Share your favorites. Drop those hints into how you're feeling. More people are looking than you think.
Yesterday
In a selfishly unapologetic plug, here's my favorite track from my band's slew of singles. Warm, comforting, and overall lovely, "Yesterday" is the type of music I want to be making and playing always.
Extracted from old jams with one of my best friends, this track took on more life when introduced to an outside party. Finding what we had been searching for year after year, the warmth in this song came by way of someone we knew longer than we could remember.
It turns out there's solutions right around the corner if you're ready to look.
This Ol' Cowboy
I'll admit I can be a bit naive in my music endeavors, but hey, no one is perfect. Although I've heard the original version of this iconic song hundreds of times, it took me looking up the lyrics to realize just what was flying over my head.
In what only way I can describe this particular cover, The Marcus King Band lays down one of the smoothest country rock tracks I've had the pleasure of listening to. With a soulful voice and a backing band primed and ready to lay all of it down, "This Ol' Cowboy" has found its way into my heart and into my all time lexicon.
If you're poised for some intuitive homage or tasty stylings look no further than my most listened to track on this week's playlist.
Monkey See, Monkey Do
There is one type of music that may always let me simultaneously be present while drifting further and further away from it. The Instrumental has perfection build right in. It's perfect in all scenarios - you just have to find the right type. Instrumentals can come in any shape or size or genre, but two of my favorites are in the Jazz and R&B realms. The Budos Band falls right in there somewhere, picking from the ether of sound to create something beautiful.
This one may just be a nice track to listen to anywhere during your week. Pop it on in the car when you need a second to relax or after work when the day needs to slow down a bit. I'll be popping it on and getting into a good book. May it find you well.
Lovely Day
The vast tools of social media help bring the opinions and thoughts of others closer than they've ever been. Instagram, in my experience, has brought inspiration and laughter amid other not so great aspects. But with those aside, its a place to discover.
Somewhere in the twenty or so videos I sent my brother this weekend lives one knee slapper of a "Lovely Day" parody. I love a good music reference, especially one that so characteristically pokes fun at something extremely obvious and common. Bill Withers holds out some of the longest notes there is. But hey, I love em' and was instinctually forced to pop this track on the docket.
Have a frickin' love day already and let Bill soothe your mind.
Comments