This week / morning / America has rattled me. If you’re running on fumes and threadbare vibes, I’m right there with you, friends. At the moment, I’m listening to “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” by Gladys Knight & The Pips on repeat. “I've really got to use my imagination / To think of good reasons / To keep on keepin' on. / Got to make the best of (best of… best of…) a bad situation…” I’ve found that playing a song over and over again allows the lyrics and rhythms to transform into a protective spell or space that I can sit inside for as long as I need.
What song or album has been helping you cope with the chaos lately?
There's something about This Time Tomorrow by Brandi Carlile that is working as a litany for me recently, despite (or perhaps because of) its overt references to the struggle/grief of these days. I feel seen, held, and reminded of the love and people I have even when not with them and as I feel so much:
When the fire inside that burns so bright / Begins to grow faded / It can be hard to see the ground on which you stand / Though you may not be afraid of walkin' in the darkness /
You will feel like a stranger in this land
You can try to carve a faith out of your own / But a broken spirit may dry out the bone / And the edges of the night may cause you sorrow / You know I may not be around this time tomorrow
But I'll always be with you
When the hope that you hold tightly to has all but vanished / And there are no words of comfort to be found / You will know what it means to be lost and without love / May you fight to kill that deafening sound
But our holy dreams of yesterday aren't gone / They still haunt us like the ghosts of Babylon / And the breaking of the day might bring you sorrow / You know I may not be around this time tomorrow / But I'll always be with you
So many. Lately - Japanese Breakfast’s Jubilee, Heaux Tales, Adele, Alicia Keys newest, some acoustic Bruce Springsteen (I’m from NJ don’t come @me). Songs: October Sky and Forever by Mumford and sons, and always always Gramercy Park by Alicia Keys.
I've been on a kick of listening to Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me in rotation, which for me is chill music. This past year in general I've been revisiting whole albums that I can still play all the way through decades after I fell in love with them, starting with Document. Something about that calls back my younger self who had a kind of endurance that I've been wondering if I've lost, for walking, for work, for knowing that awful situations don't last forever. I've been feeling a little crushed by being again required to survive another period of awfulness without known end, a bit of a persistent internal tantrum of I already did this! Music is calling up the flip side, of knowing I can because I have. Put on the shit kickers and kick some, self!
Whitney Houston's "Higher Love," "How Will I Know," "I Wanna Dance", Carly Rae's "Call Me, Maybe", and Harry Styles' "Canyon Moon" have brought me MUCH-needed joy this week. Actively putting away my usual melancholy folk albums and heart-wrenching Sondheim songs and only focusing on uplift for awhile!
Mountain Goats “This Year,” (I’m gonna make it through this year if it kills me.) A bit on the nose but it fits for me. I’m late to listening to them but it’s also comforting that each generation has the same developmental (?) things. Mountain Goats remind me of Velvet Underground and the Pixies (dark but pretty or danceable) so that’s comforting and familiar.
Jessie Ware's What's Your Pleasure (Platinum Pleasure Edition) dropped in June and the original got me through seasons 1-3 of the pandemic ✨ it's very sweet and bright
When I need to feel the anger in a week like this, I listen to the perfectly on-the-nose “America (You’re Freaking Me Out)”by the Menzingers. And when I’m done feeling angry and need a mood boost, I clean my house while badly belting out Lady Gaga’s “You and I”. An odd, but effective combo
'Better Days' by Dermot Kennedy has been a welcomed optimistic companion, while Ashnikko's Demidevil album has a real 'what the fuck' attitude about it which, let's be honest, is also often welcome... especially this last week.
'That's they way of the world' by Earth, Wind and Fire, and 'In My Life' by The Beatles. Both make me, without fail, feel at ease. I've found their lyrics truly helped me put heartbreak and feelings of loss in perspective, particularly earlier in the pandemic; also think of new beginnings, and love as a renewing force , or "something new". :)
I'll Take You There by the Staple Singers has always grounded me in difficult times. And Jackie Wilson's Higher and Higher brings the joy when I need it.
yes to songs as protective spells~my current spell is being cast by Nightingale a short song I have played over 400 times in the last month. By Marcus Mumford by way of Ted Lasso~
"Requiem" by Ben Abraham - I played and sang it on repeat earlier this year when I was in the process of leaving a toxic work environment, and now that I'm in a new (better) place, there's new/different chaos and a big change is being made for the better, but we've all gotta sort of count down to the end of December, so I'm singing and playing it again. Frankly, I'm surprised this song didn't rank higher on my Spotify wrapped thingy that just came out... :)
Angel by Sarah McLachlan on repeat. Lockdown here in Salzburg has got me in a melancholy mood that reminds me of my boarding school days, and this song.
My stresses require a remix often. Too many to really say one is doing it more, but the things David Morales once did to Alexander O'Neal's "What Is This Thing Called Love" (esp. the Dee Classic mix) still stand tall in the dance-therapy department 30 years after first hearing it.
“My First Life” by San Fermin and Wye Oak is a really beautiful, hypnotic song that I’ve had on repeat. It’s a song about living in different places and having experiences. The line “but it did not stop me” keeps coming in with the chorus and it just reminds me that forward movement will always happen, whether you want it to or not, and that can be a joyful thing.
I don't have a mantra song running right now, but I confess I survived the PNW drought this summer by listening to John Hiatt's "Feels Like Rain" on infinite loop.
Great Gladys Knight song! My go-to song is from the great Sister Rosetta Tharpe, PEACE IN THE VALLEY. My favorite version is on a cassette tape (!) of her "Precious Memories" album, though there ae numerous versions on YouTube.
Nina Simone's "Who Am I?" and "Another Spring" are always a reminder to me that our lives are part of something greater than the daily grind. And, recently, the sheer joy and creativity of Anita O'Day's uptempo scat singing on Live at Basin Street West 1964, along with the poignancy of the ballads, have reinforced how improvisation allows us to fully live in the moment.
Brittany Howard’s reimagining of Stay High with Childish Gambino
John Coltrane, "A Love Supreme." Every. Single. Sunday. Morning. As I grind 61g of coffee and make 1100ml of pour-over.
Album: Luedji Luna's Um Corpo no Mundo.
Song: it really depends but top two at the moment are Doria by Olafur Arnalds, or Overcome by Laura Mvula.
There's something about This Time Tomorrow by Brandi Carlile that is working as a litany for me recently, despite (or perhaps because of) its overt references to the struggle/grief of these days. I feel seen, held, and reminded of the love and people I have even when not with them and as I feel so much:
When the fire inside that burns so bright / Begins to grow faded / It can be hard to see the ground on which you stand / Though you may not be afraid of walkin' in the darkness /
You will feel like a stranger in this land
You can try to carve a faith out of your own / But a broken spirit may dry out the bone / And the edges of the night may cause you sorrow / You know I may not be around this time tomorrow
But I'll always be with you
When the hope that you hold tightly to has all but vanished / And there are no words of comfort to be found / You will know what it means to be lost and without love / May you fight to kill that deafening sound
But our holy dreams of yesterday aren't gone / They still haunt us like the ghosts of Babylon / And the breaking of the day might bring you sorrow / You know I may not be around this time tomorrow / But I'll always be with you
adele’s new one ❤️
So many. Lately - Japanese Breakfast’s Jubilee, Heaux Tales, Adele, Alicia Keys newest, some acoustic Bruce Springsteen (I’m from NJ don’t come @me). Songs: October Sky and Forever by Mumford and sons, and always always Gramercy Park by Alicia Keys.
MJB "Be Happy" & "Love Is All We Need" stay in constant rotation.
I've been listening to "Quiet" by MILCK today. Other days, it's a mix of whatever gets me through the day.
I've been on a kick of listening to Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me in rotation, which for me is chill music. This past year in general I've been revisiting whole albums that I can still play all the way through decades after I fell in love with them, starting with Document. Something about that calls back my younger self who had a kind of endurance that I've been wondering if I've lost, for walking, for work, for knowing that awful situations don't last forever. I've been feeling a little crushed by being again required to survive another period of awfulness without known end, a bit of a persistent internal tantrum of I already did this! Music is calling up the flip side, of knowing I can because I have. Put on the shit kickers and kick some, self!
"Right Back Where We Started From" by Maxine Nightingale
Boomerang by Dawn Richard. With the music and beat, it instantly puts me in a good mood no matter what if the chaos is overwhelming
Whitney Houston's "Higher Love," "How Will I Know," "I Wanna Dance", Carly Rae's "Call Me, Maybe", and Harry Styles' "Canyon Moon" have brought me MUCH-needed joy this week. Actively putting away my usual melancholy folk albums and heart-wrenching Sondheim songs and only focusing on uplift for awhile!
Energy, by Disclosure!
I've been marinating in this song for weeks now, Saeed!
Mountain Goats “This Year,” (I’m gonna make it through this year if it kills me.) A bit on the nose but it fits for me. I’m late to listening to them but it’s also comforting that each generation has the same developmental (?) things. Mountain Goats remind me of Velvet Underground and the Pixies (dark but pretty or danceable) so that’s comforting and familiar.
Listening to Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" on repeat these days. It simultaneously soothes and fires up my soul.
Jessie Ware's What's Your Pleasure (Platinum Pleasure Edition) dropped in June and the original got me through seasons 1-3 of the pandemic ✨ it's very sweet and bright
When I need to feel the anger in a week like this, I listen to the perfectly on-the-nose “America (You’re Freaking Me Out)”by the Menzingers. And when I’m done feeling angry and need a mood boost, I clean my house while badly belting out Lady Gaga’s “You and I”. An odd, but effective combo
Phoebe Bridgers always comforts me
Jason Isbell's The Nashville Sound (Hope the High Road and Something to Love) and The Highwomen.
“…a protective spell or space that I can sit inside for as long as I need.” LOVE that and so true.
‘More than This’ Roxy Music
‘Somersault’ Zero7
‘EVERYTIME’ Lustral
These songs do exactly what you describe so beautifully in these times and all the time.
'Better Days' by Dermot Kennedy has been a welcomed optimistic companion, while Ashnikko's Demidevil album has a real 'what the fuck' attitude about it which, let's be honest, is also often welcome... especially this last week.
'That's they way of the world' by Earth, Wind and Fire, and 'In My Life' by The Beatles. Both make me, without fail, feel at ease. I've found their lyrics truly helped me put heartbreak and feelings of loss in perspective, particularly earlier in the pandemic; also think of new beginnings, and love as a renewing force , or "something new". :)
I'll Take You There by the Staple Singers has always grounded me in difficult times. And Jackie Wilson's Higher and Higher brings the joy when I need it.
yes to songs as protective spells~my current spell is being cast by Nightingale a short song I have played over 400 times in the last month. By Marcus Mumford by way of Ted Lasso~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xcqpZ-ItP8 - a love song <3
Yesterday Died by Jimmy Holiday and Gently by Radiant Children!
"Requiem" by Ben Abraham - I played and sang it on repeat earlier this year when I was in the process of leaving a toxic work environment, and now that I'm in a new (better) place, there's new/different chaos and a big change is being made for the better, but we've all gotta sort of count down to the end of December, so I'm singing and playing it again. Frankly, I'm surprised this song didn't rank higher on my Spotify wrapped thingy that just came out... :)
Angel by Sarah McLachlan on repeat. Lockdown here in Salzburg has got me in a melancholy mood that reminds me of my boarding school days, and this song.
Here Comes the ☀️ Sun
The sax intro in "Ain't No Way" always takes my anxiety down two levels.
Recently I've just been repeating To Be Alone With You by Sufjan Stevens
Choose Me by James Blake, so dramatic and wistful and his harmonies really do soothe me.
The album Jagged Little Pill by Alanis
I recently discovered Tame Impala’s music so have been playing his songs on repeat and imagining myself at one of his shows next year. Helps so much.
Something Desperate by Seeming has been going round in my head a lot lately. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVYX8g3Lj7E
But their earlier album, SOL: A Self-Banishment Ritual, is the reliable thing I reach for to centre myself these days.
"So Very Hard to Go" by Tower of Power and "Feelin Alright" by Joe Cocker. Can't explain it but there it is
My stresses require a remix often. Too many to really say one is doing it more, but the things David Morales once did to Alexander O'Neal's "What Is This Thing Called Love" (esp. the Dee Classic mix) still stand tall in the dance-therapy department 30 years after first hearing it.
“My First Life” by San Fermin and Wye Oak is a really beautiful, hypnotic song that I’ve had on repeat. It’s a song about living in different places and having experiences. The line “but it did not stop me” keeps coming in with the chorus and it just reminds me that forward movement will always happen, whether you want it to or not, and that can be a joyful thing.
Much like my mood these days, the remedy has been a moving target. This week it’s been: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1oOFsuTiqWty5Md6R5BJN4?si=DU4u3k9xTUSpbCRWq0Cx5w
Twenty One Pilots' album Trench has been my protective spell/space lately.
I don't have a mantra song running right now, but I confess I survived the PNW drought this summer by listening to John Hiatt's "Feels Like Rain" on infinite loop.
i’ve been listening to bessie smith’s “long road”. “it’s a long road, but i’m gonna find the end” ✌🏼
Dermot Kennedy’s Better Days.
NowIcaresomemore by Parcels!
...also Les McCann and Eddie Harris, COMPARED TO WHAT. And Billy Porter's fabulous version of EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES.
Great Gladys Knight song! My go-to song is from the great Sister Rosetta Tharpe, PEACE IN THE VALLEY. My favorite version is on a cassette tape (!) of her "Precious Memories" album, though there ae numerous versions on YouTube.
Live streaming Chillhop on YT helps me so much.
Nina Simone's "Who Am I?" and "Another Spring" are always a reminder to me that our lives are part of something greater than the daily grind. And, recently, the sheer joy and creativity of Anita O'Day's uptempo scat singing on Live at Basin Street West 1964, along with the poignancy of the ballads, have reinforced how improvisation allows us to fully live in the moment.
I'm obsessively listening to Counting Crows "Long December."