I am frequently made fun of for spending at least half of my waking hours listening to HAIM and Fleetwood Mac, but I remain completely unapologetic. With this shameless "I'm the music editor, so there's that" attitude in mind, I’d like to share with you some of my favorite songs. Now, you too can live in the auditory bubble of joy that envelopes me whenever I put on my Beats. You're welcome.
Much of today’s new music draws heavily on the sounds of the '80s. The last year and a half has been a dream for those of us who wished we had been alive at the inception of new wave, or when synth pop was new to the top 40 countdown. Through the combination of "best of the '80s" with a distinctly new 2010s spin, I believe that we’re seeing some of the best music of our lifetime.
The synth pop of which I speak isn't my only jam. We also have a multitude of indie folk and indie rock songs that contribute to my original "high-quality new music" category. And to demonstrate, I would now like to share with you just a few of my favorite songs occupying my top tracks on Spotify.
1&2. "Forever" and "The Wire" by HAIM
First and foremost, let me introduce HAIM to those of you who aren’t already addicted. They’ve been one of my favorite up-and-coming groups for the last year. HAIM (pronounced HIGHm, not HAYm) consists of three sisters who sing and play every instrument heard on their tracks except the drums. They’re from Los Angeles and, as the ever-wise Derek Saffe stated, they sound like it. The sisters’ harmonies are perfect, and they are unafraid to tear it up on guitar and synthesizer. Their voices draw Fleetwood Mac comparisons frequently, though I’d argue that their overall sound is a SoCal combination of Fleetwood Mac, Blondie and The Bangles. It’s electric and enrapturing, and I’m trying to avoid writing this editor’s note entirely about HAIM so I’ll skip the rest of my love letter. Keep an eye out for their new album dropping on September 23.
3&4. "Closer Than This" and "All Eyes on You" by St. Lucia
St. Lucia is my next go-to right now. St. Lucia is in fact a South African man who is completely unashamed to describe his music as “very heavily '80s-influenced with a touch of nostalgia.” This is almost completely pop in the best sense of the word, with a few extra dance elements incorporated. Good luck getting either of these tracks out of your head.
5. "Latch" by Disclosure
Disclosure is the "new new thing" in EDM and dance, as evidenced by the widespread coverage of their Lollapalooza performance. They have a sound that actually ventures beyond the same three synthesized chord progressions we hear in almost every modern house track. Disclosure play with a variety of new sounds and beats, and fit perhaps best into the space of UK garage music. One needs only to hear the falsetto vocals and accompanying beat drop in “Latch” to get hooked. This summer, my roommates and I listened to this song almost exclusively on repeat for several days at a time.
6. "Most People" by Dawes
"Most People" is the song I listen to when I want to mix self-pity with the sentiment that humanity is beautiful. Dawes creates rock that falls on the quieter side of life, making it easy to listen to. This is perfect for driving home from class at the end of the day, particularly when lamenting one's own singledom. Not that I'd ever relate to that...
7. "Keeper" by Shovels and Rope
Shovels and Rope are a married duo. The two play every instrument heard on their album and are adept at playing multiple at once, as evidenced by the energetic and phenomenal live performance I witnessed at Lollapalooza. Their sound, completely divergent from that of my previous suggestions, is at once Southern bluegrass and country while also incorporating indie-folk. There’s little else like them out there today. "Keeper" goes well with Friday afternoons and an ice-cold PBR.
8. "River Rhine: by The Last Bison
The Last Bison is a bit like Mumford and Sons with a far more traditional folk twist. I saw them live at Motorco several weeks ago and enjoyed an encore consisting of only their guitarist and cellist. "River Rhine" showcases the band's talents, from the perfect harmonies to the classically trained violinist and cellist who both add a differentiating flavor to the rest of the band's folk aesthetic.
9. "This Year" by The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats have been making music for a long time now, and lead singer John Darnielle has even been nominated for national laureate by a public petition on the White House website. I'll end this playlist with "This Year" because I think it reflects the sentiments of many seniors on campus right now; "I am going to make it through this year if it kills me."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.