Enclosure:(audio/mpeg) https://www.sputnikmusic.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/01-Cycle.m4a
I missed the boat on the staff-wide feature thanks in part to a hectic work week, a desire not to cut-paste from my track reviews, and general laziness. In retrospect, that turned out pretty awesome (thanks in a large part to Jom’s orchestration of the feature) so I’ll have to do better and contribute to the Q2 playlist. But for now, I’d just like to get my favorite 10 songs from Jan.-Mar. 2017 out there for your consumption. I’d consider them all to be essential listens if you stay current week-to-week, especially in the indie-rock / indie-folk scene. I tend to be long-winded with everything I do, so below each track/artwork I’ve included 3 simple notions that represent feelings, memories, or lyrics I associate with experiencing that particular piece. Anyway, without further ado, here are my top 10 tracks of the year’s first quarter.
Genre: Indie-Folk | Listen if you like: Immersing your senses in nature
Melting snow
Leaves blowing in a spring breeze
“You are the only one that speaks into me”
Genre: Indie/Americana | Listen if you like: Unexpected string sections
Misty mornings
Lost in a stream of consciousness
“Gonna lay my head down soft in the grass…I’ll make my way to that far off, far out feeling”
Genre: Indie-folk/lo-fi | Listen if you like: The Antlers, duh
Stop the violence
Calm after a storm
“Instead of deafening nonsense…share silence”
Genre: Rock/Industrial | Listen if you like: Political commentary in your music
Fascism and hate
We’re all to blame
“There’s a lynching in the square / You will have to join us”
Genre: Pop | Listen if you like: Hearing someone beat Regina Spektor at her own game
Hearts shattering
Emotionally exhausted
“We slow dance in the living room, but all that a stranger would see is one girl swaying alone, stroking her cheek”
Genre: Indie-Folk/Rock | Listen if you like: Simon & Garfunkel if they were left in the woods with nothing but an ax and a guitar
Horses galloping
Mountains of pine
“Aren’t we made to be crowded together, like leaves?”
Genre: Indie-Folk | Listen if you like: A well placed whoa-oh-oh
Gorgeous sunrise
Black and white, still frame memories
“Clinging to the ruin of your broken home”
Genre: Indie/Art-Pop | Listen if you like: Curling up in the fetal position and fighting tears
The one who got away
Freezing a moment
“We had our own little bubble…for a while”
Genre: Sludge/Progressive Metal | Listen if you like: Metal that slays but still has a melodic edge
Avenged Sevenfold…wait, what?
Tumbling through a maze of epic folklore and mythology
“Terrestrial fire ascending from underground”
Genre: Indie-Rock/Art-Pop | Listen if you like: Things that sound other-fucking-worldly gorgeous
A crackling hearth
Laughter of children
“I just want to love you in my own language”
