Songs for the beginning of spring

The tunes I'm currently immersed in & favorite lyrics

I know I have already posted multiple times in the past weeks… I am going to be putting up a fair amount of articles and prose the first couple weeks to get the website looking a bit less sad. I apologize to your inboxes in advance- it should be more calm after this week (1 post per week for free subscribers, and a couple extras plus access to podcast for a paid subscription is the goal). I really appreciate your support thus far- I launched the newsletter just about two days ago from the time I’m beginning this article, and we’re already almost up to 100 readers. Thank you all for embarking on this new, slightly scary journey with me! It means more than you know.

Music has always been a huge part of my life. My collection of CDs and pink CD player were some of my most prized possessions growing up. I was fortunate enough to go to many live music performances from a young age with my parents, as they introduced me to many of my favorite artists, who remain special to me today. I love finding new tunes, and rediscovering ones that I haven’t heard in years is a pretty magical feeling as well. One of my favorite parts of music is sharing it with others, and receiving recommendations that turn into favorites. I hope that at least one of these songs can bring you some joy soon, whenever you get the chance to listen.

Wouldn’t Come Back- Trousdale

Always, Joni by Trousdale has been one of my favorite songs for a while, but for some reason I hadn’t explored more of Trousdale’s discography until recently. They are so talented, their vocals and harmonies are beautiful and their lyrics almost as amazing. I am really looking forward to the album they’re releasing, as I have all of their songs memorized by now and am craving more! This is a sad one, but it hurts in the best way.

“Like the old man and the sea, I wasn’t meant to take you in. I find when I’m without you, I am with myself again.”

Backup Plan- Maya Hawke

Maya Hawke is so incredibly talented. She is one of my favorite artists and deserves as much support within the music world as she receives from acting, because she is an incredible musician. Moss is one of those albums that feels so personal to me, and I think that makes an album really special.

“Your pocket change, your eyelash, the kitty looking out behind your door. I wanna be anything you’ve lost that you might be looking for”

Listen to the Music -The Doobie Brothers

Get up and groove. That’s pretty much all I have to say about this song. It is just so incredibly groovy.

“What the people need is a way to make ‘em smile, it ain’t so hard to do if you know how. Gotta get a message, get it on through…”

The Same- Andie Bronstad

My incredibly talented friend Andie wrote this song, and she is a spectacular musician and lyricist. This tune is another one that hurts in a good way, and has quickly become one of my comfort songs. She deserves all of the love and support in the world, and I have a feeling this song will be the first of many.

“No time for dreaming, now you’re just haunting me. There’s no way I’d go back to what it was but if you called you know that I’d just pick up”

Goodbye Earl -The Chicks

Many of my favorite artists have written songs about women murdering their husbands, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t dance to every single one of them. This is a classic Chicks song and I’ve loved it since I was too young to know what it’s about!

“Well the weeks went by and spring turned to summer, and summer faded into fall. And it turns out he was a missing person who nobody missed at all”

Rhiannon- Fleetwood Mac

This is a song that I will dance to anytime, anywhere. It’s that simple. It makes me want to spin in circles and throw glitter in the air and dance with someone under the stars. So groovy, so fun. Forever one of my favorites, although there will probably be a Fleetwood song on most of these lists, because I am in love with Stevie Nicks.

“Would you stay if she promised you heaven? Will you ever win?”

Girls Against God- Florence + The Machine

Florence + the Machine is absolutely spectacular. Her popular stuff is great, but I did a deep dive about a year ago and found so many other gems. I have loved this one, it makes me feel powerful and angry and happy all at once? She’s an incredibly talented lyricist too, and so many good songs to groove to.

“And it’s good to be alive, crying into cereal at midnight”

Bless the Telephone- Labi Siffre

Labi Siffre wrote beautiful and sometimes heart-wrenching songs about love and loss. This song was recommended to me by a friend, and it’s such a gem. It’s under two minutes, and I would definitely recommend giving it a listen.

“It’s nice to hear your voice again. I’ve waited all day long, even wrote a song for you”

Angel- First Aid Kit

Another amazing song to dance to. At 0:49, you have to ready to dance, because it is impossible to be still throughout this song. I love First Aid Kit so much- I discovered them recently and have been listening constantly since.

“What has that fear ever done for me but hold me back? So give me love and gimme compassion, self forgiveness, and gimme some passion. I love you even if you can’t love me”

If You Live Long Enough- Nate Cole

Nate Cole is a beautiful lyricist. My friend Eva introduced me to his music a while back, and I have been a big fan since, but this is definitely one of my favorites he has released so far. He makes ethereal music that feels like a blanket, and it’s pretty impossible not to love.

“Hope I live long enough to see humans on Mars”

Eight Days A Week- The Beatles

This is one of the happiest love songs and I can imagine people doing a flash mob to it. It is seriously so much fun and listening to it in the morning gives me slightly more energy, I highly recommend this one as a getting ready song when you’re feeling lousy. You might despise it because they sound so happy and mornings tend to not be so happy, but if you get through the song maybe it will make just a slight difference!

“Eight days a week, is not enough to show I care”

Holding On- The War On Drugs

This is without a doubt one of my favorite songs I’ve discovered in the past year. It will make you feel like the main character in a movie, the part where the character is just living life to the absolute fullest and possibly going on a spontaneous road trip or running from home. Or, just dancing in the kitchen, which is one of the best simple joys ever.

“Hiding in the seams, I can’t move the past. Feel like I’m about to crash, riding on my line, keep keeping on”

Victim- Sally Taylor

I have loved Sally Taylor since I was practically a baby, and her CD was one of the first I ever owned. I recently have gotten back into her music, and I still know all the words to most of the songs on her 2001 album, Shotgun. This has always been one of my favorites and this has been the Sally song of the month.

“I never thought that I could make it out of here”

Jesus, Etc.- Wilco

Such a lovely song. My friend Cate loves this song and it reminds me of her now. Wilco is spectacular and I don’t feel the need to say much more! It’s a laid back one and perfect for a lot of different occasions, and I think its versatility is part of the appeal.

“You can rely on me honey, you can come by any time you want, I’ll be around. You were right about the stars, each one is a setting sun”

Not Strong Enough- boygenius

boygenius is seriously one of the best bands of our time and I am grateful to be alive in the same time they are releasing music. I am absolutely ecstatic for their new album, coming out March 31. The three of them are so talented individually and together, and their new song is one is upbeat in a slightly depressing way (my favorite genre). You will love it, and if you don’t, I’d recommend listening again because it’s pretty genius (pun unintentional).

“Not strong enough to be your man. I tried, I can’t, stop staring at the ceiling fan and spinning out about things that haven’t happened”

Close to Me- The Cure

My dad told me this was one of his favorite songs during college. It’s ironic, because it’s quickly becoming one of mine. I love The Cure, but I hadn’t listened to this song much, and now it’s a constant repeat. We listened to it a lot when he came to Portland to visit, and we drove to the coast. It reminds me of him now, plus it’s just such a fun song to listen to on car rides, or in the library when you start getting tired (speaking from personal experience).

“I’ve waited hours for this, I’ve made myself so sick, I wish I’d stayed asleep today.”

Gasoline- HAIM, Taylor Swift

This song is so summer to me. I didn’t like it all after the first listen, and I’d usually skip it when listening to the album, but it has grown on me in the last couple months. It definitely will not be the vibe for everyone, but it’s worth a shot because it is such a fun one if you can get into it.

“You took me back, but you shouldn’t have, now it’s your fault if I mess around”

Summer Soft- Stevie Wonder

This is a peaceful, lovely song. It picks up around 2:30 though, so get ready to groove. Groove is my favorite word right now, but I’m sure you have already noticed that. Enjoy the Stevie tune.

“But it breaks your heart in two ‘cause you’ve been fooled by April, and he’s gone”

Shatter- Maggie Rogers

Maggie Rogers is another amazing lyricist. Her songs have the best energy, and are great kitchen dance songs too, but honestly the kitchen might not be enough space for this amount of groove. Heard It In A Past Life, her 2019 album, also holds a very special place in my heart and I could probably write a whole newsletter about just that album. This song is my favorite of hers at the moment, and I think it’s easy to see why just by the little snippet of lyrics below.

“I don’t really care if it nearly kills me, I’d give you the world if you asked me to. I could break a glass just to watch it shatter, I’d do anything just to feel with you”

I’m going to save some songs for future newsletters, as I could probably continue writing for the whole week. I hope that you got some new tunes out of this, or rediscovered one you lost in the depths of your Spotify. Have a lovely morning, afternoon, or evening, and see ya next time!