Five Music Obsessions of the Day

Listen as a playlist on Spotify 

Following are my five music obsessions of the day. Feel free to play loudly, comment, or share your own music obsessions in the comments. You can also click on the link above to listen to this week’s Five Music Obsessions of the Day playlist. If you follow, you can hear each week as it changes

1. “Something” :: The Beatles

“Somewhere in her smile she knows,
that I don’t need no other lover.
Something in her style that shows me,
I don’t want to leave her now.
You know I believe,
and how.”

The Beatles evoke such strong emotions and memories in me. So intrinsic are they to my childhood (I sometimes think I was learning the songs in-utero). There are more grown-up associations, too. Songs that attached to people and places without the cord connect to being young. Sometimes I think there is no room for new memories, or emotions, or connections to attach to any of their music. Sometimes I’m wrong. This song feels like a new memory just starting to happen.

2. “Velvet” :: The Big Pink

“I found her in a dream,
looking for me.”

This song feels right out of 1989 to me, places I was at, music I was listening to, and dancing to, and ways I felt. I play it loudly in the car and think of downtown LA, or certain streets in Hollywood. I think about driving through Laurel Canyon with the windows rolled down, cold air blowing, music blaring, chemicals just starting to kick in.

3. “Hayling” :: FC Kahuna, featuring Hafdis Huld

“Don’t think about all those things you fear,
just be glad to be here.”

One of my favorite songs right now.

4. “Since I Found My Baby” :: The Metros

“When my baby puts her hands on me,
I just can’t sleep at night.”

I’m learning a lot about Northern Soul lately. It is AMAZING to be introduced to new music, new genres, to be exposed to songs I’ve never heard before, to music I’ve not known much about before. Music is so much of everything, isn’t it?

5. “Push + Pull” :: July Talk

“I woke up in the bloody war.
You hadn’t slept,
we went to the liquor store.
And then we fought over dignity.”

Tomorrow night it’s July Talk. This will be my third time seeing them play live. Their energy hits on a visceral level, their on-stage chemistry intoxicating, and the core of who they are as artists, and humans, shows through. A weekend starting with live music is nearly always a good thing.

That’s it for Thursday’s five music obsessions of the day. A little childhood throwback that feels newly relevant, a 4AD that takes me back to my underground Hollywood past, a song I can’t get enough of (the whole reasons for this “five music obsessions of the day” feature to begin with…songs I can’t get enough of), a new-to-me Northern Soul track and a “seeing you live tomorrow” song to end the list with.

What are you listening to?