Didn’t January feel like six months in one, or was it just me? There were some good times, and there was a lot of struggles, and I’m kind of glad it is in the rearview mirror. I’m happy to see you, February. I hope we all get along just fine.

I’m writing more. I’m breathing a little easier. I’m getting up every day and trying. And right now, today, it is beautiful outside my window and I have five fantastic songs playing. Want to hear them?

“You’re not alonе like you think you are.
We all havе scars,
I know it’s hard.”

My scars have been hard to deal with lately. They’ve got red and angry and upset (the ones inside that no one can see), but I’m working on healing them. This song makes me feel less alone in the scar-healing.

Arlo Parks is one of my big favorites of this year (so far). I can’t get enough of her voice, and her songs.

If you want to hear more from Arlo, and help support her and her music, click here.

“And if I could give you the moon.
I would give you the moon.”

I love Phoebe Bridgers.

That is all.

If you want to throw some love her way, too, click here.

Oh, and don’t miss her on this upcoming Saturday Night Live. She is the musical guest…and Dan Levy is hosting. Double yay!

“Write this down if you can.
Imma cold hard working man.
See this guitar in my hand?
I’m standing out here in the rain, hey.”

Once upon a time, when I was a young teenager, my mom took me with her and her best friend at the time to a friend of theirs house. I knew the woman was a singer, and I recognized her name, but I didn’t really know her, or her music. Not really. It was Gladys Knight. She made me mac-n-cheese and let me hangout in her bedroom and watch MTV (my obsession at the time), and I felt impatient for my mom and her friend to be done visiting so we could go home and I could call my best friend and probably talk about Duran Duran. I went into the kitchen to bring my plate in and I asked for a soda, and a man who was visiting, who I heard everyone call Reverend, handed me a Coke. I had no idea at all who he was.

I later found out it was Al Green.

I want to go back in time to my undereducated music-teenage self and shake her. Or at least go and talk to Gladys and Al, and tell them how incredible their music is.

“I’m a bird in a branch,
write a song and I will sing it.”

I just discovered this song today, thanks to this week’s Spotify Discover Weekly Playlist. This song is so dreamy. I want to get lost in it, float around in the sonic sounds and melodies.

I can’t wait to hear more.

If you want to hear more, and support Coco and Coco’s music, click here.

“She dreamt of children’s voices,
and torture on the wheel.
Patron-Saint of nothing,
a woman of the hills.
She once was a lady
Of pleasure, and high-born,
a lady of the city,
but now she sits and moans.
And listens to the wind blow.
Listen to the wind blow.”

More spooky, dark, and haunting – not as dreamy as the track before – but I still want to get lost in this demo version. I want to float around in it, sit in a dark, smoky corner, and write about Catherine, he Patron-Saint of nothing.

I’m sad that I’ve never seen PJ perform live. I hope someday – when concerts are a thing again – that she tours, and I get to go.

If you want to hear more of PJ Harvey, and support her and her music, go here.

Check back frequently to see what 5 songs will be added next to the Give Me Five Playlist for February 2021. You can listen as it grows on Spotify and YouTube.