I’ve been struggling lately, but I keep waking up and trying for a new, better day. Today is better than yesterday, so that’s something – especially since today is a Monday. I’m feeling a bit more productive, a bit more creative, and I’ve been listening to a lot of music today. That’s always a good thing.

Want to hear some?

“Time’s a wastin’.
Don’t you take your time young man.
Keep on driftin’.
Ain’t no tellin’ where you’ll land.”

I’ve been listening to the album Mama’s Gun a lot lately. It may be my favorite Erykah Badu album. This is the song that’s my current best-track. I can’t stop playing it.

It resonates with me a lot right now – a lot with some of the things I’m struggling with. Moving forward with creating (writing), not wasting more time. Its hard for me sometimes. A lot of hard lately. But, time is a wastin’. It’s true.

To hear more, and to support Erykah and her music, go here.

“Life is very short, and there’s no time,
for fussing and fighting, my friend.”

An unintended theme from song one to song two, about time being short and not to be wasted. I guess my musical choices are trying to tell me something today.

I love this cover.

And, I mean, what more can a Monday use but a good cover? Don’t you think?

To hear more Stevie, and to support his music, click here.

“Pills to wake, pills to sleep.
Pills, pills, pills every day of the week.
Pills to walk, pills to think.
Pills, pills, pills for the family.
Pills to grow, pills to shrink.
Pills, pills, pills and a good stiff drink.
Pills to fuck, pills to eat.
Pills, pills, pills down the kitchen sink.”

Another very relevant song. I am taking pills to help my anxiety, pills to help me focus, pills to help me sleep. Sometimes all these pills make my stomach queasy and cause a fog to form around me, and muddle up my mind. Sometimes they take my appetite from me. Sometimes they make me pace, or cry. But a lot of times they seem to help – but who knows. Is it a placebo? I take something to help and feel like it helps. Could the real help be in the work I’m doing on myself, the pages I fill in journals, the twice a week chat with my therapist, the music that has always been the best medication, the best therapy, the best thing to get me through?

I don’t know. I really don’t know.

I do know I’m digging this song today.

To hear more from St. Vincent, and to support her music, clickity click here.

“Scanning life through the picture window,
she finds the slinky vagabond.
He coughs as he passes her Ford Mustang,
but Heaven forbid, she’ll take anything.”

I love the line, “she finds a slinky vagabond.” I want to write a story about a girl meeting a slinky vagabond.

So, I did say Monday’s are in need of good cover songs, didn’t I? Well this one is so damn good.

I just discovered it today, and I’m so into it.

I found this live version, too. SO GOOD.

I’d never heard Durand Jones and the Indications before today. I want to hear more. A lot more.

If you want to hear more, and if you want to support Durand Jones and the Indications music, go here.

“Troubled girl,
you don’t know.”

Another new discovery today.

I’m feeling it. A lot. Another one that resonates.

I love the trip hop feel, and the dreamy-ish vocals. It feels cinematic. I imagine it during a dark scene in a TV series, or film.

Want to hear more Drab City? Maybe want to help support their music? Try here.

“You slept in your overalls,
after the wrecking ball.
Bereft you of house and home,
and left you with sweet fuck all.”

I think this was the first Decemberists album I ever had/ever heard. This song has always been a favorite. It almost always makes me cry (yep, today it did for sure).

It reminds me of Clementine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

It reminds me of a few past memories, too.

I woke with it in my head and had to play it first thing. I’m glad I did.

To hear more from The Decemberists, and to help support them and their music, sail on over here.

Just realized there’s six songs today.

Oh well, that’s okay. Today’s Give Me Five comes with a bonus.

Monday’s need bonus songs, too.

Come back and check-in for more Give Me Fives this February, and follow along on Spotify and YouTube – I’ll be adding 5 more songs every time I post another February Give Me Five.