☆JUNE MUSIC DEPT. PLAYLIST☆

As a goodbye from the 2021-2022 music department, each member of the music department picked 5 songs that they think the other two members would like. 

 

MARION’S PICKS FOR YOUSEF 

• “Sao Paulo” – Braxton Cook

– I think you’d like this song because of the fast and groovy drumming throughout, but especially in the beginning. I also think you’d be into the sliding bassline in the beginning, and the wurlitzer piano comping. Plus these solos are absolutely killer- what’s not to like! 

• “Curly” – Kiefer 

– I chose this one because it sounds like it would make a really great sample. It’s also funky and really well produced. This whole album is sweet and one of my favorite new jazz releases by an extremely talented, young, Los Angeles area jazz pianist.

• “Transit Ride” – Guru, Branford Marsalis 

– This album feels like a combination of our music tastes. As the album’s title would suggest, it combined jazz with hip hop. This song in particular is one of my favorites, and it features Branford Marsalis of the famous jazz Marsalis family. 

• “Donna Lee” – Jaco Pastorius 

– I remember I showed you a live Jaco album and you really loved it, this is my favorite Jaco song of all time. This song is a really fresh take on the jazz standard “Donna Lee.” Jaco’s use of the bass as a lead instrument, as well as the tone he has on this tune, are both also very memorable. 

• “Don’t Let Me Down” – Marcia Griffiths

– I really love this reggae interpretation of the Beatles’ classic “Don’t Let Me Down.” It gives an all new groovy take to the classic, and I think you’d be into that! 

MARION’S PICKS FOR DERIAN 

• “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” – The Slits

– I’m not really sure what genre this song fits into exactly. I’d venture it’s somewhere in between punk, new wave, and noise rock- and I can see you enjoying it. It’s gritty and edgy, but still super groovy. 

• “Every 1’s a Winner” – Ty Segall 

– This is a cover of a classic funk tune by Hot Chocolate. Ty Segall interprets the song in a much heavier way, but like the song I picked above, the grooviness is definitely there. This song reminded me of some of the newer alternative rock that you’re into, so I think you’d like it. 

• “Unconscious Melody” – Preoccupations 

– This song reminds me of the Talking Heads, but it feels a lot heavier than their music. It’s delightfully dissonant, it feels like a punch to the stomach at exactly the moment when you needed it most. I think you’d like the instrumentation and the lyrics as well.  

• “Talking to Cleopatra” – Essendon Airport 

– This one reminds me a lot of 1980s new wave/synth rock. It begins with a disjointed collection of sounds, but later on the instrumentation reminds me of a Duran Duran song. Also, the vocals are really unique, almost ghastly. 

• “French Disko” – Stereolab

– Another pick that just reminds me of your vibe. Something about the combination of the fast paced drums, the persistent hi-hat, the esoteric lyrics, and the hazy guitar lines makes me think that you’d enjoy this listen. 

YOUSEF’S PICKS FOR MARION

•  “I Don’t Know” by Jay Dee

–  I think you’d really like this song because they don’t finish their lines, rather they fill in the words with samples of James Brown ad libs. A little mix of the old and the new for our station’s signature oldhead.

•  “Brown Rice” by Don Cherry

– If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you love psychedelic rock. And jazz. This song is the perfect mix with the eerie singing, the gator-like bassline, and the scat that haunts the track.

•  “Blue Lights” by Henry Franklin

– I remember I showed you Roland Haynes’ “2nd Wave” and you really enjoyed it, so this is another woozy song from that same record label, Black Jazz Records. It’s more fast-paced, the horns are transformative, and the electric piano is swirly as hell.

•  “All in Your Mind” by LaRombé

– You’re funky. This song is funky. It sounds old, but it’s a new release – almost like the new Grateful Dead recordings that are found every other day. You’ll like this one, no doubt. Bassline goes crazy.

•  “How Do We Know We’re Alive” by LNDFK & pink siifu

– This one is my weirder pick for you. It features soft vocals, whirry pianos that feel mystic, but it has a bassline that feels like it’s from the same vein as Thundercat. And pink siifu rhymes perfectly, draped with existentialism.

YOUSEF’S PICKS FOR DERIAN

•  “Kill Your Co-Workers” by Flying Lotus

– This song’s a little angsty, which fits you perfectly. I think the title also fits your vibe. Plus it’s not too bright and the chord progression feels like an old video game.

•  “D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L” by Panchiko

–  This song is warm and has the feeling of an animated Disney movie, but it has that slow burn of shoegaze with a whirlwind of production with a spring of electronica.

•  “Walk Tall” by Hiroshi Suzuki

–  You’re a huge fan of Japanese jazz music so I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t know this one. But even so, this one is great walking music, the refrain is stoic, and you would get groovy to this.

•  “hades in the dead of winter” by my dead girlfriend

–  Some heavy, Japanese noise pop for our illustrious music librarian who listens to as much foreign music as possible.

•  “Blood & Innocence” by Yves Tumor

– Complex ambient music is something that I think you’re into, but I don’t think you’re familiar with Yves Tumor’s earlier works. It’s winter-esque sprinkled with nostalgic flakes of snow.

DERIAN’S PICKS FOR YOUSEF

• What I’m Here 4 By Gang Starr

– Well it’s not like not including a couple rap songs was an option right? From what I half remember, you prefer faster Hyphy rap, while I’m more of a hip hop rap fan, but I hope this strikes your fancy. I personally quite enjoy the lyricism at work, introspective yet still proud.

• Syria by Unders

– Arabic Techno is a genre we both enjoy, and while this track was edited by a kid from Holland, I hope that the orientalism is not too bad as to make the song seem unpalatable. I’m a big fan of combining classic instruments with digital ones, and I find this track well connects digitalism with traditional Arabic stylings.

• Run Down by Easy Mccoy

– I have no idea how I found this song, but I hope this is enjoyable to you. I find the aggressive styling lovely, and it has a nice beat to it right? Let me know what you think of it, the vocalist eh? I’m not quite sure his voice is “hard” enough for this track myself.

• Takeshi’s World by Scandisk7

– Because I’m woefully uneducated, the rest of my recommendations are electronic tracks you’d like. This treack’s got a breakneck pace and a fantastic percussion line, both of which seem up your alley. I’m reminded of the finest pieces Kota Hoshino did back in the early 2000s

• Koto by CloZee

– The French composer Clozer did lovely work on this song. While I’m already quite fond of the original piece, I must admit I’m curious to see what an aspiring DJ, such as yourself, could do with it if you chopped and screwed this. Food for thought, perhaps. 

DERIAN’S PICKS FOR MARION

• Trouble Coming by Royal Blood

– Most of my picks for Marion include strong guitar with a really nice drum line, and this track is a greater starter course. I especially like the use of cymbals right before the chorus, really adds to the flavor of the song. The lyrics, while simplistic, certainly raise the BPM.

• Sunshine Superman by Dr. Lonnie Smith and Iggy Pop

– I’m pretty sure we discussed Iggy Pop at least once right?  This song uses his distinct voice as a topping for the classic souffle that is “Sunshine Superman”. Perhaps it’s the strong use of the organ, but I honestly prefer this to the Donovan original. 

• Drive Your Car by LA Witch

– About a year or two ago, there was an odd micro fad of women vocalists attempting to recapture the vibes of 50s alternative rock songs. I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of LA Witch’s work, but I acknowledge they’re best in class production. I’m curious to see how you find the heavy editing on the vocals: evocative of the 50s or a failed attempt at nostalgia?

• Hauman by Rodrigo y Gabriela

– I’d be shocked if you haven’t already heard this song, but just in case I figured I’d send it your way. I’ve seen some compare this track to nuevo flamenco. Regrettable, I’m only familiar with boring old regular flamenco, but this song absolutely slaps. I especially appreciate the heavy metal inspired bassline, and hope you will too.

• Monaka by Kikagaku Moyo

– My knowledge of prog is extremely limited, and I doubt you haven’t heard the well known bangers like Space Truckin or Psychic Wars, so I had to dip into my old standby: the East. I must say the sitar usage on this is quite lovely, as is the simple yet enjoyable vocals. Apparently this band is called “the torchbearers of Japanese Psychedelic rock.” I did not realize this was a title that existed, but good for them.