☆MARCH MUSIC DEPT. PLAYLIST☆

Enjoy this playlist featuring songs that KCSB’s music department has been listening to this March!

 

MARION’S RECS 

• “Waters Of March” – Marisa Monte, David Byrne

– This track perfectly utilizes musical tension to emulate that funny little game the seasons play with us each year around this time- is it spring yet? Nope, still winter. The instrumentation of this track is masterful, and the combination of Marisa Monte and David Byrne’s contrasting voices is perfect. 

• “Lonely Road” – The Sandals

– This track comes from the soundtrack to the legendary surf film The Endless Summer. You can find posters of this film all throughout Isla Vista, but I feel as though the soundtrack is criminally underrated. This song encapsulates, in a manner that seems effortless, the feeling of looking for the perfect wave. 

• “Riverfront” – Leo Nocentelli 

– Leo Nocentelli was an original member of the legendary funk group The Meters, and has played with many of the greatest funk and soul musicians of the last 60 years. His 2021 album Another Side is full of great blues and folk tunes. This song really showcases Leo’s signature polyrhythmic guitar playing. 

• “Donna Lee” – Jaco Pastorius

– I am confident that diving into Jaco Pastorius’ discography is one of the best things musicians can do for themselves. This song is really just the tip of the iceberg, but it is some of the most impressive bass playing I’ve ever heard. 

• “It Never Rains In Southern California” – Sonny & Cher 

– Admittedly, I am a sucker for the Los Angeles sunshine pop sound of the 60s. This song is a perfect mix of joyful instrumentation, and surprisingly sad lyrics. This whole album is full of unknown treasures, so I highly recommend you check out the rest if you like this song. 

• “Dreaming” – Mac Demarco 

– There’s an acoustic version of this song which I like much better than the original. When I heard this song in my freshman year of high school, I immediately tried to learn it on guitar- and promptly gave up. Recently I came across this song again and decided to give it another try – I was actually able to play through it! Growth <3 

• “Street Hassle” – Lou Reed

– That Velvet Underground documentary really hit a nerve. I love Lou Reed. 

• “Bedbugs and Ballyhoo” – Echo & the Bunnymen

– This song is very reminiscent of The Doors. Yet, it definitely has its unique 80s psychedelic spin. My favorite part of this song has to be the melancholic-sounding guitar part which comes right after the glittery chorus. 

• “Praise You” – Fatboy Slim

– I’ve been listening to this one a lot, maybe in hopes that I’ll manifest it being played at the next party I go to. It’s one of those songs that I rediscover every couple of years and fall back in love with. The past few weeks, this song has been a reminder that good times are always around the corner. 

• “A Spring Fantasy” – Herlin Riley

– I discovered Herlin Riley at the Savannah Jazz festival, which I attended with my high school jazz band. We got to see Riley play and even take workshops with him. It was a really special experience, and this song’s title is perfect for the changing of the seasons. 

 

YOUSEF’S RECS

• “March Madness” by Future

– The quintessential song for the month of March.

• “Stratosphere” by Beck

– I found Beck after listening to a Rick Rubin/Pharrell Williams podcast where Pharrell talks about how Beck had been working on this album for 7 years, holding onto all of the collaborations that they had together. After all those years, they created a beautiful encapsulation of life in the cosmos.

• “fkthapolice[slumvillagetribute]” by Pink Siifu

– Leave it to Pink Siifu to make a J Dilla-type instrumental in a new-age industrial hip-hop/punk album, with an homage to Slum Village. Try not to bounce to this one. I dare you.

• “Sex Dreams About Platonic Friends” by Chris Crack

– Chris Crack has these ostentatious titles that makes it impossible to share his music with other people. But this song is beautiful. It’s a complex, serenading look at love and relationships in the digital age. It’s a glimpse into the blurry line between friendly and romantic intimacy.

• “Smooktobër” by Yeat

• Yeat’s arguably never made a more intense song. The adlibs are off-the-rails, sounding like the screeches of birds and young toddlers. The perkys are getting to him. His voice is intense, low-to-the-floor, and ready for war.

• “God of War” by WiFiGawd

– Tony Seltzer and WiFiGawd go together like bread and butter. Cloud rap needs a little bit of plug to keep moving forward, and WiFiGawd suavely floats over the beat. 

• “Louis Baggage (feat. Babyface Ray) by Curren$y & The Alchemist

– Spitta & Uncle Alc’s semi-sequel to Covert Coup is proof that two seasoned vets can continue to push themselves, and the younger artists in the game. Babyface Ray sounds smooth and laidback, matching Curren$y’s flow to showcase his dexterous sound, once again.

• “Sly Cooper” by ShittyBoyz

– ShittyBoyz rap like a young, Michigan-based A$AP Mob, punching in one-after-another, line-after-line. They’re seamless on the revamped Pink Panther beat, and they’re going to snatch your money before you even notice.

• “Dark Web” by Teejayx6

• “THE GOVERNMENT TRIED TO BAN ME FROM THE DARK WEB.” I scream this line even though I’ve only been on the dark web one time a few years ago.

• “Sweet Lady Remix” by EBK Hotboiiz

• After 5 years of exclusively being on YouTube, the EBK Hotboiiz brought this classic onto streaming. It’s a flip of 03 Greedo’s “Sweet Lady” beat, it’s got the grit of South Stockton, and it’s one of the best posse cuts the outer-Bay Area has ever seen.

DERIAN’S RECS

• Skip The Moon-Jeese Cook

– Flamenco is always nice, but the digital effects are a special touch. Very interested to see more of this artist’s discography.

• Possedee – Potochikine

– I’m actually surprised I haven’t included this track before. I love the dark techno styling of it, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say the vocalist wasn’t a cherry on top

• Running Up That Hill(A Deal With God)- Kate Bush

– I’m a huge Kate Bush fan, and this is one of her best. It’s such a bop, and I love the melancholy vibes. I love her choice to be pleading during the chorus, inspired.

• Violent Vortex – Catherdal

– Would it be a Derian list without at least one metal track? This one is definitely slower paced than my regular jams, but it’s got a great bass and the percussion is perfect. It’s lovely

• Feels Eternal – Fall Shock

– You know me and my electronic goth music. I can hardly write this blurb without dancing myself. The deep digital percussion make you almost smell the dilapidated warehouse this deserves to be played in.

• Can’t You See What You’re Doing to Me – Joanne Shaw Taylor

– Lately my southern blood has been calling to me, and I simply had to indulge in the blues. Taylor’s Smokey voice perfectly meshes with the wistful lyrics and the Organ backing. And the woodwinds? Simply perfection.

• Problems- St. Panther

– This Irvine-born artist artfully modernizes R&B stylings into a fascinating new experience. It calls to mind the background music of an incredibly cool yet obscure coffee shop. And you know I’m a sucker for pianos.

• Concreto For 2 Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D Mirow BWV 1043- Johann Bach as performed by Sir Malcolm Sargent

– Easily the longest title on this list, but a fantastic piece by my personal favorite composer. While I find his harpsichord pieces to be his finest work, Bach’s Violin pieces are truly moving. To have the instruments simultaneously be unique to the ear yet never overpowering or discordant is to show his incredible skill.

• Black Wisdom, White Witch – Violetshaped

– I feel like you could guess I like this song. It’s got all the Lance Classics: dark atmosphere, violent noises, heavy percussion, and an aggressive beat. Even if I’m predictable, this track slaps hard.

• Now I’m Feeling Zombified – AlienSexFiend 

– This one skirts the line between “serious” and “comic”, but it doesn’t really matter lol. It’s a bop, and that’s all that matters.