Music Recs: Never Leave | 6.24.24
M is for Music and we love alliteration, so I share a 5-song playlist vibe on Mondays
Curating a cohesive playlist is a humble and esoteric art. My decisions are ineffable and there is justice to the flow. To my aesthetic senses at least - which is good as law around this blog. That being said, I’m so happy to have you here with me!
My weekly playlists are available on Spotify (embedded below), plus YouTube embeds for each track. Drop a comment to let me know what resonates with you my friend - I’m dying to know :)
Onto the vibe!
We’re following up Summer Solstice with some counterprogramming to the hyped anticipation for a summer anthem banger to be crowned. Summer anthems are crowned in July - I don’t accept early considerations in the same way I don’t put up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. There is a proper time and place for everything.
This last week in June is the proper time and place for shaking off any lingering overwrought contemplation from winter or dust bunnies of unsettled expectations from spring. A little refresh to wipe the slate clean for a fresh summer atmosphere ahead. So, we ease into our playlist with the smooth rumbling ambient sounds of Never Leave by xxyyxx and Stay Where You Are by Ambulance LTD.
Never Leave by xxyyxx
Never Leave’s airy looped feminine vocals lead us through layers of synthy longing punctuated by snappy percussion elements that beat a bashful sense of optimism into this ultimately playful score.
Stay Where You Are by Ambulance LTD
Stay Where You Are continues our vibe’s dreamy sensibilities with a gutter grounding guitar emphasis characteristic of the early aughts indie sleaze ascendance. Where our last track, Never Leave, implied the coy smile and sweetness of anticipation, Stay Where You Are offers an expansive attitude of rueful reflection with all the vulnerability and uncertainty of existing in relation to everyone and everything else.
Impossible Bouquet by No Age
Now that we’ve sonically reflected on the first half of the year - from the fresh hope of New Year's resolutions through the pensive tension of acknowledging where we actually find ourselves after two seasons - we can make a melodic offering of amiable acceptance and even gratitude with No Age’s Impossible Bouquet. If I were a sprouting flower who enjoyed sunrises and noise rock, this song is what my insides would sound like.
I Waste Away At Night by Weeping OVNI
Now, I’m keeping you on your toes with I Waste Away At Night by Weeping OVNI. Because goth can strike at any time. I really enjoy this moody shoegazing jam and imagine myself as a fancy bat when I bop along. Do you like goth luchadores? Then you’re going to love this Latinx indie artist!
Evening Breeze by Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru
What to do after worshiping the womb of the night? Celebrate dawn, of course! Evening Breeze by Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru is our official welcome to the leisurely integration and repose of sunny afternoons stretched wide and long. Melodic and bluesy, this piano ballad mirrors the fluid complexity of water shifting shape and form.
I highly suggest checking out all of Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru’s compositions and her incredible 99 year life journey. She was born to a wealthy political family in Ethiopia in 1923, spent a few teenage years with her family in a prison camp during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, and became a nun at age 21, devoting that decade to her spiritual studies and practices. Her whole life story is inspiring and incredible. She truly composed for the love of composing, seemingly only interested in the spiritual validation of creating rather than any external praise or compensation.
Green Arrow by Yo La Tengo
Finally, we round out our moody transition to the lightness of summertime with Green Arrow, a classic by Yo La Tengo. This mellow, soft rattling ditty opens with cricket sounds and patient bass plucks paired with expansive guitar riffs that culminate in the feeling of releasing a satisfied sigh of joyful sun-kissed tiredness at twilight.
In conclusion…
I would LOVE to know what you think of this week’s playlist vibe - please comment and feel free to save the embedded Spotify playlist below. I send out a new vibe every Monday, so please subscribe to stay in the loop. And be sure to check out my Wednesday musings on celebrity + gossip and Friday thoughts on ethereal realms and my favorite cryptids (no way to know which lane I’ll choose - I’m a WILD CARD!).
P.S. - you can find me on TikTok Instagram and Reels at CocoHasIdeas - holler if you feel so inclined!