Weekly Song List: Wednesday, October 10th

I hope that you've had a great week so far! Autumn is in full force here. The leaves are changing and it's chilly in that perfect crisp Autumn way. I've started wearing my wool socks and slippers. Yes! I love this time of year.

Starting next week, I'll be putting together some themed song lists, but for now please enjoy this collection of 7 beautiful songs that I cannot seem to get enough of lately. I have so much love for all of them.

1. Survival. Muse: Muse is one of my all time favorite bands. I think they're absolutely brilliant. This song is from their new album The 2nd Law, which I literally bought yesterday at Newbury Comics. It's an amazing album (more on that later), and this song is my favorite so far. It makes me feel like a Warrior Queen.

2. Make a Fist. Phatogram: There's something very forward-moving about this song. It has a lot of momentum. I love that. Phantogram are magical to me. Beautiful songs full of electricity and energy and light.

3. Rest In Bed. Laura Marling: It's no secret that I absolutely adore Laura Marling. Her songs are so soulful and beautiful and pure and warm. I love them. Especially this one.

4. It'll Happen. Punch Brothers: It's also no secret that I'm crazy enamored with Punch Brothers after seeing them live in Portsmouth, NH one week ago. This song is one of my favorites. Very subtle and sweet and lovely. I don't believe they performed this live, but I was in a happiness induced delirium, so I can't be certain.

5. Lonesome Valley. Tom Brosseau: I've listened to this song more than any other song this week. Literally. I think it's perfect. Beautiful and perfect.

6. Sunrise, Sunset. Bright Eyes: I think that Conor Oberst (AKA Bright Eyes) is one of the great song writers of our time. This song is from Fevers & Mirrors, which was my first Bright Eyes album. It's also my favorite. This song is a real gem. I love them klezmer influence and Conor's voice is so heart wrenching.

7. Girl's Song In Winter. Vashti Bunyan: Everything about this song is magic to me. The recording, plenty of crackle and hiss. Vashti's voice. Gorgeous. I also (generally) love songs that are about the Wintertime. Very bittersweet and beautiful. And perfect ending song.

Photo: Phantogram

Weekly Song List: Friday, September 21st

As I started collecting songs for this week's song list I noticed a smidge of theme a-brewin'. So I decided to go for it.

This week's song list is dedicated to ladies of the 1960s. Enjoy!

1. Happy Heart. Petula Clark (1969): I first heard this song in 1994 watching Shallow Grave (Danny Boyle's directorial debut). Great movie, by the way. Chilling. I should watch it again! I love this song because of the movie, and because of my sister. She (unrelated to the movie) bought the album Portrait of Petula (also in the mid-90s) and played it in her car all the time.

2. The Time Has Come To Choose. Janie Jones (1968): From Dream Babes Volume 4. I collect these Dream Babes compilations. I got my first in 2001 or 2002? They're awesome compilations of British female singers/song writers from the 60s. Highly recommended. This Janie Jones track is one of my faves.

3. He's a Rebel. The Crystals (1962): Written by Gene Pitney and produced by Phil Spector. One of my all time favorite girl group songs. Love it!

4. Without Him. Lulu (1968): Written as "Without Her" by Harry Nilsson in 1967. I saw Lulu in To Sir With Love when I was in high school, but it wasn't until college that I started listening to her music. Her voice is one of the best ever. And her singing seems so natural and effortless. Love her. She was also an amazing mentor on American Idol a few years back.

5. I Can Never Go Home Anymore. The Shangri-Las (1965): What's not to love about The Shangri-Las. First off, their name. The best. The melodrama of most of their songs. Outrageous. This song is particularly melodramatic and sad.

6.  The Crying Game. Brenda Lee (1965): One of the greatest songs ever written as far as I'm concerned. I loved the Boy George version from the 90s (which he did for the movie soundtrack of The Crying Game) and sought out this Brenda Lee version more recently. Gorgeous. Haunting. Perfect.

7. Train Song. Vashti Bunyan (1966): Vashti Bunyan is one of my all time favorites. I love all of her music, so it was hard to choose one song to include here. "Train Song" might be her most famous? It's been covered by Ben Gibbard & Feist (on the Dark Was the Night compilation) and by Ren Harvieu & Karen Elson more recently. Beautiful song. Bittersweet (as most of her songs are) and the production is very gritty and low-fi.

Photo: Vashti Bunyan Just Another Diamond Day album cover