Spotify Me part 9: A Playlist for Owen Meany

Spotify Me part 9: A Playlist for Owen Meany

Mark's Discover Weekly Playlist for 10/26/2015

Well, this is it. The week I really put lots of effort into typing out reviews as the week went, so that it wasn’t a mad rush on Sunday night. I had it all written out and ready to go. And then, I completely forgot to post it on Sunday night. Go me!

We saw Halloween this week! And although my playlist had delighted me with songs about skeletons and ghosts all season, they were all a no show this week. I guess they were out on town, having a great spooky evening. But as October comes to an end, and radio stations start their holiday marathons, I think it is now more important than ever that we get some new music on our hands to distract us from the endless and absurd forced enjoyment of holiday tunes. So let’s get fight the power shall we?

The Mollusk
Elektra Records

Ocean Man –Ween

When you really like a band, especially a little known band, you can get really excited when you hear them in a place you didn’t expect. I get this way with They Might be Giants (TMBG), Talking Heads, the list goes on. But when my friend (the same mentioned in the Cool for Cats review in part #) heard Ocean Man at the end of the Spongebob Movie, he was ecstatic. If you’re going to try and listen to Ween, you have to understand that these guys are out there. In many ways they are similar to TMBG, having started around the same time, originating as a duo with the use of electronic backing, and experimenting in various genres. In fact, they opened for TMBG in their early days. Ween takes weird a step further though, and as a result has developed a strong cult following. Although I remember my friend franticly trying to show me the song Ocean Man by playing it at a bar jukebox, the first time I actually heard it was this week on my playlist. I have to say it’s great. The lyrics make no sense to me, and might not make any sense in general, but they flow well and are memorable.  The tune is an alternative rock spin on island music that is good for light hearted atmosphere and a beach going attitude. The song can act as a good entry way into listening to the rest of the band’s music. I want to suggest you listen to Ween, but remember, there is no guarantee that any one song is going to sound like another, so get ready for a real trip.

Circular Doorway
Cathedral Sounds

No Wonder I – Lake

Soft and quiet, but still holding a rather deliberate beat, No Wonder I was a quick addition to this list. In this song, Lake carries a soft and affectionate tone, while the lyrics reference the feelings of waking up in the morning, possibly next to a new lover. There is hope in that moment, as well as small amount of anxiety. But though all of this, the song remains a truly sweet and beautiful sound. I’ve probably mentioned before that I am a pretty big fan of female vocalists with soft and carful voices, and this singer is certainly included in that group. Her signing has a certain innocent and careless tone that adds to the atmosphere of the song. Also, the lyrics do a good job of flowing along with the music rather than just running to the same tune. At the same time the light but ever present drum beat pushes the song forward, preventing all the lighter tones from fading away too soon. While listening to this song I can’t help but imagine early morning sun, shining through the trees while driving with friends. The song was featured on the cartoon Adventure Time, where its sound fits in with the rest of the soothing music that this show tends to feature. No Wonder I is relaxing, and smooth to listen to. Its great for those times when you just need to let go and sit back for a while.

Crab in Honey
Complicated Game

Source – Fever the Ghost

This song takes funk and pumps it full with a modern indie sound. The guitar and bass drive a fast and exciting groove sound from beginning to end of this song, while the singers high pitched and aloof singing style puts that more modern “indie rock” sound into the mix. The soundscape is full and complex which makes for an exciting and very fun song. But if I’m honest, what really made me fall in love with this song is the music video, which you can watch here. The video has a unique style that is both modern and reminiscent of the psychedelic music videos of the 70’s and 80’s, but at the same time is newer and cleaner. The world that is presented in the short animation is surprisingly full of life and imagery considering it only has the short runtime of the song to present its own little universe. The video compliments the song immensely, filling it with even more life and spirit. And if you like the video, the animator who created it, Felix Colgrave, has his own YouTube channel here where you can see similarly bizarre and interesting animations.

Absentee
Produced by Brett Bullion

Absentee – Jack Campbell (brett bullion)

This song is one of my favorites to come across my Discover Weekly playlist so far. And, once again, this is another song that I had actually heard before, and didn’t realize it at first. And yes, once again, it was featured as The Weather on Welcome to Night Vale. I don’t know who is in charge of choosing the music for that segment, but I would sure like to meet that person. As for Absentee, At times the song is gentle and quiet, and at others it is distorted and loud. But at no time in the song is the transition jarring or out of place. The lyrics meanwhile, are sweet and sincere, expressing the anxieties of being alone, and making an impression. They flow well for the most part, really hitting their groove at the chorus. I really do have high hopes for what this band can create in the future.

(The album artwork in this article is not owned by the authors of this blog, but by the producers of the albums themselves.)