5 Songs We Can't Stop Listening to is a collection of our newest favorite songs. And Every week we ask an artist that we love to tell us about the music they love.
Listen to the whole thing in the player below.
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1. Mayor Barrett picks “Your Heart Is As Black As Night” by Melody Gardot
Every week we ask one artist that we love to talk about one song that they love. This guest is not a musical artist or music writer, however, we are 88Nine Radio Milwaukee and this man is directly connected to the city of Milwaukee and everyone in it. We are here with the Mayor of Milwaukee, Mayor Tom Barrett.
Justin Barney: Mayor Barrett, what is one song that you can’t stop listening to?
Mayor Barrett: “Your Heart Is As Black As Night” by Melody Gardot. It’s a great song. It’s kind of a lusty song if I can say that. It’s one you’ll enjoy.
JB: We just had it on and it’s downtempo and jazzy and she’s got this beautiful jazzy voice. What draws you to the song?
Mayor Barrett: Well, obviously it’s a woman. Melody’s a woman. And it’s about emotions and feeling not so good about a relationship, and it’s not like I’m in a bad place or anything like that, it’s a song actually that my 22 year old daughter introduced to me. It’s probably a surprise to me that she likes the song.
JB: How did she introduce it to you?
Mayor Barrett: She just said, “Hey, Dad. Here’s a song. Listen to this one.” Or maybe she didn’t even tell me, maybe I was just walking through the room and she was listening to it herself and I said, “I like that song.”
- “Your Heart Is As Black As Night” was released in 2009 on Gardot’s album, “My One and Only Thrill.”
- Listen if you like: Norah Jones, Tom Waits, Billie Holiday
2. Kendrick Lamar – “DNA.”
Kendrick Lamar is an artist performing at the top of his game. Grammy for best rap album. Grammy for best rap song. Grammy for best rap performance. Grammy for best rap collaboration. Grammy for best music video. And that was just last year.
He sits almost alone at the top. For non-rap music listeners he might be the only name that they know. For many people he represents hip-hop as a whole.
He knows this.
He knows that people see him. A black male from Compton California, who makes hip hop songs. And it represents much more than the voice of one person.
And that is his struggle. To shake you and hear him say. “This is me. I am no one but Kendrick Lamar.”
And his new album DAMN. He does just that. He takes you by the collar and says, “This is for me. I’m going to make you question. I’m not going to do what is safe. I’m not going to be what you want me to be. I’m not going to apologize for being who I am. I’m going to continue to be me. Kendrick Lamar. And I am going to rule the world.”
Here he is. King Kendrick.
- Kendrick Lamar’s new album, “DAMN.” Is out now.
- Listen if you like: an artist at his peak, shattering expectations, Art
3. The Mountain Goats – “Rain In Soho”
The Mountain Goats’ new album is called “Goths.” Lead singer John Darnielle was a goth kid when he was young.
And the thing that I love about this song is that he doesn’t belittle goth culture.
It is a goth song. The lyrics are full of lone wolves, castles, the bagman’s call, serpents teeth, and DB Cooper.
It’s totally a goth song written by a dad who used to be goth. And I think that’s pretty cool.
- The Mountain Goat’s new album, “Goths” will be out on May 19th.
- Listen if you like: the eternal abyss, complete darkness, goth stuff
4. Omni – “Wire”
Justin Barney: This is 5 songs We Can’t Stop Listening to and I’m here with our Digital Content Coordinator Amelinda. Amelinda, what is one song you can’t stop listening to?
Amelinda: I’m always listening to a hundred songs, but today it’s “Wire” by Omni.
I was a fan of a band from Atlanta called Carnivores, and I was pretty bummed when they split, but two of those members ended up forming a new band with the guitarist from Deerhunter. And it’s really excellent, really angular post-punk. Yeah, and that band’s called Omni.
Justin Barney: What about the song do you like?
Amelinda: To me it actually sounds like the music video that goes with it. It’s like flashes of stock footage from the late 70’s early 80’s with retro future computer graphics laid out on top.
There is something almost disco about the guitar style. It’s very post-punk on the whole, but also very modern on top of that.
I saw them at Cactus Club recently and it was one of the best live performances I have seen in a while. And watching the guitarist, Frankie Broyles, the audience was just marveling at the way that his fingers moved around the frets. And they are doing something really cool and I hope more people can check it out.
- Omni’s new album, “Deluxe” is out now.
- Listen if you like: angular post-punk, Parquet Courts, Carnivores
5. Shabazz Palaces – "Shine A Light"
Shine A Light is a total mood setter.
Set on the backdrop of a sting section and a fat beat “Shine A Light” is a absolute mood setter.
Set on the backdrop of a sting section and a fat beat there is something about it that is luxurious. You see yourself, in slow motion, draped in fur, stepping out an expensive car, glancing left and right donning sunglasses on a busy street as passerbyes look back, double take, and mouth to themselves, “Who is that?”
It’s you. While you are listeing to Shine a Light by Shabazz Palaces.
- Shabazz Palaces new album, “Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star” will be out on July 14th.
- Listen if you like: Madlib, string sections and fat beats, luxury
5. Girlpool – “123”
Girlpool’s music is like an inner voice externalized. Part lullaby and part anthem, “123” bass line humms you off into a dream as its guitar twinkles over your head and the drums, a new addition for Girlpool, crash in and throughout giving a heartbeat to a song that already has so much heart already.
Girlpool reaches perfection in “123”
- Girlpool’s new album, “Powerplant” will be out on May 12th.
- Listen if you like: Frankie Cosmos, Alvvays, the song “Only In Dreams” by Weezer