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.
1. Waxahatchee picks “Up the Junction” by Squeeze
For the first song of the week we always ask one artist that we love to tell us about a song that they love.
Katie Crutchfield is Waxahatchee. From Birmingham Alabama, Katie Crutchfield was in the band P.S. Eliot with her twin sister Alison Crutchfield before going on to so her own solo work under the moniker Waxahatchee. Her new album is “Out in the Storm.” We are playing the song, "Never Been Waiting.” My guest today is Katie Crutchfield, AKA Waxahatchee.
Justin Barney: “Katie, what is one song that you can’t stop listening to?”
Waxahatchee: The song “Up the Junction” by Squeeze. I’ve been really into that song. Lately I’ve been going through this phase. I think it relates to my own music.
People always ask me about my music being so melodic and poppy but the lyrics being so intense and heavy. And that juxtaposition. I’m into that. That song is such a great example of that. Because it’s the poppy-ist, most catchy song in the world.
Actually, the reason that I paid attention to the lyrics is because we were going to cover it. And the lyrics are so depressing.
Justin Barney: Really?
Waxahatchee: Yes! It’s about a guy who falls in love. And then his girlfriend gets pregnant. And then he becomes an alcoholic. And then she dumps him and marries a soldier.
It’s really sad! And it’s the catchiest song on the planet. So good. But I remember paying attention to the lyrics and just being like, “I don’t think we can cover this.”
- “Up the Junction” was released in 1979 on Squeeze’s album, “Cool for Cats.”
- Listen if you like: Waxahatchee, Elvis Costello, sad songs that sound happy
- Full interview with Waxahatchee
2. BROCKHAMPTON – “SWEET”
History of the Hip-Hop Collective. From the Jump with Zulu nation, to the Wu-Tang Clan, Odd Future, and new to the scene, we have, BROCKHAMPTON.
And in a move that reflects hip-hop’s takeover of mainstream music, BROCKHAMPTON has not marketed themselves as a hip-hop collective, but present themselves, partially tongue in cheek, as a boy band.
The boy band of 2017 is intersectional. BROCKHAMPTON’s identities are blend of skin tones, sexual orientations, artistic disciplines, and personalities capturing a collective energy. When every person’s creativity is greenlighted by the others and elevated. Bringing the best out of everyone and creating a space where it’s okay to do something weird, like rapping in a falsetto. This is a group of friends that sound like just having fun. They have captured energy. And their music reflects that.
- BROCKHAMPTON’s new album, “SATURATION II” is out now.
- Listen if you like: posse tracks, Odd Future, hip-hop
3. Faith Healer – “Try ;-)”
When asked why use that in the song title, lead singer and guitarist Jessica Jalbert said, “I think it’s cheeky and fun, which is something I was trying to access a little more with this record.”
And less than thirty seconds into this song she listlessly heaves “I want to cry about it.” twice, And with that I think she really captures the feeling of a generation. One that is overwhelmed and exhausted, but, like, also loves a good meme, and is emotionally honest.
- Faith Healer’s new album, “Try ;-)” will be out on September 8th.
- Listen if you like: college rock, Mac Demarco, Frankie Cosmos
4. Drugdealer – “Suddenly (feat. Weyes Blood)”
Justin: I’m here with our intern, Arielle Bordow
Arielle: It me!
Justin: Whaddup?! Arielle, what’s one song you can’t stop listening to?
Arielle: One song that I can’t stop listening to is Suddenly by Drugdealer featuring Weyes Blood?
Justin: Weyes Blood.
Arielle: Weyes Blood.
Justin: And why do you like this song?
Arielle: Drugdealer is Michael Collins who was half of Silk Rhodes and I LOVED that project.
Justin: Awesome.
Arielle: And then on this album, he worked with members of Mac Demarco’s band, members of Mr. Twin Sister, he recorded with Ariel Pink. Arielle is my name.
Justin: Arielle Bordow? We just listened to the song and it’s like two songs
Arielle: Yeah! That are spliced together!
Justin: Yeah! It like starts off as one song and then you hit this point- it’s like WOAH! Like you’re transitioning to another song and then it kind of comes back to that first song-
Arielle: Right!
Justin: It’s your classic two for one!
Arielle: It’s a classic!
Justin: You’re really getting your bang for your buck in this song
Arielle: Seriously!
Justin: That’s awesome!
Arielle: What else I love about the song is, you know, the song starts out pretty slow, you’re like, “What am I getting myself into?” then it speeds up and you’re like, “Am I gonna dance a little bit?”
Justin: Oh hello!
Arielle: And then you realize that that faster part, in contrast to the slower part, seems happy, but it’s still kind of sad and nostalgic. Then, you look into the lyrics a little bit and you see the words are, “Suddenly my mind is open. And I know you won’t be sitting with me. I feel like I’m home again.” It’s this weird thing where you’re sad because you’re alone, but you’re kind of finding comfort. And I think this is relevant because now I’m gonna leave Milwaukee and I’m going to have to find home again, I guess, where I’m going.
Justin: Yeah, love it.
Arielle: Yeah.
- “Suddenly” was released in 2016 on Drugdealer’s album, “The End of Comedy.”
- Listen if you like: The Lemon Twigs, Foxygen, your classic two-for-one
5. Slaughter Beach, Dog – “Building the Ark”
I love having bands that are like, my band. You know what I’m saying?
You feel like no one else in the world knows about this band but you and maybe a small group of loners and weirdos that are like you.
Slaughter Beach, Dog is one of those bands for me. Their music is specific and has feeling, but their lead singer delivers it so plain and monotone.
Others might hear it and say it’s too slow or boring, or that he can’t sing. And that’s fine with me because I love it.
This song won’t be everyone’s favorite song, but it’s mine. And maybe it will be yours too.
- “Building the Ark” will be released on Slaughter Beach, Dog’s new EP, “Motorcycle.Jpg”
- Listen if you like: Modern Baseball, low key deliveries, great songwriting
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5. Sweet Spirit picks Françoise Hardy – “Il est trop loin”
We always ask one artist about a song that they can’t stop listening to, and this week we asking another.
Sweet Spirit is from Austin, Texas. Their new album is St. Mojo. We are playing their song “The Power.” I’m here with lead singer
Justin Barney: Sabrina, what is one song you can’t stop listening to?
Sabrina Ellis: It’s a song by Françoise Hardy and it’s a slow one. I think it’s called “Il est trop loin”.
It about…well…I have no idea.
But I imagine…what I imagine when I hear this song, it sounds to me like “The Flower Duet” because it’s got really close harmonies and the two voices sound like two different voices but I believe they’re both Françoise Hardy’s voice. She’s using her masculine voice and then her feminine voice. It’s very close and classical and slow. About three quarters of the way there’s a long, kind of distorted jazz solo. It’s really groovy and you don’t expect it.
- “Il est trop loin” was originally released in 1967 on her album, “Ma Jeunesse Fout L'camp.”
- Listen if you like: French Yé-yé, France Gall, Serge Gainsbourg
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
