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. Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele picks “Life’s Been Good” by Joe Walsh
At the beginning of the week we always have somebody pick a song, usually it’s an artist, but not today.
Today, it’s somebody that’s special to Milwaukee. Since 2011, he has been our Milwaukee County Executive. He’s been a philanthropist, and a longtime supporter of everything Milwaukee. Our guest today, on “5 Songs We Can’t Stop Listening To” is Milwaukee County Executive, Chris Abele.
Justin Barney : Chris Abele, what’s one song you can’t stop listening to?
Chris Abele : Joe Walsh, “Life’s Been Good to Me.”
Justin Barney : Awesome.
Chris Abele : I love the raw, swaggery, quintessentially American guitar style he plays. I love the loose charged up sort of America spirit to it, and it’s funny.
It’s very self-effacing, and funny because at the time it came out everybody knew most of the things he talked about weren’t that much of an exaggeration.
“My Maserati dose 185mph, they took my license, now I don’t drive.”
Justin Barney : Do you remember hearing that song for the first time?
Chris Abele : I don’t know if I do. I certainly remembering hearing it a lot when it came out, and I’m older than fifty so I’ve got the station by 40 years. I do remember loving his style of guitar always.
It’s funny, I’m sure some of the folks who love Radio Milwaukee, may have seen this great documentary about The Eagles recently, and it just sort of reminds you about the rawness of Joe, and the way the other band members are like, “oh right… Joe.” He was pretty crazy and intense, but the dude could play.
Justin Barney: Awesome. So what is the song?
Chris Abele : Joe Walsh, “Life’s Been Good to Me.”
Justin Barney : Awesome, let’s do it.
- “Life’s Been Good” was released in 1978 on Joe Walsh’s album, “But Seriously, Folks…”
- Listen if you like: Classic rock, The Eagles, ripping guitar
2. Superorganism – “Something for your M.I.N.D."
We don’t know a lot about the band Superorganism. Speculation is that their lead singer is a 17 girl from Maine named Orono and the rest of the band resides in London but are from as far of as New Zealand and they all met on a music forum on the internet. I’m not making this up.
It sounds like the song itself is under the influence of some kind of phychtropic substance. There are apple crunches for percussion, rubber band bass lines, and at one point it seems as if the song itself is melting.
All of this while Orono kind of sing talks with her Moldy Peaches vibe, that 17 year old voice contrasting perfectly against the weirdness of the production.
Trip along with Something for your MIND by Superorganism.
- “Something for your M.I.N.D.” is available now as a single.
- Listen if you like: crazy production, Moldy Peaches vocals, The Avalanches
3. Morgan Saint – “You”
There is this line in LCD Soundsystem’s song “american dream” that I love, I wait all six minutes for it. It goes, “you can't fight that feeling
That your one true love is just awaiting your big meeting”
You is the idea that someone is there. That there is someone out there for you even if you haven’t met them, they are there.
- “You” is available now as a single.
- Listen if you like: electronic music with female vocals, Marian Hill, Rhythm Lab
4. Héctor Lavoe – “Mi Gente”
Justin Barney: This is 5 Songs We Can’t Stop Listening To with our newest voice at 88Nine, Vianca Fuster, our new voice of Community Stories. How’s it going Vianca?
Vianca Fuster: Pretty good. How are you doing?
Justin Barney: Good. What is one song you can’t stop listening to?
Vianca Fuster: So today, I had a Héctor Lavoe song on repeat, and it’s called “Mi Gente.”
He’s a Puerto Rican salsa singer. And I’ve just had that on repeat because it’s a song that describes how much pride and joy comes from us just being Puerto Rican, and how happy we are about that.
It’s a song where he is inviting all the people to sing with him and dance with him regardless of their wealth or status on the island.
So I’m feeling a lot of pride and hope for my island that’s going through Hurricane Maria.
- “Mi Gente” was released in 1975 on Lavoe’s album, “La Voz.”
- Listen if you like: pride for Puerto Rico, salsa, solidarity
5. Fellow Kinsman – “You Girl”
Upbeat, fuzzy, and with whatever effect that is that The Strokes use on their vocals, it’s hard not to love the song “You Girl” by Milwaukee’s own Fellow Kinsman.
A classic, boy getting nervous to ask a girl out story line, how adorable. There is a hit of self deprecation with the line “She’s gorgeous/your not. For whatever Fellow Kinsman lack in self-confidence, they make it up in the most appropriate way possible, with monster guitar hooks. Its tender and tough. A perfect balance, it’s “You Girl” by Fellow Kinsman.
- Fellow Kinsman debut album is out now.
- Listen if you like: The Strokes, fuzzy guitars, lo-fi
