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1. Joseph picks “Get Out While You Can” by James Bay
Every week we ask one artist that we love to talk about one song that they love. Here, we are catch up with Natalie Closner, of the band Joseph.
Justin Barney: Natalie, what is one song you can’t stop listening to?
Natalie: James Bay, the guy we’ve been traveling with, the last song in his set is called “Get Out While You Can.” It’s this very inspiring thing. And I read the lyrics the other day.
Justin Barney: There is nothing like listening to the song as you are reading the lyrics. I swear to god that is the thing that overwhelms me all the time. And I think “Why don’t I do this every day? Why don’t I do this with every song I listen to?”
Natalie: I know!! And I ended up doing this for all of James’ lyrics because every single night I listen to this and it feels good and I didn’t even realize the effort that went into this craft.
Okay. Oof. So this song is about him being in this tiny British town. And kind of seeing the trajectory of people in that town, and going “No thank you.”
This is the part. He goes “I’ve seen the greener grass/I’ve seen the faster cars/And I don’t need your happy hours/I don’t need your lonely bars/I’m projected like a bullet from a gun/So take your final look at me/Maybe even take my hand/This is no encore/ We’ve only just begun
AHHHHAAAAAHHHHH
Justin: AAAHHHHAAAAAHHHHHH
Natalie: I was just like OHH WOW
Justin: Tears! And joy! And feelings! And warmth.
Natalie: Oh my gosh, and I just love that idea of “I’m taking off. You wanna come? Or I’ll see you later.” And he plays it last in his set which I think is really cool because of that idea. That continuation. He even says, “This isn’t the encore, this is just the beginning.”
- “Get Out While You Can” is off James Bay’s 2015 album, “Chaos and Calm.”
- Listen if you like: feelings, inspiration, reading lyrics
2. Parekh & Singh – “I Love You Baby, I Love You Doll”
I think that the simple love song is the core of a lot of music.
Of all the hundreds of musical styles and genres, I think so much of music comes down to a song like this. The simple, simple love song.
The Beatles really kind of showed the power of the simple love song with I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Love Me Do.
And it’s gone through it’s phases, It’s precious and I think that turns some people off. But the love song will be powerful as long as there is love. And as long as you believe in that, I think a song like this holds a certain power.
- Parekh & Singh’s debut album, “Ocean” will be out on October 28th.
- Listen if you like: Simple love songs, Walter Martin, early Beatles
3. Conor Oberst – "A Little Uncanny"
When Connor Oberst sat down last winter in his hometown of Omaha Nebraska he says that he wasn’t planning on writing a record. But he found himself at the piano every night, burning through wood and watching snow pile up. And suddenly he had an album. And after two days, he recorded it.
He had an album full of ruminations. Titled that as well. In this song we find Oberst ruminating about legacy. He sings of artists and the unexpected legacy that they leave. The fact that they have no control over what that narrative is, and, it’s possible that he is thinking about his own.
The 36 year old singer has been making critically acclaimed music since he was 13 years old. He’s had his share of scandal and problems mixed in with that. I mean, he was
He is focusing a lot on legacy. Which makes sense. Oberst has been making critically acclaimed music since he was 13 years old. So he is kind of in that legacy stage himself. And he’s had his fair share of trials and tribulations. He had an alleged sex scandal and abuse. Even on this tour, he was pulled early from a three date tour after a troubling night here in Milwaukee, some of it which we saw at the radio station ourselves.
And in this song he ponders the legacy of some of the people he looks up to himself, Robin Williams, Oliver Sacks, Sylvia Plath and wonders about the narrative after they were able to control that. And in turn, he ruminates over his own legacy.
- Conor Oberst’s new album “Ruminations” will be out this Friday, October 14th.
- Listen if you like: harmonica and piano, historical references, Bright Eyes
- THIS SONG DOES NOT EXIST ON THE INTERNET YET. To hear the song, click the link at the top of the page and it starts around the 10:30 mark.
4. Gorillaz – “Dirty Harry”
Justin Barney: This is 5 songs we can’t stop listening to and I’m here with Logan McDermott. Logan we don’t usually hear you on the radio, what do you do at 88Nine?
Logan: I am an account executive. I build business support for Radio Milwaukee.
Justin: And what is one song you can’t stop listening to?
Logan: So there is a lot of hype around the new Gorillaz album. When is it gonna come out? What’s it going to be like? So I have been listening to “Demon Days” probably once or twice a day for the past month.
Justin: *laughs* Demon Months
Logan: Yeah, Demon months. You know, one song specifically, is “Dirty Harry.” It’s kind of got that funky beat to it, and then Booty Brown comes in. And he’s got the greatest spot in it. And it just really picks you up. The chorus is this funky little beat.
There was this time, I was just mopping the floor, trying to get out, cause I’m going to party. It’s college, you know? So I crank it up and I’m just dancing in the back and I had my own little jam.
It’s stayed with me for everything. You know, and I can turn that up because all I ever want to do is dance. That’s all I ever want to do. Bop around, left, right, forward, and moving my feet. And Dirty Harry really hits me there. It takes me back.
- “Dirty Harry” was released on Gorillaz 2005 album, “Demon Days.”
- Listen if you like: dancing, anticipating the new Gorillaz album, dancing some more
4. Tennessee Ernie Ford - “Sixteen Tons”
Justin: I’m here with our very own Kat. What is one song you can’t stop listening to.
Kat: I’m gonna talk about sixteen tons and whattya get, another day older, deeper in debt. Tennessee Ernie Ford, “Sixteen Tons”, recorded in 1955.
Justin: And what about this song and why do you like this song?
Kat: Well, it’s a song about the dead of coal miners working in company towns, but I’m thinkin’ of drawing this parallel to modern day student debt.
Justin: I heard this song for the first time yesterday. It was during a movie at the film festival and they had Tennessee Ernie Ford singing this song. I recognized him, he has that resonant deep voice, and I was like, I need to look up this song as soon as I get out of here. It’s weird that you picked this song.
Kat: It’s been one of my favorites for a long time. My brother always sings it karaoke. That’s his go to karaoke song. I can understand owing your soul to the company store as I think about the weight that so many people carry of student debt, which is why I just really want to encourage youth to consider the trades.
Justin: Tennessee Ernie Ford, “Sixteen Tons”.
- “Sixteen Tons” was released in 1955.
- Listen if you like: the deep and resonant voice of Tennessee Ernie Ford, the plight of coal miners in pre-WWII America, the eternal struggle of the working man and woman
5. Okey Dokey – “Wavy Gravy”
Imagine that you are at a dance. The punch is out. The lights are low. And that person that you’ve had eyes for for months walks across the gymnasium floor. And takes your hand.
This song comes on. You shuffle left to right, left to right. Head on your partners shoulder. Swaying just so slightly. No so much dancing as just holding them on the dancefloor, and falling in love with the moment.
- Okey Dokey’s upcoming album will be called “Love You, Mean It.”
- Listen if you like: Slow Club, doo-wop, school dances
5. Jonwayne – “Wonka”
Justin Barney: I’m here with our intern Eddie, AKA Fast Eddie. Eddie you have been haranguing me about playing one artist and a song in particular. Could you tell me what is the song and artist you can’t stop listening to?
Eddie: First of all the artist is Jonwayne. And the song that I really want to listen to is “Wonka”
Justin Barney: Why Wonka?
Eddie: So basically the little history is that Jonwayne was allegedly retired. He put out an album saying that Jonwayne is retired so he hadn’t talked to anyone in like two years, and then all of a sudden he comes out of nowhere at the beginning of the summer with “Wonka” which is the single. And “Wonka” is basically an ode to the new Jonwayne, and kind of a scathing review of everyone who doubted him. It’s like a diss-track but in like a really powerful way.
Justin Barney: Like an affirmative diss-track?
Eddie: It’s an affirmative diss-track, but in his own manner. He did an interview right before he dipped out on the public and he was like, “I hate rap. I hate hip-hop. I’m not rap. I’m not hip-hop. I’m my own person. I’m a musician and I don’t care about what you want to say about me. I’m here doing this self-gratifying level of music, and if you’re gonna disrespect me for being a hip-hop artist I don’t care because I’m not a hip-hop artist. I’m a musician.”
And I love that.
- Jonwayne’s single “Wonka” is out now.
- Listen if you like: MF DOOM, dogma rap, affirmative diss-tracks