1. Diane Coffee picks “A Life Without You (Is No Life At All)” by John C. Reilley
Every week we ask one artist that we love to tell us about a song that they love. This week we are talking to Shaun Fleming A.K.A. Diane Coffee.
Justin Barney: So, what are you listening to?
Diane Coffee: Man, I’m gonna have to go to kind of an old one.
Justin Barney: That’s totally cool. What’s the song?
Diane Coffee: It’s from the Dewey Cox soundtrack. It’s called O Darling, I think. I mean John C. Reilley is suuuch a great singer.
Justin Barney: He is! Every time I’m shocked.
Diane Coffee: Right?! You would not expect that, at all. But he’s great. And just that song, is so so catchy.
Justin Barney: What does it sound like?
Diane Coffee: It’s like a cute little love song. It’s really sweet, but it’s like big. He’s got such big pipes, so it’s got this big belted chorus. And it’s such a standard. I mean that whole movie is supposed to be about cliché tunes. But, with that being said, the songs in that movie are so good.
Justin Barney: Isn’t that funny? How it’s all supposed to be cliché parodies of love songs, but sometimes those are the best songs.
Diane Coffee: I mean, I’m really into love songs. The whole Motown era was built on those, well, rock ‘n’ roll was built on love songs and heartbreak.
- “A Life Without You (Is No Life At All)” was released in 2007 on the “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” Soundtrack.
- Listen if you like: The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, big love songs
2. Blood Orange – “Augustine”
I always look at my relationship with artists as a relationship with a friend. Through just listening I know their thoughts, their fears, their insecurities, their relationship with their parents.
I know some artists better than I know my friends. They’ve always been there for me. And I’ve always been there for them.
When Dev Hynes started making music with Test Icicles, I remember listening to it on the bus to Franklin High School. When he was going under the name Lightspeed Champion, I cranked “Galaxy of the Lost” and when he changed to Blood Orange and embraced his androgyny and place in the world, I embraced it with him.
And this song is Dev telling me how he feels, and as a friend, I’m listening.
- Blood Orange’s new album, Freetown Sound, is out now.
- Listen if you like: Dev Hynes, Prince, D’Angelo
3. Atmosphere – “Ringo”
I like this song a lot. It’s kind of drink-a-bud-lite-on-a-pontoon, and it kind of reminds me of hip-hop’s version of Lit’s- “My Own Worst Enemy,” but sometimes it’s summer in Wisconsin and you want to want to sit in the sun, drink a beer and listen to the hip-hop version of My Own Worst Enemy, and unapologetically have a good time.
This song has a great hook, the song topic is great, so let’s just sit back and enjoy it.
- Atmosphere’s new album, Fishing Blues, is expected to be released on August 12th via Rhymesayers.
- Listen if you like: Summer days, great hooks, catchy hip-hop
4. Opiuo – “Quack Fat”
Justin Barney: I am here with our Program Director, Jordan Lee. What is one song you can’t stop listening to?
Jordan Lee: This guy Opiuo. I guess I would compare Opiuo to Pretty Lights. It’s funky. It’s glitchy. It’s electronic-y. But for me, it hits all the right chords.
Justin Barney: When I hear it I’m like, ‘This is a Jordan Lee song.’ Because I know Jordan Lee songs. What does Jordan like? Weird electronic noises, sounds that are fun, stuff that you wouldn’t expect.
Jordan Lee: Fun? This song is called “Quack fat” *laughs* What is more fun than a song called “Quack Fat?”
Justin Barney: What else do you like about it?
Jordan Lee: I like that, with instrumental music, you can interpret what the song means to you. There are no lyrics. I don’t listen to lyrics. Everyone knows this about me. So I surround myself with people like you who pay attention to the poetry of music. But I’m a rhythm guy. I’m a melody guy. If the synthesizers make me make a lemon face, like I just bit into a sour lemon, that’s a good sign. And that’s what this song, “Quack Fat” does for me.
- “Quack Fat” was released in 2014 on Opiuo’s album, Meraki.
- Listen if you like: EDM, Sophie, fen electronic sounds
Opiuo - Quack Fat from Dropbear on Vimeo.
5. Angel Olsen – “Shut up Kiss Me”
This is an anthem. Most anthems, are like “We will rock you” or “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” proud and confident proclamations. But this one is different. This is an anthem for the already defeated. For those who have been heartbroken, broken down, and lied to, and the needy. It’s a statement that actions are louder than words. It’s the anti-anthem, so Shut up kiss me and hold me tight.
- Angel Olsen’s new album, “MY WOMAN” will be out September 2nd via Jagjaguwar
- Listen if you like: being held, anti-anthems, tinsel
