Assignment 23- Mary Huffman- Corona Calm-down

My perfect playlist is “acoustic afternoon/corona calm-down.” We all need to just take a deep breath, light a candle, peel back the curtains, and listen to some calm music. Enjoy some beautiful vocals and instrumentals and some weird lyrics nobody understands.

Honeybee - Steam Powered Giraffe

Ok, this one’s kinda weird. Actually, it’s really weird, but hear me out. This band pretends to be robots or something and it’s super creepy and their fanbase is largely LGBTQ people with a kink for living machines, but this song is a gem. It’s a gentle start to the playlist Their harmonies are so melancholically beautiful that I can overlook their quirks. Just prepare to lose your shit if you look these guys up on Youtube.

Torch Song - J.S. Ondara

This guy’s voice adds a wonderful gritty quality to an otherwise typical acoustic ballad. The song serves as a transition from lamenting moaning to more soulful, guitar-heavy music by existing as the perfect mix of both.

Postcards from Catalonia - David Keenan

I knew I had to include one of David Keenan’s songs in this playlist. Songs of his almost always sound the same, but his voice is so unique and captivating, and his lyrics are so unconventional and powerful that I keep listening. This one isn’t my favorite, but in the last few seconds, Keenan belts “Across the city, they’re sending postcards to Catalonia” over and over, and he ends with “I can’t get out now, so here’s a postcard from Catalonia,” which seemed too immediately relevant to leave out.

Steamboat - Look Homeward

When you can't leave your house for the foreseeable future, pretend you’re travelling down the Mississippi listening to this folky bluesy song. This works you up subtly from the last (kinda mellow) song to the next, which has much more zest. 

Malibu Man - Dan Auerbach

This song reminds me of mild and bright summer days. I feel like I could be driving down some idyllic coast in a convertible. It’s a little more upbeat and poppy than some of the other songs in the playlist, and I think it deserves the award for Most Care-free and Peppy.

It’s Only a Beautiful Thing - Samyel feat. Karen Cowley

This one has the same vibes as Malibu Man, but with a little more juvenile energy. It’s contagiously upbeat, which is a vital thing for a middle-of-the-coronavirus-playlist to be. It feels nostalgic, and nostalgia has a way of making us forget our present struggles.

My Lover - Birdtalker

If I were feeling particularly sad, this song could easily make me cry. I’d describe this one as just like, innocent and pretty. It’s the perfect wind-down to the calm-down and hopefully leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling.