As winter drones on and midterm week rears its ugly head once again, music seems like the natural choice for those late nights at the library and early morning cram sessions. That’s why Spotify has become a best friend to many UWM students. Listen to these tracks which our contributors have deemed their favorite at the moment.
FourFive Seconds, Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney
Ever since this single was released, I cannot stop listening to it. Why? First off, the Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney trio has “perfection” written all over it. Their performance of the song on the Grammys was impeccable. It’s different from everything else on the radio right now. And by different, I mean the style is unlike anything these artists and musicians have produced before right up to Kanye West actually singing versus rapping. Weird right? But sometimes, a change of pace like this is necessary. So, do yourself a favor and listen to this song immediately. Soon enough, you will be singing along, as it is one of those super catchy songs that might be stuck in your head for days.
-Bo Bayerl
Honeybee, Steam Powered Giraffe
When I discovered Steam Powered Giraffe last year, the name caught my interest immediately. To quench my curiosity, I searched for the band online and stumbled upon this very song, “Honeybee.” The song didn’t click with me at first, but after a minute into the song, it grew on me. The song has a beautiful melody and a soothing rhythm. Although the lyrics are rather sad, they are also very lovely. Over the last 3 months I listened to this song so much, it’s engraved in my friends’ minds. This July, I hope to see the band perform live at Anime Midwest in Chicago.
-Lerys Pizarro Correa
Dragon Slayer, Ninja Sex Party
Dragon Slayer carries on Ninja Sex Party’s penchant for 80s electric rock music as Danny Sexbang tries to impress a girl with his supposed tale of how he managed to slay a dragon. The lyrics of how he swung his “horse like a club” which “caused a sonic boom that ruptured space and then exploded the sun” add to both the delicious, over-the-top nature of the song and Dan’s character as a parody of arrogant pop stars. After listening to this song, you too will be in love with the band’s “dragon slaying nuts.”
-Jack Fennimore
Giant, Matrimony
I know close to nothing about music in general. It’s a huge cultural gap for me. Consequently, the only way I end up finding new music is reading about it. The Wall Street Journal put me onto Matrimony when they did a piece on how the song was chosen for the end credits for the season premiere of HBO’s “Girls.” “Matrimony” has been running through my speakers for a few weeks now and I’m recommending the song that started my mini obsession with Giant.
-Matt Heimiller
Armchairs, Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird, who started his solo career in 2003 after the moderate success of his first group Bowl of Fire, has gained popularity with his style of American chamber pop. Chamber pop, a sub-genre that originated in the 1990’s, aims to return to more elegant styles of 1960’s Baroque pop that was absent in popular alternative music during that time. “Armchairs,” off of his 2007 album Armchair Apocrypha, perfectly captures this elegance with smooth strings, soft vocals and gentle synths that provide a cosmic backdrop throughout the song. It’s a song for a quiet night after a long day.
-Eugene Lundin
Intro, M83
Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is one of the finest albums to come out in the last 10 years. Released in 2011 you’re probably aware of its major hit single “Midnight City” however if you listen to the entire double album you would find that Anthony Gonzalez is one of synthpop’s greatest treasures. The fact that he did the soundtracks for both the Tom Cruise film “Oblivion” as well as the French film “You and The Night” just goes to show this point even more. Some key tracks off the album are “Intro,” “OK Pal,” “Steve McQueen,” and “Splendor.”
-Mack Shaffer
Gooey, Glass Animals
Not many songs can sooth and relax me while also filling me with the need to break out in dance. “Gooey” by Glass Animals is a song that does just that. Glass Animals is an indie rock band from Oxford whose album, Zaba, debuted in 2014. I stumbled upon their song, “Gooey,” while searching playlists on 8tracks. Despite being a huge fan of the indie rock genre, “Gooey” isn’t quite like anything I’ve heard before. Glass Animals has also been categorized as psychedelic pop, trip hop, indietronica, and alternative R&B. I suppose if we took all these genres and combined them into one song “Gooey” would be the result.
-Angelika Villafuerte
Sad Machine, Porter Robinson
This melancholy tune is the second single and second song off Porter Robinson’s album “Worlds,” released during the fall of last year. “Worlds,” Robinson’s first full-length debut, caused a stir in the electronic music community for its soft and melodic sounds, contrary to the glitchy and bass heavy music being produced at the time. The album became an icon for its rejection of commercial EDM culture and for its use of nostalgic sounds from early 2000s gaming platforms. Sad Machine is an atypical duet piece, Porter sings alongside the Vocaloid AVANNA, marking it as the first time the program has been used for anything besides sound effects. The song is about a lost robot girl who is inadvertently found by Robinson, a duet ensues. It gives off a cool and eerie vibe, much like the album itself.
-Mac Writt
Great Spirit, Nahko Bear (Medicine for the People)
Nahko Bear of Medicine for the People’s “Great Spirit” is a resonating piano tune that journey’s you through our connection to the greater and lesser forces of our planet. With a basic message to be mindful of the environment around us, Nahko’s words to the wise emerge between powerful and sometimes poignant piano melodies. You can’t help but join him in putting your “fist up, bringing the power to the people, your reflection of us.” This song definitely will not disappoint.
-Analise Pruni
Cover Photo Credit: mensfitness