Eagerly awaiting the playlist from the outside politics section! I get 90% of my new music recommendation these days from y’all. (Which is why I felt super cool when Sarah first mentioned Olivia Dean and I had already been listening to her for about a year by then!)
I appreciate that another person named Kara asked about songs that aren't about romantic love, because a lot of the songs I listen to are not about romantic love! Solidarity.
Raynes - Lemondrop (moving to LA and chasing fame - LOVE this band. They are phenomenal live! Full disclosure, I know one of the members and he's just as delightful as he appears on stage) https://youtu.be/h3yjSMnG3mQ?si=2-O-xP7RGFubvS32
(Apologies if the links don't work)
This episode is really good timing for me. A couple weeks ago, a guy asked me who I was going to see when I told him I would out of town for a concert. I told him YEBBA! (highly recommend) He said he was going to check it out. So, I was prepared for him to have looked her up and either think I am insane or have good taste in music (both would be accurate in my opinion), OR to have not looked her up at all. I saw him the other day and he asked how it was. So fun, of course. I told him that I had listened to the song he mentioned and I liked the band. He then told me that he hadn't been able to check it out yet, to which I quickly said, "That's alright!" But he likely saw my crazed/crestfallen eyes, because then he said, "Well, I did try to look it up. It's Yebba, right?" He tried to look her up on Soundcloud and was not able to find her music or whole songs?? available. Then he stops, kind of takes a breath, and says "I have a really old computer." To which I again quickly said, "It's alright!" And then he said something about trying to look it up again. I probably said, "It's alright!" again, because apparently that's my thing now. At this point, I did warn him that she has been through some stuff, and a lot of the music is about grief...
Of all the potential outcomes, I did not even consider someone would try to look up music but not find it in this day and age. And honestly, now I'm even more intrigued to learn more about him and what his life is like without the algorithm.
This episode made me so happy, but one reason was because I had no idea what you were talking about at times. I swore off social media 2 years ago and it has been a godsend. Filtering through the news is hard enough. I feel no regrets not getting on FB or IG. Only get on Substack for you guys!
And my daughter and I have been Swifties since she was little - our song is Never Grow Up which we can’t get through without crying.
I feel like I shouldn’t admit this but it doesn’t matter to me how excellent the lyrics may be, if the music doesn’t hook me I can’t stick around. Like it can feel as though I can’t even hear the lyrics, it’s just noise 🫣
I know approximately one million great songs that move me that are not about romantic love. I have no way to share all of them with y'all.
Other:
Art has to exist in such a way that people can be paid for it; people deserve to be paid for what they produce. I don’t disagree that art goes local, but especially if you live in a small to medium size town or city--even if you have very invested in fans, you’re not gonna be able to make a living from that, it’s always gonna be a hobby. To me that’s part of the devaluation of the arts overall: everyone’s very willing to cut funding for arts programs when the fact of the matter is that art has more overall benefits than sports, is more accessible to a wider range of people, and is something that you can do for a lifetime.
I loved the music discussion between Sarah and Beth, and I love the continuing one here from listeners!
Tori Amos is prolific and fabulous and has many songs that are not about romantic love. Her song "Promise Me" is not only about being a mom, but it is a duet with her daughter. It is amazing.
Now I'm going to go look up some of these suggestions!
I loved this music conversation so much! My bff and I went to see Brandi in Chicago, and she had the audacity to play The Mother and You Without Me close together. I SOBBED. The older dad sitting next to me with his grown daughter cried too.
A few other excellent Taylor Swift songs not about romantic love: You’re On Your Own Kid, Clara Bow, The Last Great American Dynasty, Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me. ❤️
I guess I must be a total nerd because all I ever get suggested on Instagram are library, bookstore, and Chicago accounts. Which is why I look at Instagram to relax
When my kid was around 7 or so he would refuse to listen to any song about romantic love…. So this playlist was one lots of the adults in my life had fun making… mostly kid friendly and upbeat songs
I like a lot of self-love songs that are "not love songs" too, so that's what most of these are.
Steven Curtis Chapman - "Cinderella" for the Daddy/Daughter dance at a wedding.
Lauryn Hill - "To Zion" for anyone who wants to hear a grateful song to God about choosing to have a baby even though it's not the best circumstances.
Blind Melon - "Change" because I love the message when life is hard, you have to change.
Incubus - "The Warmth" chorus: don't let the world bring you down. Not everyone here is that f-ed up and cold. Remember why you came and while you're alive experience the warmth before you go.
Lindsey Stirling ft Lzzy Hale - "Shatter Me" is a power ballad about wanting to break free from society's expectations and truly be yourself.
Olivia O'Brien - "Love Myself" because I don't need to know who I am yet. I don't need to have a solid plan yet. I don't need to be the same as everyone else. I just need to motherf-ing love myself.
Judah & the Lion - "Suit and Jacket" about not wanting to lose the passion of youth and trade it for the coldness of adulthood (I ain't trading my dreams for no 401K)
Anne Marie - "2002" is just a fun nostalgic trip through the time period more than the love itself
Eagerly awaiting the playlist from the outside politics section! I get 90% of my new music recommendation these days from y’all. (Which is why I felt super cool when Sarah first mentioned Olivia Dean and I had already been listening to her for about a year by then!)
I appreciate that another person named Kara asked about songs that aren't about romantic love, because a lot of the songs I listen to are not about romantic love! Solidarity.
YEBBA - Evergreen (about her mother who died via suicide) https://youtu.be/0v2nhMQmntE?si=HlU4O3_TSIlLiJuH
YEBBA - Seven Years (grief, forgiveness) https://youtu.be/XPirzc21SuA?si=27nhNqmdHrNcAT03
"Desert Song" // by säje (gorgeous song honoring women, female friendships, etc) https://youtu.be/n7E2JK7bBSE?si=C4TMZTFZzasUwcHP
"Alma" // by säje (the most beautiful song honoring maternal figures - I cry every time)
https://youtu.be/UJKUHAYLkfU?si=hoCp0CHTnfmZswLX
Raynes - Lemondrop (moving to LA and chasing fame - LOVE this band. They are phenomenal live! Full disclosure, I know one of the members and he's just as delightful as he appears on stage) https://youtu.be/h3yjSMnG3mQ?si=2-O-xP7RGFubvS32
(Apologies if the links don't work)
This episode is really good timing for me. A couple weeks ago, a guy asked me who I was going to see when I told him I would out of town for a concert. I told him YEBBA! (highly recommend) He said he was going to check it out. So, I was prepared for him to have looked her up and either think I am insane or have good taste in music (both would be accurate in my opinion), OR to have not looked her up at all. I saw him the other day and he asked how it was. So fun, of course. I told him that I had listened to the song he mentioned and I liked the band. He then told me that he hadn't been able to check it out yet, to which I quickly said, "That's alright!" But he likely saw my crazed/crestfallen eyes, because then he said, "Well, I did try to look it up. It's Yebba, right?" He tried to look her up on Soundcloud and was not able to find her music or whole songs?? available. Then he stops, kind of takes a breath, and says "I have a really old computer." To which I again quickly said, "It's alright!" And then he said something about trying to look it up again. I probably said, "It's alright!" again, because apparently that's my thing now. At this point, I did warn him that she has been through some stuff, and a lot of the music is about grief...
Of all the potential outcomes, I did not even consider someone would try to look up music but not find it in this day and age. And honestly, now I'm even more intrigued to learn more about him and what his life is like without the algorithm.
Tracy Chapman’s self titled album is practically perfect in every way and almost not at all about romantic love.
This episode made me so happy, but one reason was because I had no idea what you were talking about at times. I swore off social media 2 years ago and it has been a godsend. Filtering through the news is hard enough. I feel no regrets not getting on FB or IG. Only get on Substack for you guys!
And my daughter and I have been Swifties since she was little - our song is Never Grow Up which we can’t get through without crying.
I feel like I shouldn’t admit this but it doesn’t matter to me how excellent the lyrics may be, if the music doesn’t hook me I can’t stick around. Like it can feel as though I can’t even hear the lyrics, it’s just noise 🫣
I cannot listen to You Without Me without ugly crying. I LOVE that song and also it is emotionally abusive.
I know approximately one million great songs that move me that are not about romantic love. I have no way to share all of them with y'all.
Other:
Art has to exist in such a way that people can be paid for it; people deserve to be paid for what they produce. I don’t disagree that art goes local, but especially if you live in a small to medium size town or city--even if you have very invested in fans, you’re not gonna be able to make a living from that, it’s always gonna be a hobby. To me that’s part of the devaluation of the arts overall: everyone’s very willing to cut funding for arts programs when the fact of the matter is that art has more overall benefits than sports, is more accessible to a wider range of people, and is something that you can do for a lifetime.
Help! I can't find the jock jams episode of 60 Songs. Does anyone know what its title or date is?
Here you go! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/60-songs-that-explain-the-90s/id1635211340?i=1000757245766
I loved the music discussion between Sarah and Beth, and I love the continuing one here from listeners!
Tori Amos is prolific and fabulous and has many songs that are not about romantic love. Her song "Promise Me" is not only about being a mom, but it is a duet with her daughter. It is amazing.
Now I'm going to go look up some of these suggestions!
If you really want to lose it listening to a song, might I suggest American Aquarium.
Specifically this song about him losing his best friend to suicide: https://open.spotify.com/track/52f5uL3SX691ArGz5N9azQ?si=qhTVN8cZSXipW0hSv2uipA
And this one about his mother dying: https://open.spotify.com/track/0U9H6fCDYwG25eSey70giK?si=vcO92yuLTOq1VKLHqeFKmQ
Sarah you will cry for ten days.
I loved this music conversation so much! My bff and I went to see Brandi in Chicago, and she had the audacity to play The Mother and You Without Me close together. I SOBBED. The older dad sitting next to me with his grown daughter cried too.
A few other excellent Taylor Swift songs not about romantic love: You’re On Your Own Kid, Clara Bow, The Last Great American Dynasty, Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me. ❤️
I guess I must be a total nerd because all I ever get suggested on Instagram are library, bookstore, and Chicago accounts. Which is why I look at Instagram to relax
Every few weeks I have to force feed my Instagram algorithm by searching for videos of stand up comedy, cocktails, and funny dogs.
“Back into my arms” by Cloud Cult is another song about parenting that will destroy you
Just came here to curse Sarah’s name because I had never listened to Me Without You and now I’m sobbing in my car.
When my kid was around 7 or so he would refuse to listen to any song about romantic love…. So this playlist was one lots of the adults in my life had fun making… mostly kid friendly and upbeat songs
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6dzReiTXrg911yuYS3oEso?si=05LXzplnS8C4j-ccVkigfw&pi=muWHA41pTiuiR
I like a lot of self-love songs that are "not love songs" too, so that's what most of these are.
Steven Curtis Chapman - "Cinderella" for the Daddy/Daughter dance at a wedding.
Lauryn Hill - "To Zion" for anyone who wants to hear a grateful song to God about choosing to have a baby even though it's not the best circumstances.
Blind Melon - "Change" because I love the message when life is hard, you have to change.
Incubus - "The Warmth" chorus: don't let the world bring you down. Not everyone here is that f-ed up and cold. Remember why you came and while you're alive experience the warmth before you go.
Lindsey Stirling ft Lzzy Hale - "Shatter Me" is a power ballad about wanting to break free from society's expectations and truly be yourself.
Olivia O'Brien - "Love Myself" because I don't need to know who I am yet. I don't need to have a solid plan yet. I don't need to be the same as everyone else. I just need to motherf-ing love myself.
Judah & the Lion - "Suit and Jacket" about not wanting to lose the passion of youth and trade it for the coldness of adulthood (I ain't trading my dreams for no 401K)
Anne Marie - "2002" is just a fun nostalgic trip through the time period more than the love itself