If there’s anything I know I’m good at, it’s repeating songs for days-on-end until I absolutely despise them. The soaring sensation you get in your chest when you find a brand new, good song is a feeling that cannot be recreated elsewhere. (Perhaps, in hindsight, attending the concert of the band whose song you keep repeating comes somewhere close to that sensation.) In short, if you’re like me, you play that song for that constant feeling—that constant elation—until the track itself makes you want to bash your head into smithereens against the wall.
Hey, it could be hard drugs, right?
On that note, I would like to take the time to apologize to my roommate (especially) and every suitemate I’ve ever had because they have been unwillingly subjected to my incessant repeating of songs along the years. I’m just trying to share the musical goodness with you—honest.
I’ve collected some of my favorite repeats throughout my three years of college for your listening enjoyment. There’s a reason why they’re easy repeats—they’re genuinely great tracks for doing anything. Quite frankly, despite that the songs have been played into oblivion, these songs still make me really happy and I hope they make you happy, too.
“Archie, Marry Me” by Alvvays, off of their eponymous debut.
A retro-sounding singer, lo-fi surf rock and a tale of a woman scorned by her lover, Archie, who will not marry her because he (or she!) “expressed explicitly / …contempt for matrimony.” With endless grey days ahead of us, this sun-stained song is perfect to repeat incessantly to stave off the coming winter months.
This chorus, plain and simple, is infectious. It will remain stuck in your head probably until the day you die. There’s no reason why this song wouldn’t become your favorite song. If you’re like my suitemates from last year, perhaps you don’t like her whiny-sounding voice. There’s something sincere about her whine, though—the speaker is adamant that Archie marries her or him.
“Eat That Up, It’s Good For You” by Two Door Cinema Club, off of their record, Tourist History.
I’ve always been a fan of how high-pitched Two Door Cinema Club’s guitars are. Alex Trimble’s voice is beautifully sweet and easy-on-the-ears, making this track arguably the easiest song to get into. “Eat That Up, It’s Good For You” is a pop track that is fun, melodious and even easier to dance to. If that’s not what you’re looking for in a song, then you’re not human, clearly.
“Fall Harder” by Skylar Spence, off of his album, Prom King.
If you’re in love—play this song. If you’re heartbroken—play this song. If you’re sad—play this song. If you’re—you’re getting my point, right?
I will always be in love with this opening section of guitar chords and synthesizer. The synthesizer sounds like it could easily whisk you away from whatever desk you’re sitting at and away to somewhere far better than the world of academia.
There’s something genuine about Ryan DeRobertis’ voice in this track. This song focuses on the speaker’s infatuation with a girl or boy who is caught up with the world around him or her, leaving the speaker behind in the dust. With that in mind, the chorus, “you’ve got me under your spell / Baby, I couldn’t fall harder” seems like it’s much more than puppy love.
“How Can You Really” by Foxygen, off of their record, …And Star Power.
I give so much respect to bands who emulate a classic rock sound in the modern era. In a time where people are listening to music laden with bass drops and improper use of the synthesizer, it’s always nice to discover a band who are approaching contemporary music with a natural sound. Foxygen is doing just that.
This song’s opening piano chords are f*cking iconic. Sam France’s slides into the song, smearing the song together with his high-pitched, airy voice. Come the trumpets leading into the chorus, you’ll be shaking your head like a madman, jumping around your room to “How Can You Really.”
There was a point in time when I listened to only this song when I logged into Spotify. It’s that good, especially for those who are looking for a good, classic-rock sounding song. You’ll be wondering what you did when France asks, “How can you really love somebody who can’t love you / How can you love someone you can’t leave / It’s my fault / It’s your fault, too.”
“The Look” by Metronomy, off of their album, The English Riviera.
The drums come in over the pipe-organ sounding synthesizer and command you to dance. I’m telling you right now, once that first downbeat hits, you’ll be swaying side-to-side in your chair. In fact, I am in the library doing just that—and yes, it is embarrassing. Whatever.
Wait for the bass to come in to make you into a further fool. This is the track that, paired with “Archie, Marry Me,” will help you keep the grey skies out of your line of sight. It’s kind of fun to listen to this relationship between the speaker and whomever develop throughout the song. At first, lead singer, Joe Mount, addresses the person as “you” until the second verse where it transforms into “we.” Whether that relationship is a good one (“just remember… / all the things we took, took”) is still up to debate.
“My Type” by Saint Motel, off of their EP, My Type EP.
Listen to the beginning of this song and try and point me to another track that sounds anything close to this. That’s right—that song doesn’t exist.
When I first listened to this song, not only did I replay it to all hell, but I was particularly captivated by the seemingly-cocky attitude of the speaker. Bolstered by the triumphant brass section, it could only be presumed that this speaker was one who viewed his lovers and conquests. How wrong I was.
“You’re just my type! / You have a pulse and you are breathing.” That, my dear friends, is comedy at its finest. You’re entirely distracted by the drums, the brass section and bass that you fail to catch onto the wide qualifications of being this speaker’s lover. Get off of your feet, shake off your stiff-studying limbs and get dancing.
“Call Girl” by FFS (Franz Ferdinand Sparks), off of their eponymous debut.
THE REVIVAL OF THE 80S IS ALIVE AND IT IS WELL.
If you were anywhere in East Hill/Lee Hall in the past week and a half, you could find my friend and I jamming ridiculously hardcore to this song in a lounge. You’ll be humming the melody for the rest of the week; you’ll be singing in the shower, “Why don’t you call girl?” even if you have no girl to call.
There’s something very cool about the blend of Russell Mael’s incredibly high voice and Alex Kapranos’ dark, low voice. The constant buzzing of the synthesizer and bass and the steady nature of the drums, not only will you have this song repeating for forever, you’ll be dancing your feet until they’re bloody nubs.
“My Kind Of Woman” by Mac Demarco, off of his record, 2.
Returning back to that classic, stripped-down sound, Mac Demarco is here to rip your hearts out and stomp on them. He slides into your ears, moaning about how his beloved is “making [him] crazy / really driving [him] mad.” Despite it all, he’s quite content with it.
There is an electronic piano that mirrors Demarco’s monotone voice, albeit with a touch of sweetness and melancholy. The chorus repeats, “You’re my kind of woman / And I’m down on my hands and knees / Begging you please, baby, / Show me your world,” further emphasizing the speaker’s pain, but also his or her’s unwavering love.
This song, whilst on repeat, will submerge you into a melancholic fog. You will be overwhelmed with the honesty of this track and you’ll never want to listen to any other song.
“After The Moment” by Craft Spells, off of their album, Idle Labor.
A dream-pop fanatic’s dream come true. “After The Moment” is a simple song that features a speaker who is reflective upon the moment he or she spent with you. Whether that moment is positive or negative, that is up to you. Given that this song is rather straight-forward and direct, it adds a certain lonliness to the mix. Justin Vallesteros’ voice is haunting and is smeared throughout the track, giving “After The Moment” an even more desperate, hopeless romantic feel.
In addition, the guitar and bass repeat themselves throughout the song, giving you, the listener, a groove to latch onto to shoegaze your life away. Because the repetition is actually built in to the track, it gives you all the more reason to repeat it unto eternity. Hooray!
“Mind Over Matter” by Young The Giant, off of their record, Mind Over Matter.
I cannot begin to explain to you how many times I was mocked and yelled at for playing this song so much. It is perfect for playing before you’re going out, the perfect song to shower to and even the perfect song to study to (listen to the beginning electronics and you’ll understand what I mean). Sameer Gadhia’s voice is quietly melodious at the beginning, but swells to be an aggressive, passionate force come the chorus. Paired with the loudening instrumentals bolstering his voice in the back, by the end of this track, your heart will be racing.
If you will excuse me, I’ll be repeating these songs at full-blast for the rest of the evening.
You can listen to this week’s playlist via Spotify below.