by Sebastian Gordon
Since the pandemic started, I’ve had a lot more time to spend indoors. That also means I’ve gotten to explore more music recently.
I have several recommendations that I will share with you that cover a variety of genres and tastes.
I want to touch on my favorite artists/bands which includes; Mitski, Cub Sport, Mother Mother, AmaLee, and Ariana Grande. I’d suggest any of their music but for each I will point out my favorite song.
Mitski is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter who mostly writes alternative/indie rock. It is difficult to pick a favorite but I’d have to say First Love/Late Spring from her third studio released album Bury Me At Makeout Creek (2014).
A lot of Mitski’s music revolves around the idea of romanticized adulthood and how the freedom she experiences comes with isolation. This song mostly reflects on the idea of emotional maturity, as many of her songs do.
Cub Sport is a Australian alternative/pop group that consists of four members. This includes; Tim Nelson (singer,songwriter,producer), Sam Netterfield (keyboardist/vocalist), Zoe Davis (keyboardist, guitarist, vocalist), and Dan Puusaari (drummer).
Chasin’ from their second studio album BATS (2017) would be my top pick. The lyrics are very raw and touch on the topic of pursuit and perseverance throughout life.
Two of the band’s members, Tim Nelson and Sam Netterfield, are married. So, a lot of their music also displays the issues LGBT+ people face on a daily basis when trying to find their love shown in society.
Mother Mother is a Canadian band that creates indie rock music and has five members. This includes; Ryan Guldemond (guitarist, vocalist), Molly Guldemond (keyboardist, vocalist), Jasmin Parkin (keyboardist, vocalist), Mike Young (bassist), and Ali Siadat (drummer).
Verbatim from their debut album Touch Up (2007) is a song that I’d highly encourage people to listen to. It was made to address gender constructs that have been set up in the world.
The lyrics revolve around the struggle for men to express femininity without having others speculating their sexuality. It questions the boundaries that have been set up due to gender normalities.
AmaLee is an American singer and voice actress. She mostly creates English dubs of songs from different anime and video games. Compared to some of the other music I’ve proposed, her music is much more lighthearted.
My favorite cover she has done is Your Lie in April- Medley- Single (2015) from the anime, Your Lie In April. The piece is composed of many songs from the anime and made into one six minute and nine second song.
You don’t necessarily have to know the plot of Your Lie In April to jam to this song. It just sings about the sweetness of romantic relationships and the feeling of love.
Finally, I’d like to recommend Ariana Grande who is an American singer and actress. Most of her music is upbeat and set around intimacy and love.
Her most recent and sixth studio album Positions (2020) has several great bops. I’d urge everyone to listen to pov.
Outside of my favorite artists/bands, I do have a few more notable song suggestions. Such as; Ykwim? (Yot Club), Cigarette Daydreams (Cage the Elephant), Space Song (Beach House), 夜に駆ける(YOASOBI), and King (Lauren Aquilina).
Hopefully, there is something new that you haven’t heard before here. Definitely go try it out and discover some new jams!
