Judging by the warming sunshine and the smell of spring flowers in the air, spring is upon us. So while the air conditioners are slowly being activated across the city, the hay fever of springtime music mania has also begun. Many new albums are being released, and the air is finally warm enough to roll down the street with windows open and the music blasting full force. I am no stranger to this behavior, and there have been a few albums that have continually been on repeat these past few weeks. Every spring needs a soundtrack; these happen to be the standouts of my musical experience so far this season.
First up on my spring essentials contain the lovely images of spring time love that AZ/NY mixed Miniature Tigers' “Sex on the Regular” produces. A synth-rich song of first-time romance and serious grooving to the catchy beat, I keep humming it to myself in the shower. Having just seen it live a few weeks ago left it fresh in my thoughts (a quite excellent performance I might add) and on my stereo. The charismatic Californians in Grouplove have also been infecting my brain with their musical menagerie of sound and instrumentation. Tracks like “Colours” and “Slow” are opposites in disposition, but the band colorfully exercises their variety and engaging sound. Grouplove heads to the Valley in the upcoming weeks, and it will be interesting to see how the live performance unfolds. Bands from fun. (“Why am I the One” is one of the best on the new album) to funky afro-beat ensembles like the quirky tUnE-yArDs (“Bizness” is something else entirely). My music spectrum has pretty much jumped all over the place. For some reason even the melancholy lyrics of “So Good” by Say Anything have been hard to pause. As summer break steadily approaches, the precipice of new life experience lies just beyond the stressed college student’s grasp.
Spring is a time of rebirth and fresh ideas. This really seems to transfer to the musical side of my brain. I hope this mix can send you in a positive and enlightening direction. To make sure, I’ll leave you with a song that can’t help but make the end of year coursework that much more manageable, or at least easier to dance to:
