MONDAY PLAYLIST

This is my last full Monday of the school year, since my school (in the odd state of New Jersey) gets out next Wednesday. That means we have finals this week, so I will probably listening to music of a more relaxing tempo this week, as that is how I will be feeling due to that damn studying. Ah, I’ll still update though because music rules over silly finals.

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The Elected – Would You Come With Me

[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/ele-wou.mp3]

The Elected is basically composed of half of Rilo Kiley. Blake Sennett and Jason Boesel worked on their new album Sun, Sun, Sun while Jenny Lewis was off working on her own material. The album is full of sappy romantic hooks and lovable western acoustics. ‘Would You Come With Me’ is my personal favorite off the album, as all three minutes are purely enjoyable. Sennett’s lyrical talents are displayed here as he details a typical romance with a chorus reflecting the name of the song. “I had this sadness creeping like vines over me. I didn’t get what I want, so I just took what wanted me.” Yeah, Blake, we get it.
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Isol̩e РSchrapnell

[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/iso-sch.mp3]

Hey, this is electronic instrumental techno. But wait, don’t turn away! I even once got those emo loving high school kids to bop their heads to this insanely catchy song. Off of last year’s exceptional, We Are Monster, Rajko Müller has a load of elements from jazz to microhouse on a very fun album.
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Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers

[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/pet-gam.mp3]

The first time I heard Peter Gabriel, I was working at Subway as a slave making sandwiches about to fall asleep while on the job. This song came on the radio and I immediately found myself listening to one of the lyrically profound songs ever. Interpret a bunch of names as countries in a political gangbang and you have yourself Peter Gabriel’s ‘Games Without Frontiers’. Do yourself a favor and buy Gabriel’s Greatest Hits. The song’s general expression on international relations is brilliant in Gabriel’s wordplay. “Andre has a red flag, Chiang Ching’s is blue. They all have hills to fly them on except for Lin Tai Yu. Dressing up in costumes, playing silly games. Hiding out in tree-tops shouting out rude names. The UN is indeed very well represented by children.

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Wire – I Am the Fly

[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/wir-iam.mp3]

I know a lot of you were aware when Pitchfork gave the reissue of Wire’s Chairs Missing a 10. While I disagree with people who live and breathe on their scores, they were actually quite on target with that album. Actually, every Wire album in the late 70s was just so ahead of its time that it is difficult to disagree. ‘I Am The Fly’ was really one of the first songs of its post-punk genre. It just grows on you immensely with each listen, from the nicely placed claps to the amazing bassline, ‘I Am The Fly’ is just an example of greatness on Chairs Missing.
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The Shins – Saint Simon

[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/shi-sai.mp3]

I’ll share my favorite Shins song because it’s only a matter of time before everyone will get their hands on their new album. Off of Chutes Too Narrow, the reason that The Shins get so much acclaim isn’t because of the overhyped Garden State, rather it’s their simple and straightforward approach to making great pop songs. ‘Saint Simon’ is a very good example of their sound that only can be compared to bands such as Belle & Sebastian.
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Bj̦rk РJoga

[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/bjo-jog.mp3]

Don’t put Björk near Dick Cheney, or he may shoot her. As lame as that joke, the only thing the general public can really pinpoint about Björk is her wild(life) outfits or the fact that she’s from Iceland. Well, that would be our superficial society, eh? Her music is actually quite good too! ‘Joga’ is a beautifully done song off of Homogenic, showcasing Björk’s vocals at their finest. Check out the chorus. Don’t you feel the chill?

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Archer Prewitt – Go Away

[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/arc-goa.mp3]

This last song is very similar in sound to the first one (The Elected) on here, though I actually like this one even more. Archer Prewitt is actually one of the most underappreciated musicians on the modern front today. He was one of the founders of the great The Coctails and his solo career is nothing short of extraordinary. I can’t count the number of instruments he has mastered on two hands. His album last year, Wilderness, was actually my favorite out of the bunch and ‘Go Away’ is just beautiful. When the climax occurs with strings bustling and Prewitt’s flawless vocals taking front stage, the question is how a song could get much better.