One of my favorite things to do recently is get into the kitchen with something I have never cooked before. I’ll scour social media for recipes that look appetizing and don’t use salt as the primary seasoning in it. When it comes to music, recently I have unlocked a whole cabinet of new spices and seasonings for my lengthy playlists. If you’re looking for something rich, light, or something with a good blend of different flavors, look no further. Here is my recipe for a rocking playlist for spring 2024 with some familiar favorites and a whole lot of flavor.
10. “Context: Fearless Pt. I” by Crown Lands
If you like to feel like you’re at a concert at 8 a.m., drum on your steering wheel with passionate fury at 3 p.m., or drive with your windows down at 9 p.m., you need to add “Context: Fearless Pt. I” to your playlist immediately. With a blend of emphatic lyrics viewing life as a spiritual experience and stank-face-level guitar riffs, this song is perfect for those moments where you truly feel alive or need some zest. While bearing face-melting homages to progressive rock, Crown Lands presents an unmatched sonic presence in the modern musical landscape. This song is perfect for those days when you want to feel invincible or go on that run when you’re over-caffeinated. The duo that is Crown Lands manages to out-perform multiple-member bands in this song. The lead singer, Cody Bowels is also the drummer, and the guitarist, Kevin Comeau, is also the bass player and keyboardist. To say these guys will blow your mind is an understatement. If you like Rush, Greta Van Fleet or Rival Sons, Crown Lands will fit perfectly within your listening preference.
9. “Get It Together” by India.Arie
If you like lava lamps, citrus candles, or big comfy blankets, this song will take you to another level of comfort. This is a song of self-discovery, healing and forgiveness. It is rooted in R&B, with touches of soul. India.Arie sings of dealing with grudges and resentment while posing objective truths as potential outcomes for different resolutions. “You can fly, fly, fly, fly,/ You can live or you can die,” are the ultimatums she offers over an acoustic backbeat accented over snaps and bass thuds. Strings build tension, while her rich voice resolves it. India.Arie’s voice is soothing, a juxtaposition to the subject matter. If you need to meditate on something, relax in a bath, or a song to chill out to that will be a crowd pleaser, this is the perfect song for you. If you like Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill or Erykah Badu, India.Arie may join the ranks for your new favorite musician.
8. “All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers
If you like combat boots, white string lights and showers in pitch black, you’ll love “All These Things That I’ve Done.” An anthem for the brokenhearted but resilient, downtrodden yet hopeful, and the limited creative, this is a song of resolve. It is being okay with your past, but growing up to be better. It is a song about being okay with not being perfect, but still acknowledging that you are a good person. It is a song asking for help. It is all these things and more. Brandon Flowers sings with religious overtones, emphasized by the incorporation of the gospel choir in the final climax of the song. Coming from the same album that “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” are featured on, this song is set up for success. It feels like going on a jog or coming home late and falling into bed but a favorite you can come back to over and over again. If you like Muse, The Strokes or Arcade Fire, you fall in love with this well-loved classic.
7. “Eyes Without a Face” by Billy Idol
If you like going to the aquarium, sitting outside in the rain, or thrifting by yourself, you’ll love this song. It reeks of mom jeans, dimmed lights and headlights in the rain. While Billy Idol’s iconic nasally voice describes infidelity and being empty, the instrumentals echo around him. It is a song of heartbreak but feels like a lucid dream. The keys are the primary feature of this song, you can hear emotional pangs that feel fluid but heavy. The notes slide from high to low, which gives the song a mellow feel. A strong bass line roots the song, while the drums act as a metronome. The guitars take on a leading role as well, finding strength in rhythm and powerful tone changes throughout the song. It is a song to throw on and not have to think. You can listen to it while doing mundane things and genuinely enjoy the task. If you like the Cocteau Twins, Slowdive or David Bowie, you’ll love this song.
6. “Reasons for Waiting” by Jethro Tull
If you like hikes, journaling, or walking around barefoot, “Reasons for Waiting” might be the next song for your playlist. It is whimsical, with chord progressions and arpeggios that sound like you’re meant to dance. Lyrically, this song is romantic, with powerful imagery that evokes feelings of warmth, like you’re being hit by a beam of sunlight or eating a bowl of warm soup. Strings accompany the flute which carries a tune that offers a folksy sound, yet stays true to progressive rock. Ian Andersen and his flute are at the forefront of the unique sound this song provides. Strings allow this song to truly find its footing in its melody. The fluttering guitar strumming acts as the primary percussion. The only low tones in the song are provided by an organ, which allows the heightened nature of the song to feel airy and light. If you like the softer songs from Led Zeppelin, Yes or Pink Floyd, you’ll love this song.
5. “Love and Happiness” by Al Green
If you like listening to music in the kitchen while cooking, ugly grandma couches and long car rides, “Love and Happiness” is a familiar favorite. Al Green is one of the greatest soul artists to ever produce music. His voice is charged with a religious background, immensely derivative of gospel music, as he sings about the relationship that love and happiness have between each other. It is a symbiotic relationship that sometimes contradicts itself. “Love and Happiness” is an easy-listening song, with funk elements such as the keys, rhythm guitar and a horn section that transforms the song with just the right additives. The drums in the song are fairly consistent throughout yet accent each note perfectly. If you need a song to listen to when you get dressed in the morning, this is the perfect song for that. If you like Aretha Franklin, the Neville Brothers or Bill Withers, you’ll be obsessed with this song.
4. “Crave” by Paramore
If you have a playlist labeled “Bittersweet”, an Instagram highlight of your friends, or get a sharp pang in your chest when you think of how many years you have left in college, “Crave” may be your new favorite song. With Hayley William’s powerful belts and a dreamy yet pained sound, this song paints nostalgia as a nuanced venture. Paramore is a familiar name to most, with hits such as “Hard Times”, “Ain’t It Fun”, and “Misery Business”, this song feels like a victory lap. It gives off that feeling of graduation and that slow-motion celebration scene at the end of an early 2000s movie. If you like the song “Where Is My Mind?” by the Pixies, “Yellow” by Coldplay, “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, or maybe even “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star, you’ll love this song.
3. “Love It If We Made It” by the 1975
If you like screaming a song in your car and having deep conversations or had a Tumblr account in 2016, this song will already be in your library, if not, add it. This song is an anthem of a generation. While discussing politics, controversies, and emotional pressure points in pop culture, this song ebbs and flows between anger and hope. It discusses the good, the bad, and the ugly from the perspective of a millennial. The repetitive lyrics of “Modernity has failed us,” and the chorus of “I’d love it if we made it,” are the key themes in the song. It is one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard, fully encapsulating the frustrations of growing up and feeling helpless to the larger problems in the world. Matty Healy’s voice details a sign of the times, while pop-synth instrumentals disguise the song as upbeat. Staccato strings and steady drumming sound like time passing, giving the song momentum as the song gets more complex. Healy’s delivery is angry. He shouts, punching each word with every breath he takes. If you like The Arctic Monkeys, Harry Styles or Tears for Fears, you’ll love the 1975.
2. “Midnight in Harlem” by Tedeschi Trucks Band
If you like that 2-day period in spring when your allergies haven’t kicked in yet, taking pictures of the sunset in a random parking lot and cooking meals for your friends, “Midnight in Harlem” is a new staple for you. With the romantic theme of finding beauty in the mundane or otherwise forgotten as a vessel for different instruments to shine uniquely, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks lead their band through melodic highs and lows. With Trucks’ and Tedeschi’s insanely impressive resumes, their sound is unparalleled. With accolades spanning from Trucks’ performances as a member of the Allman Brothers Band and Tedeschi’s performances for Lilith Fair, their jam-packed careers have warranted the soul-blues band to come to fruition. Trucks and Tedeschi have an almost call-and-response to each other throughout the song. Tedeschi’s tone in her voice is open and soulful. Trucks’ tone in his guitar is the perfect match. The band behind the two leads offers a steady pace for the two to shine. The song features keys that almost sound like a gospel choir, truly elevating the experience that much more. If you like the Allman Brothers Band, Big Thief or Widespread Panic, you’ll love Tedeschi Trucks Band.
1. “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” by Jeff Buckley
If you like sitting in your car after you get home from a long drive, the smell of rain, or cheesy romance novels, and haven’t heard this song yet, you’re seriously missing out. Between Jeff Buckley’s incomparable vocals sweeping over a pained melody, and the crashing of the drums over soulful organ chords, this song has a layered sadness to it that cannot be reproduced. Powerful imagery of a funeral introduces the song as a brutal emotional rollercoaster. References to Shakespeare’s “Richard III”are provided to express extremity with “My kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder” where it pronounces dire need. This song is riddled with heartbreak, whilst sounding like a song to dance to in the kitchen with a partner. Buckley blames himself through the heartbreak he describes in one of the most powerful recounts of a failed relationship I have ever encountered. It is the breakup song of all breakup songs. It is the most gut-wrenching song I have ever heard and a must-listen before you die. If you think “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” by Taylor Swift was hard to listen to, this song may flat-out be impossible to listen to. It evokes so much emotion, and I’d give anything to be able to listen to this song for the first time again. If you like Hozier, The Smiths, or Elliot Smith, you’ll fall in love with this song.
