10 Songs I Like, vol. 3

by Stephanie Roush

Cover photo – Stereolab

Now seems pretty ephemeral, but here are 10 songs I’ve been coming back to lately and why I like them (and why you should give them a listen). Also listen on Spotify HERE

“Please Take Me With You” – Broken Social Scene

Broken Social Scene will always take me back to high school art classes when someone would invariably put on Broken Social Scene and everyone would roll their eyes because it all felt a little too “on the nose.” This song is from their new album, but I like it because it reminds of their early music.

“Say My Name” – Tove Styrke

Every summer I find a pop song I love and play it until September rolls around and I can’t stand it anymore. This is my pop song of summer ’17.

“Afterlife” – Arcade Fire

I recently saw Arcade Fire play a secret show in Brooklyn. Afterwards, all I wanted to do was listen to this song. Best enjoyed on repeat for hours at a time, espresso optional, but suggested.

“Excuses” – The Morning Benders

Falling in love, making excuses, the Morning Benders are at their most poignant here. If you haven’t listened to their 2010 album Big Echo in a while, you should probably do that.

“City Music” – Kevin Morby

Kevin Morby’s eponymous new album was made for the lonely-hearted city dweller. He gracefully captures the feeling of walking around late at night in a city where everything around you seems to be more exciting than whatever you’re doing.

“Percolator” – Stereolab

A classic “avant-pop” tune that you probably smoked cigarettes to in high school, thinking you were on the cutting edge. You weren’t. But this song was.

“Sleep Easy” – Sam Evian

If a threesome between Mac DeMarco, Kurt Vile, and Ariel Pink produced a lovechild it would be Sam Evian. If that doesn’t make you want to listen to this song, I give up.

“Oh So Protective One” – Girls

Girls’s lead singer, Christopher Owens, was born into a Christian cult, escaped, busked to make money, and then formed a modestly famous indie rock band. Just some context.

“We Bros” – WU LYF

An indie-rock relic from a bygone era (2011), this song has the frenetic energy of Animal Collective and the soul-crushing instrumentals of The Antlers. WU LYF may not be a band anymore, but the live on in this epic ballad.

“Spice Girl” – Aminé

Familiarize yourself with Aminé, he’s the latest rapper to come out of the LA scene and I have a feeling you’ll be hearing a lot about him in years to come (someone remember this prediction).