Despite my lack of musical talent, I’ve always known music to be such a beautiful thing. Music not only sounds incredible, but it can make one feel so many different ways. It can induce nostalgia upon its listeners. It can bring back memories of a time where you were at an all-time-low, where the music you’d listen to seemed to be the epitome of your existence in that exact moment. Working out with a fun, catchy beat bumping through your headphones is just as exhilarating as going on a slow, long run with soothing songs is relaxing. It can make a romantic moment even sweeter, or a moment of triumph feel even more euphoric.
My point is, music has so much power on us: it has the ability to control our entire state of being, to move us in ways that no other person, sound, smell, or photograph possibly can. It not only picks us up, as individuals, when we’re falling apart; but it also brings us, as the human race, together. Music is one of the most important attributes that this planet has to offer. It isn’t just something that you listen to — it’s something you live.
While I tend to have a liking for almost all types of music, I find my preferred style to be more abstract than that of most people I know. I have so many peers who listen to country, to heavy metal, to pop: but rarely anybody I meet listens to alternative, indie-rock music, like myself. The genre consists of bands like The Neighbourhood (most commonly known for their song “Sweater Weather,) The Killers (Somebody Told Me,) and Vampire Weekend ("Holiday,"); and solo artists like Julian Casablancas (who is also the lead singer of The Strokes, and is most commonly heard in his Christmas song, "I Wish It Was Christmas Today,") Vance Joy ("Riptide,") and Lana Del Rey ("Summertime Sadness.")
It is a little hard to bond with others over music, as my taste opposes what is considered “normal” in music today, but it is not impossible. Although I’m not one to often be handed the AUX chord often for this reason, I still flaunt my music-style loud and proud. Here are some of my favorite songs of the alternative-pop/rock and indie-pop/rock genre, and reasons why they’re my favorite, in no particular order — for those of you who are interested in widening your array of music, or for those who are just curious. Enjoy!
Without You | Oh Wonder
This duo -- made up of Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West -- sing together to describe how hard it is to live, even if just for a few days, without the person they love. It’s great listen for anybody who anybody who’s waiting for a loved one to come home, and needs a nice pick-me-up.
Haunting | Halsey
This song is wonderfully relaxing, yet insanely powerful. You can hear the passion in Halsey’s voice as she sings the bridge -- "‘cause I’ve done some things that I can’t speak..." -- and it’s easy to sense how much she misses the man or woman whom this song is for.
I Wanna Be Yours | Arctic Monkeys
A beautiful song about lead singer Alex Turner’s yearn for the one he loves. The calm rhythm and soft beats are almost hypnotic.
Dangerous | Big Data
(viewer discretion: sexual innuendos and blood.)
Dat bass.
When Did Your Heart Go Missing | Rooney
The girl Schwartzman is singing about is leaving him both suddenly and unexpectedly — the song title says it all. One of those songs with a sad meaning, but an incredibly fun beat to sing along to.
Honest | The Neighbourhood
(viewer discretion: strobe-like patterns may not be suitable for those with epilepsy)
I think these lyrics are meant to be passive-aggressive. You can tell that Rutherford is pissed at this girl for constantly lying and cheating him, and he “prays for the best [for her],” “hoping [she’ll] find a way to be [herself] someday.” In addition, the song is a part of the “Amazing Spider-Man 2” soundtrack. It plays during the closing credits of the movie, and it is honestly one of the only reasons why I watched the new Spider-man movies (which I ended up loving).
The Girl | City and Colour
Da feels.
Good Boy | Sample Answer
Definitely another great song to relax to, but I also love that it’s so well-composed for such a new artist. I discovered Maurice O’Connor, known now by his performing name Sample Answer, through iTunes — I had a few extra cents to spend, and was looking for apps and music, when I stumbled upon his work. This is the first song I heard of his, and the song I chose to spend that change on. It feels nice to support such a talented upcoming artist.
Love, Love, Love | Of Monsters and Men
Da feels 2.0
Stab City | As Tall As Lions
Nigro is so consumed by the monotony of each day, that he is struggling to enjoy his life as it is — he sings, “it’s like you’re never there, you just float by... I’ve been so tired, I can barely breathe, open your eyes once and try to see,” and then continues with the reasons why the world in which he lives is so dull and dreary. This song is sad, but like most of the saddest songs, it’s beautifully composed.
No. 1 Party Anthem | Arctic Monkeys
Turner tells the story of a man who struggles to keep the attention of a girl, whom he wants to “do [him] no good,” at a party or in a club. I especially love the sound of this one, because it almost seems like something you’d hear during a school dance scene in an old 50’s or 60’s movie.
