Music Therapy

Deep depression

Yep, pretty deep depression here. So we start off with Jessica Lea Mayfield with Kiss Me Again, and then delve into Patty Griffin with Rain (phew!) and Makin' Pies (two of the most depressing - yet amazing - songs I've ever heard). We drag you back out of the pit a bit with The Fiery Furnaces doing The End is Near.

I'm sure there are many, many more songs that you can add to the mix. Let me know your favorites!

In the meantime...

Beautiful/Painful

The subtitle to this one would be "The awful inner landscapes of The Cardigans." I know I've played The Cardigans before, so forgive me if you're not fond of them. I just am continually amazed by their songs. They can be so simplistically happy (and you'll hear some of that in an upcoming session), and they have an AMAZING talent to create these simply painful, awful, yet beautiful pieces. If you can piece this together for me, please do, but I find myself just unable to fully articulate why I find these so interesting. But, there you are.

So, all from The Cardigans, we have: Our Space, War (First Try), Paralyzed, and wrap up a little more upbeat with Junk of the Hearts. It's a hard journey, but while you're in there, take a moment to look around and admire the hard, cool, painful brilliance of it all.

After you're done, try something a little more upbeat.

The angry Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello has written and performed so much music, and of course gets a lot of radio play. I really love some of his lesser-known and angrier work, and here are a few of those today:

Tiny Steps, (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea, and Big Tears.

While these might not be the best examples, no one can write scathing, complex lyrics quite like Elvis Costello.

Feel the burn.

Just a bit much

Some nice and catchy songs here, and at the same time, they're those types of songs that, I don't know, overdo it just a bit in some way. They're like the runners-up of great songs. You know what I mean.

Doesn't mean they're not worth a listen. I Led 3 Lives with House of Ahmet; The Hidden Cameras with In the NA; and wrapping up with Forro in the Dark and Perro Loco.

Have a listen.