SONGS OF THE MONTH BY GENRE

Classical/ Instrumental:

Little Martha- Allman Brothers Band

A weird niche of music that I have come to love is rock bands making fully instrumental songs. It is just a guaranteed enjoyable experience (honorable mentions are Orchid by Black Sabbath, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins, and Albatross by Fleetwood Mac). This has to be one of my favorites— it’s an acoustic guitar duet accompanied by nothing else, and it is so beautiful in its calming, sweet simplicity. It communicates springtime and walking through the park on a warm day through a series of uplifting and sunshine-y guitar chords and fingerpicking sequences, kind of in a way that is reminiscent of Chet Atkins. This song is just so soft and warm, and I think it is something everybody will like.

Rock:

Old Man- Neil Young

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that most people know this song already. And also that the entire Harvest album is splendid, so it was difficult for me to just choose one song off of it to include here. But I settled on this one because what is not to like? The melodic banjo solos, the movement from powerful choral peaks to soft piano-accompanied lows, and the pockets of slide guitar all come together in a country-esque rock ballad that is so classical and so universally good, you cannot help but sing along. It is a song I wish I could shout into a canyon, or listen to as I drive across the Midwest or something.

Rap/ R&B:

Cudi Zone- Kid Cudi

Over the past few months, I have done a deep dive into the Man on the Moon trilogy, and this song is easily one of my favorites off of this chapter of the tripartite project. Kid Cudi himself says that the first verse to this song was one of the best he has ever written; it is so good that it took him months to write the rest of the song because he was intimidated by the idea of living up to the lyricism of the beginning throughout the rest of the song. Thank god he finished it, because this song feels like you are floating on a star in space, propped up by the chorus of violins and shiny synth and Cudi’s incredible voice over it all singing about (of course) drugs! Listening to it just makes you feel untouchable.

Pop:

Kerosene!- Yves Tumor

I will admit I found this song because Tyler the Creator posted about it on his Twitter, but I am so glad he did. This song is psychedelic, seductive, decorated with intense and soulful electric guitar riffs. I do not know if this song is pop per se, but it deserves a mention for the way it pushes the boundaries of the genre with its dreamy instrumentation and longing lyrics. And Diana Gordon’s voice is so airy and majestic in this song. This song is all around amazing. 

Indie/ Alternative:

I Have the Moon- Lush

Lush is a criminally underrated band, so much so that I am almost reluctant to tell other people about it and sacrifice my indie card. But at the same time, they deserve so much more acclaim than they receive, and this song is such a good example. This song feels like what I think constellations of stars would sound like if they could make sounds, and it definitely reminds me of the shoegaze-y, dreampop of bands like The Cocteau Twins or Beach House. This is a love song that I think is about a relationship that manages to survive every new struggle it is faced with, possibly because of destiny or nature’s perfect balance: hence the beautiful line, “you have the sun I have the moon.” My favorite part of the song is that it communicates this bigger-than-oneself kind of romance. 

Personal Favorite of the Month: 

Crush- The Smashing Pumpkins

It was really difficult to confine myself to one Smashing Pumpkins song on this list, because they are quickly becoming one of my favorite bands ever, but this song continues to reign supreme in my mind. Its perfection and artistry lies in its simplicity, paralleling what the song is about: pure love. Billy Corgan supposedly wrote this song while watching his then-fiancee as she was sleeping, immortalizing the intimacy and sanctity of such a private moment and then placing it over a gorgeous rumbling bass riff. Crush is especially beautiful in its departure from the typical angsty and sad songs of the Smashing Pumpkins. The lyrics, although magnificent, are by no means their best lyricism (if you are looking for that, I would direct you to Disarm or To Sheila or Galapagos), but there is an artful intentionality to the minimalism of the verses and chorus. It is so sweet, so good -- I absolutely would recommend.