By Caleigh Horan
"Wish me luck, I know you'll think I need it." -The Avett Brothers
What makes some goodbyes more significant than others? It’s a word I say daily, to my roommates as I leave for class or as I hang up the phone with my parents, but often, the weight of this word makes my heart feel like a lead balloon. This feeling is the airport goodbye. The airport goodbye has evolved over the past few decades. What was once a painstakingly long and drawn out process of waiting with your one-way destination-ed partner in their terminal has been truncated to a mere drop-off zone, one that you must shuffle through with haste or risk a brisk whistle from airport security. This song captures, in slow motion, all of the feelings surrounding an imminent goodbye: the anticipation, the heartache, the longing, without saying a thing, simply suggesting “I know. I know.” How many times in your life have you wished there was more you could say, more you could do, just to keep someone around a little bit longer? I know. I know. I think that’s what is so difficult about the airport goodbye. You know the person you are letting go will not be the same once you meet again, and that is scary and sad because it never feels good to consciously drift from someone you care about. But have you ever considered that maybe you’ll be different too? It’s intimidating to tackle the world solo, but it’s often necessary to grow as an individual. It may be lonely at times, but The Avett Brothers are here to remind us that, “Everyone I know out here is lonely, even those that have someone to lie beside them at night”. These are universal feelings that demand to be felt, and this song is an honest tribute to the beauty underlying these feelings.
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By Lauren SmithWhen my friends told me they were really going to the show to see Bad Bad Hats, the second opener, I didn’t bother with any research. Little did I know that I was familiar with a handful of their songs- their equal parts angsty and catchy alt-rock songs had engraved themselves into my mind over the course of the past year. After arriving at my favorite venue in St. Louis, The Firebird, we quickly made our way to the bar for a pair of very necessary and intensely refreshing 24 oz. tall-boys. Funny enough, the Firebird is the antithesis of its own location- home of the Pabst Blue Ribbon consumer, it sits on an awkward block full of corporate offices in Midtown. The black rectangle of a building has no street-facing sign, you have to walk around the back to find its hidden entrance. The shabby, no-frills demeanor allows you to blend into the crowd and enjoy a concert the way a concert should be enjoyed. We walked in the door as Bad Bad Hats was beginning their set- their powerful sound filling up the space. I was immediately enchanted with the lead singer and her red, curly bob and 90’s mom outfit. Her Minnesotan influence shone through due to the thin pair of black sunglasses that sat on top of her head. The way she would perform a deadpan soliloquy about all-too relatable fits of emotion was mesmerizing- her voice sounded as if it came out of a car dealership commercial from the 50’s, making everything she said comical. Photo By Sophie Sissie Prefacing the song “Super America”, “a love song to a time-honored midwestern treasure” of of their debut LP, Psychic Reader, Alexander explained that “sometimes you just need to sit on the couch in your comfortable pants, alone with your sorrows and a good snack”. Somehow, her lyrics turn an ode for a gas station in a meaningful tune that you can connect with. “I want a sweet tea and a heart that won't break, I want an Icee a nice boy to date”, she sings. She explained that “Things We Never Say” was written about sleeping with your phone “in case the love of your life suddenly texts you to say ‘I too, am madly in love with you’ so you can respond promptly and accordingly”. Alexander’s way with words may stem from her degree in creative writing from Macalester College, a liberal arts school in St. Paul where the band came together. After recent critical acclaim from big names like NPR, Spin, Pitchfork, and Stereogum, the band is a long ways away from its humble roots at Midwestern open mics. By Sophie MuellerEveryone loves that first day of spring. You know what I’m talking about. That moment when the overcast skies magically clear and the sun breaks through. Or when the rainy days cease and all of a sudden buds on the trees appear and the flowers start to bloom. People seem to come out of hibernation and purge all their excess stuff, whether it be physical objects or the winter blues that tends to stick with us just like the snow. When we eliminate all the stuff holding us down, we also embrace and acknowledge the things that liberate us. Music, especially around the spring time, encapsulates these feelings of letting go and starting over with a new outlook and the promise of sunnier skies.
Here are songs that are absolutely quintessential for that day: when the rain ceases, the sun shines, and nothing can stop you, because you are invincible and there's a damn good playlist to prove it.
2. Nobody Dies - Thao & The Get Down Stay Down Head banger, requires you to dance around like a fool or at least crack a smile. 3. Oceans - Vallis Alps Light Beatz, heavy beatz, and everything in between. Essential for walking to your last class on a Friday afternoon, to give you that “I survived this week” kinda glow. 4. Real Love Baby - Father John Misty Groovy guitar beats plus this song was in the wedding episode of This Is Us, so need I say more? 5. Knock On My Door - Faouzia This song reminds me of a cross between Sara Bareilles/Natasha Bedingfield circa 2000s/Kelly Clarkson breakup songs. Listen if you need to shake off some negative vibes. 6. Next Year RAC Remix - Two Door Cinema Club A soft head banger r that makes you smile as you bask in the spring sun. 7. Don’t Move - Phantogram You’re a badass, this song lets you own it. 8. Otherside - Perfume Genius No words, just listen and let the music do the talking. 9. Inside Out - Spoon Feeling Irritated/scared/relieved/excited at how the year is wrapping up? This song is for you. 10. I Will Smile When I Think of You - J.E. Sundae A song that breaks hearts with its simplicity, somehow making you miss people only a room away. 11. Loving is Easy - Rex Orange County A feel good song for all those peeps you love, it makes you want to dance in the street and high five a random stranger. |
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