Dave's Recs: Songs I Have on Repeat

By: Dave Griffiths, Programming Director

I listen to the same songs and same artists on a weekly basis. So here’s this week’s list of songs that I constantly play on repeat to annoy my girlfriend.

1. “Love Comes Close” by Cold Cave

If you’ve read any of my previous entries, then you already know about my love for Cold Cave. I first started listening to them when Cherish the Light Years came out, but recently started checking out Love Comes Close. The titular track is a nice trot through gothic synth pop and the melodramatic vocal delivery and relaxed rhythm is what keeps this one in the top rotation of my iPod.

2. “Blue Boy” by Texas is the Reason

I recently started getting into the '90s emo scene, and whenever I was searching for bands and songs on YouTube, this song happened to turn up. I haven’t been able to stop listening to it ever since. The great buildup and constantly chugging pace is textbook emo, and with the recent release of their compilation Do You Know Who You Are?, I was finally able to download and play this song whenever I wanted.

3. “I Think of You” by Rodriguez

For reasons I can’t explain, I love the sound of Spanish guitars and really slow-paced songs. This song encompasses both of those aspects, so obviously I play it all the time.

4. “Stay Useless” by Cloud Nothings

This was the first song I ever heard from Cloud Nothings, and its fast and fiery delivery only got me deeper into their discography. With the recent announcement of them as Lobsterfest’s headliners, this song will be heavily played for the next couple of months.

5. “If Only You Were Lonely” by The Replacements

Every once in a while, a song comes around that really describes an aspect of your life. This song pretty much described my nine-to-five summer schedule and the desire to just mellow out and do something new. That’s why I’ll keep listening to it until my girlfriend decides to destroy my speakers.

Bonus:

Also this. Perfection.

Dave's Recs: Spotify me, Captain!

By: Dave Griffiths, Programming Director

I love Spotify.  No chance of downloading viruses.  No limited number of skips.  All you have to deal with is a couple of ads and you’re good to go.  I’ve made dozens of playlists, but these are the album playlists that make up the majority of my listening time.

1.  Attack on Memory - Cloud Nothings
I had never heard of Cloud Nothings until this album began to show up in ACRN’s rotation.  I instantly fell in love with this album not only because it was made by a couple of Clevelanders, but also because every song on the album is so diverse and could easily stand on its own as a great single.  Literally every style of rock is explored in this album and I would say it encompasses the definitive college rock sound without overwhelming newcomers with too much experimentation.  It is a must-listen.

2.  Seasons In Verse - My Heart to Joy
I began getting into emo in high school and picked it back up in college. I’m not talking about that emo with the Mickey-Mouse-voice vocalist you hear for a year before the band vanishes without a trace; I’m talking about pure emotion surrounded by the raw sounds that hark back to the glory days of punk rock.  This album encompasses both elements perfectly.  The lyrics are so simple, yet the vocals and musicianship are filled with so much power that you can find at least one song to relate to even if you have no idea what the song actually means.  It's the perfect album to come back home to after a long day at the office.

3.  Dive - Tycho
Techno and synthesizers have always held a special place in my heart.  When I first heard this album, I thought it was good, but I thought it was a one-hit-wonder kind of a deal. 

Big mistake. 

Not every person will like Dive because of its ambient sound, but if you’re looking for a trip into the wonders of rhythm, sounds and beats, it's something you need to listen to at least once in your life.  Each arrangement is unique and Tycho takes you on a catchy ride that encompasses the laid-back side of techno.  If California had a soundtrack, this would be it.

4.  Cherish the Light Years - Cold Cave
If you took the '80s synthesizer sound, added a touch of gloomy undertones and threw in a little eccentric personality, then you just created one of the greatest alternative electronic acts in the modern world. 

When I first heard "Confetti" from this album, I was obsessed.  I listened to it three or four times in a row and then annoyed my roommate by playing it three more times that night.  As I kept playing Cherish the Light Years, I began to move away from the single and discovered a great electronic sound that emulates the best sounds and styles of the '80s while cutting away all the crap and cheesiness of the decade.

If you’re looking for a nice technological sound without constantly pulsating bass and lyrics that consist of more than repetitions of three word phrases, then this is the album for you.

5.  El Ten Eleven - El Ten Eleven
The name of the game here is musicianship, and these guys are masters. 

Lyrics aren’t always needed to create emotion.  Rather, one just needs guitars, bass, a drum set and a good sense of how to arrange the clashing sounds together to create a mood. 

El Ten Eleven's self-titled is the kind of album that builds up to a dynamic sound with the melodic tuning and simple chords of a guitar, a smooth bass line and a simple drum rhythm that never overpowers. 

Each instrument is given equal treatment and what results is a collection of beautiful arrangements that explore every human emotion without uttering a single word.