Friday Music Day

FMD: Sweet Emotion

50 Comments

Lately it seems like people in the nation have been mentioning songs that serve a specific emotional purpose. “Songs for a breakup” and “get drunk and sing along,” etc. I once put together a mix for the songs to play when I was feeling melancholy. It seems we’ve all got them. Songs for hitting a precise emotional state.

So I’d love to hear what songs you love to hear when you’re feeling happy? Sad? Wistful? Angry? Like you keep falling short? Like you’ve worked hard and succeeded? So on, and so forth. If there’s a specific mood that a song has helped you identify, toss that out there too.

And we might as well drop our lists while we’re at it, right?

50 thoughts on “FMD: Sweet Emotion”

  1.     a. Lesser Prairie-Chicken “Display Calls at Lek” (Cornell Essential Set)
    1. Einstürzende Neubauten “Der Schacht Von Babel”* Ende Neu
    2. The Knife “The Bridge” Hanna Med H Soundtrack
    3. Coil/Nine Inch Nails “The Downward Spiral (A Gilded Sickness)” Recoiled
        b. Snow Goose “Flock Calls” (Cornell Essential Set)
    4. Robyn “Jag Vet en Dejlig Rosa” Body Talk Pt. 1
    5. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy “Champion” Chijimi

    6. Dolfish “Under My Skin” Daytrotter Session 3/27/2013
        c. Ruby-crowned Kinglet “Songs” (Dan Gibson: Wildlife Identification by Sound)
    7. The Knife “A Different Way” Hanna Med H Soundtrack
    8. Plastikman “Elektrostatik” Recycled Plastik*
    9. Steve Reich “It's Gonna Rain, Part II”* Early Works
    T. Beyoncé “Irreplaceable” B´Day

    *Notes:
    1. "The Shaft of Babel": an inversion of the Tower.
    8. I'm bothered that it's not "Recykled".
    9. Part I may be what you're familiar with. This is a different part of the sermon, talking about the people outside of the Ark wanting to get in. It's harshness makes "Part I" sound like a pop song.

  2. 1. “Blacktop” Julien Baker Sprained Ankle
    2. “Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois” Sufjan Stevens Illinois
    3. “Barfight Revolution,” Power Violence Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s The Dust of Retreat
    4. “Cocktails and Ruby Slippers” Katzenjammer A Kiss Before You Go
    5. “Sure as Spring” La Luz It’s Alive
    6. “David” Courtney Barnett The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas
    7. “Bullpen” Dessa A Badly Broken Code
    8. “Last Words of a Shooting Star” Mitski Bury Me at Makeout Creek
    9. “Brittle Boned” Julien Baker Sprained Ankle
    T. “April Come She Will” Simon & Garfunkel The Concert in Central Park (Live)

  3. Working on intense/dark projects: Hospice by The Antlers, Animal! by Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, Burn Your Fire for No Witness by Angel Olsen, Long Division by Low

    Need a break from all that darkness: Buckle in the Bible Belt by Ha Ha Tonka, A Kiss Before You Go by Katzenjammer

    Background music that helps me focus, but I’ve listened to it so many times I’m pretty sure I don’t actually hear any of it: Parts of Speech by Dessa

    When I’m annoyed: Dilate by Ani Difranco

    When I want to wallow in melancholy: Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars, Boxer by The National

    Writing fiction: tracks 9-13 of Cerulean Salt by Waxahatchee

    When I feel like kicking ass: Show Your Bones by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Indestructible Machine by Lydia Loveless

    Christmas preparation: RENT (Broadway cast recording), The Nutcracker Suite

        1. I couldn't claim to know enough about these composers to make an actual judgement...I'm just a fan of these kinds of big, bold sounds. I'll agree that there are many great movie composers.

            1. Basil Poledouris is the best.

              Some decent Timpani in there, too. Played a mean timpani back in the day.

  5. I've got various different playlists on my iPod for different moods. I tag songs with different flags in the comment field like "Drive", "Goodnight", and "Stimulant". MediaMonkey automatically takes any of those tracks and puts them in their respective playlists.

    The "Drive" playlist has stuff like Beastie Boys, Chevelle, certain "big" sounding pop songs like M83, badass sounding rap and the like.
    Goodnight is a 15 minute rolling playlist that plays really downtempo, almost ambient stuff that I can put on if I'm having insomnia (not as necessary, now that I have a baby)

    As far as albums go, I'd say there are definitely a few albums that I flock to when I'm feeling a certain way.

    When I want my mind to be completely blank: Tarot Sport by Fuck Buttons, Cupid's Head by The Field
    When I want to feel nostalgia, but really can't take putting on some CCM: the Descent soundtrack (the game, not the horror movie)
    When I Need to Really Dwell on the Feels: High Violet by The National, selected Radiohead
    When I Need to Feel Excited: Just about anything by The Go! Team
    When I'm Walking Alone in the Woods or doing something similarly wistful: ( ) by Sigur Rós
    When I Just Need to Hear Something I've Heard a Million Times Before: What's the Story Morning Glory by Oasis, Source Tags and Codes by And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
    When I need to feel Christmas Spirit: It's the Thought by Twila Paris

    1. I've always meant to categorize things by moods, but haven't ever actually done it. I think I've started "Sunday Afternoon" and "Friday After Work" playlists at various times, but never got too far with them.

    2. Like what you've described, I have a few playlist titles that describe a specific type of song or era of my listening life, but the titles are generally not an emotion/mood. Considering the world's capacity for amazing technology & software, I should have known there was something to help me deal with organize my music collection. I will be looking into MediaMonkey posthaste.

    3. The longest-running playlist I have on my iPod is "Wake Up": Used as an alarm.
      Aaron Dilloway "Eight Cut Scars (For Robert Turman)" (see below)
      AMR "Mbeer"
      Aaron Dilloway "Tight Rope"
      httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2j0bHVF8rc
      Just about the best sounds I can imagine to get one out of bed to turn that $#!+ off!

      1. Heh, I had Julian Casablancas "11th Dimension" as my alarm clock on my phone for about three months. Linds absolutely hates that song now.

        1. Man ... that's waaaaay too harsh.* I wake up to tone #22 - at the 4:20 mark in the clip:
          httpv://youtu.be/RQmSESvbBsY

          or this:

          httpv://youtu.be/nk_WUs-zlNU

          *and I'd have never guessed the source of Mbeer without your description of where you got the clip.

            1. My first comment didn't nest properly, but it's semi-appropriate under Mr. Casablancas (and Arcade Fire) too. I can't handle loud/happy/aggressive wake up tones/tunes - prefer to wake up ssllllloooooooowwwwlllllllly...like from 5:38 - 6:04 AM.

        2. Linds absolutely hates that song now.
          I might want to add that I only use this for atypical sleeping situations, where I'm away from my alarm clock, so EAR isn't really hating on it.
          I mean, she's heard it; I've played bits for her just to know what it is. But I don't expect her to find anything enjoyable or pleasant in it, and I'm not going to play her music solely to torture her.
          Which, given her tastes (most people's tastes, probably), is the only realistic way to expect her to react.

          Pepper talked about ruts. I got into a bad Dilloway rut right after I learned of him. I wasn't enjoying his music, but everything else felt flavorless, so his music is all I wanted to listen to.
          I've heard people talk about wanting to feel pain just to feel. Maybe the musical version of that.

    4. I think I have mentioned this before, but there was about a six month time period a few years ago in which my living situation was such that I had to cope by plugging in and using music to escape on a nightly basis. I made a playlist, and those songs still get me. I don't know what mood I would call it, but those are some personally meaningful songs.

      That also happens to be the time when I crossed the line from appreciating music mostly as background to really getting into it. I could probably count concerts I attended in my life prior to that time on one hand. I've been to more than a few over the past 3-4 years.

  6. 01. “Keep Your Head Up” – Cults – Static
    02. “California” – EMA – Past Life Martyed Saints
    03. “Down The Highway” – Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’
    04. “Dreams Don’t Cost A Thing” – Flat Duo Jets – Flat Duo Jets
    05. “When You Wake Up Feeling Old” – Wilco – Summerteeth
    06. “If You Love Me” – Altyrone Deno Brown – Eccentric Soul Vol. 2: The Bandit Label
    07. “Fantasize” – Kye Kye – Fantasize
    08. “The Sounds Of Science” – Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique
    09. “Motor City Is Burning” – MC5 – Kick Out The Jams
    10. “Grisgris” – Grimes – Geidi Primes

  7. Creative: Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue
    Happy: “Brassy” music, like “Sound Of Sunshine” by Michael Franti, Up-tempo Blues Brothers, Elvis Presley, etc.
    Melancholy: “Sweet Jane” – Cowboy Junkies
    Ass-Kicking: “That’s Not My Name” – Ting Tings
    By Myself, Late At Night: “There’s So Much Energy In Us” – Cloud Cult

    I’m going to add more as I think of them. I feel like I should have been more prepared, given I tossed out the topic.

  8. I'm not married to any particular songs, or even artists for various moods. If I rely too much on something, I get sick of it and don't want to listen to it anymore.

    1. I'm prone to getting in ruts, which is exactly why I'm so grateful to the WGOM for regularly introducing me to new (or new-to-me) stuff.

  9. This is a fun topic

    Running when I need encouragement: Playlist that includes such standards as Lose Yourself (Eminem), Right Now (Van Halen, Cult of Personality (Living Colour) and Back in Black (AC/DC)
    Running when already motivated: Definitely Maybe (Oasis), The Bends Radiohead
    Angry: Decoration Day Drive By Truckers (particularly Hell No I Ain't Happy, [Something's Got To] Give Pretty Soon, and Do It Yourself)
    Loud and Angry: Diarrhea Planet
    Chill: I and Love and You (Avett Brothers)
    Fun: Pinkerton or Blue (Weezer)
    Melancholy: Carrie and Lowell (Sufjan Stevens), Soviet Kitsch (Regina Spektor); Johnny Cash
    Really Melancholy: Eels
    Nostalgic: Nirvana, STP, Alice in Chains
    Last Day of School: Constant loop of "Constructive Summer"
    A very specific mood: Neutral Milk Hotel, Mountain Goats

      1. (checking time stamp to see if this might be a ploy to win friends in the coming Ace of Base vs. Nickelback war...nope)

        Thanks bud.

        Did you make a call on the Jayhawks yet?

  10. Sad -- GBV
    Happy - GBV
    Rowdy -- GBV
    Pensive --GBV
    Randy -- GBV

    :o) Seriously, I listened to In the Aeroplane Over the Sea a. lot. after my wife died. Also Jesus Christ Pose by Soundgarden is definitely my jam.

    1. JCP is great for riding bike without hands.
      Bike like you're Lt. Dunbar at the beginning of Dances with Wolves.
      For safety's sake, you may have to just hear the song from the memories in your head.

  12. 1. Sot -- Guided By Voices -- Vampire On Titus
    2. This Ain't No Picnic -- Minutemen -- Double Nickels On The Dime
    3. Love You Till Friday -- The Replacements -- Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash!
    4. Winter -- Teenage Fanclub -- Songs From Northern Britain
    5. Discovering Japan -- Graham Parker -- Squeezing Out Sparks
    6. Sunday Morning -- The Velvet Underground -- The Velvet Underground and Nico
    7. For You -- Big Star -- Third/Sister Lovers
    8. The Wait -- The Pretenders -- The Pretenders
    9. Lowdown -- My Morning Jacket -- Okonokos
    10. Jesus Christ Pose -- Soundgarden -- Badmotorfinger

    B1. No Christmas -- The Wedding Present -- Hit Parade
    B2. Poprocks And Coke -- Green Day -- International Superhits

    Anyone taking their sweetie to the AC-DC show at the X on Valentines Day?

  13. Focusing on coding or writing: Explosions in the Sky, Drive soundtrack
    Running: Silversun Pickups or similar with riffs
    Lifting: Rap. Start with Clint Dempsey's "Don't Tread". Or Mastodon
    First song walking home from my last lesson in Prague: "Aeroplane over the Sea"
    Getting Excited to Go Out: "Massive Nights" and "Constructive Summer"
    Bummed and DrinkingAny of The National or Cash's "American" recordings

  14. 1. If You Could See Me Now – Bill Evans
    2. Reptilia – The Strokes
    3. Don’t Move – Phantogram
    4. The Sign – Ace Of Base
    5. Last Nite – The Strokes

    6. Hongkongaton – Gorillaz
    7. Call It What You Want – Foster The People
    8. Wake Me Up (Acoustic) – Aloe Blacc
    9. Hobo Blues – R.L. Burnside
    10. Little Secrets – Passion Pit

    B1. Silvia – Miike Snow

    1. C'mon Corn, enough with the Ace of Base. You're a grown ass man who served his country admirably and now holds a respectable job, a wife who should be out of your league but somehow convinced to marry you and a couple of kids who are totes adorable. Time to have a grown up playlist too.

      1. Until today, Ace of Base songs have come up exactly twice in my FMD's, both on the same list more than a year ago, and I'm forever branded!?

        Okay fine, so I could have admitted to having a Nickelback album in my collection ... I'm sorry for not having your back. You Happy?

        Sheesh.

        2. I think I gave you shit a year ago too. It's only because I care CoC. It's only because I care.

  15. I used to listen to Ministry's Psalm 69 to aid falling asleep. Something about the techno-styled guitar loops was like waves crashing on a beach.

  16. Free should get a kick outta this.

    Charlie Pickett & The Eggs
    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSHX9FgA8w0&feature=youtu.be

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