“Screw You, Winter Blues”: So it’s February and you’re hungry and you know you have to walk all the way to the campus center to get food, but it’s below zero and slushy out and you can’t find your favorite mittens. What to do, what to do. pop this playlist on your iPod and instantly feel sunshinier, even though you’re stuck in Appleton, Wisconsin.1. Generationals, “Faces in the Dark”
Generationals sound like they should be from the 1960s, but luckily for us, Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer are from now. This song is from their album “Con Law,” and it makes me want to shake a maraca.
2. Branches, “The Inventor’s Daughter”
My sister Cori got me into this band out of Azusa, Calif. They actually perform weekly at Azusa Pacific University. Their sunny folk pop always brightens my mood whenever I anticipate another 8 a.m. chemistry lab.
3. djDOYOU, “Stuntin’ Like Mufasa (Simba vs. Lil’ Wayne)”
It’s the Lion King. And Lil’ Wayne. Mashed up. And as a bonus, there is a stellar music video with clips of the Disney animated film to match. In the words of Elise Pesch, “This is what happens when people who were kids in the ’90s grow up.” djDOYOU actually has a whole EP of Disney mashups, including gems like Mulan vs. Gucci Mane and Ariel vs. Aaliyah.
4. Soulja Boy, “Turn My Swag On”
Okay, say what you want about this song, but can you really be gloomy while listening to it? No, it just makes you want to dance. This song defines the word “earworm” for me. From Wikipedia: “Earworm, a loan translation of the German ‘Ohrwurm,’ is a portion of a song or other music that repeats compulsively in one’s mind.” Special thanks to Alex Ajayi for reminding me about these deep, soulful lyrics.
5. Metric, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”
This is my favorite Bob Dylan song, and while I was lurking around YouTube I stumbled upon this cover. I really do think that Emily Haines of Broken Social Scene fame does it justice.
6. Los Campesinos!, “You! Me! Dancing!”
Obviously, a song with three exclamation points is going to cheer you up – the frenzied opening just builds and builds into a frenetic crescendo of joy and spasms. This is an older song from the band out of Cardiff, Wales.
7. Simon & Garfunkel, “59th Street Bridge Song”
These guys tell us to “Slow down / you move too fast” which is always a good reminder for us Lawrentians. Whenever I hear this song I picture a guy in a Newsies cap doing a little jig and throwing pebbles on the ground. This is also the song my father wants played at his funeral, strangely enough.
8. The Lonely Island, “Just 2 Guyz”
Before the Lonely Island took over SNL and blew up with hits like “I’m On a Boat” and “I Just Had Sex,” they made this little ditty, which later showed up on their “Incredibad” album. I like to think that my adoration of this song comes from my appreciation for lyrics like “It’s a friend thing, friends are everywhere! In the kitchen, the den, hanging out on the stairs!” and not because of my lust for Jorma Taccone.
9. DJ BAHLER, “Mum Mum Mum Moth”
This guy made a whole album of Passion Pit mashups and named it, aptly, Mashin’ Pit. This track, centered around Passion Pit’s “Moth’s Wings” from their album “Manners,” is heavy on the Lady Gaga, who will always hold a place near and dear to my heart – and my Facebook newsfeed.
10. Willow Smith, “Whip My Hair”
We all wish we were this 10-year-old girl. The daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett is a budding actress and is signed to Jay Z’s record label. What were we doing 10 years ago? Nothing. Nothing. Look at her dancing in her video – I covet that swag. Caution: Dancing too vigorously to this song may cause whiplash. Just ask my roommate.