1. Belle and Sebastian, “Piazza, New York Catcher”:
This one is from the soundtrack to Juno, one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. “Piazza, New York Catcher,” is quirky love story, much like the film itself. I could listen to this soundtrack all day.
2. The Decemberists, “The Bagman’s Gambit”:
I love how this song builds tremendous tension at its story’s climax. The music and the lyrics fit together perfectly to effectively tell the tale. Also, as always, I love Colin Meloy’s distinctive vocals.
3. Ben Kweller, “Family Tree”:
A catchy tune with catchy lyrics.
4. Iron and Wine, “Cinder and Smoke”:
Mellow, almost mournful music. To steal a phrase from one of the Lawrentian’s own, this song is “hauntingly beautiful.”
5. Keb’ Mo’, “Dirty, Low Down, and Bad”:
My dad got me into this kind of music. This track has the classic bluesy guitar, piano, and vocal combinations. Another favorite from his self-titled album is “Am I Wrong?”
6. Sufjan Stevens, “The Winter Solstice”:
If you haven’t heard Sufjan’s Christmas album (that this song is from), do it right now! It’s by far my favorite holiday music. As always, he brings together an eclectic collection of instruments and puts an entirely original spin on some traditional Christmas songs.
7. Arthur Rubinstein, “Carnaval, Op. 9-Eusbius (Schumann)”:
One of many classical piano pieces on my iPod. I find that they’re the best kind of studying music.
8. Ella Fitzgerald, “Blue Skies”:
What can I say about this one? Ella Fitzgerald is such an incredibly talented vocalist that, as far as I’m concerned, she can do no wrong.
9. Matt Costa, “Oh Dear”:
This is from his 2006 album, Songs We Sing. One of my favorite things about this song, and the rest of the album, is the simple instrumentation, mainly featuring vocals, guitar, and drums.
10. Escalator Dance Party, “She Thinks”:
I promise, I didn’t make this up. It really was the tenth song that came up on shuffle.
What’s on your iPod?
