Coog Radio Curated Collection: ‘Stuck at Home & Stuck on Repeat’ Playlist
Written by Coog Radio on May 2, 2020
Welcome to another edition of Coog Radio Curated Collection. Has the quarantine got you down? Don’t worry we have a couple of songs that can hopefully pick you back up.
Here at Coog Radio we’ve been getting a little stir crazy. Concerts and festivals are being postponed or canceled. Plans, in general, are just flying out the window. To cope, we decided to share some songs that have been holding us over until we get life back on track.
CJ Moorer
Amber Run – “I Found”
It may be a little cliche, but I love music that takes me away emotionally. Like, a song that will send you to tears randomly is the song that I want to listen to, and this is absolutely that song.
King Princess – “Prophet”
This. Song. Smacks. That’s really all I have to say. It’s funky and chill with snappy lyricism. I was told about King Princess before, but I never got the chance to listen to her. But with the release of her at-home Tiny Desk Concert, I definitely can say I’ve become a fan.
Allen Stone – “Circle”
Honestly, a lot of Allen Stone songs can go on this list for me. I could’ve said “American Privilege”, “Brown Eyed Lover”, “Reality”, or “Consider Me”. However, “Circle” was the first song I ever heard from him, so I guess for some reason it took me back to better days when I was chilling in high school trying to hold hands with the girl in the back of class while talking about how beautiful her eyes were. It’s a song that gives me nostalgic vibes, and I can’t stop revisiting the past every time it infiltrates my ears.
June Marieezy – “Fly”
I had the biggest crush on this singer last year, so I don’t know how I forgot about this bop that she made. “Fly” is the song that I close my eyes and let my mind wander to given that it’s just so hypnotic. Although I don’t have many other pieces of her work to fanboy, I would still show this song and this artist to anyone who was interested in finding more artists.
Mitski – “Nobody”
Yeah… I’m lonely, dawg. This song is an absolute banger when there’s nobody else in the house and the fear that you’re alone indefinitely sinks in as the hours pass. I love it so so much and I know you will too as soon as the anxiety eases.
Bonzoraps – “The Man With a Broken Heart”
This is another recent find. I love his flow, and I love that I can feel hatred toward whoever he is talking about. I feel like when music gives you strong emotions you know it’s good music. This absolutely has to be a feature on this list.
Mac Miller – “Objects in the Mirror”
Mac Miller was a beautiful human, and I am a fan of his music. Though he was taken from us on September 7th, he left us with a legacy of music. I found this live session on Youtube, and I’ve got to admit that I was Mesmerized by his presence; The way the music flowed over me felt like I was being transported away from earth, and I’m glad that I could get high on the music if not on anything else.
Willow Smith – “Wait a Minute!”
Wait, wait, wait, I know what you’re thinking: “Hang on, isn’t that the tik-tok song that people are dancing to? Geez, bro, that’s so predictable. She has so many other trac- Bla bla bla”. Well, yes I am putting this song on here, yes I have been listening to it on repeat; no, I do not care that tik-tok transformed it into a trend. I love some of Willow‘s work, and I think that this song is one of the ones that got all of the attention it deserves. It’s pop-y but also music that’s chill enough for cruising the empty streets of H-town.
Childish Gambino – “42.26”
I was not the biggest fan of Childish‘s new album 3.15.20; I might have disliked it even. But one thing that will not change is the fact that “42.26” (Formerly known as “Feels Like Summer”) is and always will be an absolute banger. It’s cruising music at its absolute finest, and I’m so happy that we have this masterpiece to enjoy while analyzing the rest of the album.
Jorja Smith – “Beautiful Little Fools”
I like Jorja‘s work. Her voice is so mellifluous and her words hit right home. Ergo, it was a tie between this song and “Blue Lights” for the win here. I can say with full certainty that if you take a seat and turn the lights off, this track hits on a few extra levels. It’s a chill song that will have you listening and thinking about the world.
Nicholas Randell
Shrek Is Love – “Lord Farquaad”
A bold statement of 21st century jazz soul, Lord Faarquad shouldn’t be underestimated for its ogre origins. Michael Mayo on the vocals lays down a silky smooth performance that’s sure to impress as he recounts the events of Shrek from the villain’s perspective.
While a sparse production, the chosen sounds complement and enforce the funky groove. Vibrato-heavy organs, sweet keys and chiptune-esque synths form the atmosphere which tight bass and drums fill. The structure catches the ear, although it may be a little too new-wave for its own good with the distorted solo midway through that takes away from the otherwise silken song.
I’ve listened to everything these guys have put out and eagerly await their next release!
Leslie Campos
AURORA – “God is a Woman” Cover
This may be cheating a little because the track “God is a Woman” is a hit song from the strong soprano that is Ariana Grande. But since the theme of this playlist is whatever we’re bumping at the moment, then I’ll include it anyway. The piece above is the Norwegian singer, AURORA‘s version of Grande’s song. I love this version so much because of the unique characteristics of AURORA’s voice along with the stripped back, bare minimum instrumentals. The instrumentation creates a hauntingly empty space that is filled by AURORA’s light fairy-like vocals. You should definitely give this whimsical rendition a listen!
Anamanaguchi ft. Hatsune Miku – “Miku”
I know what you’re thinking, and yes, I love Hatsune and I do so shamelessly. If you aren’t familiar with Hatsune Miku, then which rock have you been hiding under? If you didn’t know then let me educate you just a bit, Hatsune Miku is a Japanese Vocaloid. Vocaloid is a singing voice synthesizer and Hatsune is a popular character/ hologram/girl that emerged with its inception. She sings, she dances and preforms to real crowds of die-hard fans.
This piece is called “Miku” and it was done in collaboration with the American band Anamanaguchi, both Hatsune and Anamanaguchi stay in more electronic styles of music. I love this song because it’s so upbeat and fun, and I personally love Miku’s cute synthesized vocals. There’s also a small breakdown in place of a bridge and ending chorus that goes way harder than it should.
Also, if you’re interested in seeing the Japanese pop star in person, she was supposed to perform in Dallas this past month but had to reschedule for this October… I’m definitely making the trip out, I’ll be the one with the green lightstick!
Grimes – “Oblivion”
Now, let me preface this by saying I’m not a person who actively listens to any sort of electronic music. That being said, after listening to “Oblivion”, I kind of understand some of the hype behind the artist that is Grimes. This track is so infectious! Though the lyrics are somewhat jarring considering she wrote this over an assault, I like how shes masks this with her sickly sweet voice!
The Civil Wars – “Dust to Dust”
The Civil Wars are the reason I believe in soulmates, NO, not romantic soulmates (because they’re married to people who aren’t each other) but musical soulmates. There’s just a natural chemistry between them as performers and there’s something special about the way their voices melt together. The duo is no longer together but they’ve left us with great discography. One of their last tracks together is “Dust to Dust”, the song goes into the lives of two burned and vulnerable people who are able to eventually come together. The musicians sing just above a whisper and create an atmosphere with so much warmth.
Gotye ft. Kimbra – “Somebody that I Used to Know”
When this song burst onto the scene, everyone knew that it would be a hit. The all-too-relatable lyrics, the almost weary vocals, and of course, the soft repetitive instrumentals. The piece starts out with an iconic soft xylophone riff that eases us into the rest of the song that has acoustic and electronic undertones. While Gotye definitely did what he had to do on his track, my favorite part is when Kimbra comes in. She’s an artist that I always look forward to hearing and I think this song is a great snack-sized bite of the talent she carries.
GOT7 – “ECLIPSE”
You don’t listen to K-pop? In this day and age? Let’s get with the program folks. K-pop is the perfect blend of powerful vocals paired with skillful raps, and this is spread across several talented musicians leaving you struggling with choosing favorites. What’s not to love? The song I’ve been currently vibing to is GOT7‘s “Eclipse”, this is the title track for their 2019 EP, SpinningTop: Between Security & Insecurity. GOT7 is really well tapped into this era’s style of a more electronic-based sound. While usually, I am more into the unique colors of the rappers’ flows, in this song I gravitate more towards the vocals. Especially in the pre-chorus where Yugyeom and Jinyoung create build up until the beat drops.
Here is the playlist in its entirety, give it a listen and let us know what you think!
Tagged as ccc
Continue reading
